Journey (2)

Entering their home, Lady Emily found Darian reading through the book she had tasked me with studying.

"Darian, how are you?" She asked, her voice maintaining its usual sweet and gentle tone.

Startled by her present, I turned to see her standing there with my mother. "Master? You're here?"

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she tilted her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I be?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle with warmth. "My apprentice is running away to some far-off land," she added playfully.

"Oh…Yeah…" I sulked.

I didn't want to have to leave Lumen, but the prospect of exploring more of this world was a silver lining especially given everything that had happened these last few days. I hadn't realised just how much this small town had grown on me these last 10 years now that I had reflected upon it. It was a bittersweet farewell.

"Don't be too sad, Darian. Where you're going, you'll find better opportunities than if you stayed here till you were old enough for the Academy," she reassured me.

Glancing down at the tier 2 book resting in my lap, I said, "Master, I've gone through the entire book just as you told me to. Since I'm leaving you can have it back."

"That's alright, you can keep it and have these as well." She replied, presenting me with a tier 2 book of spells and a necklace bearing a pendant with an insignia of some sort.

"What's this?" I asked.

"That's a tier 2 book of spells and that pendant is something you have to give to a man named Godrick Thalorin when you arrive at your destination," Lady Emily explained.

"Who's that?" 

"Your new master in magic," she replied with a grin.

"Eh?" I blankly looked at her, surprise evident on my face.

"Yes, and don't worry about anything. Once you show them the pendant, they'll understand, haha," she chuckled.

"Are you sure I can have all these things?" I asked, still somewhat bewildered. 

"Yes, of course, you're still my apprentice - and the only apprentice I've ever taken in!" Lady Emily replied with a reassuring smile, pointing her index finger up.

Carefully placing the things she had given me on the sofa, I got up and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Master."

Lady Emily, not one for physical displays of affection, chuckled awkwardly as I hugged her.

She reached for the pendant I had placed on the sofa and said, "You have to make sure to never lose this, okay? Here, you have to wear it like this." She said, before helping me put on the necklace.

"Yes, master." I smiled, our time together may have only been a few weeks but she was a kind person and I had learned a lot about magic from her.

"Alright, well, I wish you a safe journey. Goodbye," Lady Emily bid me and my mother farewell.

***

The next day, all our things had been packed securely on a wagon with a roof made of fabric, it was strange seeing the home I had grown up in be so empty.

"Darian!" My mother called out to me.

"Son, get in the wagon," my father instructed me. "We have to go now." 

"Yes, coming!" I said, closing the door to my room for the last time. I was busy bidding farewell to the oh-so-amazing view I had everyday for the last 10 years and lost track of things.

Getting on the wagon, I noticed we didn't have many things apart from clothes, a few small items, and camping and food supplies for the road. My parents seemed to have sold everything that they could that wasn't essential to the journey ahead of us.

"Comfy back there?" My father asked as he was going to be operating the horse-drawn wagon with my mother sitting beside him.

"Yes, Dad." I affirmed. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"Didn't your mother tell you?" He responded.

"No, Mom didn't tell me."

"We're going to the capital; it'll be safer for us there."

With that we headed to the Town Centre where we stopped in front of the Guild Hall.

"Huh? Why are we stopping, dad?" I said peeking out through the gap at the front of the wagon.

"We're waiting for a merchant so we can travel with them. It's safer and faster this way."

"Since we're in front of the Guild Hall, can I say bye to Anna?"

"No." My father replied curtly.

"Oh come on, Renbrandt. surely you can give him 5 minutes to say his goodbyes."

"Fine, but 5 minutes, and only 5 minutes," my father conceded.

***

Quickly entering the Guild Hall, a place Darian hadn't set foot in a long time, he spotted Anna sitting at a table doing some homework.

"Anna," he called out to her.

"Darian?" She looked at him quizzically.

"I came to say goodbye. My family's moving, and we're leaving town for good."

"So suddenly?" She inquired, her brow furrowing. "After all this time you haven't come to see me, and now you're just here to say goodbye?"

I nodded, my heart heavy with the realisation that I had to leave soon. "I know, Anna. I should have visited more often. I just didn't expect things to change so quickly."

Anna's expression showed a hint of bitterness as she retorted, "Well, some friend you are! You missed out on a lot these last few months. But no worries, I'll see you at the academy someday as your senior!"

I looked at her, surprised by her response. "You'll be at the academy?"

Anna grinned mischievously. "Of course! I'll be one of the greatest adventurers in the world. And when I see you there, I'll make sure to beat you up for being such a bad friend you know!"

"Wait, how'd you know I was thinking of going to the academy?"

"What do you mean 'how'd I know'? All Lady Emily does when she comes by the Guild is boast about how great of an apprentice you are and blah blah blah…"

"Really?" He looked at her, surprised that his master that seemed so stern, sensible, and sweet would boast about his feats.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it!" Anna grumbled, crossing her arms. "So like I said I'll see you at the academy and you better remember me!"

I chuckled, relieved that she still found humour in our situation. "Well, we'll see who beats up who then haha," I chuckled. "Take care, and I hope I'll see you at the academy, Anna. I'll always remember you." Darian hugged her, Anna's face seemed to turn red in response.

"Yeah yeah just go already!" She jokingly shoved him and waved her hand gesturing for him to get out of the Guild Hall.

"Okay, bye," Darian waved and quickly left.

***

Returning back to the wagon, I noticed another wagon parked in front of ours. There, an older man, likely in his middle years, was busy discussing something with my mother and father. He was probably the merchant my father had mentioned.

Beside them, two individuals stood, one with a sword and the other with a bow and arrows, likely the merchant's escorts for the journey.

"Darian, this is Mr. Prescott. We'll be accompanying him for the next four months on our journey to the capital," my father introduced.

"Hello, Sir." I greeted the man.

"And hello to you too," he replied with a friendly smile, then turned to my father. "I believe it's time to depart. Tessa, Rowan, we're leaving now," he instructed his two escorts.

"Right," my father agreed, gesturing for my mother and me to get on the wagon as we prepared to leave.

As I settled in the back of the wagon, a sense of melancholy washed over me as we departed from our hometown. But my mother's voice interrupted my thoughts as she handed me something.

"Honey, I want you to keep this; it's for you," she said, passing me a vial.

"What is it?"

"Blood. Only drink it when you can't take it anymore. You'll have to learn to control yourself, my dear"

"Okay," I replied, my gaze fixed on the vial containing the crimson liquid. It looked enticing, and I felt an intense craving building inside me, a deep desire for it. I quickly dismissed these thoughts and stashed it in my satchel. 

I wasn't going to allow myself to relish in my vampiric desires, especially if it would make me lose control. The strongest of wills can be broken by the gentlest desires, and I wasn't going to let myself break now, not after coming so far.

With that, our wagons began moving and we soon found ourselves very far away from the town of Lumen where I had grown up.

***