Carriage Ride

Max was unsure how long he had been sleeping but knew that even in his sleep they were moving. He had been conditioned at this point to recognize the speed, type of path and was close to nailing down the time of day at this point as he slowly groaned, body feeling achy and sore from his chase just a few hours ago. Max was far from recovery as he saw the shadow of his father sitting, reins in hand as he drove the wagon but too many thoughts were in his head and one was the aching wound on his thigh. He hissed as he wobbled to his feet and slowly limped towards his seat on the bench next to his father, wobbling and trying to find balance on one leg while the carriage moved.

Embarrassingly enough it took him a few minutes to hobble up to the seat as he slowly sat next to Ken who welcomed him with a loving head pat and ruffled his hair. There was an awkward silence in the air as the only sound was the nature around them and the racing hooves of Wave but Max's eyes would secretly glance to the belt his father wore, now seeing the blade in action. He had always figured it was for show and used to warn off any thieves but never had he seen it in action before.

"You're looking at Loke Carca huh? Hahaha, I don't blame you boy! I had the same reaction when I witnessed her forging by the great Alibaster, master dwarf blacksmith. You see, when I first started off being a merchant I wasn't exactly your typical merchant and more of a sellsword with a mercantile business on the side"

Max had never seen his father fight, he hadn't seen him do a lot since the man seemed to devote most of his time to the boy and safe business practices that wouldn't get them in trouble. Loke Carca, that was Elvish? Why would a dwarf make an elf named weapon and named Serpent's Fang? Questions began to form in his head as his father once again broke the silence,

"I assume you already translated the name huh? The funny thing is I thought it was a dwarven name for the longest time, that is before I learned why he was a master smith, his smithing style isn't just dwarven but unified smithing. I know that sounds odd but I'll simply put it as though the blade carries a name in Elvish the crafting style used was a mix of everything he has learned. The wire used to keep the blade together is Dwarven design, the blade itself is Elvish style where the hilt is human with some signifiers of Lizardfolk and Beastmen and a majority of the magic in the blade is that of the Teiet. All these defining factors made the blade more special than you can imagine, in fact, it's one of a kind and one of the few sentient blades in existence that was made by mortal hands."

Max was hit with a lot of information all at once but the information divulged to him was fascinating! A sentient blade was something of legend and considered a treasure to say the least but Max knew that Living Weapons were a fickle thing due to the fact that they were alive. A simple disagreement with the weapon could cause the weapon to disobey or not even work while wielding it, the weapon not accepting a person was a very feasible thing as he caressed the blade and swore he could hear it shutter as he pats the boy on the back.

"Max, tell me that you didn't steal those rings and books, please. They are nice and all but I can't have you being a petty thief. Not only are we better than that but I can afford nice things like that with ease, after all I have been putting away every copper, silver, and gold away that we don't use for when you grow older. You're the light of my life boy but we aren't petty thieves, in fact, we can spoil others and bless them with good deeds, it's part of the reason I stopped being a sellsword. That and your mother as well as you"

Max smiled as he tried to think of a good reason why but figured there was no harm in lying,

"Well... After seeing all of my stats and skills and stuff I kinda got worried. I couldn't sleep and my system piped up about a solution. System gave me a marker and said that at the marker someone could help me fix my errors and it was right. I met a nice Teiet named Olivia, an owl woman in a town on the other side of the forest who was apparently a magic researcher... She helped me learn how to separate the two manas inside of me, separating the Human draw-in and the Elf mana-making but she is really nice! She also knows about me and didn't care..."

Ken didn't like how that all ended but considering they weren't surrounded by guards yet meant that she didn't rat the boy out as he pats the boy on the head and handed back over the books he had sitting on the other side of him.

"Well when we get to town we will thank her with a nice meal. She seemed to part with some serious treasures and some books to help spell casting but it seems you've already got a bit of a grasp on spells huh? I don't know what you hit that wolf with but it caused him to practically die on the spot, you also saved your old man's life, my little hero."

He chuckled as Max took the books and looked at them curiously and slowly began to read the cover before a text popped up before him and that annoying ding went off.

{{Beginners to Magic, little mage's first spellbook. Can be learned without reading it but will cost skill points. ERROR; user lacks skill points to learn book. Level up to obtain skill points.}}

Max was getting sick and tired of the word error as he happily sighed and began to read, plunging his nose into the book as they carried on. The book was fascinating as it explained magic here worked and that every living thing had mana. He read that every spell falls within a special classification that is called a school except a few special few. Conjuration, Evocation, Abjuration, Transmutation, Divination, Enchantment, and Illusion. From these, the book also hints at forbidden magics which Ken explained to be Necromancy, Curse, Infernal, Elven, and Chaos spells. Though Elven was on the table he was thoroughly warned against the others, scolded even not to learn spells of that classification.

The further into the book he had gotten into the book he found the spells, each one a basic spell as he gulped and took off his rings and forced the two reservoirs to stay separate as he began to experiment. A simple flame spell with human magic is what he willed into his left hand and in his right, he did the same but with Elven. The results were a small constant flame in his left hand and in his right was a blazing inferno that he quickly put out as he nearly burned off his eyebrows as it scared him and his dad. The two laughed about it as Ken would try his best to help his son, only about as good as his son since he never delved too deep into magic. The two goofed around with magic for about an hour as Max was given another ding.

{{Skills Obtained: Basic Spellcasting: (MAX), Magical Aptitude: (MAX), Quick Learner: (Basic: Lvl 1)}}

{{Titles Obtained: Slayer of Alpine's Alpha, Mage Trainee}}}

Max couldn't help but giggle some at these skills and titles. He would read into them later but now they were coming up to Alpine, the town he had been at the night before. Quickly they did their usual of storing Wave and making their presence known but this time Max wasn't cloaked and his ears hidden by his hat as they announced business would start tomorrow and were quickly approached by a group of guards that had noticed the alpha on their wagon.

"Well, I'll be damned! That's the damn alpha of the forest you have on yer carriage there isn't it?!"

This began to gather a crowd as Ken nervously laughed, not too keen on the attention they were receiving as guards gawked and poked the still beast as a woman approached. She was human, skin a leathery tan and hair a sandy blonde as she peered past the two to peek at the wolf and then at Ken and Max. Ken had a nervous smile on and Max imitated it as she beckoned them into the inn and bought them a meal. As they sat she simply watched as the two began to eat a nice meal that was free and not scavenged from the forest or made by their own hands.

"How am I supposed to believe a merchant and his half-pint killed a beast that has been terrorizing this town for a few years when you both lack armor, weapons, and a sense of decency?"

This caused both to stop as Ken's face turned from a positive one to a stoic one, meeting hers as he signaled for Max to stop as they bot wiped themselves clean and looked a bit more presentable.

"Excuse me, I don't believe we've properly been introduced. My name is Ken and Max here is my son but I don't like your speculations, Miss. I have been servicing this town for some time seeing as I usually include it within my business loop since well before Max here was conceived, I may have taken some time to get here but I do not appreciate the hostility. Gladis"

Ken called out as a mature old woman from behind the bar peeked up, Gnome from the looks of it as she squinted at Ken before a large smile crept across her face. Quickly she poured three drinks and came trotting over as she placed the drinks down.

"Kenny! My sweet little Kenny is all grown up and back! Had me plenty damn worried that the famous sellsword Kenneth Ashcrop had gotten himself stuck in a trouble he couldn't talk or fight his way out of!"

The bar went silent as they all turned their heads and Ken pushed the drink from Max towards the female guard as a light smile appeared on his face, turning to Gladis and motioning for Max to do the same.

"Max, this is Gladis. She is my favorite bartender from back when I used to party! And Gladis this is Max, my son, and bearer of the Ashcrop name!"

Gladis looked at Max as tears welled up in her eyes and she choked back tears, patting the boy on the cheek as tears of joy rolled down her face and she pats the boy on the shoulder before giving the guard a stern look.

"Leave me boys alone Malissa, if Kenny says he killed the wolf then you're lucky to have a body left for him to claim that bounty. Now drink the twos of ya, I'm gonna get me grandboy another plate. Ken stop starving the boy!"

"I apologize for my skeptical nature Mr.Ashcrop. I didn't realize you were that Ken, I just have to be wary due to the influx of troubling individuals we've had in the past. I'll cover you and your son's first night as penance as well as the food and drink. Mr. Ashcrop, when you get the time please stop by the town hall to collect the bounty reward."

She politely drank her two ales and took her leave, bowing as apologies as Gladis brought a large plate of food for Max full of delicious meats, rice, bread, and veggies with a fruit medley on the side. The two enjoyed their meal as they avoided suspicion as friends of old came to ask Ken plenty of questions, Max kinda liked the fame but didn't let it go to his head as he indulged in the delicious meal made for him.