The Last Five Steps

A surprising meeting had occurred for Simyon in the library. After saying what he wanted to say, Ricktor had quickly gone off, leaving him on his own. Simyon just stayed there in place for a while, staring straight ahead.

Several students passed him, even turning their heads around, trying to look at the books that he was blocking. In any other situation, the others would have wondered or asked if something was wrong. In this case, they were too focused on trying to find the right skill book for themselves.

'Is this how life is going to be for me in the academy now?' Simyon thought to himself. 'First at the temple, I was made a target by Gren, but I managed to stay out of his way, and now it's Ricktor. Is this just my fate? Am I not able to escape this?'

What if Simyon said no? What if he refused to do the young master's bidding? What would happen then? Images flashed in his mind of the possibilities. Ricktor was certainly a strange one.