Louie D'Ayllanor - part 1

The sound of the huge temple bells echoed throughout the central area of the capital of the kingdom of Faloriand.

Another day like all the others. I got up, washed my face and got ready to go to the library. On the way I decided to stop at a confectioner's for breakfast.

"Good morning Miss Luri!"

The attendant and owner of the bakery's shop Ruddy, Luri Ruddyan. She is around 35 years old, with light brown hair, brown, almost golden eyes, and always wears a white apron over her mostly colorful clothes. She has been helping in her family's bakery since she was a child. About 10 years ago she took over the management, since her parents decided to see the world and enjoy a little of what is left of their lives. Recently, she took on an apprentice: Nina, or rather Antonina Gutter, a 12-year-old girl with long black hair in neatly braided pigtails. Always super excited to learn everything, and with a natural talent for negotiating, Nina insisted that Luri take her on as an apprentice.

"Ah, good morning Louie! What would you like today?"

"Uhmm... Always hard to choose, with all these wonderful options... hehehe"

"I suggest House Special Pie!"

A voice coming towards the kitchen door that opened with the young apprentice bringing a plate with a slice of pie.

"Good morning Nina! I think I'll take your suggestion then."

She walked me over to the table leaving the plate with the slice of pie.

"Would you like a coffee to go with it?"

"Sure. So, what's the pie about?"

I watch the slice of pie carefully cut so as not to ruin the leaf-shaped icing decoration. It had a pinkish cream with bits of what appeared to be a dark red colored fruit.

"This is a special recipe of my own making, and according to Master Luri I must not tell the secrets of my recipes to anyone."

Nina smiled confidently.

"Right..."

"But you'll love it, I put a cream made with lonberries and butter and..."

Suddenly, Nina covers her mouth with her hands, and widens her eyes in fright as Luri lets out a laugh from the counter.

"You still have a lot of busting to do girl. HAHAHAHA"

Nina lowers her shoulders, looking down at the floor, saddened.

I smile as I eat a piece of the pie.

"What did you say again? I wasn't paying attention while eating here. This pie is too good!"

Nina raised her head smiling, completely forgetting her sadness.

"N-nothing no! Yeah, I told you you'd love it, didn't I? HUHUHUHU"

She walked out bouncing as Luri came towards me with two coffees. She sits down at the table and starts drinking the coffee smiling.

"Ah, kids! This apprentice is fun. So, off to the library again?"

"Yes, new books are coming soon and..."

She looks serious for a moment as she puts down her cup.

"Louie, I've known you since you were a kid. Every day you come here and then spend the day at the library. There's more to know in this big world than to spend your life with your face in a book..."

I swallow the coffee that comes down more bitter than usual.

"But there are so many books I haven't read yet and..."

She continues to look at me seriously.

"Louie, you should live more, have more experiences. Get to know everything you read in these books in person. You keep saying you're going to go out, travel the world but something seems to hold you back here. "

I finish eating and as I take the last sip of coffee, I pull out 3 silver coins and leave them on the table.

"Well, I... I'm running late. Thanks for the food and keep the change."

She smiles as she takes the coins.

"Well... It's up to you. Anyway, see you tomorrow Louie!"

"See you Miss Luri! Thanks."

Luri keeps watching me smiling. I leave the bakery's shop and head for the library. On the way, lost in thought, I recall the many conversations I had with Luri when I was younger, about seeing the world and maybe finding my father out there. Or maybe, going on a great adventure and recording my own legend...

"In the end, I didn't do anything I planned..."

* * *

After walking for a while, I arrive at the library, where I worked as a book keeper, which paid very well, by the way, and where I could read whatever I wanted in my spare time. I had a small room, it was comfortable and with well-decorated walls, there was a lamp with some lumines around it and a huge armchair beside it, where I spent hours reading. On the stone and wood walls there was a family portrait, which I looked at while sitting in the armchair. There was a couple and two children. It was probably my mother, my grandparents, and the older boy, my uncle. When they decided to come to the capital, my uncle chose to stay there. He could take care of himself, so his parents agreed.

There was another portrait, me and my mother, just before she got sick. We were smiling. It was a fun day.

I keep looking at the portrait of my mother, Layla D'Ayllanor, she certainly was someone who enjoyed life, in her own way. She had no interest in traveling, but because she worked in an inn at the port, she heard all kinds of stories, about everything. And she would excitedly tell me each one before going to sleep.

There was also a table full of scattered papers and several open books on top, pens and inkwell in the upper left corner and in the center of the table, a book, or rather a pile of papers that I would turn into a book as soon as I wrote it... While I was looking at the blank sheets, I heard someone in the distance calling me...

"Lou...ie... Louie... LOUIE!"

I awaken from the brief startled reverie, as I try to pull myself together. I look towards the door, where standing was my magic arts teacher, looking at me with his frowning face, and one of his eyebrows arched, in a tone of curiosity. Tarthan Signari was a skinny human gentleman of 78 years old, with short white hair and grayish blue eyes, who seemed to be much younger than he looked, with a disposition of someone who was 50 or less. Always very serious, he had been an adventurer for much of his life, acting as a battle mage, and now, he assisted the master of the adventurer's guild as one of the novices' teachers, passing on his knowledge and experience.

"Have I interrupted your rest, my dear, tardy official?"

"No-no, Signari sir, I just... got lost in thought for a moment. It will not be repeated."

"Won't be repeated? That's practically a habit! Do you know why I still put up with this kind of thing?"

"Certainly sir! I am extremely competent in my tasks, I have catalogued practically the entire library by myself and I know where every book is or the ones that are missing and..."

"Of course not! If it wasn't for the Guild's recommendation, I would never have agreed to have you work here!"

I bow my head.

"T-that makes sense..."

He enters the room and walks over to the desk, flipping through the blank papers.

"Louie. Don't get me wrong, you don't belong here. You will never finish that book here. You've already registered with the Guild, and you're still here.... "

"Well, I... I'm not sure where to start. I need to do some more research and..."

"Ok, ok... These things don't rush, do they? The call of adventure will surely come to you. Anyway, the books you have been waiting for have arrived. And surely, it's not my job to receive them, is it?"

He puts a package along with the books on the table. And leaves.

"Ahh, and this package was addressed to you, but the delivery man couldn't say who sent it."

"Thank you Mr. Signari."

As soon as he leaves, I start flipping through the books that arrived. They were some of the few books that talked about the region. In particular, I was looking for information about Gerd. My mother and grandparents were from there, so I was curious to know about it, but when I asked about it, my saddened mother would only say that the village had disappeared some years ago and no one from there had ever been seen again.

As I leaf through the book, a paper that was folded in the middle of the pages falls out.

I pick it up and open it. It was a very detailed map of the region. But, it strikes me that it is not up to date, after all, it still had Gerd's location, which has not been on the official maps for some time.

I put the book on the table and look at the small package, it had my name written in it, although it was a little blurry, maybe because of the rain on the way? When I open it, I realize that it is a gold necklace with a crystal pendant in the shape of a drop, surrounded by small metal details and that it seemed to have some characters that, forcing my vision, I could read.

"How curious. There seems to be some elven inscription here..."

FOR ALL ETERNITY, I WILL RETURN.