Quill

92. A Cake to Cry on

Wiser from experience, if only a little, Martel did not stay out late with Maximilian. At an almost decent time, they returned to the Lyceum, one of them singing songs that seemed incongruent with his refined upbringing. Lacking the courage to correct Maximilian on his misplaced confidence as a m...

91. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Arriving at the apothecary, Martel wondered a little to find Mistress Rana present. She rarely spent this much time in the workshop, though Nora had been absent for some days, going on her trip to visit the Stone of Archen, which did leave certain tasks unattended.

"What do you have for me ...

90. Good Things Come in Small Sizes

Martel ended up spending his afternoon in the apothecary as well, churning out the strange alchemical liquid that Master Kelsos needed. It was not a potion, rather the reverse; a person spat into the liquid, and if they were ill, it changed colour. Martel did not observe that part of the process,...

89. A Little Knowledge

When Martel woke on Malday, he did not feel better. Even though he had both slept yesterday afternoon and now through the night, he still felt tired. And despite the mild weather of late summer, he was cold the moment he pushed his blankets away. He really wished he could simply lie back into his...

88. Specks of Red

A muted band trotted the weary steps through the city from the slums towards the centre. Martel coughed, feeling cold and tired to the bone. All in all, they had walked for hours crossing the slums first in search of Sparrow and afterwards her captor. With little to show for it.

"Do we tell...

87. Dealings in the Dark

Back at the derelict house, the three mages and their younger companions found the scene as described by Mole. Sparrow, crying and shivering, jumped at Weasel and clung to him as soon as she saw him. It took a while to calm the girl down and get her to relate her story.

"I was going to the ...

86. Chasing Fortune

Martel thought about Sparrow, the little girl with wheat-coloured hair, dirt on her face, and her arm wrapped in a bandage made from his shirt. "Do you know where she went? Where she was last seen?"

Weasel nodded. "Yeah, I've had Badger and Mole track her steps, but they lost the trail. And...

85. Sparrowhawk

With Solday came another free afternoon Martel had to take advantage of. He had spent all his coin – an easy feat, since he never had more than a few silvers at a time – and promised the children more supplies, leaving him to his only recourse. After the lunch bell, he went to the workshops.<...

84. A Hidden Gem

Although he managed to catch more sleep, Martel still found it hard to concentrate next morning. Fortunately, his morning lessons in theory of magic were always interesting; as they did not involve practical magic, they were also less demanding.

Today, Master Fenrick had brought a wand to c...

83. The Wiles of Weasel

Martel yawned his way through his morning duties. Going to the slums after the evening meal and returning late at night left precious little time for sleeping. Several rounds of this had begun to take its toll. Fearful of making a mistake in the apothecary, Martel worked very slowly, so his brain...

82. Heal or Hurt

Healing class meant plenty of different chores to carry out in the infirmary, though with each passing fiveday, the nurses were more inclined to teach Martel how to actually care for the ill and injured. He readily listened whenever they showed him something and would happily come running from ac...

81. Alliterative Argumentation

Walking into the apothecary, Martel was pleased to find Nora there as well. Always a talker, she happily answered Martel's questions.

"What herb helps with colds and runny noses?"

"You'll want hound's tongue," Nora helpfully explained. "Just the roots, mind you, and best crushed into ...

80. A Man of Means

When Solday came around, it meant a fiveday had passed since the riots. News arrived that the tenth legion defending the Savena delta, the famed Legio Astra, had held back the Khivans; it helped to calm the mood in the ensuing days, though brawls still broke out, and few people left or entered th...

79. Not Quite an Alchemist Yet

Martel spent most of Glunday digesting the events of the previous day. Without more red clover, Eleanor would not be able to make another attempt at the elixir, and he saw no reason to reveal her attempts to anyone. He had been involved in a few troublesome matters himself, which others had overl...

78. Homebrew

A decent night's sleep helped alleviate some of Martel's discomfort, whether physical or emotional. Besides that, as he arrived at the infirmary to do his stint for the fiveday, the sight of the sick patients reminded him that matters could be much worse. Only those suffering from strange and unu...

77. The Scent of Jasmine

Martel woke, feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. His body was too hot from sleeping in his clothes. His face felt weird and stiff with a sharp pain as a reminder when he touched his wound. Lastly, his head pounded like a blacksmith's hammer against the anvil. Changing out of his robe, he tried hi...

76. Tempers Flaring

Not every Solday working for Master Jerome could be as simple and easy as last time; instead of removing ink from parchment, Martel was needed in the laundry. He worked his bell in silence, distracting himself from the tedium of the task by thinking about magic and his progress.

When his tw...

75. Starlight

On Mondays, Martel had alchemy duty before his first class. He went there as soon as second bell rang, though Nora still arrived before him. Yet neither had time to begin their work before Mistress Rana appeared from within her laboratory. "When I prepared this the other morning," she said sharpl...

74. Lightning from a Clear Sky

Next day's alchemy work passed without much incident; once again, Martel worked alone, which he did not mind. By now, he knew every part of it well; the little workshop felt familiar with its cupboards full of ingredients and salves, tools on the tables, and plants hanging from the air.

He ...

73. Lucky Clovers

Glunday passed without significance, and before Martel knew it, a fiveday had passed, leading him to his second lesson in the infirmary. If it could be called such, considering he did not seem to learn much, certainly not about magic; it felt more like his Solday duty of assisting Master Jerome.<...

72. Who Watches the Watch

Another fiveday nearing its end, Martel reported for duty in the workshop of Master Jerome. He smiled as always seeing the jovial artificer, whose many skills and supervision kept the Lyceum running. "Master Martel, it must be Solday! Did you see our new watch?"

"I did! It looks amazing! Al...

71. The Source of Silver

When Martel arrived in the apothecary, only Nora was present. She gave him mortar and pestle along with instructions, and he began to make powders.

"How are you enjoying the infirmary?" She gave him a wry look. "I noticed you the other day, making the rounds. I don't miss doing all that men...

70. Recipe for Trouble

Martel ended up spending most of his free bell that same afternoon with Shadi, falling back into the easy ways of their friendship. He took her to the statue of Atreus in the western courtyard and the arena in the eastern, recounting his duel with Cheval to her great amusement. When she left the ...

69. New Times

For two fivedays, Martel's life was peaceful. His skills with air progressed to Master Alastair's satisfaction, paving the way to continue with more advanced studies. Even better, he had his last class in empowerment magic. Reynard allowed the occasion to pass without ceremony, and Martel was onl...

68. Elemental Power

The celebration at the estate of Cheval had taken an unexpected turn for Martel, but none accosted him, and he spent the evening mostly to himself – despite her promise to stick by him, Eleanor had to spend her time on the dance floor. It allowed him to ruminate on his situation, whether he cou...

67. An Offer to Refuse

Martel was led through corridors winding around the palace until he had lost his bearings. He did notice that they ascended to one of the upper floors before the servant knocked on a door. "Wait here," he bade the novice and entered the room. Martel stood a brief while, looking at his surrounding...

66. The Right Touch

Solday, usually Martel's easiest day of the five, proved busy. After working in the apothecary and assisting Master Jerome, he had to get a message to Shadi that he would not be able to meet. It cost him a trip into town and one of his few pennies to Badger, who happened to be the first of the st...

65. Cordial Communications

Going to his class on Manday, Martel reaffirmed his conviction to stay out of trouble. He had barely been involved in anything since spring, and the last few days had been a temporary lapse in judgement. For Martel, it was back to focusing on his studies.

This was made all the easier with s...

64. The Burning Gate

All through Glunday, Regnar's plan rumbled around Martel's head. It did not involve doing anything wrong or fighting, but he would almost have preferred that; instead, it depended on Martel participating in a performance. Having tried that a few times, Martel already knew he disliked having every...

63. A Cunning Plan

A few questions to the regular peddlers at the theatre square revealed the truth. The city guard had appeared and rounded up the actors, arresting them and confiscating most of their property. Beyond that, nobody knew anything. Martel went back towards the Lyceum unsure what to do. He had no infl...