I'm finally back with chapter two. Let's see what Fakir's life is like now, shall we...
A journey to know begins...
Fakir strolled through the green field, wind whipping all about. He was certain he'd find the next town soon.
"Quack quack!" He looked behind him to see Ahiru hurrying to keep up. Mumbling to himself, he picked her up and continued on, holding her. They had been walking for some time now, and he wasn't surprised she was tiring out. Even he was starting to feel the grind.
"How much longer until we get there – zura?" Fakir jumped. Uzura was surprisingly quiet this whole trip. Fakir just looked on through the plains.
"We should be there soon, Uzura. Don't worry." No sooner had he said that, did he see a fair sized town growing in the distance.
"Tell me, m'lad? What be your needs?" An old scissor-smith waited patiently as Fakir looked over his wares. It seemed he had much more than scissors for sale. Looking through the junk and trinkets on display, he found something unusual... a thick volume with faded silver letters across it's green spine.
"What's that, sir?"Fakir asked quietly. The old man's sharp eyes scanned his cart and he saw that which Fakir inquired.
"Oh, best not t' dabble in that, m'boy."he said, waving off. "It's not but an old jumble of notes some crackpot old fool made, thought 'e was an alchemist, 'e did." Fakir, however, shook his head.
"Perhaps it'll pass the time."he said. The vendor eyed him closely, but didn't pry. Selling him the book for a measly fee, he turned away, mumbling something about fools. As Ahiru played with a handful of children close by, Uzura stood beside Fakir as he scanned through the book. Nothing much. A couple of miscellaneous notes here and there, tid-bits of information concerning human anatomy, a few words here and there about the dead, a theory or two of resurrection and reincarnation and...
"Manifestation of an animal into human form..."
"What?" Uzura looked up at Fakir "What's that – zura?"
"Nothing, Uzura. Just a book I bought." He flashed a comforting smile at the small puppet as he turned back to the book. Yes... this had to be a new lead... he just had to find out more. "Okay, let's find an inn. Ahiru!" The small yellow duck turned to Fakir and hurried to catch up with him as the children waved to her. As Uzura giggled and held the duck high, Fakir looked left and right for the cheapest, dingiest inn, the kind where lowly drifters and half crazed bards would stay at. The kind where he'd find those who traded stories... traded information.
"Why hello, me bud, how may I be of a service?" Fakir stood at the counter where the bulky, middle-aged innkeeper sat with a foaming mug of ale.
"One room, please."Fakir said feelessly. "I don't care if it gets sunlight."
"Right away, laddie. Oh, me wife is making a finest roast t'night. Would you care t-"
"No. Tell me,"Fakir whispered "Do you know where I can find some info, namely about alchemy?" The innkeeper's expression turned from welcoming to gruff.
"Well, there best be being a finder's fee, me lad." Fakir, hearing this, tossed a large, gleaming gold coin to the man, who nodded as he slid it out of view. "Them old-timers like to gather at the old saloon in the belly of the town."he whispered to Fakir. "I think you may find something down there, me lad..."
"Thank you."Fakir said as he turned to leave. "Watch the duck and girl for me while I'm gone..." and with that, he left for the square, looking for this old saloon. As packs of stray dogs roamed the now quiet streets, barking here and there as they romped about, Fakir found it, equally dreary and decrepit as the inn. Stepping inside, however, he was taken aback. While it looked miserable on the outside, it was, if plain,somewhat done up on the inside. A warm fire flashing and flaring away in the fireplace in the back, a large cauldron boiling away on top, the old codgers sang merrily as they drank themselves into disarray, while a pretty young waitress hurried to and fro, taking one table's order with a smile. Fakir rested his head in his folded arms as he sat at the edge of the bar, waiting for the bartender to come to him, which he soon did.
"What's a boy like you want?"he said with a heavy accent. Fakir, however, sat still and spoke softly, his voice muffled through his arms.
"Information... Anyone here know a thing about alchemy?" The bartender eyed him suspiciously, but nodded over to a table at the wall. Fakir silently rose and strolled over to the table where an old man chatted with a young(slightly annoyed)man.
"You there, mind if I sit with you?"Fakir asked. The man welcomed him, but while he was turned to Fakir, the other young man hurried off.
"Oh, ain't that just great. Folk's done wandered off. Oh well, boy, what're you up to?"
"I'm looking for alittle something for a girl-"
"Aww, idn't that cute, young love. What d'you think she'd like, I could help-"
"I need to know, sir,"Fakir interrupted, "if you know anything about alchemy..." The old man's expression turned from sociable to blank, then to weary.
"Do you know who I am?"he asked quietly. Fakir, however, shook his head.
"I've got no clue who you are and I don't give a damn either way."he whispered back. "I just want to know if you know anything about this book."he said, sliding it onto the table. The old man eyed it then gasped.
"Put it away, son, hurry!"he hissed. "What d'you think you're doing runnin' around with dangerous stuff? Alchemy ain't for kids."
"Tell me where I can find who wrote it,"Fakir spat, "and I'll leave you the Hell alone." The elder eyed Fakir for a moment or two, then buried his face in one of his hands.
"Go to the fountain, son, an' enter the sewer." Fakir wasn't sure, but he was certain he saw a tear glisten down the crone's cheek. "He was one of my best mates, an' his old lab is at the bottom of the labyrinth. Ya may find some answers there for your questions." As Fakir silently got up to leave, the old man latched on to his arm and pulled him close. "List close an' listen good,"he whispered in Fakir's ear, "speak of this book and of alchemy to no one. They won't be no kinder to ya. Godspeed, lad." Fakir nodded and exited quietly, heading straight back to the inn. He didn't like to leave Ahiru and Uzura alone for long.
Well, that's all for now. It seems Fakir's set in his ways... alittle too set in his ways... we'll just have to see if things keep going well for him, won't we? Lastly, you can tell I got the thing for the dogs roaming the streets from Ocarina of Time. Classic game.