Chapter 7:
The rest of the week continued to pass by equally fast.
During this time I heard many rumors about the attacks on Hearthglen growing over the heads of the local forces as they seem to be becoming stronger and stronger with each night. On the upside of things I also heard that Tyr's Hand now is willing to join the Scarlet Crusade if we would supply troops for the ongoing protection of the city. I suppose a military field trip to the eastern plaguelands will be leaving from here soon.
Additionally to all of this, today is the day of the departure of the Ashbringer. I know that he will bring an end to this madness. He will clean the northern kingdoms of the undead plague, I'm certain of it. He is the man who will destroy every last minion of the Scourge between Stratholme and the ruins of Lordaeron, offering peace to our oppressed lands.
I wish that someday I will be able to settle down in Brill again. And I can only hope this day will come soon. Maybe I can convince Keira and Corren on also staying there, that would be a dream come true. But I guess that day will never come, both of them have far greater things to achieve than I. Higher callings to respond to.
Hearing an aggressive knocking on the door makes me flinch. Quickly I stand up and make my way over to the door.
"Open up at once!" It knocks again for a second time, almost as if the person on the other side wants to break down the door. "Open the damned door!"
As I recognized her voice after the first time she called out, I stood still for a brief moment not wanting to open it anymore. But the instance she had yelled the second time, I rushed over to the door, unlocking it.
"What took you so long, damned idiot?", she narrows her eyes in the typical fashion.
"No-nothing Captain Theran, I'm sorry." I look to the floor averting her gaze.
"The High Inquisitor is waiting for you, he sent me to fetch you.", she takes a short look around. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Reading, Captain.", I answer truthfully.
"Reading?", her tone is mocking. "Well, now cut it out and start following at once! The High Inquisitor is leaving in only a few hours and he wanted to talk to you BEFORE he leaves us."
Immediately she turns and exits my quarters. Without delay I follow.
"I'm getting sick of being your personal guide around the monastery."
Even though I am used to her yelling at me at least once a day, I still flinch every time she raises her voice. Without this rough character she would be a beautiful, young woman. And it makes me wonder if she is like this all the time or if there might actually be a flipside.
Travelling with steady steps we reach the office of the High Inquisitor quickly. Captain Theran instantly sends me into the room, without knocking or anything else to announce our arrival.
"Ah, good morning, Marc. How are you?" He greets me in the same friendly fashion as always, a bright smile on his face.
"F-fine, Sir." I reply.
"That is good to hear, boy.", he seems to be still over arranging his belongings for his upcoming departure. Taking a short break from what he was doing before my arrival, he turns to me taking a deep breath. "As I have told you yesterday, I will be leaving in about two hours." I nod silently. "Today there will be no lesson for all of you. But if Whitemane should summon you..." he pauses for a short moment. "Well you know what you should do in that case." he looks at me with yet another friendly smile.
"Ye-yes, I do know." I answer briefly.
"Fine then, there should be no problems after my departure." he sounds pleased to hear this. "Isillien will be arriving tomorrow," he adds, "I assume you two know each other." Again I look to the ground. "Not too well, but yes we know each other."
"Good to hear, I assume you two will get along, if you don't give him any trouble. But remember, you will have your classes during that time together with the others." I still don't get why I was separated from the rest in the first place except maybe for shielding me from Whitemane's influence, but I thought Fairbanks was the one in charge of education. At least that was what he told me the evening I had arrived here. I guess this is all far too complicated for me to understand it fully and clearly.
"We will clear Northdale from the undead by midst next week." The High Inquisitor says this without any introduction or warning. For a moment I stand still with my mouth a bit open, trying to remember things from the time long ago when I lived there. I loved the area, all of it. The small lakes all around the town - in fact even in the town, making a big part of it to a peninsula. It was a quiet region, not too dangerous, almost no wild animals. Northdale was known for its fine wood. We had a big saw mill near the village. Most people who wanted wood from pines or spruce came to our little town.
"Fallen to your thoughts?" he asks with a faint laughter.
"I-I'm sorry, Sir"
"No, no ... it's fine young one. Cherish it." he replies, "I thought you would be happy to hear this." This time his smile is somehow irritating. "So..., Marc, the time for my departure draws closer, yet I still have something I need to give to you."
"For me?" I fumble.
"Yes, for you. I will be away for about two weeks. I know you've read a lot since you've arrived here. The secretary of the library was so kind to tell me. So I assumed you might want to read this..." he turns around and takes a very old looking book from his shelf. "I admit, there should more exciting lecture than this within the walls of our library, but I think you will come to approve of it, sooner or later." he hands it to me. "But please be careful with it, it is a rare piece from my private collection." The same bright smile is on his face again. "You may open it when you have returned to your quarters, lad." I nod and thank the High Inquisitor. "Now, would you excuse me, Marc? I still have to prepare important things for my leaving. May the Holy Light be with you during these two weeks, and may you be hard-working with your studies so you can show me some results after I have returned."
"I-I will, Sir. May the Holy Light be with you during your venture as well." I whisper the last words. I don't know but something about them just feels terribly wrong. Afterwards I quietly back off and leave the room. I take a careful look outside, but only after realizing that Captain Theran is not present any more I take the first step out of the doorway.
I head back to my room without any detours. I'm just too curious what this book is about that Fairbanks gave me with such words.
Rushing to close the door behind me, I already came up with some ideas what this could all be about. I am rather sure that the main subject of this book will also only be 'The Holy Light and his righteous Ways' just like the one Corren gave me on the day of his departure. I have to admit, I didn't read a single page from it until today.
I somewhat carelessly throw the book onto my bed and change my robe to a different one. It fits the mood better and makes me feel more comfy. After that I lie down and open the binder of the mystery book. I find its title on page three.
'Using the Arcane - Studying the Blue'
Alright, I've clearly lost my bet on it being about the Holy Light. To be frank I am a bit puzzled about it being a book about the arcane. This can't be right, can it? I wouldn't have expected a High Inquisitor handing me, an apprentice priest, such a book.
Yet still eager find out more about its content I turn the page and find the acknowledgement of the author. I always wonder why people thank their family for helping them with their book if they hardly did anything at all.
It reads: 'To my precious son and righteous husband - I love you. - Tyrienna '.
I've never heard that name before. Wondering about it skip through a couple of adjacent pages before returning to the one at hand. Ah, there it is, I manage to find an annotation on the opposite page. Tyrienna is supposed to be a mage of the Kirin Tor and a former pupil of Antonidas.
The first chapter is named 'Acknowledging the Blue'. What on earth this 'the Blue' is referring to I don't know. A bit confused I skip through the most of the book's pages once to have a look whether there are any pictures inside. I only discover a single one on one of the last pages. It shows a giant, seemingly old, dragon. The title 'The Spell-Weaver' is written underneath.
Now I understand..., 'the Blue' refers to Malygos.
I start reading a bit in chapter one. On the first page the author introduces us to the world of magic as we know it, a basic start in such books I guess, at least when I compare it to a few things I already have seen in the library. A bit later on she then briefly describes the blue dragon flight and its head - Malygos, the Spell-Weaver.
I still don't get why the High Inquisitor gave me this book. I don't want to become a mage - I want to be a cleric! Even while thinking this I cannot stop reading easily. And furthermore I fall for the part where the mage pictures 'the Blue'.
The air around him bristled with ether. His very essence was magic. I felt it flowing directly through me, enhancing my vitality and my arcane potential with every breath I took.
It is said that he is the oldest still living dragon, yet only his rather thin body would have pointed out something like this. His eyes appeared like two gigantic glowing ambers, the scales around them pulsing in a strong, vivid blue tone, some even shifting shades of color as he spoke according to the tone of his voice, his pronunciation and the speed of his words.
His voice itself was clear as crystal. It was able to touch a beings soul as he talked without any much effort given. I found no to little accent as he spoke to me, though every once in a while a single word in his mother tongue, draconic would make it through. He spoke slowly and calmly, I guess he assumed he would make it easier for me to follow him. At first I was dazzled only by his app...
A knocking on the door interrupts my reading.
I stand up slowly, barely managing to take my eyes of the text. "Just a moment, I'll be there in a second." I say loudly enough to be heard from outside.
I walk towards the door, as a second fiercer knocking makes me stop immediately. 'No, not again her', I think to myself and prepare to be verbally killed upon opening up.
Gathering all my courage I open the door. "I'm sorry that it took me so long, but I had to get up from bed and..." My words stop dead in their tracks as I see only an empty hallway.
Nobody is here?
I stare at the empty hallway in front of me for a moment or two before I decide to take a look to the left and the right. Yet still I can't spot anybody. Who was that?
I step back into my room. And just as I want to close the door behind me I take a last look, this time grazing the ground. I see something lying right in front of my door.
It's another envelope.
I pick it up and quickly go back into my room. Take a seat on my bed I start staring at the slightly dirty letter.
Should I open it, I silently question myself.
Fairbanks did everything to keep Whitemane away from me, yet again I don't even really understand why. Though I guess it is my fault that I couldn't bring up the courage to demand an answer to the 'why's' behind all of this.
On the other hand, no matter what the High Inquisitor says, she doesn't seem that dangerous to me at all. I admit there was something peculiar to the way how she speaks to others, but I can't even name what is up about that.
I close the book of the mysterious Tyrienna which is still lying behind me and put it to the side for the moment.
I am fighting against myself whether I should open the envelope or not. I fear I might disappoint the High Inquisitor on the very day he had left me, but on the other hand I long for answers, for a reason for all this private tutoring and the great distance to Whitemane.
With a trembling hand I pick the letter up again. Turning it around I see no signature on the outside of it.
I hesitate. I question whether it would be right, whether it would be okay. But how can I find an answer if I don't even know what 'wrong' would be in this particular moment. I sigh and let my forehead rest on my hands for a bit.
But I want to know what is going on right here. And I suppose the High Inquisitor wouldn't tell me even if I asked directly.
I finally make up my mind and take a knife from the table. The blade easily cuts through the paper and I pull the letter out. It is folded two times. I'm still reluctant to unfold it. Like a small child I close my eyes and display it properly before looking at it. Only then I open my eyes again slowly. I don't know why I am doing all this.
The letter itself is rather short, again without any signature, nor addressing at all. The handwriting is clean. It reads:
I know what you want, Marc. I can give you an explanation for all this.
If you want to hear what I have to offer to you, meet me after your lesson tomorrow.
And do not worry, I will find you.
Why does nobody speak clearly for once?
I guess if I really want to know more about this, I will have to wait 'till tomorrow.
I sit on my bed for approximately another full hour, thinking about the letter and imagining what could happen tomorrow. What have I stirred up just now? I am a bit scared that Whitemane comes to see me and tries to tell me that I am some sort of savior or a new kind of Messiah for them. I don't think I am capable of that. Or maybe she tells me something about my father. Well at least that is what all people do. I guess I could prepare myself for that.
Coming to this frail peace of mind I forcefully put myself to rest on my bed. As I lie here and stare at the ceiling of my room I try to think of my parents. I can't really recall that much of my mother. I can hardly remember her face from the day when she left me and Dad and headed back to Dalaran. Basically all I know of her is that she was a member of the Kirin Tor, that she took part in important research - which was also reason for her to leave us - and that she was a beautiful woman with light brown eyes and long dark blonde hair. And lastly I remember her smile, the lovely warming smile that a mother has for her child.
I never hear anybody talking about Sarah Fipps, only about my father. My 'Oh he was so great' father. I just hate it when I think of my own thoughts as mocking. He was close friends with Uther the Lightbringer and he saved his life more than once after all. He deserves all this! He was head of the Royal Guard of King Terenas Menethil - the great protector. Of course he also was a local hero due to these facts, but... why does this all... this all has to fall back on me in such a way? Everybody only sees this hero, this great Bryan Fipps in me, but what if I am not like him? Everybody seems to be closing their eyes in front of this thought. I'm his heir - how could I betray the legacy?
Father? You wouldn't want it to be this way, would you?
I fall asleep still lying there on my bed wearing my robe.