Elemental Soul (Book 1 of 'A Fantasy in Time')

Chapter 6: Important Life Lessons

Chapter 6: Important Life Lessons

Back in the library, I sat there for a moment in the quiet room feeling stunned.  “So no magic this time.”  I mused to myself.  “But it didn’t say I was cut off from the elements themselves.  Maybe that is the key.  But how should I go about trying to gain an affinity?”

In any case, I needed to get out of this library without running into the librarian.  She was bound to ask how it went, and I really didn’t have any answers that I’d be okay with sharing with anyone at the moment.  Wandering to a nearby book shelf that gave me a secluded view of the front desk, I waited till one of the few other occupants besides me, visited her to drop off their books.  Just as she moved on to put those books away, I quietly made my way over to the now empty front desk to drop off my 5 books and disappeared out the front door.

Now what was I going to do with my time?  As I made my way back to the merchant district, I watched as a group of what had to be Travelers walk up to Kade at his blacksmith forge.  Deciding to watch and see what they wanted, I found one of the scattered stone benches in the vicinity to sit on.  Kade seemed to just stand there listening and shaking his head every once in a while in response to what they were saying.  I couldn’t hear distinctive words, but whatever they were saying, it was getting pretty intense.  Soon their arms were waving in the air and one of them actually picked up one of the smiths random hammers while walking towards the anvil as if to prove a point.  I briefly put my hand across my forehead looking down in frustration, imagining how this was going to turn out.

Sure enough, before the kid with the hammer had gotten within 2 feet of the anvil, Kade had grasped the hammer in the kids hand’s and ripped it out of his grasp.  Then firmly grabbing hold of the front of the kid’s shirt, he lifted and thrust him out of his forge.  The other 4 guys watched in shock that the smith would manhandle them in such a way.  I just sighed.

Getting up from the bench I made my way over as the others had picked up their fallen comrade and after shouting threats at the smith they left the forge in the direction of the forest.

“Hey Kade!”  I called out in what I hoped to be a weary but friendly tone of voice.  “Sorry you had to deal with those guys.”  Looking up in my direction his angry expression seemed to turn down to a simmer rather than a raging inferno.  “I’m not looking to talk right now Jade.”  He replied in a terse voice.  “Okay, well if ever you need something like a potion or what not then just let me know and I’ll get you a good deal.”  I answered back.  All I heard was a grunt in reply.

I guess those guys really riled him up pretty bad.  Almost having made it to the Apothecary shop I was suddenly distracted by a pillar of light that came rushing down almost right in front of my very eyes.  What looked to be a young woman had shown up about a body’s length to my left.  Turning to look at her, I had thought to see what she looked like, but she had a head full of long black hair that covered much of her face.  I could however see slightly pointed ears as if she were a half elf.  Seemingly very timid, with a gawky frame, she just stood there as if not knowing where to go.  Just as I had made up my mind to go offer her my help, another pillar of light came down and a thin weedy looking boy had made his appearance.

He too had the same slightly pointed ears, but then I winced inside after seeing his face.  It looked like he had won the lottery of ill luck, being landed with the stereotypical teenage complexion with zits and pockmarks all over his face.  Then as he looks around and catches sight of the girl he groans in frustration.  “Lynnette, out of all the world, why did we have to end up in the same city?!”  He screams at her.  In a soft spoken voice I hear her respond with a stutter.  “M . . . Maybe it’s b . .  . because we are c . . . cousins and are part e . . . elf?”