The Autumn Mage

Chapter 8

     After eating a bowl of thick blueberry porridge Aki spent a few minutes packing up what little belongings he had left. After doing a quick inventory with his eyes he glanced at the small blue envelope he had left on the small table once more the night before. He let out a sigh before picking it back up to place it inside his robes. It made it halfway inside the pocket before he decided against it and allowed it to fall from his fingers back onto the surface. He sighed again and gripped the edge of the table with both hands, stooping over the damned thing. He was torn between writing Minda and leaving it behind.

     "That's it; it's staying. If she wanted to talk so badly she would have wrote first," he said, not sure that that is how it actually worked. He closed the door behind him with an indignant slam that was much harder than he anticipated and cringed. He waited for someone to come out and complain, but luckily they did not. He sheepishly made his way down the stairs. Five steps down and something began gnawing inside him, as if he had forgotten something important. He shrugged it off, thinking it was just about the envelope; as he reached the bottom floor he stopped and began patting his body with his free hand. After grabbing several places on his torso he froze. "Aran!"

     He climbed back up the stairs, both they and him groaning with each step and his staff striking them louder and heavier each time. He unlocked his door and walked back in to find his spider waiting on top of the envelope. "Whatcha doing buddy?" Aki tried cooing. Aran merely looked up at him blankly. Aki held out his hand to let him crawl into his robes as he always did; the tarantula wrapped its legs under himself instead. Aki sighed again. "Come on Aran, we need to go!" His voice was filling with annoyance. The spider raised a leg in protest and tapped the envelope thrice. "No, I'm not writing her! We don't have time for this!" Aran continued tapping it until finally Aki grunted and grabbed the cheap quill and ink the inn provided. "Gah, fine! I'll write her and then we're going!"

     Leaving Serenity, heading out. Aki was about to put it away but the letters seemed to be absorbed into the silky paper and were replaced with new words.

     Where are you going? came the phantom reply. It was much more elegant but hurried, written in cursive with the letters close together and of different sizes. Aki huffed again.

     Dunno. Thinking Zamek. The ink began to fade as a reply was forming; Aki did not realize that he was holding his breath as the exchange happened.

     When will you arrive? Aki bounced his head side to side as he calculated.

     Two days. The words were switched faster this time.

     Great. Aki waited for a further explanation, but after several minutes none came. He looked at Aran. "'Great'? Great what?" What is that supposed to mean?" The spider blinked blankly at his master. Frustrated Aki threw the quill like a dart at the bed's nightstand. Instead it flew straight down hitting the floor and sliding under the bed, leaving black flecks of ink on the wood and bottom of the comforter. He groaned the entire time he was on his hands and knees retrieving it and placed it back on its stand on the small wooden desk. He used enough force to let the quill know that he had meant it to stay where he intended this time. He pocketed the blue envelope and his pet and finally made his way out the building.

     Zamek was the capital city of the royal kingdom, located in the dead center and no more than a couple of day's walk from any of the other major cities in the middle of the kingdom. It was considered the hub of finances, culture, and politics and bustled with people from all regions. It was overcast the afternoon Aki had reached the drawbridge adding to his mood. The bridge was above a mossy moat that had alligators and snakes slithering across the top. Aki looked at the thick 50 meter-high cement and brick walls that surrounded the outskirts, seemingly stretching on forever and obstructing the city within. Numerous archers paced on top of the wall, keeping watch for any dangers. He passed by two large guards wearing knee-high black boots, copper pants, a black military jacket, and a thick silver metal plate protecting their torso. They wore a tall metal helmet with a large thick red and black mane that seemed more decorative than functional, and they had sheathed sabers by their sides and a small round silver shield in their hand. The soldier with the thin black curled mustache gave Aki a welcomed nod, the clean shaven man standing stoic.