I always knew Professor Linkle was crazy. From the moment I had seen the look in my predecessor's eyes as he had walked away from the old nut's house; that sick, exaggerated smile on his face, it was almost as if the Professor had given him a thousand gold pieces before sending him on his way. But now I know the truth. Being the apprentice of Professor Linkle is not easy nor is it fun; it's enough to drive anybody to insanity.
Well, maybe it is a little bit fun. In the brief pauses between having to strenuously carry his equipment for miles to each and every tiny village in Selumdur, being verbally abused by the Professor's less-spirited 'fans' and washing soot out of my hair after the majority of his wildly miscalculated experiments explode in our faces, I do occasionally get to go searching for ingredients in various places of interest. My favourite of such places being the Knuckle Mountains, which is where I was just at a few hours ago. Now, upon my descent and return to Jumblefer, I've discovered that the Professor is nowhere to be seen. The old fool probably just momentarily forgotten I exist, confirming for me, once and for all, his supreme craziness.
The boy he sent up in the blistering cold to fetch him a few Winterpeak Mushrooms had just ceased to be, in his mind. I'm afraid to say it's not the first time. I decide to head for the town hall of Jumblefer, hoping the Professor just got bored in our lodge and went to explore.
Now, when I say town hall, I really mean 'slightly larger shack with a wooden sign outside that says town hall'. Jumblefer is one of the smallest villages in all of Selumdur, and that's saying something. Selumdur has suffered immensely in the last few decades from a lack of trade between any of the other four provinces of Tirmm.
As an island, although a big one, resources are still limited. Or so I'm told. I wouldn't know any different as the trade stopped well before I was born, and the supposed last diamond in Selumdur was dug up not long after, 'proving' that without trade we were going to have difficulty surviving. To the people who say that, well I just ignore them. Sure, no diamonds means we don't have the luxury of speed, but I've never been one for luxuries.
My parents died just after I was born so I've never really had any relatives other than my grandfather, who is probably even more of an old crone than the Professor, and incidentally is the one who set me up as his apprentice. And sure, I might be lazy sometimes, but that's not a luxury, that's just because I've had a hard life and I need more time than average to recuperate. Well, that's what I tell the Professor when he tries to get me up early.
I arrive at the town hall after a minute or two of brisk walking down the cobbled path. The glorified shack looks warm in comparison to the freezing snowfall that I am currently standing in. I ascend the two steps to the door and push down on the handle, frost cracks and for a moment I think the lock has frozen shut, but then it gives way as I fall flat on my face onto the conveniently placed welcome mat.
"Hello!" bawls Jumblefer's mayor, a short and tubby man with a big head and a tone too cheerful for my current situation. He waddles over to me and offers his hand which I use to pull myself to my feet.
"Have you seen the Professor?" I get straight to the point, not wanting to waste any time.
"I have seen many a professor in my time, young whippersnapper," he laughs, "but I assume you mean the famous Professor Linkle, well I assure you, he is here in Jumblefer but a man of his talents has no time for young fans such as yourself chasing him about everywhere hassling him for autographs!"
"Uhm, no you don't understand," I sound confused momentarily as I have not once in my three years of working with The Professor seen any such young fans; "I'm his apprentice."
"I see, and how can you prove that to me?" he takes a step back and crosses his arms as though he expects me to perform some kind of magic trick.
"I was with him when he came here to tell you he had arrived yesterday," my tone of voice drops in slight depression as I realise this man does not remember me whatsoever.
