Thornblade Chronicles - Volume 1

Chapter 12

Eli spent the next few days recovering in bed. Though he had been able to stay awake and hold conversations, physical movements past turning his head were still painful. Showing concern, Ilkama ordered Eli to stay in bed until he could brew health potions again.

Instead of him leaving the room, Ilkama and Curtis visited Eli individually. Ilkama brought food and water while Curtis came by to offer more memories and generally converse. Though the young boy believed Eli could regain many memories from him, Eli declined the offer. If he were to recover memories, he would want to gain memories about his childhood and kingdom from Ilkama.

One day, Eli managed to sit up in bed and stare at his desk. There were still a few notes he had wanted to go through, especially if he were to surpass Ilkama. Sadly, Eli knew the impossibility of getting to his desk in his current state. If he struggled to sit up, getting to his desk and rustling through papers would be impossible. He sighed in defeat, hoping for Curtis's company.

As though a God heard his plea and wished to tease Eli, Ilkama entered the room, grinning with his left hand behind his back. "I have something that may interest you," Ilkama offered.

Eli curiously asked, "What is it?"

"The ingredients for a strength potion," Ilkama showed the man a small, brown pouch in his hand. "In a few hours, you will feel better," he continued. Light shimmered in Eli's eyes as he could finally plot his escape to the Bronze Foxes. He wondered if they had gone on their quest yet. If so, had they been successful? "Eli, is everything alright?" Ilkama asked, snapping Eli back to reality.

"Of course, I am simply excited to get out of bed! How long will it take?"

"It should not take more than an hour," Ilkama answered, pausing. "Would you like me to bring the materials here so you can watch the brew?"

Eli pondered the offer. Having never witnessed alchemy before, he figured it could be interesting. Though, the warrior realized he would not understand what would be happening. It would be more beneficial for him to study his notes instead. "No, thank you. However, could you hand me my notes from the desk?" Eli turned to face the table in the corner. Ilkama's gaze followed Eli's, finding papers in the corner.

"Of course," Ilkama quickly walked over to it and picked up the stack. "Who organized this desk? I recall seeing papers everywhere several days ago."

Eli took a moment to consider his response. He knew mentioning Curtis could threaten his life, so Eli lied. "S-Some guard came in and asked if I wanted anything. The papers bothered me, and I asked him to organize them," the bed-ridden swordsman played with his hands under the covers, anxious about the lie. Eli calmed down when Ilkama handed him the papers and stopped questioning him. While painful at first, he was able to hold them in place.

"Always studying hard," Ilkama chuckled. "Even without your memories, you are the same Eli as when we were young. Soon, we will be at the same level, and we will become unstoppable. Read well, Eli. I will see you soon," he quickly headed out of the room. Eli immediately started reading the papers, hoping to absorb as much as possible while waiting for Ilkama.

"Bursor," he started. Though he was familiar with the glyph, Curtis had proven there was more to learn about each glyph. Having skimmed through Memory several weeks ago, he missed the most crucial piece. Eli would start reading every word. "This spell multiplies the sword's strength. When used alone, this will make the sword sharper for five strikes or twenty seconds, whichever comes first. It can slice through almost any material, except for items forged by Mienards. Other exceptions may exist," Eli wondered why Mienardos items were immune. Perhaps it was their material or possibly an enchantment?