Aphrodite's Acolyte (4 page)

Methvas entered the room just as Ias was giving a hardy laugh to one of Fidel's stories. They both looked up at Methvas, who signaled the time to them.

“Oh my, Fidel, I hope I did not ruin your departure chances today. I apologize for keeping you so long,” Ias said.

“I have really enjoyed the telling of my tales.” Fidel replied with a smile. “I do not tell them very often. I should leave if I am to start my journey by nightfall.”

Methvas sighed heavily, not wanting to face the departure of his only son. “You are always welcome to stay longer,” Methvas stated. Fidel smiled at his father and got up from his seat.

“Well, Ias, your company was very enjoyable.” Fidel said. “I thank you for your hospitality." Ias stood up and shook Fidel's hand.

“The pleasure was all mine Fidel. You are welcome here anytime you are in town. Feel free to drop by and share your many adventures, recent or distant past does not matter.” Fidel smiled and turned to head out.

Methvas reached out his hand and looked at Ias. “Sir, did you not have a request of Fidel?”

Ias' smile turned to a serious look. “You are correct, Methvas. I forgot there was some actual business to attend to.” Ias then looked at Fidel. “Would you be interested in delivering a message to King Fineal of Puldechra for me? It is not urgent, but I would like him to receive it when you arrive in his kingdom.”

Fidel thought for a moment, considering the request. “Not at all Lord Ias, I will gladly deliver the message. I assume this is to remain sealed and for the king's eyes only?”

Ias smiled wide. “You, my friend, are very well versed in the nature of politics. I could almost swear you were a governor of one of my own provinces!” Lord Ias slapped Fidel on the back as a sign of appreciation. Ias walked over to his desk and pulled out a sealed scroll, then handed it to Fidel. Fidel placed the scroll in his pocket, without giving it a single glance.

“Not even curious of the scroll's content?” Ias asked with a curious grin.

“No Sir. This scroll is not for my eyes. I have learned lessons from my second mother that curiosity is, how should I say it? A deadly disease?”

Ias smiled ear to ear and looked at Methvas who was also beaming with pride. “I am telling you Methvas, your son is simply extraordinary. You should be very proud. Go ahead and have him pick any weapon and set of armor from the armory on your way out. His company has been so welcome, the value of such trinkets barely touches on the gift of companionship he has provided me this day.”

Lord Ias then looked at Fidel. “And you, Fidel, have yourself a safe and enjoyable journey to your homeland. I hope you find the answers you seek.” Fidel and Ias shook hands once again, Fidel thanking Ias for his offer. Methvas and Fidel headed out the door toward the armory.

Upon entering the armory, Fidel went straight for the metal staff he had originally admired on arrival. While heavy, he believed he could wield it better after his trip. He picked the staff up and noticed it felt very different, about as light as a feather. He twirled it a few times and looked at Methvas, who only nodded in agreement. Fidel then went over to the rows of armor. Chain mails, plate mails, leathers, a whole gamut of armor available, any of which he could choose. He looked at his father, looking for some advice on which armor to pick.

Methvas strolled over. “Yes, I could not decide which one you would pick either. You're normally a robe person like your father.” Methvas pointed to himself with pride. “Unlike the staff, I had no idea which one of these to enchant with the leviora enchantment I know.”

Fidel glanced up from the fine plate mail armor he was examining, understanding the implication that it was his father who made the staff lighter. “Do you think you can enchant a full plate mail armor, making it as light as a feather?” 

Methvas looked over the armor and nodded. “Yes, I can enchant a full suit of armor such as this. But is it what you would like? While it would be lighter, it would still be noisy.”

Fidel thought about the notion. “What would you recommend for my travels? I'm surely going to face dangers and I lack experience with actual combat.”

Methvas scratched his thick bearded chin. “I'm thinking you should go with leather with a fortis enchantment and wear it under your robe. Strong as plate mail, flexible, and minimal noise. Perfect for a wizard and fighter both, such as yourself.” Fidel agreed, grabbed a set of leather armor, and handed it to his father.

Methvas took the leather armor to a mannequin in the corner of the room. He rubbed his hands up and down the armor and chanted every inch of the way. The leather appeared to meld to Methvas' every touch, swirling and snapping back with every chant. When his enchantment was complete, he motioned for Fidel to inspect the work.

Fidel touched the leather and didn't notice much of a difference. He then took his metal staff and tapped it against the leather. The distinctive sound of metal on metal made Fidel smile widely. “You never did teach me how to enchant things. Simply fascinating!”

Methvas smiled and motioned to the dress curtains in the opposite corner of the room. Fidel went behind the curtain and put the armor on. As he stepped out from behind the curtain, he felt a solid blow from a sword hit him square in the chest. Methvas dropped the sword in his hand, laughing hard at the shocked expression on Fidel's face. Fidel stared at his father in disbelief, watching Methvas laugh so hard that he couldn't retain his footing. Fidel reached down where the sword rang true on his new set of armor and didn't feel one defect from the blow.

“Well, I guess that tested it!” Fidel said. “Not a scratch on the armor and all I felt was a little of the impact!” Fidel reached down and offered his hand to his father, who had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

“Well Son,” Methvas took Fidel's hand and rose to his feet, “somebody had to test my skills and I surely did not want to receive the blow!"

Fidel chuckled and gave his father a quick hug. “Thank you, Father, for everything you have done. I could never had hoped for a finer set of adventuring attire.” Fidel put his robe over his new set of armor, grabbed his new staff, and they both headed toward the exit of the keep. As they descended the staircase, Methvas handed Fidel a small hip pack for his journey. Fidel inspected the pack and, once again, thanked his father.

“Put your staff in it Fidel. You'll be surprised with what that little pack can hold. You won't need your rucksack.”

Fidel opened the pack and placed one end of the staff inside. As he pushed the staff in, it felt like the pack had a life of its own and was thirsty, pulling the staff slowly inside. The entire staff fit into the pack with ease. Fidel saw a replica of his staff at the bottom of the pack, no larger than the size of a toothpick.

“Wow! How much can fit in here? A whole castle perhaps?” Fidel questioned.

Methvas chuckled at the notion. “Well, I do know you can fit a horse in these things, but that is as far as I have tried. Getting the horse out of the bag was quite an awkward situation.” Fidel and Methvas shared a laugh at the thought as Fidel retrieved his newly acquired metal staff from his hip sack, still in awe at the powers of the magical pack.

When Fidel and Methvas reached the bottom of the stairs, the servant who took his original staff and rucksack gave a curious look at Fidel and then looked at the staff in his own hand.

“The carriage awaits outside. Here are your items, Sir,” the servant stated.

Fidel grabbed the seven-foot long “walking stick” and placed it in his new travel pack. He then took his rucksack and placed that in the travel pack as well. He continued to look in amazement at the possibilities for this new pack of his. The father-son duo made their way out of the keep.

Methvas and Fidel made their way to the carriage and climbed in. The carriage headed toward the town of Harlow's Hovel.

A few moments passed and Methvas spoke up first. “I guess this is our final ride. Your mother will surely want to say good-bye and give you some traveling gifts as well. I am speechless. After all, what is a father supposed to say to his departing child?”

Fidel thought for a moment. “I am thinking you wish me a safe journey and I promise to return. Sound about right?” Methvas and Fidel both shared in the amusement of the simplified statement. They both sat in silence, watching the scenery of Harlow's Hovel pass by in the retreating light of the late afternoon sky.

A few minutes later, they were riding by Shartiva's General Store, their mercantile. They saw a sign on the door stating the shop was closed. They both looked at each other, as Shar's store was typically open from sunrise to sunset. They both understood this was a special day.

When they pulled up to the house, they both jumped down from the carriage and thanked the driver. The driver tipped his hat and headed off to the keep. Fidel and Methvas couldn't help but notice the smells coming from their home. The sweet smells of desserts coupled with the bulky aroma of stews. They both felt their stomachs grumble as they made their way into their home.

Methvas and Fidel stood at the front door in awe, seeing rows and rows of cooked food. Stews, steaks, roasts, kabobs, various breads and desserts all over the counters and tables. All of which packaged in pinewood boxes, designed for travel. It became quite clear what Shar's departure gift was to Fidel at that time. Shar smiled at them and walked over to give them a hug. Upon hugging Fidel, she paused for a moment.

“Did you gain some massive muscle in one day?” she asked tapping on Fidel's shoulder and hearing a metallic clang in return.

Fidel stepped back and removed his robe. “A fabulous set of armor isn't it? A gift from Lord Ias and further enchanted by Father.”

Shar looked over the armor with admiration. “Very nice! But what about your shoes? You cannot walk such a long path without a good set of shoes.” Fidel gave Shar a curious look. She picked up a box off the settle couch and handed it to him. Fidel opened the box and pulled out a pair of silk boots, black with thick soles.

“Put 'em on!” Shar said. Fidel complied with the request. His feet slid in easily, a perfect fit.

Methvas walked over to the settle. “So, Fidel, what enchantment shall be placed on the boots? What would be best for the adventurer Fidel?”

Fidel thought for a moment. “I think I want to stay in the realm of being quiet. So a spell that would make the me lighter or prevent the boots from generating noise would be nice.”

Methvas thought, "These soles are going to last forever!"  Just as he did with the armor, he ran his hands along the boots and chanted.

After Methvas finished enchanting the boots, Fidel stood up and stomped heavily. Not a single sound could be heard. He smiled and looked at his father. “Thank you once again.”

Methvas looked up. “Nothing too good for my son! Let's eat!”

The family sat down for their final meal together. At first, an awkward silence surrounded the meal as each person thought of their futures without each other. After awhile, the conversation picked up with Shar and Methvas discussing their future in Harlow's Hovel. Fidel chimed in with his anticipation of what he would find on the road to Puldechra. The meal was the longest meal the family had ever shared together.

Fidel was the first to comment on the setting sun and the need to get moving. Shar instructed him to take all the food she made throughout the day. He packaged up the food and placed it in his hip sack, still amazed at all it could hold. He pulled out his seven-foot walking stick and his rucksack and handed them to Methvas.

“You two can keep these. Makes no sense to travel with two sticks and two packs.”

Methvas asked Fidel to sign both items with his name. Fidel complied. Once Fidel was all packed up, Shar informed him there was a merchant group heading out to Puldechra and she was able to secure him a spot with the caravan. She informed him of the meeting point and gave him his farewell hug. Methvas shook Fidel's hand and pulled him in for a long hug, reminding him to stay safe in his travels.

Fidel departed his home with no small amount of tears shed among them. As he walked away from his home, he looked back periodically to see Shar and Methvas still standing in the doorway, waving every time he glanced back. He felt a sense of excitement as he made his way through town to the rally spot. He also felt a sense of sadness every time he looked around. Every building of Harlow's Hovel carried a memory to him, a memory that flashed into his mind as quickly as his eyes picked up on the scenery. He invited the memories, knowing they were good feelings, for he had lived them. Onward he walked to the meeting spot, filled with memories and excitement. The start of a great adventure.

He observed the merchants just outside the gates of Harlow's Hovel for a brief time, trying to determine the make-up of the group. A few moments passed then he approached.

“Hold!” called one of the sentries for the caravan. “State your business.”

Fidel stopped his approach. “My name is Fidel Austempes. Shartivus Aranongo informed me I would be a welcome addition to your caravan. I bring magic and martial skills to help ensure a safe journey to Puldechra for us all.”

The sentry called out to the captain of the caravan, Fardicus, to approve the addition to the group. The captain opened the flap of the merchant tent, and stared at Fidel, sizing him up. He raised his scrawny hand with a single finger up, indicating he would attend to the new arrival in a moment. Laughter could be heard from the tent. Shortly after, Fardicus emerged and walked toward Fidel. Fardicus was a very short man, slightly taller than five feet high and very thin. His brownish-red hair was shoulder height and his eyes appeared to reflect the flames of the torches around the caravan.