Vitiosi Dei (Heritage of the Blood Book 2) (24 page)

“Don’t push them too hard, they look malnourished,” a second male voice said.

“Ye bleedin’ heart, Fredrich. Don't you worry none. Between your skills as a healer, Za’quenar’s hunting, and Erin’s finger wagglin’, we’ll get these people home safe.”

“Finger wagglin’?” Erin said, sounding affronted. “I’ll have you know that…”

Whatever it was that she would have Borathar know, the boy would never find out, as their voices were lost as they moved out of the mine. Moving into the guard’s room, the boy found a water skin that had been hidden under a pillow. Removing the cork and taking a whiff, he realized that whatever was inside it definitely was not water. Gathering up the few meager supplies that had been overlooked on the group’s exodus out of the tunnels he realized that he would have to leave the mine in a few days anyway or he wouldn’t have anything to eat.

Sometime later, he moved towards the entrance of the mine. He had never seen what was outside of the tunnel, and as he neared the front of the cave he nearly gasped at what he saw. Everywhere he looked was a brilliant white; the footprints of the group that had left were already starting to fill in as the white flakes floated down from the sky, filling the impressions.

He stood outside for only moments before he realized that he would likely begin freezing quickly if he stood there for too long. Besides, it was just too open outside; it was a little unnerving to not be able to see the roof above your head, and he almost felt like if he jumped he might begin to fall up into the billowing abyss above.

Taking one last look at the white valley below, he turned back into the tunnel to await Pershanti’s return.

Chapter 13

A Step to the Right

Year: 3045 AGD

Month: New Year

Fourth Eighthday

Serenity Valley

Institute of Learning

The morning had been spent going from one well-stocked shop to the another. For the most part they had all been simply browsing, though a few bags sat around them from the few must-have items and deals they had come across. Their final destination for the morning before stopping for a bite to eat had been a bookstore the likes of which Shawnrik had never thought could exist before. He thought that he might be able to spend his days simply reading the titles of the plethora of books that the store possessed. Everything from textbooks on any subject that you might want to learn to fictionalized romance stories were available inside.

Fictional stories—a story that someone made up completely, and people buy them!
When Verrian had first told him about the fiction section and how much he enjoyed books with a lot of action and adventure, Shawnrik had thought his roommate was trying to play a trick on him. After being guided back to a section that took up a good fourth of the store, however, Shawnrik had realized that his friend was being completely serious. He had spent a good amount of time simply staring at the different sections of books that could be found in the fictional section and trying to come to terms with the fact that there were books that existed simply for the purpose of enjoyment.

All of the books that he and Victor had been able to steal during their time at ol’ man Walkins's place had been books that taught you things, like agriculture, architecture, and finances. Shawnrik wondered how many of the books that Nim owned were fictional. He hadn’t been able to spend very much time in the library during his time at the manor; Ashur had taken it upon himself to train Shawnrik nearly every day for the six months that the boys had lived there together. The few hours of daylight that he had free had been spent with his friend, or in the large dining room eating.

As he took a seat across from his roommate in a small eatery nestled alongside the giant stone building that held the bookstore, Shawnrik was once again astounded by all of the things that he had yet to learn about the world. Having come to this realization, the small sign that hung outside the bookstore finally made sense to him, and he chuckled to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Olivia whispered from her usual place beside him.

“I just realized what the sign meant.”

“What sign?” Olivia asked, looking around.

“Oh, not in here, the one in front of the bookstore next door.”

“Infinite Verse?” Olivia replied. “What does it mean?”

“Well, to me it means that there is an infinite number of things for us to learn, or at least near enough that we would need an endless amount of lifetimes to even be able to scratch the surface of that vast pool of knowledge. On top of that, during all of the time you would spend learning how the world or universe works, the rules might change, or someone might make up completely new ideas.” Shawnrik noticed that the entire table, as well as several tables full of people near them, were staring at him and he realized that he had been speaking a little too loud.

“That’s kind of a depressing thought,” an older gentleman at the table next to them said. “Essentially, you are saying that no matter what we learn, we will still know nothing?”

“Yes!” Shawnrik said, but after a moment’s consideration changed his answer. “But also no. While it is true that we will never know everything, each thing we learn is important and valuable. When you realize that you don’t know anything, it can allow you to take delight in each new revelation, no matter how small.”

“That sounds a lot like what our Elders teach us.” Syranna said, her voice barely audible, even in the silent café. “They say that the more you learn the less you know, and the more you think you know the less you learn.”

“It’s good to see that someone listens when I speak, at least,” Dean Swiftfoot said from the doorway to the café. “It usually takes becoming an old man to have such thoughts, young man. Whoever instilled the love of learning in you should be commended. Perhaps he has you to thank, Miss Wildthorne? I know you have a gift for instilling many a feeling into men young and old.” He said this with a slight grin as he walked to the table directly behind Shawnrik.

Turning around, Shawnrik realized that he had missed noticing his petite instructor on his way into the café. She was wearing clothes that made her look larger than her actual size and had a large hat on her head that hid her features well.

Sighing while removing her hat, Tienna Wildthorne smiled up at the Dean. “You know, Harolinde, if you weren’t my uncle I might take such a comment the wrong way.”

“My dear, I assure you that while you are rarely sore on the eyes, I see too much of your mother in you to think such impure thoughts.”

“As to Shawnrik’s love of learning, I’m afraid that has nothing to do with me; he was already like that when I got him.” This admission seemed to take something out of her, as if she had wished she was able to take credit for it. “According to Eve,” she looked at the students, “Instructor Daymarr, to you, it seems that we have a young man by the name of Victor to thank.”

“Victor, huh?” The Dean said, his brow furrowing in thought. “Anyone I might know?”

Shawnrik couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the thought and realized that he should explain his outburst before anyone became offended. “No sir, you would never have met Victor. He was raised in the Dock’s District in Safeharbor.”

“The Dock’s District, huh? If I remember correctly, that’s the poorer side of town, where the houses are built along the path down to the seaside?”

“Yes sir.”

“So am I to assume that this Victor was also an orphan?” the Dean said, his tone telling everyone that he meant no offense by the question.

“Not when I first met him; he was just some spoiled kid being raised by a lady named Shaylyn.” Shawnrik was so wrapped up in his memory of his first meeting with his best friend that he failed to notice the look that passed between Dean Swiftfoot and Instructor Wildthorne. “I met him again on the eve of New Beginnings, after his house burned down. He taught me how to read and write, and I helped teach him…” Shawnrik, thinking about how he and Victor had survived their time in Walkins little thieves den blushed, “…how to survive on the streets.”

Dean Swiftfoot nodded, as if he understood what that meant, but Shawnrik felt like the old Elf really had no idea. He doubted the man had ever had to survive anywhere near as dangerous as the streets of the Dock’s District.

“I would tell you to thank him for us,” the Dean said, “but since this place is a universal secret, that wouldn’t be a very good idea. Where is your friend now?”

“I’m not sure, sir, he gave himself over to the Blood Mages to stop an attack by the Dracair on a small Blood Orc outpost south of Stalwart.” Shawnrik felt the moisture start to gather under his eyes, and closed them for a second to get his feelings under control. He felt a small hand take his, and he knew it was Olivia.

“My family was captured by the Blood Orcs. If it hadn’t been for Shawnrik, Ashur, and Dunnagan trying to rescue us, we would have all probably died in there.” She squeezed his hand. “Of course, they also managed to get captured. Nim told us that Victor had somehow connected to Shawnrik in his dreams and found out that they were captured. After verifying that what Victor said was true, the High Commander sent Nim and his two best squads to rescue them.”

Olivia stroked his arm at the look of pain that crossed Shawnrik's features at the memories of his time in the Blood Orc camp.

“I met Shawnrik a day before the Blood Orcs captured us. He was about the same height as me then, and the next time I saw him, he looked as he does now; though not quite as monumental.”

Opening his eyes at her description of him, Shawnrik looked down into Olivia’s smiling face. He picked up the story from where she left off. “Whatever deal Victor made, there were at least three Dracairei at that base, and they left with very little bloodshed. He gave up his freedom so that we could have a chance. Wherever he is, I hope he’s warm and has a good book to read, at the very least. I’ll find him someday and bring him home.”

“I’m going to be there when you do,” Olivia said. “My family owes you and him a debt. Besides, from all of the stories that I heard around the campfire that night, I think I’d like to meet him anyway.”

Shawnrik thought about telling her that it would probably be a dangerous road, but decided that he could talk to her about it later. It would still be some time before he had learned enough and come fully into his strength before he would start that journey. He had time to talk her out of it. They stared into each other’s eyes for some time before they each seemed to realize that the entire café was staring at the pair after hearing such an amazing story.

The Dean cleared his throat. “I see you two have been through more than most. You should enjoy the time you have together while it lasts. You never know when it will end.” Shawnrik realized that the Dean knew what he was talking about in that moment; something in the man’s tone spoke of a very personal loss. He saw Tienna Wildthorne reach across the table and squeeze her uncle’s hand in support, and smiled at the pair before turning to enjoy the company of his friends.

Conversations started up around them, starting in a low buzz and quickly becoming the usual chatter that one expects in a busy eatery. They ordered their food and enjoyed quiet small talk. When they went to pay, they found out that the man who had been seated beside them had paid for their meal before leaving. Shawnrik had never heard of anyone doing something like that and it almost brought him to tears as he realized just how different this place was from the one he had grown up in.

After hearing more about what Gnorman was making for Shawnrik and Verrian, the girls decided unanimously that that was their next destination, saying something about making sure all the colors matched or some such nonsense.

Verrian watched his roommate walk down the street ahead of him. Olivia walked beside Shawnrik, and Verrian noticed her almost grab his friends hand several times before she decided to settle on putting her arm through his. Vivianne and Rebecca seemed to have none of the reluctance that Olivia displayed; both had their arms wrapped in his, each holding one of his hands possessively. Vivianne walked on his right and Rebecca on his left.

To him they were like opposing storm fronts. Vivianne was like a cool breeze that promised a respite from the heat of the day but also carried with it the chance of sudden storms. Rebecca was a warm front that promised sunny skies, but the ease with which she blew one direction or another increased the chances of getting burned. Verrian realized that they wanted him to ask one of them to the Winter Dance, but something told him doing so would be a mistake.

His thoughts otherwise occupied, it came as a surprise when he looked up and saw a familiar sign.

“Gnorman’s Family Jewels?” Sara said with a grin tugging at her lips. “How quaint.”

Entering the shop, Verrian nearly laughed at the wide eyed looks from the girls as their eyes darted from one wonder to the next. Having grown up coming into the store on a regular basis, Verrian realized that he had grown jaded. Seeing the wonder in his friends' eyes reminded him just how skilled Gnorman truly was. There were stones and gems cut into thousands of shapes tastefully displayed throughout the room.

One statue that seemed to have caught Rebecca’s eye was a lapis lazuli statue of a sea creature leaping out of the water. Syranna seemed entranced by the rainbows that several of the gemstones were casting in part due to the small lights positioned near them for full effect. Walking over to where Olivia stood, Verrian saw her staring at a pair of simple stone heart necklaces, one said “Together,” and the other “Forever.” Shawnrik moved from whatever he had been looking at towards where Verrian and Olivia were standing, and Verrian noticed that she quickly found something else to investigate. Not sure if he should give his roommate a heads up—or a warning—Verrian decided to keep his mouth shut. Olivia was his friend too, and if she wasn’t comfortable with the idea yet he wasn’t going to be the one to push either of them.

Gnorman came bustling out of the back room and managed a rather entertaining double take as he cleaned his hands on the rag that he kept at the desk. A look of mischief came over the old Gnome’s face and Verrian groaned internally.

“I’m sorry ladies, are these hooligans bothering you? They didn’t kidnap you, did they?”

“Gnorman, I presume?” Olivia said moving towards the counter. As he nodded she continued, “While these brutes might have thoughts that run contrary to what we might deem to be acceptable…”

“One never knows until they ask,” Vivianne said in not quite a whisper.

“… I assure you that we are here of our own volition.” Olivia continued, pointedly ignoring her friend’s interjection.

Verrian felt his cheeks flush as Vivianne winked at him from across the room. Gnorman for his part was barely managing to suppress a fit of laughter at his discomfort. “That so?” he continued, forcing his expression to become serious once again. “Well, I can tell you some stories about that scrawny one…”