Prologue

“Please don’t go!” The child cried out.

“Please! Mom.”

“Why are you being like this today?” The lady asked flustered. “You are never like this?”

“Wahhhhhh Wahhhhhh don’t gooo Wahhhhhhh” the child wailed.

“ Be good. Your father will be back soon.” The lady turned around and walked towards the carriage.

The little boy tried to go after her and stop her as he continued to wail and scream. But his nanny held him back. And all he could do was wail and shout come back.

“ Come lets go back to your room. You need to sleep. Why did you wake up today?” the nanny asked.

But all he did was continue to cry.

What do I do?

She is going to die.

My…. Mother?

She is going to die?

Why do I have to remember it now if I cant do anything about it?

Are my memories even true?

What if it’s a dream?

Yes

Its not true…

Mom will comeback

The exhausted little boy slumped down and fell asleep.

The nanny picked him up to take him back to his room.

But his mother did not come back home again.

                                                                                                 1

He looked around him eyeing everyone and everything around him. He was confused – reluctant? Did not know how to proceed. It has already been months, since this process started. And still he hasn’t chosen a single candidate. Not even considered choosing someone. He did need a perfect candidate so he couldn’t choose just anyone. Or the fact that what he was trying to do was maybe morally wrong - completely and totally.

He looked at the drink in front of him. He hasn’t touched it yet. He needed a clear mind for something like this. He looked around the tavern again. It was still daytime. And it needed to be daytime. Only an alcoholic and someone in great despair would drink during daytime. Especially before noon. And he was in search for the later. Someone sad, depressed, who has given up on life, in short borderline suicidal and trying to drink their misery away. He wished he could come everyday. It would greatly help with his search.

It seemed like all there was, were a bunch of alcoholics and some frustrated from life bunch. But not enough to off themselves. Maybe he should change his stake out spot. Maybe look around hot suicide spots. But he couldn’t just walk up to someone and ask someone, ‘hey know any good suicide spots’ with a smile on his face.

He got up as he threw some coins in the table and walked out. It was noon. People were going about their busy day. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry going about their day.

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‘Maybe I should go back’ he thought

He was strolling down the road when something or someone caught his eyes. A man in his late twenties with red hair was stumbling around as he walked past him. His head down. It looked like he had no strength in his body.

He swept his head back to look at him.

‘This is it.’ After months of searching, he finally had someone. It could be his trail run, its not like he was in a hurry. He had time.

He was going east and the only thing east from here was the gate that leads out of the city. He did not look like he was going out of town or maybe he was. And the only thing out side the city except the road to that leads to different destinations was the forest. And he did not look like he was going to forage. And the forest was dangerous, a place infested with stronger creatures than average humans, monsters and not anyone just went there.  He did not look strong but not completely an amateur either.

‘At least we don’t have to start from the basics. Perfect.’

He turned around and followed him. And as he suspected he was going out of the city. Into the forest. He doesn’t know what happened to him and why he was in such a state, but he followed him as he strayed from the road that was safe and deep into the forest.

He followed him further and further into the woods. And the deeper it is the more danger there is. The man with red hair did not stop for a second. He was stumbling around but still going forward.

Grrrrrrrr

A low growl like sound came out from the side. He stopped and turned towards that sound. Slowly from the rusting of the bush a two-legged creature with a long body and a long tail like a snake and a head of a rooster came out. A wingless cockatrice. The first monster they met was a wingless cockatrice. And it was not luck that they had not met any monsters till now. He had been scattering around Atropa, a monster repellent that only works on low threat monsters that travelers and merchants used. But they usually stay on the path and they were way off the path. And the first monster they meet is a cockatrice.

‘At least it is wingless.’

Wingless cockatrice is can be taken out by a medium level mage or aura master so its level of danger was low. They were in the medium level of the danger scale. But a winged cockatrice, that’s a totally different level.

The man with red hair stood still with his head down. The monster looked at him and roared. He did not move an inch. The cockatrice looked at him for a moment confused. Suddenly a tail rammed on him and sent him flying and he landed on the ground. He lay there for a second then slowly got up and stood up, still his head down and just stood still.

The monster roared and started running towards him finally deciding to land the finishing blow.

“Gale surge”

A gush of roaring wind came surging forth at the cockatrice throwing it in the air. It roared as it fell hard on the ground.

“Be careful” The man finally looked up in confusion.

He saw a black-haired boy rush in front of him in his defence.

“Are you ok?” The boy asked. “Its ok, your safe.”

The man still looked ahead in confusion. Slowly a mixture of emotions can be seen in his eyes. Reluctance, disbelieve, frustration and longing.

The cockatrice now injured got up and shook itself and roared.

“Please stay back, I will take care of it.”He stated another spell as a circle of enchantment formed around his hand before the man could say anything and aimed at the cockatrice.

“Frost Lance” a thin white needle like rod bolted towards the cockatrice and within seconds it pierced its throat. It stayed still for sometime before the ice started to spread from inside its throat and towards its entire body as it froze all over from inside. It then slammed down on to the ground.

“That was close.” The boy bend down as if the spell earlier had taken a toll on him.

He turned around and the red-haired man found himself staring at a pair of hazel eyes, a boy in his early twenties with black hair looking at him with concern in his eyes.

“I am Aiden” the boy said.

“I-I- I am Kylan” the man said.

They were both walking out of the woods and back to the city.

“Are you sure you’re, ok?” Aiden asked

“Yes. I am fine.” Kylan replied

“You look a bit roughed up. And I saw you get thrown around by the cockatrice.” Aiden looked at him carefully up and down. “I have potions.”

“No no no need I am fine it will be a waste.”

“Its ok I am an alchemist I made them.” Aiden said as he took out a potion form his bag.

“Here”

“I- ok” Kylan took it reluctantly as Aiden stared at him making sure he drank it.

“I thought you were part of the Viatores.” Kylan said as he drank the potion. He felt his insides stabilize as he drank his potion. It looks like he had internal damage from the swing he took from the wingless cockatrice.

“I am but I am also an alchemist.”

‘I should have just wrote adventurers guild, why did I write Viatores again…. Ah yes cause it has a back story’

“Are you part of the Viatores too? Is that why you were so far deep in the forest?”

“Yes I- yes that’s why.” Kylan looked down at the ground as he walked.

“Even though you are a part of the Viatores you should not go that deep in the forest if you can’t handle it. Are you sure you are, ok?” Aiden asked again “You seem a bit out of it. Are you in shock?”

“What? No no I- I am fine.”

“Was it a commission?”

“Yes, your right.” Kylan was still looking at the ground as he walked.

“You can have the body then. You just have to defrost it”

“No, it was not for the cockatrice.”

“Oh, ok.” The path they were walking cleared up and they could see the main road that leads to the city. They did not talk much on the way except Aiden commenting about the dangers of the forest and unexpected monsters as Kylan made sounds of agreement.

“We are here.” They were close to the city gates now. “Where do you live?”

“I am staying at the inn.”

“Are you not from around here?”

Kylan stayed quite for a moment before slowly shaking his head, “No.”

‘Perfect’

“That won’t do. Stay at my place. I am still worried if you are really ok. Some internal damages are hard to cure and need specific potions, like the head. The potion for that is different you know. I don’t have that with me right now.”

Kylan just stared at him blankly for a moment. An unknown emotion flashed in his eyes before he slowly replied  “ok.”

“Perfect” Aiden said as he smiled a big smile.