I flew to the ground, tossed out the front door to my own home. I stared at the front door to the house I grew up in. Standing tall and imposing in the door frame was my father. His face red as hot iron, sweat beaded up and rolled down his head, his brow was furrowed in rage and his forehead vein bulging. “Erik I-I swear. If you grab that bag, If you grab that bag,” He started only to stop and adjust his grip on his hammer, knuckles turning white. “if you grab that bag and start walking down that road into town. I’ll have no son,” He said dabbing away the sweat with his sleeve, his other hand holding his trusty work sledge. “You step foot in town, and you best be looking for a new job and home because you will never come back here.”
“Fine,” I said grabbing my bag. “You stopped caring when Ma passed anyway. Took to working the forge every hour of the day and night and drink as a way to escape.” I spat. “I have plans. I know people.” I grabbed my bag and stood up dusting myself off. “Don’t drink and use the forge, your breath might set the workshop on fire.” I snarled as I began walking, turning my back on the man who tried to raise me. I made it a good way too before the hammer went flying past my shoulder.
---
I walked into Hythe with a hand up over my bruising eye. Sure I got caught off-guard. I wasn’t expecting the man to throw a four pound sledge at me. So when I turned to ask him he he lost his mind I caught his fist. I groaned. It had all been bluster and bluff. I wasn’t expecting him to get that mad at me. Yeah I said that he worked too hard and I might have insinuated that his breath after a few drinks was flammable, but I was expecting this to be something that I would go into town, have a few drinks myself and come home and everything would be fine. I guess not so much as when I got home he had changed the locks and refused to open the door. I checked my bag, at least it stayed in one piece during the fight. I had a spare set of clothes and about 5 silver coins tucked into my spare set of traveling shoes. As long as I was smart it would last me at least a month or two out on my own.
I spent the next week looking high and low for work. I played to my strengths. I was a Blacksmith’s Son, but I knew ass from elbow about smithing. I had never spent time with my father in the forge so that was a no go, however I had spent a considerable amount of time with my ma learning to read recipes and baking...but I had the sense of taste of a worm. So baking was hopeless. As time wore on I found myself committing to doing the odd job or two. It wasn’t fun, but moving items, delivering small parcels by foot, and the like paid for my stay at the Inn. Eventually I found a caravan looking to hire some additional haulers. The merchants assumed by the bruising on my face and the worn look of my clothing that I was tough, and capable.
So I ended up riding along with them. I rode free of charge for a grand total of three weeks and arrived at Port Arathmore, The Largest Port in the Kingdom of Lenrevy. During the ride I hung out with the Caravan Master’s mother, Madam Drae, and she knew how to read ledgers and purchase orders and had me moved from being a crate-hauler to being her assistant when she learned I could read some. By the time we reached the Port I had a better grasp on my letters and numbers than I did before. She wanted me to stay with the caravan so badly, she said I had a good head for numbers and I was sly which both were qualities needed in good merchants. I declined however as I felt as good as it was traveling with the caravan and seeing the countryside roll by that it wasn’t for me. She said she knew some people looking for hard-workers in the Port and gave me a list of names and small parcel of gold and silver coins to keep me fed for a week or two.
So here I was, far and removed from my father, with nothing to my name but a few coins and a change of clothes. I began my search again. As I moved around through the thick crowds of the port city I didn’t have to worry about cut-purses because I kept the coins safely in my bag. I did however have to worry about being mugged. I was walking towards the nearest Inn when I was dragged in the the cramped alleyway by an absolute giant. I remember his words like it happened yesterday. “Your bag or your life.”
---
“Wait you mean to tell me that you were robbed in broad daylight by a literal Giant outside?” The man interrupted me looking me over with his embers-for-eyes. “As in like...today?” He added looking over my paperwork and adjusting the sleeve of his dark green robes. “Your paperwork said you arrived in town today.”
I stammered a bit looking down at my dirty clothes, covered in alley-waste and bits of chum. “As I was saying I remember it like it happened yesterday.” I started.
The man just groaned. “Okay, so You...Erik, Son of Yarrick?” He said squinting as he held the piece of parchment closer to his face. “What makes you want to apply for the Herbalist’s Guild.” He said picking up and looking over the silver coins on the counter before pulling out a scale. “Surely you’ve heard of our...reputation.” he said dropping the silver onto the scale with a soft clink.
“Nah,” I said flatly. “I heard that you all were a very hospitable place and willing to take in just about anyone who met the bare minimum requirements.” I said fiddling with a loose string on my sleeve. “I saw a flier, and when I grabbed it one of the fishermen near the docks said I should head this way especially if I wasn’t from around here because you’d give free food and board to your apprentices. So I made my way here significantly less burdened...what with the loss of my life savings and the rest of my worldly possessions.”
“Well you said during your, story, that you can read and write and you obviously have a strong sense of imagination and creativity. I hate to be the one doing this but your silver is real and you signed the parchment yourself without being under duress or coercion...I, Ezra Balfew of the Herbalists Guild, hereby declare you, Erik Yarrickson, probationary apprentice to the Port Arathmore Guild of Herbalism.” Ezra said stamping a wax seal on my parchment. “There will be a period of learning followed by some testing before you can be granted status as a genuine apprentice in the guild. Failure to meet expectations means you will be indebted to the guild for food and board during this time.” He added with a grim smile. “The cost of failure in this case Erik...is thrice what you paid in silver.”
I did the math quickly and only using a few of my fingers...it was infinitely more than I had considering I just paid the man what was left of my life’s savings to apply.
---
I made my way through the guild-house alone with my thoughts. Having to pay back three silver was going to be tough especially since as an apprentice of the Guild I wasn’t allow to accept outside work. I wandered down a hallway towards what I assumed was the bunkhouse. Instead I found myself if a massive enclosed greenhouse. rows and rows of potted plants. I knew some of them as the typical herbs and spices often used for cooking like thyme, sage, and rosemary. However this room also held plants I had never seen before. vines climbing trellises with flowers as big as my head, to tiny little mushrooms growing from colonies on a log in a dark corner.
“Oh Hello. I didn’t know we were expecting guests,” I hear a voice say as I looked around. I turned to watch a woman exit the gossamer cloth that was casting the shadows over the previously mentioned mushrooms. As she got closer to me it was then that I noticed the massive rack she had. It had to be at least a 12 point set of antlers curling above her head. “I am Leah, I tutor the plant cycles and identification of rare ingredients.”
I just stood shocked for a moment. I mean Mr.Balfew had eyes that looked like fire, but this was something completely foreign to me. “I uh...I’m Erik. I’m new? I think”
“Hmm you’re one of the new probationary members then,” she said as she grabbed a pot from under some kind of light focusing contraption in the window with a what appeared to be a single stick embedded in the dirt. “Well. You’re always welcome here and I’m almost always available to talk, If I’m busy you can always talk to Sprig,” she said “Wake up Sprig we have company.” she whispered to the stick.
I stood silently and watched as the little stick began to wiggle about and a single leaf sprouted from the very top of the stick. “H-Hello...Sprig?”
“They’re growing, but it’s slow going because Sprig likes very specific temperatures and absolutely HATES the water the younger guild members try and water them with,” She sighed. “But enough about us. What brought you here to the Guild?”
“It’s a long story. Do you know the way to the bunk room. I can recount the tale on the way there.” At this she just smiled at me and picked up the small pot and placed it safely in her horns.
I recounted the entire story from the beginning to her. Me being kicked out of my childhood home, the inability to find steady work, the migratory work, the mugging and the eventual application into the guild. Before long we found ourselves standing at the doorway into the common room. The other prospective guild members were also hanging out here waiting for instructions. I thanked her and she quickly went back to the greenroom carrying Sprig.
I waited looking at the others. It was myself, two women and two men. The girls were different heights, the tallest one was obviously Northern Ancestry as she had the fair skin, blond hair, and ice blue eyes of the North, the shorter girl might’ve even had Dwarven blood in her as hair was a forge-fired copper color. I looked over them as they shared an animated conversation.
The men however were the ones I was most interested in. The first gentleman was tall, broad and built like he was a mercenary. Bulging muscle and scars across his arms. I walked over to him with a smile and a hand up to show I was being friendly. As I got close he took one look at me and turned his gaze out the window. “Don’t talk to me,” he grunted. “Kids like you are always more trouble than what you’re worth. I don’t have any thing to share with you. I don’t have any family secrets, no hidden knowledge and I don’t need a friend.” I got the hint immediately and turned right around. He probably could have broken me over his knee with one hand.
The other man just laughed at this exchange. “Oh man,” he said looking over at the women. “That’s rough buddy, even if Grampa Grump over there won’t be your friend I’m still here.”
“Awesome, I’m Erik.” I said extending a hand which he quickly grabbed and shook vigorously.
“Senn, spelt S-E-N-N” He said beaming at me. “I’m so excited. My brothers are Guild Masters over in Talenhold and I’ve been dying to join since I was old enough to watch them work with pestle and mortars. The thrill of mixing things to potentially combustible conclusions...” He said pulling a book out of his bag, and pulling a braid of hair over his shoulder. “I’ve kept a journal of various alchemical materials and I believe if I can just get the numbers right I could produce a powder that once ignited would continue to burn uninterrupted for years if not decades even! The applications for such a powder. Cooking, light sources, even blacksmithing would be revolutionized by Senn’s Sensational Phlox Powder!”
I laughed nervously at the sudden expressed passion towards fire, but when my new friend mentioned blacksmithing it made me think of home. I still missed my father. We had our fights and disagreements. I knew I was right and he was wrong but that’s beside the point. He was still my father in the end and I hoped that he was still doing okay. “You know you could just name it Sennsational Phlox with two N’s like your name,” I said looking at him. “It’s shorter, it’s easier to remember, and that way your name is the merchant’s mark.”
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He paused flipping through his book to look up at me. “Erik. Did you honestly just think that up right now? Like from your brain?” He said slamming the book closed. “because that. That right there is pure GENIUS.”
“Genius or not, you all will get the opportunities to learn more about each other in the coming weeks,” a familiar voice said as he walked in the room. It was none other than Mr.Balfew and an assistant carrying several bundles of clothes as well as bags for the five of us. “Your Robes, which you will wear as they are both a symbol of your pride as an Apprentice to the Guild as well as your uniform.”
“The bags contain a blank journal, ink, and a small set of trade tools,” The woman standing behind him said. I met her gaze and gasped. Just like Leah she was different too. Her eyes were bright yellow with no visible whites and her pupils looked like she could see for miles. She dropped the bags in front of us softly. “The Quill included was made by yours truly. They’re a gift from me. You get one. Lose it and you’re paying the guild to replace it. Your first ‘lesson’ starts this evening after dinner. I am Cassandra; it’s nice to meet you all.”
As they turned to leave that was when I noticed the feathers that I thought were just woven into her hair were actually a part of her head. I groaned. Oh what did I get myself into.
---
Dinner went far more quickly than I had expected. I groaned as I slipped the robe on. It was a dull green with no frills, no stole or shoulder cape like the actual guild member’s robes sported. We all stood in the common room standing in a line. The blonde woman stood at the very far left at the start of the line up. I had positioned myself safely between The Mountain Man and the Half-Dwarven woman.
Mr.Balfew walked in with several round bottom potion vials sitting on a tray. His hood was drawn up over his head and he was wearing the full Guild Master’s ensemble. Cape, a long stole, several rope cords around his shoulders, and his robes were trimmed in gold thread. He walked deliberately slow as Leah and Cassandra as well as other unacquainted guild members stood a the outside edges of the room. “Guild Members, mentors, and future tutors to the soon to be initiated, These people come before us, from a range of backgrounds,” he said as I could see his eyes of fire looking at me from under his hood. “Like you they will be undergoing the time honored tradition of consuming a draught created by one of you comprised of various herbs one of which must be Loki’s Fingers.”
I saw the others around me grow tense at the mention of this herb. “As you might not know, Loki’s Fingers is a herb that grows only out in the wild, it dies when attempted to grow in a controlled environment, and has a wide range of effects on the body,” Mr.Balfew continued. “Physical changes are common. Manifestations of strange and unique powers are rare but not unheard of, and even flat out death can and has occurred in these halls due to Loki’s Fingers before.”
Cassandra stepped forward at this. “Those of you that would like to forgo this trial; speak now knowing that you will be further apprenticeship hinges on your decision. This is your first lesson, and welcome again to the Herbalist’s Guild.” She said as she walked forward and moved the vials off the tray and onto the table nearby. “You won’t be told the contents of the vial or it’s brewer until after it’s passed your lips. When all possible transformations or manifestations have completed it will be revealed who brewed the concoction you drank. You will then be assigned to them as an Apprentice.”
“Come forward and be given your gift.” Mr.Balfew said ominously looking at the blonde woman.
She stepped forward with the grace of a dancer or maybe a courier. She looked over the vials for a long while before picking up one from close to the center of the pile. It was the only vial in a plain bottle with a clear liquid settled inside placidly. She quickly uncorked in a before she could put it in her mouth she smelled the liquid and grimaced. “I have to drink this,” she said it sounding almost like a question. “I have to drink this.”
She took a deep breath in and tipped the vial back finishing it in a single draft. She set the vial back down on the table and groaned. Her face revealed obvious pain as she clutched her stomach and doubled over. Everyone in the room watched the scene. Her ears seemed to almost melt and fold over into the side of her head as they disappeared she continued to groan one hand going from her stomach to the top of her head, and before long a set of triangular ears with fluff seemed to sprout up from nothing. As she continued to groan an obvious bulge appeared in the back of her robe as she let out a small gasp. Shooting up from her hunched over posture to her back being arched; her ears twitched and the mass in the back of her robe pushed against the constraining fabric. “Emilia, You’ve been graced with the Aspect of the Fox, and I will be your Mentor. I was gifted with the Aspect of the Falcon.” Cassandra said with a smile.
Senn was next and stepped forward eagerly. He looked over the table of vials and was taking his time to look over them carefully. He lifted and swirled every vial he could in his hands and took note of the various marks, attachments, and special talismans on each one. Before long he settled on a vial that had a single talisman stuck to the front and the cork on top was specially fitted with a one way valve that was allowing a slow and steady hiss of gas to escape. The liquid inside the vial itself was inky black and effervescent bubbling away like boiling tar. “The stopper is because the pressure inside continues to mount and they were afraid of the cork becoming less a stopper and more a projectile, and the talisman is providing a constant heat source to the inside of the vial so the contents must be thermally sensitive,” Senn began. “Oh I wish I could keep a small amount and test it myself.” He said peeling the stopper off with a pop as the liquid inside reacted with the air going from inky black to a transparent and swirling spectrum of colors. “It gets better!”
Mr.Balfew coughed, his patience obviously worn thin. “Mr.Arret, There are others waiting. Please drink your selected vial.”
Senn just looked over at him with a smile and tossed the vial back. “Tastes of mixed berries and...is that garlic I taste? Oh suddenly it got quite sour. This is so interes‒” He stopped mid-sentence as he locked up and fell onto his back as small jolts of visible electricity sparked off him. Before long a large halo of electricity shot up staring at his feet and ending in his eyes as they began to glow as lines like lightning bolts traced away from his eyes. Mr.Balfew let out a peal of laughter as Senn finally sat up.
“Senn, You’ve been gifted with the Aspect of Lightning, and I will be your Mentor. I was gifted with the Aspect of Fire.” Mr.Balfew said, helping him up off the floor. “Welcome to the Herbalist’s Guild.”
As Senn stepped back into line The Wall of Flesh stepped forward. “I don’t care about the specifics, I just want to get this done so I can start making some money,” he said grabbing a vial that was held together by thick riveted bands of iron. Without wasting any time he had torn the cork out of the bottle and threw it over his shoulder and drank the potion. He said nothing as he dropped the vial on the floor with a loud clunk. He just stood there, his face contorted with what looked like anger. Before anyone could step forward and ask if everything was okay he clenched his fists and took a massive breath in and released it as a soul-shaking bellow as curling horns pierced his forehead and spiraled under his ears as they changed shape as well. He continued to stand as his legs under his robes were obviously twisting and changing shape. As his bellow ended he stomped down with one of his legs and I heard the tile give way with a loud crack. He snorted through his nose a few times and blinking his eyes revealing the slotted pupils. “Done.” He said stepping back in line and cracking his knuckles.
For a while everyone was quiet, and finally one of the other guild members stepped forward, his skin was a mix between normal fleshy bits and tracts of red scales. “Aodhan, You’ve been gifted with the Aspect of the Minotaur, and I will be Your Mentor. I was gifted with the Aspect of the Dra--”
“I get it, you’re my mentor and you’re gonna teach me how to turn lead into gold...Don’t waste time with small talk.” Aodhan said, crossing his arms and snorting. “We start lessons early tomorrow morning. I wake up at the fourth hour of the day and start with an hour of exercise. Anytime after that is good.”
The Guild mentor said nothing and the look that he was giving him was indecipherable. “We’ll begin early, but I am your mentor and you will listen to what I say.”
Aodhan laughed at this. “Right Man-Lizard. I’ll let you call the shots I guess.”
With this everyone settled back into place as Mr.Balfew turned to me. I swear I could feel his smile under the shadow of his hood, but all I saw was those flickering eyes again. “Mr.Yarrickson. Please step forward and select a vial.”
There were still quite a few bottles on the table of various colors and markings. I gulped before finally reaching for one that stood out from the rest. It had a small emblem of an enclosed tree in a circle made out of metal dangled from the neck of the bottle, and the color was a rich brown with flecks of white floating. I pulled the cork out of the bottle quickly and gave a quick smell of the contents. It smelled vaguely of pine and lemon like the memory of a soap. I took a breath and felt myself start to sweat. This was something that potentially would leave a permanent mark on my person. it could change who I am forever. I looked at Mr.Balfew who just nodded and shook a finger at me. I looked across at the other apprentices. Aodhan was too busy feeling his horns and I could hear the ‘Tak tak’ of his new hooves on the tile. Emilia had fished her new tail out of her robe and was stroking it comfortingly. Senn was playing with a small arc of lightning that he was bouncing between his index fingers.
I gave the vial a tentative swirl and noticed the liquid shift from the brown with white flecks to a metallic gold with black flecks before shifting back to it’s original colors. I felt a lump in my throat form as I realized at this point I couldn’t very well not drink it. “Mr.Yarrickson. You’re not really afforded the chance to take your time here. Yvonna is waiting for you to finish,” Mr.Balfew said gesturing to the last woman in line his amusement apparent in “Please.”
I threw the vial back and it traced a path of fire down my throat into my stomach. I coughed and dropped the vial as I fell to my knees struggling to breath. I watched my vision grow red around the edges as my heart began to beat hard. I watched some of the Mentors step forward only for them to be stopped by Mr.Balfew. He said something but it was like trying to hear him through wet cotton stuff in my ears. I felt myself slide down to the floor as the red edges started turning black and crawling inward slowly. I felt my breathing stop. Everything was on fire. I tried to cry out. I was sorry that I left my dad on such poor terms. I never meant to hurt him. I just didn’t want to follow the same path he did in life. I tried to cry out to my mom. If I was dying I at least wanted her there to welcome me. I was also angry, furious even. I trusted Mr.Balfew. I knew he didn’t like me but to tell the other guild members to ignore the fact I was dying. I felt myself growing more angry as the burning finally began to stop.
The world around me was shifting. I was in pain and I felt an unbridled rage filling me. I heard a cacophony of muddled voices, screams and harsh sounds. My vision swam in a vivid spectrum of color. Shadows in strange people-shapes moved around me as I stood there. I was cold. I was also uncomfortably warm. I saw darkness and light. I was floating and I was also grounded at the same time. Time moved forward at a rapid pace, but also the hands of the clock held fast. Nothing made sense as I stood among the chaos that reveled around me. I reached out to try and touch a shadow only to be met with pain. I tried to speak and only more pain rose to greet me. My rage quickly gave way to fear as I realized this might truly be the end of me.
Before I tried anything else the shifting colors and strange sounds all came together. I was home. Not the home I had been kicked out of but the one I remembered...the simple wood floors were clean, a fire was rolling in the fireplace and the warm smell of baking bread was wafting through the air. I was seated at the table with an open notebook in front of me that had long since been filled and discarded. I was so small it seemed as everything was huge. I could hear my rhythmic hammer blows coming in through the window.
I heard footsteps round the corner from the kitchen. I looked up and saw her standing there. It had been so long since I had seen her last. I had forgotten what her face had looked like. “Oh sweetheart. You’re so brave, and I’ve missed you so much...but now isn’t the time dear,” she said with an almost musical laugh. “I promise I’m not going anywhere. I’m always here for you. I love you.”
She came over and wrapped me in a hug as I felt the tears I had been struggling to hold back finally rolling down my face. “I’m so sorry.” I started only to stop and try and rub away tears as they fell.
She just shushed me and gave me a quick peck on the forehead. “I know. I’ve watched it all. I wish you could stay, but when it’s time everything will be ready for you,” she said looking down at me with a warm smile. “You need to wake up.”
---
“You. Need. To. Wake. Up.” I heard loud and clear as I felt blows on my chest.
I gasped and took a deep breath in and began sobbing. I pulled myself up into a seated position on the floor. I covered my face in my hands and just let all the pain and hurt the last couple years had given me out. I finally took a look around. The tears were blurring my vision and I swore I saw her smiling at me, but as I rubbed my tears away it was Leah. She was smiling at me with concern still on her face.
“Erik, You’ve been gifted with the Aspect of...” Leah began. “Lucidity.” She said with a pause. “ and I will be your Mentor. I was gifted with the Aspect of the Hart.” She smiled at me and worked to wipe away the tears still fresh on my face. “Welcome to the Guild.”