Four right turns and three left ones, another right turn and I had arrived. Maps existed for a reason and my desire for one had never been higher. I stared at a stone wall of a building, wondering if this was the location of the student I’d be taking notes for. Although, there was a problem. That problem started with a lack of windows.

On the surface, I’d argue that windows are an important part of every building, and are necessary for harnessing the power of the sun to light your hovel. Candles and mage lanterns are expensive and quite out of reach for your common folk. Maybe that wasn’t as much of an issue down in the underground, where the light was dimmer than on the surface. At the very least, windows provided room for air to filter in and out of the building.

The more pressing issue was that the building also lacked any doors. As I peered at the tiny piece of parchment I was handed, I thought about how anyone got inside the building without a teleportation spell. I flipped over the parchment.

It read:

PS: Knock.

“Where?”, I thought.

So I began to knock. I knocked high. I knocked low. I knocked and knocked. My knuckles bruised as I circled the building, knocking wherever possible. Nothing. This ugly, windowless and doorless building did not open up like I wanted it to. I leaned up against the building, as I was about to give up. It was going to be embarrassing, walking back to the Dwarf to ask for more specific directions. Then, I heard a click of a lock.

On the other end of the building a door appeared. A young man, seemingly, opened the door. His black hair and pudgy frame, told me that this person lived a life of leisure. The gold embroidered robes suggested that he was well off monetarily. I stood up and reached out with my hand for a handshake. First impressions were everything.

“Who in the nine hells are you and why are you knocking on my door while I’m trying to sleep?”

I didn’t pull away my hand, but I thought about it when the pudgy man didn’t grab it for a handshake. It might’ve been a cultural difference, I assumed.

“Oh, it's, uh, midday. I didn’t think anyone was sleeping,” I mustered

“And? That doesn’t explain why you’re knocking on my door.”

“I’m your study aide, and I was told to follow this letter.”

“Oh, great. Yeah, come on in.”

The inside of the room seemed spacious. On the floor of the entryway sat a beautiful rug, full of browns and reds. I might’ve been crazy, but for a second I thought I saw it move its corners.I hopped off of it, as the young man led me into the kitchen.

The kitchen was large by most people's standards. An abundant amount of fruit sat in bowls, who were running off of carved runes. The green life mana, coming from the bowl, was abundant. The stove top was run with magic and sat in front of a window. Outside the window, was the view of a flower filled meadow. It must’ve been magic, I thought. If this building actually had a window, I would’ve known about it.

“Mother is out shopping, so the magic icebox is pretty barren. There’s nothing good in there anyway. Just don’t eat the yogurt, the bread, or anything in it besides the screaming brussel sprouts. You’d be doing everyone a service by getting rid of them. Really, you’re here to help me in any way I see fit, so don’t try any of that I know better and you should be studying more bullcrap. I convinced my older brother to fire his study aide, who talked back too much. You don’t want me to fire you, because when I fire people I use actual fire.”

“Understood.”

“Also, no going into my rooms, or any other room than the basement. That’s where you’ll be staying during the day, when I’m not in classes. I don’t want you embarrassing me at school so keep your head down and keep the chit chat to a minimum. I don’t associate with the poors. None of that extra curricular bullcrap either.”

I nodded.

“Your robe is downstairs. I’ll see you in three days.”

“See you then.”

“Oh, and when I say I’ll see you. I mean, I’ll see you in the distance. Don’t come talking to me. Making first impressions is important.”

“I wouldn’t think about it. What’s your name?” I asked.

“I am Brethslan. But for you, you can call me Master.”

Brethslan handed me a key and stormed off, up the rightmost stairs.

The key in my palm was rusty, and looked out of place, among the nice decorated interior of the home. I turned around and looked down the left most stairs. It was an ominous sight, the darkness that swallowed the steps. Again, I still wasn’t afraid of the dark, or even afraid of endless stairs. But I couldn’t see the other end of the stairwell. Who knew what was on the other side.

I didn’t help that the stairwell looked out of place, in an otherwise perfectly upper class living situation. This was the type of stairwell where people descended and never came back up. I gulped as I held onto the old wooden handrail that looked older than the building itself. The floorboards creaked as I began my dissent.

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The stairwell led farther underground than I thought it would. At a certain point, I could barely see the top of the stairs. Eventually, I came across a door. It had no handles, but it did have a keyhole. I inserted the rusty key and turned it. Magic caused the hinges to move and opened the door. I realized that most of the doors and gates I had come across didn’t have handles and mostly opened through magic. I missed a nice simple door handle. Magic didn’t have to run everything.

The door opened. I looked inside. What I saw was a small desk with a mana lamp that flickered every few seconds, a stack of parchments, and a couch. On the couch, stood a scruffy looking gnome.

“Hello.” I said politely.

The gnome did not even look at me; all he did was stare at the desk and twiddle his thumbs.

“Hello, I’m Arthur. What’s your name?” I asked again.

Still no response.

It was a creepy gnome. Perhaps, it was shy, I reasoned. There was nothing wrong with being a little shy. My new uniform was folded on the desk. It was nicer than my current cheap robes.

Not wanting to spend anymore than I needed to down here, I grabbed my uniforms and made my way back to the entrance of the house. My legs felt heavy as I climbed up the seemingly endless steps. As I entered the kitchen, I saw a woman who was seated at the bar eating a fruit that looked like an apple, but was definitely not an apple.

She wore dark velvet robes that one would expect to see on a dark wizard. Her pointed hat was a bit cliche, and overdone. But overdone was better than underdone, or at the very least better than no wizard hat at all. Her dark raven black hair was the only similarity I saw with Brethslan. Her delicate face and pale white skin, made her look younger than she should’ve been. Her purple eyes were stunning, if unnatural.

“Ah, you must be my little Brethslan’s study pal!”

“Yes, I’m his study aide.”

“That’s absolutely incredible! What a wonderful young man you’ll become, when you’re forged at the academy. Are you and Brethslan friends already? Come here! I just got back from shopping and got some food. You should stay for dinner! '' exclaimed Brethslan's mother.

She lunged at me grabbing my wrists. I tried to pull away, but her grip was deceptively strong. It was an Azog type of strength. Part of me felt like prey, as she lured me into her trap.

I thought back to what Brethslan said about firing me. While the food on the table looked plentiful and the smells coming from the stove made my stomach rumble, I refused to get fired on my first day. Behind the rightmost stairs, I could see Brethslan poking his head out from around the corner. He took his finger and slid it between his neck.

“You know, I would really love to, but I’ve got a couple of companions that I need to go help get settled. I’d feel horrible if they needed me and I wasn’t there.”

“Bring them here! We’ve got enough food for everyone.”

“Ah, unfortunately they already ate.”

“I have a spell that can reverse that!”

“You have a spell that makes people hungry?”

“Exactly!”

“Next time.”

“You’re coming back?”

“Of course, this is my job now.”

“Ok, but sign this blood oath before you come back, so you’ll stay and have dinner! Make sure you take some copies to make your friends sign as well. I cannot believe my son is so quick at making friends. A new leaf. Yes, a new chapter of his life!”

“Ah, will do.”

I hurried out the door before Brethslan’s mom changed her mind. I sucked in the fresh air, as I reflected on how I was going to die. I was certain of that. The only thing I couldn’t make up my mind on was how. Was it going to be by the psycho gnome, Brethslan and his fire, or, what I felt like was the most likely cause of death, Brethslan’s over adoring mother. Well, at least I was getting paid. Two silver every two weeks. 20 whole pieces of copper.

After two lefts, a right, and two more lefts I found myself at a wretched looking apartment. Mold had begun to grow and rot the wood. This was the best Azog and Rose could afford? Azog must’ve been saving money for the epic journey to find Rose’s parents, I thought. Rose must’ve found somewhere else to stay because this wouldn’t do.

I knocked on the door of the apartment. The door sounded hollow as if the wood was a flimsy rotten mess. Wood was not supposed to give, when knocked on.

Azog opened the door.

“This place is ridiculous. I don’t get it. How does anyone pay for anything?”

“What?”

“How does anyone pay for anythin’ in this city? Three coppers a night! And that’s the cheapest place we could find. The owner says the prices are up because of the solar eclipse three months from now. Only happens every hundred years. Load of shit if yeh ask me.”

“A whole three coppers?”

“Aye, all three of ‘em.”

“Shit. That’s 28 copper a week?”

“Exactly.”

“I only make two pieces of silver.”

Azog cracked his knuckles.

“Then we gotta get to makin’ some money. We need a side hustle. Until Rose’s family comes through, or you win that tournament we’ll need to make some coins.”

“I haven't got any clue on how to make money. To be honest, I’m not too sure how necromancers go about making money.”

“Teaching, Raisin’ the Dead, Stabbin’ people, I reckon.”

“But, still, I don’t see where any of those tasks bring in coins.”

Azog shrugged.

“Don’t worry about the coin, Arthur. Let good ole Azog do what he’s good at. I'll figure somethin’ out for the three of us.”

“Sure.”

“Anyways, how did the meeting go with the student?”

“Um…”

“What are those things in your hands?”

“Oh, these? Blood contracts for dinner.”

Before I could react, Azog snatched them from my hands.

“Hey, you can’t sign that!”

“Why not? Free food is free food.” said Azog who held it above my head and had already lunged for a pen. His ravenous stomach growled as he secured his meal, while he signed a contract that would eat him alive if broke its terms. Barbarians tended to get hangry when they couldn’t get enough food, and without the funds to secure his appetite, his feral actions weren’t his to control.

“Shit. I’m probably fired.”

“What?” Azog said as came back to his senses. The fleeting hanger left his body, temporarily.

“You just signed a blood contract. The problem is the student, based on what I’ve gathered, will likely hate me for inserting myself into his life. He says he fires people with actual fire.”

“I’m thinkin’ it’s a risk worth takin’. It’s better than starvin’.”

“Well, Rose should sign it too. I don’t think bringing one guest or two will make much of a difference. Just make sure that you eat a lot of the screaming brussel sprouts. That’ll go a long way towards restoring my favor.”

Azog grimaced.

It wasn’t as if Azog was completely opposed to eating screaming brussel sprouts, but even he could only tolerate them.

“I’ll eat ‘em for the greater good.”

“Yes, do that.”

“Where’s Rose?”

“She went down to the local library to do some research… And to step away from this grim place.”

“Are those cobwebs?”

“The landlord said that we’re co-renting with a collective of spiders. Don’t worry, though, they only get access to the shower every third day. If you time it right, you won’t even notice ‘em. You should be more worried about the beds.“

“What’s wrong with the beds?”

“Feels like you’re sleeping on stone. They’re as hard as a rock, because that’s what they’re made of.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Aye, it is… So when do we go over to eat?” Azog asked, as held the meager coin purse: the soon to be empty coin purse.

“Three days. The night that school starts.”