A DIPLEGIA BITZER

While the rest of his companions shed the skin of keeping a low profile, Chu requested a single room and spent most of his days locked inside. Under the light from the window during the day or the flickering candle lamp at night, Chu meticulously translated the words from a scroll.

Whenever he encountered problems with a sentence, he would visit Mage Norivak in the hall. The frequent visits, however, to translate a rare and lost language would end up raising the curiosity of even a simple-minded person.

"Brat, where do you keep finding and pulling out these words? I had to pull some of my own notes and research from the library to find their meaning."

"Haha, Senior may not have heard but on my journey towards Limerock we encountered bandits. My companions and I raided a lair and found a scroll among the treasures. Apparently, the bandits stole and kept it on the hopes to sell it for a tidy sum."

"You brat, no wonder you showed interest in the ancient language. You hoped to profit from deciphering it."

Chu grinned while nodding his head on being discovered.

"Senior is an outstanding mage, so I hope he will not bully this junior."

"Clam it, I heard from Tarot about your exploits. Let me see it, as a mage with one foot in the grave, you think I care about fame and gold?"

Chu left the hall and returned soon after clutching a wrapped package. Mage Norivak snorted, if not for knowing the lifespan of the item, he would have grabbed it from this little brat.

The old man opened the wrapping to find an ancient scroll. Chu brought this scroll along with some other books to Limerock. In the event where he encountered inquisitive minds, he would use an excuse to hand over this scroll he had found lying on the floor of the ruined library. The books remained hidden in a secret compartment in their carriage. Only when he felt he had gained enough of a vocabulary would he begin the deciphering.

The bandits on the way to Limerock served him yet again. He thanked them in his mind for their services as scapegoats.

"Hmm, the bandits must have kept it hidden in an unused chest. The writing is still legible. Let's go to the library, I'll commission a floor for us."

"A floor?"

"Are you deaf? Yes, a floor, since we will need some apprentices to find books for us and provide meals. I dare say some mages would also be interested. Stop slouching and follow me."

***

For the rest of the month, Chu felt he had returned to college. Mage Norivak had him copying the paragraphs of the scroll into a larger visible script for the old eyes. He wrote and tossed away faulty translations and then wrote and tossed away some more. Fine-tuning a sentence to make sense was harder than he imagined.

Chu underestimated the number of mages who held an interest in ancient books. Every day he would have to copy a sentence for a willing mage who disappeared into the archives below.

Sometimes they would re-emerge from the depths and correlate their discovery under endless bickering. Satisfied they would grab another line and submerge once again. He made use of this opportunity to ask unrelated questions. Not only did he find out the Council had already tested his affinity for magic but he actually managed to earn a few of the same talismans.

As for why women could not become mages, the common belief lay in that women could not handle the hardship and the terror of facing a demon beast.

Tell that to the upcoming women around me.

Chu didn't bother arguing with old men about the pros and cons of gaining extra help. Instead, he focused on finding out the steps to become a mage, more specifically the steps to channel mana into talismans. In this world, magic required someone with affinity before it could be harnessed.

A mage who wielded magic needed a sizeable investment. Besides the rigorous studies and knowledge, they also had to be pumped full of pills and supplements to boost their magical core. Apprentices who passed the exams and demonstrated the ability to cast the orb of light spell journeyed to the mage towers in the north.

There they learned to cast the fireball and other destructive spells from behind the safety of the high walls.

While gathering information, piece by piece the scroll became translated. As the vocabulary of words increased, the deciphering of the ancient language progressed. Chu had written and copied some of these words until he recognized them with a mere glance.

"Is this a fantasy tale of some myth from back then?"

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Chu asked as they filled in the words to the strange language. The translation on the scroll began to take the form of a description of some imaginary beast.

"Myth? No, this is no myth."

Mage Norivak replied. He frowned while skimming the large writing and the finished translation underneath.

"Diplegia is a strange word but we do know a demon beast called a Bitzer. It's as big as a large dog and roams in packs of about ten to twenty. They are fast, and have claws that can gut a man like butter."

The experienced mage read the completed scroll.

"This is a report of the Bitzer and its general characteristics. It probably belonged to a scout who ended up killed while traveling. Most of these scrolls end up finding their way into the hands of adventurers who poked about the ruins found scattered across the Empire. Eventually, the scrolls then reach the Tower as a quick sale."

Chu nodded while scribbling down a few words and letters a mage had translated from another retrieved document. The transliteration and translation held much importance in his mind.

"This word, Hakkim. It crops up ever so often in the ancient text. I have no idea what it means."

Mage Norivak muttered.

"Can it be a race similar to that of elves, goblins and the like?"

Another scarlet-robed mage asked.

"Mages have a hard time focusing on the north. This ends up leaving exploration and discoveries in the hands of adventurers. Imagine in our own time, no one has taken the initiative and sent a party into the Western Forest, much less scout beyond the walls in the north."

Norivak muttered. Since mages had to man the battlements in the north and in Frost City, they remained in short supply to adventure. Mages had succumbed to throwing fireballs from behind the safety of walls rather than explore the wild. During his time, the Empire had always remained on the defensive, instead of prodding and expanding.

This ancient scroll spoke of a forest in the north. In his time nobody would dare to venture as to prove it correct. He sighed as a question snapped him out of his thoughts.

"One eye? This demon beast only has one eye?"

Chu asked while scribbling.

"Boy, don't ever hope to come across a demon beast in your life. A Bitzer might have only one eye but it can find its prey even if it lost its vision. It has a head like a large brick that has black fangs and either a right or left eye in the socket. Don't be fooled by those black, decaying teeth because they are sharp as its fangs."

"So it has a keen sense of smell?"

Chu asked. A young mage on the side snickered before clearing his throat.

"A Bitzer doesn't have a nose. It breathes through large flaps behind the forelegs. They say when you hit a Bitzer with a sword, it holds you in a stare and kills you. The Military patrols say it brings the fire even when dead."

The young man said.

"Have anyone tried to capture it alive for research?"

Chu said.

"Demon beasts have a tendency to go crazy in captivity. They would rather smash their heads open on a wall than remain alive next to humans. The closest we come to studying them is when they are dead as the case with the wolf demon."

An authoritative voice sounded as Chief Mage Slovac walked towards them. He further continued

"Think about it. Most of the low-level demon beast appear like tainted forms of their wild cousins. Their bestial nature overrides common sense. It's like placing a bucket of water just out of the grasp of a thirsty man. Only the rare ones like the wolf demon tend to show more cunning."

Browsing through the scroll he glanced at Norivak and then at the boy. Chu rolled his eyes at them before clearing his throat. He knew he needed to give these old men some face.

"Elders, this scroll has been very informative. I want to donate it to the Tower in appreciation for accepting my temporary stay. All I ask is to have a copy for my own remembrance."

"Brat, that is not a problem."

Mage Norivak said, admiring the boy's gratitude. If he knew that Chu only wanted his translation to decipher his own text then the old man might have coughed up blood. He had learned many things during this time and wanted to try it out.

"Chief Slovac, I know I am not cut out to be a mage but can I have someone assist me in learning the fundamentals of magic? Since my focus lies in practical inventions, I would like to have an understanding of the coverage of magic and alchemy."

***

Over the large snow-capped, jagged peaks which acted as a natural wall in the north, lay a vast forest west of the North Pass. The trees resembled their relatives in the south but had a much larger girth and sparse underbrush.

In the shadows cast by these rooted giants, darkness stirred. A wretched-looking creature similar to a dog jumped out from behind a large root. The single red eye scanned the surroundings while raising its head.

As if discovering a scent, it emitted a growl and then moved forward. The beast exited the trees into an open grassland separating it from the massive mountains in the south. Behind the creature, a pack of around ten or so subordinates shuffled in the shadows.

Arooo!

The chill howl blew across the field. Similar cries echoed out as packs led by their leader exited the forest. Like a cut on a body leaking blood, a horde congregated as they bled out from along the lengthy forest border. In the midst of the snarls and competition for space, a low but loud growl silenced the gathering.

From over the small hill on the grassland, a blood-red demon beast slowly pawed onto the small knoll. Unlike the pack leaders, this one had a frame that dwarfed them, rivaling a Jaga. It surveyed the horde which had now massed over the thousands.

A low growl of satisfaction ventured from the wide maw. The meeting of demons continued into the night. If a spectator viewed it from afar, they would have seen a faint flicker of light emitting from the thousands of lifeforms.

Halfway through the night, under a howl filled with excitement the horde trampled to the south. Low intelligent demons required no extended discussions.

The large Bitzer had ventured south within the mountains and encountered humans. Lucky to feed on adventurers and Military patrols, it then escaped northwards. With increased intelligence, it understood the benefits of that particular food.

The message was simple.

'Good food over the mountains.'

****