Chapter 3: Arcturus

“Arcturus Sarir, hurry up for stars’ sake!” Hesperos yelled from his room across the hall.

“I am hurrying,” Arcturus called back as he adjusted his bedsheets.

Hesperos appeared and leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded. “You know, when you first took up that apprenticeship at the apothecary, I thought you were actually going to learn some responsibility.”

“Give it a rest, Hesperos,” said Arcturus, shooting him a look. “I just overslept. And besides, don’t you have somewhere to be as well? What are you even doing here?”

“Mother sent me to get you.”

“Well, consider myself gotten.”

Arcturus turned towards the window as his brother left, rays of bright light shining through. He could hear the sounds of the morning winds blowing and the birds chirping in his simple village. The trees were abundant with the greenest leaves, and flowers of every color from the neighbors’ gardens were blooming proudly. Summers in Ophelia always promised peace and prosperity, and Arcturus did not expect this year to be any different.

Arcturus hastily splashed himself with water and rubbed the morning grogginess out of his eyes. He found his usual, simple brown shirt and pants on the nightstand by his bed where he had set them the night before. After changing his clothes, he ran a comb through his dark, messy hair, attempting to make it just slightly neater than how tousled it currently was.

He gave the room one last scan before leaving. He didn’t want to leave a mess behind, lest his mother take it upon herself to fix it. She already had enough to worry about to add Acrturus’ laziness to it.

Clean enough, he thought as he rushed out of his room.

Arcturus entered the kitchen just as Hesperos was heading towards the front door, preparing to visit a sick patient. His brother wore his plain medic's uniform, his typically loose, dark hair tied back from his face and ears. He managed to look more put-together as a medic, a contrast to how laid-back Arcturus knew him to be at home. Arcturus managed to wave goodbye to Hesperos, who quickly waved back before leaving.

His mother was in the room as well, bustling around the compact dining table at the center. She was a small woman, frail and dainty, and although Arcturus was the shortest male in the family, he easily towered over her. However, his mother worked harder than anyone he knew, and deserved so much more respect than the little bit she received. Her dark, curly hair was piled atop her head in a messy style as she frantically paced around, cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. Clearly Arcturus had woken up far too late today—his father and Taryn must have already left for the medical center.

Before his mother could notice his presence, he quietly crept up behind her while she dusted off the kitchen table. Her movements were hurried, working to finish so she could follow the rest of his family to work. Just before she could turn around to see him, Arcturus embraced her warmly from behind.

“Good morning, Arcturus,” she smiled sweetly as she held him. He noticed her shoulders relaxing slightly. “You startled me for a second.”

“That was the point,” he said with a laugh.

He let go of his mother, and she immediately began dusting again, her frenzied state returning. “Now hurry up and get to the apothecary. You don’t want to be late! Oh, and take some bread before you go!”

“I will, I will, don’t worry about me,” Arcturus promised as he started to adjust the table and chairs. “Don’t you have medic’s work to see to as well?”

“I do, but someone needs to attend to the house first. There’s no one else left here but me.”

“I’m here. I can do it,” he offered sincerely.

His mother smiled at him warmly. “Thank you, dear. But there’s still a lot to be done, and you have somewhere else to be. Now go. You don’t want to keep Mr. Zelione waiting.”

Arcturus reluctantly grabbed the piece of bread she had left him and started towards the door, but not before taking another glance at his mother. Still busily cleaning and worrying about her family while at the same trying to make a living as a medic.

It was absurd how she had been pushed away from society for being weak with her Gift. Status and privilege was unfairly distributed based on one’s strength and power, and those at the top of the hierarchy only blamed the stars as they lived a life of luxury and comfort. Meanwhile, people like his mother—Vacants, they called them—were forced to work even harder to earn their place.

With one foot already out the door, Arcturus noticed a large stack of clean plates sitting at the side of the water vessel. His mother must have just cleaned them. It would take her a while to transfer all those plates to the shelves, but for Arcturus, it would only need a few seconds. From the other side of the room, he concentrated his thoughts on those plates, a hand reaching out towards them. His Gift unfurled with ease, and he directed the hovering plates onto the shelves, setting them down carefully. His mother looked up, a small bout of relief on her face.

“You are just a wonder with your Gift,” his mother said with that same kind, loving voice. “Now go, Arcturus. You’re already at the door!”

He wondered how she could bear it. Living every day seeing others blessed with superhuman abilities, while she herself could only imagine having that kind of power. Most people born under the Virgin constellation could run faster than a warrior on horseback, and some are so fast that your eyes might just miss them. His mother wasn’t either of those.

But that doesn’t mean she deserves any less.

Arcturus walked out the door, carrying his thoughts with him as he finally started towards the marketplace. He followed the trail through the quiet village, many of his neighbors already up and working at their gardens and fields. As he took a bite of his crumbling bread, he crossed over a rickety bridge, a glistening creek flowing beneath his feet.

The marketplace was not too far of a walk, with Arcturus’ village laying at the outskirts of the busy shops and streets. Although many shopkeepers and workers lived within the marketplace itself, Arcturus definitely preferred the serenity of his own small community. Sometimes the chatter of the marketplace was so loud that Arcturus could hear it from his own bedroom in the dead of the night.

The cobblestone path started to widen a few paces ahead, warming up in the morning sunlight. The lively shops and vendors spread out around him as he entered the streets of the Aldebaran marketplace. As the capital of Ophelia, the ubiquitous city attracted more merchants and vendors than any other spot on the map.

Most of the salesmen and carts were starting to attract customers, and Arcturus passed by a handful of familiar faces. Most young men and women his age had already acquired themselves a job somewhere in this wide array of shops, where one could find anything if they looked long enough. Food, clothing, furniture, raw materials, farming supplies. Even the medical center where his parents and brothers worked was near the center of the marketplace.

Soon enough, he finally arrived at the apothecary, an old building with a grim exterior that made it fade into the background of the streets. It had been kept in Mr. Zelione’s family for generations, and considering how old it truly was, it was a marvel at how well the man had taken care of it.

“So sorry I’m late, Mr. Zelione,” Arcturus called as he shut the door behind him. “I accidentally overslept.”

Mr. Zelione stood high above the shop on his ladder as he checked through his collection of ingredients on the top shelves. The store walls were filled with countless different herbs, flowers, spices, minerals, and parts of various creatures, all collected in different sizes of glass jars. Cauldrons stored with water bordered the back wall behind the rear counter, with bottles lined up in rows beside them. The room was filled with some sort of a floral scent—was it…Dragon’s Nettle? It was probably burned and used in a recent elixir.

At the sound of Arcturus’s voice, the old apothecary pushed his spectacles up his nose and looked down at his apprentice from above.

“Ah, well. Don’t worry about it. Happens to all of us, even myself. Now get yourself up here and help me find some Esreveet flakes,” Mr. Zelione said.

“But sir, Esreveet flakes are a type of herb, so shouldn’t they be somewhere in the second row near the floor? Right…” Arcturus bent down and scanned the second row of shelves, “…Here!”

Mr. Zelione peered down to see the flakes for himself. “Well, I suppose they are down there. That’s a shame. I spent a good minute searching for those,” he said with a slightly annoyed tone, carefully climbing down the ladder.

Arcturus laughed to himself quietly and tied on the apron he found hanging from a wall. Iros Zelione may seem like a strange man to many, but Arcturus knew he was undoubtedly brilliant. He knew every name of every tonic and every ingredient needed to brew it, and he could create any elixir recipe perfectly, even in old age. Though, he did have an advantage with his Gift of Memory, but he was still an irrefutable genius. Being his apprentice, Arcturus knew he was learning from the best.

“So what shall we brew today, sir?” he inquired cheerfully as he handed the Esreveet flakes to the apothecary.

“Why don’t you take a guess?” Mr. Zelione responded as he laid out a spread of herbs, leaves, and bottles onto the counter.

“Well, we have shavings of Bitterweed, Eekamire leaves, vials of Todralt and Adril, and of course the Esreveet flakes,” he thought aloud. “I’m assuming we’re going to mix the Todralt with the Bitterweed in that bottle over there before adding it to the cauldron…so we must be brewing a common cough remedy.”

Mr. Zelione smiled proudly. “So you do pay attention. I’m quite impressed.”

Arcturus’ face lit up at his master’s words. He attentively watched the old man attend to his intricate work, finely grinding the ingredients and heating the water to the perfect temperature. Nothing could be out of place in brewing, and it took much skill to reach the ranks of a master. He watched on as Mr. Zelione began cautiously pouring a vial of burning liquid into the cauldron, and slowly stirred the mixture together, his eyes never leaving the bubbling elixir.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Arcturus asked, eagerly wanting to join in the work. He knew he would achieve nothing simply standing around and watching.

“Well, as you said, it’s a common cough remedy. A simple recipe for one person to complete. So…I do not need much help at the moment,” Mr. Zelione answered, his eyes still focused on the cauldron.

Arcturus sighed to himself. Watching the apothecary suddenly became less intriguing when he knew he wouldn’t be able to practice what he had learned.

His parents had always wanted him to work with them as a medic, and they had been so proud when both Hesperos and Taryn chose to follow them down that path. But as a child, Arcturus had always been fascinated by elixirs. The different plants and herbs and liquids that came together in precise formulas never failed captivated his attention. He knew the profession always called to him more than medical work did, but after five years of being an apprentice, he certainly hoped he would get to do more than just stand around.

When Mr. Zelione finally looked up, he noticed Arcturus’ disappointed expression.

“Well, son, how would you like to deliver this remedy to our customer?” he asked Arcturus, his voice holding a touch of guilt.

Arcturus’ face came back to life. “Who is it for?”

“Pheone, just across the road. She was going to retrieve it herself, but I think it would be kind of us to deliver it for her instead, don’t you agree?”

Arcturus was barely listening. He always loved running off on errands for Mr. Zelione. The marketplace was always filled with excitement, and it gave him something more important to do than watch his master work or wait for customers all day.

Mr. Zelione poured the finished remedy into a glass vial, sealed it tightly, and cautiously handed it to his apprentice.

“Make sure to charge her exactly eight credits and twenty marks for it!” Arcturus heard faintly as he rushed out of the shop.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Arcturus was met with bright sunlight and sweet smells from the outside. The market was truly awake now. Lantern posts, colorful banners, and trails of flower petals decorated the bustling streets, with villagers rushing all around. A trader was selling extravagant jewels at the side of the road, claiming to find them deep in the mines of the Everforth Mountains, a land far away from Ophelia. However, Arcturus was slightly skeptical of claims.

Aren’t the dragons rumored to dwell there?

Gallae, the village’s most famous baker, was offering a passerby a sample of her newest pastry recipe, and the alluring smells of chocolate made their way to Arcturus’ nose.

Maybe I’ll stop for one later… he thought as he approached the tailor’s shop.

He entered the room and was met with a wave of peaceful quiet, a deviation from the hectic streets outside. Pheone’s tailor shop was a neat and open space, with thousands of spools of thread and fabrics of every color pushed off to the sides of the room. The center of the room was cleared of any clothing, a small wooden platform placed for customers to stand on and have their measurements taken. It was a fresh alternative to the cramped space behind Mr. Zelione’s counter.

“Is that you, Arcturus?” a voice called, and a familiar pale face with sleek, black hair poked out from behind a shelf.

“Are you here for an alteration? Or would you finally like to purchase a bonnet to go with that apron?”

“Very funny, Cassiopeia,” Arcturus said, struggling to suppress a smile. He knew his friend would never miss an opportunity to make fun of him. “Do you happen to know where Pheone is? I came to deliver a remedy.”

“In the back room, reorganizing her threads again. She tends to do that often. I can take the remedy for her if you’d like.”

“Well, that would be easier.” Arcturus handed the vial to his friend.

“How much?”

“Eight credits and twenty marks.”

“Really? That’s quite expensive for this small of a vial!”

“Don’t look at me! I’m only here to deliver!” he said defensively. “But to be fair, the ingredients for that are quite expensive themselves.”

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes as she dug through her pocket, pulling out a large handful of coins. She counted each one carefully, being extra sure not to pay him too much. That didn’t surprise Arcturus, for she had always been distrustful of everything, even herself.

She had been left with more responsibility than Arcturus thought fair, her mother deep in the claws of alcohol after her father had left them, taking her two younger sisters. Her tailoring was probably the only thing taking care of herself and her mother.

“Saros wanted to meet us sometime soon,” Cassiopeia suddenly blurted. “He said he needed to show us something.”

“Why do I feel worried? You never know with Saros. It could either be a complete disaster,” Arcturus said as he remembered the many accounts of mischief Saros had pulled, “or it could be surprisingly fascinating.”

Cassiopeia let out a small laugh. “Maybe I should’ve Read him, just to put you at ease.”

She handed him the coins, careful not to drop any, and smiled sadly at him as he left the store. He knew what she was thinking. The three of them rarely spent time with each other anymore, despite being such close friends. Their work was always calling to them, and each of them had a responsibility to support their families. There was simply no time for friends anymore.

Arcturus strolled through the marketplace, heading back to the apothecary. A small group of children rushed past him, letting out careless squeals as they stumbled around each other. One of the children tossed a ball up in the air, and a little girl with short hair reached out for it as it flew, suspending it idly before it could fall to the ground.

A Levitator...like me.

The girl swung the ball, still in the air, over a tall well that sat in the center of the street. One of her friends circled around the well, rapidly dashing to the ball—probably a Runner. He caught the ball as he ran back to join them, the bunch of them laughing as they threw it farther down the road. Arcturus smiled to himself as he watched them run off into the distance.

And then he headed back to the shop, the coins clinking together in his pocket.