Chapter 2 - The Alchemist and the Pugilist

The spring day coursed with a cool and comforting breeze. The bright with cheerful sunlight fell on a young elf-man and a young elf-woman, lightly warming their hair as they marched down a raised path through the marsh. The reeds on either side of them reached up over their heads and swayed in the rhythm of the breeze. Silent and still, the marsh waters kept their secrets from the two.

“I just love this breeze. What about you Edwin?” said Emiko. She brushed back her black bangs with her free hand, reaching back to fiddle with her ponytail. “I could do without all this sun though,” she said from under her parasol. “It is so much sunnier here in Thalion than it is in Yaseiko. It is always grey in Yaseiko.”

“Really?” said Edwin. He scratched the back of his head, running his fingers through his messy blonde hair. He was eighteen but could have passed for sixteen because of a bare face and small physique. He wore his red robe from the University. The robe opened in the front like a coat, revealing Edwin’s wool tunic and trousers. Tall brown boots covered his legs below his knees.

Emiko was lean and fit for an elf-girl of seventeen. Other than her exceptional physique, she was an icon of Yaseikese young women: black hair, dark eyes, light skin, pointed ears, and an angular face like a pale leaf that held a kind smile as bright as the morning dew. Her apparent daintiness concealed her martial prowess.

“I wonder why that is,” said Edwin.

“Why what is?” asked Emiko.

“Why Yaseiko is always so grey as you say.”

“Oh… It’s because the land is sad.”

“Perhaps those aeons which govern weather patterns in your country are dissatisfied with the work of your druids. You see...” he went on explaining the laws of nature and alchemy, how druids negotiate with aeons, and how that affects weather and the land itself, totally losing Emiko’s attention.

“My apologies, Edwin... but what?” Her voice was as gentle as a trickling fountain. “You will have to explain more simply. I still have not mastered West speech. I don’t know all these alchemy words.”

“Oh! Of course,” said Edwin. “My apologies. You know, your West speech is actually quite good for a foreign girl. I often forget I’m speaking to someone who can’t even write. Farm girls in Yaseiko must be better educated than farm girls in Westhalion. You should consider learning to read and write in both languages.”

“Oh no! My West speech is not good at all,” said Emiko, trying her hardest to force a smile. I already know how to read and write in both languages, you crowhead!

“Of course, you could never be as educated as me. The University isn’t open to women, and the most intelligent people come from the University. You could receive some education from a nunnery, but it would all be tainted with superstition and backwards thinking. You’d be better off purchasing a few books and reading them on your own.”

“I will keep that in mind,” said Emiko, still forcing her smile. This guy is so full of himself. Let me see if I can take him down a peg. “You know, you are quite the speaker yourself. You know and say so many words for a man. Maybe you could learn how to cook and clean too.”

“Uh, thank you…” he said while wondering: was that supposed to be a backhanded compliment?

“You are welcome!” said Emiko. He just accepted the compliment! He is so arrogant. I do not even think he realized it was not a compliment. He thought I was just being a stupid Yaseikese girl.

Edwin had gone on explaining the intricacies of aeonic influence and elemental stabilization. Emiko wasn’t listening at all. I could kick his ass. No magic allowed, I would break every bone in his body! She hid all of this with a polite smile as she spun her parasol as it rested on her shoulder.

She’s really gonna be impressed with how smart I am thought Edwin as he took a breath to keep speaking. I’m sure if I keep teaching her stuff, she’ll be begging to be my girlfriend by the time we make it to the Marquis’s keep! Oh man, and I’m sure there will be at least a few barmaids interested in me right when I get there. I’ll probably be one of if not the smartest guy in the tavern, not to mention the best looking. Anyway, keep working her. Try explaining aeon transcendence next!

Why him? Why him? she thought as he prattled on and on. I should have found a nice quiet priest to travel with. Someone with a vow of silence.

“Get down!” cried Emiko, tackling Edwin.

“What?!”

“A javelin. Something threw a javelin.”

“Bullywuggers. Or maybe lizardboys,” said Edwin.

“What will we do? I cannot fight in the water… it is icky!” I will make him take care of them. That will be my chance to get away.

“Don’t worry, Emiko. I’ll handle this,” said Edwin with the confidence of a hero from a tale. Oh yeah! Another chance to impress her. I’ll make short work of these water-aeons.

Edwin jumped up and pulled out his wand. With a flick of his wrist, red bolts of magical energy hissed out of the wand and flew toward their target hiding in the grasses.

“Run ahead, Emiko! I’ll catch up!” Oh man! She’s gonna be all over me after this!

It worked! Here is my chance to leave him behind thought Emiko. She rushed on ahead down the path.

She heard a splash behind her. She turned. Reflexive. She tossed her parasol into the sky and snapped the javelin aimed at her chest with a swift upward kick.

She threw her weight forward, thrusting her palm toward the snout of what must have been a lizardboy.

Crack! Whatever was in the thin creature’s face must have snapped.

She struck again with her other palm. The creature fell with a magical essence rising from its body. Her parasol came down and landed in her hand like a flower petal drifting down from a branch. She pitied the crumpled reptilian thing.

“Are you okay! Are you okay, Emiko!”

Ooof. Not fast enough thought Emiko with a sigh. Her face showed nothing but a polite smile.

“God’s guts, Emiko! I was worried about you, but you took care of him so quickly, I couldn’t even think of a spell to cast.”

“A girl travelling so far from home has to know how to handle herself. Tell me though, what was that spell I saw you cast? How does it work?”

Oh yeah! I was right! She’s totally into me now that I just saved her! Listen to her: “What spell was that, Edwin? My, you’re so powerful, Edwin! Edwin, why don’t you—

“Edwin? Are you okay? They did not charm you did they?” What a strange look he has on his face.

“Huh? Oh. Sorry. Those were sorcery shots, bolts of pure energy that always find their mark. You see, with this wand I can… And so, so many times per day… But after that, that’s it, and I have to wait until dawn the next day.”

Emiko stared, her brow stressed and her eyes glossed over. “You spoke so fast,” she said almost as meekly as a mumble. Why does he always talk so fast when he explains things? He knows I cannot understand him.

Oh yeah. She’s totally into me now thought Edwin. I see that look in her eyes. Just gotta give her the old Edwin charm by the firelight tonight. Oh yeah. Oh yeah…

Edwin realized he’d stopped walking. He was alone. Emiko had strolled some dozen yards ahead of him along the path without so much as a glance tossed over her shoulder back at him. She’s pretty quick he thought as he stared at her behind. She turned around a bend and disappeared.

“Hey! Wait up!” yelled Edwin. “You don’t want to get attacked again. I can’t protect you if you’re that far away!”

Edwin ran until he’d caught up to her.

Darn. I thought I had finally lost him thought Emiko. Well, I guess he is good to have around. I could not have taken care of those monsters in the brush. I would have had to run from them. They could have chased me all through the marsh. Still, I worry about how helpful he will be in a real fight. He does not have a sword or spear. He does not know how to use his fists. Ugh, it is like travelling with another girl with him. I mean—

“Whatchya thinkin’ ‘bout, Emiko?”

“Hm? Oh, I guess I am just thinking about fighting,” she stammered, caught offguard from her derisive train of thought being broken.

“I think we’ll have to do a lot of that out here now. This is the wilderness. Aeons are often a lot calmer back in civilization. Even on a farm, it’s a little unusual to find something to worry about. But out here, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get hit another two times today.”

“Where will we camp? We cannot rest on this narrow path.”

“You know…” said Edwin with a sick look on his face “...I hadn’t exactly thought about that.”

“No talking then. We must hurry and get to somewhere safe. How far are we from the Marquis’s keep?” Her voice became excited and rushed.

“Well, if I just look at the map…” said Edwin as he started to take off his pack to pull out their map.

“Oh! Never mind. You take too long. Let us just hurry. We will have a better chance of finding shelter if we just hurry!” yelled Emiko over her shoulder.

Edwin ran after her. Boy! How can she run so much with that pack? I know I’m carrying a little more of the weight, but am I really that out of shape? I can barely keep up with her. Ah! But Edwin! Remember: you’re a gentleman and a scholar. You have no need to be ashamed at your lack of running prowess. Your strength is in the mind, good sir. Remember that. Play to that. Maybe go for a jog every now and then so your lungs don’t get ripped apart every time you go above a trot. Man, was it always this hot out here? Whew! I’m sweating. My heart. My heart’s beating so fast. No! C’mon! Keep running, Edwin! You’ll lose all that attraction you gained if you don’t keep up. Ugh! Maybe there’s a spell I could learn that would just make me a better runner.

“Edwin! Hurry!”

Yeesh! I’m going, woman. Get off my back.

Suddenly, Edwin realized why she was calling out to him. Legs burning and churning furiously, he dashed harder than he knew he could. He saw ahead of her a dry clearing in the marsh. Lizardboys. A dozen. More, maybe. He ran. He gasped for air with shredded lungs. His heart pounded with urgency in his ears and throat.

As he got closer, he heard the mean growl of a dog. Surrounded by the lizardboys, he saw a halfling-man waving a pike and a dog as tall as a wolf but built like a fluffy strongman.

Edwin pulled his wand back out. He pointed it toward the crowd of aeons. The red bolts hissed from the tip of the magic instrument.

Emiko heard the hiss of the wand going off behind her and saw that as her queue to strike. She darted forward, watching the red bolts spread out and strike their targets. Pop! Pop! Pop! Three shots crashed against three lizardboys’ heads in a burst of blue blood, knocking their marks to the ground. Aeonic essence rose from the bodies like puffs of chromatic smoke.

“Too easy!” yelled Edwin.

“Hiyaaah! Hiya! Hiya!” yelled Emiko, terrorizing what was left of the lizarboys, trying to scare them rather than fight. “You will fear my battle prowess! You will fear my battle prowess!” she cried as chased off the last of the lizardboys.

“Don’t you go dere chasin’ dem off! I gotsta have dem dumbs fors a livin’!” said the halfling-man with the pike. He was short, even for a halfling. He had a round belly and a fat, square head. He was wearing a straw hat and wool overalls with a wool shirt.

His dog walked up beside Emiko. He planted his front paws and shook the swamp water from his wet sides and belly, spraying the girl.

“Ahh!” she screamed, shielding herself from the swamp spray. “He is so cute! Osuwari! Osuwari, koinu!” She had slipped back into her native language. She snapped her fingers and pointed at the ground as she cooed at the dog. The dog seemed to understand what she meant and sat down with a goofy smile on his face.

“Yep. He’s a good’un,” said the halfling as he walked over to one of the lizarboys and cut off both of his thumbs, putting them in a bag which he slung over his shoulder.

“Edwin…” whispered Emiko. “What is he saying? I cannot understand what language he is speaking.”

“I can’t understand him myself,” whispered Edwin back.

“Excuse me, sir,” announced Emiko, “but we cannot understand you. Would you be so kind as to speak West speech with us?”

“West speech? I’ma speakin’ dat dere West speech,” he said as he cut more thumbs off of the lizardboys.

“Uh, could you tell us your name, sir?” asked Edwin. I think I can kind of fake our way through this.

“Name? My name’re be Froggy. Whatabou’ you, son?”

“I’m Edwin. This is Emiko. We’re looking for a place to stay for the night. Do you think you could help us out?”

“Place tuh stay? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. You come on ovah an’ we have a real goo’ time. You come on ovah an’ I feed ya an’ I make ya feel at home.”

“Well now that I understood!” Mostly. “Looks like Froggy here is gonna take care of us for the night. Sound good, Emiko?”

“Thank you for your hospitality, kind and gentle sir. Please, show us the way to your home,” said Emiko as she took a deep bow. That means I can spend the evening petting this adorable doggy.

If we’re gonna have this guy around thought Edwin that means I’m not going to have the chance to work my charm on Emiko tonight. Hell’s crucible! I’ll just have to play it cool. Yeah, play it cool Edwin. It’s all about the long game… Edwin looked up and saw he was getting left behind.

“Hey! Wait for me!” he yelled, running after the other three.

The group marched on down the path with Froggy and his dog leading the way.

“Froggy sir, may I ask what your doggy’s name is?” asked Emiko.

“He be named Butcher.”

“Butcher? Good boy, Butcher. Good boy! Good doggy!” cooed Emiko, petting the happy, fluffy dog on the head as they went on their way. Edwin stayed in the back, nervously keeping an eye out for any rogue spirits. I hope we’re safe tonight he thought as he scanned the grass on both his left and his right.