Aelfric scoffed. “That cannot be true. I spoke to him just last night. Is this some stunt or what? Is this part of my learning curriculum? Master Arcus does have strange ways of teaching.” He laughed and looked at the group expecting them to join in his laughter and tell him it was all a stunt, but if anything, their long faces appeared longer. It was only then that Aelfric realized that they were dead serious.
“Is my master dead?” He asked, a short, plump man beside him since Anna has resumed his crying bout.
“Yes, lad. It’s true, and I’m sorry. We found him this morning lying lifelessly on the floor of his hut. He must have had a heart attack. ” Aelfric could not believe his ears, some part of him wanted to argue that Arcus couldn’t die, but he remembered Arcus’s weird behavior the night before. Perhaps he knew he was going to die.
Why did Arcus have to die? Men like him are supposed to live forever helping people. How am I going to survive without him here? What should I do now?
“What happens now?” He asked no one in particular.
“The burial will be tomorrow. We don’t want to waste any time at all. When he was alive, Arcus always commented how when he died, he does want a big burial, but a little ceremony. That is exactly what we’re going to do tomorrow.” The same man answered. He continued, “you can go home, Aelfric, take the day off. The burial tomorrow will be held at the citadel’s community cemetery.”
“Aelfric, do as the Squire says. ” Mrs. Shiba said.” Don’t overthink about it, my boy. It has happened, and there is nothing we can do to revise it.”
Except if we could live forever. Aelfric thought to himself. He dragged himself back home, wondering all the way what exactly killed Arcus. He refused to believe that Arcus has died of a heart attack. No.
Arcus knew that he was seeing me for the last time when we spoke last night. He knew he was going to die, but how did he know? What happened??
Inside the shiffs inn, he noticed that it was more quiet than usual.
Where’s everybody?
Nearing the great hall, he heard some voices coming from the gallery. The townsfolk congregating at the inn’s entrance were abuzz with urgency.
“Listen here, you lot!” a cracking voice echoed from the hall. “That beast took my daughter. We know it’s no dragon, and dragons only take highborn ladies. Aelfric here says it’s Chimera. We’ve never had chimera in these parts in years. But if the vicar said he saw one, then I have no choice but to believe him.”
As Aelfric stepped into the hall, The crowd was silent for a moment, then continued the murmurings after a while. He saw David walking towards him.
“Whatever is the matter,” Aelfric asked when he reached him.
“There’s was another new case of a missing girl, and this time the vicar saw the beast. I guess the older adult was right after all. It was a Chimera.” When the crowd heard Davis saying this, their outburst resumed.
“No such thing as Chimeras.”
“We ain’t trusting the fate of our farms to a wee lad.”
“Set a trap! then we’ll ambush”
Aelfric looked at Davis and noticed that the other man was avoiding eye contact with him. “Why do I feel like you have something else to tell me? Davis?”
Davis finally looked at him. “The new girl that was taken is Sil.”
The world did stand still then. The image of Davis before him blurred, and the noise all around him dulled as if it were from a distant place. He felt the room tilt as his legs gave way under him.
****
From his peripheral vision, he saw his friends and Mrs shiffs running towards him.
“Bring him some of my healing tea,” Mrs shiffs told someone. A minute later, a warm liquid was forced into his mouth. After about ten minutes, his vision cleared, and his erratic heart thump calmed a little. Everything that had taken place flashed before his eyes. He stood with a start because he knew that he couldn’t afford to waste any time.
A glance around the room revealed that the large, smoky dining room was packed with concerned citizens looking for a solution to the evil that had befallen the outlying settlements of the city. The Noblemen nestled safely behind city walls up in their stone Palace cared little to nothing of their citizens besides collecting taxes and seizure of goods. No, it was time for the farmers, healers, bakers, and innkeepers to take matters into their own hands. At a makeshift podium near the front window stood a middle-aged farmer named Melse. He recognized Sil’s father from his few visits to the farm. He had met the man a handful of times. The farmer shook his face, ruddy and angered. Aelfric walked to where the man stood agitated and put his hand on the Farmer’s shoulder.
“Mr. Melse. I promise we will get your daughter back.” The man nodded at him.
Aelfric then took the podium in his stead. ” My fellow citizens,” he began nervously, never having spoken in front of more than two people. ” I suggest that we go out, we hunt down the Chimera and save our girls.”
“Do you want to get us killed?”
“That is a very foolish thing to suggest.”
“How do you plan to stop a deadly beast like that one?”
“I will not partake in such a foolish quest.”
Aelfric put a hand up to quieten the terrified, confused crowd. “I know you’re scared, and I know to you, I’m just a young man with no expertise, who inspires very little confidence. However, I will ask that you hear me out, and then we will put the matter to a vote.” the crowd calmed down, and Aelfric could see Mrs. Shiff smiling in the back row, along with a few other eager faces he recognized. It seemed he was among some friends at least, so he focussed on those faces and went on.
“Some of you will know me as an apprentice to the great Master Arcus, your devoted and accomplished healer who passed on this morning.”
At the news of Arcus’s death, a bone-chilling silence lay over the whole room. Aelfric took it that some of them might not have heard the news. Now that he had their full attention, he went on, “In my years of study and learning as Master Arcus’s apprentice, I have read quite a lot about illusions. They have three heads. The Dragon head needs a virgin, princess, or noblewoman, the lion head needs a bloody kill, and the goat head requires little more than a bit of sacrificial flesh. The beast itself is drawn to either one. Whatever is the strongest. what this beast does not know is that it has meddled with the wrong people.” Some people grunted their agreement at this.
“It has taken out daughters; therefore, we will choose to make this very personal.” More affirmative grunts. Is the man who saw the beast here?”
“Yes, I am.” A pale-looking man with salt and pepper hair raised his hands.
“Yes, vicar, please, did you see where the beast took the girl to?”
“She was cultivating something in the open bush when the beast jumped out from the nearby bushes and grabbed her. the beast that took her had three very different heads. ” Gasps sounded all around the room.
“It is no longer news that young women have been disappearing from the outlying villages and farms for some time now, many more this past month more than ever but never inside the citadel. I cannot believe in superstitions and gossip, but this one is very personal to me. Most of us know Sil for the selfless young woman she is. I don’t know if what breed of Chimera this is but with the help of my many reference materials, I am confident that we will defeat it wherever it was, maybe hiding.” Aelfric spoke
“I think it might be hiding in the rocky wilderness just outside the city.” The vicar spoke up again
“Then that’s exactly where we would go.”
The onlookers were staggered now. Aelfric swept his eyes over the crowd at their wide eyes and watched as they looked to their neighbors with somber expressions. One man piped up.
“How can we hope to defeat a beast such as this? we are not knights and warriors”. The Crowd murmured in agreement. Aelfric started speaking again.
“We may not be brave knights or seasoned warriors, but we do have among us many an accomplished scholar or mage. I have a plan to defeat the beast and rescue Sil. And the other women. I am willing to go alone if I must, but I could use the help of any magic users who are brave enough to join me. I know among us we have scarcely two coppers to spare, but indeed the defeat of this beast will yield a bounty as valuable as gold. The flesh of this beast has scarce and powerful magical abilities. Its blood, the three heads, and its very skin are precious. I pledge to share this bounty with whoever volunteers to help me vanquish this evil from our lands.”
Now the room was quiet. People fidgeted in their seats, many looking down so as not to catch his eye. He hoped at least one of the people he had in mind would come forward. Just as he was losing hope and beginning to imagine going after the beast alone, a man stood up.
“Aye, I’ll help the lad.” It was his friend Gill, the priest. ” Such a being as this Chimera violates the natural order, and I am duty-bound to see it destroyed.” Aelfric gave Gill a shallow bow in thanks.
“I’m coming too,” said Davis, who was standing now. ” Can’t let you two get all the credit.” Aelfric had a feeling the witch wouldn’t be able to sit this one out. He lived for bragging rights. He smiled at him nonetheless.
“Very well,” said Aelfric, now smiling.” All those in favor of this three-man quest to vanquish the monster and rescue Sil, please raise your hand.” Hands went up all over, and by the end of the evening and a few pints of Mrs. Shiff’s mead, two more men had joined the party.
The men that volunteered to go left the room to strategize how they will defeat the beast. They gathered in the little drawing-room beside Mrs shiffs office.
“I cannot wait until I purge that unclean abominable spirit from this world. Its mere existence is an abomination unto God,” Gill said as they entered the room.
“I have some spells that I need reptile blood for. I’ll use that of the illusion’s as a substitute since it is a magical creature.” Montgaff added.
“I have always wanted an all-seeing amulet, and now I have my chance finally. With the six eyes of the creature, I can easily formulate one.” Elhern told them.
“Aelfric, please tell me you have a good plan. I don’t want to die… yet,” Davis finished with a smirk. Aelfric knew he wasn’t there for any good reason, and he just wanted the attention he’ll get if they manage to subdue the animal.
“Of course, I have a plan.” Attention whore. “But first, I want to let you all know that you can have the credit. The creature’s three heads, and heart, anything you need. I want to save sil and the other captured ladies.”
“That’s generous of you, pal,” Davis said sarcastically.” But how do you plan to accomplish this.”
“First, we will have to trick the beast into coming out of its cave, and here I suggest Montgaff disguises himself as a young woman by magic, and then Gill, I’ll need you to arrange a sword blessed by his order with the blessing of his God spirit, which we will use to strike this beast considered unnatural dead since the chimera species is a result of chaos magic, it will work. The alchemist will enchant a potion bottle with the ability to turn any liquid to gas upon breaking just like a gas bomb.”
“Great plan, but I have to ask, what will you be doing?” Davis, the inquirer, asked.
Aelfric glanced at him coolly. ” I’ll concoct a sleeping draft based on the ” healer’s last resort oil and enchantment while you, my friend, will use telekinesis to move the bottle into the illusion’s cave after it leaves to check out the sorcerer as a possible meal or prisoner. When the delusion shows itself, the sorcerer teleports to a different-a very tricky spell. Confused, the chimera returns to its lair, where the drug takes effect. I’ll then wait for the appropriate amount of time so that the drug in the air clears and I can enter safely and then strike the illusion with the blade. The magical blade hacks of the dragon head first, which is the most difficult to kill, and then I’ll detach the other two heads. I’ll find where sil and the other women are kept and freeze them, and mission accomplished.” He finished with a thump of his hands on the drawing-room chairs.
“Well, we have quite a lot to do. Let’s best get to it before it’s late,” Montgaff said.
“Great idea.” Aelfric agreed. He bid his friends farewell and left the room. He made his way back to the Inn in total exhaustion. If he thought the day his sister died was the worst day of his life, today made him rethink.
First master Arcus. And now sil?
He wondered if there existed rituals that can make one invincible to death and harm. If it existed, Arcus wouldn’t have died, and Sil could have escaped the Chimera’s capture unscathed. He opened his door and entered. He was dropping his items, bag, and cloak, on the floor of his room and collapsing on his bed fully clothed. Immensely tired from all the emotional exertion he had that day, he dozed off.