He awoke sometime later with his stomach lurching and feeling almost dizzy from the sleep he’d just had. As his eyes began to focus, he glanced at his mess from last night: His bag and cloak spread about the entrance to his room, shoes kicked off near the door. Then his eyes caught sight of a parchment envelope which seemed to have been slipped under his door. He wondered briefly if it was a letter from his mother. He hadn’t written her in weeks. He was suddenly incurable curious about the contents of the envelope.
Its rough surface had a slight pink sheen and a wax seal sporting the image of a spiral, leg, more miniature dragon. Flipping it over, he saw it addressed:
Trusted apprentice
Room 7
Mrs. Shiff’s Standard Inn
Aelfric found it strange that Arcus wrote him.
How? But he is dead unless he wrote me before he died. Then who dropped it off here? He tore the letter open, wondering what was so important Arcus had to write him instead of telling him while he lived.
Except perhaps he wrote this just before he died.
This intrigued Aelfric to open the letter and discover its contents. Out of the roughly folded envelope fell a single sheet of the same thick parchment with a short note hand-scribbled.
“My trusted apprentice,
It is with a heavy heart that I write you this letter for when you acquire it, I might be no more. The book wrapped in the package I sent you is the reason why I’ll lose my life. An evil sorcerer stole it from the owner and planned to use it for his nefarious intents. I learned about this and managed to take it from Him without his notice, but my cover did not last as he discovered the truth. He sent me a letter two days ago telling me that he’ll visit me by the week’s end. I know that the book is no longer safe in my hands, so I will give it to a secret messenger to hide it in your room one of the days when you leave and then deliver this letter to you only after I am dead.
The knowledge you’ll find in this book is invaluable, and I trust you to use it wisely. Thank you for being an outstanding student. It was an honor to know you.
Master Arcus.
Aelfric felt the chill travel through his body. He was right, after all, his master had not died of a heart attack, but instead, he died at the hand of a dark sorcerer because of the book that was now in his possession. He felt his blood pumping as His curiosity still drove him to search the room for this possible hidden treasure. He looked at the bedside tables and desk. “Too obvious,” he thought. He moved his bed around and checked under all the furniture. Having found nothing, he sat on the small rug at the foot of his bed. Then as if the idea hit him in the head, he jumped up and moved the rug. One of the floorboards was worn away at its edges, showing more wear than the others. Aelfric fetched a quill and began to pry it up gently. Quickly the shortboard came free, revealing a small cubby containing the book.
The book’s cover looked like it had once been a midnight blue leather which had faded to grey and tan all along the edges and along with the embossed image of an in center of its cover. Many of the pages appeared loose, sticking out at odd angles with frayed edges. The binding was worn, and there was no title or author discernible, so Aelfric flipped open the front cover.
The first page read “Magix of Death and Life. Cordova 912-920”
As Aelfric flipped through the delicate pages, he took in a handwritten work with detailed drawings and recipes. The spells and writings were messy, with notes added, ingredients scratched out and replaced, and even whole pages are torn. It appeared to be experimental notes. The language was an older dialect but still understandable.
Elric stopped at a page with a brown smear across the bottom, which held a recipe titled.
“Lich Eternal.” It was a horrible spell calling for items Aelfric had never heard of, not to mention a big blood sacrifice. It called for something called “Claimed Chimera claw” and “Horus Moreas pollin.” He could hardly make out the directions, but the notes scribbled at the bottom of the page read
“Consciousness lost 8 hours. Eyes bled briefly upon waking. Stimuli are strange. Hard surfaces feel malleable. I am unbreathing, though my heart beats still.
Aelfric stared at the page for long moments, comprehending what these writings meant. An experimental warlock had performed some ritual on himself, which manipulated his state of being. It appeared from the notes that he had become undying. Only the darkest magic could keep a person alive without the need to breathe.
What is this? He continued reading.
As Aelfric studied the book further, he found all manner of dark necromantic spells. A ceremony to bring the long-dead to life and one to animate the dead to do one’s bidding. He also found episodes of torture, pain, psychological torment, and one spell that seemed not nearly as evil as the others. A period to bring life back from the brink of death. It is the mad, dark writings of a necromancer who figured out how to manipulate mortality, including bringing someone back to life, using a fraction of your life essence, how to animate the dead, and how to perform a liching.
This is precisely what I wished for. And Arcus wants me to have this book so that I could perform this ritual. On myself?
He couldn’t believe that his prayers were answered. There was only one person he wanted to share the news with.
Sil
Thinking of her reminded Aelfric of the imminent danger she was in. He was going to save her then convince her to take the ritual with him. Knowing Sil so much, he was sure she’d disagree. If she does, he decided that he’ll do it alone if he has to. He continued reading the book.
All of the warlock’s spells seemed to focus on using life force to manipulate mortality in some way, harnessing the magical spark of life in one’s self to affect the status of another being or to power a spell that would otherwise be unattainable. Aelfric couldn’t help drawing parallels, however distant, between healing and necromancy. He studied the warlocks works well into the late hours of dusk, and he concluded that he did need the chimera’s blood after all.