Days passed in a blur and Saiph had long lost count of how many there had been by now. The stomach pain had faded away at some point. His fingers were a bit fuzzy feeling and were not working well, but it was enough to turn the pages, which was what mattered right now.
It would all end soon. Saiph felt confident that he knew almost the whole list by heart at this point. To answer Mr. Mayers' predicament, the difference between a Dog-Back Elder Knot and a Wolf-Back Elder Knot was the density and length of fibers and the maximum size of the shrub itself. Knots were a genus that consisted of gnarled, thorny bushes. Elder Knots were a species of Knots that had coarse fibers that pierced bare and clothed skin alike covering their leaves and stems.
Saiph rarely, if ever, thought of his parents during this long, long, process of memorization. They just weren't prevalent in his conscious psyche. He wasn't too worried about them looking for him and finding him here; the spot was secluded enough and even if they did, so be it. It wouldn't be the end of the world.
He groaned and picked up the book. It felt like it weighed tons and almost slipped out of his hands, but Saiph gritted his teeth and held on. Sheer willpower could only bring someone so far along until they collapsed, and Saiph was approaching his limit- he could feel it.
The last, remaining few plants were very tricky for Saiph to comprehend. The 16 different types of Apple Trees and what they did were of no help, for sure. The difference between a Rosy Lilith and a Flying Worsnop was nonexistent, as far as Saiph was concerned.
That day, just as the sun was about to creep behind the horizon, Saiph set the book down for the last time and fell over. He hurriedly picked himself back up and ran over to the Alchemy shop in town. The guards only gave him a passing glance and let him through with no issues.
Knock, knock
Saiph knocked on the door of the shop out of courtesy, for he wasn't exactly sure if the shop was even still open, given the time of night. The sun had set a few minutes ago and it was customary for shops to close as it did, or at least that was what he had heard.
The door creaked open slightly and a old, faded face peaked in between the crack.
"Oh, Sif, was it? You've returned!"
"Umm, it's Saiph, but yeah. I finished memorizing the whole thing, I think." Saiph's voice was wispy and he felt light-headed but he stayed on his feet and refused to succumb to the weakness festering.
"It's a bit late but come on in." The door gave way and Saiph stepped inside. The old man locked the door behind him.
Inside, there were no observable changes since the boy's previous visit. Mr. Mayers led Saiph around and up a set of stairs hidden by a bookshelf.
"I keep this here during the day since it's hard to see all the time and I wouldn't want any hooligans sneaking up here and stealing anything," was the old man's reasoning behind it.
Saiph made his way up the stairs and saw a small attic area housed with a small kitchen and a set of beds on opposite ends. On the table in the kitchen, a small light was lit.
A… bed. Saiph's vision glued onto one of the beds and he had a hard time shaking it off.
"I'm just about to make supper. Do you want some?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks." Saiph's mind wasn't really in it and he haphazardly responded.
Saiph sat down at the table and put his head down and setting the book on the table gently.
That book was with Saiph for almost a week straight. He wasn't sure if he was traumatized by the thing or in love with it.
After some time, a plate full of some fruit and vegetables was put in front of Saiph. The thick aroma, which normally may have disgusted him, smelled delicious right now.
The food was practically inhaled by the starving boy. In a few short seconds, the plate was wiped clean. Mr. Mayers didn't make a remark about Saiph's poor table manners and kept eating slowly but surely.
After he was done, he turned to Saiph and asked, "What is your favorite and least favorite Flora Magicae in that book and why?"
Startled by the sudden question, Saiph pondered momentarily.
"...I think that the Heavenly Monarch is my favorite in the list because of how cool it is. Its name is really cool, especially. 'Heavenly Monarch' sounds like it could make the most powerful potion of all time! The herb itself looks really scornful and menacing, but also holy. Truly fitting of its name."
The old man only smiled wryly in response.
Saiph continued, "And my least favorite is probably the Flying Worsnop Apple Tree. It has almost no difference between a Rosy Lilith and the Rosy Lilith was discovered first so I'm pretty sure the author just wanted to include some stupid discovery he had found in his own research that has NO credentials and support to back it up."
Saiph breathed out the last syllable and put his head down. It felt good to get that off his chest. That apple was stupid and had caused him much trouble the past few days.
"Hahaha, good, good. I'm glad to see you so invested in Spagyric. So, what do you say? Do you want to travel down the path of Spagyric or does another branch of Alchemy suit your fancy more?"
Saiph thought for a few moments and considered it. While he was accustomed to farming, he was no botanist. He had no particular advantage in learning Spagyric, but then again, he didn't in anything else either. If he said no now, then the past week of agonizing effort would be in vain, but this was a commitment that he hadn't thought of until just now. This would be what he would show off to the Academy. This was what he may do for the rest of his life. Was that okay?
"Yes, I would like to learn from you, Mr. Mayers."
The old man smiled and got up.
"I don't have the talent to become a Mage, dear boy. There's little you can learn from me. Most of my books only dabble in the mortal side of Spagyric. But, in this half a year time I have, I will teach and prepare you as much as possible. If you have the talent to become a Mage and one day, maybe reach Heaven, I just hope that you will remember me.
"You see, I'm old, dreadfully so. I believe I'm turning 48 next year, in fact. I'm about to reach my End, and then this will all be gone. What's the point of knowledge if you're gone?
"Well, it's late. You can stay here with me now. Let's head to bed."
The old man sighed wistfully and turned off the light on the table. He walked over to one of the two beds, pulling a blanket over himself.
Saiph followed in his lead and went over to the other one, laying down in it.
Today was a good day. It was the day that Saiph cemented his place in the world slightly more so than it was previously. He went from being a drunk farmer's son to the assistant to a mortal Spagyrist. How much of an upgrade was it? Who knows.
But, more importantly, it was the day that Saiph felt himself reach closer to the stars. The Academy was in sight now.
No matter what Saiph thought about, the old man's disconsolate tone haunted his thoughts, though. It was eerily similar to the state of his own father. They both were at the end of their days and were clearly frustrated beyond compare about it. It was just that Mr. Mayers had accepted his fate while Saiph's father was still struggling against his own.
Was this future the one that Saiph himself was fated to reach? They say that once someone becomes a Mage, they can change their fate. However, if one is fated to never become a Mage, isn't that the end of all their hopes and dreams?
That's what Saiph had seen firsthand, not normal Mages struggling to reach Heaven. Who cared if you could change your fate once you become a Mage? Becoming a Mage is the hard part!
With semi-bitter thoughts to accompany him, Saiph drifted to sleep. The exhaustion of the past few days outweighed the anxiousness of the prospect of what tomorrow would entail.