Albie was handed three books. The first was the Book of Bloodstones by Albie Miller. Albie looked at the older mage who was climbing back into his wagon. Albie wanted to ask but decided it could wait. The second was titled Sculpting Life by Abigale Miller. Albie wondered what Mill the author owned. There were many mills in the world. Miller was not an uncommon name. Albie was just curious as to what Abigale's mill looked like. The last book was titled Abomination Warfare by Twenty-Eight.
The first book written by someone with the same name was on the production and use of an enchanted stone that could be used to store life force as a reserve. They were made of concentrated Mage blood. They could be used to extend lifespans heal mortal wounds or grow livestock to great size. Albie found himself in his old habit of thinking about how to use the bloodstones to benefit his village before he coughed, and his pains returned. He closed the book. It was a waist of his time to think about how to help his ruined village now.
He took up Sculpting Life. Inside the front was a dedication. To my father headmaster Albie miller. Albie wondered how many other people shared his name. The book was written with handwriting very close to the first, but the style of writing was very different. The contents on how to make a bee larger than a horse was more surgical in its instruction. Many large words referring to limbs and muscle were reused again and again. Blood stone seemed to be a common ingredient in the creation of all the creations. The book also contained an alternative formula for bloodstones that involved growing them in a predatory animal. The contents while interesting were very dry and hard to read. After a while of reading he found himself focusing less and less on the book and more on the feeling of being shot in the chest. He closed the book and took up the third.
Abomination Warfare was written in the same hand as the other two but was different again in style to the other two. Twenty-eight seemed to like over explaining things and use very large word for the sake of using large words. The contents were on the making and use of undead solders. The reverent references to a being known as the Pail Scourge were also frequent. The topics were written in a whimsical order. Sometimes writing about having seen a creature do well or horribly in different conditions. Other times describing beasts the author thought were fun ideas and what use they might serve. The chapter dedicated to undead musketeers was very detailed including instructions on the use of firearms and long stories of how Twenty-eight had seen them used against armies of humans. The chapter dedicated to a siege tower made of corpses was largely a theory laying out designs and theories on its construction. The contents were revolting. The chapter dedicated to the gnashing teeth an unliving body covered in armor to be used as shock troops was revolting as they seemed to be a favorite of Twenty-eight and he reminisced their relentless charges into a lines of solders and the flesh they would consume during the fighting.
The book took his mind off the pain but was revolting to read. Albie stopped and looked out his tent at the still burning mill. He had all night to read the books and it would take him a little bit of time to digest any one of them. All would be useful to him but none of them were fun for him to read. Albie looked back on the Book of Bloodstones and decided that it would be his starting point. He read all night until light began to peek through the cracks in his tent. Whenever he checked the mill it was still burning until the last night of the full moon. Then at around midnight the last embers burnt out.
Albie walked to the ruins. The stone walls still stood. Inside the doorway was a bead of grey ash 3 feet deep and to Albies shock the ash covered body of Cat Miller unburnt by the flame. Albie almost jumped into the ash to touch the body whose wounds seemed to be healed by the ash, but the traveler stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"Your bed is made but it is not yet time for you to sleep," said the older mage.
Albie looked at the grey form of his wife half submerged in ash the wound on her face no more. He thought for a moment about diving into the ash and ending it here. But remembered the time spent cutting out everyone's heart.
"The kingdom is falling to madness," said the star mage. "Your madness is the best hope for a quick recovery. Please… finish your revenge before sleeping in this bed. I promise it will be here when you return."
Albie stepped away from the mill. His pains burning.
"Someone needs to pay," said Albie.
"Yes," said the Star mage "and I have some things that should help. The older mage handed Albie a large sack attached to a musket. Albie undid the sack to see it was his cloak. Inside all the moonstones were fastened tightly to it so they would not be lost. The cloak had been made reversible so he could wear the stones on the outside when the moon was right. A new leather harness with a place for each of his books as well as a cartridge box for musket shot. Cats moonstone was separate from the others t had been laid in silver and seemed like it would attach to his half of the moon charm. He did so and Cats moon stone was near his chest. Cats heart close to his, where it belonged. The musket had been fastened into a crutch Albie could use when he could not use magic to help walk right.
"That is everything I can give you Albie," said the traveler. The star mage walked to his wagon and climbed on. "This is goodbye. Don't forget were your home is and take care. This is the last time we shall meet in this life… I recommend you go to the ruins of Yourz. The defenders will all be dead by tomorrow afternoon. You will find no man there to help you, but you will find supplies enough to get you to the capital and Cats half of the moon charm. It is in the hands of a sun mage named Lord Brand of Gilmer. If you do not retrieve it in three weeks' time you will never see it again. Take care and goodbye."
With a crack of the rains the horses began pulling the wagon and the traveler road off into the night. Albie turned to walk the other way to the city of Yourz. He walked down the hill. The pains assaulted him as he walked, and he found himself using his new crutch. For the first time Albie limped out of the village.