In a dark room where only a dimly lit lantern as a source of light. A young boy can be seen sleeping still in the bed. One would think that the child was dead if not for the slight breathing that can be seen under the covers.
Peng!
Peng!
Peng!
Peng!
The still boy lying on the bed abruptly open his eyes. Staring at the dark ceiling, the boy's body turns rigid as he senses his surroundings. As if by command, something echoed from Mateo's body. Like a wave, it reaches everything within the room. Sensing no one, he quietly roused from the bed, taking the lantern as he did so.
Seeing the dim light, it looks like he has to charge it. But seeing he's in a place where the sun doesn't reach, he just has to find some way later.
Prickling his ears, he tried to hear where the sound that woke him earlier came from.
"pempempempem", a muffled noise came from under him. Tracking the sound, he stops by the carpet. Setting the lantern on the floor, he lifts the carpet away, dust blowing as he did so. Coughing, he squinted and brought the light closer. There, he saw a locked trapdoor.
What? With a big metal lock like that, how come I haven't felt it underneath the carpet?
Curious, he turned to the carpet and brought the light next to it. Gazing carefully at the design, he saw the array hidden in it. Impress by the ingenuity, he carefully studied it, only for another sound to take his attention away. Taking the light with him, he turns it to the trapdoor. Under the light, he can see that runes are etched into it. It was runes for ignoring the door, objects etched by these runes will not be noticed and will be neglected. Whoever etched this doesn't want the other side to notice this door above them. Noticing a small hole, he peered into it and saw what's down below.
Smokes billow down below as the kitchen comes alive with noises. Monster workers come and go as a hunchback person ordered them around. The hunchback is wearing chef clothes, his long pointed nose especially eye-catching.
"Sejud! Keru damen sarasa", The chef gestured to a crate. "Yasa resu Tarir", answered an imp as it opens the crate and takes out a bundle of what's seems to be some kind of fruit.
Drawing himself back, Mateo shook his head and press his hand on his ear. "Oh no...has the spell run out? Impossible, whatever the hag did is permanent...", quickly he went to his belongings and began looking for something, his whole body almost swallowed by the backpack. Bending over and planting his feet firmly in the ground, he hoists himself up with a large book carried between both hands. The book has golden rims on its corners and runes covered its spine. On the front cover, a written 'Practical and Modern Spells for the Practicals: A Compilation ' was embossed.
Flipping the book open, he began searching it, fastly flipping the page as he did so. The language is different here from Earth, he can only speak and read the language because of the spell the hag cast on him back then. Stopping at the right page, he began reading the passage.
-
Practical Magic to Learn and Teach a Language
There are many intelligent beings here in this world. As a practitioner of magic, these simple spells will help you in conversing and getting the necessary information around you. These spells are so simple that even an apprentice who has just learn to cast can do this. Here is the list of spells you can cast.
Larusa Informa - Casting this spell will make the recipient know the language the caster knows. The recipient will only know what language the caster intended to give.
Larusa Kurapa - This spell lets you understand any language you hear.
Larusa Transata - Tired of manually translating ancient tomes? This spell will magically translate the tomes you are reading or copying. It will only work if you know the language beforehand.
...
-
"Larusa Kurapa....that's the spell I needed. For such a useful spell, it sure has a low threshold to cast", murmured Mateo to himself.
What he didn't know was that the book he was holding is rare, with only fifty books in circulation.
Being in the hag's den was a nightmare but that's where he got most of the things that will let him survive in this world.
"Larusa Kurapa!", Numbness spread through his body up to his head and just like something was pop out of his ear, he can now understand what the monsters are saying.
"Chef Tarir, have Sir Gustavius said anything about the morsel that came last night?", asked the imp, drooling as he passes a fruit to the hunchback. Chef Tarir grunted, sneering at the imp while chopping the handed fruit
"Sir Gustavius has his own plans for the whelp", putting the chopped fruit into the bowl, Chef Tarir pointed at the meat at the other side of the kitchen. "Now quit dilly-dallying and keep movin', pass me the sheep's meat or you'll be the meat I'll be cookin'...", squeaking, the imp hurriedly went to fetch the meat. Grumbling beneath his breath, Chef Tarir mumbled to himself. "I sense magic on that whelp...", he licks his lips and continued chopping, "it will surely be a fine delicacy..."
Drawing himself back, Mateo grips his knuckles. "Shit...shitshitshitshit", Mateo pace back and forth, muttering furiously at himself. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he really lands himself in a disastrous situation this time.
Think Mateo...think, you survived for two years for nothing...You're a big boy now...think!
He wandered his eyes around the room, noticing that the barricade is still in place, he started to calm down. Good...at least this place is relatively safe.
Ok Mateo, you already have a safe zone. Now, plan your way out of this! You got magic! Yes! Magic against unknown numbers of monsters here in this castle.....
Shit...
There's must be something here that can help you.
Turning his lantern into a flashlight, Mateo focuses it around the room and noticed the journal he found last night. Taking it to read, he sat on the floor with the flashlight in hand.
-
Third day of Caritas,
I have gained parlay with the lord of the castle. As long as I can be a Witch, the lord will offer me his protection. Having a Witch in his domain will greatly strengthen his lordship. With my talents, I am sure that I will advance sooner or later.
.....
Seventh-day of Caritas,
The lord has been impressed with my talents. With my wisdom and skill in runes and magic arrays, I have acquired bountiful resources for my research and advancement. For now, he has offered me a limited bounding in his domain. Though it is different and severely lacking compared to a true bounding, I can already feel the boost in my power...
….
2nd day of Avaritia,
Though I felt impatient as I am still stuck as a Magician. I have managed to unlock the gate of the body and has only pried the mind gate open a little. What am I missing? The mind ties the body and soul together... The mind controls, the body forms, and the soul is the essence of the being... What is it?
....
18th day of Bonitas,
It's been seven months since I've been here, the creatures here thought that I was easy pickings but the lord will not have grant me his approval if I am. That sniveling rat at the kitchens think me as a piece of meat he can simply devour. I will make that E grade vermin suffer for his impertinence.
....
13th day of Industria,
Three years of perseverance have finally paid off. I have finally broken through! I have broken through the mind gate, surely the Lord has felt it too. I just needed to pierce open the soul gate and I will become a Witch worthy of the lord's companionship...
…
20th day of Industria
Sarusha you slimy snake. Be grateful that I haven't become a Witch yet or all your snakes in your hair will turn frozen! You and your pranks will rue the day you crossed me.
...
5th day of Caritas
It has been four years, but I think I finally got it. I can open the soul gate! I just needed to be in a secluded place and make sure that no one disturbs me...
-
Closing the journal, Mateo inhales deeply before sighing. Ok...it was enlightening. Not really helpful at this moment but still helpful when it comes to my path of magic. Anything else?
He glanced around thinking of what to do. He noticed his backpack being shine down by his flashlight.
Yes...that's it! There must be something that can help me in my backpack. I looted the hag's den dry when we were escaping and while she was trapped in our specialized array. Old hag Merrida hoarded the things she got from the magic users she killed and traded with. It's where I got this book from...
Mateo thought as his eyes rested on the large book. "Maybe, it is time to unpack and sort all of those things out...", he murmured as he went to his backpack. The backpack may seem ordinary but this backpack is a great bag of holdings. Mateo made and created this bag secretly while living in the hag's den. It took a whole lot of trial and error but with a kid's enthusiasm and the drive for survival and amazement in magic, Mateo at the age of nine created his first enchanted bag.
The thread used in sewing the bag is made out of his raven hair. For whatever the hag did, made his hair harden like steel when poured with magic. It also always grow out no matter how many times you cut it. Indeed, Mateo's hair was always harvested by the hag. It was used as a commodity to sell, as well as ingredients and materials in making enchanted items and potions. This hair of his is also the reason why he wasn't eaten or sucked dry by the hag the first chance she got.
Staring at his backpack, he felt that something was amiss. Remembering that he was rolling in the mud last night with the backpack, he now stared at the mud-free and clean backpack. "Did I accidentally added an auto-clean when I was making this?...", noticing the locked clasp, he vaguely remembers that he leave it open earlier when he was getting the book. "Weird...", unclasping the bag, he took his flashlight and began rummaging inside. His body almost swallowed inside, he was just about to haul something out when he felt something push him.
"Aaah...", with Mateo's scream, the bag's straps began moving as it takes the book back and swallowed it. It let out a huge burp then clasp itself before laying still on the floor.