Janus looked down at the assortment of items which would accompany him on his aimless journey. Laid before him on the bed was a change of clothes (courtesy of Simon), a cloak, a blanket roll, a large waterskin, a traveler's cooking pot, a knife and whetstone, some flint, a hatchet, and a small sack filled with copper, silver, and a few gold pieces.
Only the coins were his, as most of his belongings were lost in the wreckage of The New Leaf. The copper and silver were scattered beneath the debris, which the townsfolk deemed fit to give to him. 'I guess the gold pieces were an exception'. Luckily, during their cleaning process, they did not check the somewhat-intact cellar closely, so the few gold pieces his family had tucked away were never touched.
The rest of his new possessions were gifts scrounged up by Simon. His neighbor explained early that he went door-to-door requesting traveling gear. A few resented Janus and refused to help, more than a few felt sympathetic and offered what they could part with, and the rest simply sent their best wishes (either for safe travels or good riddance, Simon could not say).
After looking over the items for the seventh time, making sure he had everything his neighbor recommended, Janus crammed his new belongings into a large sack with a single strap. Once that was done, he carried his bag into the living room, where Simon was waiting for him with a large notebook.
"All packed?" he said.
Janus nodded.
"Good. Now, carrying all of that stuff will take its toll, whether on your body or your shoes. So, I'd suggest trying to earn a little gold in order to buy a horse."
Janus frowned. "I'm supposed to charge them for my services?"
"Not necessarily. No matter who you help, people will tend to show their gratitude in one way or another, whether that be a warm meal, a roof over your head, or some coin. You can push for the last one, if possible, but do so in a respectful manner and be mindful of the person's circumstances."
"Understood," he said. He then looked down at the book sitting on the table between them. "Is this the Register?"
Simon grinned, "It is indeed. All of the powers are split up by how many coin flips it took to request it. For each power listed there is a name, a description, the specific words used when requesting the power, and, if you see this mark," he said, pointing to a small triangle, "that means the power can become stronger if you request it again."
A question crossed Janus's mind, "does that mean that if I request one of these powers, I'll be granted it ten-fold?"
"If you repeatedly request it, yes. But one request will not automatically increase its power by ten, so don't worry about accidentally expending your potential."
Janus began to page through the book. Some of the abilities were rather simple, such as "Increased Strength". There is no arguing the uses for that, especially for those working in the fields. Others were more unique, like "Individual Compass". "An ability that allows a person to know which direction their target is in, as long as they have a full name and know what they look like. An accurate drawing of the target will suffice". 'You could never hide. You would never be safe from them. Terrifying'. There were even a few which stuck out as being utterly bizarre. 'What bloody fool would risk their life in order to gain the ability "Change Hair Color"'?
Yet it was the requests themselves that were the most intriguing. Each one shed light on the situation they were dealing with. A number of them were blunt in their requests; they knew exactly why they flipped the coin and what power would aid them. But Janus was shocked by how many simply asked for a solution to their problem without knowing what the solution would be. More importantly, it seemed as though the gods themselves knew the specific predicament each person was in and would grant an ability accordingly. 'A bold, yet dangerous decision'. Leaving the choice up to Opis was a risk he would never take.
After spending a couple minutes exploring his options, Janus picked up the quill and parchment Simon brought out and began to write down those which could be useful in his journey. He did not want to commit to any abilities just yet. The image of Avarith he had in his head could be drastically different than reality. He had to see the state of the kingdom first in order to choose a gift he was happy with. "Are there any abilities in particular that you would recommend?" he said to Simon.
Simon replied, "Well, there were a few concerning food, more specifically the growing of crops. Everybody needs to eat, so-"
He stopped. His mouth hung slack on his final word. His eyes turned cloudy. He stood there, motionless, in the middle of the living room. 'So, this is what it looks like', Janus thought. He was aware Simon was inducted as a Scribe of Opis. From what his neighbor had told him, the order was born from the rubble of Weynogarde. Apparently, the last command from the king was for his scholars to study the coin and learn all of the possible abilities that could be requested. So, they created a sanctum for the leaders of the order and had their followers spread across the land to find people that could aid them in their function. Each one traveled to a different village in search of someone intelligent with strong reading and writing capabilities and were willing to help with their endeavor. Once that person was found, they wrote down that person's name and drew a rough sketch of them. Doing so enabled the few at the temple with the ability "Boundless Communication" to talk to them, gathering information about new abilities from their area while also updating them on new abilities from other places. This allowed the sanctum to have all possible knowledge about Opis's gifts while keeping the people of Avarith informed with new discoveries.
Janus began to flip through the pages, wanting to learn more about how "Boundless Communication" worked. But before he could, Simon came-to.
"Move," he demanded.
Janus was kicked out of his seat before he even realized it. Briskly, Simon sat down at the table, grabbed the Register and quill, and began to page through the Register until he found the first blank page in the section. Urgently, he wrote down the name of the new ability and its description, mumbling to himself all the while. Once it was complete, he surfed through the book again until he found free space in the second section. He repeated the process, this time closing his eyes and rubbing his temples when he was stuck on the last part of the description. He soon gave up, moving on to the fourth section, where he found equal success recalling his conversation as the first. Once done, he returned to the second section, visibly frustrated on the last piece he had lost. After a couple of minutes, Simon sighed and finally broke the silence.
"Well, at least I got the important information recorded. Hopefully the rest comes back to me." He then turned to Janus. "Sorry about that. I always try to write it down as quickly as possible while it is still fresh in my mind."
"No worries," he replied, "I looked for that ability you recommended. Is 'Vegetation Surge' or 'Chlorokinesis' the one you were referring to?"
Simon took a second to recollect his thoughts on the conversation prior to his duties as a Scribe. "Oh, yes. Crop growth. The short answer is the former. All you need is 'Vegetation Surge' in order to accelerate the growth process of the crops. They still need nutrients, specifically an abundance of water, but you can have a field ready for harvest in days when it would typically take months. 'Chlorokinesis' can also do this, along with a few other things. You can essentially control all plants and have them do your bidding, whether it's to ensnare someone in vines or slam them with a tree limb. All of this, of course, takes more chances to obtain, so it wouldn't be necessary for you if you only want to help people grow crops."
Janus and Simon continued to discuss potential abilities, recording all that were promising on his personal list. After exhausting the Register, the two began talking about places to visit, sights to behold, anything to take his mind off of how ridiculous the whole plan was. Janus did not want to go. They both knew that. Yet no good would come from staying in Crowglen. 'He's just trying to give me purpose', Janus thought. 'If it doesn't work out, I can always try killing myself again'. A lie, of course. As broken as he felt, the thought of suicide now terrified him to his core.
They continued to talk until dusk, at which point Simon cooked up a small feast to celebrate Janus's future endeavor. Salted pork, potatoes, and carrots simmered in a savory broth mixed with various herbs and spices. The comforting aroma spread throughout the hut, reminding him of days gone. It was a dish his mother made often, due to its simplicity and mass production. Paired with Audrey's bread to soak up the remnants, it became a staple for tavern-goers.
A tear rolled down his cheek. He looked up at Simon, who was staring back at him. They shared the same thought.
'What I'd give to have that bread right now'.
They began to sob. One for his sister, the other for his betrothed.
They continued to eat the stew, diluted by their tears; The heavenly taste made sickeningly sweet by recently distant memories. Neither had the heart to finish the meal when only the broth remained. 'It would be a disservice to the dish'.
Once their lamenting subsided, Simon said in a hoarse voice, "I think it's time to hit the sack. You have a long walk ahead of you tomorrow."
Silently, Janus walked to the bedroom, leaving his neighbor to clean up the hearty meal. After crawling into bed, he stared up at the ceiling with watery eyes. The past few days were filled with nothing but preparation for the road ahead. It was all happening so fast. 'If I were father, I would feel confident'. Yet doubt was all that engulfed his heart as his mind slowly drifted off to sleep.