A Soldier's Life - 349 - Large Appetite (minor edit 2-25-25)

Chapter 349: Large Appetite

It was evident that the halfling sorcerer had a mischievous streak. Perhaps she had been upset when she found nothing on me to pickpocket. Still, I was where I wanted to be. I would play the fool if I had to deal with the halfling woman again. It was easier to anticipate situations if people thought you were dumber than you were—especially with her kind, who believed they were intellectually superior.

I bowed and addressed him in Elvish, “Master Archivist Dorrel Elalee. It is a pleasure to be allowed into your library. I came to ask your permission to explore the books.”

“Not granted. And you can tell that halfling sneak she is not welcome up here either,” the dark elf spat spitfully.

Maybe I would have to get some revenge on the halfling. I tried another tactic with the ornery elf. “I wanted to explore the origin of the dungeons, and I heard this archive was the best on the continent.”

He sneered a little. “What do you know of the dungeon’s origins?” The other librarians paused their scribing and cataloging. They were anticipating a show.

I didn’t see any harm in sharing what I knew. “The Titans created them to harness aether and journey to other worlds.”

Dorrel’s derision changed to surprise. He seemed to reevaluate me, his head rolling slowly as he studied me anew. I guess he mistook me for a brute like the halfling sorcerer had. My best set of clothes had gotten a little tight since I bought them in Telha, accentuating my physically imposing figure. Maybe it was time for a wardrobe upgrade.

Dorrel nodded, “Only the oldest dungeons were created by the Titans. Many have been destroyed over the millennia." He narrowed his all-white eyes, “What do you know of The Pact?” he said, testing my knowledge.

There was only one thing Namao mentioned that made sense. “It was an agreement between the lesser races and the dungeons to train and equip them to fight the Titans.” The elf cracked a small smile, and I knew I had won him over.

“I teach classes twice a week for a large silver per class. You are invited to come,” he finally said merrily.

“Will I be free to peruse your archives?” I asked.

He cackled a laugh at the apparent absurdity of my request, “No, only if you wish to become one of my curators.”

“What if I could tell you something that you do not know?” I tested his thirst for knowledge.

His face became amiable. “Something concerning dungeons, not another topic,” he replied slyly.

Had he been thinking I was trying to deceive him? “Agreed.” I grinned. “The Titans tried to destroy the dungeons because the demons were invading Desia.”

He lit up. “That's an interesting piece of information, but I can show you a dozen references in the Archive that I have read that support the claim.”

My mind reviewed what I knew. I went for the most obscure thing I could think of. “The first dungeons are the consciousness of Titans who wanted to live forever.”

I could tell Dorrel had been prepared to tell me he already knew whatever I said, but he was flummoxed. He stepped closer and leaned into me. His breath smelled garlicky. “Where did you learn this? Did one of the dungeons converse with you?” I thought about lying and telling him I had learned it from Khrusos, but that would have opened up too many more questions.

“A seer on Stone Mountain Island. She pieced it together from her visions of the past.” I said, and he seemed to be processing my words and weighing their truth. Did the seer tell me this information because she knew I would need it?

He nodded slowly. “We understand that new dungeons require a soul with sentience. Initially, we believed the first dungeons were the same, but we thought they were slaves of the Titans. That’s why they established The Pact to rebel against their oppressors.” His mind seemed to churn, and he was becoming distracted as he contemplated the implications of my words.

“Do I have permission to review the archives on my own?” I asked, interrupting his thoughts.

His focus shifted to me, and his all-white eyes did seem a bit creepy. “Yes. But one of my catalogers will need to shadow you. But you can freely read anything here as long as you don’t misuse the tomes.” Dorrell spent a few more hours trying to worm more information out of me, but I didn’t offer him anything groundbreaking, and I was not going to reveal that I had met Khrusos.

When I left the archives, I noticed Lesna at a table with two humans and an elf. I paused at her table, drawing all eyes to me. “Thank you, Lesna. Dorrel has agreed to let me peruse his library at my leisure.” Her jaw dropped in shock, as did the others at the table. I smiled brightly, patted her on the back, and walked away. She didn’t even realize that one stack of a dozen or so large copper coins had disappeared from in front of her. I wasn’t stealing; I planned to return it to her when I saw her next, with a bit of smugness.

When I returned to the inn late in the evening, Raelia had a large spread of half-eaten plates of food scattered around the room. I could see the appeal of trying new dishes from a different land, but did she really need to order them all at once? “Hungry?” I said loudly in good humor.

Both Raelia and Baldo seemed to be in a food coma. When I entered, Baldo barely shifted to ensure I wasn’t a threat before lying down. Raelia was sprawled out and didn’t open her eyes. Tiredly, she said, “I wanted red meat but wasn’t sure what kind of seasoning I wanted.” I chuckled, as it really looked like every plate had some meat on it at one point.

I bit into what looked like a French fry. It was over-fried and crispy—by the taste, I was guessing it was fried in bacon fat. I finished all the fries before I sat on the bed. It didn’t look like I would be getting much attention tonight. Our intimacy had been awfully sporadic recently; maybe she was getting sick of me.

“I am going to stay in Godok for a few months. I have gotten us a room at the Adventurer’s Hall?” I said, rubbing her shoulders.

She opened her eyes in a flash, gazing up into mine, slight panic reflected in them. “Why? How many months?”

“I convinced the Archivist at the Adventurer’s Hall to give me access to the dungeon research there. It might take three months to go through the ten thousand some-odd books,” I said as I tried to work the tension out of her shoulders. Raelia’s eyes darted back-and-forth, as if she were deep in thought.

“What about Castile?” she said.

“Konstantin and Gilda can take the essences to her. I’m sure he’ll get them there safely.” At my words, Raelia sat up, pulling away from me.

“If you’re going to spend a few months here, I can go back to see my brother and mother to explain myself. Yes,” she nodded to herself. “I’ve been putting it off for too long. I have only sent them one message in the last three months. I can meet you in Gramney in a year,” she said softly, her eyes lost in thought. I knew she missed her family, but she had never mentioned returning to them. I just assumed that time apart was viewed differently because of the longevity of elves.

“If you wait, I can go with you,” I said supportively.

“No,” she said a bit too abruptly. “I mean, I don’t want to wait.” She missed the pain in my face as that stung me. It was clear she didn’t want to take me to her brother or mother. “It is just a year apart. I can spend a few months socializing and working Baldo with the tame griffins.”

Seeing my despair, she misread it. “Don’t worry, they will not conscript me as a griffin rider again. Even if the war continues, Bartiradia only takes volunteers.” She swung out of bed, holding her overfull stomach. Pulling on her boots, she said, “I will see what ships are sailing to Esenhem and Bartiradia. Keep an eye on Baldo while I am gone.”

She was out the door quickly, and Baldo looked at me from his prone position. His eyes drifted to the multitude of plates, but he eventually just lay down again, surprisingly too full to request more. As I was picking at the plates, Konstantin knocked at the door. I moved aside to let him in, “Help yourself. Raelia decided to try the entire menu,” It was good he was here so I could also tell him my plans.

Konstantin moved across the room before settling on something that looked like chicken legs roasted with a dozen different herbs. The skin gave a pleasant crunch as he bit into it. In between bites, he announced, “I found a large merchant ship sailing soon. Four gold and ten silver for three of their best cabins. They have three experienced weather mages, so it should be a smooth journey.”

“I’m not going,” I said. The drumstick froze in his mouth. “I’m going to study dungeons at the Adventurer’s Hall here for a few months before returning to Gramney.” A manticore sack of essences appeared in my hand, and I offered it to Konstantin. He didn’t take it and chewed much more slowly.

“I guess Castile can wait a few more months. Several of the sects in the city claim to have the best swordsman in the world. I wouldn’t mind testing myself against them.” He turned his back to me and started loading his plate from the other dishes.

“I can take care of myself,” I stated clearly. Konstantin just grunted, filled his plate to an impressive pyramid, and left the room without another word. I already knew that if he stayed, he would drag me to test my sword skills and ask me to use the dreamscape amulet to practice. I wondered what Gilda thought of all this.

I loaded three plates myself and sent them to my dimensional space. Then, I called the innkeeper to clear the rest from the room. The woman who collected them moved precariously around Baldo’s sleeping form but didn’t even notice the three missing plates from some twenty-five platters and plates.

I waited anxiously for Raelia’s return. Maybe she would have changed her mind and invited me to meet her family. I wouldn’t pressure her as this was her decision. Since the dungeon, our relationship had cooled some, but our playful teasing of each other hadn’t waned. We still liked being in each other’s company.

Entering, she looked relieved, and it was late. Baldo rose happily to greet her, nuzzling his head and beak into her open arms and pressing her against the door tenderly. “Did it go well?” I asked.

“Very well. I found an ambassador's ship from Esenhem. My aunt’s name carries weight this far abroad. After a lively dinner, he agreed to return with his ship a week early. We sail tomorrow evening.” She was beaming happily, but I didn’t know if it had been a good idea to use Maeralya Glavien’s name. Raelia had ditched her aunt in favor of helping Maveith and then traveling with us to Stone Mountain Island. From our one meeting, I didn’t get the impression she was a forgiving woman.

“Is that a good idea? Using an Esenhem vessel?” I asked cautiously.

“He is just moving up his schedule to return to Esenhem for the coming year. His replacement is already in the city. He will bring me to the port of Cambal in Bartiradia. I can reach my mother and brother from there,” she said dismissively. I nodded and waited, but she didn’t add anything.

The next day, we spent in private baths and shared our final moment of intimacy for the coming year. I sensed something unusual about it but couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Raelia kept teasing me that it was only a year until we would be together again, so there was no reason for me to act as if this were our last time together.

When she boarded the sleek elven warship in the late afternoon, she waved from the deck, with Baldo sitting obediently beside her. I could tell the poor griffin was confused about why I wasn’t with them. Or maybe it was because the human with an endless supply of treats was being left behind. I watched as the ship sailed out of the harbor.

“If you’re done pining for her, I got us a lesson at a sect that specializes in the spear,” Konstantin’s voice said over my shoulder. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he appeared without warning. “Come on, Eryk; it will take your mind off her.” I took one last look at the ship and turned to follow the old veteran. He was right. I needed to burn off some frustration—first, I lost Maveith, and now Raelia.

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