Chapter Thirty-Six - I Just Want to Set the World on Fire

Chapter Thirty-Six - I Just Want to Set the World on Fire

The rain didnt let up until halfway into the morning. By then we were trudging along in our wagon, bumping over potholes and generally just travelling on a long road that seemed to twist and turn all over the place.

The ditches along the sides were full, a heavy current of muddy rainwater gurgling past us except where the road dipped and we had to pass through huge, but fortunately shallow, puddles.

There were fewer trees as we travelled. The forests turned thin and the ground all around us became a marshy vista filled with the low drone of mosquitoes and flies and other bugs. Fortunately, Milread had a magic insect-repellent rune device that she activated to shoo off the bugs. It would have been a nightmare otherwise.

I focused on my hand again, first came the pushing of mana out of the... I was going to call them mana pores because thats what they felt like, then the concentrating of my mana into a flat shape on the surface of my palm, then I thought fiery thoughts and let my mana sort of just... burn.

Youre getting better, Severin said as he eyed the fuzzy mana in my hand. Zats not perfect fire aspect mana, but it might be close enough.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

Really? I asked. The lapse in concentration made my mana construct, if it could be called that, fizzle out and take a few points of mana with it. Ive been practicing very hard.

Yes. Its almost enough to make up for your deficiency.

Hey! I said. Im not that bad, am I? I asked.

Severin made a wiggly motion with his hand. Youre no prodigy. Perhaps had you started wiz holy or light spells you would be better. And youre not exactly in a school environment. Zat might mitigate some of your slowness to learn.

I resisted the urge to pout. Im trying my best, I said. And I really was. There wasnt anything else to do while bumping along in the back of the wagon. I could have practiced my other skills but most of those werent easy to do. Talking had... not been fruitful. Noemi still refused to open up and Milread had remained coolly professional.

I was beginning to think that people in this world were just not as friendly as people back home. Maybe they didnt trust as easily, maybe there was some prejudice at play that I wasnt aware of.

Did the why matter?

If it was hard to make friends then I just had to work harder at it, that was all.

Severin pulled out a small notebook from his pack, opened it to a fresh page, then fished out a strange quill with a bulb near its middle filled with ink. He scratched out a quick design then turned it around to show me. Zis is ze side profile of a fireball spell. Side profiles are deceptively simple and useless for complex spells, but for somezing as simple as fireball it will do.

The drawing looked like a ball with a long tail behind it, like a comet, maybe. That does look fireball-ish, I said.

Most spells wont look like zeir final product at ze creation stage. But fireball is, as I said, simple. Its made of two parts. One, if you squint. Ze main payload and ze propellant. Have you ever seen a firework?

Yes, a few times, I said. Some in person and I had seen plenty on TV and online.

Do you know how zey work? he asked next.

Um. I tried to imagine what a fireworks internals looked like. Theres a fuse, then some powder that burns through a... nozzle? And then after it takes off it eventually explodes? I guess there might be a fuse inside too?

Milread gave me a knowing smile and even Noemi looked up from staring at the road to take in the city behind me.

Still half a days travel, Milread said. That dampened my mood a little and I turned to inspect the road we would have to take to get there.

I couldnt see all of it, of course. Even if the forest was a bit thinner, there were still thousands of trees around. The road seemed to zig and zag around a lot, avoiding the larger untamed areas that looked a little too swampy for my taste.

The only settlement I could see was the town at the base of the mountain, but I did spot a road leading off to the east and into the distant woods that way. I was practically shaking in my shoes when I jumped back onto the wagon. I cant wait to see what the city is like. And airships! Airships are the best.

Milread snorted. Sure. Wont argue with that. The best ones are made in Farseeing, of course.

Farseeing? I asked.

Ze harpy capital, Severin answered. Along the unimaginatively named Harpy Mountains. Port Royal is at the base of that mountain range, though it is Deepmarsh territory, not Nesting.

Oh, neat, I said. A world map was going to be one of my first purchases because I was getting lost just talking to them. Whats Port Royal like?

Bit messy, Milread said. Lots of folks from plenty of places. Most of the expensive goods from Deepmarsh make it to the port eventually, then theyre shipped elsewhere. And the opposite is also true, you have stuff from all over the world passing through Port Royal. Lots of strange folk with strange customs. Keep your hands to yourself and stick to the cleaner parts of the city and youll be fine.

I cant wait! Can you tell me anything about the Exploration Guild? I was thinking of joining them, but thats mostly on a whim.

Milread hummed. Mostly good folk. You could do well for yourself and they might give you some training on how not to get yourself killed. Risky work, but the pay can be great. The guild works across a couple of nations, so if you like traveling they might do good by you. I work for the Couriers Union, we use the Exploration Guild to chart out new paths sometimes.

Zere are some problems wiz any guild. Not just the fees and hierarchies. Ze Exploration Guild is relatively small for all zat it is spread out. The Guards Guild is bigger and safer, the Delvers more cut-throat but youll make more coins. The Monster Slayers will grant you access to plenty of training but you will probably die young as most of zeir members do.

I would like to avoid dying if at all possible, I said. Maybe Ill give the Exploration Guild a try, then see how I feel after that. I do like the idea of seeing the world and just being sort of... free. Exploration Guild people work in parties right? Like a group of friends?

That they do, and I wish you the best, Milread said. She pointed ahead of us and towards a bit of a bend in the road. Were stopping there for a minute. Missy needs a breather and I need lunch. Noemi, you good to cook again?

If you have ingredients I can use, she said.

Ive got some cans, some hardtack, a couple of other things, I interjected. I could forage a bit, if you want. Ive got a skill for it, though it's kind of low ranked.

Huh, Milread said. Alright. Maybe well take a longer break then, get a good meal in and go for longer later. I want to arrive at the Port before nightfall. If we move too fast we might end up camping within running distance of the town.

Wouldnt it make sense to push on, zen? Severin asked.

Milread snorted. Thats what everyone says. Then you end up pushing through the forest at night and go off the road or get ambushed. Trust me, one extra night under the stars wont hurt anyone, but Ill be making that choice later. For now, Ill set up some traps and maybe catch us some meat. Broccoli, get to foraging. Noemi, tend the fire and get cooking. Severin, can you keep watch and care for Missy for a bit?

We rolled into a small camping spot next to the road, and just like that our group broke up.