Old Habits Die Hard
"Fire in the hole!" As a worker in dusty clothes turns away. Boom, the dynamites echoed the quarry, dust and fragmented rocks spewed out of the large opening of a tunnel in the lime rocks. Workers with duck bib overalls and thick padded jackets turn their heads away not even flinching to the shock wave. Some workers riding on top of the tricorns try to calm the giant animals from being skittish.
Each worker slowly made their way to the opening pulling the large debris away. The riders made their way as well and the tricorns pulling a large metal wagon behind. They loaded the rocks onto the wagon till it was nearly full and dropped the wagon off at a drop off station on the other side of the quarry. A masked worker riding the tricorn unhooked the wagon and loaded a new wagon onto the straps of the animal. He took his mask and cap off to breathe and wipe the sweat off his brow. It was Roth taking a moment to catch his breath.
Before getting back on the tricorn he scratches the chin making the animal slightly lift her head. The tricorn vibrates as much as a cat would purr. The big orange eyes stare into Roth showing the gratefulness of being scratched. " Who's a good girl? Yes you are, you're a good girl."
"Hey pretty boy, the boss wants to see you."
Roth turns and sees Viccus, a colleague he works with that trains the miners. He wore the same outfit as the other workers but his was more intact than the rest. The scruffy bearded man walks towards Roth, "Don't worry it's nothing bad, just wants to check in on you is all." Viccus looks at the animal and tries to pet her but was startled when she exhaled loudly indicating not to touch her. It seems the animal is very attached to Roth.
"Gosh kid I don't know how you did it, but you really tamed this beauty of a beast didn't you."
"I didn't tame her; we both have a lot of respect for each other." As he continues to scratch under her chin. Viccus looks at him with slight concerned but doesn't question it. Roth makes his way to the outside quarry to a small cabin near the entrance. He ties his animal to a hitching post, though that hitching post is a concreted stone column since a regular hitching post would be useless considering the strength of the tricorn.
"Ah afternoon Mr. Malvikun please take a seat." He sets himself comfortably on the chair facing the foreman's desk. He looks around the room seeing a typical outdoors log cabin but it's surprisingly clean. The only mess that was in the cabin was Roth's footprints from the dirt leading to his chair. Shelves are filled with books and trinkets from what looks like digging equipment.
The Foreman was and older gentleman in is early forties. The darkened grey Hungarian mustache was prominent making him look sophisticated. Another feature he caught was a deep slight scar on his lower left eye, but his eye was intact. "Don't be so anxious, it's only a check in to see how you're liking the job."
Roth gives an emotionless stare, " It's okay, I really like the hauler position, simple and straight forward."
" Ah yes, the difficult tricorn we've been trying so hard to keep under control. I'm astounded that she has been so docile under your care. What was her um name you gave her again?" saying with a slight chuckle.
"Ditzy, I thought it would be sweet the way she acts. I believe she likes that name too." After he got the tricorn to mellow down the first time he met her he notices when she's idle she slightly sways side to side. She even likes to play by rolling in the gravel during their breaks. Roth turns towards the window seeing the workers of the other shift finally arriving. Then there was a moment of silence as tensions and awkwardness filled the room.
"Listen mister Malvikun, I know you only been here for three rotations but every week you come here you work yourself to the bone. I understand you desire this on your own free will but morning shift to the end of night shift may take a toll on you. I understand your situation given the recent events that transpired back in Galobethrogga, but this is a little excessive."
"Is there a point to this sir?" as Roth gave a cold response.
The foreman looks a bit uneasy, " I just want to make sure you are okay son. I know you want to distance yourself of this grief you're experiencing but you can't always run from it forever."
Roth gives no response and zones out his worrying tone. The foreman understood that there's no talking Roth out of it and gave Roth permission to leave. "Before you go, just know you can always ask for anything, okay son?"
"Sure, appreciate it." Closing the door behind him. The next day they travel back to Galobethrogga, the mining town they came from was a small town called Bumush. Roth was one of the caravan riders guarding the worker's wagon since he was the only one to have control over Ditzy. He finishes the route, and all the workers hop off stretching near a big barn that was relatively close to the adventurer's guild. The driver of the wagon and Roth both guided the Tricorns to their pen barn.
"Alright kid, fine work this week. I'll see you in a few days take it easy alright?" said the driver casually. Roth nods and the driver gave him a fist bump. He decided to make a quick stop to one of the local amenities' shops. As he enters, he hears a very familiar elder voice. "Ah welcome back what can I do for you young man?" it was Leo still showing that big smile to Roth.
"Hey sir, just another full bottle please." Leo looks at him with worry but complies. He hands him a fresh bottle of wine and in return was given four gold pieces.
"Young man are you doing alright, you always buy wine every week I hope you're not doing anything crazy."
"I'm fine sir please no need to worry. I'm doing just fine." he walks out the door without hesitation.
"Poor lad, I do hope he finds peace soon." Saying Leo with a heavy heart.
He makes his way to the adventurer's guild while ripping the cork off with his mouth and taking a deep gulp. "Oh, welcome back sweetie. Are you coming back today or-"
"No, the same as always." He places one gold coin on the desk and continues to walk past Saudia.
"Oh, alright then, have fun sweetie." She waves and smiles at him but slowly turns to a heartache frown. Since the incident of the deaths of his party Roth was able to receive all four hundred gold coins. Despite that he felt responsible for their deaths and refused the money. After bickering back and forth he reluctantly accepted the reward. However, he refuses to touch the money. With no time to mourn he quickly joined up with the quarry team. They needed bodies desperately and hired him on the spot.
He worked tirelessly day and night with each rotation. staying on site for five days and only having two days off. The habit of working nonstop to distract his mind seeped through to him once again. The days he does return he spends all day trying to figure out a way back home in the old library. Reading folk lore, mythic legends, or any type of summoning ritual but was discouraged finding nothing. At the same time, he was looking at a particular book about magic and their properties.
He found fascinating that it's not typical or easy to cast a spell. Rather each individual is born with a certain trait that leans into that specific spell. There are three types of casting known as elemental, enchantment, and familiar casting. Elemental properties are straight forward but only one elemental trait can be inherited so an individual can only use that certain cast. It is impossible to use a second elemental in addition with their born elemental. Two other traits in the elemental section are light and dark magic.
Light magic is the properties of healing whilst dark magic is the properties of poisoning or draining one's essence. Roth figured that Fila's elemental gift was light magic. Enchantment casting is used to give armor a definitive boost to their defense or their weapon for offensive. It's rarely used on how rare that casting magic is. The ones that do possess it are usually in the ranks of high military status. Familiar casting is an uncommon trait but is typically found everywhere rather than their rare counterpart enchantment.
Roth spends nearly the entire day at the library figuring a way out and reading the laws of magic it infuriated him. Every night he tried to use any type of magic, but nothing was working. He remembered putting his character knowledgeable in magic so why hasn't it worked. Reading the same lines over and over again taking swigs of his bottled wine he grabs his hair in anger and tosses the book across the room. The book hit a shelf knocking down several books with it.
The workers in the library turned toward the sound and Roth raised his hand apologizing for the disruption. With an aggravated sigh he goes and cleans the mess he made. Picking up all the books he notices a book missing in one of the slots. He investigates for the missing book he managed to cause and found it around the isle hitting a dead-end corner away from the others view. As he went to pick it up, he notices the unusual title of the book. The Heretical Caster, the name was intriguing to Roth, so he skimmed a few pages through it.
There was one page that stood out to him near the end almost as if someone was monologuing to the reader. " Though thou message may not be heard thou warning shall be clear by thy gods. Thy magic is pure and blessed and shall not be tainted through the wretched fallen one Xolo Olivier. We are blessed with the purest of heart and mind and the fallen one bewitched it. To the war in the heavens to the extinction of our beloved kind. Thy magic of void magic is heresy. For it is a sign of the gifted daemons. He who possess it shall face the wrath of thy gods."
He stared at the page lost in thought, void magic? Pondering on the word he notices scribbled words on the page saying, " Waah, waah suck it high all mighty!" with a smiley face and X's for the eyes. Under it, it read a weird word and Roth trying to say it out loud to comprehend it.
"Xi-xinlo ma- oh what the hell how do you say that? Xinlo ma druida?"
As soon as he said those words his entire body glowed blacked. He dropped the book frightened and confused and before he realized what happened the black aura around him vanished. Looking to side to side he was dumbfounded on what just occurred. Then in the corner of his vison read [PERK UNLOCKED: VOID MAGIC]. Staring at those words he felt an uneasy chill down his spine. Picking up the book it immediately turned to ashes and soon the ashes vanished as well leaving no evidenced. Roth is panicking and decides to head to a small room away from others.
Looking down at his hands nothing has changed. Feeling his face nothing has changed either. Then an idea came and slowly putting his hand out with his palm facing up tries to imagine a small flame. His eyes closed imagining the heat and flickering of the flame soon his hand begins to feel warm. He opens his eyes and to his shock an orb of fire hovers in his palm. Stunned of the feat he accomplished only a few exasperated words were able to come out of him.
"What the fuck?