Fainswift

Note: This chapter is in the tiny Hermit’s point of view.

---

Oh, a small bird...

On a fine late spring morning I was checking on my herbs.

And then I felt a new type of stare from the east end of my little domain...

Monsters don't come near here - they know better!

And the local animals who sometimes visit or come for healing come straight up to me.

I looked around - it took me a moment to spot it, as it was so tiny.

There it was, over at "Old StrawBrains MacGrinFace" - my very clever name, if I say so myself, for the ancient scarecrow on the east side of the clearing.

Old MacGrinFace had already been here when I had first discovered the derelict log cabin two decades ago - someone had cast a very strong preservation spell on "him", as he did not change even in the harsh winters and burning summer sun.

And on the very top of said scarecrow's head was a tiny multi-colored feathered fluffball of a bird.

It was staring at me very intently, and every so often hopped randomly to one side or the other of MacGrinFace's head-top.

The birdy did not fly away when I approached it, and when I offered my index finger as a perch, it landed on it.

Well, I did have to move my hand a bit - seems aiming was not a strong point of this fluff-feather beastie...

---

Observations on a small bird.

I ended up naming the birdy "Nitram", after a famous friend of my grandmother I had constantly heard about while growing up.

Who this Nitram actually was, and what made them so special to my grandmother, I never quite understood - sadly I also never had a chance to ask my grandmother herself about them, as she peacefully rose up to the stars the night before I myself was born.

Nitram - the birdy that I found, that is - was an extraordinary creature.

This was apparent the moment I appraised it - I had never seen such a strange status before.

[[

Race: @*!!!!(***** Parsing Not Possible - Probably Some  Sort Of... Flappy Thing???? *****)@@(@*!

Name: NULL

Level: NULL

Mana: 0

Strength: NULL

Dexterity: NULL

Wisdom: NULL

Specials: NULL

Skills: @&121***!818***** Out Of Cheese Error *****(@)@)!!!#(&8121218!

]]

First off, no creature had zero mana - not animals, not plants, not even ghosts or other undead.

Some rocks and minerals even had mana!

Added to the fact that the race and skills were showing garbled, and everything else was NULL, most likely meant my own level was lower than Nitram's - and at my high level I was able to even appraise ancient dragons!

That, or this birdy could be some mythical or holy creature.

Over the next few weeks I searched through my many books to find a clue, but discovered not even a hint.

Looks like I will need to check the main library back home, when I get a chance.

Talking about books, it seems Nitram, that odd-ball of feathers, could read - it would often stare at open books and very clumsily but carefully turn pages with its tiny beak.

Looks like the tiny birdy could read not only the Brundal Empire's common tongue, but Ancient High Elvish!

Strangely enough Nitram seemed to actively avoid manuscripts and books in any other language, not even sparing them a glance.

The late spring was passing by more quickly than previous years, and I realized it was because after almost two decades I finally had someone to share my time with.

Even though Nitram could not talk, it was obvious the tiny birdy understood my every word - and even questioned me sometimes with that cute little "chirp"...

---

Let's go shopping!

One afternoon while working on a new idea for a potion I noticed my stock of ingredients was running out.

"Hey Nitram, let's go shopping!" 

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny birdy]

"Oh, there is a Guild trading post near here - well, near-ish I suppose. And we can pick up the books I ordered a while back, maybe!"

The next morning, with Nitram perched safely on my index finger, we left the cabin.

Just as the door was closing I pulled the whole contents into a special item-box I had created just for that purpose.

And with "the whole contents", I meant EVERYTHING!

The bedroom, sofas, tables, cupboard and wardrobe, the herbs and light globes hanging from the rafters, and even the whole bathroom - which was a self-sufficient unit that I had carefully created with no reliance on external plumbing.

Everything went into the special item-box - except the kitchen sink that is...

I didn't want to mess with the complicated plumbing on that one.

Whoever had built this cabin had been versed in a very archaic language. One wrong tweak of the magic circle inscribed on the water-creating crystal, and who knows what would come out  - poison or maybe even lava!

Anyway, I called my special secondary item-box "Coordinate Bound Building Contents Warehouse", or CBBCW for short.

Good name, no?

My main and "normal" item-box accepted anything and sort of just lumped the same items together, and that was about it.

The extra coding of the seven-layered magic circles used on my CBBCW item-box meant I could save the exact coordinates and rotations of each stored item, based on a zero point that I defined per room - or in this case, building.

That way I could store everything in a furnished room - or house - and later put it back exactly as it was, with no extra work!

Even though we'd likely be gone only for a few days, I did have countless rare and even unique books that I could not lose - say the cabin burned down, then what?

Plus, the furniture all had sentimental value, having either been handed down from my grandmother or gifted to me.

Once I had stowed the cabin's contents safely, I locked the front door with magic, and put a long enduring barrier around the whole clearing - this would keep strangers and monsters out for about a month, but would let any forest folk come and help themselves to the garden - after all I grew way more than I or Nitram needed.

After I pulled it out of my item-box with a flourish, Nitram seemed quite taken with my proudest invention, the "Enterprise CC"!

CC standing for Comfy Chair, of course.

We sped off towards the Guild trading post - after a bit the tiny bird, snuggled in the folds of the fluffy blanket I had draped over my legs, fell asleep with a cute small snore sounding every so often.

The "Enterprise CC" was set to wake me up once we came within viewing distance of the trading post's gates, so I also ended up napping in the cool morning air as we safely flew onwards.

---

The Guild trading post #375.

An annoying buzzing sounded in my ear... Ugh, just five more minutes....

Oh, it was the destination alarm - through my sleep blurred eyes I could make out the wooden palisade of the Guild trading post.

The sun was high in the sky so it was around noon - we had made very good time!

If I would have had to walk this distance, it would have taken me over a week!

"Enterprise CC, you are the best!"

Now if only I could program more than two destinations - I had to use every trick I knew to squeeze the two highly complex magic multi-circles onto the navigation crystal - a total spherical area that was about the size of my thumb tip.

As we got closer I heard a shout of greeting - the guards on the watch towers had spotted us and were waving.

Just outside of the gate I stopped the "Enterprise CC" .

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny birdy]

"Oh, you woke up - yes, we've arrived. One moment, let's disembark first..." 

Nitram took its perch on my outstretched index finger.

Carefully we got off the comfy chair after having it lower all the way down to the ground - even then I sort of had to hop off, as the chair was a normal full-grown adult elf sized one I had inherited.

"Hello missy! Come to pick up supplies?" [Gate Guard]

I nodded as I put "Enterprise CC" away into my normal item-box.

The Guild trading post had grown again since the last time I had been here at the start of spring - I saw at least three new single story houses, and a brand new one even in the process of being built.

Just inside the gate was a row of seven window-less rough cut log huts about half the size of my log cabin - these had been hastily slapped together over sixty years ago as temporary housing when the Guild trading post had been founded. These days the Guild maintained and used the old log huts as small warehouses.

Nitram looking around with wide eyes.

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny bird]

"I rent the last hut - the local Guild master has a key and makes sure my orders are stored there until I pick them up. And I leave potions and other items that the guild sells for me on commission, so it is pretty handy."

I unlocked the warehouse door - a newer double affair almost the whole width of the hut to allow easy access to the contents.

The smell of herbs and rare spices wafted out from the many boxes stacked ceiling high on the left side. The right side was reserved for shelves with the merchandise I was selling - most of the shelves were now empty, which meant I could collect my earnings at from the Guild.

"Wait here a moment - I have to stock up..." 

I let Nitram hop off my finger onto a small me-sized table - in front of which was also a me-sized chair.

While I was putting endless potion bottles and small wax sealed envelopes full of various medicine onto the carefully labeled shelves, Nitram hopped around on the table, looking first all around the warehouse, and then out the open doors, down the street towards the trading post's center area.

"That two storied house down there is the Guild hall - we'll go there in a moment - it also has a decent eatery. And after that, there should be a couple of small shops we can go visit."

Nitram nodded quickly and fluttered a bit - looks like my tiny ball of feathers was excited to see new things!

---

The Guild Hall.

After collecting the many boxes containing my order and stocking up the merchandise shelves, I carefully locked the warehouse doors - of course Nitram was perched on my index finger again.

Even though the village had grown, and was still growing, the road to the Guild hall was the "old" part - the cobles were starting to visibly show two grooves where wagons had been running for half a century. Past the Guild hall towards the east was the new part, and the road cobles still had crisp edges with no sign of wear yet.

It was now early summer, so the front door of the Guild hall was wide open - the sounds of people eating lunch escaped out into the small plaza in front of the building.

As I walked through the door, my feathered friend's head spun this way and that - it was really cute to see how intent Nitram was in taking all the sights of the Guild hall.

I headed straight to the far back where the reception desk was - there were a couple of people in front of us already being served by the single Guild clerk on duty.

On the left wall was the obligatory quest board, although here in this remote trading post, it mostly just had the "eternal" requests posted.

On the other side of the room were tables in various states of repair - some going back to the first days of the trading post - where both local and visiting adventurers and merchants were enjoying lunch.

Nitram was staring at the adventurers while I waited in line.

"Chirp... chirp?" [Nitram the tiny bird]

Not that I was always right, but from context and from what the tiny bird was staring at, I could often guess what Nitram's chirp meant.

"Ah, why so many people?"

Nitram nodded.

"This trading post is almost exactly in the middle of the endless forest - and sort of is where four countries meet. The road we came in on leads west to the Brundal Empire and splits off a bit later to lead to the Sapurin Kingdom. The road going east leads to both the dwarven Nasdarak Empire and the Independent Republic of Mechanoids."

Nitram put its head to one side.

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny bird]

"Have I been to any of those places?"

The tiny bird nodded.

"Yes, several times to all of them... ah, it is our turn now..." 

Informing the clerk that my warehouse was stocked up again as I received my sales earnings, I also indicated that I would eat lunch here.

"Oh, and the Guild master has something for you after your meal." [Guild Clerk]

I nodded and headed over to the eating area.

---

A disturbing letter.

Having a meal other than one prepared by oneself was a nice change, and Nitram certainly seemed to have enjoyed it.

"Let's go see what the Guild master wants, Nitram - that's up on the second floor."

The steps were not exactly sized for my diminutive stature, so it took a bit of effort to climb them.

As I was resting on the stair landing at the half-way point Nitram looked up at me.

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny bird]

"Ah, yes, I suppose I could just float up - but I don't really like using magic in front of people. They... well, some of them find it weird for some reason? Maybe they were brought up strictly or something - like how you should not show off? Something like that, I guess..."

Eventually we made it up to the second floor, and were greeted with a long hall with several doors on each side.

The Guild office was the second door on the right, and was usually open - today was no exception.

Through the open door I saw this decade's Guild Master - a pot bellied dwarf named Ger'Baruk who despite his race was still taller than I was.

In front of large double windows looking out to the plaza, Ger'Baruk was working at a desk a bit too large for him. In front of the desk several mismatched chairs of various sizes and age.

On the two side walls - overflowing shelves of books and papers.

I paused at the entrance to the office and knocked on the door jam.

"Oh, there you are Missy! Perfect timing! Have a seat over there - Mifania! Could I trouble you to bring tea for our guest?" [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

I picked the chair of course that let me get on the easiest - and I still had to half-climb it.

Just as I had managed to settle myself a tall female elf entered carrying a tray with a tea pot.

"Ah! Your Highness! So glad to see you are doing well! I bring your favorite tea - fresh from our home grove, just arrived last month!" [Mifania the elf]

With that I was handed a cup on a saucer with two plain sugar cookies neatly arranged on the saucer's edge - and it was a me-sized cup, even!

"Oh, and you have brought an... interesting... friend... with you. Does it want something, too?" [Mifania the elf]

I shook my head.

Mifania leaned close to my ear so she could whisper, switching to Ancient High Elvish.

"Your Highness - is that an actual... animal? It has no mana!" [Mifania the elf]

This time I nodded, and indicated with just my eyebrows that we'd talk later tonight.

Mifania straightened up and nodded once, grinning in expectation - she had always been attentive to me first before all else when I visited.

From two decades of observation, I suspected she had been serving the Guild more sort of as a hobby - or maybe she considered this to be a vacation from the strict training she would have to endure back home. 

"Ahem... and, ah, my tea?" [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

Mifania's grin vanished as she turned to the dwarf.

"You only asked for tea for her Highness." [Mifania the elf]

Ger'Baruk sighed.

"Ah, after all these years, I still keep forgetting how literal you are... well, never mind, there are more pressing matters at hand." [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

As Mifania turned to exit she secretly grinned at me again and winked.

Well, even at a hundred and thirty-two, she was just barely a teen in elf years, so such youthful pranking was to be expected.

Ger'Baruk earnestly held up a sealed envelope as I took a sip of tea.

"I received this just three days ago inside a letter addressed to me with a request to personally hand this over - the recipient of this letter is Professor Oberbergtal. The only person with that name who I know - is you. Is the professor one of your relatives, Missy?" [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

Hm... well now... that is unexpected.

So, I just nodded, holding one of the cookies out to Nitram, to see if my feathered friend would like a nibble.

Apparently, yes.

"In that case, can you maybe pass this on to them?" [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

Of course the Guild master knew I was the person in question - so this charade of his was likely a clumsy attempt to confuse any un-welcome ears that might be listening.

I nodded again and reached out to accept the letter - and realized Nitram was still perched on that hand's index finger, fluttering a bit in an attempt to stay balanced.

After a careful relocation of the tiny birdy to my shoulder, I finally got my hand on the letter.

The seal was from the "BI-AMaToo-DaPrU"... or in full, the "Brundal Institute for the Advancement of Magic Tools and their Daily Practical Use".

The handwriting on the envelope was quite familiar.

Without opening, I put it away for now.

"Seeing as how the news will spread soon enough, I might as well tell you this - there are some mysterious happening in the endless forest close to the imperial capital. The Institute is looking to contact the Professor for advice on the matter." [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

Both Nitram and I leaned our heads to one side - me of course to the shoulder side Nitram was not on.

"Mystery?"

"Chirp?" [Nitram the tiny birdy]

"Several adventurers of B and even A rank barely made it back to the capital babbling endlessly about encountering an un-killable rusty mass, sometimes about the size of a wolf, sometimes as small as a slime. The worst part? On direct contact their mana permanently dropped down to one..." [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

"Oh... my... you can barely light a candle with just one mana... even just the simplest lifestyle magic will be impossible..."

Was it just me, or did Nitram's head droop for a brief moment there?

"Indeed - for now the Institute has a workaround using mana infused crystals that they've implanted into the patients, but that can only be temporary." [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

I nodded - direct exposure to mana infused crystals over several months would cause various serious health issues, and eventually death.

Hopping down off my chair, I did a small bow at the guild master.

"I go now."

"Safe travels, Missy... Hope that Professor can help out the Capital - if this spreads further, we'll be in for a disaster..." [Guild Master Ger'Baruk]

Getting down the stairs to the ground floor was still tiring, but at least easier.

Mifania was waiting at the foot of the stairs for me, a concerned look on her face - she addressed me again in Ancient High Elvish while bowing, her hands folded respectfully in front of her.

"Your Highness, are you really going back to Brundal's capital?" [Mifania the elf]

I nodded.

"Well, in that case, there is a caravan that will be leaving in the morning... I have already made the necessary arrangements. As always, you will sleep over at my house for the night." [Mifania the elf]

As expected of Mifania, she was extremely diligent, and also knew my routine. 

Each time I visited the trading post, after collecting my earnings from the Guild hall I'd do some shopping, and then stay over at Mifania's small cottage before returning back home.

This time though, instead of going home I would have to travel to the capital - an annoying journey by caravan of around three weeks through the endless forest.

Luckily for me, I had packed all my books.

And I had Nitram now, to keep me company on the journey.

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