The Acktus Trials by D. T. Kane

Author:D. T. Kane [Kane, D. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: epic fantasy, magic spells, epic fantasy for adults, magic spells books, Fantasy Adventure Fiction, epic fantasy books, dragon books for adults
Published: 2022-01-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

THEY TRAVELED THROUGH the Reach for several more uneventful days. They’d often see the fire of wyrms in the distance, but they never got close enough for serious concern. At night, Baz now lit their fires unassisted, with the spell Deliritous had given him. Rox spent his evenings fashioning the teeth of the wyrm he’d killed into a necklace, whittling away at them with his belt knife. That left Baz and Deliritous to themselves, which was mostly awkward. Rox had obviously twisted Deliritous’s arm into showing the trust he had in Baz, and the Torchsire heir eyed Baz warily every time he’d move to renew their fire.

Still, they had some conversation. On occasion, Deliritous even seemed close to treating Baz like a normal person.

“You ever wonder what it will be like when we get back?” Deliritous asked one evening.

Baz shrugged. “I don’t expect much is going to change for me.”

Deliritous laughed at that. “Not much going to change? Well you’re in for a shock if we win, young Baztian. We’ll be the talk of Erstwhile for the next year. Appearances, galas, maybe even a diplomatic trip to Fortune!”

“In other words, more work,” Baz said.

“Where’s your sense of adventure, Baztian?”

Adventure was a sure path to premature loss of breathing. Baz would be content if he never had an adventure again.

“But we’re a long way from fantasizing about that, yet, I suppose,” Deliritous said. “Still need to get to Tome and find us a Book, first.”

“Only that, huh?”

“No need to shower me with your pessimism, Baztian. I know full well how difficult it will be. Still, it’s hard not to indulge thoughts now and then about the look on Father’s face when I return with a Book the likes of which has never been seen before.”

Baz shook his head. Even after everything that had happened, Deliritous was still driven by that insatiable desire to impress the Duke. Strangely, Baz actually found himself a bit jealous. He’d never known his parents, never felt the satisfaction of their pride in him.

“What sort of Book will we find, I wonder?” Deliritous said, looking off into the distance.

Baz kept silent, as he didn’t have anything to say that Deliritous would wish to hear. For as many success stories as there were like Exgahl Library finding that Book that grew potato crops, there were ten winners of the most mundane kind. Last year’s champion had found a new copy of a Book with the same fire-starter spell Deliritous had just permitted Baz to use. Useful, but nothing new. Others would bring back similarly repetitious volumes, such as Books that boiled water or mended clothes or healed minor cuts. Some years, not many, but some, every competitor had returned empty handed. It wasn’t as if there were just shelves of Books sitting around Tome anymore. You were searching for needles in haystacks; paper in rubble.

“You know, even if we don’t win,” Deliritous said, “things won’t be the same. I’ll have more uses for you, Baztian.”

“More uses?”

“Well, I mean I won’t use your Speaking so sparingly as I once did.

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