The Hunter's Apprentice (4 page)

-So Erasmus is his name then? Aerys asked secretly thinking of the things that I might ask the gnome.

-Obviously not lad, replied the hunter. It’s one of the many names he uses. Only I know his real name and I am not telling you.

Aerys watched him sullenly. It would have been pretty good to have a gnome that could do your bidding.

-Don’t make that face, said the hunter sourly. He would not have been a great help to you anyway. Gnomes have a very limited use. They can only make basic magic and tricks.

-Don’t they have gold? Aerys asked suddenly remembering something of the stories Master Elric used to tell me at night.

-That’s just an old woman’s tale. They have as much gold as you, which is nothing. They are just magical creatures which live mainly in deep forests. They are very tricky and foul, explained Drake. Their favorite activity consists in attracting people in forest so that they wander endlessly until they eventually die or become mad. So you see they are not a pretty funny bunch of guys.

He tossed the parchment aside and stood up. He walked towards the shelves and said.

-I think that it is high time that you start your apprenticeship for I won’t lecture you all day long. I don’t the time or the patience to do so. So you will have to read a lot and I trust that you will do so seriously. I will ask you some questions from time to time and if you don’t know an answer, you will be severely reprimanded for I don’t like laziness.

He turned towards the shelf and began searching. From time to time he would take a book out and lay it on the table. Finally he took one last book out and turned with a satisfied look on his face. He tossed the book on the table where it joined the seven he had already took out.

-You will need to read and memorize everything in these books, he said as he returned to his chair. These are the basics that every hunter needs to know. There are many things that you’ll learn from the study of beast and monsters to that of edible roots and leaves and the study of runes.

-Runes?

-Yes runes. It is essential that you learn this.

-But why?, asked Aerys again.

He sighed.

-This is exactly why I did not want an apprentice. Never tired of asking questions huh? Let’s just say that every hunter needs to learn it. It is a tradition that has been passed on since many decades. So off you go now. I don’t want to be disturbed again. Erasmus will show you to your room and…ah, one more thing, he added as Aerys grabbed the books and headed towards the door.

-Don’t laugh at him again. If I were you, I’d apologize right away.

Aerys nodded and walked out with the books. They were really heavy but he managed to keep his balance as he walked. He found that the table had already been laid in his absence. There was only one bowl which was filled with what looked like a delicious stew. The gnome was there looking at me coldly by the fire where he sat with a flute in his hands. He laid the books on the table and walked towards him with a saddened expression on his face.

-I am sorry for my behavior, he said sincerely. I did not wish to hurt you and I promise you that I won’t laugh at you again.

This was not exactly true and he crossed his fingers behind his back for he did not really think he could resist the urge to laugh again when he heard him talk. Erasmus looked at him with penetrating eyes and did not seem like he wanted to forgive him. However he sighed and extended a tiny hand towards Aerys.

-Alright boy, he said in his funny voice again. I’m afraid I can’t blame you. My voice is like this and I know that it’s funny. But I just don’t like people laughing at me.

Aerys took his hand.

-Go on and eat before it cools off. Stew is better eaten hot.

Aerys hopped off towards the table and seated himself in front of the delicious looking stew.

The first spoonful confirmed his impression. The stew was excellent. He had never tasted anything like this before. As he ate, the gnome started to play a melody. It was a mixture of sadness and joy. The whole house seemed to be filled by the music and Aerys tried not to make any noise as he ate so as not to break the melody. When he finally finished his meal, he remained seated while Erasmus continues to play. Aerys thought he saw tears in his eyes but behind his glasses it was difficult to tell. Finally he stopped and he beckoned Aerys to follow him. I turned to take my books but to my surprise they were flying towards Erasmus. He walked towards a dark corner which I had not notice and I realized that there was a stairway there actually.

Aerys followed him and they climbed up the stairs. It was very dark and he could barely see Erasmus.

-Just a couple of torches which need to be replaced, said Erasmus noticing his fear. Don’t worry. This house is the safest place in this country, even safer than the King’s palace.

They climbed the final steps and found themselves in a long corridor with doors on each side. The place was lit fortunately although the light of the torches were dim. Erasmus walked on and Aerys followed him with precaution. The place did not appeal to him in any way. Whenever they passed a door, the gnome would tell him about its occupant. The first door was that of the hunter’s room. The second one was Erasmus’s and the following two were guest rooms. There were still two more rooms but he did not say anything about them. When Aerys asked him more about them, he evaded the subject and simply said that they had not been used for many years.

They finally arrived in front of the last one at the end of the corridor and Erasmus opened it. Aerys followed him inside and found himself in a tiny room which was even tinier than the one that he had back at home. There was only one small bed and a desk with an old looking chair. The room was illuminated by the moon’s rays which came in through two round windows.

-It is very small; he said matter-of-factly as he sat on the bed and examined the place.

-I know, replied Erasmus as he moved his fingers. The books settled down on the table. But we have to do with what we have. This place is old and your master won’t move from here.

-Why that? Aerys asked. He surely makes a lot of money killing those monsters.

-That he does lad, said Erasmus seating himself next to me. But as I said, this place is a stronghold. You won’t find a safer place anywhere. Add to that its strategic location and you have one of the best hideaways possible.

-How is it strategic?, he asked cursing my ignorance. There was still so much that he did not know and he did not like that feeling.

-We are found in the exact centre of Amestris, explained Erasmus taking his glasses off. I noticed that his eyes were violet which was really surprising. This greatly helps you master as he can travel to any place without losing any time. There are other reasons but you will learn about them in due time.

Aerys nodded and looked around. The room was definitely small. He sighed as he thought about where he would be living for the next couple years or so. He would have liked something better but he would have to do with what he was given. It did not bother him more than that. He had slept in much worse before Master Elric adopted him but he missed the comfort of his old house. While Master Elric dwelled in comfort and luxury, his apprentice had clearly not followed his steps.

Erasmus bade him goodnight and hopped off. He closed the door behind him and Aerys found himself alone in his new room. He lay on his bed and closed his eyes. He wanted to cry and smile at the same time. He was happy to be living the dream of everyone in the known world. He was a hunter’s apprentice. He should have been happy but there was also sadness in his heart as he thought of home. He missed it much now. He succumbed to sleep after a while exhausted from the long journey that had been strained him both mentally and physically.

CHAPTER 4

The first few days made Aerys realized that a being a hunter’s apprentice was not exactly as he had thought it would be. He had to wake up before dawn every morning and after a quick breakfast he was led into the study room where he would study under the supervision of Erasmus. The morning class focused on the runic language. As much as Aerys hated that language for it was pretty complicated he had to admit that Erasmus made it more bearable. He explained everything in such a way that Aerys understood exactly what he meant.

After the runic lessons, they studied ‘the bestiary of the known world’, an old book that was written in runic language. As Aerys had just started his runic lessons, Erasmus had to read aloud for him. This did not bother Aerys at all for Erasmus turned out to be an excellent professor. He had a way of reading that kept Aerys on constant edge and alert. He knew what he was teaching and many times, he corrected the text he was reading and added his own personal statements. The first thing Aerys learnt was that the creatures were listed in different categories.

-There are three categories, said Erasmus as he put the book down on the table where he stood. He was so small that the pile of books that lay on the table was still higher than him.

-We will start with the lowest category which is named as C class creatures. Those creatures are generally creatures that move in group. They don’t oppose such a great threat on their own but when they attack together, they become extremely dangerous. Can you name me one example?

Aerys remembered some fireballs and he smiled.

-Imps.

-Right, replied Erasmus happily. I see that you know quite a bit already. Imps are a perfect example. A single imp is not a great danger but a swarm of imp surely is. There are many other creatures like this. Gnolls, dwarfs, troglodytes and goblins amongst others. You will need to learn about all of them; their weakness and strength, their natural habitats, etc…

-Really? Asked Aerys thinking of the amount of things he would have to memorize.

-Really boy, said Erasmus seriously. A good hunter must be able to identify a creature quickly be it by its prints or by its smell or anything else. Then he must be able to eliminate it and he can only do that if he knows everything about the beast. Do you understand?

Aerys indicated that he did and Erasmus pursued.

-Next we have B type creatures. Those creatures are not immediate threats to humankind. They are mostly pacific and sometimes offer their help to humans. Can you name one?

Aerys racked his brains but he could not think of any. He then remembered something the hunter had told him.

-Would the creatures that helped the first men against the demon fall in this category?

Aerys shook his head slowly.

-Unfortunately this time is long gone and few actually remember these days. There are very few creatures that remain in good terms with humans alas. No.. in this category, you will find creatures such as fairies who still help hunters sometimes but only if they can be found for fairies are magical creatures. They are so hard to find.

-The rest don’t have any contact with humans or try not to as much as possible. There are the elves, who live in hiding somewhere, the gnomes…yes we were in the last alliance although we try not to mingle with the human race anymore. There are some more which you will learn about in due time again.

-Finally there are the A type creatures. Needless to say that they are the most dangerous of all. In this category you will find the likes of dragons, vampires, werewolves, hydras, and so on. The list is quite big in fact surprisingly.

Aerys did not know what to say. The creatures he was hearing were all terrible foes. Erasmus noticed Aerys worried face and said quickly.

-Now don’t be so worried lad. If the beasts and monsters are so powerful, that does not mean that they cannot be killed. Each and every one of them has been slain at least once, well there are some exceptions, but most have been.

-Even dragons? he asked …

-Yes dragons, he answered with a smile. But it was long ago and few still remember these days when men were powerful enough to take even dragons down. But now these days have passed. The age of heroes has long gone lad.

-Why that?

-The force of men has declined. They don’t have the same values that the men of older times had. There are very few persons left that still fight for honor and justice anymore. They are more interested in power and fame and their eyes are blinded. They can’t see their fall alas. They are just the shades of what they were.

There was sadness in his voice that Aerys had never heard before. He looked out through the window and remained silent, probably remembering things of the past. Aerys wondered how old he was. He had never asked him. Did gnomes live longer than men? It was possible for he had said that he remembered about the men of the past. If that was true, he was probably hundreds of tears old. Was that possible? He turned towards Aerys and smiled.

-Well that does not mean that no such men will ever appear again. There is still some hope. Now let’s start your lesson. We have still much to cover.