Morgus, Apprentice’s Journey!, Episode 001, ‘Red Phoenix Barge’ Part one

With InUPress

By Kenneth Shumaker

September 24, 2016

Morgus, Apprentice’s Journey!

Episode 001, ‘Red Phoenix Barge’

Autumn 50 Unicorn 3rd Cycle V Succession of King Regeanus the III

Morgus, Apprentice’s Journey! 

Our serial series is set in Rusty Knight’s medieval fantasy realm of Quantos. We find the Apprentice Mage Morgus is out from the Mage’s University and on his one-year walk-about before he returns for his journeyman certification test on Autumn 50 of Pine, during the reign of King Regeanus III in the royal city of Mount Oryn’s South State district. Our intrepid hero, with a checkered past, is an attractive thirty-three-year-old human Jalnoric male with a bold personality and is determined to survive his walk-about year at any cost, even if it means snuggling in and working with nobility.

 

Previously with:

I am returning to write a new series. I will take three random words granted to me by you, the audience, for each story. In this new series, we will be following a chronological order, starting on the first day of Morgus’ journeyman walkabout from the Mage’s University with the date being: Autumn 50 Unicorn of the 3rd Cycle of the Vth Succession of Regeanus III.

This setting is in the time of the monarch before the king of all of my previous Quantos writing’s settings, back by about seventeen years. These new stories take place fourteen years before Regeanus abdicates and then dies. They start fourteen years before King Dolan IV’s reign begins.

This is a different era, with a different a character, being done in the old original format style for you the audience. I hope you enjoy the serial series episodes: Morgus, Apprentice’s Journey!

 

We continue now with episode E001, on:

Autumn 50 Unicorn 3rd Cycle

Morgus walks to exit through the gate of the Mage’s University along the dark churning shore of the river. The southern breath of the gods whips Morgus’ cloak harshly against his over six-foot tall, two-hundred-pound Jalmal body, cooling him off even through the nearly ground length Imvor-red heavy wool cloak.

Cursing in jal, “Seven Hells!” Morgus starts out on his year long journeyman test. This is his walkabout from the Mage’s University to become a journeyman mage. All that the University allowed Morgus to take is what he can carry with him this morning. His mentors believe that he supposedly has no destination, but that is the joke on them. Morgus decided two years ago, that when this time came, he would spend the year surviving somehow in South State, District 13 of the Royal City of Mount Oryn.

He laughs, the Dominnion of Kannoral only has two cities, Mount Oryn and Dendar. Morgus thought about traveling to Dendar which is the trade city. But he threw that idea out, as he has no interest in journeying by barge on the river, and traveling by land to Dendar usually results in death.

Setting one foot in front of the other, he begins his walk to the district of South State, district number thirteen, the city’s southernmost and wildest district, which is several days walking. Today, Morgus is fighting against the unusual fierce south breaths of the gods.

…..

As evening approaches, and the two day-gods begin their descent into the western horizon, Morgus welcomes the sight of an inn a few dozen metres ahead. The bright red and orange sign says in Jal script, ‘Talon Inn’.

Spending the night at the Inn, to recover from his ten hours of walking, Morgus sleeps soundly through the night.

…..

Autumn 54 Unicorn

Walking briskly into the Heron Inn in South State, District 13, Morgus has now been in South State for almost two days. The clear sphere overhead with its soft, warm east gods-breath was comfortable for traveling today.

Morgus cheerfully considers that he is almost to his destination; this is his last night on the road for a while. Morgus sits in the tavern relaxing, watching other patrons, and listening to random conversations as he enjoys a particularly good evening meal before sleeping.

…..

Autumn 55 Unicorn

Rising before gods-rise, Morgus is excited. In a hurry, he dresses, and rushes out of his room, skipping morning meal and greeting the morning’s darkness before the two day-gods start their gods-rise. Morgus sets out walking. With the first stage of his early journey almost over, he should arrive at his destination before evening.

The light warm east gods-breath is gentle on his traveling as Morgus walks along with the bustling crowds of Hex Avenue toward the less crowded Drescol Street. Soon turning onto dreary paving stones of Drescol Street. On Drescol Street, Morgus travels northwest to the large stone inn, he recognises the Perch Inn as he arrives. The Perch Inn once belonged to his family before his father died and his mother couldn’t pay the heriot tax. His family had to leave when Morgus was seven. The five surviving family members traveled to Desserman, District 7, where Morgus’ mother passed on when Morgus was twelve.

The Perch Inn hasn’t changed much, unless they added a coat of paint some time ago?

Looking at the large cut-stone front of the building at 1312 Drescol Street, Morgus sighs happily and enters the dim interior of the inn.

Standing at the large dark wooden front desk, Morgus calls out, “Good-day, anyone?”

An octogenarian Toymal exits a door that Morgus recalls leads into the inn’s tight office.

The old man feebly says, “Good-day, I’m Toya the Innkeeper. How may I aid you?”

Morgus recalls Toya is the very man who took over from his mother, ‘Odd, how little some things change in life.’ Morgus thinks as he then says coldly, “Master Toya, I would like to rent a room, and have two meals a day, for one season. I’ll pay you now.”

Toya grins eagerly and answers curtly. “Of course, master. That will cost fifteen Flairs.”

Morgus does a quick mental calculation of the rent, and individual meals totaled up. He shakes his head, saying, “I decline Master Toya. I am Mage Morgus. I will pay you nine Flairs, or I will return to the Heron Inn tomorrow, and only stay here the one night.”

Toya smiles and extends his arm to seal the deal. “I’ll take nine Flairs for room four on the second floor, and two meals a day, for one season. Anything else costs extra.”

Chuckling at the unhidden entrapment, Morgus clasps arms, grabbing Toya’s forearm as Toya grabs his and they squeeze and pump their arms twice before releasing.

Pulling free his coin pouch from his belt, which is getting lighter, Morgus lightens it by another nine small gold coins – the Royal Kannoral Flairs – simply known as Flairs. Morgus hands the coins to Toya, whose hand is held out waiting.

Morgus says in a cold voice, “I want clean sheets every six-day and a bath every six-day.”

Toya answers with glee, “Yes, one Dyns each.”

Nodding, Morgus answers in a sour tone. “I’ll go to my room now, and then go to the tavern for my first meal.”

Toya fidgets after excitedly placing the nine coins carefully in the lockbox under the counter of his desk. He replies to Morgus, “I’ll let the staff know: the cook, Lessa, and tavern-servant Pedren. I’ll inform the inn-servant, Erec, so they know you will be using room four.”

To be continued in part two …