Chapter 28: The Path of the Mage I

Chapter 28: 28: The Path of the Mage I Chapter 3: The Path of the Mage --- One day later... The morning mist had begun to lift from the hills as John stood at the edge of the village, watching the sun rise through a haze of golden light. Dew sparkled on the grass. Chimney smoke curled lazily upward as the village stirred to life behind him. Sera stood nearby, arms crossed, her white cloak fluttering gently behind her. Her shiny eyes scanned his face like she was searching for something she wasn’t sure she wanted to find. "You’re really leaving?" she asked. John nodded. "I need to. There’s something I have to do. Something inside me that doesn’t belong in a forge. I need to become a mage." Fizz hovered nearby, carrying a long stick like a walking cane and wearing what appeared to be a paper crown made from temple prayer slips. He raised it high. "We ride at dawn!" he declared. "By ride, I mean you walk and I sit on your shoulder. Because my wings are tired and I’m sitting on John’s shoulder the whole way." John ignored him and turned back to Sera thinking. "The forge is upgraded. The system’s interface can replicate basic tools and store blueprints now. There’s even a ring blueprint for extra inventory." Then he says to Sera, "The miners will be fine for a while. I teach them everything they need to know." Sera looked away. "That’s not why I’m worried." John’s expression softened. "I’ll be careful. I promise." Elara approached from the temple stairs, her robes still damp from morning dew. Her golden handle dagger pressed softly on her waist with each step. "You have barely scratched the surface of a forge," she said. "And now you’re chasing whispers of power?" John didn’t flinch. "I’m not chasing anything. I’m following a path that I have chosen for myself." Elara studied him for a moment. Then she nodded once. "Go, then. But remember, if the path begins with secrecy, it often ends in ruin. If you try to harm Sera in any way, I will come for you." Fizz raised a furry covered paw. "Counterpoint, if it begins with snacks, it often ends in nap time." "No one asked you, weird contract." Elara said flatly. Fizz twirled midair. "You never ask, but you always listen. What I meant is, Don’t threaten my master. In my eyes you are just a snack." John sighed and reached into his pouch. He pulled out a folded set of papers and turned to Gael, who stood beside the forge shack holding a pickaxe slung over one shoulder. "Gael," John said. "These are the forms. I need you to head to the nearest Trade Registry and register the business in your name." Gael blinked. "I will do what you say. What about the name? Should I change it?" "No need, name will be Fizz Holdings," John replied without any hesitation. "Just a small time trading. Mostly ore and forge goods. It’s not about making profit. Just enough movement to let the village grow and not draw attention." Gael scratched his beard. "You sure? That name’s gonna raise eyebrows." Fizz zipped over and puffed out his tiny chest. "It’s a brand. It’s iconic. It’s majestic." "Fizz Holdings," Gael repeated slowly. "Yeah. Okay. That sounds like a company that sells lightning in a bottle and regret in a jar." John handed over a leather pouch. "The initial funds are in here. Just register it. Tell the others to keep the trades small and consistent. No big shipments. We don’t want bandits or nobles sniffing around. If the money isn’t enough then sell an uncommon dagger at half price." "I got it," Gael said. "Be careful out there. And if you die, I’m renaming the forge after me." He jokes. John smirked. "I’ll haunt you." Fizz leaned into John’s ear. "He really will. I’ve seen your ghost face. Not flattering." John turned back to Sera and Elara one last time. "Take care of the temple. And keep an eye on the miners. If they face any problems... can you help them?" Sera nodded once. "You better come back fast. We have to go to different places to fix the temple." Fizz saluted with his stick. "We’ll bring back tales of heroism. And possibly some love fruit." He winks at Sera. There was definitely a double meaning message there. They left the village before full sunlight had broken across the hilltops. The road stretched out like a lazy serpent of dirt and grass, winding down the slope and into the forest that hugged the land below. John walked in silence for the first hour, boots crunching against dry gravel. Fizz flew loops above his head, occasionally dropping twigs into John’s hair just to see how long it took him to notice. After the third twig, John finally said, "Are you bored already?" Fizz shrugged midair. "It’s a long road. I need stimulation. And your hair looks like a squirrel playground or a bird’s nest. You should take a bath." "Maybe I should’ve picked the mount." John murmured. Fizz gasped dramatically. "You wound me, forge man. I’m worth at least three horses and one emotionally damaged goose." The forest thickened around them. The sun now peeked through the canopy in soft columns of light. Bird calls echoed from above, and somewhere in the distance, a beast growled faintly. Fizz perked up. "So where are we going?" John opened his system window in his mind. The message appeared as if waiting.