Abandoned Papers [Continued]

"The fortune is spread far and wide.
These riches belong to the last one alive.
Great wealth to the man who be the last one to ride
the golden road to the castle where the treasure is kept safely inside."

The old Sorcerer in a lonely corner of the tavern had been repeating these words for the better part of an hour and yet nobody seemed to pay him any mind with the exception of myself. I wasn't bothered by his repetitive mantra, but intrigued. I couldn't help but get the feeling he was talking to me, about my family, about the possibility of a large amount of wealth just waiting for me to claim as my own. But, I'd abandoned my family name. I'd denied my nobility in exchange for a more simple, yet adventurous life. And yet, I kept the mantra running in my mind, long after the old Sorcerer had gone silent and fallen asleep in that dark corner.

I was in one of my "moods", as Sov liked to put it. I spent my entire day in the tavern, sipping my usual amber colored drink I refused to know the name of and thinking deeply about my life; past, present, and future. I had loved the wealth and the nice things that had come along with it. I had loved the power, the sway, and the command I held over people just because of my name. But, I still had more money than those that surrounded me. I was still respected and feared. I still had power. The only difference was that I stole for my "wealth" and killed for my "respect". My future, however, was not a matter I could define so clearly.

This "mood" I was in lasted for the better part of a week. Every day I would come into the tavern , sip my drink and mull over the same thoughts in my head. Sov would often drop by and jokingly remind me that I was already insane and would only drive myself crazier should I continue this "mood". I suppose he was right, despite his light-hearted tone, for I thought I was going mad when the old Sorcerer in the corner began a new mess of words.

"Deep in the forest of the ancient trees
lies a village of old magic that no one sees.
Rebuilding, existing in harmony and peace
in this land of hatred, blood, violence, and disease.

Nightshade they are and in the shadows they stay
for their silence is what keeps the evil at bay.
Secrets unknown can be learned to those that follow their way.
Mysteries are revealed, but deep within the Nightshade they lay."

For days I remained in the tavern, repeating both poems to myself over and over again, appearing nearly as mad and lonely as the old Sorcerer himself. Surely this was not coincidence. My family's fortune belonged to me, but it was spread out. The knowledge contained within this "Nightshade", whatever it was, would be my source for finding the locations of the pieces of my fortune. I could live a life of complete luxury, reclaim my role as the last of my noble bloodline and have everything and anything I ever wanted. Never had anything made so much sense to me and yet be so vague at the same time. I tried explaining this to Sov and he began to fear for my sanity.

"Do ye have the fever, Eve?" he asked me and pressed the back of his large hand to my forehead, his brow furrowed in concern.

"I don't have the ****ed fever, Sov! Listen to me!"

"I'm listening, love, but it's not making a lick o' sense to me."

"But the sorcerer in the tav-"

"He's not right in the head. Let it go already. Please. I'm worried for you. What he says has nothing to do with you."

"But-"

"No. Please, Eve. Just let it go."

That last word was the only thing that registered in my mind: Go. Go and find this Nightshade and reclaim your rightful place among Iris' most respected and most powerful noble families. Go and prove that your brains have not been addled by the "senseless" words of an old man. Go.

A few days later, when the moon was new and the streets were pitch black, that is what I did. I scribbled a note to Sov, explaining why I was leaving. I gathered a few things in a small rucksack and placed the note on my pillow, a place he immediately looked to every morning with a smile. I felt a guilty pang in my heart as I slipped silently out of the small house and into the streets of Randol. When I exited the city gate, this guilt turned into anger.

He didn't believe me! How could he, Sov, the person that knew me almost as well as I knew myself, not believe me?

Every so often I looked back at my tracks and did my best to cover them. I knew he would follow and succeed in tracking me down, but I'd make it one hell of a challenge.

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