He looked around to ensure no one was near him, then he opened the book with a gentle touch. He turned the pages until he reached the new writings that had recently appeared.
On the page was a symbol that reminded him of a emblem. It depicted a silver griffin with a broken chain on a black background. Above it stood the words «Duchy of Velmora».
He read the inscription below. Velmora lies northwest of Thalyon in a vast, mountainous borderland full of misty forests, crystal mines and cursed ruins. The area was once a no man's land between hostile kingdoms, but was granted as a fief to the then war hero Duke Ailwin Cooke after the Duskfield Peace.
"Is that all?" He was slightly surprised. „All the other writings were much more detailed... maybe there isn't much more to know about this place. Or I need to actively ask more questions to get a complete picture..." He mused.
He turned the page and froze. There was a passage about the dragons in this world. „It even gives me information about that? Marla only mentions the dragon briefly..."
The text spoke of ancient creatures, once revered as gods, now feared and hunted. Dragons were beings of immense power, their breath capable of scorching the earth and their scales as hard as the strongest steel. They lived in the most inaccessible places of the world, their lairs hidden in the highest peaks or the deepest caverns.
"Gods..." Lucius muttered to himself. „It seems to react rather than act, almost passively. It automatically perceives the conversations and environments and provides me with answers based on them..."
„But I don't understand where it gets the information from. Has it already been in those places? Or has someone... or something specially created it? But then why can I use it..." Many questions flashed through his mind at the same time.
He sighed slightly and closed it again. „It definitely has limitations... But I don't know to what extent it is limited. And then there's the matter of potential danger if I use it... There must be consequences for using such an object. It probably belonged to one of the two people whose house I woke up in." He paused and rubbed his temple.
„I wonder if they know anything about my appearance in this world? Should I better go back and find out? But what if they are not friendly to me? After all, I stole their book... and there could be a possibility that they had nothing to do with my appearance and that I accidentally appeared in their house... In that case, what should I tell them?" Lucius contemplated his next steps.
But for now, he had to rest. He had a long journey ahead of him tomorrow.
....
The next morning, the caravan was up early, the air thick with the scent of dew and the crackling of the campfire. The villagers had mostly retreated to their cottages, leaving the market square to the merchants and their goods.
Marla woke him with a nudge. "We leave soon," she said, her voice a whisper in the early dawn.
Lucius sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The fire had burned down to embers, casting a warm glow over the damp earth. He stretched, feeling the stiffness from his uncomfortable bed of hay and straw.
Marla handed him a piece of jerked meat and a chunk of bread. "Here," she said with a yawn. "It's not much, but it'll keep you going until we reach Thalyon."
Lucius took the food gratefully, his stomach growling in anticipation. The simple act of breaking his fast grounded him in this new reality, making him feel more connected to the world around him. He chewed slowly, savoring the salty flavor of the meat and the warm, comforting taste of the bread.
As the caravan readied itself for departure, the air grew tense with anticipation. Horses whinnied and the clink of armor and rustle of packs grew louder as the merchants checked their supplies. Garrick strode over, clapping a hand on Lucius' shoulder. "So you let Marla persuade you to come with us?"
Lucius nodded and swallowed the last of his bread. "It seems like a good opportunity to see my... birthplace again." In his head, it sounded strange to think of Thalyon as his birthplace. However, it served as his cover.
Marla studied him for a moment before speaking. "We'll be passing through the Edgewoods. It's a dangerous route, but it's the quickest to Thalyon. And with the dragon sightings, we can't afford to take the longer path."
The mention of the dragons sent a chill down Lucius' spine, but he kept his expression neutral. "I'm not afraid of a little danger," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
Garrick's laugh rumbled like distant thunder. "Good," he said, his one eye gleaming. "You'll need that spirit where we're going."
The caravan set off, the stone path giving way to a dirt trail that wound through the countryside. The sun climbed higher in the sky, casting dappled shadows through the trees. The forest grew denser as they approached the Edgewoods, the branches knitting together to form a canopy that blocked out most of the light.
Marla walked alongside Lucius, her hand resting on the pommel of her sword. "Keep your eyes peeled," she murmured. "The woods are not kind to travelers."
Lucius nodded, his gaze flickering over the underbrush. Despite the serene beauty of the woods, he felt the weight of their foreboding.
„I hope the book has information on these woods..." He thought, his hand resting on the leather-bound cover.
Suddenly, the quill inside his mind began to scribble rapidly, as if responding to his thoughts. It was a peculiar sensation, as if the book was alive, and it had picked up on his curiosity about the forest.
„I think slowly I understand how it works," he thought to himself. „It just reacts, passively and waiting for me to act. I'm feeling more and more like I'm in an RPG..."
The journey through the Edgewoods was tense. The trees grew denser and the air grew colder. The caravanners were all on edge, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
Suddenly, the horses' whinnies grew louder, and they stopped abruptly. The carts jolted, and the merchants swore as they scrambled to keep their goods from falling. Garrick's one eye narrowed, and he drew his axe with a metallic ring.
Marla leaned in close to Lucius, her voice a tight whisper. "Do you see anything?"
Lucius squinted into the dense underbrush, his heart racing. "No, but something's out there," he murmured, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow.
Then it came. A roar so thunderous it seemed to shake the very earth beneath them. It echoed through the trees, a primal sound that seemed to resonate in their very bones. The horses reared, their eyes wide with terror, and the merchants shouted in panic.
A sharp pain shot through Lucius skull as the roar echoed like thunder inside his head. His knees buckled slightly. „What the hell was that?!" His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping.
The earth beneath them trembled, a low rumble grew louder until it was all they could hear. It felt as if the forest itself had risen to its feet and was moving toward them. The trees swayed, and the leaves rustled with the unmistakable sound of something massive approaching.