37th of winter 515AV
2:16PM
Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"
2:16PM
Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"
Long days and even longer nights. Worked to the point of breaking most days. Others left to stew with his renewed energy, pouring over books and scouring for bits and pieces. Fragments of knowledge of strategies and plans once held. Planning was easy. Acting was easy. But what was hard was dealing with the mental stress. Dealing with the physical repercussions. He was sore. He was tired. But most of all he just wanted some time away from the stress of training. Of bettering himself. And this was one such rare occasion. Instead of simply going through the motions. Of what he usually did when training except by himself, this day he instead headed to the baths. Normally clad from head to toe in plate and weaponry. He’d left that in the barracks, the plate armour in a small footlocker at the end of his bed and his weapons beneath said bed. And strode through town in his usual unencumbered garb. Simple browns and greens. Still he had his leather armour and thick coat on to fight off the bitter cold of the falling snows.
Still the trudge through the streets despite being bitterly cold was not unenjoyable. A short walk from the squire barracks but it was still long enough to know that the walk was cold and the people a little blunter than usual. Alex without his armour on Seemed to just blend with the crowd. Falling in step with the hustle and bustle and the large mishmash of people. What set him out however was how light of foot he was. Barely making a sound with each step having to usually control his noise with plate armour on made being stealthy even by accident a breeze without it on. Still though he was prone to a few clumsy mistakes. Such as simply catching the edge of his dagger on the wall. The only weapon he carried with him and knew how to use effectively which wasn’t as cumbersome as his bow or sword.
Still the cold snow-capped streets were something beautiful to behold. This was only his second winter, in Syliras and his first time seeing snow in this city. At least to this extent. A cool wind rolled bay knocking some snow from the edge of a house sending it straight down the back of Alex’s neck. He shuddered and froze in place, half frozen in place and half cursing the blasted cold.
A quarter bell passed as he meandered through the streets. Towards his target. Pushing in the doors of the bath-house he was hit by a calm wind of rushing warm air. Sheer bliss. He stepped inside hurriedly closing the door softly behind him. Now lounging a moment in the warm and lurid air. Smells of incense filled the steam moistened air. Even out here in the reception it was pleasant and calm. After a short moment or two of just standing in the much needed caress of the warm air he was broken from his trance by a light cough who asked him what he needed. After a brief explanation he was pointed off to the men’s lockers on the right. Not wanting to seem like he was taking advantage of his station he’d brought a small pouch of coin with him. Twenty five golden mizas, he handed over a single miza for the use of the place and having it broken into his change after he asked for a bar of soap and a towel. Waving off the change and simply telling hold and split it for a tip for himself and anyone else who happened to offer Alex any assistance.
With a small smirk and a slight nod he headed into the changing rooms picking a locker on the very top row most likely there for the akalak’s use still he was tall enough to reach. If only just. Slipping his things into the locker one by one putting his money right at the back followed by his dagger and then his clothing over the top folding his armour as best he could he piled his clothes in one by one. Slipping his loop of icons into the locker he paused. Placing them atop all his other clothing. He wanted to take them in with him but he’d have to suffice leaving them there. He now finally got a full view of just how badly he’d been thrashed over the last thirty sum days. And each one of the splotches of mixed colour was another reminder of just how far he’d come. Wrapping the towel around his waist he waded through into the baths.
Steam. Glorious steam. The heat, the warmth. Alex soaked it all in, immediately bursting into a small sweat. So used to the cold and frigid air out side was he that the warmth was something foreign. He paced around the edge of the baths. Looking for a good spot to enter. Even with the number of patrons low. He entered from the back edge. Slipping the towel free and sitting into the water slowly. A small hiss of pain and heat escaped him as he did so. The warm water was a blessing. He could almost feel the waters pulling the weariness and the lingering pain from his body. Like some sort of reverse sponge. Opening his arms out he leant into the wall closing his eyes and just letting the hot bordering on too hot waters seep into him and pull his aches from him. Even the stiffness of his neck seemed lessened.
I think I might have to come more often…The words circled his mind as he just sat there, mulling things, events, and even people he’d met over in his mind. Recounting what he knew about them, listing what he’d learnt and signing away from the world his mental lock up. An idea sprouted in his head. A way to retrieve any information he needed relatively quickly. Something some madman, or at least what he seemed to Alex at the time. Had told him. A “mind palace” an internal lock up. A secluded place where he could store all of his gathered information. And this seemed like the perfect time to do so.
---If you’re posting then here is where you stop reading if you’re not interested in the rest. Graders please read on.
He calmed his mind and began to focus on building a structure. And from there he let his braindo the rest. He started with a blank room. Smooth flagstone flooring. Sharp stone walls. An oak trimmed door. Alex stepped forwards through the door into a large open wooden hallway, lined with mahogany plank flooring and rows and rows of shelves. Bookcases and a single helical staircase in the centre of the room leading to a mass of floors. Like an ever ascending spire. On each of the shelves was a binding of a book. Some large, some small. Some thick, some thin. Lining each of the many bookshelves on the ground floor. Each one simply entitled with one particular thing.
Glancing at the plaque in the centre of the room depicting what was on this floor. It simply read. “My skills.” He ascended the staircase reading the plaque for the next floor. “People I’ve met.” Again he rose another floor. “Places I’ve been.” And then he rose to the final fourth floor. At least all he’d managed to piece together at this moment in time. The final layer of this palace read “Gods.” And looking at the shelves of the seventeen bookshelves most were filled lightly with little segments of books, nothing concrete, just what he’d done and awaited a response on. ( 1283 Words ) 
