Chapter 1
The fishing boat, called the Forlorn Hope, was deep into the southern seas. The boat was a large boat filled mostly with nets and their prey, and a few crusty fishermen from southern part of the Imperial Viceroyalty. The fishermen were most perplexed at the cleric, especially since they could not understand how someone who looked that dull to them would want to go into a war zone.
"Are you sure you're going to that island," the captain looked skeptical.
"Yes, I am," Wilfred said evenly.
"I find that hard to believe," the first mate said. "What are you, some kind of priest?"
"I am a cleric, close enough," Wilfred said with a slight grin.
"Why are you going to rebel territory, with the full authorization of the emperor. This seems crazy," the captain said. "You're not a spy, right?"
"No, I am not a spy," Wilfred replied.
"Then what are you?" the captain asked incredulously. "Why else would anyone want to go to this island?"
"The reason I am reluctant to tell you is because I do not know if you will believe me. I am a doctoral candidate at the West Fenia Seminary, and I am writing my doctoral thesis on the early history of mankind, and the identity of the mages. I need an early history that is only found in the old Viceroy's Palace, and so I have to risk my neck by going to the island to get this book to finish my thesis," Wilfred says.
"You're doing this for a thesis?" the first mate asks incredulously.
"Well, I have never heard of a person going that far for a history book. This book must be something special, I imagine," the captain said.
"Yes, it is the oldest history ever written. It was written by the second generation of humanity in the mountains of the island where I go, in the area near that garden where humanity began," Wilfred said.
"That is an old book indeed," the captain said. "Why would you want to write about the mages?"
"I am a seminary student, remember. Many people worship the mages as deities. They are special individuals, but they are not divine, and my thesis is all about demystifying the mages so we can worship the True God without any sort of false intermediaries," Wilfred said. "There is no need for anyone to place themselves between us and our Creator."
"That's a noble sentiment," the first mate said.
"Land ahead!" a sailor in the crow's next shouts.
"Alright, here we are. Good luck to you, cleric," the captain says.
"Good luck to you too. May you bring plenty of fish into port and face no dangerous storms," Wilfred replied.
With that Wilfred got off of the boat and onto the beach. The boat sailed back to sea without facing any trouble, and Wilfred walked along the main path towards the palace. Within a few minutes he was stopped by an escort of the Secfenian Central Guard, who looked at him unfriendily, as he was a stranger and he bore the clothes of a cleric.
"What are you doing here, spy?" the leader of the squad asked suspiciously.
"I am no spy. I am a cleric in search of an ancient history book found only in the Viceroy's Palace," Wilfred replied.
"You come all this way for a history book? Forgive me if I sound a little skeptical," the squad leader said.
"I am a doctoral student in West Fenia, and I am in search of the oldest history book ever written in order to finish my doctoral thesis on the mages," Wilfred replied.
"The mages? This is serious. We need to take you to the palace so we can discuss this with the people in charge," the squad leader said.
"Fine with me," Wilfred said as he got into the personal carrier.
[ Chapter 2 ]
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