Damaged Diary Entries By An Unknown Apprentice Of Zolikz
The man returned again today. I watched him unlock the old iron gate from the inside as he emerged from the darkness of the Lower Dregs. What does he do down there? This time he was down there for two weeks, at least I think it was two weeks. I wish I had the courage to approach him but Mother always told me the stories of what happens in the Dregs and it scares me. I don't understand why anyone would want to go down there. Its dark, its damp and it smells, not to mention The Night Prophets are down there. . .
. . . After lessons tomorrow I'm going to hide by the gate. He comes on a schedule it seems. I have to get a closer look. He carries swords with him, they look so cool. Mother warns me to stay away from the gate. Well, if that's what she wants why did she choose to live right beside it? It's not my fault that the most interesting that's ever happened to me is coming and going through there. My friends at the academy have been telling me stories about what their parents did in the war against Laststar but Father is just a boring professor and Mother has no talent for magic so she just keeps the home. I want my own story to tell. . .
. . . I DID IT, I WENT INSIDE! I used all of my allowance to get homeless guy to bust up the lock on the gate. The man couldn't lock it shut so I just snuck in after him. I followed him for a bit but he moves so fast, before I knew it I couldn't tell which way he had gone. I had to turn back before I got lost. It wasn't as bad as everyone says it is down there. Next time I'll move faster and keep up. The look on Agri's face when I tell him I went down into the Lower Dregs and returned alive will be glorious. . .
. . . I wish I'd never come down here. I miss Mother and Father. I miss my friends. I miss the academy. I miss homework. These mushrooms taste disgusting but I'm so hungry. At least they glow so I can see and write. If anyone finds this diary please tell Mother that I love her. . .
. . . The mans name is Zolikz! THE ZOLIKZ! Everyone at the academy brags about their parents just being on the same battlefield as Zolikz. He's the greatest warrior of our time and I got to meet him. IN PERSON! I don't even know how I could even tell anyone, they wouldn't even believe me. Why is he coming here though? . . .
. . . We ran into an actual Night Prophet. It was so scary. It grabbed me out of nowhere. I don't remember what happened next but Zolikz said I ran it off with a blast of energy. He sounded surprised. I'm surprised too, I was never able to anything like that at the academy but now I'm sore all over. Zolikz said I would have to come with him, that we have to go deeper, that we'll reach his destination in half a day . . .
. . . Its amazing, we're so far below the city but I can see light. Its a tiny prick so far above, who even made a shaft like this. Its way to long and way to deep. Zolikz has to meditate here but said it would be safe. This place is making me feel nauseous, its giving me a headache too. Looking up at that wee point of light makes me feel a little better though. . .
I told Zolikz how I felt once he finished meditating. Apparently I surprised him again. He asked if he could cast some kind of magic on me, I wasn't sure what it was but after he was done he had to meditate again. This is an amazing adventure and all but I think I'm about ready to go home now . . .
I'M GOING TO BE Zolikz's APPRENTICE!!!!!! EAT IT AGRI! THIS IS SO COOL!! Zolikz said I have potential and that he'd train me. Maybe one day I can be a mighty warrior just like him. Maybe I could be the best fighter in all of Saido. Maybe one day the stories of the great heroes will be about me . . .
. . . After lessons tomorrow I'm going to hide by the gate. He comes on a schedule it seems. I have to get a closer look. He carries swords with him, they look so cool. Mother warns me to stay away from the gate. Well, if that's what she wants why did she choose to live right beside it? It's not my fault that the most interesting that's ever happened to me is coming and going through there. My friends at the academy have been telling me stories about what their parents did in the war against Laststar but Father is just a boring professor and Mother has no talent for magic so she just keeps the home. I want my own story to tell. . .
. . . I DID IT, I WENT INSIDE! I used all of my allowance to get homeless guy to bust up the lock on the gate. The man couldn't lock it shut so I just snuck in after him. I followed him for a bit but he moves so fast, before I knew it I couldn't tell which way he had gone. I had to turn back before I got lost. It wasn't as bad as everyone says it is down there. Next time I'll move faster and keep up. The look on Agri's face when I tell him I went down into the Lower Dregs and returned alive will be glorious. . .
. . . I wish I'd never come down here. I miss Mother and Father. I miss my friends. I miss the academy. I miss homework. These mushrooms taste disgusting but I'm so hungry. At least they glow so I can see and write. If anyone finds this diary please tell Mother that I love her. . .
. . . The mans name is Zolikz! THE ZOLIKZ! Everyone at the academy brags about their parents just being on the same battlefield as Zolikz. He's the greatest warrior of our time and I got to meet him. IN PERSON! I don't even know how I could even tell anyone, they wouldn't even believe me. Why is he coming here though? . . .
. . . We ran into an actual Night Prophet. It was so scary. It grabbed me out of nowhere. I don't remember what happened next but Zolikz said I ran it off with a blast of energy. He sounded surprised. I'm surprised too, I was never able to anything like that at the academy but now I'm sore all over. Zolikz said I would have to come with him, that we have to go deeper, that we'll reach his destination in half a day . . .
. . . Its amazing, we're so far below the city but I can see light. Its a tiny prick so far above, who even made a shaft like this. Its way to long and way to deep. Zolikz has to meditate here but said it would be safe. This place is making me feel nauseous, its giving me a headache too. Looking up at that wee point of light makes me feel a little better though. . .
I told Zolikz how I felt once he finished meditating. Apparently I surprised him again. He asked if he could cast some kind of magic on me, I wasn't sure what it was but after he was done he had to meditate again. This is an amazing adventure and all but I think I'm about ready to go home now . . .
I'M GOING TO BE Zolikz's APPRENTICE!!!!!! EAT IT AGRI! THIS IS SO COOL!! Zolikz said I have potential and that he'd train me. Maybe one day I can be a mighty warrior just like him. Maybe I could be the best fighter in all of Saido. Maybe one day the stories of the great heroes will be about me . . .
This writing seems to be part of some kind of diary found deep in the Arcterra Grand Archive. It appears to detail how an unknown child became the apprentice of some iteration of Zolikz from what appears to be the Era of War. The location mentioned in The Lower Dregs is curious but I haven't been able to find any mention of such a structure. Unfortunately the book was severely damaged and this is all that was recoverable. Perhaps Committee Head Anifari would be interested to pursue this as a line of research further.