The Doctor and The Baker

It is no secret that Gideon and Josiah’s childhood was clouded in darkness, with the only bit of light coming from Ms Celeste Page. The role she took on as their caregiver is arguably the only reason why the boys turned out to be so well-mannered and selfless community members. Ashford and Narkista’s lack of presence was both a blessing and a curse and left the brothers with many unanswered questions. Gideon and Josiah have little to recollect about either of their parents, and the memories that remain tell a story of betrayal and hardship. The brothers have given up contemplating and analyzing the events that occurred and have instead decided to bury themselves in work and extracurriculars. As their fondest memories center around her, the agony that has been lingering since her disappearance has, at times, been overwhelming and rarely inspires reminiscing.

Neither of the boys were keen to admit who their parents truly were, even though it had been the biggest piece of gossip that circulated the town. To this day they both refuse to speak about their childhood, their parents, or Ms Celeste. When the boys were little, it took a great deal of correcting and convincing that Ms Celeste was not their mother. A fact which neither brother was willing to accept as their love for her was so great and their disdain for Narkista was even greater. Ms Celeste seemed to be completely devoted to doing right by the Blake boys and took up the role-model mantle with pride. Hours would be spent sharing tales of those lost to time. The boys were particularly interested in hearing stories from her homeland: The Kingdom of Hûbberta. She taught them about the world and that being kind to all things, even those that don’t breathe, is the correct moral path to follow.

The evident disconnect that they felt from their parents gave way for heightened tensions whenever Ashford and Narkista showed up. Every few months the serene household life would be disrupted causing the brothers to retreat to the woods where they would feel the tension somewhat dissipate. The solace and shelter sought after in the woods was lonely, yet the lesser of the two evils. This withdrawal from the family home was very much encouraged by Ms Celeste. While their parents were present, Ms Celeste would stand firm in the home acting as the mediator between the Blake’s. However, as strong as her presence was, Ms Celeste couldn’t keep the air light enough to ensure the three of them didn’t feel like they were suffocating.

While Ashford and Narkista were off gallivanting, Ms Celeste, Gideon, and Josiah would wander through the enchanted woods living in their own fantasy land. They would fight magical beasts and rescue many distressed prisoners. This time would also be spent foraging for berries and nuts to fill the pantry back at the humble cottage. One day, they came across a river with waters so clear one could make out every piece of sand resting on its bed. As they were crossing, Josiah caught sight of three gleaming stones partially buried in the riverbed. He carefully dug them out and continued making his way across. When he reached the shore, he turned and bowed his head to the river in thanks for the gift of the stones; a practice instilled in him and his brother by Ms Celeste. Josiah eagerly held his open palm out to his brother and Ms Celeste to show them the treasure he found. The three stones were each a bright colour of swirling shades. On one side an ancient rune was etched ᛇ, causing Ms Celeste’s eyes to widen in awe. She explained that the treasure Josiah had found was indeed a marvelous one. These three stones were filled with the magic of ancient Fairies. Ms Celeste instructed that they should all hold one in their palm. As this type of magic didn’t allow for symmetry, the three stones were each a different colour. Gideon took the green stone and Josiah took the blue one, leaving Ms Celeste with the red one.

“Remember to keep your voice soft and say the name as a gentle request and not a command. The earth rewards those who are true of heart and honest. You can’t demand anything, just as nothing can be demanded of you.” She closed her eyes and gently whispered to the stone. “Eihwaz”. The swirling shades in the stone began rolling to life, causing them to glow brilliantly in their hands. The three pairs of eyes began to echo the enchanting scene in front of them. It was decided that these stones would be used as a form of communication when Ashford and Narkista were in the home. The boys could call Ms Celeste if they were in danger, and Ms Celeste could let them know when it was safe to return.

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Ms Celeste Page was a strong woman of unique character and unmatched tenacity. She was fearless in the face of danger; calm amid a storm; loyal to a fault; and kind when the world was washed in hatred. Her character was one with unwavering morality and pure determination. Hailing from centuries of tradition, her extensive knowledge was evident, however arrogance was non-existent. Her lineage was granted a great occupational gift which was a task taken with the utmost sense of duty and honour. It was the role she had been studying for since childhood and as a result became consumed in archival research; often spending every hour of the day with her nose in a book or scribbling notes into her journal. Upon stumbling across the ad posted by Ashford and Narkista Blake, none could understand her eagerness about the position. As she was next in succession to the High Keeper title, leaving the kingdom would mean forgoing her birthright. To add further to the puzzle, she refused to tell anyone why she had developed such an interest in childcare and left early one morning, leaving behind a note that named her brother as the next High Keeper. It was the last that anyone had heard from their dear Celeste since her departure from her mountain home in the Kingdom of Hûbberta.

The Dwarven Kingdom of Hûbberta is the oldest known kingdom in the land and was formed out of the earth through divine intervention. It is renowned for its clandestine citizens and great library filled with centuries of information, all carefully kept in mint condition. King Cadish Jamel Vidian, who has been ruler since the birth of the kingdom, was there during the great arising. As legend says, Cadish embarked on a great expedition to secure a permanent homeland for his wandering tribe. Being very proficient in an ancient magic bestowed upon him by the gods, he was guided to an open plain. After making sacrifices and meticulously blessing every inch of the land, he pulled earth from the ground to create a towering mountain range encircling a valley. Using the earth as a natural fortress, he built the kingdom in honour of the gods and vowed that this kingdom would be a place of knowledge, preservation and above all, peace. After bringing his tribe they set about building a great city acting as a façade before an even greater library. Other kingdoms held such respect for the king of Hûbberta that they sent their most sacred texts to him to be protected. A Keepers Guild was founded, and elected families were named protectors of the library and its ever-expanding knowledge base. They were also instructed to learn from as many of the text bringers as possible and study language to properly preserve history and hold the knowledge required should the texts ever need to be referenced. To this day there are only a handful of texts in the library that cannot be referenced as the language has been lost to time. The High Keeper, the ultimate overseer of the Keepers Guild, was entrusted to a steadfast matriarch of a highly respected family, Dealla Page.

King Cadish reigned with respect and never took a partner; bearing no children. He felt the duties to the kingdom and its inhabitants did not allow for time spent focusing on raising children. When King Cadish breathed his last at the old and fulfilling age of 674, his appointed successor was his niece, Orguelleuse, who reigned in such a way as to stain the name of her dearly beloved uncle. Legend states that she was a selfish and hot-tempered successor who repeatedly besmirched the gods. Taking great offence to her actions, three gods were sent to Hûbberta to rectify the wrongs. All were gathered in the square and all were buzzing with nervous anticipation, as everyone apart from the queen knew their arrival did not suggest a pleasant visit. The gods brought forth Queen Orguelleuse who, due to her delirious and arrogant sense of self, assumed she was being rewarded with a great gift. Instead, the gods proceeded to point out her flaws and criticize her for butchering her uncle’s name, and the legacy of the kingdom he had envisioned. In a great flash, the queen was locked in place, and one by one small pieces of her broke off, slowly turning her to rubble. One of the gods bottled up the pile that was formerly a queen and tucked her away in a long-forgotten location. Since King Cadish had been such a faithful ally and revered ruler, the gods woke him from his deathly slumber and gave him the gift of eternal youth to ensure the kingdom would never fall prey to tainted hands again.

Throughout Hûbbertian history the secluded mountain kingdom has been a cultural epicentre, amassing such a high level of respect that potential external threats were seldom considered. About one hundred years before the birth of Ms Celeste, an ancient text was discovered missing from the library. It was a book full of spells in a lost language, a seemingly useless piece of work, however the fact that it was misplaced raised several pairs of suspicious eyebrows. There was an initial attempt to keep the missing text a secret and the Keepers Guild conducted a thorough internal investigation. But missteps behave as fires, and soon the whole kingdom was aware of the predicament the Keepers Guild was facing. The entire kingdom came under question and every rock was overturned during the search to no avail. The kingdom became divided and on the brink of civil war. Hûbbertian citizens called to King Cadish, demanding he take action, but the King is wise, given his eternal youth, and was able to avert the potential disaster. He knew that the person or being responsible was not amongst his people. No one in the kingdom could decipher the text and the ferocity at which everyone claimed their innocence could only be marked as the truth. There had been a thief, or thieves, and they are responsible for the missing piece of literature. The Kingdom of Hûbberta was shaken to the core, regardless of the importance or insignificance of the text, it was the first time in history that the great library had been robbed. There was no way to determine when the text was taken which severely stalled the investigation process. It became an unsolvable mystery, and a great burden to Ms Celeste’s mother, who was the High Keeper at the time of the observed disappearance.

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The air in the Blake cottage was eerily grey and downcast one morning when Gideon and Josiah woke up. Tentatively they left their room and crept around, finding their home to be in total disarray. An all-too-familiar unsettling feeling gripped their chests as they rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw their parents seated at the table with their heads in their hands.

“You boys are fools. The love you pour towards that backstabbing witch has finally dealt us a painful blow. Celeste...” Narkista spat and snarled as she said the name. “...is gone and left us with a trashed home and ruined children.” Narkista’s eyes filled to the brims with tears before an ocean erupted down her cheeks. Her nose was refusing to let air pass through, indicating the voluminous extent of her grief.

“It is time you two made something of your lives and redeem your status in our family.” Ashford spoke in such a direct and unemotional tone that it was hard to believe he was speaking to his own kin. “I don’t care where you go or what you do, but you are not welcome here. We have had enough of your childish ways. Adulthood is upon you. Go.” With that, he closed his eyes, turned his head, and waved them away with the flick of a wrist. That was the moment the brothers parted ways. One decided upon the avenue of least resistance by following in their mother’s footprints, while the other took a humbler approach by apprenticing in the pastry arts. The day Ms Celeste vanished, once again without a trace, was the last day Gideon and Josiah were seen interacting. It was also the last the town would see of Ashford and Narkista Blake.