Chapter 4 - Strange Old Man

--- Maximilian Eindenwald View

He reached the house, still surprised by the news of the soldier. Opening the door, he entered the room Bhalrom was in. He saw the boy sitting down on the bed with a large black shirt covering him. The shirt had a strange cut to it and the material looked strange. The sheets still covered his legs, indicating he had just woken up.

The boy had a brownish messy hair, his eyes were of a dark blue, "they have a bright light in them, and a curious feeling to as well" the Magus thought to himself analyzing the boys eyes -"signs of an inquisitive mind... he indeed shows all the signs of a foreigner noble... since I don't recognize him, judging by the color of his hair and eyes, he must be from the far east, perhaps the islands? If so, communication will be a problem..."

- "Hello Bhalrom, I think I already know why you have sent for me..." - He said to the knight

- "Yes... I concluded so far that the boy must be a noble of some sort, a foreigner one at that, probably attacked by bandits and abandoned to his luck" he answered politely. - "I hoped you could help us with the situation"

- "Oh...Very well, Let me try... "Said the mage approaching the boy

- "I'm called, Maximilian, whats your name?" - The mage tried to introduce himself first and then ask for the boy names, most nobles could understand such words in all languages, since its a common teaching, all nobles should be able to understand a greeting in most languages.

But the boy showed an awkward smile, clearly not able to understand any word.

"Not a word... strange..." Maximilian thought to himself "This ask for a more powerful strategy..." - He gesticulated to the boy to hold on, thinking about the elven necklace he was given many years ago, that would be able to translate the words to the boy and from the boy.... He went to his tent to grab it.

- "Let's try again now.... my name is Maximilian, what is yours?" - Maximilian tried once more.

The boy's surprise were clear and unmistakable, the necklace was very rare, but the knowledge of it existence was not.

"What is he doing? Have he never seen a magical necklace before? Seems like he is looking for something..." Maximilian pondered while watched the boy unrelenting search.

"Magic..." the amazed boy quietly said. "As a child seen the world for the first time... " Thought the mage comparing the image in front of him as the same as many other he had seen, dear memory of young apprentice first steps learning magic.He could not help but laugh at the scene.

- "My name is..." and the boy went silent for a moment before complementing "Riou... call me, Riou..."

"What's with this boy?" asked himself in his mind the mage,"seems like he is intentionally lying... mos precisely he does not want to give his name...

- "Riou hum? Right, my boy, can you tell us from where you are and what were you doing in this remote lands?" he said wanting to get more information from the boy without cornering him to talk of something he did not want to.

- "I don't know... but by the looks of this place I think I'm really far away from home, all I can remember is that I went to bed, and suddenly waked up last night in the woods and walked the majority of the day until... .. until I fell... and woke here" - The boy said

"He is telling the truth, I can feel it but I can't shake this feeling... as if... he is intentionally being elusive... he is just a boy... but the way he hold himself, and the choice of words.... seems too elaborated for a 15 year boys... seems to be the truth, but not completely.... he is holding back his name... and something else as well..." - pondered the mage for a few moments- "I need to be certain" - Concluded to himself.

- "Can you get up? come with me boy, lets have a walk, I need to check something if you don't mind... " Maximilian said

Both left the house and went outside

- "You were found near that forest... do you know about it?" Pointing at the forest that everyone knew about, it was one of the mysteries of the world, Endher.... everyone everywhere heard the stories and legends about it... and his intentions were to measure the boy reaction to know he was very near it.

- "I don't think so, seems a lot different than the one I was, I don't remember fog or dark trees" - the fog and the dark trees were unique to this region... the boy clearly did not recognize it which was very strange, but if he was a foreigner trying to conceal his true intentions in this place, he would at least know he could not lie about knowing this place... seems like the boy was truly lost and confused... concluded the mage, loosing up his preocupation... was then he heard in a very low voice "There was a strange silence..."the boy said as if remembering something he could not explain clearly...

It could mean many things.... but his mind could not run from the thought that the boy was talking about the traverse... one of the oldest legends that is told to the children before sleep.

It is told that the forest is the limit between this and the spirit world, that one that could traverse its limits, would have to walk through the maddening silence of the abyss and break the giant stone walls that hold the foundation of everything. But it was just a story... its intention was to teach the children to be strong willed, and resilient on their work, so they could face adversity and pass through challenges, becoming as the heroes in the stories.

Before he could notice, the mage have hastened his pace...

- "An army camp in a small village?" the boy asked while the mage was still lost in his thoughts...

- "Yes my boy, did you not felt the tremor earlier? This army here came investigate what happened" - Said Maximilian said trying to get the boy to reveal more information about himself and the recent events that happened with him.

- "I did not felt any earthquake... " said the boy casually... and continued - "Also... why do you keep calling me boy, do I look like a child?"

The elder mage could not move... as he understood the implication of the answer "earthquake" was a term used only in the most advanced and rare books of magic, took him a hundred years to find one and understand the principles, it was not a term to be casually thrown...

Then he pondered further on the meaning of the question "This boy... he seems uncertain about his appearance, his age perhaps do not match with his appearance, so he is trying to sell himself as a noble brat to get information... he probably expects me to say something as, "you are a boy" or "young"... that would mean that he is indeed much older than he appears... or he is really just a spoiled brat trying to impose his status..." his mind was rushing trying to find an answer... "No... he is to collected, to calm.... his actions so far, his words.... he is older... but how older? Would he be a mage as well... but then there was the genuine surprise with a magic amulet... he wasn't faking it... he must be older.... or is he just a boy and I'm over-thinking? No... No... in any case he clearly knows something, and I must be even more careful from now on, I need to choose carefully my words as well, just to see what his reaction will be..."

"I'm sorry... Riou wasn't it? It's a force of habit.. I will control it better from now on, but please lets enter this tent here to get some of my belongings, there is something I want to show you..."

He said to the mysterious person that clearly noticed his attempt to be dismissive...

"This "boy" was really probing me..." the image of a noble son, robbed and lost in the wilds left to his luck was long forgotten now "He is dangerous..." Maximilian guts was telling him that... he had a feeling that it even could be behind the destructive events a few weeks ago, he knew advanced earth magic... and this time and place on the Endher... he could be the one that created that powerful magic... and now disguised himself as a child to throw off investigators..."

"But he also did not show signs of deceive, he was too naive, too innocent... I may be jumping to conclusions, and a much simple explanation could be in place.....Well, all I need is to get him to hold a manatrine... if he is using magic to conceal his real identity the manatrine will nullify it, exposing him... and if by chance he refuses... that could only mean he is indeed guilty and concealing himself... I will not take any chances with advance magic user, I will end him at that moment with my best move..."

They entered and the "boy" sat down, he took his belongings, the manatrine was inside a bag... but also, infused some parchments with magic and setting the bag near the table... Sitting down next to him..

- "It seems to me that you are no stranger to magic, am I correct? Despite your surprise to the necklace that helped us communicate, I know its a rare artifact, but something tells me you know more than that"

- "I don't know magic, I mean, the idea behind it maybe, as a concept perhaps, but it was the first time seeing the real deal..." the "boy" replied the boy trying to make sense of his thoughts...

- "You say strange things for a young man..." Said the Magus paying attention to the "boy" every move.... yet he seemed unfazed by the sight of the manatrine... does he not know bout it? " in any case my spell is ready... if he do not take it I will strike.."

- "But well, lets see here, this is a yellow crystal, some people call it manatrine because it can measure the magic inside a person, please hold it with both hands and concentrate, focus your energy towards the crystal..." Maximilian explained, and leaned forward waiting for Riou to extend his hand. The "boy" extended as well... seemed like he was mistaken... and dropped the crystal in his hands...

- "BLAST" it exploded

The reaction was so severe that it exploded, he almost discharged the runes that would allow him to kill the "boy" but before he could do anything or think rationally, his scientific mind took over, the blast could only mean one thing, that the boy mana pool was astonishing, never he heard of such a violent reaction, instantaneously, by lightly touching one hand ... it would take him a few moments to cause such reaction, and certainly both hands to create a strong enough surge...

He needed to grasp the boys capabilities, he went for a bigger crystal, it was able to hold much more mana, it might be able to show the boys capabilities..

"BLAST!"- the same thing happened... "something must have happened to the crystals" he thought... and rushed to get a Dragonite crystal... extremely rare, it was said that it was a manatrine infused with dragons blood, it could be use to canalize a group of mages mana for a bigger magic, and its size was huge, with this certainly he would be able to see the level of the mana pool of the boy...

He even tested it beforehand to measure the extent of his own power... and gave it to the boy as previously...

"BA-DOOM!" the exact same reaction... he could not believe it... and tried to calculate the chances of that happening...

"Let me try something different now... please sit straight and relax" said the mage

"Stay very still, I will try an older method of measurement... " This was careless, but he must know, he was a scholar, knowledge was his life... he needed to know how it was possible... he approached and extended his hand to feel the flow of the boy pool.

The mana pool had a direct translation to the person knowledge and understanding magical, spiritual and physical realms, the fact that the boy had such a unbelievably amount of mana, could only mean that he was thousands of years old, or even a godlike creature, devoted to knowledge and wise beyond belief... the method consisted of trying to compare the raw size of the pools to get an idea of how much knowledge the boy gathered and perhaps how old he really was... all he needed is to put enough power into the link to be able to establish a connection giving him at least an idea of the boys pool, this method was dangerous since consumed a lot of the person executing it...

But his attempt was mediocre at best, he didn't even qualify to get the boys mana to react to the connection, and he was already reaching his limit... but yet, he still needed to know... and since the boy was not resisting, or putting up any barriers, he thought to be safe enough to force a reading using all the mana attempting the connection, he redirected it instantaneously as much as he could to pry into the boys knowledge pool, a mind reading attempt.

It was then he had but a glimpse of the boy knowledge, before been almost killed by the rebound caused by the mana rejection of the forced connection... if the boy consciously rejected it, he would be dead, he realized this much....

The mind of the boy was a turmoil as nothing as he knew before, the velocity of his thoughts, the extension of his knowledge, like an all knowing entity... and what caused more surprise was the memories... memories of being and watching countless fighters, mages, monsters or demons, male and female, waging war against each other thousands different realms, fights of all kinds and ways, memories of unprecedented destruction, giant monsters, giant sea waves above mountains, unbelievable things and the majority of what he saw, he could not even begin to comprehend... and then there was the magic... his magic knowledge could not be quantified... he was... he could not express what he was....he understood now why the crystal exploded... and he saw the destruction and carnage the boy had experienced first hand... all this, and was just a glimpse of the real knowledge he have...

But the mage was still alive, his gut feeling was telling him that the boy was not a monster, but an existence outside of his realm of knowledge., and was not from this world, this much he knew... And if he was truly evil, he would have easily destroyed everything in the vicinity if he wanted to...

He then finally noticed a tall figure waving from outside requesting permission to enter, it was Bhalrom.

-------- back to normal view.

The mage was clearly shaken and did not respond to the knight promptly...

Took a few moments to recover and signaling to the knight enter...

"Sir Eindenwald, we received new orders to return to the castle with our findings, have you found out the boy origin" Said the knight...

"Don't call him boy, he dislikes it" he turned to Riou "Would young man be of your liking?" he asked politely

Riou just nodded confused as what happened to the old man...