15 Elements (1/2)
Prior to this chapter. Just want to send my condolences to the victims of Sri Lanka.
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Riou left the king to his thoughts as he seemed rather disturbed by the conversation. Stepping out of the room he moved towards the exit of the Royal wing. The corridor was long and wide enough to easily fit a group of 10 people walking by it side by side. In the middle, a thin purple carpet with details in golden thread, the carpet was wide enough for 3 people to walk side by side on it with some comfort. The corridor didn't have enough windows to keep it fully bright, and some shadows formed between them and the few columns that it had.
After a few steps in it he noticed the door in front of him open, which made him suddenly stop. A figure stepped through the shadows, walking towards him. It was a man, clean shaved and very short black hair, he was using a yellow knight cape and the official knight uniform, Riou recognized him from the feast, he was the third knight.
Riou started to move once more when he recognized the knight…
The yellow caped man wasn't walking, he was strutting through the corridor, which gave him an arrogant and conceited posture in the eyes of the boy. Riou just forced a smile and continued walking.
-----------------------Yellow Caped Man Point of View
As he entered the corridor leading to the Royal wing, he noticed the famous boy coming through it.
”Fools, all of them…” he thought to himself, ”This boy is clearly up to something with that half elf… to think he had found a good pawn to work with, the boy is clever and able to play his part I must admit, but only a blind man would not notice he is hiding something. Their plan seem to be moving fast” thought the man as he observed that the boy was coming from the Royal Court that could only mean he was speaking with the king.
”But no matter… whichever their plan might be… it's too late now…” He thought as he passed by the boy who was clearly forcing a smile. He didn't notice it but he was holding a haughty smirk as a reflection of his thoughts while looking the boy from above, with the certainty in mind that he would crush the Magus endeavors. He kept going, and a few more steps later…
”Poor boy, your bad timing will be your doom…” Thought the knight slightly turning around to have one last look at the boy… to his surprise, he saw that the boy was idle in place a few steps from where they crossed, he stood there facing his direction with a serious face and penetrating eyes…
”He knows…” was the first thought the knight had as his eyes widened and a sense of fear filled his mind for a moment… before he could subdue it. ”Impossible, he can't possibly know anything…” he tried to convince himself, as he quickly turned back and kept walking… ”Better take care of the boy as well… just in case…” the yellow caped man concluded as he left the corridor…
----------------------- Back to Riou
”Interesting…” thought the boy unconcerned by the interaction… he felt as a player once again, manipulating a character on a screen, but now with a great array of options to his disposal. He thought that he might put himself in danger by acting like that, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity as he felt the knight looking down on him. And strangely, he felt no fear in doing so.
”I knew he was looking down on me as soon as I saw that smirk and high attitude…”he thought, ”And that change in attitude, from high and mighty to the fearful in a blink of an eye” analyzed Riou ”It was too big of a change for just a noble's contempt wanting to crush the common folk… no…” Concluded ”He is up to something, something big and that reaction was his realization I'm on to him, the fear caused by that thought… was what caused that reaction…” He wondered as he descended the stairs to the ground level… ”…could he be a spy from Argos?” Questioned himself due to his recent talk with the king, while going back to his room.
Entering the room, the thoughts of home came once back to his mind, this world was not his and he missed his family and friends, his old daily routine more than he imagined he would. Been teleported to a crazy world with magic and kings seemed much better in his fantasy, the reality of it was much harsher and different than what he anticipated. He used to never understand why the protagonists of his stories strived so much to get back home… Now, after a month in this world he knew very well why, and also longed for his home.
Looking around the room as he entered, he saw a small wooden tub with 2 water buckets at the corner of the room, ”Could it be!? The room maid must have been able to request it earlier” he thought while analyzing closely the wooden tub, it clearly couldn't fit a person entirely, but certainly he could sit inside and be comfortable enough to properly wash the majority of his body.
He removed his clothes and promptly sat down on the tub pouring water from one of the buckets inside of it, the water was cold and he felt the thermal shock from it, quickly stopping but only after getting a hold of his nerves, as he trembled all his body for a moment. He put his hand inside the water in the bucket and forced the magic to heat it to a better temperature.
He still was trying to get used to control his powerful and abundant mana, so he tried not to heat the water too much.
Next to one of the buckets there was a yellow bar, seemed some kind of old soap with some dark round dots all over it. Riou reached for it, and the soap felt as rough as it seemed, but it matter not to him, as long as it functioned as a soap, it was all he cared about.
The water in the tub quickly got a brownish color with dirt of his body, he promptly used magic to transfer it back to the bucket, and he was already left with only one water bucket, he went by the window to see if no one was around and poured the dirt water in the earth below.
Cleaner than before, but nowhere near the desired level, he got near the tub once again and put his right hand right above it, he commanded the mana to condensate the water in the air and added his own mana to the equation to intensify the flux, from his hand down to the tub a stream of water fell down, as if a water tap had been open. Quickly filling it over the half with warm clear water… he went back on it and intended to relax while cleaning himself more… ”It's not a bath tub… I can barely fit here with modest comfort, my feet and most of my legs are outside of the tub, but it will have to do for now” the water barely covered his chest, but was good enough to relax, and so he did.
Since it took him so long to be able to take a simple bath, he intended to enjoy it thoroughly. He stayed inside the water until his skin wrinkled. After a couple hours of watery entertainment, he washed his clothes with the remaining water putting them to dry near the window.
Was then when he noticed the cloudy weather, thick gray shaded clouds took the sky completely, seemed it could start to rain at any minute now.
As he put on his noble's outfit he thought to himself he should go to the city and buy new clothes… but for that he needed Max's money, and thinking on the mage, it's being a while since he last saw him.
Max was the only person who showed compassion toward his situation, and showed great knowledge and understanding in the topic, Riou was certain that the Great Magus title wasn't just for show, and that the friend he got in this world would really try to help him, it was Riou's best shot at the moment to be able to get back home.
Riou thought strange that he was not in the kings studies room as last time, ”perhaps he have gone to the Drinking Bear tavern today again… but why didn't he invite me?” thought Riou wondering why he didn't invite him, as the food there was really good.
It was lunch time when he left his room towards the messing hall, since he couldn't see anyone there he went to the kitchen once more, there were some dried meat from the morning been taken to the storeroom basement, as most of the food was already taken or disposed, he quickly grab from the dish the cook was taking downstairs a few pieces and gesticulated thanking her for the quick lunch.
Riou ate while looked for Max once more by the castle, but he was nowhere to be found, when he reached the front of the gates he asked the guards who greeted them when they arrived the day before.
-”Excuse me, did you guys see if the great Magus passed by today?” asked the boy
-”I cannot say I have, many people left today in the morning, the nobles, knights and court mages all went back to their respective lands, but I think I would certainly remember if the Great Magus was amongst them!” Said the guard proudly and vigorously.
It was strange, Riou thought, how could he not find him them? Perhaps he was on another place of the castle, and since it was too big they just missed by chance. If he had a cellphone he could call him, but that convenient technology was too far away. ”Well, he must be busy, that's all, and later on he might show up” concluded Riou.
Without much else to do, he went towards the third step of the gardens, he was already at the front of the castle, and the giant staircase had many large steps that went on until the very gates on the walls down below. He could easily count about 15 steps that started wide and were getting smaller as they approached the walls, in the very center of the garden there were a stone road, well leveled and wide enough for two carriages comfortably and simultaneously transit on it. Some of the higher steps surrounded the whole castle before reaching the side walls, which were closer to the castle than the front and the back wall.
The front of the castle had only gardens and beautiful flowers and bushes well-trimmed and treated. The location the princess mentioned was at the back garden near the rear wall. Deciding to go there he moved by the garden, opting to taking the scenic route instead the usual through the castle.
The clouds seemed closer than usual, perhaps was just his impression or even because they were that high on the top of the plateau. Riou walked watching the walls, they were very high, high enough to accompany the castle floors in high, a big part of the walls were closed and resembled a corridor, with windows and doorways, probably a garrison for the soldiers to stay by in colder nights and with weather protection, thought Riou while walking through the side garden, he also saw some staircases every now and then to allow the guards quick access to the walls from the garden.
The side of the castle was simpler and clearly less used, the grass was high and the flowers were less tended to than the front ones. Near the edge of the castle he identified the kitchen by looking the different big windows, and right outside of it there was a well, probably from where all the water supply of the castle came from. The well was very deep, but had water on it, perhaps the plateau had some sort of reservoir, somehow filtering the rain, ”they could use a pump to get the water up faster…” he thought while looking the well.
It didn't take much to reach the backyard… It was empty compared to the last time he was there, the arena and everything around it was empty ”The guard mentioned everyone had left, but this place looks like a ghost town nowr” he wondered getting down from the first step without using the stairs that were located at the middle of the garden, he just kept going straight since left the side garden, and the step was easily as high as his waist was, he measured it after a small jump forward for then falling on his foot down near the edge. He kept walking towards the place the princess mentioned.
Arriving at the training house on the third step, it resembled a house of stone walls and wooden roof, very alike the roofs of the houses in the city, having only the ground level. It was long and wide, took him about 20 wide steps to go side to side, and it was about 15 steps wideAs he approached the entry door he heard noises and sounds of chatting coming from within the training hall, seemed like there were already people there.
The door was wide open, and Riou was able to look inside, he saw the princess in hers usual training gear, unarmed, and the robbed red haired girl with purple details a few steps from her, but this time she was also wearing a training gear similar to the one of the princess. Both had their hairs tied in in a similar fashion and were taking poise…
Soon after that, the Red Haired girl began to move her right arm upwards and directing it to the princess, chanting some elven language in the process, soon fire began to form near her palm big enough to fit her entire hand, it was red as her hair and had very small parts in yellow flame.
With a quick motion she shot a fireball in the princess direction. Riou got surprised but since the princess didn't even flinch he assumed this was a kind of training, as he remembered the princess attended the academy and probably knew the basics to defend herself.
The princess quickly pushed her right arm forward and in an upward movement with it a water barrier formed instantly in front of her, without any kind of chanting or preparation whatsoever. Riou was impressed, even Max sometimes needed preparation and runes to get his magic going.
The fire reached the barrier vanishing in vapor smoke instantly.
The red haired girl repeated his moves, and now an even bigger flame appeared, it was mostly red like the one before, but 3 times bigger than the last one, easily 3 palms of diameter. And as before she quickly shot it at the princess, which proceeded in the same way… But this time the barrier barely hold and collapse right after the fire vanished in vapor.
-”You see what I mean princess? The chanting improves the magical capabilities and reinforces the mage abilities… you should chant as well to create a better barrier…” said the red haired girl approaching the princess.
-”No, I must be able to perform a good barrier without it” said plainly the princess ”What happens if my adversary don't tell me the magic he is using? Or his chant is not one that I'm aware of? Even worse case, he is a high mage with voiceless casting, how can I defend it if I'd still would have to chant…” Said the resolute princess to her teacher.
-”You are too worried, even I wouldn't be able to do that, that's why you should have a quick chant barrier ready all the times, or a rune barrier to defend yourself…” Tried to convince the princess to practice her chants better.
-”Maybe, but maybe there could be a time where I don't have the time nor the resources to do so… So I'd prefer to be prepared within my own capabilities.” Answered an even more resolute and convinced princess.
The red haired girl then notices someone at the door and looking behind the princess she said
– ”Seems like we have company” The princess promptly looked behind her to see Riou standing in the doorway, she didn't lose time to invite him in – ”Please come in Riou, we were just having some magic lessons…” Said the princess in a rather pleased mood.
As Riou entered the Red haired girl recognized him, - ”You are the boy from the king's feast, the one that fought the princess in the second duel” Said the girl trying to understand why he was there, and why the usually cold princess was inviting him in so politely, even more than that, she seemed happy to see him.
-”Riou will be training with me the sword after our magic lesson…” Explained the princess, introducing them as Riou approached
-”Lilly, this is Riou, a friend of mine. Riou, this is Lilly Eilidh Fernis, she is a court mage under my Father.”
Riou Slightly bowed with a smile towards them greeting them both.
– ”Please, I didn't mean to intrude your lesson, if you don't mind me watching please do continue” Said the polite boy.
-”Are you interested in the arts by any chance?” Said a cautious Lilly, as if investigating the boy's reasons. Magic lessons were secretly held, and a watchful eye could prove most disastrous if it would leak information to rival mages.
-”Riou certainly know magic, I heard from the soldiers of the First he took lessons every night from Maximilian himself” Interjected the princess in an elated tone.
Lilly was very surprised…
-”It is said the Great Magus didn't took apprentices for the last fifty years… are you saying this boy is his apprentice?” Said very surprised looking towards Riou with a tad of envy in her tone.
Before the situation went out of control Riou explained himself – ”It's not like that, it's true that we talked and he indeed showed me a few moves but that was it”
Lilly eyes widened up, she couldn't contain her surprise… - ”He showed you… moves? The Dragon Slayer himself?” Said the Red mage clearly showing envy.
-”You make it sound a lot more bigger than it really was… he tested me after I was found, he said I had some magical capabilities but since I was unable to used it, he showed me the basics… but it wasn't of much use to me, so we basically just talked most of the time” He said clearly not lying, indeed it was of not use because of the different approach he and the Mage had about magic, but he thought he should omit that part that.
-”See Lilly” Said the princess – ”No need to get so worried, it's not like we are using high tier magic here anyway, and we are just improving our reaction to real battle situations” Said the princess defending the boy.
Lilly knew the princess for a long time, they were friends even before both of them both went to the Magic Academy, as Lilly's father was also noble under the king's court. What she found curious was that she hardly saw the princess acting in this manner towards anyone, much less a boy. Which left her intrigued, the boy somehow befriended the Magus and the princess in a very short time. ”I must keep an eye on him, something is not right about this…” she made a mental note to herself while nodding in agreement to the princess stepping back to get into position once more.
Riou also walked to the side and sat down in the floor. There wasn't much furniture inside the training hall, the floor was made of wood and there were a few wooden columns to support the ceiling disposed in a way to leave the center of the training hall empty and spacious.
Looking around he could see real and wood weapons of all kinds hanged in the walls around, mostly were wooden replicas, but some real were present as well, it varied from big halberds as the guards were using, to daggers similar to the ones he saw on the weapon shop. Riou noticed the swords variety were the most numerous amongst the weapons, but not impressive at all, he knew thousands of weapons for playing games, the displayed weapons there were nothing out of the ordinary.
Most were two edged blades similar to knight's straight swords, just with different sizes and hilts. The one edged ones were few and resembled a falchion, with a barely curved blade, and just by looking at them he felt they were more ornamental than proper for combat.
-”Try chanting this time princess” Said the Red haired mage conjuring once more the big fireball as she did before
The princess started to chant some elven words… when she finished Lilly threw the fireball once more in her direction… with the same movement as before the princess erected a water barrier, this time it was thicker and seemed much stronger than before. And it consumed the fireball completely.