7 special tutelage (1/2)

Moments before entering home, I saw the strange looks directed at me. Did I look so strange? Had I been getting the same looks all along? Why was everyone so strange?

And then, Dia slammed the door shut.

Jerry was practically carrying me up the stairs. He sat me down at the middle of the long table. Passed me my notebook that he just couldn't let go of. The twins helped him grab all the books on Faery runes and piled them around me. And everyone took a seat. Jerry across the table from me. The twins on either side of me.

”Come on then,” Jerry squealed in excitement, like a hungry little rat at the sight of the biggest block of the tastiest cheese. ”Let's get started.”

I laughed, superimposing the picture in my head on the old man in front of me. Jerry didn't care. His eyes were on my notebook.

Dia opened a book for me to begin with.

These were the first discovered Faery runes. At a dig in the Karsworp province. A large hall of what appeared to be a temple was discovered standing almost undamaged. And upon those walls were discovered a whole new family of runes. It was a discovery of particular note because the runes on the walls weren't transcribed in just one set of characters.

This was the first time archaeologists had discovered a civilisation with more than one character set. Just that discovery turned professor Jerry Gerard immortal in runic archaeology. His fame didn't stop there, however.

There were pictures of the walls in the book. The runes transcribed in long arc were highlighted, so I gave my entire attention to just them.

Madam Rosza and professor Bardwaite, as well as several others, claimed that the type of runes was a choice dependent on the nature of the citizens of a civilisation. In some runes more than others, studying the environment where the runes were discovered fastened the process of learning. And that was exactly why I asked for pictures.

As expected, the runes on the walls told the story of a Faery god, Aparthyseion. The son of the sun. He was born with eyes so beautiful, they charmed anyone who looked into them. The weak hearted turned to stone with just a glance. The stronger couldn't get the sight out of their head. Realising the effect he had on people, Aparthyseion walked away into the deep of the forest of Khybayer. Eventually, people spoke of him as wild gossip. One day, the daughter of the god king Cleius, Alambra, went out to play in Khybayer. She came across Aparthyseion and looked into his eyes. She was charmed and gave her heart to him. Since she was already betrothed, Cleius felt it was an assault on his pride. He turned his anger upon Aparthyseion, and blinded the deceitful eyes. In that moment, everyone charmed by the eyes were freed as if from a curse. And Aparthyseion was forgotten.

The sun grieved as much for its son as it did for the light of the world. It was Aparthyseion's father. And by blinding the boy, Cleius turned the boy over to the mother, who was the cosmic darkness. Light departed from Aparthyseion with the loss of his eyes. And the darkness buried deep inside erupted, embracing the hurt Aparthyseion. Cosmic darkness detested Cleius, cursed the god king to suffering because of his pride. Aparthyseion ascended the throne of heavenly darkness. And that was the beginning of the heavenly wars.

I was entranced. This was the reason I loved runes. I didn't care for the worldly knowledge contained within the runes, sometimes old and foolish, but sometimes far more advanced than the knowledge of our civilisation. I only cared for the stories told in the runes. Of gods. Of kings. Of lovers. Of enemies. Of wars. Of death. Of dreams. Of life.

There was no greater joy than reading those stories of old. I wasn't entirely sure if the story was as beautiful in Faery or if it was enriched by the Vikari runes. After translating the long arc runes on the walls of the hall, I looked up from my notebook to see the twins' blazing eyes. They seemed almost drenched in their saliva.

”I'm not tasty,” I said.

They looked at each other, confused, and then at me.

”What do you mean?” They asked in unison.

They were undoubtedly twins.

”What do you want?”

They understood this time.

”Translate to common tongue,” Dia said.

”Yeah, so we understand too,” Pratt added.

”Oh, okay,” I nodded.