《Tomes of knowledge Banished》


 1 A world full of curiosities

    Old city is a place avoided by locals and travellers alike, located in the middle of nowhere surrounded by dense jungles, a well-hidden place for thieves and criminals to occupy but even they won''t dare come near this place.


    A young human boy or a scrawny little urchin, depending on how you look at him can be seen huddled in a corner under the majestic archway of the decrepit castle. His body looked weaker than twigs and his lack of any clothing made it more apparent. His face can be best described as a pot of gruel made of fear, confusion, desperation and much of his free-flowing tears.


    In this picturesque scene of the dilapidated red walls of the castle in contrast with the rich green of the forest, he is nothing but the stain that should not be there but is hard to remove. As if someone has forced him into this place, in obvious disagreement with the laws of the universe.


    The little thing was so jumpy that he would shiver at the sound of a stupid squirrel passing by, what would he do if one of the beasts from the jungle decides to visit him?


    Oh! how I thank the Almighty Father that the beasts are perceptive enough to not step in the vicinity of Old city, although the castle is the only sign of its existence now. I would much rather look at a painting marred by stains than to go in and clean any blood spots.


    Sobbing and shivering at noises coming from the forest, he kept at it for all morning. I was bothered by it and was ready to leave Old city earlier than planned. Then out of nowhere his soft murmurings fell into my ears, which I had overlooked for all this time. He kept repeating something over and over and I couldn''t hear it properly.


    Focusing on his soft murmurings I went near him but still couldn''t understand what he was saying. I was very excited, a new language! or at least what appears to be a new language, if it''s not a kids odd ramblings. He was saying words that sounded like, okasaan, k¨±fuku, gohan... but I was not sure.


    It has been a long time since I researched something this exciting and new, I was yearning to just walk up to him and demand for the sweet melody of something undiscovered. Alas! I couldn''t do that, I''ll lose any chance of finding new things forever. It is what it is, so I decided to postpone my exploratory travels and follow this kid, to find more about this language and his background.


    Surprising me to no end, this kid kept at his sobbing and murmurings throughout the afternoon. I couldn''t take it anymore and decided to go and observe the evolution of the nearby creatures, after all, I am visiting after centuries. So my evening was spent blissfully, measuring Draco horns, wyvern wings, flood dragon lengths and counting porcupine quills. When I came around, he had fallen asleep cuddled up as he was sitting without even moving an inch. So I chose a good Ceiba tree to settle down for the night.

 2 Little brat.

    I opened my eyes with the first light of morning but didn''t let my curiosity wander, patiently waiting for the human kid to wake up and do something. I was sure he wouldn''t spend another day crying but still decided to send a silent prayer to the Almighty Father to bless my luck. With the warmth from the sun chasing away the chill of the night, he started to stir and wake up.


    He looked no different than a beggar, his tear-stained face was smeared with dust on the left, which quickly spread to other parts while he groggily rubbed his face. ''He must be feeling like beggars too '', I thought. Which was quickly proven true by his growling stomach against the quiet of the morn.


    Then a lot of time was spent, me sitting on the tree and watching the kid and he, struggling between the fear of unknown and pangs of hunger. I was distraught to notice that he was about to cry another round due to his own indecisiveness. I kept cursing my luck while he fought hard to suppress his sobs.


    -----


    Chiyo kept reminding himself that, he is strong, he is all grown up and father will be disappointed to see a young man like him cry due to hunger. He eventually convinced himself to move, which he did very slowly. Inching out of the old gates of the castle, looking all around to check for any presence. When he was sure there was no one around, he ran up to the nearest tree and began peeking inside the forest from behind it. Looking all around he spotted a tree which had red berries hanging from its branches.


    Gathering his courage for a moment, he ran up to the berry tree only to find that he couldn''t reach the berries nor the branches. For a moment he was reminded of his mother who would help him gather strawberries whenever they visited his grandfather''s farm.


    Another moment was spent struggling against the sadness and fear before Chiyo went deeper into the jungle in search of shorter trees and bushes.


    His progress was not easy, it was piled high with obstacles and enemies. Spider webs so strong that he had to use both his hands to clear a path, insects so scary that the poor boy was huffing and puffing from running around all morning.


    Suddenly Chiyo was caught off guard with a booming boisterous laughter, " Ha ha ha, we are sure to teach those Rock Bears a lesson this time, I bet we could even take down the bear king today." Which was followed by other people speaking but much more softly. Though Chiyo couldn''t understand what was said but he was sure it was a big man speaking. He was happy to find signs of people for the first time in this forest. Forgetting all about his mother''s teachings about being cautious of strangers, he began sprinting towards the voices.


    Almost reaching his destination he had to stop because he couldn''t hear the voices speaking anymore. It was as if his ears were abruptly covered, Chiyo was confused, should he go straight or to the right where there was still some faint noises barely audible. While he was thinking about it something very shocking happened, shocking enough that the little boy wasn''t even able to shout and directly fell on his butt and lost control of his bladder.


    A huge grey monster, a hulking giant which looked similar to the wolves Chiyo has seen on TV, but many times bigger and scarier. Standing above the fallen Chiyo, it looked down upon him and growled loudly. Everything faded from Chiyo''s senses and what remained was those devil-like red eyes and large yellowish teeth.


    "Hey Bowser, what happened, why''d you stop?", shouted someone with the same loud voice.


    "Boss, let''s go and check it out, there are no beasts in this area anyway.", spoke another man.


    After a bunch of ''yeah'', ''let us go'' and ''ok'' footsteps was heard until a dozen men and women appeared. All of them were astonished to see a naked child so deep in the forest.


    "Boss, is he be a lost child?", asked one.


    "Look he pissed himself after seeing Bowser, where will he have the courage to come in the forest? forget about getting lost after." retorted another.


    "Shut up, I know stupid. He''s a kid, obviously he won''t come here alone, someone must have brought him along.", snapped back the first man.


    The big burly man looked at Chiyo closely, upon making sure he''s just a kid, he waved and called back the wolf.


    "What''s your name?", the big man asked Chiyo, who was too stunned to notice his inquisitive look. "Looks like he can''t speak, anyway leave him alone. Can''t waste time here, we have a bear king to hunt, let''s go. ", the big man turned around after saying that. The wolf and people followed after him.


    The initial delight was gone, the shock he received from Bowser was still etched on his face. Shaken to the core he could only keep sitting on his own piss and stare at the retreating figure of the scary animal.


    One man stood unmoving, looking at Chiyo with an interested gaze and a slight smile. He walked up to Chiyo and crouched down to look him right in the eyes. Then he followed by waving a bunch of hand signs in front of Chiyo. As illiterate as Chiyo was in the common language of this place, he was also ignorant of the meanings of the hand signs.


    An awkward moment slowly passed with Chiyo and the distancing group who had turned back, staring blankly at the guy who wanted to show off his hand sign proficiency.


    Eventually, the big man called, "Weiss, what are you doing wasting time with the kid, let''s move."


    "cough. I am trying to speak with him.", replied Weiss seriously.


    The big man looked quite annoyed but stopped himself from cursing at Weiss, who loved to waste time doing pointless stuff.


    "Say, you guys, do you think this little brat is cute?", asked Weiss.


    "Don''t tell me you want to sell him to the slave market?", asked the boss with a confused expression, "It''s useless, they don''t buy kids, it''s too much trouble for them."


    "Yeah, it''s pointless trying to convince them man", followed another person from the back.


    "Tell me something, if I take this little brat to nurse Sandra and brag that I saved him from rampaging drakes. Will she perhaps kiss me?", asked Weiss again, with a crafty smile on his face.


    "There''s a chance...", began one woman but was soon cut off by the boss.


    "We don''t have time to waste on your skirt-chasing plans Weiss, we have prey to kill.", came the annoyed voice of the big man.


    "Brutus, you can continue doing what you want to do. I want to go visit nurse Sandra and try my luck.", replied Weiss nonchalantly.


    Brutus was not happy with Weiss''s reply, "You promised to accompany me to hunt the bear king, Weiss."


    "I only said, I''ll accompany you to hunt if I''m free. Now I have important things to attend to, so I won''t be able to accompany you any longer." Weiss turned back towards Chiyo ending the conversation. Brutus could do nothing but glare at Weiss with fire in his eyes.


    Throughout the dialogue, Chiyo understood nothing of what was being said but he instinctively felt that he was part of the topic. Hence when the handsome looking man beckoned to him and started walking into the forest, he climbed to his feet and ran after him. Even though the man was a stranger, between him and the big glaring man, little Chiyo thought he made a smart decision.


    ------


    Thus a noble-looking man, wearing expensive hunting attire, lazily walked through the forest, followed by a naked kid hiding his little brother with a hand and his butt with the other. A scene that becomes more and more absurd as I try to describe it in different ways, finally giving up and quietly following behind them.


    That hunter appeared strong enough to not be a country bumpkin, so he might research the strange language and provide me with valuable data.

 3 Backlog town

    Chiyo followed after the man for some time and after calming down from the fright, noticed the bow and quiver hanging from the man''s shoulder. Then he seemed to recall all the people in the group he left behind were carrying old weapons.


    He began to wonder about the things he couldn''t understand, including the strange language he heard them speaking, but soon his stomach started growling again.


    When the man ahead heard the growl, he looked back amused. Then a brief glow flashed across his face as if he had some epiphany. The man looked around for a bit, observing the ground, sniffing the air and touching the surrounding plants.


    After he was satisfied with whatever he was doing, he began walking slowly to the right of the trail they were following. As Chiyo ran after the man trying not to lose him, the man turned back and gave him a low, dragged out "Shhhsss", with a finger in front of his lips.


    Chiyo obediently stopped running and began walking by pressing his feet to the ground, making sure not to step on any dried twigs and leaves. A delighted smile came upon the man''s face and he nodded continuously as if satisfied with Chiyo''s intelligent and thoughtful reaction to his prompt.


    Slowly the both of them went inside the bushes, the man in front was as silent as a stone, if you don''t see him with your eyes you wouldn''t know he''s there. Although Chiyo tried hard to follow the man in silence, he was as loud as a drake''s roar comparatively in this quiet morning. Apparently, it was good enough.


    Weaving through the bushes and trees the both of them advanced for some time, until they reached a clear lake. The man gestured Chiyo to stop, then went forward towards the bank of the lake. Chiyo couldn''t see much, only the man, trees and the lake through some gaps in between. He stood in place and observed the man, wondering what he was doing.


    The man took up his bow, nocked a blue feathered arrow from his quiver and stood still while drawing the bow.


    Chiyo thought that the scene was very cool, like those in anime. He was staring at the man with fascination, waiting for something to happen and when the arrow was released, his gaze followed it''s path.


    The man started laughing when he saw the look on Chiyo''s face, it appeared as if he was happy with his performance. He waved for Chiyo to follow and came upon the bank.


    On the bank of the clear lake, there you could see a deer, toppled over, gasping its last breaths. Its heart was shot by the arrow, so it''s suffering was short. When the deer was breathing it''s last, the man was staring at Chiyo, as if looking for something specific.


    Chiyo, as ignorant as ever, was lost in his own world comparing his favourite anime character, able to defeat anyone with just a punch, to the man before him, who killed a deer with one arrow. He was amazed to see such exciting events and was daydreaming about being a superhero. The man was happy to see Chiyo''s excited face, thankfully he never knew that the real reason behind his excitement was finding someone strong like his idol.


    It was a very important day for Chiyo, as it was the first time he had a change of heart and made the man standing in front of him, his idol. His dream changed from, defeating everyone with a punch to defeating everyone with an arrow.


    Looking at Chiyo being unfazed by death and blood, the man decided to increase the simulation and started skinning the deer followed by field dressing and cleaning in the lake. Throughout the processing of the animal, Chiyo stood as far away as the trees, with a hand pinching his nose. Looking at Chiyo''s disgusted face, Weiss had a nice laugh while working his knives. Soon the meat was butchered into pieces and the man started a fire out of nowhere. Chiyo was shocked that the man only gathered some branches and with a snap of his fingers the fire lit up. While he was staring at the scene incredulously, the man added more wood to the fire and started a barbeque with the venison.


    Soon the appetising aroma of the cooking food filled the area as Weiss added some seasoning from his waist pouch and the growling of Chiyo''s stomach increased. Weiss kept chuckling when he saw how the little kid behaved, while the food was cooking he decided to probe the kid a bit.


    "Hahaha, you are a quiet one, aren''t you?... What''s your name brat?"


    "..?"


    "Can''t you speak ?"


    "Mister, I don''t understand what you are saying," Chiyo said with confusion on his face.


    "A foreign language, huh. Alright, little brat time to eat." Weiss tore a piece of cooked meat and gave it to Chiyo.


    Not eating anything from a day had left Chiyo so hungry that he had even chewed on some green leaves that morning. When he got the piece of meat he gobbled it up fast but the richness and taste of the meat still left him exclaiming, "Yoi! oish¨©!"


    "Hahaha " Weiss was left chuckling by the expression of bliss on his face.


    .....


    After an hour-long trek through the jungle, both of them came out of the treeline. In front of them was a sprawling prairie on which a distant town stood far from them. The town had an open plan without any walls or boundaries, it gave a very welcoming vibe. Chiyo had a feeling that he was visiting the countryside because of all the wooden houses he saw, he took in a deep breath trying to find a familiar smell. After Chiyo adjusted to everything in front of him he looked up to Weiss only to find that he was staring at Chiyo with a slight smile on his dignified and noble face.


    "Is this where you live, sir?"


    "I don''t understand what you are saying, but this place is kid-friendly, people call it Backlog town even though it is a small village", Weiss said when he heard the inquisitive tone in Chiyo''s voice.


    "Come along, I shall introduce you to a beautiful sister."


    Even though his legs were hurting from walking all morning, Chiyo lumbered along and tried his best to keep up. As the duo set foot inside the town, many people around them started to notice Weiss. There was fear, respect, admiration and envy. Many emotions were dancing in the onlookers'' eyes as they took a quick look at Weiss and turned back to what they were doing hurriedly.


    While people failed to notice the young Chiyo following after Weiss, he was too busy taking in all the new views himself. The clothes worn by the people in town looked foreign to Chiyo, he felt he had seen similar clothes but couldn''t recall where. The words on the storefronts were also foreign to him. Everything was so new and interesting that Chiyo momentarily forgot that he was lost and was following a stranger.


    Weiss stopped in front of a large courtyard with the words ''Hunters orphanage'' hanging above the door.


    "This shall be your home for some time now."

 4 Hunters orphanage

    Chiyo gazed upon the large courtyard in front of him, inside was a huge, tumbledown and timbered building. In front of the structure was a bare lawn on which a dozen children were running around playing tag. A smaller group was hustling about the three swings along the boundary walls to the left of the gate. Gazing at the dilapidated house and its tainted window panes, Chiyo felt it was about to crash down anytime.


    "Do you like it here?", Weiss inquired.


    Chiyo looked up to him wondering if he made a mistake following the handsome uncle, the place he brought him to looked shady at best. But as he recalled the beautiful archery and tasty venison he began reconsidering his judgement, finally he decided that he would stay in this place as long as he got to eat tasty food while waiting for his father to come pick him up. Looking at Chiyo''s pondering serious face brought confusion to Weiss, he couldn''t understand what the little brat was thinking about.


    By this time they had attracted the attention of the kids running about. The little ones crowded around Weiss looking at Chiyo curiously and started clamouring among themselves. Weiss heard them laughing and snickering while discussion things along the lines of, "Look at that shameless boy, he''s showing his pee-pee."


    "Eww so dirty, he must be playing in the dust. Let old woman Camilla find him, he''ll surely get spanked."


    "What''s his name? I never saw him before."


    Chiyo looked at the children who were pointing at him and causing a din. Though he understood nothing from their discussion, the jeering and mocking faces gave him a good idea that he was their topic of discussion and it was nothing good. He felt embarrassed and hurried to cover his little brother and bottom with his hands. But the laughing increased following his act to cover up, realising that his hands were not sufficient protection he proceeded to hide behind Weiss.


    One of the young girls in the group who was rather bold and assumed a leading position, walked up to Weiss, glancing at Chiyo she asked, "Big brother Weiss, who is this dirty fellow following you? He''s not even wearing clothes, shall I call Camilla and get him punished? He must be bothering you."


    "Hehe little Aria leave this fellow alone, why don''t you help me call sister Sandra?"


    "Ok, let me call sister Sandra for you.", saying this much the little boss ran inside the building shouting for nurse Sandra. The other little fellows followed her inside leaving only a bunch of older fellows who were occupying the swings. But they did not dare come up in front of Weiss even though they wanted to tease the naked fellow.


    Motioning for Chiyo to follow him, Weiss crossed the lawn and walked inside the building. Chiyo glanced at the kids ogling him from the swings before he hurried to follow inside. He sensed danger from the glare shot at him by the big fellows.


    As Weiss walked inside he came upon an old lady walking out from one of the rooms, looking at him she gave bright smile and said, "Your lordship Weiss, I thought you went hunting with the bunch of ruffians did you leave early?"


    "Camilla, forgo with the formalities. I return early because I met a lost child in the forest, please help me clean him up a bit lest he catches some disease."


    Looking at the hurrying Chiyo the lady exclaimed, "Oh my! Why was such a little brat roaming in the forest? He''s lucky to have met you and survived, lord. But this fellow is as dirty as a wild mutt, come here let me give you a thorough wash before you spread dirt all over my floors."


    "He is unable to speak Kapro," Weiss explained.


    Camilla frowned upon hearing that, "A foreigner? This will be difficult."


    She walked up to Chiyo and reached for his hand.


    Looking at her frown Chiyo was scared, he hurried back towards Weiss and escaped Camilla''s hold. Seeing his act Camilla''s frown deepened, she found disobedient kids the most irritating part of her life.


    Upon seeing Chiyo''s reaction Weiss patted his head, gave him a reassuring smile and told him, "Go along little fellow, she will get you cleaned and bring you back to me."


    Chiyo didn''t know what Weiss was saying but he understood what he meant with his wide smile. So he looked at Camilla and held his hand up to her, looking at his performance Camilla was pleased and her expression eased into a delightful smile.


    "Good, even without understanding words he knows what to do. What an intelligent and obedient child." Camilla praised Chiyo then held his hands to bring him to the bathhouse.


    Weiss followed them with his gaze and gave a smile when Chiyo glanced back at him while being dragged along by the strong old woman. A young and vibrant lady walked out from one of the doors on the opposite side and glanced at the retreating figure of old and young. Turning towards Weiss she gave a polite smile, "Mr Weiss, did you call for me?"


    "Ah! Sandra, you look as beautiful as ever, looking at you refreshes me like I just drank a Spirit upgrade potion. How I wish.."


    With a constant polite smile on her face, the young lady was not flustered by the fancy praise and calmly interrupted Weiss. "Mr Weiss if you are looking for Paul, he is upstairs in his office."


    "Did he not go to Edgehedge today?"


    "No, he probably has to deal with some things today so he cancelled his trip to Edgehedge town."


    "That works fine for me, I have somethings to discuss with him and you. Let us go upstairs and I''ll tell you all the details of how I saved that little fellow from a couple of drakes in the forest."


    "Ok let us go up, I''m sure your act was very heroic and exciting."


    As the two of them reached the stairs which stood right in front of the entrance, Weiss politely gestured to the lady saying, "Ladies first."


    As they began ascending, Aria and the kids walking out of the kitchen each with a slice of bread in hand could hear Weiss''s fading voice, "Haha it was a tough situation, let me tell you these were the biggest drakes I have ever seen in Elder forest. But I was not scared at all, first I nocked an arrow..."


    Aria had a worshipping look on her face as she gazed towards the stairs and said, "Big brother Weiss is really strong, he can hunt drakes and rock bears. Even old woman Camilla is respectful when speaking to him."


    One of the girls following along responded matter-of-factly, "Of course, Camilla is so scary that even wyverns will surely run away. Big brother Weiss is super strong and that''s why Camilla is scared of him."


    All the kids ran outside to continue their game after vowing to grow as strong as Weiss and scaring Camilla.


    ....


    Sandra walked up to a classic looking Ape-wood door and knocked on it.


    "Come in." a raspy voice sounded from inside.


    Sandra pushed the door open and entered the room followed by Weiss who proceeded to greet the middle-aged man writing seriously, seated on a simple desk surrounded by five chairs near the window, "Good Morning Paul, I see that you are quite busy."


    Paul Frei is a 59-year-old man but as a seasoned hunter who kept himself fit and free of any bad habits, he looked like a mature middle-aged man still in his prime. His 178cm tall body was rather muscular and along with his black hair and brown eyes, it was the most common face in the kingdom of Mirakor.


    Notwithstanding his common appearance, he was a respectable figure in both Backlog and Edgehedge town, as he was the owner and chairman of Hunter''s orphanage. Which was just an orphanage but special because it had trained many excellent hunters who were active in this part of the kingdom. Paul''s altruistic personality and good leadership also helped him maintain a good relationship with all past residents of the orphanage.


    Looking up from the paper, Paul smiled and replied, "I got a letter this morning, the year-end examinations will be held earlier. It is time for the next batch of young hunters to finish schooling and return. So I have to contact the old fellows and come up with a list of teachers earlier. I don''t want the young ones idling about after returning from school."


    "Well, you work hard every day to set so many lives on the correct path. Which is commendable and the reason I like to visit you and this orphanage." Weiss chatted idly as he sat on a chair in front of Paul.


    "To have you set foot in this building is a blessing for the young hunters and me."


    "There is no need for all this pleasantry, I have something to discuss with you."


    Paul sat up straight and kept his writing brush aside, glancing once at Sandra he asked, "Is it related to Elder forest?"


    "Not anything serious, it''s just that I met a strange brat who speaks strange language...."


    After listening to Weiss''s experience and realising that the subject falls under his expertise, Paul was a lot more relaxed, "It is alright, I can arrange a place for him here and if anybody comes searching for him I''ll manage the situation appropriately."


    "Hmm I trust your expertise, but I''m sure no one is coming to search for him."


    Paul was confused, "Why do you say that?"


    "Well as I said, it''s nothing serious but let''s just say it is somewhat related to Elder forest."


    Paul looked concerned after hearing that, "Where did you find him exactly?"


    "Near Old city."


    Paul''s concern soared as he was reminded of many legends his father had told him but he relaxed shortly after remembering that Weiss had said it''s nothing serious twice.


    "Alright then, do you want to arrange anything special for him?"


    "Yes, I want nurse Sandra here to teach him Kapro and Eldarin."


    Both men looked at Sandra who looked shocked for some time, looking at their inquiring gazes Sandra looked troubled.


    Losing her casual attitude, Sandra slightly bowed towards Weiss and said, "Your lordship, It is not a problem for me to work as required by you. But I am only a Nurse I don''t have the authority to teach Eldarin to others. Please forgive me."


    Weiss remained silent for a while as he looked at Sandra''s sincere gaze, he finally smiled and said, "Don''t worry. I ¨²va lyello ainima tarasti? an aly?."[1]


    Sandra was shocked to hear the language she hasn''t conversed in for so long coming out of Weiss''s tongue. Weiss kept his smile as he somewhat proudly said, "See, I am proficient in Eldarin myself it''s just that I won''t be able to stay here for much longer as I have other things to attend to. Otherwise, I would do the teaching myself. You would be teaching him in my stead so it won''t cause you trouble. I''ll even pay you handsomely so that even if the Golden tips apothecary guild decides to press charges against you, the fine amount will only be peanuts compared to your salary."


    This declaration of huge rewards gave Sandra another shock. As her surprise wore off, she began to seriously consider the proposal. The two men only glanced at each other without hurrying her to make a decision. After some deliberation her eyes became firm and determined, she lifted her head to say, "Your lordship, I''ll act as per your arrangement but I don''t want any money."


    Pausing to take a deep breath, she continued after bowing slightly, "My only wish is that you grant me a chance to learn High Eldarin."


    As a hunter, Weiss did not need to learn common Eldarin because it''s sole use was in casting healing spells and making lesser potions. But High Eldarin is different, it is a legendary language that is said to be capable of a multitude of feats like spell casting and artifact manufacturing. A hunter has no use of the common variety but given the legends surrounding High Eldarin, it is more likely to be used by all kinds of professions at higher levels. This led Sandra to believe that Weiss at the very least knew basics of High Eldarin.


    The office turned silent after Sandra made her request. Paul appeared ill at ease, he had some idea about the scary background of the man sitting opposite him. He did not want Weiss to be upset with the orphanage due to Sandra''s request.


    He knew that High Eldarin is way more mysterious and hard to encounter than common Eldarin, if a person mastered High Eldarin it won''t take him long to advance into the ranks of Master apothecary. A person who masters common Eldarin is given the rank of a Nurse in the apothecary guilds, while someone with even a bit of knowledge of High Eldarin will be given the rank of a junior apothecary. That rank is way more precious than any amount of gold, Sandra''s request exceeds the value Weiss offered by hundreds of times.


    Paul wanted to persuade Sandra because as a Nurse she may think that High Eldarin will allow her to advance to next level but he was sure that she had no actual knowledge about the far-reaching impact and value of the language. After all even he would have no idea about the actual value of High Eldarin if not for a certain incident.


    "Sandra ...." as Paul began to try and make the still bowing girl understand the situation.


    Weiss interrupted him, "Wait for a minute, Paul."


    ....


    [1] Eldarin for - "I will not invite any trouble for you."


    The words kinda reference an already existing fantasy language but they are also half made up. Anyway, we won''t be using it in the story again. All languages will be written in English after the first introduction.

 5 Arca Weiss

    Paul glanced at Weiss with an apologetic look but he was ignored.


    "Okay, Ms Sandra I shall grant your wish if you do your job correctly."


    Sandra looked up at Weiss with a surprised expression, "Thank you, your lordship. Thank you very much."


    "Do away with this formalities."


    Sandra nodded repeatedly.


    Paul also heaved a sigh of relief, "Good, but where is this little fellow now?"


    "I asked Camilla to clean him up, he appears to have spent a night in the forest."


    A gentle knock was heard on the door.


    "Come in," Paul called out.


    Camilla opened the door and ushered in little Chiyo who was all cleaned up and dressed in a pair of leather pantaloons and a cotton tunic. He looked around curiously and ran up to Weiss upon finding him.


    "Haha, little brat didn''t I tell you I''ll take you to visit a beautiful sister? This is big sister Sandra, say hello." Weiss pointed at Sandra and spoke to Chiyo.


    Chiyo looked up at Sandra following his finger and was immediately drawn towards the kind and gentle pair of golden eyes. Those were the most beautiful pair of eyes this fellow had ever seen, he inwardly judged them to be better than Weiss''s piercing grey eyes.


    Looking at his expression, Weiss chuckled and said, "Ms Sandra looks like even this fellow is mesmerised by your beauty. Rightfully so, I must add."


    Sandra smiled towards Chiyo and cupped his cheeks gently.


    "What is your name, young sir?"


    She found the little fellow very pleasant to her eyes. It could be because of his small oval face that perfectly fit in between her palms, round and dark eyes and his smooth black hair that fell to his brows. Or simply because he was her only chance to become a junior apothecary.


    "He does not speak Kapro," Camilla hurried to answer.


    Sandra recalled that Weiss had already asked her to teach this cute fellow Kapro. She had ignored that piece of information in her surprise and joy. She patted Chiyo''s head and told him affectionately, "No problem at all. We will slowly learn to speak, read and write."


    Paul opened a drawer to his right and pulled out a big register. "So let us finish the formalities we need to follow."


    He opened the register and started filling in the date and other general information. Then looked up from the thick book and asked Weiss, "What is his name anyway?"


    Weiss didn''t know himself so he stared at Chiyo wondering how he could find out the little brats name. Seeing Weiss silent for some time, Sandra sat on a chair and made Chiyo face her.


    Pointing at herself she said, "Sandra."


    Then pointing at Chiyo she wiggled her eyebrows. Doing it a couple of times, she got her answer. Chiyo pointed at Sandra and articulated slowly, "Sandra," then pointing at himself he said, "Chiyo."


    Upon hearing that Camilla spoke up, "Chiyo? What does that even mean? The Almighty Father said to his sons that, ''You must only support and do things that you understand''. We can''t call him something that we don''t the meaning of."


    Paul thought of this as a small matter but looking at Camilla''s stern face, he dared not suggest otherwise. Weiss thought for a bit and said nonchalantly, "Since we don''t know the meaning of his name and it is a mystery now. let us call him Arca, which means mystery."


    Camilla nodded and said, "Your lordship is as intelligent as ever. Arca is a beautiful name, we can surely use it."


    Paul was not comfortable with how casually Camilla and Weiss changed a person''s name, so asked for confirmation.


    "Shall I write done his name as Arca?"


    Weiss suddenly said, "Write his name as Arca Weiss."


    The three adults sitting around him fell into shocked silence. Looking at their surprise Weiss curled his lips into a mischievous smile and added, "Record his father''s name as Ryan Weiss."


    After digesting the information, Paul nodded slightly and hunched over the large register to complete the record. Looking at the gradually filling up page Weiss''s smile grew wider, it appeared as if he was thinking of some interesting matters.


    After stamping the page with his signet, Paul stored the register in its original place. Thinking through some things he asked, "You want to train Chiyo as a hunter?"


    Camilla frowned upon hearing Paul using Chiyo instead of Arca, but she decided to not interrupt the conversation.


    "Yes, but I want him to do his schooling from the Royal School in Lakeden city."


    Paul frowned a bit, "It''ll be difficult, but I''ll try my best to make a deal with a noble and get him enrolled."


    It was Weiss''s turn to frown in confusion, "Why do you have to make a deal with a noble? I can pay for his tuition."


    Paul was lost on what Weiss was talking about, realisation dawned upon him soon though and he explained to Weiss carefully.


    "Twenty years ago the King passed an order stating that the two Royal Schools in the kingdom will only serve the nobles. Commoners were barred from direct admission and can only enter and study with the identity of a current noble student''s follower.


    But it is not a big problem, many lesser nobles and even viscounts find sponsoring the tuition fees for all their children heavy. To ease the financial strain they take along children from rich merchant families as followers."


    Pondering over Paul''s words, Weiss inquired, "What about the classes? Followers certainly won''t be allowed to study along with noble children."


    Paul recalled carefully, "I have heard that nobles are taught by separate faculty and they also have speciality classes."


    Weiss sighed and said, "Forget it, you don''t have to worry about deals and whatnot. If I am not back by the time Chiyo needs to get enrolled. You take him to Lakeden City and ask Rayner Walker to decorate him as a noble. This way he could attend all speciality classes and won''t lose out any training."


    Paul almost gave out an exasperated sigh but he controlled his expressions and slowly said, "Duke Rayner Walker has answered Father''s call. His eldest, Duke Hadley Walker is the current master of Lakeden state."


    "Oh, that fellow is dead already? No matter, I''ll write a letter and leave it with you. When you visit him, give that to him. He''ll surely arrange things the way you ask him to."


    Paul could only nod to that declaration.


    After finishing with what he wanted to say, Weiss stood up and began walking out.


    "I shall not hold up your work. You can continue with whatever you were doing Paul."


    As he walked out of the room, Chiyo ran up to him and held his pants. Looking down he saw the little fellow was gazing at him with a concerned expression.


    "Hehe little fellow, are you not going to follow around big sister Sandra?"


    Patting Chiyo''s head, he motioned him to follow along as he walked downstairs. Sandra and Camilla also walked downstairs, they had a bunch of kids to look after.

 6 Adventuring with uncles and aunts.

    Coming back to the warm kitchen, an overflowing sweet and distinctive aroma assaulted Sandra.


    "Did you finish cooking chilly whips?"


    "Yes, you can help me prepare more bread, the lot of them managed to sneak some out." Responded a middle-aged man stirring a sizable vessel of clear soup over the enormous stove.


    "All right, Charles."


    "What did the exquisite Mr Weiss call you for Sandra? Did he seek you to accompany him to the theater?"


    Sandra glanced at the enthusiastic girl who was dicing up carrots standing beside the kitchen counter.


    "He called me to explain important matters, Rachel."


    "Hah, don''t be shy, come on, tell me."


    "He called to introduce his son Arca to me."


    Rachel blanked out for a moment, "What? His son? Stop joking, Sandra."


    Charles also threw an amazed glance towards them when he heard that.


    "Why will I play games with you? I''m speaking the truth."


    After some thinking, Rachel sighed, " See, you missed your chance. If I had your looks, I would have jumped on him a year ago when he arrived. I would have been the mother of his child by now."


    Camilla entered the kitchen and heard what Rachel said. This made her frown hard, with rage-filled eyes she said, " Ms Rachel Cooper, when would you learn to behave like a proper lady and stop spouting nonsense?"


    With an annoyed glance towards Camilla, Rachel softly said, " Old woman Camilla what are you doing here, Don''t you have to look after the kids?"


    "Lord Weiss is introducing Arca to the kids, who dares to cause trouble. Why? Do I need your permission to enter the kitchen?"


    "No."


    "Then mind your own business and learn some etiquette."


    "Camilla, tell me wouldn''t it be better if Sandra gave a chance to Mr Weiss? She could have been the mother of Arca by this time." Shocking Camilla by her perseverance.


    "Arca is around seven years old, little fool," Sandra spoke before Camilla could recover from her shock.


    "What?" Rachel was amazed again." Mr Weiss is so young. How can he have a seven-year-old son?"


    Looking at the dumbfounded Rachel, Camilla snorted, " Young? Humph, what would a junior girl know? I wouldn''t be astonished if Arca has a sibling as old as you."


    "What?" Rachel, stunned for the umpteenth time today, took a long time to recover.


    Before she could inquire further and clear her doubts, Camilla gave her a stern look and said, " Don''t speak about this topic further. Talking behind his back is rude to his lordship.


    Just keep in mind, when I first met him I was a brat younger than you are now. He was still as majestic and handsome then, as he is today."


    Slowly articulating that, Camilla exited fearing Rachel''s pestering.


    This piece of information was a shock to Sandra. Looking at his strength and his mastery of Eldarin, she could guess that he was older than he looks. But to be older than even Camilla, who was the eldest in the orphanage, was a huge shock to her.


    Both the ladies looked at each other incredulously. Then they both turned to stare at Charles''s back. "You were not joking back then, Charles?" asked Sandra.


    She remembered what happened a year ago. There was a huge uproar in Backlog town. The whole town was shocked to find out that a young hunter was dragging an adult Drake while dawdling towards the town. That day many people in Backlog town got a chance to see Drakes for the first time ever.


    Even though Backlog stood close to Elder forest, no large or savage beasts appeared in these parts. There was an old legend of a ghost king living in the old castle nearby which scared all the animals away. Though few people believed the myth. It undoubtedly provided a sheltered location in the otherwise dangerous forest edge.


    That day Weiss had dragged a Drake right up to the orphanage entrance. When Paul went to greet him he had loudly proclaimed, " I came visiting and brought you a gift, Paul."


    When Rachel had seen Weiss that day she had spent a long time gushing over his looks with Sandra in the kitchen.


    Bothered by her incessant chatting, Charles had remarked, " That man is old enough to be my grandfather. Now focus on your work."


    They had thought Charles had casually made some remarks. Rachel had even teased him for many days, saying, " Charles is jealous of how handsome Weiss looks."


    But now, "Charles tell me, do you know anything about this?" Rachel loudly demanded.


    As a quiet guy who would not speak more than necessary, Charles replied, " When I returned after completing my schooling that year. He came visiting and brought a friend along. His friend Lord Zachary loved good food. They asked me to be his help."


    "Lord Zachary is your cooking teacher? Who had build this kitchen during his three-year stay at the orphanage?" Rachel thoughtfully asked.


    Charles only nodded and went back to cooking. The kitchen soon fell into a unique rhythm of knife chopping and pots clanking after that.


    ----


    It has been three months since Chiyo started living in the orphanage. Weiss had left the next day after enrolling him in. These months were difficult for young Chiyo. Memories of his parents made Chiyo very sad and after realising that they may never come to get him, he despaired. He even attempted to run back to the forest and search for them.


    His despair broke the dam that was stopping his tears. Every time he was alone his face would contort in pain and tears would flow silently. He smiled when others were around. He would not speak much though.


    Sandra proved her capability as a nurse during this time. Before his despair could dry out his eyes and numb the pain. She was able to bring him around and get him to integrate himself slowly with the surroundings and people.


    Learning Kapro also increased his interaction with the other kids. Even though he would occasionally fail to express his thoughts, he had learned to speak.


    Wearing a pair of cotton shorts and a tunic, Chiyo sauntered out to the lawn. Holding his small bow, he pointed at the kids running around and shouted, " Camilla is calling everyone for breakfast!"


    Before he could turn around, all the kids stopped playing and began walking in. Aria came up beside Chiyo and said, " Arca you are still as rude as ever."


    "How am I rude?"


    "You didn''t call me aunt and show respect."


    "I would never call you aunt."


    Aria looked at Chiyo and seriously began explaining as they walked inside, " Arca since big brother Weiss is your father that means, I am your aunt. You must call me aunt."


    "Yes, Arca. You must call me uncle as well."


    "Me too."


    All the nearby kids corrected Chiyo and demanded to be called uncles and aunts. Chiyo looked towards them disdainfully and snorted. Since they had banded together, he remained silent and ran inside amidst the protest.


    Breakfast was sumptuous with toast, butter, mushrooms, beans and eggs. It was better; the servings were also larger than other days. That was the norm for Sunday breakfast in hunter''s orphanage. The children, after having a fulfilling meal, swarmed around Sandra asking for their weekly quest.


    Sunday was the day of weekly mass in all branches of the Church of Father. Backlog town was too small for the church to open a branch. Like other households, Hunter''s orphanage also held private mass. They bought some materials needed for conducting the ceremony from the local market. Which also served as a task for the younger children. This was their opportunity to explore the town without supervision.


    After getting the coins from Sandra, Aria shouted out loud, " Hunters! Gather around, we have a quest to complete. Let''s go adventuring!"


    After a bunch of "Let''s go!" all the kids ran outside. Sandra looked on with a kind smile as the kids poured out from the canteen.


    Chiyo also sauntered along, but he kept a distance from the others. Lest they pester him to call them uncle and aunt again. Although the kids were too loud for his liking, he enjoyed playing with them. He also loved the weekly adventures. If he was lucky, he would be able to see one of the pet monsters the hunters in town kept. Although none were as awe-inspiring as Bowser they were still monsters.

 8 Unlucky day

    After walking out of the courtyard, all the kids spread out in different directions. Only Aria with her two close friends was left standing in front of the gate.


    "See Aria, I told you these people won''t help us with the chores," Sean complained. "What is there to say? They never stick around anyway." Chloe replied as she glared at the back of the other kids.


    Aria looked unhappy, "Samuel even promised to help yesterday. He is so bad, he broke his promise."


    Sean said, "Why don''t we go along with them and have some fun first?"


    "If you want to leave with them, you can go." Aria scolded him harshly.


    "Yes Sean, I can see you don''t want to work with us. You should leave with the others." Chloe echoed.


    Little Sean was tempted. Last week the boys had boasted about their experiences. They had a seen a dead flaming bull hanging in front of Hunter Loki''s house.


    He would love to go with them today and try his luck. Maybe he''ll have the chance to look at some monsters killed by the Hunters in town.


    Aria glanced back at the late Chiyo and said, "Arca, are you coming with us to complete the task?" Chiyo glanced at her and only nodded slightly. Seeing their interaction, Sean gave up hesitation and stated, "It''s alright. I am coming along so we won''t need Arca to come along."


    "We have wasted enough time. Let''s complete this quick, else we won''t have free time to play afterwards. I and Chloe will visit the fruit shop and you guys go pick up the incense." Aria decided for them. Sean was reluctant to partner with Chiyo but before he could complain Aria continued. "We will later meet up in front of the flower shop." Telling them this much, Aria held Chloe''s hand and ran towards their destination.


    Sean was bitter, he didn''t get to partner up with Aria again. He glanced at Chiyo and said, "Why do you have to come and disturb us? We could complete the quest just fine without you." Chiyo looked at him oddly, "I wanted to visit the butcher since the shops are nearby I''m helping." Sean couldn''t find fault with that logic. He could only snort coldly and start walking towards the incense shop, Chiyo followed behind him calmly.


    Backlog town was a really small place. Though it had a lot of houses, few people lived in them. Most of them were serving as holiday homes for rich hunters.


    Backlog town was left alone by beasts, was broadly known. Hence it became a favoured spot for hunters who wanted a break but did not wish to travel far from the forest. Still, compared to the prospering towns, it was a small boring place that only the elderly liked.


    Reaching the butcher''s shop, Chiyo waved at Sean and shouted, "You should move ahead, I''ll see what old Niel is doing." Sean didn''t even bother looking back and kept on walking forward. Chiyo did not mind, he was accustomed to Sean''s sassy personality. Circling the shop front, he proceeded to the backyard.


    "Old Niel! What new things did you find this week?" Chiyo shouted across the wooden fence. Sprawled over a chair, Neil the old butcher of Backlog town was sunbathing in his backyard. Raising his head he glanced towards the door and lazily responded, "Little brat Chiyo, I shall spank you on one of these occasions for interrupting my naps."


    "What interrupting? You are always laying on your chair. Haven''t you had enough of napping?" Chiyo came up beside Niel and complained.


    "My old bones can''t take much beating. During my youth, I could butcher a dozen Wyverns each week. But now, slaughtering a pig takes my breath away."


    "Bah! A dozen Wyverns? Do you take me for a little kid? Stop boasting and answer my question."


    "Little one, don''t speak as if you are a hundred-year-old monster. I must teach you a lesson one of these days." Bantering with Chiyo leisurely, Niel stood up from his chair and retired inside his house. Seeing the boastful fellow disappear behind the door excited Chiyo. Since he went in, he will surely bring out something new and extraordinary.


    Soon Niel walked out holding a long icy blue feather. Placing the feather on his tea table he began speaking seriously, "This tail feather is from the legendary Thunderbird. I bought it from a travelling merchant for a thousand coins yesterday." Chiyo frowned slightly and inquired, "Wasn''t the Thunderbird supposed to have bright yellow feathers?"


    Staring at the silent Niel, Chiyo suspiciously said, "Don''t tell me you got scammed?"


    "Aiya! Old me got scammed again. What will I do now? My thousand gold coins!" Hearing the wailing old man, Chiyo was astonished, "You used gold coins to get this? Aren''t those precious? Old Niel you fool! Someday people will sell you and you will help count the money for your scammer."


    Hearing the little fellow lecture him at length, Niel burst out laughing.


    His behaviour amazed Chiyo, he asked the laughing man, "Did you lose your mind grieving for your gold coins?" Neil kept laughing for a while and finally explained, "No. I''m laughing because no one will purchase this old sack of bones. So, no chance that I''ll be sold."


    Chiyo couldn''t understand what filled in this mans head. Shaking his head he added, "I can''t waste time with you else Camilla will give me a scolding. Goodbye, you should not be too sad or laugh too much." Since he had nothing interesting to examine, Chiyo decided to not waste time with this old fool.


    Looking at the small retreating figure, Niel smirked slightly. "Little brat, you kept pestering me for fresh things all these weeks. Now I have found a way to deal with you."


    When Chiyo neared the grocery store, he found Sean waiting beside the road. "Were you waiting for long?"


    Awkwardly glancing at Chiyo, Sean responded, "Not very long."


    Nodding slightly, Chiyo asked, "Did you get the incense?"


    Sean glanced around and haltingly said, "When we parted ways with Aria and Chloe¡­"


    "What about then?"


    "¡­ I forgot to ask Aria for the coins. The shop owner gave me the pack, but we have to pay later."


    Chiyo looked at Sean''s blushing face oddly. He spoke after some time, "No use waiting here, let''s continue to the flower shop. We will pay for the incense on our way back." Sean said nothing more but started running towards their last stop. Looking at the hurrying Sean, Chiyo laughed out at his embarrassment.


    On his way to the flower shop, Sean met Lewis. Seeing a jogging figure coming from afar, Lewis looked over. When he recognised the hurrying fellow, a bright smile appeared on his face. "Hello there. I noticed that you got accustomed to the job very well." Looking at the smiling face, Sean sighed heavily. This fellow Lewis was his ex-bunk mate. Sean wondered wistfully, ''All my bad luck is piled up today. Why does a bright and strong man like me have to endure this?''


    He tersely replied, "The job is for every one of us. It''s pitiful that specific folks repeatedly skip work."


    Lewis did not lose his smile. He counterattacked ruthlessly, "The job for everyone is to buy groceries. While you have a marvellous job as Aria''s errand boy."


    When Chiyo reached the spot, the two boys were still throwing sharp words at each other. Glancing at the two fellows, he continued ahead. The flower shop was close, so when Chiyo reached and shop and sat on the porch. He could still look at the two arguing fellows. He was not worried about them fighting. The orphanage strictly forbids harming each other. Offenders would be punished by having to stand upside down on their hands. Arca remembered how Paul punished one boy by making him stand on his hands for three hours straight.


    After Lewis felt that he had insulted Sean enough, he flew on his merry way. The two girls also reached the flower shop from the opposite direction. Looking at Sean''s flushed face, Aria curiously inquired, "What happened to you? You look like you need to run to the toilet urgently." Listening to her comment, Sean almost felt like crying.


    He seriously started considering what wrong did he commit. The Almighty Father must not punish him without a reason. Looking at the pack of incense in Sean''s hand, Chloe asked, "You forgot to bring money with you, Sean. How did you obtain the Incense?" The saddest day in little Sean''s life became sadder with her question.


    Chiyo hurriedly diverted the topic, lest Sean started crying. "We should buy the flowers first. Afterwards, we also have to go back and pay for the incense."


    When the kids moved inside the shop, the flower lady informed them that the shop was out of fresh flowers. They would have to wait for her daughter Olivia, who had gone to pick more flowers. The group sat inside the shop, waiting for Olivia to return. Time passed by slowly and they became anxious. The mass would be held at noon precisely. If they caused the ceremony to start with incomplete materials, suffering was the only path.


    The troubled Sean thought of a wonderful idea. He hurried inside to ask the shop owner about Olivia''s whereabouts. Coming back outside, he declared, "Olivia went to the northern hills. She is supposed to pick flowers from there. We should search for her. The sooner we find her, the quicker we will get the flowers. What do you think?"


    "Okay, let''s go. I don''t want to be punished." Aria stood up hurriedly. So the children ran north through the small lanes and paths between houses. They also paid for the pack of incense while passing the grocery store.