CHAPTER 2
After the couple had seen mister Elrieden out they decided it was time for bed. Putting the baby in the cradle, Lyvia was happy knowing that the child was healthy. She knew that they still needed to go through multiple processes to complete the adoption, and she wasn’t sure about the reaction from the community. But above all that, she was happy to be able to raise this child. While she was saddened because her child’s life ended before it had even begun, she was not overtaken with grief. She needed to focus on raising him now.
“Dear, isn’t it a little weird that he doesn’t have a name yet.”
Grey answered her question with a similar inquisitive yet calm tone.
“Yes, I don’t actually know if he already had a name. I didn’t look at what was in the basket.”
Lyvia reaffirmed his suggestion with a calm and loving tone, followed by a small giggle upon looking at the little nameless boy in her arms.
“Let’s start with that.”
Finding the basket on the table where they left it, they searched through it. Trying to find some kind of note or engraving on the basket which held the child’s name. The only thing they found is a small note saying:
“Please give him what I could not, please give him a home to return to when he is despised, and most of all please accept him despite his nature.”
After reading this both Grey and Lyvia were puzzled, since they did not know what to make of this. What did the parent mean with this, with did he or she mean with ‘his nature’? After a long moment of silence Lyvia spoke first.
“While it is not entirely clear what they meant with the first and last statement, we can pledge ourselves to make the second come true.”
Grey was just as perplexed as her. Upon hearing her statement, he could only nod his head in agreement. However, he was still worried about the contents of the letter and asked with a worried and confused tone.
“I agree, however what did they mean with ‘his nature’? Does this mean that he inherited something from them?”
“I don’t know, but whatever ‘his nature’ let’s agree that we will help him. That despite whatever they refer to as ‘his nature’ we will support him, and try to get him back on his path if he strays from it.”
Grey could only smile at the goodwill of his wife, as he replied to her statement with a loving and proud tone.
“I could not have said it better. The only things that is a mystery is the first statement, what did they mean with ‘give him what I could not’? Are his parents’ fugitives or criminals?”
Hearing this Lyvia was lost in thought for a moment before answering.
“We can only find out in the future, can’t we?”
Hearing this answer, Grey couldn’t help but smile. Hearing her say that he could only reminisce about the time he met her. In front of a dungeon he met the most beautiful dark elf, and could only ask her if she would join him and his party in a dungeon raid. She complied, the dungeon raid itself wasn’t very special, but during it they saw some amazing acts of swordplay from her. She was very strong and could use that strength to its maximum with her swordplay. When they stepped out of the dungeon he could only ask her one thing.
“Do you think we will meet again?”
Lyvia looked away for a moment before meeting his gaze once again, and answering his question with a light, happy and joyous tone followed by a smile.
“We can only find out in the future, can’t we?”
Was what she said with a smile as radiant as the sun. While there had been a few memorable things in his life up to this point, that smile and that one sentence have always stuck with him. While Grey was reminiscing about the pasts, Lyvia had her mind on a more urgent issue and nudged Grey to get his attention.
“Grey, what name should we give him?”
Snapping out of his day dream, Grey suddenly tried to quickly think of a name but none could come to mind. Until suddenly one name sprung up from his mind.
However, Lyvia was faster than him, and said with excitement: “Why don’t we name him something out of the ordinary? I would like my son’s name to be known throughout the lands as something special!”
Hearing this, Grey’s resolve wavered for a moment as he saw the women he loved talk with so much enthusiasm about something. However, he soon regained his composure and offered his suggestion.
“How about we name him Daelyn, I heard Dylan was quite a common name from the human kingdoms for boys, and I think that suits him quite well.”
Hearing this name Lyvia was still a bit hesitant about it.
“Are you sure, shouldn’t we name him something more out of the ordinary?”
Grey could only smile as he was glad that Lyvia had thought of a name first, that allowed him to think out some of his arguments.
“He is already unordinary enough, so I think a more ordinary name would suit him. He has an ordinary look to his face, but his circumstances are unordinary. I doubt that will help him very much in his life. Besides, being known throughout the lands for your name is not very impressive.”
Lyvia looked at him with a hesitant expression, replying to his statement with a hesitant and questioning tone.
“I guess I can agree with that, but it still irks me a little bit because should we really not give him a name that is also a little extraordinary?”
“Seeing his special circumstances, it would not be necessary to have an extraordinary name to be remembered, right?”
Lyvia could only form a meek smile as she caved in to Grey’s arguments. Quickly snapping out of her sadness, she answered Grey with enthusiasm in her voice.
“I guess you’re right, the name Daelyn also sounds kind of nice. Okay?”
Turning towards the baby, she had a face of enthusiasm, pride, and motherly love. With a voice filled with those emotions she said: “From now on your name will be Daelyn!”
The baby seeing the smile from Lyvia, and hearing his new name was happy. He had a name! He released sounds of delight, making the hearts of both Lyvia and Grey melt. They looked up from him and their gazes met. They were both able to discern the emotions on the others face, they both were happy with this small moment between the three. As they realized that Turning back to the baby, they noticed he was fast asleep.
Feeling the exhaustion that has been building up due to the large amount of stress and physical movement, they decided to continue tomorrow. After making sure that the little Daelyn was asleep and safe in his cradle, they went to bed.
While the couple went to bed, Elrieden reached his destination. He was standing in front of a house on the forest floor. It wasn’t even made of a part of the tree, it was made of stone and wooden planks. The foundation made of stone, glass windows and a door reinforced with iron made it seem like a house you would find in a human or beastman kingdom instead of a great forest inhabited by dark elves. Approaching the house, Elrieden saw that a sign hung next to the door, reading: ‘Do not disturb’. Knowing the urgency of the situation he chose to ignore the sign and knock on the door. Before he could retract his hand, the door swung open, standing in the doorway was a goblin with six arms. The arms looked like they weren’t really part of the goblins body, it was liked they were sewn on but the thread wasn’t there. The goblin spoke with a tone filled with irritation and disdain towards Elrieden.
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“Can’t you read the sign?”
The goblin tried to slam the door shut before Elrieden could answer, but Elrieden managed to stop him just in the nick of time, surprised by the goblins strength he was almost locked outside.
“Please, I need to talk to your master. It is very urgent.”
Hearing this, the goblin made another attempt at closing the door with all its strength. While Elrieden was pushed back the door remained opened. The goblin answered Elrieden’s question with an irritated and sinister tone.
“What can be so urgent that master has to hear it.”
Elrieden was quite surprised, because he had never heard a goblin talk with such a sinister tone. He answered the question with a strained voice as he tried to keep the door open.
“It’s about a child, a possible disciple.”
Before the goblin could retort, Elrieden heard footsteps from inside the house. The house creaked under the weight of the footsteps. When they were just behind the door a sigh could be heard before a man spoke.
“What is so urgent that I need to be disturbed? There better be a damned good reason. Move out of the way Gob.”
Gob looked back, and upon seeing the man behind him, he back off and said with an obedient tone: “Yes master.”
As Elrieden heard this, the goblin opened the door. In the doorway stood a man of tall stature with the goblin next to him. The goblin promptly named Gob suddenly seemed very obedient. Elrieden was surprised, because while he had heard of the man he did not know what he looked like. Namely he looked like a sun elf, which was unheard of considering his magic. Having a cloak covering most of his body, you could only see his face and hair. But that was enough to recognise a sun elf, with their golden blond hair and golden eyes. This man could only be a sun elf! The only thing that perplexed Elrieden more is the age of the sun elf; sun elves are known to live close to 1000 years. This man seemed to be in the later stages of his life!
The old man that stood with the doorway directed his gaze towards Elrieden, and said with an irritated tone: “If you are just going to stare then leave.”
Noticing that he was staring at the man, Elrieden snapped out of it and came back to the reason he came here.
“Yes, I have a very urgent matter. Namely it is a child with great dark mana power, blood mana power or both.”
The old man scoffed at his answer, he replied with an indifferent tone
“Now why is that so urgent? I don’t see what that has to do with me.”
Elrieden had already expected such an answer and was able to reply with a swift and steadfast voice.
“The parents are not aware of it, they have just adopted him but they do not know his nature. I thought it wise to come to you, a chimeramancer.”
Hearing this the expression of the old man changed. A child with dark mana power or blood mana power without proper guidance could lead to a catastrophe, especially if they were strong.
The old man seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, before answering Elrieden with a reaffirming voice
“You made a good decision, come inside and tell me what you know.”
Entering the home Elrieden saw that books were stacked up very high everywhere, bookshelves completely full, tables full of different kinds of artefacts and body parts of different creatures and a lot of dust, a lot of it. Elrieden wondered how anyone would be able to live in such a chaotic home, his thoughts were interrupted by the old man. The old man cleared a nearby table of different kinds of documents and told him to sit, he looked at Gob for a moment. The goblin made a gesture of understanding towards him and scurried off.
“He will bring us something to drink, in the meantime you can start your story.”
After having told the old man that he was called by Grey over to his house due to the child that showed up. He told him that he child was healthy with no abnormalities. The old man was getting impatient, and interrupted Elrieden with an angry and irritated tone.
“So, what does all of this have to do with me?”
He said with a glare directed at Elrieden. His expression oozed bloodlust, he wasn’t a man that appreciated others wasting his time. Elrieden noticed this, but decided to stand up for himself. He was almost considered nobility around these parts, why would he bow down to this man? He answered the old man’s question with an irritated and disdain filled voice.
“Yes, I was just getting to that part. I used the curse tracking magic to try and find the child’s parents, the magic did not work.”
The old man seemed irritated by the tone of his voice, but was more focused on his earlier statement.
“Did not work you say?”
The old man seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before continuing further questioning Elrieden with an inquisitive tone.
“Are you sure that it is not because of obstruction magic?”
Elrieden answered the question with an honest and factual tone, revealing his master in the magic used: “Yes, obstruction magic would either twist the information or make it very vague. The magic was simply block, I suspected that it was dark mana or blood mana because I have never heard of magic that completely blocks the curse tracking magic.”
Hearing this, the old man seemed to be lost in thought. He was considering the multiple options that could have caused this, and had to agree with the dark elf opposite of him. There are very few magics that completely block out this kind of magic, and those magics would either mean that it was a very skilled shaman or he had a barrier deployed every hour of the day and every day of the week. Besides both options there was one more option, namely that the parents were both either very strong dark mages or blood mages.
He stopped his train of thoughts before once again asking Elrieden a question with a reaffirming tone “Are you sure that you did not get any information.”
Elrieden answered with a truthful voice.
“No, a blank slate, I got nothing through.”
The old man opposite of him answered his question with a calm, and calculating voice.
“While this does mean that it is possible, it does not mean that it is true. I want you to keep tabs on the boy and inform me if anything significant happens, and I will teach him if he is indeed a dark mage or a blood mage. Until that time arrives, I think you should teach him curse magic if he is interested.”
The old man put some genuine thought into this. He knew the hard trials dark mages experienced, both by the nature of their magic and the society they live in. A society of dark mages is one of danger and death, both from inside and outside. It is easy to lose oneself to the power the dark mana can give, and as such most youngsters with dark mana must have proper guidance. Otherwise they will pose a threat to themselves and the people around them. Besides that, dark mages are normally hunted throughout the continent, especially in the human kingdoms. They believe that dark mana is the incarnation of evil. Ha! Idiots! The incarnation of evil stems from people’s greed, lust for violence or revenge, and in some cases their desperation.
While the old man was lost in thought, Elrieden was shocked at the last statement the old man made. Teaching him! Why would he do that! His emotions getting the best of him he blurted out a question.
“Why should I teach him; a dark mage has no use for curse magic!”
The old man was violently pulled out of his thoughts by Elrieden and his shouting. Upon hearing this question, he became furious. His expression oozing bloodlust, he stood up with the chair falling behind him. Gob just rounded the corner with their drinks until he suddenly felt this bloodlust, he froze up. The fear and the dark mana stemming from the chimeramancer freezing him in place.
The old man roared with fury and directed his anger towards the shaman opposite of him
“What do you know you low class shaman! Do you think your magic is too good for a dark mage!”
Elrieden, hearing this and seeing his expression backed down. He sensed the bloodlust and the amount of dark mana in the air, he regretted that he blurted out that question. He did not dare meet the chimeramancers gaze as he tried to calm him with an apologetic tone.
“I’m sorry, I will comply with your wishes. But may I know why? Why would he want to learn curse magic, chimeramancer?”
The old man calmed down a bit. Gob rushed in as he picked up the chair that had fallen in the chimeramancers rage, and set it back up. The chimeramancer sat back down, and answered Elrieden’s question with a demanding and authoritative voice.
“You will find out in the future, and stop calling me ‘chimeramancer. My name is Orthrus, Orthrus Illyia. I want you to go to their house and tell them two things, first you tell them that you would like to help him study magic if he wants, and tell them to visit me around his fourth birthday. You understand?”
Elrieden answered with a shaking voice: “Y-yes, I will do that.”
Orthrus Illyia continued with the same authoritative voice: “You will receive compensation for your lessons from me. Say to them that you will do it for free because he has talent for it, or something.”
Elrieden only just able to regain his composure replied with a soft “Yes”.
With bloodlust seemingly oozing out of his body Elrieden had complied to his wishes. He hoped that he would not have to deal with this man in the future, while with the prospect of teaching that youngsters, his hopes would be unlikely.
With Elriedens agreement the discussion was over. Gob saw Elrieden out while the man remained in his chair, lost in thought. Thinking about the consequences if that boy were to really be a dark mage, especially if he was one with great power. After several minutes of contemplating he came to one conclusion.
We can only find out in the future, can’t we?
Having a short laugh about his conclusion he resumed his started gathering multiple books on basic blood magic and dark magic of any kind. He always had an interest in blood magic, which will work out great if he can use the boy as an exper… disciple, disciple. A good disciple is always a welcome gift to any chimeramancer.
Laughing even harder the chimeramancer made his way deeper into his home, intent on continuing his research. This event has only made it more important to finish it, otherwise he would not be able to do anything for this boy if he was this tied down.