"I see you're wary of me, and were you a part of a caravan, you'd be right to be so," the elf said, maintaining a non-threatening stance. "However, as you are but a pair of travelers, we have no need to rob you of your possessions or other such things we might find value in. Rather, we would offer protection and guidance to the likes of you," he continued.
Awfully convenient," I muttered, cocking my head slightly. "For both of us, yes. We only target larger caravans, though for some fucking reason, those idiot merchants haven't gotten smart to that, yet," the elf said with a shrug. I glanced at my brother, noticing a grin on his face. Whatever was going on in his head, I couldn't figure out, but he wasn't exactly saying anything, like he was waiting for me to figure out the best way to handle the situation.
"What is your name, boy?" the elf asked. "Technically, I asked you first," I shot back. "Hmm, fair enough. My name is Gwili Gwynn, and while I'm sure you've noticed the others surrounding us, I am the leader of this little group of mountain bandits," he said, putting a hand to his chest and extending his left out as he performed a mid-level bow. "Now that I've upheld my side of the pleasantries, it's time you've held up yours, isn't it?" the elf asked me.
Getting lessons on etiquette from a bandit is not what I expected on this trip. Guess violence won't be the answer right now, but it is always an option, I thought, noting his tone and poise.
"My name is Thoma Fayren, and I'm a synner of Codrean," I said, sheathing my sword. "And one capable of the second stage of mana manipulation at that," Gwili noted. "Most human synners tend to reach that at a much later age, don't they? Or am I so out of touch that the new generations are leaps and bounds ahead of their elders and I'm only just now finding out about it?" he asked.
I was surprised to find him so well informed, but then again, I had to consider the fact that he was constantly interacting with merchants. "Most reach it a few years later than I did, but I fail to see how that could matter to you," I replied, trying not to give too much information away. He chuckled at my reply, putting a few fingers to his forehead. "An angsty little fucker, ain't he? Bernar, how much longer are you going to let him do this?" he asked between breaths.
Wait, what? I thought, turning to look at my brother, whose grin had grown into a full-blown smile and hearty laugh.
I'm sorry, shit-head, I couldn't help it," Bernar said, patting me on the shoulder, laughing heartily as he walked over to the elf, clasping his arm in a greeting. "What the fuck just happened? Do you two know each other?" I asked, releasing my second stage. "Of course we do, Bernar was one of my best friends during his time in Caegwen, even though he's about a decade younger than I am," Gwili replied. "How am I just now hearing about this? How are you friends with an outcast?" I asked, not bothering to hide any expressions of confusion that grew on my face.
"He wasn't always an outcast," Bernar began, still chuckling at the situation. "He was one of my best friends and training partners during my time under Anwill," he said, gesturing towards the elf. "Training par-... You were a synner?" I asked, astonished at the revelation that this bandit and I had a lot more in common than I originally thought. "I was, yes, but I couldn't keep up with your brother nor the harsh training regimen that monster put us all through," Gwili explained.
That only explains half the story, I thought, furrowing my brow.
"But as for why I'm an outcast now… well, that's a story for another time alongside a warm meal and some booze," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "I see. In that case, I won't pry, but I would love to hear that tale sometime," I said, nodding my head in acknowledgement. He smiled, much more warmly than I had expected him to, but I could tell there was an unspoken pain behind his eyes that the smile couldn't hide. "Gladly," he responded.
"Bernar, are you taking him to Caegwen to train like you did?" the elf asked directly, shifting the somber mood of the conversation back to something a little more light-hearted. "Of course, the Master has deemed my little brother to be ready for the third stage," my brother replied, an air of pride evident in his voice. "Third stage? Gods above and below, how old are you, boy?" Gwili asked, genuinely astonished at my brother's answer. "I just turned eighteen a few months ago," I replied, discarding my previous desire to hide my age. There was no reason to do so anymore, I figured.
Gwili whistled critically. "At this rate, he might just beat you out of your record for reaching the fifth stage," he said to Bernar, a wry grin creeping onto his face. "We'll see about that," Bernar said, returning a knowing look to the elf. "Indeed we will, but we won't see shit if I keep you here any longer," Gwili said. "It was good to see you again, Bernar, and a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Thoma," he said to the both of us. "It was good to see you, too, old friend," my brother replied. I could only bow in response, as I was still trying to wrap my head around the situation.
"Ah, one last thing before you go," Gwili began. "There was a creature unlike one I've ever seen before that escaped into the forest near the border. I don't know where it was ultimately headed, but it was fast," he continued. My brother's eyes opened widely. "What did it look like?" he asked. "Dark, plated armor-like skin, and ugly as fuck," the elf said succinctly. Bernar contemplated the words carefully, but ultimately shook his head.
"I don't think I know of any creature that looks like that," he said. "Maybe it's a new breed of daemon?" I asked in hopes of sparking his thoughts. He pursed his lips and shook his head. "We'll keep an eye out for it when we're in Caegwen," he said. "Good. Just bear in mind it's sneaky and likes slitting throats from behind," Gwili said with a nod.
"We'd best be off, then. I'm not sure the leaders of Caegwen know this thing is running around their forests," Bernar concluded, clasping his forearm with Gwili's as they said their farewells. I extended my arm as well, mimicking my brother. The elf looked at me with a small amount of surprise, but ultimately returned the gesture with a firm clasp around the base of my forearm.
"Take care of yourself, and don't overestimate your abilities. Just because you're ahead of your time, doesn't instantly make you better than everyone else," he warned. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," I nodded, giving a final squeeze of his forearm before letting go. My brother and I mounted our horses, and waved goodbye to the elf as we rode down the path marked for Caegwen.
As we descended the path to the elven country, the stark change in flora was astonishing. From an arid, rocky terrain with naught but shrubberies and short trees to an increasingly dense forest with towering canopies was breathtaking. Caegwen, it seemed, was a country that grew with the forest, rather than around it.
Traversing through the forest, I could only just make out a few elven huts that lay scattered amidst the trees. The building materials used for such huts seemed to be made of all-natural materials, making them almost blend into their surroundings like a sort of camouflage.
"I've never seen anything quite like that," I noted, gazing at a massive sequoia tree. High within the branches lay a few, naturally formed structures that appeared to grow from the tree, rather than be built onto it. "And you won't anywhere else," my brother stated. "Elves have the capabilities to wield natural mana like no other species. Well, aside from the dwarves, that is, but they were nearly driven to extinction a few centuries ago," he continued.
"What do you mean they can wield natural mana? Do you mean to tell me that they can manipulate the growth of a tree to create these structures?" I asked. My brother chuckled at my words, almost as if he found it more of an amusing statement than an actual question. "I don't want to spoil that for you," he said, shaking his head. "Fine," I sighed. "You know, it would be handy if you could give me some answers from time to time," I said, punching his shoulder lightly.
Bernar raised an eyebrow at me in mock surprise. "Listen, little shit, I could give you a lot of answers and information that would push you through to reach new heights of knowledge. But what would be the point of spoon-feeding you that information without asking the right questions? If I tell or teach you what to think, not how to think, would you be any better than those followers of Mideia who just blindly accept everything put in front of them?" he asked, his tone growing sharper.
"N-no, I guess not," I replied, digesting his words. "Exactly. Because the Master and I have been trying to teach you to find answers for yourself, you've already surpassed many of the others your age. Your inquisitive nature is not to be frowned upon. Rather, I encourage you to find your own answers to things, and adjust your views or opinions based on new, factual information provided as opposed to blindly believing anything told to you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, so don't waste your intelligence. Find the right questions," he continued.
I've never seen him so adamant about something like this. Was it something I said? I thought.
I couldn't figure out why he felt so strongly about what he just said, but I knew he had a point. Being taught how to think rather than what to think was vital to my growth, though I had never really realized it until now.
"I'll do my best," I said after a few moments of quiet consideration. "I just don't ever know what the right questions are, or how I'm supposed to figure out how to find them," I said, a small amount of dejection seeping through my voice. Bernar sighed, perhaps realizing he had been a little too hard on me. "It's alright, I'll help you find them, but don't expect me to spoon-feed them to you, fuck knuckle," he said, giving me a light punch on the shoulder and a wry grin.
We continued down the path for the remainder of the day, observing all the different kinds of plants, trees, and animals I'd never come across before. Even the books we had learned most of our academics from couldn't lay a finger on seeing the real thing in front of me.
There is no way those books could ever do any of this justice, I thought, watching a giant plant with a broad head and fang-like spikes catch an unsuspecting rabbit who mistook the plant's lure for food.
I'm supposed to train in this environment? I thought, glancing around momentarily.