Orlilin Finaena didn't look a day over 22, although she was 429 years old.
Yet she still could not speak Common Tongue; she only spoke Elvish. Not speaking to Humans wasn't due to her feelings of Elven superiority. She had simply never needed to talk with them before. It was one of the few languages she had never learned.
Many other Elves lived with Humans, but Orlilin had spent all her years learning magic. She had never left her homeland of Ilanwrtyn Vale. That was until she had learned of this promising young student.
Any Magic Caster worth one's salt had felt the fluctuation of power in Cela Down five years ago. They were able to see that Ozen Raw was involved, so most magic casters were keeping an eye on the town of Skagi from then on. And when they had heard the boy was casting magic at five years old without a teacher, they were chomping at the bit. The announcement of a tournament for the right to teach him was too good to be true.
A high-level mage tournament would be deadly, and the condition of having to live in the town of Skagi was ridiculous. This apprentice was surely worth it, though. With as much potential as he had, he'd at least reach Arch Wizard status. He would be a crucial ally, and as a student, he could be nurtured and led in the right direction. Any High-level Wizard would want a disciple of such quality as they would potentially have access to 10th tier spells in the future.
All Wizards on the planet were limited to the 9th tier of magic, to cast 10th tier multiple level-20 Wizards would be necessary. However, Wizards were notorious for having enormous egos and not working well together. So the 10th tier was rarely seen.
Orlilin reached into the void, as she had before, and her arm disappeared. She was going to retrieve a "comprehension of languages scroll" when she was interrupted. She pulled her hand back out.
"Excuse me, what's your name?" Mars asked.
Orlilin gasped in sheer astonishment. "Young boy, you can speak Elvish?" Mars looked as shocked as she did.
"No, I've never heard of it before? I-am speaking Elvish?"
All of a sudden, a loud ding rang in Mars' head.
He brought the screen back up, but no one seemed to be able to see it beside himself.
***************************************************************************
Greed activated.
Elvish-1 Learned: Second language-500 experience received.
Stats-Quests-Inventory-Map-Spells-Language
****************************************************************************
A Language Tab had appeared in the top right of the menu.
Mars decided not to mention the screen and only told a partial truth to the lady. He would explore the phenomenon of this strange screen system later when he had some time to himself. He minimized it once again.
"I was suddenly able to understand you. I can't explain why." Mars shrugged and continued.
"Thanks for saving us! I'm Mars, nice to meet you." Mars was genuinely grateful from the bottom of his heart.
Orlilin and Hagar both had looks of bewilderment.
"Well, you're more than welcome, Mars! I am Orlilin Finaena, and I've come to Skagi to win that tournament and become your teacher!"
"Mars, what the Hell is going on here, I can't understand a word either of you are saying?!" Hagar had no idea why his five-year-old cousin was babbling the same jibberish as this beautiful woman.
Mars shrugged again and answered Hagar. "I can speak Elvish now, I suppose? This lady's name is Orlilin and says she's here for the tournament."
Orlilin interrupted Mars. "Sorry, boys, but I think we had better head back to town before more of those Abyssal monstrosity's show up, someone of my stature doesn't want to waste magic on filthy beasts such as them."
Hagar looked confused, and Mars explained to him what she had said. Hagar agreed and got up from the ground. Much of his clothing was shredded and stained with blood, but his injuries fully healed.
Orlilin spoke the words after looking Hagar up and down 'My he is a big one' she thought "Sehan oth!" a luminous violet circle of Elvish writing enlarged around the ground where she was standing. She motioned to Mars and Hagar to stand near her. She snapped her fingers, and all three of them disappeared. Orlilin had cast "Teleport".
In an instant, the three of them returned to Skagi. They headed to the Jarl to let him know of such a strange sighting so close to town.
Skagi was not known for having any Leucrotta population. It must have traveled from further North past Cela Down. And the citizens that were currently out working or hunting would be in grave danger.
"Mars, please translate for me. A language scroll isn't cheap, you know." Orlilin smiled and looked at Mars with diamonds in her eyes.
Mars nodded and translated everything she told him to the Jarl.
"If one Leucrotta has come, there will be more."
The Jarl did not know what a Leucrotta was, but once he understood, he arranged to ring the town bell to alert them of an urgent meeting.
Orlilin was the first Wizard to arrive for the tournament, she was a week early, but she was determined to meet Mars beforehand out of her curiosity. When she had come this morning, she had discerned they'd headed out of town. It had cost her one "comprehension of languages" scroll. She had spent it talking with the residents. She had first spoken to the Jarl, and then Mars' mother, Var. She learned that Mars had headed out with his cousin to hunt.
So far as the boy seemingly possessed the ability to learn languages in mere moments.
Unique abilities were rare in this world. Orlilin's unique ability was to identify various information skills, and strengths by merely looking at someone. Some spells could replicate the same thing.
Orlilin now convinced that Mars was somehow involved with Ozen.
If she could not be his mentor, he would potentially be a dangerous enemy in the future. She also realized the other Wizards would have similar feelings.
In other words, if they couldn't have him, they would have to kill him before he was too dangerous.
The Wizard who won this tournament would have their hands full protecting this boy. A party would undoubtedly be needed.
The Bell rarely rang unless there was an emergency. Whenever it did ring, the townsfolk took it deadly seriously.
Everyone began to gather at the Town Bell. The Jarl then ascended onto the platform.
"Everyone needs to be on full alert; there are some serious monsters out in the wild right now! Buncha Lew-krewtu or something?! So until we learn more, please be extremely careful out there. Let anyone else who isn't here know!"
The Jarl bellowed boldly, and the thousand or so citizens in attendance heard him clearly. One of the essential qualities of a Jarl was having a loud voice.
Laughing began to erupt from one strange man. He had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, possibly using an invisibility spell. He was enormous and even taller than the citizens of Skagi who's men averaged 6'5".
He towered over the crowd at 8'1". He wore a tattered dark blue robe. An enormous blue pointy hat sat upon his head, which made him look even taller and hid his eyes from view. With terrifyingly large yellow teeth coming inwards at an angle, and a beard that billowed like smoke. He had a cloudy red orb that floated at his left side, and a thick brown book hung from a chain off his right hip.
There was no way this thing could be human. His presence was ominous. He continued to cackle like a mad man. He was known as Aze. He finally finished laughing .
They saw his elongated and hideous fingers holding an ornate pipe, emerge from within his robe. He took a long drag and exhaled an enormous cloud of blueish-grey smoke.spoke. he looked over to Orlilin and spoke.
"Do I really need to bother with a tournament? Or should I just massacre everyone now?"