Max couldn't remember where time had gone. After his father returned with the egg from Olivia it didn't take time for the egg to hatch as just in a week a small Teiet owl chick was born, looking like a cross between a Great Horned owl and Ogygoptynx, the small chick having dark coloration to him as well as those horns as it looked curiously at Max after hatching, cooing at him. The act had melted Max's heart as he smiled, watching the chick slowly approaching Olivia who was overjoyed seeing her own little chick as tears filled her eyes and she held the child with a smile before a spectacle of lights encircled the newborn child and a glyph appearing above his head, it reading a name as Ken and Olivia were bewildered.
"It seems Jusst has smiled upon this child Olivia and blessed him with a name! I congratulate you with such a high honor, truly an honor and flattery that no words can reach!"
Ken spoke with flattery as Max read the glyph, it becoming a jumbled mess as he hissed and rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times as it didn't quite make sense at first but his brain started to piece the word together.
"I-I can not read it Ken... I am flattered and feel blessed but... I feel terrible that I can not distinguish the glyph so my child can wear his name with honor"
Olivia began to grow sorrowful as Max grumbled and the glyph disappeared and the name was visible to him. Athens, that name was so familiar as rubbed his temples and grumbled, huffing as he reached down and gently whispered in the chick's ear before addressing his mentor.
"Athens, I... I know that word from another place but it wasn't a name when it first appeared. I saw the glyph too but it slowly became a word... Olivia, it hurt to read it but his name is Athens. I think it means that he will be big, strong, and powerful whilst not forgetting the fact that he is humble and comes from such an amazing parent!"
Olivia smiles as the glyph shimmers and dissipates, the room silent as the air grows stale with silence, the small chick nuzzling Olivia's leg as Ken and Olivia slowly pry their eyes from the small child and look at each other. Gently Ken scoops Max up and places him on the chair with a worried look as Ken looks at Max with a very serious face, eyes meeting as Ken grips the boy's shoulder with fragility and carefulness.
"Max, I need you to be very very honest with me and listen very carefully. Glyphs of that nature are known as words of the gods and what you did might be a very nice thing but there are very few who can read those words, those that can spend their lives poring over tomes and most have gone blind due to the fact. Where did you learn to read those words, how did you read them, Max, how have you accomplished so many things with such ease and after such a... cursed birth, Max?"
The words that his father, the one of this world stung as Nathan felt his essence and Max come out of tune and a strike of discord ringing in his ears as his body flexed and Olivia looked bewildered, clutching her hatchling with a sense of fear as she approached the two with caution, her horns down as she looked worried and gently placed a talon on Max with a worried look.
"K-Kenneth, hold your tongue. I know what you talk of but... But is it safe to tell him this early? He has a life ahead of him and burdening him with this could... could be detrimental."
Max's face quickly changed from the smiling and happy boy to a face distilled of any kind of emotions, eyes narrowing a bit as he felt a flood of hurt. Things being hidden from him lies possibly fed to him?! Max felt his blood begin to boil as his magic began to surge and caused the air to crackle as he began to pant.
"Olivia he has every right to know. He is my son and beyond that, he is strong enough to burden this information"
His gaze turned from Olivia's talon as it slowly fell like a heavyweight as she took Athens back into her room and quietly closed the door.
"Max, you were born... you were born dead. You weren't alive that night when I first clutched you in my arms, you were born early and on an empty night sky. There were no stars, no moon, there was nothing and the world seemed to stand still as you entered it... I begged and pleaded with anyone who would listen to keep my son alive, no mystic or shaman could get your heart beating no matter how hard they tried. For an hour your mother clutched your lifeless body as I begged for something to listen and take my pleas. That's... That's when it appeared, the dark night sky seeming to manifest itself into something, a creature resembling a wolf bound in chains licked your face as a star lit up the dark night sky with a crimson and emerald. As the wolf left... The creature never spoke as those seemingly infinite eyes held a bottomless gaze of an abyss..."
Max felt a lot at the moment as immense emotions crashed into him like waves against a sea wall before a storm as he turn away, unable to bear all that information as his stomach made room. Quickly he cleaned it with magic as his father's eyes were full of tears and a ding rang in his head and the familiar gravel-like voice of Tamir chuckled.
{{That was me and that flash was you. The night was indeed cursed but the only way you and I, Nathan, could enter. The night has a meaning, the night the gods' eyes were blind. We could sneak through. Do not feel pity, the soul that held this body before you were dead before his first breath. When you are later in this world I will explain just what your father saw. Steel your heart and enjoy life}}
As Max cleaned the table he shakily gulped, a bit snot-nosed as he wiped his nose clean and hugged his dad and sniffled.
"I-I don't know... I just know I looked at the glyph and my eyes hurt... after rubbing them I could read it... I don't think I'm cursed dad, I think I am just special. I-I'm sorry to worry you dad but I'm alive, right? I hope you know I love you and... I promise I am not cursed dad"
Max's face slowly went from a disheartened, hurt, kicked puppy to his normal cheery self, Ken assuming correctly as he gently hugged his son and began to cry, feeling terrible for unloading all that information on his son but he needed to know as the two hugged it out, holding one another into the night as Max sniffled up tears. Ken adored the boy as he took the dump so well, smiling as he knew he was strong like his mother.
For the next two weeks, the boys worked on sparing, capable of only using swords as they would fence, practicing swordplay with one another as Max would try to imitate his father's fluid movements and dance-like style, following each strike, parry and sweep just like his father. The movements were different and their swords were only wooden since Max was still working up the strength to wield a real sword as they would also indulge in the business Max had drummed up as the city around them grew.
To Max it was heartwarming to see the fruits of his labor as he would continue to work, taking time to continue his different practices and trades. He would also take time to play with Athens and enjoy the new family's company every day as things seemed to look up for Max, a new horizon of adventures ahead of him, and plenty of more skills but for now he would enjoy the soon to be city of Alpine.