Magus Cade allowed the boy to fall into slumber as he lifted him up in his arms with a tenderness one would not expect from a man of his stature and reputation. The boy was lighter than he thought, weakened by the confrontation from earlier. He glanced at the nails that lay scattered around them; magic-draining weapons, they were no mere trifles.
He turned his back to the dark forest, carrying the unconscious boy towards the village of Hoff. It wasn't far off, but with the boy's condition, he had to make haste.
As he walked, his mind began to wander. He thought about the boy's determination—it reminded him of someone he used to know. Like him, this boy too had a fighting spirit that refused to back down. But unlike that person from his past, this boy still has a future that could be molded into something...extraordinary.
However, the question was whether he was ready to become part of that journey or not.
Cade knocked softly at the Fritz residence, Father Oren opening the door for the two. Rose had somewhat been healed from her random fever , her frail figure seemed to have regained some of its color. Upon seeing the unconscious boy in Cade's arms, she gasped and rushed towards them.
"Magus! What happened?" Oren's voice was steady but his eyes held concern as he ushered them inside.
"An encounter with a rather dodgy leader and his men. He'll be alright." Cade said, laying the boy gently onto a bed.
Cade turned to leave but Oren called him back. "Cade, we need your help," he said, his deep-set eyes reflecting the urgency of his words. "I've heard about your skills from the folks in the capital."
Cade paused for a moment before turning back. His gaze settled on the worried face of Rose before shifting to Oren. "You should know that I'm not who you think I am," he said.
"We know who you are, Magus Cade," Oren replied warmly. "We also know that in the history of our village a mage like Viktor has never graced us, not even once."
Cade studied Oren for a moment, his eyes betraying nothing of his thoughts. He then glanced at the boy on the bed, his face pale but relaxed in deep sleep. "You want me to mentor him," he said, not bothering to make it a question.
Oren nodded, his gaze never leaving Cade's. "Yes. Viktor has potential, and with the proper guidance, he could be formidable. More importantly, he could learn to control his abilities instead of them controlling him."
Cade was silent for a long time. The room was thick with anticipation as Rose and Oren watched him, waiting for his response. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his white-blue locks. "I'll consider it," he conceded and turned to leave.
"No," Oren's voice rang out firmly through the room, causing Cade to stop in his tracks. "I need your answer now, Cade."
Cade turned back towards Oren, his brows furrowing slightly. "You're asking me to take responsibility for him, Oren," he said slowly. "That's no small thing."
"We understand that," Rose piped up from her place by Viktor's side. "But we're desperate. You've seen what those men did to him."
Her words hung heavily in the air as Cade cast another glance at the sleeping Viktor. They were right; the boy held immense potential within him.
"I assume this boy is your son?" Cade asked.
Rose nearly choked on her words as she didn't know how to answer that. Viktor had been living with Eric and her for coming up on two years, but the boy had never indicated he wanted to take their relationship there.
"No…" Rose admitted softly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Viktor came to us years ago, alone and without a home. We've cared for him as our own, but..." She trailed off, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at Cade. "He's never mentioned wanting to be more than a ward to us."
Cade observed the woman silently, then turned his gaze back to the boy lying on the bed. He could see faint traces of surviving strength in him, traces of resilience that had kept him going despite everything. With a sigh, he turned back towards Rose.
"Alright…" he agreed after a moment of silence. "I'll mentor your boy."
Relief washed over Rose's face swiftly replaced by gratitude. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "You have no idea how much this means to us."
"Actually," Cade said, his tone turning serious again. "I think I do."
As Cade stepped outside into the cool night air once again, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu wash over him. He was about to take on another pupil, guide another life just like he had done years ago.
This time would be different though; he wouldn't let this one slip away like the last one did.
As he strode towards his quarters at the village inn, his mind began to organize and plan. In truth, it was not an entirely selfless act; the idea of molding such raw talent into something exceptional was enticing. Viktor's potential was evident, even in his unconscious state. Cade could feel the pulse of magic within the boy, raw but powerful. If nurtured correctly, Viktor could become a formidable mage, perhaps even more so than himself.
He needed to prepare the boy for what lay ahead. He realized now how much the village depended on this child, how they saw in him their hope for the future.
At dawn, he found himself standing before Viktor's bed. The boy lay still, his sleep deep but troubled. Shadows under his eyelids moved as dreams played out behind them. Cade reached out and gently placed a hand on the boy's forehead, an incantation whispered under his breath causing Viktor to fall into a deeper, more peaceful slumber-But…
This was just the beginning.
Next Chapter: 42-Rising Danger