Theos had finally reached an age when children usually begin to express themselves and walk, but that was not the case for him. He could only balance himself when held by the hands, but he was unable to walk. His condition remained desperately unchanged; it was clear that as he grew up, he would continue to be unable to meet his most basic needs without assistance.
At bedtime, Aniche would close his eyes, though it made no difference. It was impossible to tell if the little one was asleep or not. At mealtime, if no one took care of him, he would likely die of hunger somewhere without anyone noticing.
However, there was one thing that intrigued everyone except his mother, as though it were the most natural thing. Theos's skin was white. In the capital, Kae-Zêl had encountered people of lineage with this trait, but not everyone, especially in this deeply isolated village, had such a characteristic. For Lore, white skin was unprecedented, but Kae-Zêl hadn't expected his son to be white. Normally, this trait was hereditary; if he were albino, it would be understandable. But this would inevitably cause controversy, especially in the capital if word spread.
He often worried about the future of his eldest. Aniche did too, Lore understood, and she assured them she would care for Theos until her death. While this pleased him to hear, he couldn't help feeling uneasy. This was not what he wanted for a young girl like Lore; taking care of Theos would hinder her development. One day, she would want to marry or leave. To Aniche and Kae-Zêl, Lore was part of the family. He didn't like imposing a life on her.
Time passed, and Kae-Zêl's family was blessed with a second child, a boy. He was named Keita. Unlike his older brother, Keita was lively and cried a lot, which reassured his parents somewhat, though he soon outgrew it. He was a normal child, or maybe not; he quickly showed intelligence and talent.
Given his older brother's condition, Kae-Zêl decided to train him early so that he could take care of himself quickly. At the age of five, a suitable age to begin training, Kae-Zêl began taking him to the hill a few steps from the village. Sometimes, he would bring Theos along, though it seemed that Keita felt uncomfortable around his brother in some way. He occasionally fed him but generally preferred to keep his distance.
Keita introduced himself: "My name is Keita; I was born in a small village called Autarcie, and my father is a knight. He sometimes travels to the capital for short periods. My older brother Theos, one couldn't say he fulfills his duty as an elder, but it's not his fault. Despite my young age, I understand the situation, though I feel something I can't quite describe when I'm with him. Mother and Lore spend most of their time taking care of him as if he were a real baby.
I've always admired my father, and if I wanted him to be proud of me, I had to work hard and meet his expectations. Beyond liberal studies, he began teaching me magic and swordsmanship; he taught me the fundamentals.
First, mastery of magic depended on controlling magical energy, as there are several types of energy, each leading to different levels of mastery. Everyone has magical energy, but some cannot use it. It depends on predispositions, though alternatives exist like using magical objects or artifacts.
Secondly, the method to summon magic varies depending on the situation: magic circles, incantations, or mental imagery of the spell. Circles also have derivatives; they can be drawn or summoned through a link. However, my father didn't dwell too much on this, probably because it was a lot to learn at my age.
Thirdly, he decided to skip that point; he said I would surely come to understand. During magic lessons, we would typically start by feeling our magical energy flow, stabilizing it, and controlling its circulation. Regarding combat style, my father decided to teach me a basic style, not wanting me to be a mere copy of him. He wanted me to find my own style, and that could take as long as it needed.
He taught me martial arts to be versatile, enabling me to switch from sword fighting to hand-to-hand combat, as well as to long-distance fighting. Today, as usual, the training took place near the tree on the hill. Often, in the middle of training, I would receive his comments.
"Listen, Keita, you need to manage your talents. People like you often end up average everywhere because they know how to do everything. You must also be able to gauge your opponent's level to adopt the best strategy."
Seated, stabilizing my magical energy flow, I had to be careful not to lose focus because of his monologue, yet I had to keep this teaching in mind and apply it.
"Yes, father."
"If you understand, then attack me."
I stood up, and we began. This was my daily life: I lacked nothing, had an education, everything a child my age needed. Although I had few friends, that suited me just fine.
Today was another beautiful day, with Mother doing household chores with my older sister Lore. Father had taken us, my brother and me, to the hill where we usually trained.
Upon reaching the hill, Father set my brother, whom he carried on his back, near the lone tree nearby, so he could keep an eye on him. He couldn't go anywhere anyway. We lay on the grass on the hill, looking at the sky. After a deep breath, Father spoke, looking rather serious.
"Keita."
"Yes, Father," I replied immediately.
"Do you know why I'm training you?"
It seemed obvious: to be able to defend myself, which is what I answered.
"Yes, but that's not entirely it. You are strong, and you will be even stronger in the future. Also, you must know how to use this strength wisely. It won't be able to solve all your problems. I would like you to think about that. One day, it will be your turn to take over. If you still want to be a knight like me, use this strength to protect.
"I'm not imposing my values on you. Whatever you do in the future, I hope you won't use your strength to do harm."
My father's advice was timely and made me realize something, despite my young age: if he had taken the time to explain all this, it was because of what had happened a week ago.
A week earlier…
Big sister Lore and Father had gone to the capital with a convoy from the village. So it was just me, my older brother, and Mother. One evening, returning from my solo training on the hill, I was extremely hungry, but Mother was so busy taking care of my older brother that she hadn't noticed.
In a fit of anger or whatever followed, I no longer remember exactly what I said beforehand.
"You know that's not true; I love you both equally."
"Haven't you noticed how much I've grown? No matter how much effort I put in, it's always about him. I hate him."
"He's not my brother, and besides, he doesn't look like us."
That phrase was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. I heard a sound echo, but I didn't understand; I had just been slapped. Yet, the pain came only later.
Angry, I threw my wooden sword. Mother, being a former adventurer, had slightly shifted aside. The sword hit my brother on the forehead, and blood flowed abundantly. Mother hadn't noticed it at the time, but something strange was happening. Out of fear and guilt, I ran away upon seeing Mother cast a healing spell, holding my brother in her arms.
As usual, my older brother did not react. Only later did Father come to find me on the hill, returning with big sister. Mother was worried, not knowing where I had gone that day. I apologized to Mother and my older brother, and Father said nothing about the incident.
It was likely because of that that he was advising me now on the hill.
The village of Autarcie received a visitor, and this was the beginning of troubles. One of the village sentries came to inform the village chief of the arrival of a group of knights, causing a stir. As soon as they arrived, the one who seemed to lead the group introduced himself.
"My name is Vishernuk, of the knights of the Order of the Transcendent. We are looking for Kae-Zêl Mâ-GIN by order of the king."
Everyone was stunned in the village square. Then the chief of Autarcie village spoke up.
"My name is Garban; I am the village chief. What do you want with good old Zêl?"
"We have a message for him. Lead us to him, please."
"Then follow me."
The knights followed Garban, and nearly the entire village kept a safe distance. Upon reaching the home, my father and I waited at the door, having heard of their presence because the village was so small that it was easy to know everything that happened.
With a look, the knights recognized my father, but the reunion was postponed. One of them began to unfold and read a scroll.
"By decree of the king, all heads of chivalric orders are summoned to an urgent matter at the Oracle Tower. Thus, Kae-Zêl Mâ-GIN is hereby summoned; the meeting will begin in a month."
This decree caused a stir in the village. Some didn't understand, but the knights decided to spend the night here, setting up a camp at the village entrance.
Later that day, Kae-Zêl and Vishernuk met at the only inn in the village.