Watching as the Princess leaves, Eoviet looked back to the old notebook. The old leather torn and warn but yet the pages were so well preserved. Eoviet had been helping the mage when he needed to pack, mainly in organising his bags. The mage didn't have much sense of organisation so when it came to it, his bags overflowed when it could've easily fitted it.
Living only for a day or two outside of the tunnels felt weired for the small Prince. Coming from a kingdom that could barly feed its King, to one that has its monarchs feel a guilt to see his condition. Eoviet had never seen how much he and the rest of his people had whithered away until he saw a healthy person. Back at home, he was just used to seeing the average person to have their ribs showing, to be able to see someone's bones. But yet here, many look at him with a pity, like he was some unfortunate pup. He looked like a peasant when he was supposed to be a Prince!
"I don't act like one" Eoviet admitted to himself, looking over the old notes. Re-reading a page on how to make a potion to give strength to the injured. "Compared to that of Prince Rknom I'm just a kid" with a slight pout he added, "they even thought I was a kid!". Scanning his eyes over the words, he tried to focus on the instructions but his mind was too fogged. The small Prince was angry, angry that his kingdom couldn't have found this world full with life before. Angry that his people had to suffer when they could've just tunnelled up to this paradise. But he was mostly just worried sick.
Unable to reach his tunnel without suspicion of this new kingdom he was at the mercy off. But he had also unintentionally labelled his kind as a monster. Having been too paniced to think before he shot his fire at the guard who attacked him. If his father tries to find him, the whithered Prince knew he would do so in his draconic form. And if his father actually found his way out, he would be attacked. "I can't get to them without my form but I can't use my form when these guards are on high alert of me. I need a plan and running off to a volcano cannot be the best way" he sighed, eyebrow furrowed.
"But this volcano has my kingdom's language and it's treated as foren here. Maybe we had ties up here once? But then why did we leave? Why leave such lush land to go live in a gloom?" He pondered. Nothing made sense to him, everything the ancient mages had gifted was to mimic this world so why leave? "Something on your mind, Eoviet?" Toney asked, speaking up as he was testing one of the new potions.
"Not really" Eoviet shook his head, slightly off guard by the sudden question. Toney turned his gaze back to him, his green eyes narrowed and Eoviet could see the judgment. He should've known better than to think that Toney wouldn't see his worries. The mage was quite sensitive despite acting as though he didn't care for others emotions.
"Not really?" Toney scoffed, "out with it, you've been reading the same line over and over. Something is clogging your focus". With a soft sigh, the Prince spoke softly, not willing to give up his secret just yet.
"I've just been thinking" he admitted but changed what he was truly worried about. "That beast, as you call it, what if it didn't actually want to hurt?" He turned a somewhat hopeful look to the mage. Toney rising an eyebrow like he had just told him that shadows don't exist.
"Didn't it" the mage paused before asking, "kill your entire village? Why would you think it wouldn't want to hurt? You of all people should be fearing it". Eoviet shook his head slowly, hesitating before explaining.
"At my village" he lied but he needed the mage to know the truth somehow, "it only attacked after someone had challenged it. It only drew its breath after someone drew their sword at it".
The mage paused for a while, nodding slowly before asking. "And its temperament before hand?" He looked over at Eoviet, a more curious gaze in his eyes. Eoviet understood the curiosity, learning something new is always exciting.
"Well, when it burrowed out of the ground," he started, feeling weird about talking about himself in the third person. "It just sniffed, like it was examining the area but when someone had slashed at its tail. That's when it began to shoot its breath" he explained. Using what had happened with the patrolling guards as an example.
Toney only had nodded, his eyes softened as he thought. An excitment began to bubble in his expression. "Imagine if we can see it at the volcano" the mage chuckled with a bright grin. "Just how much can we learn about this new thing- what if it came from deep within the earth? Do you think anything can survive down there?" Toney seemed to have asked himself.
"Doubt it" Eoviet shrugged but he couldn't help the spite in his tone. The mage threw a puzzled gaze at him, his eyes furrowed as he thought for a while.
"Did you happen to see its condition? I mean, do you think it was just looking for food?" Toney questioned, his tone suggesting a double meaning to it. With a hesitant shrug, Eoviet answered.
"It was slender but I don't know if it was ment to be that way" he looked into the mages eyes. There was a theory bubbling within him, the mage was guessing something.
"You don't think it is suffering do you? Not to over step or anything" Toney began, resting an arm over his shoulders as he spoke. "But I feel like your putting yourself in its shoes, do you empathise with it?" The mage questioned, more so out of curiosity than interrogating.
Eoviet shrugged, keeping his gaze away from the mages as he questioned, "I guess?". There was a pause before Toney had gotten up, leaning over to one of his many locked cabinets. Eoviet watched as the mage pulled out a number of ingredients, many herbs mainly. "What are you making?" He asked, a little more nervously now but he felt more comfortable around the mage than before.
"You look all stressed and down" Toney explained before his own expression softened into a sadness.
"I know what it is life to loose your family, I'm making a potion that the old court mage had made me when I first came in" he explained. Grabbing light purple petals and mixing them with the juice of a lemon. He grindded the mixture into a small bowl, soon adding more herbs. Smoothing juice until it became more well mixed. Once he had done that he poured the mixture into a glass bottle that was held in a stand. Using a quick spell, that Eoviet recognised as one that he was taught as a child, the potion began to boil. Turning an earthy purple colour. "This should help you feel better" Toney spoke again. Holding out his hand and muttering a "glacies" as the mixture cooled. Another spell that Eoviet recognised.
"Thank you" Eoviet gave a soft smile, taking a sip at the potion and finding it rather a pleasant tast. "That was a small flames and frost spell right?" He then asked, wanting to change the subject to something he was more comfortable with. Studying simple spells was something Eoviet and his father used to do when he was a kid.
"It is" Toney gave a more surprised expression, curiosity taking over most of his expression. "How did you know? Magic is quite rare to be born with let alone be able to gain a study in it" the mage explained. Causing Eoviet to raise a questioning eyebrow, confused by the statement.
"What do you mean, rare?" Eoviet questioned, his brows furrowed down. Everyone in his kingdom had it, sure those outside of the royal family had more struggle. But the simple flame and frost spells was something everyone knew. There was limited books and notes on the matter in his kingdom but yet up here they seemed well connected. Surly everyone should have some degree of magic?
"Just that not everyone is born with the gift" Toney explained, his own confusion present. "Even if you are born with the natural skills, it takes a lot of concentration, trianing and understanding to use it- let alone master it" the mage scratched his head.
Toney looked confused at Eoviet's confusion, his gaze scanning the boy in a slight suspicion. "But-" Eoviet paused, thinking before explaining, "everyone in my village had some skill. Sure some were better than others but we all could use the basics" he shrugged. Beginning to get concerned at the mages shocked response, his eyes widened in a confused thought.
"A whole village?" Toney asked slowly, sounding like he was asking himself in a shock. Like it was a completely impossible outcome.
"Wait" Eoviet thought to himself in a realisation, now feeling dumb. "Our draconic forms, we must be one of these "creatures of magic" other than these beings, maybe my kingdom have a natural gift?". The Prince couldn't dwell on the thought for too long. A creek of the rusted hinges of the old doors sounded from behind him. King Arvin walking in, his eyes landing on the mage, "ah, sorry to barge in". The King apologised, closing the door behind him.
"May I help you, Sire?" Toney asked with a bow, a twinge of frustration formed within Eoviet. The small Prince would never admit it or even show it. But seeing these monarchs being treated with the respect their title earns when he feels it is important to keep quiet, annoys him. "It is kind of my fault it's a secret- but I didn't mean to attack that guy!" Eoviet complained internally. On the outside he kept quiet, not showing his more unpleasant emotions.
"Yes, Toney, I heard that Princess Shir would be joining you" King Arvin haulted his sentence when he noticed the smaller boy. The King smiled softly before focusing back on the mage. "I would like you to ensure her safety, you know why" he finished swiftly, the mage nodding.
"Already on it, one she herself can defend herself, two I had go get a full guard to accompany us" the mage ensured, patting his King's shoulder.
"I would just like her life to be top priority is all, thank you for your understanding, Toney" King Arvin first spoke with a soft tone. But Eoviet caught the bitter side.
Sensing a tension between the two, the hidden Prince assuming he was talking about the voices in the Princesses head. Any father would be worried about something like that, anything could happen after a discovery of that nature. "And who is this?" King Arvin gestured to Eoviet. Who was sitting in the corner of the lab reading the old notebook.
"Oh, this is Eoviet" Toney smiled more gently, "he originally came to me since his village was attacked by that beat. Ever since then he had became my assistant in a way, even able to translate the old notebook I told you about".
Eoviet felt a shiver run down his spine when the King's eyes grew a suspicion when he heard about the translation. The King glaring the hidden Prince up and down in a judgment. "And may I asked, son" the King spoke slowly, his tone darkened ever so slightly, " how do you know this ancient language?". Eoviet felt the air turned cold, this King went from a calm and friendly greeting to an interigation in a matter of seconds.
"Oh" Eoviet cleared his throat with a hesitation, "my grandparents used to speak it. I assumed it was something from our ancestors or something?" He shrugged.
The King narrowing his eyes in a distrust but also in a disbelief. Like what he had said rivalled something he had believed. "I see" the King nodded slowly, his tone softening but Eoviet could tell it was somewhat forced. "Perhaps you can prove yourself worthy of working in my castle" he turned to the mage. His tone growing more relaxed as he walked away, "any new reports just sent a messenger pigeon".
"Of course, Sire" Toney bowed as the King left. Sighing softly to himself, the mage turned back to his books, taking the bestiary into his main travel bag. "Good night, Eoviet" the mage smiled at him, "be up and early, we leave early morning".