"I have to make a trip to the wall. Richter sent his assistant to the house before dawn this morning asking for as many recovery potions as possible."
"I understand. Please tell him hello for me."
A conversation between parents woke Elijah up from his slumber. The softened voices passed through the cracked wooden door of his and Julian's bedroom.
Going to the wall? Could it be related to last night?
The moment Elijah stepped outside of his room, he was greeted by his birth parents. Without a second thought he expressed his desire.
"Can I go with you father?"
This is a perfect chance to investigate more about what happened outside the wall last night. Was that a normal occurrence, or out of the ordinary.
With a small shrug, father said, "Ehhh, why not? Just make sure to get something to eat before we leave in 20 minutes. I have to pack a couple of things."
Elijah happily grinned at the potential to learn more about the kingdom.
The carriage required a bit of a jump to get inside. Thankfully my father lifted me up by the arms and carried me like a doll. Every house on the west side has their own garden, although at the moment, not many vegetables and herbs are being grown. Only those capable of surviving the winter.
Here in Astraea, the seasons are extreme. Freezing winters and sweaty summers with the current season flowing into the end of autumn. While the carriage is roughly riding through the soft dirt road to the north where the main West Road is that leads to the inner city, Elijah asks his father a perfect question.
"Can you teach me about the kingdom?"
Don looked back at Elijah with a joyful expression. "What do you want to know kiddo?"
With a slightly nervous attitude to not seem abnormally smart, Elijah says, "I want to know the names of every part of the kingdom, and what makes them different."
"That was a great way to ask the question! So yes I will tell you as much as I can!" Don was happy that his youngest child was making strides in their development. Ever since the age of two, Elijah's parents have been teaching him reading and writing with the intention of setting both Julian and Elijah up for a prosperous life.
"To start, The Kingdom of Astraea has 10 zones. Four in the outer region, four in the inner region, 1 underneath the inner region, and lastly, Centerpool. We live in the Outer West. To reach the Inner city, you have to travel through one of the 4 tunnel gates. The Inner city has its own 4 zones that wrap around the center of the whirlpool that sits underneath Centerpool. The King's castle is in the very center of Centerpool. Just make sure to not jump in the whirlpool as there is no saving you. The Catacombs are the cave systems that we have partly inhabited due to not having enough space. However, The Catacombs are extremely dangerous in places without people that are the homes to an uncountable number of beasts. The reason why we have it under control is due to the hunters that protect the people. And to help you picture all of this in that smart little head of yours, there are two sets of walls that give us safety. The outerwall that we see everyday, and the inner wall that is made from the mountains behind us. Some people say something fell from the sky and created the hole that Centerpool sits on top of, and some people say it has always been this way."
A whirlpool, dangerous catacombs, and potentially something that sounds like a crater from a meteor? The sound of that intrigued Elijah even more so than the layout of the kingdom.
I need to see everything for myself!
The carriage ride took a little over 20 minutes to the west wall. What looked like a large a-frame house was exactly where my father was heading after hopping out of the carriage. Elijah followed swiftly, and once the door opened, a warm feeling washed over his body.
"Richter! How are things going?" Don seemed like he was talking in a sarcastic tone to hide something.
"I think you know very well how things went last night considering you are here…" Richter was a black haired clean shaven man with bright blue eyes. Another set of eyes that did not seem possible.
Elijah was thinking about how his eyes are still a grayish blue color, something relatively normal and possible. Could it have something to do with magic?
"Haha, I am aware, and today I brought a guest! My youngest, Elijah"
Beforehand, Elijah was standing directly behind his father closely listening in on the conversation. And now, the black hair and blue-eyed five year old was standing next to his father.
"Haha, he looks just like you! My name is Richter, an old friend of your fathers."
"Why are your eyes so blue?" The question Elijah asked stunned them.
"W-well uhh, because of magic of course! I have a water affinity and I am pretty strong. My eyes have been turning more blue ever since I began on the path of magic!" Richter's response only slightly shocked Elijah. This was what he expected, and to think there are magical affinities anyone can get that will cause your eyes to change color.
Incredible!
Elijah needed more information, so with the most child-like expression, words sent another shock to the adults. "How do I get a magical affinity?!"
"Buy one or find one." Don replied quickly in a somewhat annoyed tone. Maybe Don did not think it was safe?
After Don handed a small wooden box to Richter, he received what definitely was a pouch of coins.
"As usual, I'll let you know if I need anything else. Stay safe, Don."
"You too old friend."
The final words between the two old friends sent shivers down Elijah's spine almost as if something dramatic happened between the two in the past.
While silently sitting on the carriage and absorbing every bump and rock on the soft dirt path, Don suddenly said something exciting, even though the way he said it didn't make it exciting. "We are going on a seven day trip to Centerpool in three days. Your mother doesn't know about it yet, but I will tell her when we get back. With nothing to do but place rye over the soil until it snows, we have a lot of time on our hands. Please tell Julian to pack a bag for seven days."
Elijah nodded while hiding his excitement. Something was very obviously off about the way his father was acting now. The only option was to play it cool, and wait it out.
The wooden door swung open to an empty room of two twin-sized beds. Reaching underneath his bed, Elijah pulls out a large cotton sack and starts thinking about what he is going to prepare.
Noon hasn't even come about, and with nothing to do, his first thought is Alexia. The two spent time at the river throwing rocks and splashing each other. Lunch was a delicious set of chicken thighs using all sorts of herbs and spices grown in the garden.
With magic, anything was possible. Each house always had a large wooden chest lined with metal that froze all types of meat and dairy products. This was only possible due to a freezing magic rune.
The question was how was each rune made.