Pathless: Outcast

Cirrugur, 20th of Suncrest, year 305 UC

Bryan sat at the wooden table staring at the open book in front of him. It wasn't a thick book, it was fairly thin compared to the rest of them that were in the room.

The cover was the letters ABC, and it contained all the alphabet that he would need to learn along with a few basic words.

Memories of Ms. Kelly teaching him to read and write flooded back, bringing a smile to his face. But the memory quickly turned bittersweet, and his pencil paused.

Edward, who had been watching quietly, noticed the change in Bryan's demeanor.

"Bryan, do you need any help?"

Bryan shook his head and looked up.

"No, I have it."

He said with a small smile.

His pencil began to move as he returned to tracing the letters on the paper.

For a moment, it was fun, like a game he used to play. But the joy was short-lived, replaced by a heavy sadness.

He missed Ms. Kelly.

The smile on her face, the one she showed all the time was replaced by a bloodied image of her lying on the cold hard ground. And he could do nothing to prevent it from happening.

That warmth she radiated would never touch him again. All because of him.

‘It’s all my fault.’

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’

He could feel himself starting to cry but tried to hold it back.

Edward noticed his hesitation again.

"Why did you stop?"

Bryan looked up, eyes glistening.

"Can I do something else?"

Edward nodded.

The tear that slowly fell down Bryan’s cheek was easy to see. The boy was feeling down, but he wasn’t sure why.

He had to move on, and keep his mind busy. Edward knew that and thought that studying would do just that.

Guess it was time for him to try something else.

"Do you think you're ready to move on?"

Bryan pondered this.

‘I need to get stronger. I can’t be weak no more.’

He couldn't afford to stay the same.

"I'm ready."

Edward smiled and placed a piece of paper in front of Bryan.

"Read this."

He instructed.

The paper was small, with ten words neatly written across it.

Bryan took a deep breath and began to read aloud.

His voice was steady, though there was a hint of uncertainty as he moved from one word to the next.

Edward's eyes widened in astonishment.

‘Was this too easy? I thought he’d stumble over a few, but he didn’t.’

Edward thought to himself as he found it amusing that Bryan was able to read those words with ease.

When Bryan finished, he looked up at Edward, who was still staring at him.

"Did I get it wrong?"

He asked with a bit of worry hidden in his voice.

‘Wrong? No boy, you got it all right. That’s the problem.’

Edward shook his head slowly.

"No, that's correct. Here, try this one instead."

Edward placed another sheet of paper in front of Bryan. This one, while still simple, included ten more words.

For someone of Bryan’s age, it should prove to be difficult. Unless Bryan came from a well-established family then he shouldn’t be able to read all the words.

"It's fine if you can't read it."

Edward reassured him.

Bryan nodded and looked down at the new piece of paper.

He took a deep breath and began to read the words.

At first, it was hard and he had to sound the word out. But, it didn’t take long before he nailed each word.

Edward rubbed his grey-bearded chin thoughtfully as he listened, his eyes focused intently on Bryan.

‘Who are you?’

When Bryan finished, Edward crossed his arms and gave a small nod of approval.

"Did you learn to read before?"

He asked.

If not, then this was truly a special circumstance.

Bryan shrugged slightly.

"A little, but nothing like this."

Edward's eyebrows furrowed as he considered this.

"Interesting."

He said, nodding slowly.

Picking up a pencil on the table, he flipped over a piece of paper. Writing a few complex words on it, he handed the paper to Bryan.

“Can you read this?”

It would be a miracle if he could, but he simply wanted to test the boy.

Children his age would normally be dying to leave the room, to go outside and play. Yet, Bryan was here without complaining.

The perfect pupil for any tutor.

Bryan stared at the paper. The words were more challenging, but he was determined.

He stumbled over a few, hesitating and sounding out the letters carefully. After a moment, he managed to read them all, albeit with some difficulty.

Edward watched him intently, arms still crossed. When Bryan finished, he nodded approvingly.

"Not bad, you're doing well. Better than I expected."

Bryan felt a swell of pride at Edward's praise. No one ever praised him before, but it felt good.

"Thanks."

He said, a shy smile breaking across his face.

Edward leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Let's take a short break."

He said.

After that, Edward didn't say much more. He hurried out of the room, leaving Bryan by himself as he rushed to see Emilia.

The boy, Bryan, wasn't normal.

Edward couldn't hide the grin plastered on his face as countless possibilities rushed through his mind. He had to make sure, but what he'd seen so far was already good enough.

As he approached the stairwell, Edward took a deep breath. Descending the stairs, he felt a slight chill in the air.

The stairwell led him to the basement, a large open area with dull gray floors and walls. The space was vast, with bright lighting hanging from the ceiling. The lights were arcs of electric energy, pulsing rhythmically and illuminating the room as brightly as daylight.

In the center of the basement, Emilia was training.

She wore a skin-tight suit that accentuated her agility and strength. She moved fluidly, her body a blur as she fought against six mechanical dummies.

Edward watched as she flipped over one of the dummies, her palm landing on its shoulder leaving a red imprint before she gracefully landed on the ground. A second later, the dummy exploded.

Emilia noticed Edward then, raising an eyebrow as she flipped her hair out of her face.

She walked towards him.

As she stepped away from the other mechanical dummies they stopped moving, as if all the energy that was powering them was sapped.

"What brings you here?"

Edward crossed his arms.

"It's Bryan. He's progressing faster than I anticipated. His reading skills are advanced, more than I thought."

Emilia nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. Not understanding how this was a problem worth telling her about.

"That's good news. It means he has potential."

Edward leaned against the wall, rubbing his grey-bearded chin.

"More than potential, Emilia. He might be exceptional. I gave him more complex words, and he managed to read them with some difficulty. It's only been a week since we've begun."

Emilia's eyebrows furrowed.

‘So, he is your son after all, huh.’

She suddenly burst out laughing showing a row of perfect white teeth.

"Given his background, I'd expect nothing less. If he's finding it too easy, push him harder."

**********

Cirrugur, 10th of Brightforge, year 305 UC

"Done."

Bryan said as he put his pencil down.

He just finished writing down all the answers to some simple math problems.

After learning how to read and write, Edward began teaching him mathematics. Which he said was fundamental to becoming a mage.

Bryan didn't think he had to put this much effort into becoming a mage, but he kept trying his hardest.

With Edwards's continued praise, it felt as if he was doing something right.

He didn't want to fail Edward or let him down.

If that happened, then Bryan wasn't sure what would happen to him. That's why he practiced and practiced, even late into the night.

Edward glanced over at the sheet of paper Bryan wrote on and nodded.

"Yes... that's right."

Edward paused for a second before he shook his head.

This clearly wasn’t working. Not the way he envisioned.

"You up for trying something different?"

Bryan looked up.

"Sure."

Edward smiled.

"Are you enjoying this?"

He asked.

"Yeah, it's fun."

Bryan replied.

It was keeping him busy, especially the math. That was also why he liked to study at night.

Sleeping was hard.

That day kept replaying when he closed his eyes. He hated it.

If he tried to go to sleep on his own, then he’d wake himself up.

It didn’t take long before he realized if he studied hard enough, then he could exhaust himself to the point he wouldn’t wake up.

On those nights he didn’t dream. He just slept.

Edward's eyebrows raised in surprise. This was a first; he had never heard anyone say that studying was fun.

He opened his palm, and six blue orbs of light appeared, hovering just above his hand.

Bryan's eyes widened.

"Whoa!"

This was his first time seeing magic, and it was so cool. Once he got done learning this stuff, he could finally be a mage.

Maybe then he could do what Edward just did.

He could already picture it now. Going around town showing other kids his magic.

‘Oh… I can’t. Emilia said I couldn’t.’

Bryan thought to himself as he remembered what she said.

"How many orbs do you see?"

Edward asked.

"Six."

Bryan replied quickly as he refocused on the orbs.

Edward nodded.

The orbs floated into a vertical column.

"This is one column with six orbs. One times six is six."

Edward explained.

"One times six is six."

Bryan repeated, his eyes fixed on the glowing orbs.

The orbs then rearranged themselves into a horizontal row.

"This is six columns with one orb in each. Six times one is six.”

Edward continued.

Bryan nodded and repeated after him.

Edward began to use the orbs for a brief lesson on multiplication, showing different configurations and explaining the concepts as he went along. Bryan watched intently, nodding and repeating the equations after Edward.

"It's a bit difficult to understand at first, but I just want to show you how it works."

Edward told him.

"I understand."

Bryan said.

It was fairly easy to remember, especially with a visual.

He hoped that Edward would increase the difficulty because it was too simple right now.

Edward couldn't help but grin at the boy's determination.

He added six more orbs, forming two columns with six orbs in each.

"What is this?"

Bryan thought for a moment, then replied.

"Two columns with six in each. Two times six is twelve."

Edward's eyes lit up.

"Exactly! Two times six is twelve. Let's keep going."

He flicked his wrist, and the orbs rearranged themselves once more. This time, there were three columns with four orbs in each.

"Now, how about this?"

Bryan hesitated for just a moment before answering.

"Three columns with four in each. Three times four is twelve."

Edward nodded, pleased.

"Good. Now, let's try something different."

He formed five columns with two orbs in each. "What do you see here?"

Bryan's brow furrowed slightly as he thought.

"Five columns with two in each. Five times two is ten."

"Correct You’re doing wonderfully, Bryan. Let's try a few more."

He waved his hand, and now there were six columns with five orbs in each.

‘Come, solve this one. Do it. Show me what you’re capable of.’

Edward couldn’t help himself. He had to know, how far could the boy go.

Bryan's eyes followed the movement of the orbs closely.

"Six columns with five in each. Six times five is thirty."

Edward smiled broadly.

"Well done. And now, for the last one."

He got rid of a few and created a grid of four columns with six orbs in each.

"What about this?"

"Four columns with six in each. Four times six is twenty-four."

Bryan answered, feeling satisfied with himself.

If he was wrong, Edward would have told him. But so far, the old man hasn’t said he was wrong.

It made him feel good.

"You’ve got a knack for this. I’m impressed with your learning speed. Have you studied math before?"

Bryan shook his head.

"No, not really. I've counted numbers before, but that’s all."

Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"You’re a natural.”

Bryan's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes, and if you keep up this pace, we’ll have to adjust your schedule. Do you know why this is important?"

Bryan shook his head again, curiosity in his eyes.

Edward leaned forward.

"If you want to be a mage, then math is highly important. It will be part of your foundation. The faster you are able to calculate after seeing something, the faster you'll be able to react."

"Imagine you’re a mage in the midst of battle. Suddenly, you encounter seven enemies. You have to judge the distance between each of them, understand the range of your spells, and recognize what kind of weapons they have. You need to see if there's anything in the environment that can give you an advantage. You must calculate how much Ether you'll need to use for your spells. If you realize you can't win, you have to quickly plan a route to escape, while tracking the enemies' spells or weapons. It’s a lot, but a mage has to be able to do all of that, if not more."

Bryan's eyes were wide with realization.

"Wow, that's a lot to think about."

"It is, but with practice, it becomes second nature. That’s why we start with the basics, like multiplication. It trains your mind to think quickly and accurately."

Bryan nodded.

"I understand. I’ll keep practicing."

He’d keep going until he didn’t even have to think about the orbs. As soon as he saw them, he wanted to know the answer.

Wouldn’t that be cool?

Maybe he’d even get some sort of reward if he did that.

Thinking about it just made him happy.

Edward clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good. You’ve earned a break for now."

Edward let Bryan be as he left the room.

He couldn't help but gulp as he felt his fingers tingle.

This was beyond mere talent, Bryan was special.

If he continued on this pace, without any bumps...

Edward shuddered at that thought.

A monster.

The boy would become a monster, far beyond what anyone has ever encountered. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Sixty-eight, that's how old he was.

He needed to last a bit longer until he saw what Bryan would become. Then, and only then could he die in peace.

‘Emilia, where exactly did you find him?’

Edward found himself asking that question with a grin on his face. Shaking his head he put that thought to the back of his mind as he wanted to hurry up and see Bryan learn how to use magic.

But, he had to keep in mind that this was still early on and he shouldn't be too greedy.

Push Bryan too much and the boy could break. He had to be delicate and foster his talent.

But, it was hard not to be greedy after seeing the boy at work.

Edward arrived at a sturdy wooden door down a dimly lit hallway. He raised his hand to knock, but before he could, Emilia's voice called out.

"Enter."

Edward opened the door to find Emilia sitting behind her desk, a translucent orb floating in front of her. The room was filled with the soft glow of the orb, casting shadows on the shelves filled with books.

"Anything interesting happen?"

Edward asked, closing the door behind him.

Emilia sighed and looked up from the orb.

"The Inquisition has started to move."

Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Why is that a problem?"

She’s never taken an interest in their activities before.

Emilia leaned back in her chair, with a troubled look on her face.

"Because it has to do with Bryan."

Edward was surprised.

‘The boy? What does he have to do with them?’

"Bryan? What do you mean?"

“I was going to adopt Bryan, but before I could, he killed a noble after awakening his magical aptitude."

Edward opened his mouth to speak, but Emilia cut him off.

"I burned the bodies, and there weren't any witnesses. But that won't stop the Inquisition from doing their job."

Edward frowned, rubbing his chin.

He was glad she told him, but she burned the bodies? It was a good idea, but couldn’t she have just tossed them in the sewer or something?

By the time they were found…

No. Burning them was the right move after all.

They’d be unrecognizable. It’d take longer to ID them.

Still, this was the Inquisition after all. They’d find a way.

"We can't handle the Inquisition."

"I know."

Emilia replied, frustration evident in her voice.

"I wasn't seen, and that's the reason we can't have people know Bryan managed to awaken. If the news spreads, then someone, probably within the area of the orphanage, will connect the dots. Maybe not intentionally, but they'll open their mouth, and it won't take long before the Inquisition does."

Edward nodded slowly.

‘Then you should have burned the entire block. No witnesses, no case.’

Edward thought to himself but knew he shouldn’t voice his opinion.

"So, what do we do?"

Emilia leaned forward.

"We should be fine for now, but we need to be careful. I'm invested in what happens going forward with Bryan. He's too important."

Ever since he's been watching over Emilia, he never questioned her. Not after she came of age.

But this, this was beyond any power Emilia could ever wield.

She was remarkable by herself but against an army? That was another story, especially one that was trained to hunt down mages exclusively.

It went without being said that the person Bryan killed was someone important. That, or his family was important.

The Inquisition never moved unless ordered, and there were only a few people who could order them around.

He always wondered what the story was with Bryan, but now he found out.

Emilia sighed once more before looking at Edward.

"So, what is it you wanted?"

Edward cleared his throat, shifting his stance slightly.

"I have two things to discuss. First, Bryan is progressing quicker than I previously assumed. When we first started on simple addition and subtraction, he was struggling, but after a few days, he could solve those problems with ease. Today, I added in some multiplication just to see if he could keep up, and he did."

Emilia's eyes lit up with interest.

"I'll have to test him myself."

"It's not just that, I made the problems more complex as we went on, and Bryan had no problem answering them. In fact, it was like he was answering them faster than before. The kid's a monster."

Emilia smiled at that.

"I really want to see this for myself. If he's as good as you're saying, then him becoming a mage won't be much of an issue."

Edward nodded.

"Exactly. But putting Bryan aside, there was another thing I wanted to mention."

Emilia leaned back in her chair, her expression shifting to one of mild curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Have you forgotten that your husband is coming home in two weeks?"

Edward asked, raising an eyebrow.

Emilia sighed deeply and leaned back further, rubbing her temples.

"I honestly forgot. But you know we aren't actually 'married'."

Edward nodded.

"Yes, just married in name only. But don't you see the problem with this?"

"Bryan."

Emilia replied, her eyes narrowing in thought.

"Exactly, you'll have to explain his presence here and the fact that he's awakened. It complicates things."

Emilia shook her head, frustration evident in her voice.

"I just can't catch a break, can I?"

Edward offered a sympathetic smile.

Her husband was a man of few words and agreed to marry her due to his own circumstances. It was a marriage of convenience, nothing more.

Emilia got the public and romantic pursuers out of the way, so she could live her life in relative peace. She'd also maintain her noble titles and property, things that others craved.

As for Lucas, her husband, he liked to engulf himself in endless pleasure and wander the world.

He always had a curious mind, and seeking greater knowledge drove him.

Marrying Emilia was just as good for her as it was for him since he need not be bound by the same status as the common folk and could indulge himself in his hedonist behavior.

Best of all, Lucas did not want children, which was one of the reasons Emilia proposed to him.

"I fear he will have questions about the boy. It won't be hard for one mage to sense another, so hiding it is out of the question."

Edward told her.

Emilia nodded, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk as she thought.

"It might be best to have Bryan leave for a couple of days since Lucas never stays long. But then again, the ideal play would be for him to meet Bryan."

Edward frowned.

"What's the point of doing that?"

Emilia leaned forward.

"He'd be able to check Bryan out. The last time I looked over his pathways, they were deteriorated and ruptured."

"Ahh, the Ether poisoning."

Edward said, realization dawning.

"Yup. How Bryan managed to absorb the stuff is beyond me, but it did some damage. If it stays like that, he won't be able to use magic at all. And if he does manage to, it'll only be painful every time he does, and the corruption would spread."

Edward shook his head, it was difficult to imagine that Lucas was capable of doing much for Bryan. Considering his past behavior, it was more likely the man would want to dissect Bryan instead.

"Lucas may be smart, but he isn't an expert in Ether poisoning."

Emilia smiled faintly.

"He's not, but he's dabbled in almost every field there is. If anyone can figure out a way to help Bryan, it's Lucas."

"I'm just worried that when he sees Bryan's talent, he won't want to hide it. Or, he'll be greedy and pray on the boy's talent, pushing him far beyond what we intend."

Edward replied.

Emilia twirled the ends of her hair as she spoke.

"The true essence of power lies in the mastery of knowledge, for it illuminates the path to infinite possibilities."

Emilia looked over at Edward and smiled.

"It's what Lucas always says. If he thinks he can push Bryan to his limit, then let him."