ASKELADDEN: The Tale Of The Golden Quill

7. A New Path

“I remember asking a question, geezer. You can't just bump heads with me under such weird circumstances and not say a word", Orion fumed, eyeing the stranger with contempt.

"Who are you calling a geezer, young lad? I'm just in my late thirties”, the stranger retorted, his temper slightly rising in his tone.

“Why then is your hair all grey? And come to think of it, you don't look so wrinkly", Orion questioned, taking a closer look at the man.

“It's a clan thing. My name is Kael. Kael Maximus, of the Maximus bloodline. I've got silver hair from birth."

“Oh…my apologies for that, Sir. Heavy misconception and disrespect on my part. My name is Orion, and this is my home. Which is obviously destroyed, of course.”

"I'm indeed sorry about all that. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Orion", Sir Kael said, with sincere sympathy in his eyes.

“I was on my way to the Port of Armorica from my hometown, Tintagel, which is just over the hills of Cumae, separating Eastern Dumnonia and the Lyonesse Province. Just as I got to the meadows of Lalades, I felt a thick wave of high release of magic energy. Took off towards its direction as fast as I could with a flight spell but I couldn't reach the vicinity in time. As I got closer, I saw heavy clouds of smoke rising into the sky, but there seemed to be a spell surrounding the main city. Like a magic suppressing barrier, it also blocks any lifeform containing magical power from entering the perimeter from outside. So I decided to go around the barrier. But by the time I got here, the damage had already been done."

Orion said nothing, thinking to himself and realising that the only reason he was able to enter the main city at the time of the attack was because of his absolute lack of magical power.

“I searched the entire city for any sign of survivors, but all was an effort in futility", Sir Kael continued.

“That was when I decided to head to this Tree. My first time seeing the famous Yggdrasil actually. Anyways, that was when I found you. I stood over you for quite some time, almost assumed you were dead from afar but I saw you breathing so I decided to stick around to see if you'd wake up, as I protected you from the flock of striges circling above, waiting to feast on your body as soon as they had the chance. For some reason, your body showed no visible signs of physical damage, although your clothes told a different story. It was even more strange when my mana detection picked up zero traces of magical power from you, but in a couple of minutes, an absurd amount suddenly spiked. That was really what piqued my interest to wait around."

"I'll explain everything subsequently. For now, I need a reason to trust you”, Orion said, peering at him cautiously.

"For one, I didn't murder you while you were unconscious. If that isn't enough reason, I don't know what is.”

"That's actually valid. Alright then, here goes,” Orion sighed, finding a suitable place to sit as he readied himself for a long expository conversation.

“It all began when…

***

“...and that was when I woke up, bumping my head into yours."

Orion finally concluded the storytelling of his life events to Sir Kael and nightfall had already crept in.

“That was quite an all-encompassing story. Enlightening, shocking, intriguing, and mostly, tragic. It's most amazing that you happen to be the son of a god and a vessel of Yggdrasil. You indeed are sure to have quite an interesting and dangerous life ahead of you, Orion”, Sir Kael commented, with a serious tone, rubbing his beard thoughtfully as he processed everything he just heard.

"I guess so. I have to brace myself for whatever’s ahead.”

"Yes, you do, lad. You do. But you don't have to do it alone”, Sir Kael said, with concern in his eyes and a hand on Orion's shoulder.

“What do you mean? I believe I mentioned the only living person I have left is a couple of thousand miles away from here and I have no idea where exactly."

"I'm not talking about who you already have, Orion. The essence of living is getting back up when you fall, trudging forward, and consistently building new bridges and repairing old ones if possible. What I'm trying to tell you is that you can live life alone. Building new relationships on trust is necessary.”

"So what would you have me do, Sir?” Orion asked earnestly.

"Become my student. I'll teach you everything I know and a lot more. I'd do everything within my power to guide you on the right path and protect you. You have a great destiny, Orion. I want to play a role in helping you fulfill that, or at least, get you as close to achieving that as possible. You could join me on my journey and we would travel the world together, explore various dungeons, and experience the civilizations of other provinces. What say you, lad?” Sir Kael questioned, with a sincere look in his eyes.

“That's quite a lot to take on, Sir. Are you sure you want to do all that for me?"

“All my life, Orion, I've searched for my purpose. I travelled through different cities, forests, villages, and dungeons, learning and gaining power, all in a bid to search for my true purpose of living, but nothing I ever did seemed to fill the void within me. Hearing your story has moved me beyond words and I have a strong feeling I would find fulfillment in making a major impact in your life. You may ask What's in it for me. This is it, finding my sense of purpose."

“I guess I'll take your word for it. Thank you, Sir, for your kindness. I'll find a way to repay you someday", Orion said.

"Oh, no no, lad. I'm not doing this for anything in return. Feeling fulfilled in the end is the only reward I seek."

“Alright alright. I do hope I get to live up to your expectations, as well as Lady Astrid’s. I guess I should call you ‘Master’ henceforth”, Orion responded with a mild chuckle.

"Whatever you please, lad. Now, rest up. We'll camp here for the night and find you a horse in the morning. Setting off at first light", Sir Kael said as he lay down in the grass to retire for the night.

***

At the crack of dawn, Sir Kael and Orion set off to leave Dumnonia, after finding a horse, gathering gear and supplies, and preparing a grave for Phoebe Adalric. Just at the outskirts, before the city was out of sight, Orion turned around. With a deep heavy breath, he took one last look at the city of rubble he once called his home, a couple of teardrops trickling down his face.

“I'll miss you dearly, Mother”, Orion muttered soberly.

They then mounted their horses and set off to the Port of Armorica, the seaside town.

***

Just before crossing the border into Armorica, the duo stopped at a flowing brook by the wayside to refill their water skins and give their horses a drink when they noticed an incoming trail of dust afar off.

“That was quite the violent rider”, Sir Kael commented and laughed.

Orion kept looking in the direction of the incoming rider, questioning who might be riding with such urgency, with his heart beating faster and faster by the second.

As the rider got closer and closer, Orion peered at the rider's face. His features looked uncannily familiar. He has seen that short blond hair and those striking blue eyes. Finally gaining more clarity with each yard nearer, he managed to figure it out.

“Wait, is that Aidan…?"