3

Everyone stared at Hiyata in surprise. Liiran himself could hardly restrain himself from staring at him as if he were a manifestation of the elements in its purest form. Someone who, but Khiyat definitely should not have answered. He is never aware of anything.

- Pulling power? Kalar asked stupidly. He is also an adept of water, he must understand that pulling power from water is the same as trying to set fire to this water. With water, you can only agree, or not agree.

“Yeah, I was surprised too,” Khiyat nodded, smiling broadly and distantly. — Do you know the river near the village U Yama? I bought yellow clay from one aunt. She does it well, I can’t do it like that, I don’t get along with the earth at all. So, that river begins on the Gray Giant. And the aunt takes it and complains that the water has become wrong, as if not alive. I went and checked, it turned out, really not alive.

- What? - of course, the question is not the smartest, especially for the group commander, but it escaped. It is also very interesting why Hiyat needs yellow clay? After all, they use it to create amulets, but he doesn’t seem to be able to do anything like that. How can water not be alive?

- How would you explain? Khiyat scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. Kalar, it seems, fell into prostration or tried to shout to the river with lifeless water. It will become of him. - Here are the seeds, for example. Beans. In appearance they are absolutely identical. And someone from the earth looks at them and says that this one will sprout, but this one will not, because it is dead. Likewise with water. It seems like water is like water, only completely empty, incapable of becoming something more.

“So we are sent to save the river?” Dorana asked a little dumbfounded.

“No,” Liiran hurried to console her. “We are sent to find out what is happening on the mountain.

“Ahhh,” Dorana rejoiced at something, and the newly-made group commander finally realized that nothing good would come of this campaign.

For the first time, the fact that he was still a fool, Khiyat realized on the day when he was fourteen years old. Dila then came home early, quickly and deftly baked a plum pie, presented a gift, and then, for one reason known only to her, began to talk about her brother's dead friend. Now Hiyat could not remember what exactly she had said. But then three things hooked him.

It turned out that the tramp Taladat, who every time runs away from the city as if a pestilence had begun in it, was once the second in the Council of Teachers. On his shoulders hung three elementary schools and half of the firemen. He considered himself extremely intelligent and invincible. Until one day everything collapsed. Blame for what was only his self-confidence.

Self-confident Taladat did not pay attention to the offended boy in time. The boy decided to take revenge, contacted one of the damned and summoned a creature from the world beyond to the island. Of course, the boy regretted this, but it was too late. How this creature was banished back to its world is another story. But in the process, the then head of the Council of the Greats, Kait Eine, died. The last of the guardians of the city and the best friend of Taladat. That's it. Since then, there has been no guardian in the city, and it is not known when he will appear.

Taladat then almost went crazy, blamed only himself for everything and, in the end, simply ran away so as not to see an empty house in an abandoned park. And then, a year later, unexpectedly for everyone, he returned and brought a sleeping child to the city. Small, about a year and a half from birth.

This child had the same wonderfully bright green eyes as Kait's. Perhaps Taladat was trying to repay a debt in this way. Maybe he just clung to the boy because of the color of his eyes. He probably doesn't even know himself. But the child found a home. At least some. And the unfortunate teachers of the northern elementary school are a headache for years to come.

Somehow this story culminated in the question of what Hiyat intends to do next with his life? And he, unexpectedly for himself, understood the background of this question. I realized that in fact, Dila did not have to mess with him at all. And Taladath shouldn't show up more often. And eyes that are the same color as those of a dead friend do not mean at all that the owner of these eyes is an equivalent replacement. There is nothing even to compare. Who was the guardian Eine and who is Khiyat? Hiat nobody. And will be nobody. He doesn't even know who he would like to be. It's hard to understand this about yourself.

Who the unknown parents of the green-eyed boy were, remained unclear. But, probably, they managed to endow their offspring with character. Someone else in his place would have folded his hands and pretended that this was how it was intended. So it's all right, nothing to worry about. Someone else would have fallen into despondency or started looking for someone to blame. And so the boy, unobtrusively put in his place, got angry. First of all, for yourself. And he began to act.

Khiyat then thought for a long time. I assessed myself, assessed all my knowledge and skills. I was convinced that the cat had cried both of them, and decided to correct the situation. In any way.

Deciding was easier than doing. Probably, someone in his place would have asked for help from the same Dila. She is really kind and loves to teach.

Or would repent to the teachers, suddenly they would take pity.

But Khiyat could not. I just couldn't. Even though I didn't understand why. In the end, he himself brought his life to this point, and now he can get out himself.

So he did the only thing that came to mind - began to study. How could. First, he looked through all his textbooks, realized that half for him was a dark forest. And in the other half, it is not even clear what needs to be understood there. Then I thought to climb into the attic and look for answers in textbooks from previous years. About three months later, he caught himself knowing what the teacher was talking about. And by the time of the first aptitude exams in his life, he managed to surprise the entire teaching staff with the correct answers to eighty percent of the questions. Considering that, on average, they answered well, if by forty percent, there was something to be surprised at.

Then it went easier. After a crazy workload, sleepless nights in the company of an invigorating potion structure teacher cheekily stolen from the office and a sense of the unreality of the world, due to the clumsily executed memory enhancement overlay, studying with everyone, gradually and slowly, became very boring. All the time it seemed that they were marking time, pouring from empty to empty. And this despite the fact that somewhere further, just a step away, there is something truly wonderful and worthy of attention. You just need to get there. As fast as possible.

Khiyat rummaged among Dila's books, sorted out the rubble in the attic, and did another stupid thing in his life. Independently conducted the rite of summoning the elements. Without insurers, holding and checking. No doctors ready to help. Even without strangers who can call these doctors. How he risked, Khiyat realized only when he saw how many people had gathered to follow the officially held call. And how many novice adepts of the elements did not survive the first meeting with the embodiment of the gift. They lost consciousness, started screaming in pain, almost started a fire and a flood. And water habitually responded to the call of Khiyat. She responded somewhat surprised.

Don't we already know each other? I do know you.

It's strange that no one has noticed this.

Probably, everyone was not up to him. As always.

However, it's for the best.

The less attention you draw to yourself, the less people are around trying to make you live right, do what you should, and behave as expected.

Who needs all these restrictions?

What is he doing? — it is not clear who Dorana asked.

“He talks to water,” said Kalar, and with a sad sigh he added: “I can’t do that.”

Oh, so he's cooler than you? the girl was surprised.

"No," the boy shook his head. “It's just that the ability is different.

Oddly enough, Kalar did not swear and prove his own greatness. And this could not but rejoice.

Liiran shook his head and also looked at Khiyat, who was sitting near the stream. Beautiful. It turns out that when Khiyat does not yell and is not indignant, does not try to scare everyone away with an otherworldly look, when his face becomes so calm, he turns into a very nice guy. No wonder Dorana gave him so much attention. Moreover, in such a calm state, Khiyat reminded someone very much. Whom - to remember is unrealistic. The resemblance is more likely to be guessed than recognized.

“In my opinion, he will fly away now,” they said venomously from behind.

Liiran exhaled sharply. Dean for these three days managed to get absolutely everyone. He didn't seem to realize that he wasn't in charge here. And he did not get tired of demonstrating his disrespect to the watermen present in the team. Kalar was already trying to beat him, Dorana barely kept him. Hiyat just smiled. He smiled so badly. He must have come up with some crazy idea. But you can't prove anything until it's too late. And is it worth proving?

"It won't fly away," Kalarus declared authoritatively. - He's just talking.

- About what?

The question sounded as if Dean doubted the ability of the water to speak and the sanity of the watermen at the same time. Well, yes, fire is usually an uncommunicative element. It's almost impossible to talk to him.

- Shut up, huh? Such a picture is beautiful, at least take it and draw it,” Dorana asked sincerely.

Another one of her hobbies. Drawing. Quiet such a hobby and calm. This is probably why, looking at Dorana, you never remember exactly this hobby. She draws great though. True, only in the mood.

The wind shook the grass. Hiyata pulled his hair, ruffled the dark strands, found those that could turn reddish in the sun, and happily showed them off. The brook climbed over the pebbles at the very feet of the guy, hurried to tell something and ran on. He's got a lot to do.

Peace and tranquility against the backdrop of eternal haste.

- Shall we eat today? Tiyan cried out sadly from the fire.

“We will,” Khiyat replied, making the company that was watching him interact with water shied away in unison.

He got up with a surprisingly smooth, unified movement. Dorana sighed enviously. A person who can move like this can make an excellent swordsman. And you have to be born with the ability to move like that. The girl herself, no matter how hard she tried, never learned. On the other hand, if you do not study, then you have every chance of never knowing that you have this ability. Therefore, it is strange that the waterman can. Something Hiyata was not noticeable among the swordsmen. What else needs to be done to develop this ability?