The next day, Aleksei met with his tutor–Master Galdron. The elf was an older man whose black hair likely faded to silver. Master Galdron wore black robes with golden patterns of leaves guilded on the side. Aleksei wanted to ask what the symbolism was, but he was too afraid he would make a fool of himself.
“So I guess we should start with several tests,” Master Galdron said. “we need to see where you’re at before we can start learning anything.”
“Yes, Master,” Aleksei said. He gave a short bow he’d learned from Ildihor.
“The first ones will be physical,” Master Galdron said. “we must work around your broken magic, but physical abilities are just as important.”
“Ildihor taught me some things about self defense,” Aleksei said. “I’m no good at it, though.”
“Everything takes practice,” Master Galdron paced at the front of the room. “One does not become a master by simply waving a sword and getting the motions perfectly the first time. It’s a matter of perfecting things over time which creates a true master. Nevertheless, we must begin with a searching session. You must search through your own magic and tell me what you find.”
Aleksei followed Master Galdron’s instructions. At first, he was hesitant to search himself. But soon, He was exploring the dark, tangled webs of his own magic. The deep blue color must’ve been Orthanik’s color. But something was wrong with it. No, his magic wasn’t exactly human. After all, it was alive and well, just tangled.
Once out of his trance, Aleksei bent over on the ground, panting. Sweat dribbled from his forehead. “I was told my magic was broken. It’s not broken. It’s just tangled from the trauma.”
“Precisely,” Master Galdron. “That’s what they found at the hospital. They know what you are, but they’re afraid to tell you. Your powers are dangerous beyond measure. Even by elven standards.”
Suddenly, things made sense to Aleksei in ways they wished he wouldn’t. He released a heavy breath. “I know why. I’m a son of Orthanik, am I not? That’s why swearing in his name feels wrong, is it not? My father is not what I thought he’d be. Trust me, I saw the tangles. If I were human, my magic would be beyond repair. But it’s not, is it?”
Master Galdron’s eyes widened. “You guess well. But the king forbade you from knowing that. Many elves become corrupt when they learn they’re a demigod. Power absolutely corrupts, and you’re a bit young to know about that power in the first place.”
A deep pain lurked inside him. Aleksei didn’t want to be seen as a monster. And yet, he wondered at how he made it into the elven world in the first place. He was the son of one of the most corrupted people in the world.
“I guess I should study up on Orthanik,” Aleksei said, a sense of defeat growing. “I know a bit, but not that much. His stories aren’t exactly for seven year olds, are they?”
“Indeed,” Master Galdron said. “But let’s focus on the rest of your studies for now.”
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