Edgefall Chapter 4: Delay
Isil's fur bristled, waking him from his nap. He looked at his master, who was still sleeping in his bed.
He stretched and hopped down from the bed, feeling the floor and scratching the wood a little.
He left the room, walking down the hallway, listening to a noise that only his feline ears could catch from that distance.
He went down the stairs, noticing the door was ajar, and decided to step outside.
Andrew was there. Sweat ran down his body, his skin flushing red from the exertion, just like his knuckles.
The young man leaned against the tree he had been hitting, turning his head and locking eyes with the black cat at the door.
"Mister Nova... How long have you been striking that tree?"
"Since this morning, talking cat. Just practicing some boxing."
"Boxing? What a curious martial art!"
"A bit. Gotta stay in shape so I don't lose my touch."
"A wise choice, Mister Nova. Have you done aught else besides striking that tree?"
"A few push-ups, some cardio, and punching this... oak tree, I think."
"You should come inside and bathe. It is far too early to stain your fists with blood, do you not agree? Furthermore, putting on a shirt would not be a terrible idea."
"Alright," he said, turning toward Isil and letting out a sigh. "Let's go inside."
They both crossed the threshold, closing the door and locking it. The dark-haired young man began to stretch, rolling his shoulders with a sigh, wiping the sweat still dripping from his forehead with his hands.
"Mind if I use the shower, Isil?"
"Of course. The washroom is located at the end of the hall. It is the door on the left. Do you require me to guide you?"
"No. Chill. I'm not gonna get lost."
"I should hope so."
The young man made his way down the hallway. Isil simply stretched a bit more, walking over to a chair, climbing up, and falling peacefully asleep upon it.
Minutes passed, and the sound of footsteps woke the cat, who twitched his ears in the direction of the noise.
He hopped down from the chair, walking slowly to the kitchen, where the sound of chopping knives was steady.
"What are you doing, Mister Nova?" the feline asked, climbing up a chair onto the table.
"I'm cooking," he replied, dicing carrots on a wooden board. "I'm starving after all that punching, and I bet Elian will be hungry too."
"It stands to reason you would have an appetite after such exertion. And Elian... he will not refuse a meal. That much is certain."
"And what do dragon cats like you eat? No offense."
"Food," he replied, purring softly. "I can consume many things, much like a Solaris. I will not turn down a hot meal, if that is what you are asking."
"Don't sweat it, it's almost done," he said, tossing the diced carrots and potatoes into the pot with the bubbling stew. "The rice is already done, just waiting on the stew. Sorry there's no meat, I couldn't find any chicken or beef. Do you guys even have those animals in this world?"
"Indeed we do. They are animals we consume as well."
"How... curious."
"Indeed..."
Andrew sat on a nearby chair, letting out a slow sigh as he poured himself a glass of water.
"Mister Nova..." the feline proclaimed, fixing his gaze upon the human's face. "I do not wish to intrude, but it is impossible for me to ignore... your eye. If it does not bother you, might we converse about it?"
"It's fine. I have a few questions myself anyway, talking cat."
"Excellent. What, then... are your inquiries, Mister Nova?"
"This," he said, pointing to his eye, where small, vein-like marks were beginning to spread across his skin. A glow started to bloom within his iris, forming in a split second deep, scarlet geometric shapes, almost spectral in nature.
"It is marvelous."
"And it hurts sometimes. But it's my only weapon in this world."
"And... since when have you possessed this ability?"
"My eye has been like this for as long as I can remember. But I never let myself use it."
"Is magic frowned upon in your world?"
"It's just that there is no magic in my world. It's... more normal."
"A world without magic does not seem very normal to me, to be quite frank. But if you claim it to be so, then I shall take your word for it."
"Thanks. So, this 'kianku'... what is it exactly? Am I cursed?"
"You are not cursed. In fact, one could say you are highly fortunate. You possess a kianku, and, simply put... you wield one of the most curious weapons in this realm."
"Don't get so poetic on me, Isil."
"Then I shall get straight to the point. A kianku is a weapon, a weapon of destiny forged to eradicate dark magic. The power of a kianku cannot be replicated by common magic, and its effects can repel malevolent forces."
"Wait. It can't be replicated by normal magic?"
"Indeed. The power you now hold is the stuff of legend. Yet, what intrigues me most is... why you? A being devoid of a magical aura, a human, an outsider to Genesis. You should not be capable of harboring this gift."
"So... I'm a freak."
"If you phrase it that way, yes, you are a freak."
"Great," he sighed, running his fingers over the marks near his eye. "Anything else?"
"Does it pain you greatly to use your gift?"
"A little... I can't use it more than three times without getting a terrible pain right after."
"I see. Have you thought of your home when looking upon this world?"
"Sometimes... I miss my home. My aunt. My computer. Stuff from my world."
"Then I shall try not to trouble you."
"Don't worry about it. You're someone I can have a good chat with. I appreciate that."
Andrew approached the metal stove, which was heated from beneath by a flame that burned without the need for coal, fueled only by magic. He tossed nearby ashes and some water over it, dousing the fire.
"Food's ready. If you really can eat this, then I'll serve you some."
A few minutes passed.
Elian woke up. He opened his eyes slowly, looking around his room as he got up. He felt the wooden floor, sighing.
"Was it all a dream?" he said, stretching.
He put on his shoes and left his room. The hallway was quiet, with hardly any noise save for his own footsteps.
Until a somewhat unusual smell reached him. He began to descend cautiously, reaching the ground floor... and there they were.
Andrew was cooking, accompanied by Isil.
"Morning, Elian," the boy said, setting down the plates of food.
There was... food. Appetizing food. There was rice, some stew with potatoes and carrots, boasting a captivating red color and looking delicious.
"It is not poisoned, if that is your fear," Isil said. "I oversaw it myself."
"Thanks, I guess," he said, starting to eat. "Hey, Andrew, this is really good... Since when do you know how to cook?"
"Since I was little," he replied, drying his hands with a rag. "My aunt taught me, and sometimes I cooked for her. It's not that hard."
"Well, it's incredible."
"Thanks. It's the least I can do if you're letting me stay here."
They sat at the table, enjoying the food and the morning calm.
"So... you said you wanted 100 coros. Is that right?"
"That's right," the Solaris replied. "I know it sounds like a lot, and it is, but you don't have to be scared. It's not going to take us a lifetime... just a couple of months."
"And you mentioned Arcadia. So... are you going to get a magic degree or something?"
"What's up with all the questions? I should be the one asking questions," he said, trying another spoonful of food. "Yeah, it's Arcadia."
"Well, I'm just asking. If you want to go there, what are you gonna achieve with that?"
"To be a great mage... I could join the guard, or work as a magical tool maker, or even start my own business, or many other things. Having a diploma from one of the most important schools opens doors for you."
"I get it..."
"And what is your world like?"
"My world? Well... it's called Earth. It's a nice place."
"Nice? I thought everything there was destroyed."
"Why would you say that?" he asked, looking at his plate.
"Because of the red sun."
"Uh... I don't know what you mean."
"Young master, do not overwhelm him," the cat intervened. "He is new to this realm."
"Thanks, Isil," the human replied, starting to eat.
"Fine, cat, fine," Elian replied, going back to his food. "But you can't deny that having a being from another world is... weird."
"I'm not going to bite or anything," Andrew chimed in, letting out a small sigh. "I'll follow the rules and I won't destroy anything."
"Great. I was nervous because I thought you'd pull something during the night, but I see you're a chill guy."
"Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome."
"And now that we're talking about Arcadia... what do you want me to do? Do you want me to work harvesting carrots?"
"That's kind of a given. But, besides that, I was hoping you would... help me with something else."
"Elian, no. He is new to this world."
"Come on, Isil," the Solaris said, finishing his food. "It's my chance."
"Chance? Hey, I'm gonna help you, but I'm not doing anything illegal."
"Relax, Andrew. It's nothing illegal. It's... it's just that I seriously need you to get into Arcadia... because if I don't... they'll collect a blood debt from me."