Chapter 8: Question

2 hours later in a dark room was Cyan awakening from his short travel to the dream world.

[Cyan]: “Where i am, a that’s right the rocks”

Looking around Cyan could remember what has happen, after dodging one rock he has hit his head with the ground, even if he could remain awake everything was spinning making him lost his conscious very fast, but he could still remember dodging the rock.

[Cyan]: “sigh, I am so tired, since I arrived here I always being so tired”

Even after resting for about 2 hours Cyan body was in worse condition than this morning, the repeated processes of the training has pushed to his limits over and over again, and Arlom will always give him some green liquid that Cyan was calling now stamina potions.

Everything that Cyan thought this was it, Arlom would give him a potion bringing back the strength he didn’t he had in him, he couldn’t other thing that keep going, keep trying to dodged the rocks

Laying down in his bed Cyan started to remember that last second, where everything in his view went to a slow motion, everything was moving so slow, now he tried to remember that feeling while it was still fresh in his mind.

Closing his eyes he was trying to recount how it was supposed to be, how that slow world was again, wanting to enter in that zone again before he forgets how the feeling was, but he still did not managed to enter in that stated again, he remember it has something to do, to how he was keeping track of timing, and he was trying to make a second as long or as short as he could, but he still couldn’t repeated that stated of my again, Cyan could only give up for now.

[Cyan]: “Forget it, I am too tired right now, sigh, and I am so hungry too, whatever, if I managed once I will managed next time too, is time to get moving now, I don’t know how much time has pass but how my body feels, I don’t think much time has passed”

Now Cyan could roughly guess time, something he was not capable of doing before, even if he was in dream land.

In actuality, 2 hours has passed since Cyan fainted in front of Arlom, Cyan did not know the exact amount of time, but his stomach surly does.

The promised time for the best food he has ever had was up, proving once again that his stomach really has some impressive time keeping skills, his stomach will always remember when is time to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, even if Cyan forgets what time, no, especially when Cyan forget what time is.

He, the stomach has the most important job than all, he would ‘kindly’ give him a remainder, this time it was a little different, but yet the same, his stomach was like ‘hey, brat you better wake up, that hulky master of you said food will be ready in 2 hours, and time is almost up, I can’t wait any more, be thankfully that I have the courtesy to wake you up, now let’s get going’

Cyan started to stand up and what he heard was grumbling sounds coming from his stomach, remaining him once again that he needs to eat, and for some weird reason he has not need to go to the toilet, like all his food was being consumed and nothing was being put into waste, maybe it was a weird effect of the green potion? Who knows, but for sanity check he will ask Arlom about it.

[Cyan]: “Sigh, I am so hungry, I wonder if Arlom will keep his promise to give me some food, it better be is not poisoned this time”

Without saying anything more, he started walking in the direction of the circular room, that he now called the training room, also known as hell room, because he will become hotter and hotter as time goes by, then the temperature will peak and then slowly drop again.

If not for that, the training was being carry on there, he would never put a foot in there during those times, and the heat was almost unbearable, but Arlom has had prepare a huge pot of cold water for him every for 2 hours, he would drink liters of water each time, then Arlom would store the water again in some imaginary place, at least that’s how it looked for Cyan, if the waster was keep outside, Cyan was thinking that maybe that water would boil up and evaporate, that how hot it was.

‘And I had to carry on training in there? Sigh’ Cyan was now going for the world record of sigh he could do in a week now, nevertheless he keep walking on.

Half way trough he could smell it, food, someone must be cooking it, and it was smelling too delicious, in fact Cyan has forgot about his tired body and sprinted away in a dash, but his body was in charge of the movement, even if the brain say run, he could barely walk or move, let alone run, walking was already taking a big toll on him.

So his body did not worked as Cyan wished to do, stopping him from running like saying.

‘hey hey calm down you stupid brat, nobody will take your food away, lets walk for now, you can’t go on running right know, sigh, this brat is too much, hey you stupid brain do something about this’

The brain was a little hurt, that wasn’t his fault, it was the stomach fault, but whatever, ‘believed what you want stupid body’ why explain something so obvious to this stupid body.

Maybe this was the voice of his conscience? Cyan choose it was better just to walk for now, his body was hurting all over the place.

A soon he started running, he felt pain in his numb limbs, with a grunt escaping from Cyan mouth he halted right away.

‘sigh, I guess I should just walk for now’ once again the record was one step more closely to Cyan.

Cyan remember once again, that he was not a machine, instead of hurting himself he choice to walk, but albeit a bit faster than before.

Finally Cyan reached the training room, but now it was more like the cooking room, you could see a grand kitchen in the center that was not there before, but the small table with two chairs was the same as before.

He wanted ask where it has come from, but he could take a guess that it has something to do with the waving hands Arlom do from time to time in to the air.

‘sigh whatever, I will ask about that later’ what was Cyan thoughts? ‘Just brush those questions for later’ he wanted to eat so badly right now, his body need to eat.

Coming closer to the table from in the center of the room Arlom started speaking to him.

[Arlom]: “So you did wake up in exactly 2 hours, that stomach of yours is really good to keep the time just right, if only your brain could do the same time, sigh, well whatever, come on and sit down, the food will be ready soon”

Arlom did not turned around to look at Cyan, but he could hear a roar coming from Cyan stomach like saying ‘thanks for the praise, that is to be expected of me, now feed me you poison freak’

In the other hand Cyan has some questions on his own that need to be answered before he sits in the chair after all.

[Cyan]: “Master…. Did….. did I really dodged that last rock, when I woke up I remember it well, that rock path was… fixed right?, I mean the other rocks always move in the air like they were guided missiles and made this strange turns, but that last one…. That last one did not do so, so did you have pity on my and that’s…. that’s why y... “

Before Cyan could finish Arlom interrupted him.

[Arlom]: “So you took notice on that to, good work Cyan, you too have my praises, the answer your question, yes, you are correct, I did not put any tricks on that rock, and no, I didn’t took pity on you, the actual fact is that that rock was the fastest rock I have thrown for you today, it was as faster than the first one”

Cyan was making a confuse face right now. As faster than the first one? As faster than rock that could not even being seen by him at the beginning? Even when he was not distracted? Would he not be dead right now if he didn’t avoid that? Did you want to kill me so badly old man?

Cyan was wishing to say all that to his master, but how could he, he could ask about the mysterious turns the rocks would made, that made them able to never miss their marks, those tricks.

[Cyan]: “What do you mean by tricks? Master”

[Arlom]: “I indeed did not put any mana control on it or any other trick on it, it was just a straight path, right at the middle of your head”

[Cyan]: “I knew it you took pity on me… wait what?... Right at the middle… my head… straight path…. Master… you really were trying to kill me after all…, sigh”

Arlom could only shook his head, before Cyan could continue his self-deprecation, self-joking speech, Arlom continue speaking

[Arlom]: “However, I had fully intended to hit you with it, in actual fact, it was the fastest rock that I had thrown today because I did not put any trick on it, you should also be aware of that too, that the speed you used yourself to dodged it, it was not your normal speed, you enter in that slowdown world didn’t you?

Cyan was now speechless, it was the fastest rock because it didn’t any trick on it? Was this right? Arlom eyes didn’t seem like lying.

[Arlom]: “I had never looked down on you, you on your own predicted the path, and moved accordingly to dodged it, and you did it by yourself, in a real fight will cost your life if you think that the enemy is going easy on you, or you think that someone that is coming to take your life will have pity on you and spared you? What would you say to them in that case?... Of course nothing you will make use of that in your favor.

Cyan was speechless it is true that the rock was in an easy path to be dodged, but only because he moved fast enough was the reason he could actually avoid the hit.

Cyan nodded his head and sit down in the chair, now he could eat without any worry that he didn’t deserve the food or something like that, at least there would not be a load in his mind if he did so.

[Arlom]: “You did well in dodging it, boy, if in a fight you tell your enemy his mistakes then what is the point of me training you right? If is like that just go and jump of a bridge and save me the troubles for saving you”

Arlom was right, in a real fight if his enemy did something he could exploit, why he would stop pointed out, in a real life battle this could become very costly, and it went both ways.

Arlom has also learned his lesson too, now he was out of reason to feed Cyan poison, it was the perfect plan, now ruined, looking at the face of Cyan he wanted to feed him with poison so badly for making him miss something should not had be missed.

[Arlom]: “sigh”

[Cyan]: “Master but I don’t think I can move that fast again it was just luck”

[Arlom]: “It doesn’t matter, be luck or fate or my mistake throwing a rock with an easy path to be predicted, now is not time to think about that, you need to eat and grow stronger, the speed that you have shown is still with you, deep inside you, I will awake that speed, even if it kills you, and then even if you are death or alive, I will make you even faster than you were before, and that’s a promise in my name.

Cyan eyes were like crying now but he still hold it in, was not there something wrong his promise? doesn’t Cyan needs to be alive first? Are you not training him so he can keep his life? Nevertheless Cyan was moved by Arlom words.

‘Arlom is going to such lends for me, even if only to find the seventh door he still putting a lot effort for me, I must not slake in my training’

Cyan nodded.

[Cyan]: “Thank you master, from now on please don’t throw such easy rocks to dodge, I will take this food as an commemoration of the first day of the training, next time I will really dodge one of your guided rocks, then the food will be even more tasty than this one, thank you for everything so far, please take care of me”

Cyan was bowing down to Arlom, until now he has done so much for him, he can paid him back on a later time, this was a fact in Cyan mind now.

Arlom was very pleased with Cyan aptitude, after the first day of that hellish training, wherever he was poisoned and hit with rocks until he fainted, Cyan did not asked for a more easy training and was even not very happy about dodging that last rock, only using half luck, and half his only skills, what’s he even asked Arlom for not to go easy on him.

[Arlom]: “Don’t worry about that s.., …Cyan, now eat up then we will carry on more training, and after that even more training”

Arlom put a plate full of food in front of him.

Cyan did not took notice of that smile that Arlom had made for a second, it was a real smile and not a hypothetical one.

Cyan was too focus looking at the food in front of him, but this time he was very very suspicious of it, another word has enter Cyan brain, ‘even more training after this, sigh, I am going to die today after all’

[Arlom]: “what are you waiting for? The food will get cold”

Cyan did not started to devour the food this time around like last time, but instead, he search it for poison, he has learned his lesson, and after 5 minutes sadly he found what he was looking for, two green pills inside the food.

After removing them, he put them aside and casted a look over his master face again, his master was sitting in front of him eating his food without saying anything, no emotions was found in his face, even after he has found the poison pills.

Arlom did not show anything reaction like ‘What did you expected? That I would go easy on you after what you just had said, ha!, I did say I would not put poison in your food but, after your speech, it was not the same that asking for it yourself? You better not put my efforts to waste child’.

On the other Cyan was expecting this, nodding his head he carry on with his task…. searching for more pills inside his food.

[Cyan]: “So there really was poison in the food, but I can’t be trick this time old man… no wait I need to check for more”

Another 10 minutes went by and Arlom as already finished his food, but he still was sitting in front of Cyan with his eyes closed and his arms crossed, this was a test, it was definitely a test.

Cyan in other hand has just finish looking over the entire mountain of food Arlom has given him, he was hopping to not find any more pills but after he found over 10 he gave up on that though and searched all the food without missing anything.

At the end he has found over 50 more pills, but the colors where different on some of them, some red, green, blue, yellow, and finally only one was white, after looking over the food and letting a sigh, and putting in his month, just then.

[Arlom]: “Why did you think there is no more poison in the food apart from the pills, even more why did you ask me about the pills colors and what they do, why you did not ask me before how long the poison would take, or if it would kill you, how it works, how it is made.

All those questions that should have being made by Cyan were now coming out of Arlom mouth, should not be the other way around? Was Cyan ignoring those facts? Was he afraid of opening the box and find a dead cat?

[Arlom]: “it is that you don’t trust me? if is like that, then you are a just a fool, what is the point in not telling you things like that, you are a fool for thinking that I would not tell you,….. Did you really thought you could hide it from me, did that stupid brain of yours thought I could see it as clear as day?”

Now the cat was out of the bag, now it was time for Arlom to make his move, and fix this fool in front of him, no matter how many chances Arlom was giving him, Cyan still was playing dumb, this can’t carry on any more.

[Arlom]: “I don’t think you are such a fool, what I am actually afraid is that you knew I would answer that kind of questions without any hitch but… you choose not to ask…. sigh, Stupid child tell me the true, what happen to the little speech you were saying a little a while ago”

What Arlom wasn’t afraid of Cyan making the wrong questions, or stupid questions, What Arlom was afraid was that Cyan was not asking the questions he should be asking, any person would like to know even if just a little more, but with just one reply of Arlom saying he will learn eventually he did not asked any more questions after that, if was like Cyan did not wanted to anyone to tell him anything.

[Arlom]: “How to move to dodge the rocks, if the food have more poison, or if it was poisoned with other things other than those pills, or even if those pills are in fact poison, why you did not ask me anything and started doing things on your own, I am not your master?, why do you ask the stupidest questions before, but now you did not asked me a thing”

Arlom was looking a Cyan with a serious face, the bad points of Cyan, he has notice them, he was always wanting to do things alone, that was his personality, he asked things but the really important parts he skipped them.

[Arlom]: “Cyan why you did not asked what mana is”.

This was it, this was the thing that was nagging him most in his mind, mana, everything in this world is based about mana, is the core of the world, to not even ask about that, it was too much for him to take.

Arlom has allowed Cyan to be alone and to grow on his own, to find his own path, but if he doesn’t know the basics of the basics he will make a mistake in the future when forming his path, this can’t go on like this.

[Cyan]: “Master I can’t not ask you about everything right? Did not you said I would learn eventually in my own? Then allow me to learn what is mana is on my own… mana is the thing you use to make things appeared from thin air right? And that fire and how you hunter down the animals to make this food, and, even when you cooked it you used mana for almost everything right?”

Arlom shook his head, it was as he has guessed Cyan was not a fool but a stupid child, he notice everything but did not asked anything, he wanted to learn on his own, he wanted to be left alone and grown alone, a twisted tree will be twisted all his life if it is not fixed in his youth.

‘no even if is early, trying to ‘fix’ him maybe is the wrong way, what should I do? Is this really the wrong path, I don’t know all the paths, sigh, then there no other way’

[Arlom]: “Yes I did said that, but I never say that I will not tell you did i? But that’s just an excuse you made, I can take is not like you do not trust me, but you want to do things alone, that’s admirable on itself but there are thing you can do and things you must learn from others”

Cyan liked to do things on his own, alone, no, he even excels on everything he does, but not because he was a genius, but because he put all of his efforts to do that, in his school the year before, he was also known as the king of the school.

Cyan got the looks and the brain to be at the stop of school, but his personality not reflected any of this, he was calm and compose, he was not overly friendly with everyone and did not had much friends of his own age in his grade, but those few where worthy of being call a friend by him, he did not have a huge ego, because everything he has achieved, was made with sheer effort, and was not a god gift.

Be grades or sports, he was number one, and close behind him were his friends, they were known as the ‘elite group’ in the entire school campus, and Cyan was the one you can call the “leader” of the group, not that him will care, every time someone of the ‘elite group’ would bring the name of the group or Cyan being the ‘leader’ Cyan would take it as he was just joking, he was just living his normal student life like everyone else.

It was not until he got to some unknown place, where here, someone started to call him stupid over and over again, so he will show him, he show that, he was in fact not stupid and he will do it with sheer effort alone.

[Cyan]: “Then master will you answered my question?”

Cyan face grew serious too, he wanted to ask something that was nagging his mind too.

[Arlom]: “You will not know until you ask”

[Cyan]: “Will you lie to me if I ask”

[Arlom]: “I can promise you that yes I will, when I think that is for your own good”

Cyan let a sigh, but he was sure Arlom will not lie about what he wanted to ask.

[Cyan]: “Then… why is that you can’t leave this forest on your own using one of the six gates? That scary person, the monster king, has called you the Hunter King right? And Serah…. She was the Hunter Queen, so you must be very strong in here, no, in fact I think no one other that the monster king can match you, then if you only need to gather a number of points to leave this place, and I don’t think you need 10 billion like me…. I don’t think you are so softhearted that you will not kill other people too, no, you had killed Serah with no qualms or remorse, why is that, you are not gathering their medallions you need to leave.

Cyan made a pause, after putting all the pieces together, the only missing piece was, why Arlom was still here, still in this forest.

[Cyan]: “If you are in a hurry to find your own son, then why is that you can’t leave this place?”

Arlom left out a sigh.

‘if was this question after all’

He knew someday Cyan would be asking this question but since went has Cyan thought about it?, was not this too soon? Children are really scary after all.

‘it must be from the very same day I told him about the medallion, he is not that stupid after all’

Letting another sigh Arlom looked right in the eyes of Cyan and started talking.

[Arlom]: “Cyan did I told the history about when I became the hunter king?”

Cyan shook his head, this was in fact the first time Arlom was telling him a history.

[Arlom]: “It was 5 years after entering this place, if was the day that i understood I could not escape this place using any of the six gates and that I could not become a monster either, even if I wanted to”