About a week had passed since the War Chieftain's words. The stone walls of the orphanage no longer echoed only with children's cries and the voices of tired caregivers, but also with a relentless clamor from outside. The endless sound of hammers that began with the first light of morning, the shrill screech of saws, and the muffled grunts of men shouting orders… The orphanage was being expanded. Rapidly.
Aurelion, perched on his cushion at the edge of the play area, observed this new chaos outside. Aurelion just watched. His golden eyes narrowed. "So the War Chieftain's grand speech wasn't just empty talk," he thought. "Are they building a bigger pen to raise more 'useful elements'? How... pragmatic."
Just then, the main entrance door of the orphanage burst open noisily, and a different kind of chaos flooded in. An armored Northerner warriors had brought a group of new children. But these children… were different. Aurelion straightened up slightly from his cushion, his eyes instantly locking onto the newcomers.
There were a few children with a slightly bluish tinge to their skin and, upon closer inspection, a web like structure between their fingers. Their skin looked uncomfortable in the dry air. "Why is their skin blue? Do they live underwater? Interesting…" A little further on, a few reptile like children with scales ranging from matte green to brown and large, yellow eyes huddled together timidly. "These… I swear they look like baby crocodiles. I wonder if they'll show up in my crib at night and try to eat me? Look at those teeth…"
Then his eyes fell on a few children standing quietly in a corner. Although they looked human, they had distinct animal features. Pointed wolf ears that twitched despite the lack of wind, a fluffy fox tail swaying slightly with tension, sharp canine teeth visible even when they weren't speaking, and short, black claws that couldn't be hidden at their fingertips… "A mix of human and animal, eh? Is this some strange joke of nature? Can those ears hear things I can't? What's the tail for? Would it bite if I touched it?"
Of course, there were also large, green skinned children who, despite the new environment, had already started growling around. They were rough and noisy. Alongside them were a few more "normal" children, meaning those who resembled the Northerners Aurelion had seen so far. Without any obvious strangeness. But Aurelion's attention was mostly on the others, on those apparent, unexplainable differences. He watched their reactions in this new environment, their fears, their instinctive behaviors, with cold interest. "All lost, all scared… But they don't even realize it."
Linnea, standing at the entrance, looked at the new arrivals. The weariness on her face deepened. "Oh, more of them… Gods help me,". Then she quickly composed herself, straightened her shoulders. She turned to the caregiver beside her and began to give clear instructions.
A few more days passed. The noise in the orphanage hadn't lessened. But now, one could feel the sprouts of a new order within this chaos. Even for the little ones, free play hours had noticeably decreased, replaced more by what were called "learning activities" Actually simple intelligence and attention tests, which Aurelion understood Linnea used to measure the children's potential.
It was one of those days. Aurelion and about ten children in his age group, were all seated on mats on the floor. Simple, large pieced wooden puzzles were placed before them. They had to fit geometric shapes into the correct holes. Linnea watched them with sharp eyes from behind her glasses.
Aurelion focused on the puzzle in front of him. The blue skinned child sitting next to him was struggling to grasp the seemingly wet shapes with his webbed fingers, trying to fit the triangle into the square hole. Linnea gave him a brief glance, said nothing, and scribbled something on her parchment. The scaly child wasn't even touching the puzzle. His eyes were just slowly roaming the room. Linnea looked at him too, her brows furrowed slightly, and again took a note.
Aurelion had already figured out this competitive environment and the evaluation mechanism. Yesterday, he had seen how a large Northeren boy who finished these puzzles before anyone else was called by name by Linnea, praised, and received an extra dessert at dinner. He had also seen how another child, who kept trying to put the shapes in the wrong place and finally gave up crying, was harshly warned and not allowed into the play area for the rest of the day…
"So that's the rule of the game," Aurelion thought, carefully pushing a wooden square with his tiny fingers until it clicked into place. "Appear skilled and quick, attract attention, maybe get a reward. If you're clumsy, slow, or indifferent… you're ignored, or worse, labeled as a problem. How simple, how… ruthless. But this could be an opportunity for me." Appearing intelligent, perhaps getting into Linnea's good graces, could provide him with access to more information or resources in the future.
He completed his own puzzle, placing the pieces almost silently. He could feel Linnea's gaze on him. He looked up and briefly met her eyes, his face showing neither pride nor childish joy. Linnea looked back at him, with a momentary glint in her eyes and she took a longer note on her parchment than for the others.
When the puzzle session ended and the children were released back into the hall, Aurelion's eyes immediately searched for someone in the crowd. There she was. A girl from the new arrivals, about two or three years old, whose ears resembled his own. She had a freckled face and wavy, brown hair falling to her shoulders. She was in a corner, away from the noise of the others, knees drawn to her chest, watching the grey sky outside the window. There was a silent sadness in her posture.
He walked slowly towards the girl. He stood beside her. For a while, he just silently studied her. Her pointed ears, slightly upturned nose, the depth of her green eyes… She was different from him, her skin more vibrant, her expression softer. But those ears… They were familiar. "Like me… but not," he thought again. "Our ears are similar. Are we the same kind? Or different kinds?" He remembered the golden eyes of the woman he thought was his mother. This girl was different. Perhaps there was diversity even within these 'kinds.' He wanted to ask her something, maybe just "Who… are you?"
The girl, sensing his presence, had slowly turned her head. Her green eyes looked directly into Aurelion's golden ones. There was curiosity in her gaze. Just as Aurelion opened his mouth to speak.
A loud toppling sound from the other end of the hall, followed by angry shouts, startled them both. Two of the large, green skinned children had started scuffling with a few older Northerner children. Nearby caregivers immediately ran to intervene, and Linnea also moved quickly in that direction. All attention had shifted there. Another moment of opportunity!
Aurelion glanced one last time at that girl, then quickly turned away. He veered into a corridor where no one noticed him, heading towards the source of the construction sounds outside. The new world order was building itself, and he wanted to understand everything happening next to him.
He headed for the door at the end of the corridor that opened to the outside. He silently slipped out. A hive of activity confronted him. The orphanage's backyard had transformed into a massive construction site. There, probably the college that he had heard mentioned before, were being laid. "Is this… the future training ground? What are these marks on the ground? And that structure… How big will it be?" His eyes scanned the chaos around.
His small size was an advantage. He moved forward, hiding behind piles of materials stacked at the sides, without attracting the workers' attention. As he got closer, he saw more clearly. One worker had placed his chisel, which had a gleaming blue stone, onto a stone block. Another worker next to him was rhythmically striking the chisel with a hammer whose surface was intricately patterned. With each hammer strike, the bluish light from the chisel flared brighter for a moment, and a thin line appeared on the stone's surface. When the hammer lifted, he saw a simple but flawless symbol beginning to be carved on the stone. Dust seemed to scatter differently around the symbol, as if pushed by an invisible force. "So that's how… They carve signs into the stone. That blue stone gives power, the hammer directs…"
Just as he was watching this fascinating sight, he heard a gentle but deep voice right behind him: "Well, well, what have we here, a little curious one." Aurelion startled and turned around. Before him stood an old Northerner with white hair and beard, his face deeply lined but his eyes intelligent and calm.
The old man's gaze slid down from Aurelion's face, pausing for a moment on his pointed ears. He smiled faintly. "What are you looking for here, little one? This area can be dangerous for you."
Aurelion hesitated for a moment. He was caught. But there was no threat in the old man's voice, more the calm curiosity of someone who had seen much. This was an opportunity. He pointed to the blue stoned chisel the worker had just used. The words that came out of his mouth were broken, but his desire was clear: "That… What? Blue… Stone? How… strong?"
The old man chuckled. "Ah, the Rune Chisel, is it? Caught your interest, eh? Clever lad." He leaned forward. "Look at this blue stone," he said, pointing to the gleaming part of the chisel with his finger. "It has raw power in it, pure energy. With this power, with this chisel," then he pointed to the other patterned hammer, "and this Rune Hammer, we carve special signs, Runes, into walls, armor, weapons. Those signs trap the power inside, make the structure more durable, protect from cold, sometimes grant other skills too. Think of it as a kind of… permanent magic, but it's more of a craft." The man's eyes gleamed. "It's hard work, requires patience, requires attention."
Aurelion listened intently. "Power… Signs… Traps power… Craft…Magic..." His mind rapidly stored this new information. "Why… strong?" he asked again, perhaps a bit more clearly. "Why… now?"
"Why strong? Because we no longer have the right to be weak, son. The world has changed. We need to prepare. These walls, this school… It's all for that." He looked at Aurelion again. "But these are not things for your little head to worry about," he said, smiling. "You must be a very mischievous elf. Now, don't wander around here anymore and get underfoot. It's dangerous." The old man gently took a step towards him.
Aurelion instinctively recoiled. "No! I… go! Myself!"
"Not possible, son," said old man, his voice still calm but now leaving no room for argument. "We don't want you getting lost or crushed amidst all this dust and falling stone. Safety first." With unexpected agility, he bent down and gently grabbed Aurelion by the scruff of his neck, as if he were a misbehaving kitten. Though Aurelion thrashed in the air, muttering an incomprehensible curse, the old man's calloused fingers were like iron. "Alright now, little Rune enthusiast, let's deliver you to where you belong, into the capable hands of Mistress Linnea." Old man, with Aurelion dangling from his scruff, headed for the orphanage door. He pushed it open and entered.
At that exact moment, an icy atmosphere pervaded the orphanage hall. Linnea had lined up orc children involved in the fight and the angry Northerner brats, her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at them with piercing eyes "...and that is why, for a whole week, none of you will get dessert in the evenings AND tomorrow morning, first thing, you will all clean the entire play area! Understood?!" The children grumbled and nodded.
With the opening of the door, Linnea's words were cut off again. All eyes turned to the door. Old Rune Master Grom stood in the doorway, holding the still silently cursing Aurelion by the scruff of his neck. The tension in the hall gave way to a stunned silence.
Aurelion, struggling to free himself from the man's grip, looked up and met Linnea's eyes, which went from surprise to a deep, narrowed fury in seconds. "Ah… perfect timing," he thought. "Just when I was starting to play the 'clever and well behaved child' role… Now I'm definitely in big trouble."
"Master Grom?" Linnea said. "What is the meaning of this?" Master Grom took a step into the hall, gently pushing Aurelion forward by his scruff. He had a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "Apologies for interrupting, Mistress Linnea, but I found this little rascal wandering around the construction site, right next to my Rune Hammers. Thought I'd bring him in before his curiosity got him into trouble." He gave Aurelion a sidelong glance. "He does seem quite keen on Runes."
Linnea's gaze was now drilling into Aurelion. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. The construction site… Next to special tools… Forbidden area… The previous fight incident… This was the last straw. "I understand. Thank you, Master Grom," she said through gritted teeth. "You can leave the rest to me."
Master Grom got the message. "Alright then, I'll get back to my work." He gave a slight bow and exited quickly, as if leaving a disaster behind him. Aurelion had regained his freedom but felt trapped. Before him stood Linnea, with a dull anger and deep disappointment on her face. At that moment, he knew he was in a worse situation than even the brawling brats.
Linnea took a deep, trembling breath, as if trying to calm herself. Her gaze shifted to the culprits she had just been scolding, then back to Aurelion with deadly serenity. "Alright," she said. "It seems our cleaning crew for tomorrow has… a rather enthusiastic new member."
The next morning, as the sun had just risen, the orphanage play area was being cleaned. A few unhappy children were mopping the floors and wiping toys. Two grumbling large Orcs, three sullen Northerners, and among them, Aurelion, with an indescribable disgust and inwardly seething rage on his face, pushing a wet and heavy mop almost as big as himself with his tiny hands…
An Orc passing by grinned and deliberately splashed a puddle of mud in front of him. Aurelion just shot him a deadly glare. "Despicable… Primitive… Crude creatures! And I… I am in this filth. BECAUSE OF THIS WOMAN!" Linnea was watching them from the window, that damned parchment still in her hand.
Aurelion felt her gaze and pushed the mop harder, almost falling. "Damn woman is scrutinizing my every move. Look at the punishment she gives a child not yet two! Yes, I did a few conspicuous things, but at least this punishment shouldn't have been given with these idiots!" Apparently, this world wasn't very generous with justice either.
When Aurelion set the mop aside, his arms were trembling. The play area, with the grumbles and half hearted efforts of his fellow culprits, was only passably clean. Linnea gave it one last check and dismissed the scolded children. Aurelion stood still for a moment. The old master's words, that blue stone, those signs... And Linnea's constantly note taking, assessing gazes…
He made his decision. This woman knew. At least some things.
With small, determined steps, he headed to the other end of the hall, to the corridor that usually led to Linnea's office or where she worked. Luck was on his side. Linnea hadn't retreated to her office yet. Aurelion stood right in front of her.
Linnea, noticing the small figure appearing before her, looked up in surprise. She looked at Aurelion over her glasses. "Aurelion? Shouldn't you be in your bed? The punishment is over."
Aurelion tilted his head up slightly, his golden eyes locking directly onto Linnea's blue ones. A single word came from his mouth "Talk."
Linnea frowned. "Talk? What are you going to talk about, I wonder?" She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's talk then. What's on your mind?" She bent down slightly, looking at him more intently. Aurelion searched for the right words for a moment. Then he asked the first thing that came to mind, gesturing vaguely in the air with his fingers "Signs? Wall… Strong?"
Linnea's frown deepened. "Signs? Where did you get that from?" Then she understood. "Did Master Grom tell you something? When you were at the construction site?"
Aurelion nodded. Then he voiced another curiosity. "Blue… stone? In chisel?" Linnea paused for a moment. "That's an energy stone," she said carefully, choosing her words. "And yes, it's used in rune chisels. They are special and dangerous things. Not toys for children." Her eyes were weighing Aurelion. "Why are you so curious about these things? While other children play with toys, why are you thinking about signs on walls and tools used by masters?" Aurelion ignored this question. For him, the answer was simple. The others were stupid. He was not. But he couldn't say that. Instead, he switched to another topic, again with broken words: "Ears? Girl… like me?" Linnea was surprised by this sudden change of subject but answered. "Yes, like you. Your ears are similar."
Aurelion moved closer, his voice almost a whisper but insistent. "What? Me… what? Girl… what?"
Linnea paused for a moment. Her eyes fell on Aurelion's jet black hair, his pale skin, and especially those observant golden eyes. She sighed. "You..." she said slowly. "You are a High Elf, Aurelion." He was hearing this word for the first time, but he sensed it was important. "The other girl is..." Linnea hesitated, then continued, "She is a Wood Elf. You are different."
"High… Elf?" Aurelion repeated the word, rolling it on his tongue. He didn't know its meaning, but now he had a name for what he was. "Wood… Elf?" So what was this distinction? Just as he was about to ask "Why different?", Linnea stopped him. "These are not things you need to think about now," she said firmly. She straightened up.
Even if this child was a high elf, asking so many questions at this age, especially being interested in topics like runes and energy stones… was not normal. This child… was truly different, and this difference both made her think and frightened her. "Now, go straight to your bed. Tomorrow will be a long day. And don't you dare go near the construction site again, understood?"
Aurelion remained silent, but his gaze made it clear he wasn't saying 'understood.' However, he didn't retreat either. He just continued to look at Linnea.
Linnea sighed. Dealing with this child was difficult. "Go on now," she said, her tone softer but still firm. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him towards the corridor.
Aurelion didn't resist Linnea's touch, but as he turned his back, his mind was working rapidly. High Elf… Wood Elf… So I am a High Elf. Runes… Energy Stones… Things that give power but are dangerous. And Linnea… she knows all about them but isn't telling.
New crumbs of information had found their place in his mind, but they brought more questions with them. This conversation had shown him not only answers but also what was important and who was hiding information. As he walked down the dark corridor with small steps, a new calculation, a new determination gleamed in his golden eyes. There was much he needed to learn. And he would learn it.