Beyond?

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Valda***

“That is definitely strange.” Laney pulls on her lower lip while she looks at Azir who is playing on the floor.

It has been a week since my abduction and I must admit that I am still shaken up. I thought that I would go insane down in that cavern. But then my child rescued us. I don't care what he is. Azir is my son and that's it.

He opened up to me during the last week and I started to think that this whole story may have a good ending.

Though I soon had to admit that Azir isn't a normal child. He is very smart and doesn't act like a child his age. The only problem seems to be that he doesn't know our language.

But he is working on that hurdle. I have to correct myself. He isn't playing. He is scribbling notes on a notebook while he is flipping through the pages of a children's book. It's one of those which have pictures with the names of things beneath them.

I gesture at Azir. “He even taught the alphabet to himself. All I did was read some books to him while having him on my lap.”

Laney nods. “A normal child wouldn't learn to speak and write at the same time. What he is doing looks more like an adult approach on learning an unknown language.” She tilts her head. “Maybe it's his ability?”

I frown. All magicians in our world have an inborn ability which enables them to use a particular magic without chanting. That's why the great clans came to be. Our clan has the power to manipulate mana freely. Others may be able to form water according to their will. From time to time some clan members develop different abilities. But the ability is normally inherited through the female line. That's why the clan leaders are almost always women.

Each clan protects their magical bloodline fiercely, always trying to get their hands on suitable children to secure the next generation. A child between a female magician and a non magician isn't guaranteed to inherit magic ability. The ability to use magic can go dormant for many generations in that case. There are cases of bloodlines which were thought lost, reappearing in the child of a commoner who had an ancestor with magical power. Contrary to that, a child between two magicians is always a magician.

I cross my legs and ponder over it for a moment. “You think that he has improved memories and intelligence? But that's the ability of the Siorda clan. I don't think I have any of them in my family tree. And I thought his ability is to freely control blood?”

“Maybe it came from the male line? Too bad that we don't have complete records of the husbands who married into our clan. Though I haven't heard of a case of someone having two abilities.” Laney crosses her arms in front of her chest.

Azir looks up and I turn my attention at him. He is holding a sheet of paper and waves it in the air, so I kneel down in front of him and smile. “What do you have there? Show mommy what you wrote.”

He shakes his head and points at Laney. “She!”

Laney steps closer and takes the sheet. “Oh, you are so charming to think of me...” She takes a look and her smiling face turns immediately expressionless. Then she closes her eyes and smiles again while handing me the sheet. “He isn't just cute, he is also a real prince charming. I think you'll have a lot of work if you want to pair him up with one of the finer ladies.”

I take the sheet and frown upon reading the unrefined scribbled letters.

“Filth(Curse?) Moonfaceslut(Insult?). Woman, stop poke with your many sticks. May you slip and impale yourself with them.”

Laney's expression turns vicious. “I think you should double his weekly portion of liver.”

She can't deal with being reminded of her round face. It's not like she is ugly, but she still has a little complex over that particular feature of hers.

“I think you are looking at this too narrow-mindedly.” I smile at Azir and stroke his hair. “That was a good try Azir, but you made some mistakes.”

Azir's expression turns troubled. “Mistake?”

That's a word he already understands. So I bend down and correct his sentence. “Look. It's supposed to be like this. This is Laney.” I point at Laney.

“Hello my beautiful maiden, Laney. Please stop poking me with your instruments, thanks. Don't trip and hurt yourself with them.”

Azir looks for several seconds at the new sentence, then he flips his notebook and starts scribbling again, correcting some of his notes.

Laney frowns and gestures at him. “You know that it won't take long until he finds out?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Don't fret over it. You mistreated us the entire night with your instruments. It's understandable that he holds a small grudge.”

“Let me try something.” Laney kneels down and looks at Azir. “Hi, I am Laney.” She points at herself. “Who are you?” She gestures at him.

Azir looks for a moment at her hands. Then he smiles. “Azir.”

I nod and pat his head. “Good boy.”

Laney mumbles something. Then points at herself. “Laney is from here.” She gestures at the room. Then she points at Azir. “Azir is from... ?”

Azir tilts his head. Then he points upwards to the ceiling and continues his research on the children's book.

I sigh. “I think he misunderstood that one.”

Laney continues to look at Azir. “I don't think so. He was part of a summoning ceremony. So what if it's not his body that got summoned, but his soul? I always asked myself from where those dark magicians conjure their monstrosities.”

I hug Azir. “But he isn't a monster. Which monster could have a bright mind like him?”

Laney takes a sheet of paper and draws a horizon with the sky and the earth and the sun. “Laney is from here.” She points at the ground. “Azir is from the sky?” She points at the sky.

Azir furrows his eyebrows and points at the sun. “From beyond.” He takes the sheet and makes a few dots into the sky. “From beyond.”

Laney takes the sheet back. “There are theories that out there are other worlds. And that every light in the night sky is another sun like ours.”

I shake my head. “But he said that he is from beyond? Is there something farther away? Azir? How is beyond?”

Azir pulls a pained grimace. “Beyond is cold. Here is warm. Much better.” He hugs me.

I can't help it and hug him too. “Azir? Never tell anyone that you are from beyond, ok?” I point at the paper. “Azir no tell. Azir no from beyond.”

He furrows his eyebrows, then he nods and smiles. “Azir from here.” He pats on the ground and I let out a sigh.

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Azir***

I got a name! It has been a long time since I had one. And I decided to stay with the scary woman who seems to be my mother. No idea why she wants to be my mother, but I have no objections to having a protector.

This world is beyond my reasoning. Why are these people keeping so many dangerous animals around them? There is a really scary cat strolling around on my parent's property. I would probably be just right for dinner.

At least Valda explained to me that the white stuff is something my new body needs. She wasn't trying to poison me. And the mad doctor's name is Laney. Right now they are discussing something between themselves.

But they are speaking too fast for me, so I have no chance of understanding them. My mother wishes that I hide the fact that I am not a normal child. Probably there are some cultural issues I am unaware of. But for now all my attention is focused on learning the language.

This fucking language drives me insane. There is no tense added to the verbs. Instead you indicate the tense by placing the verb either at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the sentence. And depending on certain pointers which have no meaning of their own, you can change the meaning of a word completely.

For example “Rahuun” means moon. But “aRahuun” is the dawn in the morning. I wish I had my magic and could simply suck the knowledge out of someone. Probably they wouldn't react too well to that. Maybe it's better to learn it the old fashioned way.

I look up and listen to the mumblejumble between my mother and Laney. At least my self hypnosis techniques are still working. It's said that the best way to learn a new language is to listen to it day and night. Even while sleeping. So I force my attention on their mouths and try to ignore the rest of the world.

After a while I sigh and continue taking my notes to make sense of this mess.

.