Ayman didn't have to walk far before reaching an unusual stone building, given the area he was in. He approached the large wooden door at the entrance, knocked a couple of times with the metal knocker and waited. After a few seconds, the door opened, but there was no one behind it; it was as if the door had opened by itself. Ayman was not at all surprised, as anyone who frequented that house and knew the owner would not have been. He therefore did not hesitate to enter and let the door close behind him.
'As always, a very convenient trick.'
After walking down a short corridor, he found himself in a large, elegant living room, or at least it should have been, except that it was completely untidy, with papers and books scattered everywhere.
'The usual mess. How does the old man live in this chaos?'
Ayman then approached a corner of the room, where there was a spiral staircase leading to a wooden loft, and climbed up. When he reached the upper floor, he found himself in an office with a desk in the centre, also covered with books, a bookcase full of books attached to the wall, and various pens and sheets of paper scattered on the floor. The mess he had found downstairs was no less evident here.
Sitting at the desk, immersed in reading, was a man in his sixties with grey hair and an unkempt beard. The man, noticing the presence of his guest, looked up from the book he was immersed in and watched Ayman closely before speaking to him.
"Young man, what do you want? Don't tell me you've already finished reading the book I lent you, it's not even been a month!" said the old man, almost surprised.
"Actually, I'm here because Melissa sent me. She said you have the gift for Kadir, I'm here to pick it up. Oh, she also asked me to tell you not to miss tonight."
The old man seemed almost relieved to hear that the boy was here for another reason and not the one he had imagined.
"Yes, I do have your brother's gift."
He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. After a few seconds, one of the books on the bookshelf rose into the air and landed straight in the master's hand. He opened it and inside, tucked away in a space in the centre of the book, was a small wooden chest. He took it out and threw it to Ayman. Ayman caught it and examined it carefully before opening it and checking its contents.
"What are you checking? Don't you trust your teacher, boy?" said the man in an ironic and provocative tone.
"Oh no, I would never dare to doubt the good faith of the great wizard Robert Grayes," Ayman joked ironically, with a mocking smile.
"Great wizard... maybe... but I'm only of the fourth class. The great wizards are others, insolent boy."
"But tell me, what have you wrapped in that rag you're holding? "
"Oh, this? The book you lent me. I've finished reading it and brought it back to return it."
"What? You've already finished reading it? A book like that can't be read and understood in such a short time!" The master couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes, I finished it. It's a very interesting book, but in the end it wasn't that complicated."
"Oh, really? Then sit down here in front of me and prove it to me."
Robert motioned to Ayman to sit down and handed him a pen, ink and a sheet of paper.
"Draw me the magic circles representing the six fundamental attributes. Get just one wrong and I won't lend you another book for the next six months."
A worried and incredulous expression appeared on Ayman's face.
"Great master, don't you think you're exaggerating a little?"
Robert smiled mockingly.
"What's the matter? Are you no longer so confident in your abilities? Didn't you say it wasn't that complicated?"
"Yes, but the request seems a little excessive..."
"Write! I don't have time to waste," Robert interrupted him decisively.
Ayman stared into his master's brown eyes, took a breath and lowered his gaze to the sheet of paper. He picked up the pen, dipped the tip into the inkwell and began to draw on the paper with extreme concentration. What he had been asked to do was not too complicated to understand, but redrawing the six magic circles of the fundamental attributes was quite another matter.
Every self-respecting wizard must have them memorised, but he was not a wizard. He was just a curious boy who liked to read and learn. For him, knowledge of any kind was a tool to better understand the world and escape from the giant birdcage in which he lived. That was why he had started spending more and more time with Melissa's grandfather, a Superior Rank wizard, a rarity even among the Chosen themselves, who could teach him so many things. And so it was that Ayman learned a great deal from him: history, mathematics, alchemy and, more recently, he had even begun to teach him the basics of theoretical magic. He also allowed him to borrow various books, faithful companions from which he could learn and grow.
For him, reading and learning had become fundamental needs to be satisfied. The idea of spending six months without being able to borrow any books distressed him greatly and, knowing his teacher, he knew very well that if he failed to draw the basic circles perfectly, Robert would not hesitate to carry out his threat.
'Calm down, Ayman, you can do it...'
He therefore concentrated and tried to recall everything he had read and learned from the book in order to draw the circles without mistakes. It was not easy; a single line out of place was enough to compromise the whole thing.
'Okay, let's start with the water...'
Ayman's hand began to move and trace lines, curves and symbols with calm precision. Although they were basic circles, they were by no means simple. Each one evoked one of the fundamental elements of the world and could be used to perform elemental magic. Water, the source of life and purifier; earth, the fundamental structure for humans, whose resources have always been shaped by human ingenuity; fire, the essence of destruction and the principle of transformation, which can be a danger but also a source of inestimable benefit; air, which fills the lungs and carries new seeds of life and sounds; light, which guides humans in the world and offers hope; and finally darkness, about which little is known, but whose hidden mysteries are a source of anguish and primordial fear.
Robert watched Ayman and what he was drawing carefully. Since he had met him seven years ago, this boy had always been a constant surprise to him. He had never known a boy with such an ability to learn and understand. His memory was exceptional; he only needed to read something once to memorise and understand a concept. When he had met him, he was seven years old and had already been able to read, write and do arithmetic for three years. His late parents had recognised their son's talent and had therefore started him on the path to knowledge at a very early age, spending most of what they earned on a tutor, even though they were just a blacksmith and a seamstress. They could have waited for him to learn to read and write at the military academy, but they did not want his abilities to go to waste.
'Admirable, even if a little exaggerated...'
Robert was quite surprised by his boldness when the boy asked him to be his teacher. A Superior Rank wizard taking on the role of teacher to a seven-year-old child? It was quite absurd even to think about it! But after discovering Ayman's exceptional talent, he couldn't help but imagine what level he could reach under his guidance. That is, if he is chosen...
"Finished!"
Ayman's enthusiastic statement brought Robert back from his thoughts. It hadn't been long since he had given him the assignment, and yet he was already finished...
"Already? Are you sure you want to hand it in now? You won't get another chance. If I find a single mistake, you can forget about my books for the next six months!"
A slight concern could be seen on Ayman's face, but he handed his assignment to the teacher anyway.
"Yes, I've already written everything I know perfectly. And sitting there looking at it again wouldn't do me any good. "
Robert carefully examined the circles written by his disciple.
For Ayman, those moments of strict silence seemed like an eternity. He was fairly sure he had drawn the circles correctly, but he wasn't perfect, and he might have missed a mistake due to the tension...
"Oh..."
A sound escaped from Grayes' mouth; the teacher had finished evaluating his work ...