Humphrey's Fortunate Encounter

Westley changed the wet towel on Arlo's forehead. Ever since Arlo came back with the antidote and saved his life, his feelings toward the little prince had changed.

What boy at his age would do something like that?

He risked his life, walking into an unfamiliar place where death awaits at every turn and managed to return alive. If such a boy was able to grow up, just what would he accomplish in the future?

A strange feeling grew in his chest when he thought of this.

What is it?

Something started to give off light within Arlo's robe. He reached his hand in and found an old book.

He had no time to inspect the book or find the source of the light when it broke free from his grasp and landed back on Arlo's chest.

The wind shook the tent, and he could hear the soldiers yelling outside. It didn't take too much thought to find that an odd event was unfolding.

Could it have something to do with the glowing book?

Westley thought that it was too much of a coincidence for something to happen as soon as the book acted this way.

'First, I should wake him up.'

The book turned into motes of light and started to enter Arlo's body. Westley grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently but firmly. He was still worried about aggravating his leg so he didn't start off using much strength, but when the shouts outside started to get louder, his grip increased unconsciously.

"Young Master!"

The shouts outside had reached a peak. He started to worry if he had guessed incorrectly and they were actually under attack and needed his help.

He decided to give it one last try and if he still didn't wake up, he would go outside to assess the situation.

"Arlo! Wake up!"

The last mote of light entered Arlo's chest just in time for him to hear his call. His eyes opened slowly, and a grimace spread across his face.

"What did you call me?"

Westley was too shocked to notice that the shouting and the wind had stopped. He looked at Arlo with a dumb expression on his face, then realization hit him and he bowed his head.

"My apologies Young Master. This servant was too flustered just now and called you by name."

'Huh? Why are you acting so seriously?'

Arlo sat up as best as he could without aggravating his wound and mumbled under his breath.

"Actually I don't mind if you call me that..."

Westley saw the red faced Arlo and completely misunderstood. He moved over and slowly lowered him back down into bed.

"Don't move around too much. If there's anything you need, just tell me."

"Mm, okay. Thanks."

Westley bowed his head a little.

"It's my pleasure your highness."

'There it is again. That warm feeling.'

He couldn't help it. Whenever he looked at the usually happy and hardworking Prince in this state it made him feel a sense of overprotectiveness and... guilt.

He realized that the Prince was wounded due to his own selfish desire to live and his face displayed that emotion.

When he saw the worry in Arlo's eyes, he quickly shook his head and returned back to his usual neutral expression.

"In any case, young master, there was some sort of magical book in your robe. Do you know anything about it?"

Arlo reached for his chest where the book was supposed to be, but found it missing. He looked around the tent but couldn't spot it.

'Since Westley brought it up, then there must be something wrong with it. Maybe he's mad that I kept it a secret from him...'

Westley had been around ever since Arlo could remember. He always followed his father around and seemed to be a very trustworthy person. Arlo didn't want to lose the trust of someone he was close to so he decided to tell him the truth about how he found the book.

Wesley's eyes widened in shock. This story sounded exactly like one he repeatedly heard from Humphrey.

Humphrey would often brag about his fortunate encounter with a hidden tomb. He had gotten separated from his group as they were hunting in the woods near his village.

As he was trying to find his way back, he heard a voice. It called to him in a sickeningly sweet voice and before he knew it, his feet had led him to an opening at the base of a cliff.

There was an unassuming crack in the rock face, but Humphrey could tell that it wasn't normal. The longer he stood at the entrance, the more he felt a sense of crisis.

The blood left his face and cold sweat drenched his back. Despite this, the sweet voice that flowed out of the cave kept calling to him and he eventually stepped forward.

The cave was humid and the walls were cold. He followed blindly after the voice in this pitch black world.

It led him to a room with a stone sarcophagus. It sat at the center of the room and next to it was a glowing red gem the size of a palm.

Humphrey walked over to it and reached out to grab it. That was when he was filled with great power that allowed him to go from a poor hunter in a village, to the King of his own kingdom.

Wesley compared the two stories and found it odd. In Humphrey's case he was chosen by the treasure and led directly to it to claim it as his own.

But in Arlo's case... he fell into it.

This kind of luck is too much. Or should it be called fate?

Anyway, the fact of the matter is that Arlo seems to have found a treasure like his father did. In that case it should be a good thing right? Surely the treasure wouldn't be harmful.

Hmm... just in case.

"Do you feel weird or uncomfortable in any way since you've woken up? Maybe more powerful, or you can see things that normally aren't there?"

"Umm, Westley?"

"Yes, young master?"

Westley had a hopeful look on his face, and Arlo didn't really want to break that. He tried to say his words as gently as possible.

"I don't feel any stronger and as for seeing things that aren't there... you do realize I'm blind right?"

"Huh?"

Truthfully, he had forgotten. His young master never had any difficulties because of it, so Westley had slowly come to treat him as a normal young boy.

"Ah, that's true, b-but don't you have that special way of seeing. The one that's like a sword domain! What about that, is it any different?"

Arlo sighed and shook his head. It looks like this guy actually forgot that he was blind!

It's not like he was particularly sensitive about the topic, but how could you forget such a thing?

Still, he decided to humor this forgetful servant and test his vision.

He closed his eyes and started to sense the mana around him. Immediately he felt that it was much easier to look around than before but if it's just this then he wouldn't mention it to Westley.

He expanded his senses to his previous limit without a problem and was about to stop and tell Westley that nothing was different when he moved past his previous limit.

"..."

Wesley felt Arlo stiffen up and urged him. "Young master, what is it? Has something happened?"

Heh... this is embarrassing.

After having to point out to Westley that he was blind, he felt that this was the most unlikely place for a change to occur. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Back in the tent his cheeks burned red, and his face looked like a tomato, which only added on to Westley's worries.

Arlo worked through the embarrassment and pushed his boundaries. He wanted to see how far he could go.

He pushed past his previous limit with ease and started to approach the tree line. He felt that no matter what, as long as he could make it to the tree line he would be satisfied.

Reaching there from his tent in the center of the camp would mean that he has the capability to monitor everything that goes on inside the camp.

This would be hugely beneficial in dealing with many things. Especially since he was going to the north to fight in a war. If someone tried to sabotage them by sneaking into the camp, he would be able to pick them out instantly and put a stop to their schemes.

He finally reached the trees and let out a deep breath. All of his anxiousness left him and he started to observe the camp.

It seems that something big just happened. The soldiers looked tense and the servants were still cowering behind cover.

'Just what happened while I was asleep?'

He pushed his consciousness deep into the forest at the quickest speed he could muster.

He zoomed past many types of bugs, wildlife, and plants and still didn't feel like he was reaching his limit.

Along with being excited by this newfound power there was also fear. What if he was doing something wrong? Or what if he pushed himself too far? Would there be a backlash? If so, how severe would it be?

He wisely decided to stop for now and slowly experiment with his limits later.