A test of valor

"A favor? Forgive me for my boldness, Sir Sahul, but what could I do that a mage such as yourself cannot?" David waved his eyebrows at the wrinkled mage.

"That's the point, David-boy. You're not a mage such as myself. This old man anguishes that I cannot approach people anymore without suspicion. Ignorant and careless beings such as yourself and other Earthlings are rare to come across."

David chuckled once. The truly powerful were always frank in their ways and words.

Sahul peered over the boy and added, "This old man means no offense! Smile, boy! My favor is all risk, no rewards!"

David coughed, "Sir Sahul, shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"You're too preoccupied on the details, boy! Come closer, for this requires no soul to hear but yourself."

He pushed his chair closer to the old mage. Suddenly, David shook. A shockwave passed through his body, rendering his hairs and danger alarm erect.

"Do not be afraid. It's but a simple ward to prevent eavesdropping," Sahul waved his hands to relieve the cautious David.

'He could be lying," But it did not matter. Sahul could murder him in an instant if that was what he wished to do, but David was still breathing and alive.

"David. I believe you've mentioned the first mandatory test you'll go through tomorrow?"

"Yes, sir. I've been curious-

"For the past ten years that I've been here, many procedures have changed, all but one. They call it the Wayfinder Test. I'll spare you the details."

'Oh, please don't. I'd rather hear about this than the thousandth story you have about Selena.'

Needless to say, the gods did not listen to his wishes, they never did.

"In summation, they'll be teaching you how to detect magic. Badly."

"How so, Sir Sahul?"

Eyes locked with his. David froze. Even through thick wrinkles and folds of fat, the old mage's slanted eyes terrified him to great lengths. "Curiosity kills the salamander. I've told you, do this old man a favor, and the old man shall guide you on the proper path of the magics."

The two remained still. A bead of sweat slid down David's face, falling onto a crease in the mage's long robes.

'I've tested the waters enough. Let this be a lesson to future David.'

"S-sir Sahul, I'd like to proceed with this favor of yours. What does it entail?"

In as fast of an instant, the tension between the two disappeared. Sahul stroked his imaginary beard and replied, "For the past ten years, the instructor for the Wayfinder Test has been the same, a peer of mine. Not a looker, this old man has to say, you'd only notice the large birthmark on his left cheek."

That description tugged at David's recent memory. At the gym, a mage that fit such a description had struck a conversation with him and Jameston. However, that couldn't be right.

"A peer of yours? Are you referring to a man by the name of Horeira-

"Exactly, exactly that man. His reputation precedes him, for an Earthling such as yourself to have learned of his name. His looks also precede him, for he is of the same age as myself, a humble two-hundred and three years old."

In an out-of-character manner, David exclaimed, "No way."

"Yes way?"

What was more shocking: Sahul's impossible age or Horeira's double-impossible age?

'That man looked barely in his forties!'

"I don't look too bad myself, if you'd allow this old man to brag, but Horeira has the blessing of a devil for such looks at our age. And, David-boy, that is exactly what I want you to find out. Has that man collaborated with the evil gods that bring ruin upon Megiddo, or is he hiding the alchemical skills of Suleyman? Both terrifying possibilities, making this old man shudder."

The evil gods. The ones that caused his coming in the first place. 'If the old mage is right, then I'll see my ultimate enemies for the first time.'

"How will I find that out, Sir Sahul? I hate to ask this, but won't I meet my end if this man indeed holds ties with these devilish organizations?"

Sahul looked at him and rubbed his two hands together.

"Again, too preoccupied with the details, boy. Do you accept or not? I'll make sure you don't die, and the magic I teach you will also do that."

"I accept."

…

And thus, tomorrow became today.

David followed the map on his sigil, leading his body through the streets of Gomorrah, and into the location of the first training he'd officially partake in inside of the tower.

Throughout the trip, his eyes kept leaning downwards towards his abdominal area. The success of his mission depended on the tool that he stored there.

"Have you heard about today's training?"

"Yes! Apparently, they're teaching us magic! This suddenly feels so real…"

Conversations between excited Earthlings went back-and-forth, behind and in front of him. David grinned. Yesterday, he had succeeded in exploiting more information from the old man, and now had a solid idea on the contents of the Wayfinder Test.

And that was what worried him. The test was not as intuitive and systematic as he'd hoped. According to Sahul, he would succeed eventually, but it could take a long time.

"Excuse me."

David retreated from the confines of his inner mind, as he barged into a lady and apologized. She turned and stared at him, her black eyes scanning him from head-to-toe, "Excuse you."

"Rude."

David walked away, unwilling to make a mountain out of a molehill and argue with the young lady. From this point on, the concentration of the crowd around him forced him to slow his steps down.

He took advantage of this, as his eyes traveled around searching for his target.

There.

In a clearing empty of people, a robed man occupied a table by himself. The black birthmark that painted the left side of relatively young face indicated that this was Horeira. Absorbed into a book, the man occasionally took down notes on a yellowish scroll.

David took the security of the crowd for granted as he stared at the man. Unwise. For a second, Horeira raised his eyes off of his book. While he seemed to be staring into nowhere, David's sense of time froze, and his shoulders drooped down. As if he was prey, the eyes of a hawk scanned him from a street away. David took no time to look away into the endless crowd.

Soon, the mage likely found nothing remarkable in the young man, and fixed his books again.

"Phew…"

'Fortunate that the mission doesn't require me to touch the man.'

He only needed to get close. Very close, yes, but that could be produced through 'accidental missteps' and such.

When David felt it was safe to, his eyes looked for the man again. His pupils dilated. In the mere second since he looked away, Horeira disappeared from his clearing and into the crowd.

"Earthlings! Value is evaluated through victorious ventures and the vitality these victors vow to the vortices of the vicious Megiddo! In regards to this vanity, what greater venom to these vermin than the voice of virtue, magic? With this in your vision, we shall stop this palaver of the vacuous and verbose and get into the vine of today's vocation. You shall learn, through the famous Wayfinder Test of Gomorrah, how to open your eyes to the second air that you've forgotten to breathe, mana!"