Aurelia and Raghav walked through the halls of the castle as he looked directly in front of him, unbothered by the eyes of the helpers in the castle. 'Are all these people slaves of the crown or are they paid workers?' Raghav stopped walking and turned towards one of the maid cleaning a vase.
Aurelia also stopped and stood there looking at him. 'What is he doing?" The maid turned to look at Raghav as he avoided her eyes and looked at the vase. "Sorry to bother you while you are working, I had a question." "Yes sir?" "Do you work here of your own free will?"
The maid nodded "Yes, I work here of my own will, who would I not? I get paid five silver coins per day working here." Raghav nodded as he turned around. "Thank you."
He walked back to Aurelia, the maid watched him walk away as she was confused. 'Is he shy? He did not even look at me, he just stared at the vase.'
"What was that for?" Raghav looked Aurelia in the eyes before looking ahead. "I just wanted to see if they were slaves or not; but it turns out they are getting paid." "You could have just asked me." "Yes; why not ask the daughter of the king if they have any slaves."
Raghav shielded his eyes from the direct sunlight as they stepped out into the courtyard between the castle and the outer walls. Raghav moved his hand down as his eyes adjusted to the light and he looked at the beautiful garden in front of him that spread for about 4 acre. A brick road circling from the entrance of the castle to the giant doors of the outer walls. At the right corner of the courtyard were a couple of trees. "Beautiful isn't it?" Raghav looked at Aurelia nodding. "It is."
Aurelia then walked towards the trees as Raghav followed; as they drew closer Raghav saw a man with long braided hair and an unkempt beard sitting under the tree on a straw mat wearing a grey cloak and grey pants without any shoes.
Aurelia joined her hands and bowed slightly to the man who opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Does the King require my assistance?" "No, Sage Amla. I come to you to know about this man." She then moved to the side letting Sage Amla look at Raghav.
The Sage stood up walking to him. "It is nice to meet you. You can call this body Sage Amla." Raghav smiled at Sage Amla and held his hands together bowing to him. "It is nice to meet you too. Sage Amla. I am Raghav."
Sage Amla was lost looking at Raghav, not even blinking for a moment. Aurelia stepped forward her hands still held together. "Sage Amla?" Sage Amla turned to look at her as he smiled. "Yes my child. What is it that you wish to know about this man?"
"I wish to know why this man brought from another universe looks like someone close to me. And also to see if he possesses the sensitivity to wield Mana."
Sage Amla looked at Raghav. "For his appearance to be matching someone close to you is very simple. He is a variant or alternate version of the person you know." Aurelia looked at the Sage in shock. "How can that be?"
Sage Amla smiled as he waved his hand in the air. "There exists infinite people with the same appearance but with different identity and souls inside them throughout the multiverse." He looked back at Raghav smiling brightly. "The body is nothing but a vessel for the soul to call its own for a short period before moving onto the next."
He then looked at Raghav's hands. "Can you show me your hands?" Raghav nodded placing his hands into the Sage's.
The Sage began chanting a spell in an unknown tongue as white aura surrounded the sage and travelled to Raghav's hands.
He soon stopped and looked at Raghav. "You do not possess Mana sensitivity." Raghav clinched his fist and looked down at it.
Aurelia lowered her head and sighed. 'How will a man without the ability to use Mana save us from evil?' Raghav looked back at Sage Amla. "Can I ask you something?"
Sage Amla nodded not taking his eyes off Raghav. "What is a Sage? Is it a rank for Mages?"
Sage Amla shook his head his eyes still on Raghav. "A Sage is a Saint from the Island Kingdom of Solara. The spiritual centre of the world. It has no army, no economy. Just Saints who ran away from their lives, leaving behind everything, all attachment in life; in search of The One."
Raghav stared simply at Sage Amla. "The One? Who is The One?"
Sage Amla looked around himself. "Everything, the grass, the soil, the air, the clothes we wear, our body, our soul. Everything and nothing. He is the creator and the creation. The only Truth in this world of Dream and Illusion."
Raghav narrowed his eyes. "God you mean." "Some people call him that, we call him The One. Does your world also believe in him?"
Raghav nodded. "In my world people call him by different names. God, Allah, Rab, Yahweh. Kami." "What do you believe?" "I believe it's the same entity and I also call him The One."
Sage Amla placed his hands on Raghav's shoulders as he smiled. "I am glad to meet a fellow believer of The One."
He then lowered his hands. "As I was saying, a Sage is a Saint who practices the art of healing, science and arts and then travels throughout the world, as a Sages, helping people, teaching them, never accepting payments, never asking for anything from anyone. We travel to a place and stay there helping the people and leave once the other Sage arrives."
Raghav smiled from ear to ear as Sage Amla's mouth was left open being drawn in Raghav's smile. "My country has Saint like that. It is nice to know that there are people like them here too."
Sage Amla regained his composure. "We Sages eat the food that The One provided, a fallen fruit or what the people give. Strictly avoiding flesh of animals and eggs. We eat but fruits and vegetables and bread."
Aurelia looked puzzled at the way the Sage talked. 'I have never seen a Sage talk like this before as if he is enjoying this talk.'
Sage Amla smiled bowing slightly to Raghav. "I should get back to my meditation."
Raghav nodded and bowed as Sage Amla sat back on his straw mat and began meditating.
Raghav and Aurelia walked away from the Sage as Aurelia placed her hand on Raghav's shoulder. "I am sorry, that you are not Mana sensitive."
"It's nothing. I was just looking forward to using Mana. I have read thousands of books about worlds with magic and other forms of powers. I was a bit excited when I was summoned that I would be in a world with those powers and races I have only ever read about."
Raghav looked around as he bit his lips. "I guess just being able to see a world like this, so clean, pure and simple is a joy in and of itself." Aurelia tilted her head as she looked at Raghav whose expression matched Kanah's.
"What is your world like?" Raghav looked at her before he turned around to look at the city in front of him. "It's different, very different. I am from the year Two thousand twenty-five. I can't exactly describe it in a good light right now. I will tell you about it over time."
Aurelia nodded. 'It will take some time for him to adjust here completely.' "I can wait. Just one question." She walked in front of him turning around as she pulled her sword out. "Your world still uses sword."
Raghav shook his head. "The usage of swords ended a few centuries ago, weapons like sword, spears, bow and arrow are all talk of the past."
Aurelia smiled as she began walking. "Come, it's time for lunch."
Raghav walked beside Aurelia till they reached the Dining Hall. The doors were opened by the staff as Aurelia and Raghav walked inside.
Raghav looked at the present company. 'King, Queen, Reinhardt and Galreid. Seems like a close family lunch.' The king looked towards the door. "Will you be joining us for lunch?" Galreid turned to look at Raghav who met his gaze. "I will be, if that is okay with you?"
Aurelia and Raghav then moved to different sides of the table Aurelia taking the second seat to her father's right beside her mother and Raghav took the second seat beside Galreid to the king's left and stretched his hand toward Galreid.
"Hello, Sir Galreid, it is a pleasure to meet you." Galreid was taken back as he shook Raghav's hands. "How do you know my name, mister?" "Princess Aurelia told me this morning."
The King leaned forward gesturing to Raghav. "This is the Hero. Raghav." Galreid looked at the king before turning to Raghav as he smiled with his teeth showing. "I see, I am Duke of the west, Galreid. The pleasure is mine meeting the Prophesied hero"
Raghav narrowed his eyes. "Duke of the west? Is that a title?" Galreid nodded. "There are four dukes, The Duke of the west, The Duke of the east, The Duke of the south and The Duke of the center." "No Duke of the north?"
Galreid turned to look at the King as Raghav followed. The King looked at the two of them before the realization hit him. "There is no Duke of the north because I, The King reside in the north so there is no requirement for a Duke."
Raghav nodded as he looked at the empty plate. "I see." Just then a server came to the room pushing a trolley with the dishes on it. He picked the main dish and placed it between The King, Queen and Galreid. He also picked a separate dish for Aurelia placing it in front of her.
He approached Raghav. "What would you like sir?" Raghav looked at him as he thought. "Would you have anything that does not have animal meat or egg in it?" The server nodded gesturing towards Aurelia. "May I bring what her highness is eating?"
Raghav nodded. "That would be nice, thank you." The server bowed slightly then moved to pour wine for The King, Queen and Galreid. Once he was finished. The King looked at him. "Thank you, Yohan." "Your grace." Yohan bowed before turning to Raghav gesturing to pour the wine. "No, Yohan I do not drink wine." Yohan nodded as he placed the bottle of wine in the middle of the table and left the room.
Raghav looked at the King. 'He knows the server by name, he pays the workers in the castle, from what I gather he seems like a kind king from the way he treats the people in the castle. I should visit the city and enquire about him from the public as well.'
Aurelia opened her dish and was greeted with Rice and Bread on the sides with a serving of beans and curd.
She suddenly heard a click as she looked forward at Raghav who was looking down to his right. She matched his gaze and understood what he was doing. 'Is he checking Uncle Galreid's hands?'
Raghav clicked the torch placing it back in his trousers as he looked at Aurelia who nodded upwards. Raghav shook his head as he his dish and a glass of water was served to him as well.
He looked at Yohan. "Thank you once again." Yohan then left the room and the lunch began. The king took a bite out of his lamb steak and a sip of wine. "Raghav, How old are you?" Raghav looked at the King. "I am nineteen years old. Do I look too young because I don't have a beard?" The King shook his head. "You seem a lot more mature for your age. That is why I was wondering as for your beard. Can you not grow one?"
Raghav shook his head. "If I let my beard grow out it will probably be as big as yours in a month's time, I just prefer to shave it off."
The king nodded as he leaned back into his chair taking another sip of his wine. "Are you comfortable with your stay here?" "I am, the food is good and the water is excellent. That is all I can say for now, it will take a few more days or week to tell more about this place. At first glance it is nice."
The king smiled. "Glad to know." "Your grace, did the assailant reveal anything in regards to who he is or who hired him." The King looked at Galreid. "No, he has not revealed anything yet. Fear not brother, he will spill everything soon."
Raghav looked at the King and Galreid as he finished his lunch and wiped his mouth with a white cloth. "King Belreid, I wish to see the city of Rine, with your permission, I could leave the castle and explore the city."
The King laughed as he coughed almost choking on his food. "You do not require to take my permission, but I am glad you chose to do so. Do you wish to do it publicly as the hero or inconspicuously?"
Raghav narrowed his eyes. "Inconspicuously." The king nodded gesturing towards Aurelia. "Then Princess Aurelia will accompany you on this little adventure."
Raghav nodded to himself. "That would be wonderful." "When do you intent to visit the city?" "I have not yet decided, I am currently focused on the books in your library. This Kingdom has a rich history to it as does the planet."
The King's chest swelled with pride as he looked at Raghav. "Does your world have a rich history as well?" Raghav nodded. "Countless Kingdoms, hundreds of dead civilizations. My planet was able to have these because of the small size of the world and a large population. People were close to each other stories got spread unlike Paneria. It is so large that even if a few wild men came together and started a civilization in the Forest of Trask to the western coast. No one might even know of its existence for hundreds of years. The Kingdom of Istreid itself is about 60000 km from its western end to the southern end. You could place the entirety of my world on here and you would still have 20000 km to spare."
The King looked down acknowledging the contrast between the worlds looking at the wine in his glass. "It's hard for me to imagine it. A world like that. Small, people being so close to one another sharing their stories, cultures. It must be beautiful. I have to wait months if not years to be able to see my brother." The King then looked at Galreid who laughed to himself. "Something funny you remember."
Galreid nodded as he looked at everyone at the table before pushing down the laughter. "No nothing."
Raghav stood up. "I will be returning to my room. Your grace." The king chuckled. "You do not have to call me your grace. Call me Bel."
Raghav nodded. "Alright. Good afternoon everyone." He then left the room.
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.
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Raghav was walking back to his room when he saw a maid exiting from the fourth room in the royal wing. He lowered his gaze to the floor. "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon, sir."
As she walked away she stopped to look back at Raghav one more time. 'Ela was telling the truth, he does appear to be shy around women.'
Raghav looked at the door and entered it. The room was dark so he turned on the flashlight of his phone. He saw what seemed to be a child's room as he approached the bed. 'Who is this boy?"
He saw a brown haired boy who appeared to be around the age of twelve who seemed to be laying there like a corpse. "Who are you?"
Raghav placed a finger on the boy's neck confirming his heartbeat.
"What are you doing with my brother?" Raghav turned around seeing Aurelia standing at the door.
"I was checking for a pulse, He is your brother?" Aurelia nodded as she came close opening the curtains letting the sunlight enter the room. "He is my younger brother Vonreid. Five years ago he fell into a deep slumber."
Aurelia placed her hand on her brother's face. "Come with me I will tell you the rest."
Aurelia walked out of the room without waiting for Raghav's response as he looked at Vonreid before walking after Aurelia closing the door.