A WAY OF LEARNING

Seated on something called a pillow, I was marveling at the greatness of what's outside my container.

A wide array of colors was presented to me. I am outside with the man seated in front of me while being under the shade of a giant thingy.

Surrounding me were a number unknown and foreign things. To my right was some being whose body was as big as a mouse I saw in the pass instead of forearms, had wings.

To my left were those big things that had green thingy covering its top. It made rustling sounds as the wind passed by.

Also, I am feeling numerous surfaces I had not seen before. I do not know how to describe them, but when the soles of my feet touched the ground, it was rough, slightly discomforting but overall comforting.

There was also the floor made of stones which greeted me with a shivering coolness. It was too good to touch.

My eyes could see everything, and I think the light came from above. I can't precisely check, though, something very bright blinded me when I attempted to raise my head.

The light source remained a mystery.

* "Little one, stop looking around and listen to me." * I turned to look at the man whose scent made my nose twitch.

The man stared at me.

He direct to me his his weird looking golden orbs, I stared back.

Weird.

I was drawn to those purple dots in the center of his eyes.

The man opened his mouth to speak.

* "HEY, I told you to pay attention!" * his shouting brought me back to my senses.

I suddenly sat upright without knowing how. It was not me who controlled my body. I could sense some form of tangible wind straightening my back earlier… I wonder — what was that?

Mysterious, it was.

When he finally got my attention, the man decided to ask me, * "Can you understand what I am saying? This language specifically?" *

I already responded to you, earlier correct? I wanted to say that but my tongue is incapable of such long winded sentences, so I gave him a direct answer.

* "Yas." * I answered, but my pronunciation was imperfect. I need practice.

I also noticed that my voice sounded different than the man's, he was more impactful while I sounded feeble. I need to learn from him.

The man hit his forehead, which was not an intellectual thing to do. Why would he hurt himself?

Are there people who like that? Is he perhaps… someone without a functioning mind?

* "Why are you looking at me like some pitiful man? Stop that! Ah, forget it, little one, do you have a name that Lethias gave you?" *

* "Wat is neim?" *

Once again, the man hit himself on the forehead. Clearly, I was not wrong. He is indeed someone without a mind I believe he's referred to as retarded.

Is it infectious?

While wondering for my safety, the retarded man continued his words: * "Dear Lord… alright, I'll give you a name, mm, I think I should name you with the standard of humans in mind. Despite the language you use, your looks should pass as you as a half-breed between an elf and a human, let's see, Xiron, yeah that's good. A name suited for a normal half-breed." *

I suppose he gave me a name, but I still did not know what it was.

The idea of not knowing gave me a weird feeling I did not like. It made me feel lacking and insecure, so I asked him, * "Wat is a neim? I waant tu know wat it mins." * my speech remained imperfect.

He suddenly formed smiled.

* "Look at you, seeking knowledge so early in your years. Your creator did not say anything about this in her letter… Lethias…" *

The man went silent after saying the word Lethias, I am familiar with that word, but I do not care about it. I wanted to know what a neim is, * "Wat is a neim? I waant tu know wat it mins." *

The man finally snapped out of it to give me a proper answer, * "It is simply a word that other beings refer to something or someone. For example, the name I gave you, which is Xiron. I will refer to you as such.

My mouth now resembled a circle, *"Oh"* I said before turning to look at the weird mouse that was bashing its pointed mouth on the ground, * "Dat, mouse, hab neim?" *

*"Mouse? Oh you mean a the bird?"*

*"Berd… if neim is berd, then m ai berd? Is Siron, berd, also?"* My impeccable words acted as the weapon leading the charge to fulfill my desires to learn, *"aR yu, berd, tu?"*

The man raised his brows and shook his head:

*"Okay, first of all, I think we need to work on the basics of talking later. Second, the term Bird is not a name, but a sort of generalization to a species or a group of being. Just like how a Titan whose bear the name Resan is not referred to as "Titan", but by his name, your name and — oh shit, I rambled on without thinking."*

*"Y stap? Kontinyu."*

Why did he stop? It was interesting, birds, names, trees, what were they? I want to know, how is it different, how is it the same?

I wish to know all of it.

The man did not return to explaining and just ruffled my head. I growled and he laughed, *"Your desire for knowledge is really similar to hers. But, that is enough for now, if you wish to learn more, you should at least first learn your name first. I already told you what it was right — Xiron?"*

Erasing every stoppage, I became null and in an empty space, only the name he gave me remained.

* "Xiron." * aligning my way of speaking with the man, I uttered my name correctly. I understood what a name was, and something deep within me resonated the instant I registered that my name would be Xiron.

Does every being have this feeling of resonation? If so, then what was it? Like so many things, it was a mystery as to what it was.

My chest began to burn. Another sensation foreign to me. It vanished momentarily but it managed to make an impression.

But with so many questions in mind, the lingering sensation was drowned, * "If I hab a name, do you also hab a name as well?" *

I asked: he hesitated but eventually chose to answer, * "Many refer to me as the [Illusion Beast], but you can also call me Von. I got my name from the one who crea…gave you life, Lethias." *

Gave me life?

Is that who this person was? Well, it matters not for I do not even know who she is.

Whoever this Lethias was, he or she and I was not close enough for me to feel anything.

If anything, she was fueling my urge to erase her existence for she was nothing but a hindrance to my goal of learning.

Nuisance

Putting Lethias aside, I registered this man's name in my mind… no reaction appeared.

I asked Von many things to satiate my curiosity. From asking the sensation of touch to what's the name of every objects that surrounding me.

I had so many questions that needed answering.

I learned about temperature, the provider of light that was the sun, the trees, the shack where I slept, night and day, and many other. It was fascinating to learn them; I wonder why but this is more fulfilling than before.

The water I that taught me never went in depth with what I question, but this is more interesting. I like this kind of living.

I am satisfied. Oh, I need to celebrate—

YAY!

I said and raised my hands, but in doing so I saw Von prompting an expression I have never seen before. One of his brows were raised, his eyes showed confusion and fear, and his mouth was slightly ajar.

*"Wat is dat ekspResion??"* I asked.

*"Ah—oh, it is nothing, this is me being impressed. Don't mind it, but I just wish to ask, are you thinking of doing something?"*

*"No? Y? I happi in learning."*

*"Happy? Learning? Oh, so that was a smile! I see, I see."*

*"Y? wat did I sim to yu? I am happi, that I even raysed my arms. Is dat nat how yu do it?"*

*No, no, your information is unique. But you don't have to do it all the time, at certain occasions. You can celebrate and smile without doing it."*

I asked with tilted head. I grow confused. It would appear what I comprehended was incorrect or at least not enough. You do not simply smile and raise your hands to everything good that happens. I see, I see. This is new to me.

"So, smiling is nat something yu du everitime?"*

*"You call that a smile?"*

*"Wat was dat?"* I couldn't quite catch his words. I was too engrossed in this new finding.

*"I said it is good that you managed to adapt quickly. You may not know of it, but you are quite the strange one for prioritizing knowledge more than anything else."*

*"I see…"*

Strange, is that not the word used to describe unusual and weird people? Am I weird?

…

*"How em I different?"*

*"Well, for instance, if others are to be placed in your situation, they would be screaming in terror. Last night, when I saw your burn injury, it had already damaged your bones and tendons. I can only imagine the pain you went through, but now; it is as if pain is nothing to you. I can't say if you're optimistic or clueless. There is also the fact that according to Lethias, you are no more than a year old but you could already speak and even comprehend many things, if anything, many would praise you, but even more would also be scared of you."*

*"So, I em un-usuwal?"*

I stayed silent shortly after.

*"…Are you bothered by what I said?"

After thinking about it, I looked at Von's eyes.

*"Wil it hinder my learning?"*

*"No?"*

*"Den, Hu cayres abowt wat aders tink?"*

Why does it matter? Others do not own me, I am me and they are they, why do they have to look at me?

*"I am who I want to be, not the being they think I am supposed to be."*

This is what I think of this matter, I am not disturb nor am I troubled.

And yes, I spoke perfectly just then.

Looking straight into Von's eyes, I raised my arms.

*"Yay."* I say.

With my celebration, Von smiled.

*"Definitely unusual."*

Ignoring his words, our conversation wandered off as I asked him more and more. I grew to know a lot of things and even corrected some of my pronunciation.

But then, the skies began to darken.

*"What's happening?" *

Curious, I asked about the strange occurrence. I can see that the sun hid behind the clouds thus creating this dimness, but the white clouds was now black.

* "Das, the black clowds mean something?" *

* "That's rain coming down." *

* "Rain?" *

* "It is liquid water in the form of droplets that something, something, vapor, I am not really sure. I am not exactly — wait what are you doing?" *

* "Waiting for the liquid." * I answered while raising my hands ready to embrace the liquid from above, * "I managed to learn from the liquid of my container. I shall wait for knowledge to pour from the heavens." *

Closing my eyes, I waited for "knowledge" to come my way so that I could be enlightened in the ways of this world.

But Von thinks otherwise — I heard a sigh coming his way. I turned to him and saw him hitting his face once more. It would appear despite his profound knowledge; he is prone to hitting himself.

I decided to look over his actions. It might be an innate problem of his. I chose to wait for knowledge to come down from the heavens.

* "Xiron, that rain is not the same as the[Dew of Coeus' Flowing Blood], it is not something that falls from the air." *

* "Are yu seying dat it is an impossibility?" *

Von wish to answer quickly, but returned to pondering his words, * "Well, it's not exactly an impossibility. The Guardian watching over it did claim that the water came from the heavens as a gift to the world." *

I looked at him and he looked at me.

* "What is it?" * he asked.

* "Nothing…"* I chose not to pursue this matter for we both knew who is correct — me.

I resumed my position.

Droplets of water showered my body. It touched my skin. It was cold and rather refreshing, I shivered at the touch but got used to it soon enough.

I embraced the water and then made a question, What is an Titan? I asked a question I had no answer to.

I waited for the buzz, but… nothing.

* "So, is it the Dew?" *

I turned to Von and saw him smiling in a manner I do not like.

Is that the variant of the smile?

The Smirk?

It is indeed as unsettling as he said it would be.

My heart was beating wildly, in a manner different from the anxiousness and fear.

I did not understand its presence.

I turned away from Von and tried walking away. I just mastered of waddling so I should be able to reach my destination, but while walking, pain surfaced around my stomach.

* "Ack!" * I said then fell to my knees, whilst clutching onto it.

I grabbed my stomach, and Von became agitated.

*"W-what is happening? I knew I shouldn't have let you stay here for so long after al—"*

A sound came out.

Grumble!

* "Wat is dat? A bist? Is this da bist you spik of?" *

Is this the monster that roam the world? Who knew they are so fearsome that they could invade my innards without so much as showing signs?

My heart was beating wildly.

* "Is dis da bist?" *

*"No, you're just hungry." *

I looked at him and asked, *"What is hangry?" *