Chapter 4: Pick it up

Squeezed between two large concrete buildings was a small wooden one. The wood on the outside had degraded, the surface was rough and tattered. It screamed desolate.

The only accessory to the building that was in good condition was an old sign; hung above the entrance. Getting a bit closer to read the words, he couldn't, it was faded.

'I have no idea what that says'.

Turning his head around just in case, there was nobody around him.

Scanning all around, it was empty.

'I feel like somebody's watching me', he thought, giving reason to his slight nervousness.

'It's quiet....is it abandoned?'

Stepping a bit closer, the door was slightly ajar. 

'Is this a sliding door?'

Peeping inside, it revealed a dim interior, lined with tatami mats. Morning light pierced through the cracks, giving it a vibrant feel.

"Looks like a dojo...", he mumbled.

BZZZ

Flies buzzed around him softly, but he paid it no mind, his whole focus was on the inside of the building.

Focusing intently, he believed to have made out the noise of metal being sharpened.

Curiosity was gnawing. Gently, he pushed the door open, offering a quiet creak.

Creak

Straight away he noticed the room was bigger on the inside; high wooden beams stretched each corner of the room. Dust covered the air, but look straight ahead, Riven noticed something...

Postured inside sat a lone figure. Wearing a white training robe, sitting cross-legged on the floor; he was sharpening something.

Violet hair, tied up, with hues of ebony on the side, his back was turned.

Riven couldn't get a good look at him, but he felt a quiet strength leaking out.

SHING SHIN-

The man abruptly stopped.

Lightly turning his head, cracking a single eye open, showcasing a lazy hazel stare that locked on to Riven with a slight curiosity.

"Oh?", he spoke softly, his voice playful, "A guest this early...how rare."

"He-", before Riven could get a word in, he was interrupted:

"Shoes off. Your'e dragging dirt", the man stated, hand rested on his knee.

Glancing down, Riven rubbed the back of his head, quickly taking off shoes, placing them on the steps.

"Better.", he paused, before adding, "So...mind telling me what drew you to my humble abode?"

Under the watchful eye of the man, he felt like he was under a microscope. The slightest twitch, everything was under his view.

"I...was just looking around, and got lost"

"Hm?", he mused.

In the silence, Riven grew the confidence to view the rest of his surroundings. Landing his eyes on a few blades hung up in the corner of the room; incense invaded his nose as it was being burnt in the back. A painting of the words, "As above so below", rested on the wall next to the incense, but his eyes rested back onto the blades in the corner.

"See something you like?", he questioned half-smiling.

He had so many questions, he opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Uh..." "Um...."

"Relax~ take a seat", he laughed, finding his restlessness amusing. 

Walking forward, he followed his advice and took a seat right in-front of him. The instinctive thoughts of wary slowly washing away.

"First things first", he stated, a grin forming. "What's your name? You can't just waltz into a house without greetings you know", he stated jokingly.

Releasing a light chuckle, "Sorry for that. My name is Riven, Riven Brown".

"Riven hm? Nice name.", he mentioned, "Care to tell me why a Silent is in my house?".

He raised a brow, that smile ever apparent, yet his eyes piercing through Riven, looking at something deeper.

It took a second for Riven to digest what he'd heard. 'A what now!?'.

Offering a confused, weird look, "What's a silent?", he quipped. 

Genuine confusion and also curiosity, written across his bland features.

At that question, the man blinked, before letting out a chuckle. "You don't even know?", the grin widening as he sat further, hand still rested under his chin.

"Strange..."

He gazed at Riven a while longer, studying his features as if he was a puzzle. "A silent is someone with no medium. No magic, no spirit bond, no taming, no ki...nothing. All that remains is silence."

Picking up the knife, and twirling it around, he continued, "Most know what they are by your age. Either you've been living under a rock, or you are indeed lost."

Riven's heart skipped a beat. Silent. No medium, it all made sense why he didn't feel special at all. But how?

The word echoed in his mind, carrying a loud impact.

'Silent' 'Silent' 'Silent'

It echoed like a death sentence. 'No magic? No ki? Nothing??'.

His face gloomed with disbelief. He believed he had something, the letter said he did, the magic test said he had. 

Sitting in-front of this man's carefree expression in his quiet dojo, the truth had winded him. 

'What am I even here for?', covering his face with his hands.

Seeing the despair, the man's eyes softened, a smirk tugged at his lips. "Don't get all gloomy on me now, being a Silent isn't the end of the world. Who needs flashy magic, flying to the top of sky and summoning dragons!", he exclaimed, moving his hands rhythmically in the air, seemingly ruining Riven's mood further, before he followed with, "After all, no-one will hear you coming".

Riven dead-panned at the man for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh.

Sigh

"You just revealed to me that I'm powerless, and you want me to not be gloomy?"

"Sure, because guess what? I'm a Silent too, do I seem powerless?", he stated, releasing a blood-curdling aura, causing Riven to shrink back in surprise. 

It was hard to breath. The pressure he inflicted with that stare was....monstrous, and all the more so, he did it with a calm tilt of the head.

Expelling the show of strength, Riven finally caught his breath.

Huff Huff

The man waited for Riven to catch his breath. 

"A-Are you really a Silent too?", Riven questioned, with some hope but also wariness from that practical.

"No."

Riven's jaw dropped. 

"Hahahaha!", the man laughed.

Riven just stared as he slapped his knee over and over, making a mockery out of him.

'This mother-'

Clenching his fists, Riven wanted to smack him on the head, but knew he had no chance.

"On a serious note, there's nothing wrong with being a Silent", analysing his thin build, "You just need to eat more, seriously, you look like a stick.", he continued, digging deep into Riven.

Veins popped out of his head, as he grinded his teeth. "What's wrong is that I have to go to some academy in 2 weeks and you just told me I have no chance!", he exclaimed in frustration, raising the man's interest.

"Oh, you're going to Eldris Academy. Well if you're a Silent, you probably got assigned to the support division, so you'll be good.", he lazily stated, scratching his back as he stretched his legs.

"So what division are you in?", he asked, neutral expression showing.

Riven blankly stared into space, he was fed up with this man, but he was learning a-lot from him.

"The Magic division...", he slowly stated, emotion void as he seemed defeated.

!!

That garnered surprise. "The magic division? That's unexpected."

"Hearing me be a silent, makes sense on why...", Riven stated, still in his thoughts.

A few seconds on silence followed, before the man stated, "Well you don't have to go."

"Huh?", Riven looked up, responding. "You don't have to go, do you?".

Thinking back to the letter it did mention <"Failure to attend within the alotted timeframe will result in recovation of your acceptance and reassigment of your position to another candidate">

However, Riven didn't look at that as a real option, he hesitated.

"But you do, don't you?", the man knowingly blurted, as he fiddled with some items.

Riven didn't have to think about it, he knew he wanted to go; all those novels, all those stories, for him to be here and do nothing. He couldn't do that.

"I want to, yes", he proclaimed to the man looking at him.

There was a moment of silence, as Riven hesitated, before looking up at the man. "Can...Can you help me? Please?".

The man smirked staring at Rivens' eyes.

It wasn't long before the man stood up suddenly leaving Riven confused. Turning around, he walked to another room, and after a few seconds, strolled back out, carrying something.

In his hand was a simple, short, wooden sword, the surface worn and smooth with its age, the handle wrapped in a white cloth. Holding it gently, with an unreadable expression, he placed the sword down in-front of Riven.

"About 2 weeks, huh?"

"Pick it up, we got work to do."

'We?'

Riven thought, surprised, but silently happy.

"I don't even know your name....", he continued.

"My name?", he answered, raising an eyebrow as if saying you should have just asked earlier.

"The name's-"