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They came to the mountain with no procession, no gold-chased chariots or heralds of thunder. Only a carriage and silence.
At the foot of the towering peak, where clouds clung to the stone like whispering veils, they stopped.
The boy stepped out.
He blinked up at the towering cliffs above, silver eyes wide, hair catching the breeze like slivers of light. His sandals crunched on gravel. The wind greeted him before anyone else.
His parents bowed low. Not to the mountain—but to the one who watched over it.
"We ask for your presence," the king called, his voice reverent.
For a moment, nothing.
Then, hooves touched the earth.
He appeared from the mist — tall, dignified, half-man, half-beast, with the air of a philosopher and a warrior both. His long dark hair was tied neatly, his robes elegant, his posture calm. A bow rested upon his back like a symbol of burden and wisdom.
The wise one had come.
His eyes scanned the small group. They were full of clarity, the kind that saw not only flesh, but the soul beneath it.
And then — they landed on the child.
He paused.
A flicker. A rare emotion. Surprise.
It wasn't the beauty itself that startled him, but the unnatural stillness it carried. Like a perfect painting drawn on fragile glass.
Then, he looked to the parents. One glance was enough. The divine gaze of a teacher born of Titan blood saw their fear, their hope, their desperate love.
Still, the king stepped forward.
"We bring our son," he said quietly, "Not because we do not love him, but because we do. His beauty... it spreads whispers, and whispers become stories, and stories turn into danger. We fear what the world may do to him. Or what he may become in return."
Chiron nodded. He understood.
"Let me speak with him," he said.
He knelt before the child, lowering himself to eye level. Eryx stared at him with all the seriousness a boy could muster... and then grinned.
"You have horse legs!"
A blink. A pause. Then—
"Yes," Chiron said, amused. "Is that a problem?"
"Nope!" Eryx grinned, then added brightly, "You must be really fast! Do you race the birds?"
The corners of Chiron's mouth twitched.
"I teach heroes," he said gently, "Not sparrows."
"But birds are cooler! They can fly!"
Behind them, the king gave a cough that was definitely not a laugh. The queen bit her lip, eyes gleaming.
Chiron straightened slightly, voice calm. "Let me ask you a few things, child. What is strength?"
Eryx blinked. "Uhhh… muscles?"
A soft chuckle from Chiron. "And what is wisdom?"
"Ummm... when you say big words and everyone nods even if they don't get it?"
This time, even the queen laughed out loud.
Chiron looked at him long. His face was soft with understanding now. "And what is beauty?"
Eryx puffed his cheeks. "A trap."
A pause.
"Why?"
"Because everyone wants it but no one knows what to do with it."
Chiron's eyes widened slightly. The wind shifted. Even the mountain seemed to still.
Then the boy added, "Also, because people pinch my cheeks too much."
Chiron laughed. A deep, warm laugh that echoed off the stone.
He turned to the king and queen. "I will take him. This one is strange."
He looked back at the child.
"And strange children grow into interesting men."
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