Kael sat in the quiet of the chamber, ink and parchment spread before him. The lessons with Elias had continued for days, and the prisoner's progress demanded documentation. This report would not question origins again; that had been settled. Now, Kael's task was to record the anomaly, the raw facts, and the patterns that emerged.
He began deliberately, noting each development:
"Prisoner Elias Veyne has advanced beyond initial comprehension exercises. Vocabulary of objects, body parts, and basic commands is mastered. He now forms short, coherent responses to simple questions. Mistakes are self-corrected immediately, often before prompting. Retention is complete; repetition is unnecessary."
Kael's hand moved swiftly, sketching diagrams of Elias' gestures, noting timing, hesitation, and self-correction. "Observes patterns. Draws analogies between instructions. Comprehension is anticipatory rather than reactive. Requires minimal reinforcement. No fatigue observed from repeated lessons."
He paused, considering how to convey the extraordinary nature of this. Elias did not simply learn; he analyzed. Each lesson became a puzzle he could solve almost instantly, testing the framework of the teaching itself. Kael had begun to watch not only what Elias could do, but how he thought, and the results were unsettling.
"Prisoner demonstrates behaviors inconsistent with commoners or typical captives. Retains sequence of instructions across multiple sessions. Shows early ability to generalize words to similar objects. Reaction times are fast, decision-making deliberate. Shows awareness of observational patterns; adapts without external correction."
Kael scribbled notes in the margins: small observations of gestures, fleeting expressions of curiosity, moments where Elias paused to consider before replying. The prisoner's intelligence was no longer speculative—it was measurable, undeniable.
Kael leaned back, reviewing the parchment. He would send it immediately. Hadrien had been away from the keep, but he would read this follow-up and recognize the progression: the anomaly was intensifying, Elias' mind sharpening beyond what should have been possible in a captive, non-native speaker.
"Recommendation: Continue lessons. Maintain structured observation. Document progress daily. No interference unless necessary. Subject remains of high interest; further study advised."
Kael folded the parchment, sealing it with care. The courier would take it to Hadrien; Kael knew the lord would read it with interest, assessing the anomaly as he always did. Elias was no ordinary prisoner, and Kael's report made that impossible to ignore.
Even as the guards outside shifted and the keep continued its quiet routine, Kael's thoughts lingered on Elias: a mind developing in isolation, sharp and capable, already standing apart from all others in the keep. And Hadrien would know it the moment he read the report.