章 50: First Lesson
The place was dark, barely lit by the ever-so-little sunlight that pierced through the falling of water. It was humid and damp, it reeked of plants as the wall was covered by wet moss, and it smelled of rocks as the floor was made of it.
The body of the water, falling and descending graciously from an attitude, was like a curtain that hid the place from the outside world. It sounds like it should have hissed, deafeningly even, but the place was relaxed.
"Welcome," Ivanna's voice echoed against the rocky walls, greeting Hubert.
Hubert looked around, the place like a wonder as he thought of the science of the waterfall.
Where he could see in the far distance, from between the gapings of water in the fall. The students played in the water, in the far distance of the fall, a few hundred steps from where he stood.
Their laughter was heard by him as they kicked up water and threw it at each other, playfully. Smiles on their faces, joy in their eyes, and relaxation in their weary bodies.
"..." Hubert stared, his eyes still. One day, he hoped for the same thing.
Clearly, he was afraid of the whisperings of loneliness that crawled up his back.
He glanced, and the whisperings were gone, replaced by the sight of the wet and damp cave.
"Hubert… Sit at your desk," Ivanna voiced her command, though her calling seemed odd.
Hubert complied.
The desk was made of wood, just like any other basic equipment that could be found in schools in even the remotest of settlements. Beside it were the rows of books from the large row of bookshelves, so large that it covered an entire part of the cave with it.
"Mas…ter," Hubert said, though his words barely came, he knew that politeness was of an importance.
"Good, you may be wondering, where am I in this place? Well, one day, I will show you the truth. For now, we'll start our first session, this serves as an introduction for you," Ivanna explained.
Hubert heard as his ears were focused. Yet he clenched his fist.
The day of his usual life was over, the life of a student. Now, he was isolated, different from others of his peers who shared camaraderie and shared learning in class while the teachers taught.
He was alone in that cave.
"You're not alone, Hubert. There is still someone who is delighted with your presence. Though, she is busy and shouldn't be interfered with," Ivanna said as her magic worked.
From one of the bookshelves was a book that glowed in a faint purple aura, as if enshrouded thinly by it. Then the book came out of it, exiting the ranks of books and levitating steadily and slowly toward Hubert.
Hubert's eyes widened upon seeing the spectacle that was showcased to him.
Thud.
Then the book dropped onto the desk.
"What is this?" Hubert asked, curiously, his head and eyes still searching for Ivanna around the darkly lit cave.
"Read," Ivanna commanded.
Hubert hesitated, his eyes glancing on the words written on the front cover.
"Chronicle of Archmage Archaus of the Void Element," Hubert read, his voice barely a whisper.
"History?" he asked his master, yet no answer came.
"Alright then…"
Then his fingers moved, pinching on the corner of the book cover. It was hard and leathery, yet also glinting and slippery. Then he opened the book.
Greetingly, the book's words etched on its newly made and textured white parchments, with ink that smelled of freshness.
"Introduction of materials for Hubert Gubert of the Void Element. Archmage Archaus was someone who lived during the age of Marius, the fifth king of Creopia. He belonged to the line of noble magicians of the house of Dumont, now in ruin from the result of the war against…" Hubert read, his voice echoing against the cave.
His presence alone in the quietness, like he had always been in. Unaware he was, of the eyes of Ivanna that watched from the cracks of the rocky wall as he flipped through the pages, again and again.
"He lived a life of solitude, one that was lonely and often depressing. So much so for the advancement of his own magics, one he was willing to sacrifice even his soul for…" Hubert stopped his words, his eyes peering back and forth to the same passage.
At the same time, he thought of his fate.
"..." he was silent, slightly frightened of what the book had told him, thinking that there might be a chance that he would experience the same forever and ever with the character in the book.
"Continue," Ivanna ordered.
"No, what does this have to do with any of my own life? Are you saying that I should live according to what this man did ages ago?" Hubert asked defiantly.
The place was silent, and his question went unanswered.
"Well, two can play at this game! Tell me what my purpose here is, what I am and what I'm doing, just as you promised, headmaster!" Hubert said, challengingly.
"You will know when you finish that book…" Ivanna replied, a suggestion.
Yet Hubert knew, not heeding to her words would mean a foolish decision, especially if her words held weight to what she was claiming.
A few moments passed, and the morning light slowly evolved. Turning the cave's humid air into one that made him sweat.
"In the end, Archmage Archaus became one of the most feared by people who knew of him. His identity was unknown, as was most of the magic and theories he had developed, all for the sake of his own understanding, that wasn't fulfilled in the end. The affinity wasn't as simple as he thought. Even in his death, he rested without finding the ultimate truth," Hubert read, the last of the passages
"What…?" he asked.
Since he began, his understanding had gotten shallower and shallower. Added to that was the extra straining on his eyes, which was red from all that repeated reading over some of the more confusing texts.
"Baffling, right?" Ivanna asked rhetorically.
"Ye-yea," Hubert said, agreeing to his master's statement, even when he didn't quite like admitting the truth.
But the truth was there. He was disoriented by not the texts, but the facts of what was in the word.
"That is your affinity, Hubert. One that is unknown, through the history of the ages. You may even go as far as asking. Where did I even get the book? Such a confusing and serpentine book, but that is the compilation of everything I found about the archmage," Ivanna said, explaining the truth.
Hubert was even more confused.
"And this is all that is of him to be known?" Hubert asked, flabbergasted by such a statement.
"Unfortunately, yes, Hubert. Some passages I got from validated sources, and some I got from the rarest of fabrications. His identity was unknown, even among the annals of history," Ivanna explained.
"Wa-wait… So, you extended your hands to me just for you to say that I'm not someone who even you, as venerable as a headmaster you are, don't understand," Hubert asked, his tone pressed, his voice slightly agitated.
"Hubert… Even you don't understand yourself," Ivanna rebutted.
"... Even then, why am I here?!"
"You will know when the time comes, you will," Ivanna replied, then her voice disappeared.
Instead, from the bookshelf, came another book with the same method that landed on Hubert's desk similarly to the first.
"Oh, now you're shutting me off with another senseless book that-" his own words were interrupted by himself, as the book's title came into his vision.
His eyes peered into the scribbled title, covered by thick layers of dust, something he thought hid the magnificence of such a book. He blew at it, his breath dispersing the thick dust into the air, some even getting into and irritating his eyes.
Yet he once again found himself in disbelief, as his eyes widened.
Then his eyes boredly looked upon the realization.
"Basic theory of mana? Really? You gave me this, expecting me not to have read it at least multiple times since my time in class? Really? And it's basic too! At least you should have given me the advanced one! I finished the advanced one as well, Goddess damn it!" Hubert protested, his words like bickering.
Her silence replied.
"Ivanna! Headmaster, answer me!" he shouted, unaccepting.
Then the faint purple aura, like the balls of essence he saw during his enlightenment, appeared miraculously from the thin air, and flew swiftly toward his mouth.
"What i- Hmm?! HMM! HMMM! HMMM! HMMMM!" his mouth shut, his humming could be heard, a sign of his struggle.
Then he placed his hand on the table, and his leg muscles seemingly coiled, wanting to sprung upward.
But before any action could be taken, two purple auras, as thin as fine thread, came from different direction and like a rope, it bound him to the chair.
He was held captive, his protests shut, and his defiance trampled upon.
The headmaster chuckled from behind the wall, her voice soft and playful like that of a young child.
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