บท 71: Of the Token
Deep into the wee hours of the morning, I found myself in a slight predicament.
"So, who are you, dear boy?" the man asked, tilting an elegantly shaped glass jug, pouring two cups with juice, or wine, or some sort of dark colored beverage. He placed a glass right in front of me, where I sat stiffly. He gazed at me with inquisitive eyes.
Sighing inwardly, I asked back, "I apologize, sir, but should I not be the one to ask that? And why have you come to have a great interest in my token?"
The examiner looked up at me from the tops of his reading glasses. His light gray eyes peered straight to my soul. "I believe you yourself have already realized its... peculiarity. Why else have you tried to keep it hidden from my sights, the very moment you had received it upon that examination stage?"
I took a deep breath. It seems like the examiner had already seen right through me. My token was still concealed deep inside my inner shirt pockets, where I knew it would not be easily stolen. I mean, I doubt anyone could come upon me and catch me unawares. Well, unless they were assassins, of course.
"Let's start from the beginning, then," the man relented, leaning back against his tallish lounge chair. "I am Professor Whitaker, second to the Head Professor Raghnall. Although I may not seem much, I assure you that I can be trusted with your token's secrets. I answer only to the high mage, and details about your examination result shan't be shared to anyone else."
I sighed. "Can't I speak with the head professor, instead?"
He lifted an eyebrow. "As much as I would want to appease your wishes, dear boy, the head professor is incredibly busy. So busy, in fact, that he is already out of school grounds as of now."
That surprised me. "At three in the morning?"
The man chuckled silently. "I believe he left moments after he had finished his speech, in fact."
"Oh," I muttered at his correction. "But this does remind me of my rude intruding at such an unholy hour. It was a challenge for me to sneak out of my rooms while unseen by my colleagues."
He looked at me with appraising eyes. "I would imagine so. I appreciate your show of concern for me, though. But I must say I am quite the... night owl, as you youngsters might say. I was well awake when you had decided to come knocking on my door."
"Even so," I muttered. "I apologize. I only deemed it appropriate to come as quickly as I was able."
"Which was the right decision," he said, and then leaned forward across his table. "But you are making a wrong one right now, in your hesitation to show your token to me."
A smile formed on my face. It seems like this man could be a formidable ally, or a terrifying foe. "As you've already seen it before, I don't see the need for me to show it to you again."
He huffed in annoyance. "You are a difficult one, aren't you, boy?"
I laughed at that mirthlessly. "Only cautious, Sir Whitaker. You see, I am currently inside the room of a far more powerful mage, alone and otherwise weaponless aside from my wits. Not to mention, most people with the least bit of normalcy in their bones would be asleep by now, and so I am alone. I dare say you could hardly blame me for my caution, dear sir, second in line to the head professor."
I was only too used to the power plays that go on inside any institution or court. I could arrive at a few guesses as to why this high ranked man would be particularly interested in me:
First, he might simply just be curious, and he might just be doing this to change the database the Academy had about my results.
Second, he was planning to use my particularity to his advantage. Now, this was a more likely option.
He might simply want to take me as his disciple, and when I show good results, he would call me his teacher, and his prestige will only grow. I imagine his position as the second in power would only strengthen, and if I am to be cruelly honest, Head Professor Raghnall seemed well into his years, so I would think it won't be too long when this man would take his place. Frankly, it was alright if this was merely the case. Alas, I knew too little about my token to be complacent.
What if it meant something else entirely than just a simple quirk in my abilities? What if it held a greater meaning and I would only be exposed to more danger in the long run?
Truthfully, I was cornered. My stupidity at that particular moment has brought me here, and I could blame no one but myself. If it is true, and my token would prove to be something of an annoyance, then I can only pray that my fate as a commoner boy be maintained. Underneath the gaze of the gray-eyed man, thoughts came upon me like a wild beast, 'You are the child of the prophecy, are you not? Have you forgotten of Eva's dreams about you?'
I immediately shook my head, thinking that my daydreaming could only be attributed to my child-like mind. 'Me? A powerful person that could change the course of history itself? I could hardly even conjure up a fire ball in my past life!'
I still felt the burning stare from the man, but I could only hold my ground. Finally, he sighed loudly in defeat. "What, then? What could I possibly do to gain your trust?"
"... You can't," I answered softly, knowing that it was the complete truth. I could hardly trust anyone, not even myself. Not now, when traitorous feelings of excitement and thirst for adventure curled around my veins. "I've only come here to tell you this, Sir Whitaker. I am Eleftherion, a commoner boy. I may have once been of nobility, but I am rid of that past now. I only seek to learn here in this institution, quietly and outside of the people's eyes. I don't have need of any more attention that I know I have only foolishly brought upon myself. I will lay low, and I will do it alone. Sir Whitaker, if you are to prove you are a friend of mine, then I plead that you respect my wishes. Tokens mean nothing to my will, and I know I could be as strong-headed as a dragon itself."
He held my gaze as I strengthened my resolve. For a long moment, the man only sat there in silence, observing me as though I was a rare, legendary beast. He then finally sighed the third time that night. "What am I supposed to say after hearing such eloquent words? Understood, Eleftherion, commoner boy. As you have said, I will choose to be your friend. I won't ask anything more about your token or about your magical abilities. I will, however, still keep an eye on you. Much is to be known about your potential, and I only dream that it would be harmless upon you and your friends."
I frowned. "Whatever do you mean by that... Sir?"
"Magic, Eleftherion," he started. "... is an incredibly mysterious thing. When presented with the unknown, we can only proceed cautiously and deem it of the highest danger."
I blanched at him. "Y-You... Are you suggesting I am a danger to others? To my own classmates?"
He stared at me seriously. "And to yourself. I only aim to protect you from these powers, boy. Alas, I have yet to gain your trust, and that, I completely sympathize with."
Then, without warning, he stood up from his seat, making me jump on my own seat. He looked down at me as he began to take his glasses off, and placed it gently on his table. "No matter, I will do my best to join your list of friends. For now, I only ask that you keep your token well-hidden. It hardly has any use now that you have been allowed entry inside the castle. Please keep it concealed from peering eyes and curious gazes, boy. I can only imagine the pandemonium to ensue if it would ever see the light."
I gulped nervously. Of course, even without having told that, I would have still kept the token out of others' eyes. Sir Whitaker's words, however, carried a weight far more heavier than my initial urgency. I took a deep breath. "I understand, Sir Whitaker. I will do my best to keep it secret, even if it means my death."
The man laughed. "Oh, not to that point, I believe. Just do your best to hide it, boy. I believe you have enough abilities that this endeavor won't be too much of a problem."
He looked at me as though he knew perfectly about my assassin training, but I managed to keep a steady face. Then, I stood up, and bowed. "Thank you for your time and guidance, Sir Whitaker. I shan't be taking any more of your sleeping hours away. I will be heading off now, by your leave."
"Of course," the professor replied. "Off you go now."
I reigned in my desire to simply run out of the door, and forced myself into a steady walk. By the time I was halfway out the door, he said to me, "And Eleftherion?"
I turned my head back to see his light gray eyes, filled with mirth, "Do come in proper attire the next time you visit my office."
I looked down hastily at my clothes, and realized I had only my sleeping bottoms on and my shirt from earlier. I blushed redly and could only be grateful for the darkness of the wee hours. "Ah- eh-" I stammered.
The man laughed. "No worries, boy. This stays a confidential piece of information, of course. I wouldn't betray a friend, now would I?"
I blushed even more, heat coming up my face like the blasts from a cameliphantus. "Ah, yes, Sir Whitaker. G-Goodbye now."
Upon closing the door and checking for signs of life across the corridors, I immediately ran as swift as the shadows, fleeting through the hallways like a ghost. By the time I had arrived inside my room, I was about to explode into a ball of embarrassment.
Falling down onto my bed, I screamed into my pillows. It seemed like I was quite lost of it when I had left my room earlier in the night. Meeting my brother again must be the reason why I could have committed such a silly, but harmless mistake.
I sighed and allowed myself to melt into my soft sheets. "At least that's done."
And then, checking the room again for any intruders and such, I removed my token from my shirt pockets, and examined it underneath the moonlight. I began to glare at it, "It's your fault, you know? I'm supposed to live freely right now, but you only gave me more problems."
My mind then whispered, 'Well, it won't be as fun otherwise, wouldn't it?'
I laughed a bit into the night. "Yeah, yeah."
Sleepiness calling out to me now, I kept the token inside my chest pockets again, knowing it was safest nearest me for now. Then, taking a last look at the smallish room assigned to me, I bade the empty air goodnight, and fell asleep.
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Hua_Li_An
Hua_Li_An Hi guys! Sorry again for the late update! Forgive me, please!
Anyway, Elle and Sir Whitaker has now spoken to each other, and Elle is firm about keeping a low profile. Is it really that easy, though?
Thanks for reading! I hope you guys leave a comment, vote, or a review! <3
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