The Lost Scholar

CHAPTER: 05

THE MAGICIAN

“Hey, are you all right?” A voice, thick and sweet like marmalade, broke through Gabriel's trance. The small boy wasn't sure what he was looking at, but the man was huge. His savior was holding a sword over his shoulder, like a knight who protects the royal blood with every inch of muscle he built. It covers his hands, and every inch of his body in leather dyed in black and bleached white accents, such as the crosses or platinum studs. Half of his chestnut colored hair is shaved off. The stranger almost resembled a warrior of the east like of his father’s books. The man looked forward at the horde of demons scattered across the field. He theorized this stranger will help him, at least he hoped he would. “Gabriel?” Oh, how he mentioned my name in such a sinful tone... the child thought. “H-how do you know my name…?” the boy asked.

“What? you don't remember me?” the stranger asked as he walked out of his carriage. Gabriel shook his head trying to think and piece together any events with this perfect specimen before him. He must be mistaken, hopefully not. “Wait here…” The man with the sword stood in front without fear, he held the blade with one hand ready to fight. A few monsters who could stand lunged at the valiant man, throwing their long limbs to claw at him. The man took a deep breath, upon lifting his blade he spoke in a series of whispers and slashed a few arms clean off, the monsters shrieked and retaliated throwing their other arms but resulting the same as before. The blade was red hot as if was just dipped in the oven.

The screaming irritated the man, “I’m tired of this bitch craft…” he growled. Holding the handle with both hands he spread his legs and held his sword back. From the ground, an essence was being absorbed into his feet, going all the way to his sword. Now the entire horde race towards him, but he stood there charging his blade. There were sparks and electricity bouncing off the blade, it engulfed and melted the ground beneath him, and with one heavy swing the blade slashed through them upon hitting the ground with light and the monster exploded, sounding like the roar of thunder.

The man was breathing heavily, he probably overdid it. He walked to Gabriel who was still shocked, overwhelmed by the performance before him. "He smelled odd, like grapes and magnolia flowers. His outline was red, and it sparked and--"

“What are you gawking at?” he asked Gabriel.

“I... I’m.” The child gulped nervously. “I’m sorry but that was the most… Beautiful display of bravery I have ever seen. Like the heroes of legend or the knights fit for battle…”

“Hm. Come inside,” he said as he somehow unlocked the door by holding the lock. “Wait, didn’t he came out of the carriage? did he lock it from the outside? How was he able to get out? Wait when did he close the door!!? What is he a magician?”

It engulfed the Atelier with rainbow candle flames. He picked up Gabriel and placed him on a plush bed covered in decorative pillows stuffed with duck feathers and lined with the finest satin sheets. “How did you do that…?” Gabriel suddenly said.

“Did what…?” He poured water into a metal bowl and dipped a cloth.

“The…. sword…. Exploding… the… melting the ice… killing that monster…” Gabriel tried to find the correct terms to describe what he saw. Perhaps he was still a loss of words.

“Hm… Magnets… drastic temperature changes… boom… it's complicated…” Gabriel, feeling silly and embarrassed, he kept quiet till he can form better sentences. His nose caught a scent and he couldn't ignore it. “Why does it smell so bad…?” the little one asked.

“... I think it’s because of the tar. Few people can recognize the scent. It smells like a pile of shit.” The man walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a bottle, uncapping it and took a swig before walking back. “Hold this…” The man shoved the bottle onto Gabriel. The child stared down at the contents and sniffed it. The biggest mistake of his life, his nose wrinkled and his eyes watered. This was poison, this was nerve gas, this was death in a jar, he was sure. “Why was he in possession of this? Or better yet, what kind of human being in their right sanity can even digest this?”

Roy suddenly took the bottle from him and Gabriel watched as he filled a glass cup with it. “Drink…” The man said offering the glass.

“What? Why? What are you doing?” Gabriel pushed the glass back to the man. “Was he insane?” Gabriel thought.

“Numbing your senses. Your skin cracked and I need to treat it.” He said with admirable patience as he removed Gabriel’s nightgown. Gabriel hadn’t realized till he looked down at his own body, trails of red mixed with black goopy and burning substance along with purple glowing shards.

Gabriel needed to trust this man, he took a deep breath and took a swig of the toxic drink and it felt like he drank pure acid with flames. He wrinkled his face, and he wondered who in their right mind finds this enticing.

The rugged stranger placed the empty glass down and walked over to the cabinet to get tools and medicine. He cleaned his glasses with a cloth; he looked down at Gabriel before he treated him. “Can I ask what a little pipsqueak like you is doing outside at this ungodly hour?”

“Straight to the point…” Gabriel thought. “I… I needed to clear my head. So... I took a walk out…” The man scoffed at Gabriel's answer.

“A child with a lot on his mind…? What happened? did you wet the bed?” he said in a mocking tone. Gabriel scowled, he was grateful that he helped him but he was acting like a jerk. the man gently soaked the cloth with a mix of medicinal herbs and dragged it across his body, the stinging sensation of cold mint and cinnamon were present, “You should just stay inside next time, or you won't be so lucky to have me nearby...” he said grabbing Gabriel’s nose and tugging it slightly.

“Mghh! Let go of me!” Gabriel slapped his hand away. “Ugh drunk men are annoying…”

The man removed his glasses to inspect him. “Seriously, are you all right? Other than being harassed by demons, you look like you haven't slept in days.” Gabriel stared at the man and then looked down at his lap and wondered, “oh dear… Do I really look that sick…?” It took awhile before Gabriel answered him. “On the contrary… I slept for twenty-eight days…”

“Bumming around, living the life, can’t say I envy you. Did it do anything to you…?”

Gabriel answered by shaking his head. “N-no. You saved me in time…,” he added softly. He realized how small and useless he really was. No match for a beautiful warrior like him.

“Hey…” Gabriel looked at him, even though he felt unworthy. He quickly avoided his eyes. “It can hurt you anymore. You're okay…”

“But... what about Lauriel…?” Gabriel queried.

“What are you talking about…?” the man asked absentmindedly.

“That woman, Lady Lauriel took me into the forest and said she wanted my soul--” something interrupted him, the man placed his hands on his shoulders and closed in. “Too close!” Gabriel’s soul screamed. He didn’t realize how blue his eyes were. “You fop doodle…” The man looked furious. “Do you realize you're literally a target of a witch? She won't stop till you are dead...”

Gabriel stood there with a blank mind before the realization hit him like a curse. “What!? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no I don’t want to die! How do I get rid of her!?” his booming screams flinched the man before him. The stranger cringed and stuck a finger in his ear to stop the constant beeping sound after that compilation of ear-splitting shrieks. “Will you pipe down? You're acting like a maniac.”

“I am! I got attacked by a witch and then I get told by a dried-drunk she won't stop at nothing till I am dead! Didn’t you say I was in the clear??”

“Hey, I am not…” he pointed at Gabriel and trailed off in thought. “Humm…” He grabbed the bottle from earlier and took a long swig but the bottle was empty, “... not drunk enough. Besides, you were the idiot who said it was a great idea to go for the walk in the middle of the night knowing there are creepy crawlies out to get you.”

“Could you stop drinking and tell me how to stop--” They suddenly heard a low guttural noise. Both stood there hearing the sound. They looked towards each other and then at the door. The smell was getting worst. “Goddamnit…” The man cursed under his breath. He left the carriage, Gabriel stood up and followed suit. “Gabriel…” they could hear her from outside, she was crying and repeating his name over and over. “Gabriel! Give me your soul!” her screams were agonizing and painful to hear. He wanted to help her but he can’t give her his soul. He can’t, it was the only time he was selfish. “Gabriel! Please!” she repeated. It broke his heart to see her that way. It reminded him of the young girls that give birth prematurely. Many of them break down like this after too much stress.

Matilda fell on the ground and her body was snapping back and forth, some unseen force was contorting her body into a ball. “What is happening-!?” Gabriel is scared and confused. The outline of this individual was black. His entire body cringed at the unimaginable pain she must go through. Her bones were breaking through her skin, nothing but tar escaped her wounds. Gabriel needed to help or at least sooth her relentless pain, he ran to her and tried to calm her down.

“Gabriel! Come back!” shouted the drunk warrior.

“S-Sir! We can’t leave her like this! We have to do something!” The younger Amesthyn suggested.

“She tried to kill you!” He tried to reason with the mad child.

“No one deserves to be in this much agony!” Gabriel stood by her side whispering sweet threads of hope and tangling his fingers through her sweaty tresses. Nothing he did eased her. He felt her body heat like a fever.

It froze the man with horror. “I-...” Suddenly ran out holding the bottle of toxic liquid. This deranged man was throwing stones and dried up branches at the body. “What are you doing?!?” Gabriel pleaded to stop this crazy man from hurting the victim. “Stop!! We have to help her!” The child watched as this man doused the body in a strong liquid and then rubbed two stones together creating sparks soon catching fire on the branches, then the body burst in flames. “No!!” Lady Matilda shrieked in visible pain.

Big warm trembling gloved hands held Gabriel's eyes against a hard, cold stomach. The boy's chest tighten and his eyes threatened to spill tears. He will never forget this moment, he will never forget the sounds, the dreadful noise of flesh crinkling in an open fire.

Gabriel heard the gentle night breeze, the crackle of the fire, the agonizing screams, his own sobbing, and a faint sped up heart beat. The symphony of despair. “W-why…? She needed help...” the frightened child begged for answers.

“... She would suffer more if I let her live…” The madman said with a cold tone.

“G-God hates us… doesn't he?” Gabriel said between breaths. He felt the hands leave his face, the man kneeled before him and held his thin face in his thick calloused hands.

“He never did... For where there are humans there bound to be chaos, there is always a small ray of hope that spreads evenly to awaken those who are lost in darkness. He does not hate us. Sometimes our selfishness consumes everything around till there is nothing left for us. For you this will be difficult to understand and not because you are a kid, but because they have not exposed you to the worst…” he said in a soft tone, almost melodic.

“You're not human if you can stomach this…” Gabriel said. After looking at his savior in the eyes did, he realized he needed to work on expressing himself better. The man did not speak, and he averted his gaze to the cold muted ground. Judging by how he looks, this isn’t the first time, if so, how many times has he witness this fiasco.

Gabriel drowned in depression, he understood the man's position. Gabriel had seen his mother abort babies. Sometimes he doesn’t see her but he knows the signs.

This man was a human trying to play his part in this whimsical age. He smelled horrible and Gabriel hated it, but he found it comforting. He wasn’t sure when was the last time he felt this embrace but he was sure it was the day before his father left. But this affection was different.

“Oh dear, poor Laurie. To think it would end this way.” Both turned, the woman in black, Lilian, who stood beautifully with a toothy grin. “O-oh no…. it’s her...” Gabriel hid between the man's muscled legs.

“It's rather sad, how could you kill her? Oh dear what will the town think…?”

"Probably along the lines of 'you were seen last with her.' or my personal favorite, 'kill the witch…'" he emphasised with the lowest and most feral growl he could muster. Chills ran up and down Gabriel's spine, slowly escalating to mild pain.

“Is that anyway to speak to a lady?” She didn't look too gleeful after that comment.

“You lost all privilege the moment you defiled someone's life. And the fact you're attacking an innocent kid because you need to keep your disgusting lifestyle alive, in my eyes, all I see is a demon dressed in silk. You like to surround yourself by helpless little girls to feed that bottomless hole someone punctured,” the man spat.

“Look who is calling the kettle black,” Lilian said, laughing hysterically. “Rogues who get paid to slaughter humans are just as bad. You can’t judge me, Roy Firestorm.”

“Wait this was the man at the inn… this was him?” Said man kept a calm demeanor, but from what Gabriel could tell, Roy's face could barely contain the rage and the mass increase of body heat emitting from such a terrifying man could cut short the longest of winters.

“We know everything about you and your magic, how you get drunk every single day and night, it is very rare that you are sober. We know how you settle in the outskirts to not draw attention to your rituals, how you sacrifice flesh to your god, Everything,” she continued. “He was a witch, too?” Gabriel thought he had to be something along those lines of a magic user like a wizard, mage or an alchemist. “You are a witch like us, why don’t you accept it?”

“I am not a witch… I am a cleromancer,” he corrected. If this would happen to Gabriel, he would panic and begged for his life, but it seems as if Roy has nothing to lose by challenging her. “Besides, only women with father issues and low self esteem sink into drastic measures for power…” Roy added.

“You think a low life drunk can speak Lady Lilian Stonehart, this way?” Gabriel frowned, he thought her name was Lilian Nightshade. “The coven will be glad to hear I took down The Infamous Firestorm…” she giggled and rose five inches from the ground. Witches float, and this one was coming closer chanting and holding her palms at Roy, he ducked and lifted himself up with his gloved hands kicking upwards, knocking the witch away onto the ground.

“I have fought women with more beauty and valor than you ever wish to have. No lesser god can give you that,” he said, then turned to Gabriel, “Hide…” Gabriel was still flabbergasted at how magnificent and flexible he was. Everything was in a slow pace. How elegant and graceful Roy was moving compared to the desperate actions of the witch, oh how every impact he made sparked, “why he didn't use his sword like he did moments ago?” The child wondered.

Gabriel ran to the carriage and observed through the window. They filled the fight with tension and electric spikes. With every blow they landed it was like a mild explosion. With each grab and toss they got more animalistic and aggressive. Gabriel could tell she fought dirty, but Roy kept an even field with his share of tricks. His hands work with grace and gentle lace, rather hard to describe really. It was if he conducted fire and electricity with his fingertips. He moved with a swift pace and he never missed a beat. Their dance was sinful and beyond this realm. Gabriel can now admit he fell in love with the art. Lilian moved like a falling petal guided by the wind and Roy like a river streaming down the bank. Different worlds and yet they were almost in complete synchronization.

Lilian broke the chain by keeping her distance. “You are well on your feet and when your drunk, but it seems I have to leave,” she said with a giggle.

“Let me guess, you have to leave because daddy is calling…?”

“Correct. it’s been fun. Tell Gabriel that his soul will be ours soon. He better sleep with one eye open.” Lilian laughed and her body decomposed into ash.

Roy was sick of them; Gabriel could tell that much. He left the carriage and walked to him carefully without disturbing him. “I’ll teach you how to fight, at least to defend yourself against witch crafts. But for now, we need to get you home safe. I’ll escort you.” Gabriel flinched. He thought he was being careful and quiet with his steps. The man locked the door to his carriage and kneeled away from Gabriel. “hop on…”

“W-wait…. We have to bury her…” Gabriel said looking at the charred body of lady Lauriel, she was still burning but she was quiet. “She will be ash by the time I get back. Come on, boy.”

“Your name is Roy… You're that man from the inn… Correct?” little Gabriel asked.

“Yeah… I am that sad little drunk from the inn. Who else is named Roy Firestorm in this town…?” he answered in a cold tone. Gabriel noticed a pattern, his answers were stating the obvious, or states the wrong thing in a singsong tone. To someone who is slow minded and believes his tales, Roy takes satisfaction in watching someone walk in his trap. Roy is sarcastic.

“How did you learn how to do all of that…?”

“Well, as I said before, mostly it's experience… Some is self-taught…”

“What can you teach me…?”

“I can teach you how to hone your senses… How to use stones, spells. All in good time…”

Gabriel honestly could not wait for the learning to begin. Hopefully, he will shoot lightning and fire out of his fingers and fly and soar high above the clouds. He suddenly had a flash image of Lauriel, he hoped that with great power he won’t die in horrible ways. “You won't let me suffer like that… right…?”

“No… I don't think I would have the heart to leave a small child to suffer…”

“Promise…?” Gabriel asked. Roy held up his pinky at Gabriel, to which he entwined his own, generating a spark around their fingers. Gabriel’s eyes widen, he was happy, and he looked at Roy who had the same scowl stuck on his face “H-How…??”

“Hm? oh… The spark. It means a friendship is born from a vow.” Something inside Gabriel was pooling, overwhelming him with sparkles, fluttery bits and swirls of colors. He is at ease knowing he would not die under a witch’s hand or in a frightening, slow and painful unknown death. Roy seems to be a strange man with a bipolar personality. When they first met, Roy was a very depressing and pathetic looking man, and tonight he witnesses the brave, bold and monotone Roy Firestorm’s humanity. Gabriel suspects he lives alone, and he keeps it that way, he is hiding something. For now, the little boy needs him to protect his mother.

“Take care, kid. You’re safe for now. If anything happens, I will be nearby.” Roy said as he dropped him in front of his home. “How… did you know where I live?” Gabriel asked an excellent question. For the first time in such this long night did he finally see the mighty Roy crack under pressure even if it were a slight crack. Roy stood there in silence for a few seconds, his eyes looked around before finally saying, “you're the son of Grizelda Amesthyn, the town midwife,” he ruffles Gabriel’s hair and finally taking off.