Adamagika: The Spirit Within - 14. Ch 14: Gifts

CHAPTER 14: Gifts

Jacob and I made our way back to the castle and as Jacob had predicted, we hardly had enough time to get back and get ready to meet Magister Aenhol. We hurriedly rushed to our room, took quick showers, and changed into clean clothes. Soon, we were headed outside again.

Magister Aenhol was standing by the castle’s large doors.

“Aah, I see you managed to procure the package. If you don’t mind carrying it for awhile longer, we will bring it with us as we head out,” he said casually.

I did in fact mind but said otherwise. We made our way out of the castle which made me curious as to where we were going. Usually, we would go into one of the empty classrooms in the Academy to have a small dinner involving just us. I suppose with my expulsion that wouldn’t be possible anymore. This was the first time we were heading out of the castle. It was also made stranger by the package we needed to deliver first. Initially, I thought we were going to drop it off at some official’s house but after passing the mage community’s ring, that idea went out the window.

We soon found ourselves at another part of the Trade District. I asked Magister Aenhol where we were going but he simply said that he was hungry. I looked over at Jacob but he looked just as confused as I felt.

We soon found ourselves outside of what looked like an expensive steak house.

“What are we doing here, sir?” I asked him somewhat short of breath. Jacob asked me halfway if I wanted him to carry the package. I stubbornly refused and had deeply regretted that decision.

He looked over at me, “to have a dinner for you two of course, what else?”

“But sir, what about the package? Aren’t we going to deliver it?” I said referring to the heavy box that has been making the last twenty or so minutes difficult for me.

“Oh?” he said as though only noticing the burden in my arms, “did I forget to mention? That’s your gift.”

I gawped at him. “You made me carry my own gift?” I asked incredulously.

“Well, you didn’t expect me to carry it now did you?” my teacher said as his eyes twinkled with mischief.

I sighed dramatically while shaking my head. Suddenly, the box didn’t seem as heavy as before.

We went into the steak house. It was empty of other customers except for a few tables in the front and one at the back. Each table was beautifully adorned with multilayered candles of different colors. They floated in water suspended in the air by round orbs half-filled with water and opened up to the air on the top. The wooden walls around us had an old look about it that enhanced the place rather than diminish it. The place had a warmth to it that was somewhat absent from the cold grey walls of the castle. It felt like time moved much slower in there.

Magister Aenhol led us to the table at the back and my eyes did a double take.

Three very familiar people were seated there: Phillip, Jorik, and most surprisingly, Marcus.

Phillip looked extremely happy as though it was him celebrating his birthday. The trademark smile on his face was wide and his eyes were filled with glee as though saying I got you!

Jorik looked rather bored as though he was annoyed at having to be there. Something was shining through his eyes though that suggested that he actually enjoyed being around.

Marcus wouldn’t meet my eyes. He was merely looking down at the table and seemed uncertain if he should be there. I wondered if I was still mad at him and as soon as that thought entered my mind, I knew I wasn’t.

“Hey everyone,” I said “Phillip, Jorik… Marcus. What are you guys doing here?”

“To celebrate your birthday of course!” Phillip said jovially with arms outstretched as though to present the table. Jorik merely grunted and Marcus didn’t say anything.

I looked over at Jacob and I could see he was eyeing Marcus. Clearly there was more than one person wondering if Marcus should be there. I nudged Jacob until he looked at me and I gave him a small smile.

He nodded at me before turning back to our most unexpected guest.

“Marcus?”

Marcus looked up upon hearing Jacob’s voice. They looked at each other until finally nodding to the other. I didn’t expect them to be friends. But at least it seems they agreed to be civil to one another.

I dropped the box I was carrying onto the floor beside me and straightened myself on the chair. The amulet which I decided to wear dangled on my chest and was no longer being covered by the box. I had forgotten all about it in the rush we were in earlier.

Phillip was the first to notice it.

“Ooh. What’s that Adam?” he asked. I noticed what he was looking at and immediately remembered the conversation I had earlier with Jacob. I looked over at Magister Aenhol who also seemed to be studying the amulet with great interest. I was waiting for him to look me in the eyes but he never did. He simply turned his head towards the kitchen doors as though expecting our food to leave those doors at any moment.

When it was clear that he wasn’t going to look over at me, I turned my attention to Phillip. “It’s a gift from Jacob.”

“It looks very beautiful,” Phillip said as his eyes moved from one symbol of the amulet to the next, “what does it mean?”

“That’s what I’m hoping to find out tonight,” I said as I quickly looked towards Magister Aenhol. He wasn’t meeting my eyes though and seemed to be studying the plate before him rather morosely as though he couldn’t wait for the food to get here. That would be an odd expectation considering we haven’t ordered yet. “I was hoping Magister Aenhol might know.”

Magister Aenhol looked up as though startled at hearing his name. Our eyes finally met and I could sense uncertainty in them. “Whatever do you mean, Adam?”

“Do the images on this amulet look familiar to you, sir?”

By now, our three guests were listening intently to our conversation. This seemed to put a little pressure on my teacher as he looked from one curious face to the other.

“It’s familiar,” he said as though he actually doubted his own statement, “perhaps if you give me a few days, I can look it up for you. If you ask me again later, I might have some answers.”

I looked him in the eyes trying to understand what he was thinking. The look in his eyes was strange to say the least and one I couldn’t interpret. I could tell he was somewhat nervous though. I nodded at him and he seemed satisfied.

I gazed over at Jacob who had a confused look on his face. He shrugged as though not understanding what was happening but letting it go in the meantime. I turned my attention back to our guests as the conversation regarding the amulet was momentarily set aside.

“So, you made me carry my own gift?” I asked Jorik who seemed bewildered by the exchange that went on between Magister Aenhol and me. My question pulled him out of his stupor though.

“Well, ya didn’ expect me to carry it now did ya?” his response made me smile as I recalled my teacher’s similar response. I realized that although they may seem different, they seemed to think alike in some ways. Perhaps that was the basis of their rather odd friendship. “This nut head here,” he said referring to Phillip, “almost blew the whole thing when he greeted ya earlier.”

Phillip looked sheepish. “Sorry, I forgot it was supposed to be a surprise.”

He smiled his brilliant smile over at me and I would have forgiven him for anything at that moment.

“So Marcus, what brings you here?” Jacob asked. This immediately took my thoughts away from Phillip.

“I was invited,” he said somewhat defensively. He looked over Magister Aenhol who had returned to examining his plate. “Magister Aenhol thought it might be a good idea if I were to… get to know you better under different circumstances.” He paused as he looked from Jacob to me then back to Jacob. “And I wanted to apologize for what happened. You know, with the garden and… everything else.”

Jacob seemed to study him for awhile and I was worried that he would do or say something stupid. When the silence stretched long enough to be awkward, I decided I would change the topic. Before I could do that though, Jacob finally spoke up.

“Apology accepted,” he said as he stretched out his hand towards Marcus. Marcus looked at it doubtfully for a few moments before finally extending his own hand. As soon as they dropped each other’s hands, Jacob spoke up again. “Besides, we both know I would have kicked your arse if that Mage Lord didn’t interfere.”

I stiffened and looked over at Jacob afraid that he was starting trouble. There was a smile on his face though. Marcus’ eyes narrowed like daggers before finally answering, “you wish. We both know you would have lost that without a doubt.”

Jacob shrugged “I dunno. It seemed like it was a pretty even match to me. Maybe you’d like to try it again some other time?”

Marcus studied Jacob who continued to smile at him. I grew more nervous as the silence lengthened. “Maybe,” he said finally before offering a small grin of his own.

I can’t be quite sure but I think in a weird way, the two just offered each other an olive branch of peace.

“Aah, the food is here,” said Magister Aenhol. Several large steaks were then promptly placed on each of our plates. I think a small sized cow was lying cooked on our table.

The conversation throughout dinner was mostly a casual one with Jorik leading most of the stories being told. I found this an odd behavior for him since he was mostly quiet around us. However, he seemed to share a lot of experiences with Magister Aenhol and the two would often laugh about old memories they shared. Phillip and I would occasionally carry on with a conversation of our own about our lives in the city. I even noticed Jacob and Marcus speaking every now and then though their conversations were much shorter than what others shared around the table.

By the time all the steaks were gone (a rather surprising feat if I might add) and a cold dessert was placed and also consumed, the general interest around the table had shifted towards the content of the box I had with me.

“So what’s in it?” Phillip asked. He seemed far more interested in knowing what was inside than me actually. “Open it so we can see.”

“Hold yar horses ya little runt,” Jorik said. “It’s his gift.”

“Hey, I’m not a little runt,” Phillip said indignantly. “I’m almost as tall as you.”

“Hah! If I was seated maybe.”

“Come on Adam,” Magister Aenhol said. “Why don’t you put it on the table and open it?”

I lifted the box onto the table as my arms seemed to protest from the additional workout it was getting. I dropped it on the table with a rather loud thud. I looked around the restaurant worried I might have disturbed someone but soon found out that there weren’t any other customers left.

“I don’t have anything to open it with,” I said as I noticed it was hammered shut with nails.

“I know a spell that could open it if you’ll let me,” Marcus offered.

I nodded at him realizing this was his way of offering a hand of friendship.

Marcus face relaxed in concentration and he reached out with his hand. With a dramatic wave, he yelled, “Open Says Me!”

The box cover raised itself away from the rest of the box taking the nails out of the wood.

“That’s an actual spell?” Jacob asked with a disbelieving frown.

“Naah,” Marcus said with a contented smile on his face. “I just thought it would sound cool.”

This earned him some laughs around the table. For a moment, something almost likeable showed itself in Marcus. Without even trying, he seemed to radiate a strong charismatic aura. It was only now that I noticed it when he wasn’t trying to fry my fries or something.

“Come on, what’s in it?” Phillip asked who seemed to be on the verge of opening the box himself. Jorik shook his head in disbelief.

I lifted the cover off and looked inside. It was filled with straw. I moved the straw aside until I finally saw some shiny metal in the middle of the box. I lifted it out and placed it on a table.

It was a helmet – a very heavy helmet. It was made from thick polished metal. It could cover the entire head except for a large curved V that appeared in the front which would expose one’s eyes, nose and mouth. The steel protectors around the mouth area were pointed downwards like knife blades except they didn’t seem sharp at all.

By some creative imagining, the free space in the front that showed the face reminded me of a rather large upside-down penis with excessively large genitalia.

I looked over to my teacher, wondering what it was for. Marcus answered the unspoken question for me.

“That’s an Aerophalanx helmet!” he said with wide eyes.

“The gryphon riders?” Phillip asked as his own eyes seemed to widen with comprehension.

“Aren’t the gryphon riders city guards?” Jorik asked.

“They’re not just any city guards,” Marcus said as though he found the question highly offensive. “They’re like the best of the best; mages that have shown high aptitude in magic, certain competencies sought among fighters, and an unparalleled ability to bond with the mighty gryphons. Not all mages are able to ride gryphons, you know. Most gryphons would kill you if they deem you unworthy to ride them.” Marcus looked over at Magister Aenhol. “But sir, why are you giving Adam an Aerophalanx helmet?”

“Well, a certain Lady Helena, who is the Mage Lord, who handles all matters regarding the defense of the city including the Aerophalanxes, seems to think that our young Adam here has what it takes to become one. I simply figured that if he wanted to pursue that path, then he might need one of these.”

“Me? Become an Aerophalanx?”

“That is entirely up to you, Adam,” Magister Aenhol said. “That path is yours if you so choose it.”

I stared openmouthed at the large helmet before me. I didn’t know what to say.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Jacob said. “I may not have been here for very long but I know all about loyalty and love for one’s home. I think being part of a group that defends one’s home and people is very admirable.”

I was wondering if Jacob was only saying this to make me feel better. He was, after all, part of the reason I was expelled from school. And yet, what he said did somehow make sense to me. The idea of defending one’s home was appealing. And I have for a long time thought of Arantiva as my home. A problem was disturbing me in all this though.

“Sir, this helmet is too big for me. It’s way too heavy to be of any use.”

“Well,” Magister Aenhol said, “that helmet like all other Aerophalanx helmets in enchanted to fit its first wearer’s head. Once you wear it for the first time, it will reduce in size and become lightweight. It is however enchanted with some of the most powerful defensive magic we have. You can’t channel magic from it like you can with crystals but I’m getting ahead of myself. You’ll know about those soon enough if you join them.

“This helmet,” he said as he ran one finger over the metal, “is capable of deflecting some harmful magics and even non-magical weapons once it is bonded with its owner. Once you wear it, it will be exceptionally powerful for you and only you. Anyone else who wears it will only benefit from the shielding the steel provides. Personally, I think you should wait until after you visit the Seer before deciding if you should wear it or not. But again, that is up to you.”

I looked over at Jacob and wondered what he thought of that. He merely nodded his approval. I nodded as well before speaking and pointing a menacing finger to Jacob. “Okay, but you get to bring this box home.”

This brought another round of laughter. I was wondering if Magister Aenhol got Jacob anything but without even me asking, he answered the question. “I’ve already given Jacob my gift.”

Jacob was all smiles. “Yes, I asked him if he knew a good craftsman that could make something for me at a reasonable price. Then he lent me some money to pay for it. That’s how I got your amulet.”

“I was wondering how you were able to get this. I was worried you might have had to sell an organ or something.”

“I must admit,” Magister Aenhol said, “that I thought Jacob was going to have another dagger made. I was skeptical at helping him at first but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t know that he would give you such a… wonderful gift. Tell me Jacob, how did you come up with such a design?”

Jacob looked over at me as though uncertain of what to answer. I was confused myself as to what game Magister Aenhol was playing.

“I saw it in one of the visions I had of Adam’s youth,” Jacob replied.

“What visions?” Phillip asked. This then resulted in several minutes of explaining what had happened in the forest. Jacob did not mention though that he saw the amulet being worn by my mother.

“That’s pretty cool,” said Phillip.

“Amazing,” Marcus added.

“Ehhh,” or something like it was uttered by Jorik.

“Well, I think it’s time we start heading out,” Magister Aenhol piped in. “Jacob and Adam have to get some rest for their journey tomorrow. Remember that you have to be at the stables before dawn.”

“Uhh, don’t remind me,” I protested. “I’m going to be spending the next three days with Madame Rooste and she hates me with a passion. This is going to be hell.”

“Oh, I’m quite certain it won’t be so bad,” Magister Aenhol said with twinkling eyes.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, sir?” Jacob asked him with a curious frown.

“There is always something he’s not telling us, Jacob. You should get used to it.” We all laughed at this as we made our way out of the steak house.

Magister Aenhol grabbed me by arm for a moment letting the others walk ahead of us. Jacob who was carrying the box with the Aerophalanx helmet looked back at us curiously for awhile then turned his attention back to Marcus who seemed to have had a change in his spirits the last few hours. Marcus was livelier then than ever and almost seemed friendly.

“Adam, may I request that you do not expose that amulet while you wear it?” my teacher asked me quietly.

“Why, sir? What does it mean?” I asked, my curiosity aroused.

“I know you have a lot of questions, Adam. And I promise you that I will answer them soon enough. However, the symbols on that amulet connote something very dangerous and it is vital that you keep it hidden from public eye.”

“Dangerous? But it’s my mother’s amulet isn’t it?”

Magister Aenhol looked over at me and our eyes met. His pupils were shadowed behind a mixture of surprise and concern. Clearly he was uncertain how much I knew. He paused as though studying me before speaking again.

“Yes, Adam, your mother had an amulet like that.”

“So you know my mother, sir? My real mother?”

“Yes I do, Adam,” lowering his voice indicating I should do the same. “But trust me when I tell you that now is not the best time to discuss this.”

“Why not?” I said somewhat loudly.

“It is dangerous, Adam,” he said, his voice filling with urgency. “What you find on that amulet symbolizes a secret – a sworn oath that has been kept for centuries, one that people are willing to kill and die for. If you walk around parading their secret then you could easily end up dead.”

I looked towards Jacob who was conversing animatedly with Marcus and remembered the visions he had. I thought of my real mother and my adoptive father. Were they victims of a secret that cost them their lives?

“I promise to you, Adam. Things will become clear in time. But now is not that time. You have things to do and distracting you from matters of the present will only hurt you rather than help.”

“What things do I have to do, sir?” I asked confused by his statement.

“That,” he said with some finality, “you will know once you visit the Seer.”