Theodore Chrono

by Shanon Chong

  Both Pascal and Alicia were treading a thin path between crying and holding strong. Pascal’s large hands poured the liquid. Piper, nodding happily, pushed the two forward. Alicia cautiously scooped in the condensed mana, taking care not to lose any. Piper’s smile spread slowly, expanding into a grin. Finally, they poured in the salt and watched for the exact moment the pink smoke started to rise. Stirring carefully, their liquid turned green in affirmation.

  “See! You can do it!” The small, satisfied smiles of the two gave a warm feeling of joy to the rest of us. “Leave it on the fire until it turns into dust,” Piper directed.

  Hajlia, several steps ahead in the creation of our potion, held several small vials of the finished product. “Ms Merases,” he called, raising his arm, “what is this?” He pointed at his potions.

  “Oh, you’re finished… It works to heal wounds.” Piper examined Hajlia’s potions, checking for any imperfections. “You’ve got a good partner. Well, you two did perfectly. Full marks.” She smiled as she ticked them off in her book.

  “Thank you.” Hajlia bowed slightly, looking at his creation with pride.

  “Your solution has turned to dust, yes?” Piper asked the rest of the class.

  “Yes, Ms Merases,” everyone mumbled in unison.

  “Right. Add one beaker-full of oil to the mix and then put your burner’s fire on low. Then, I believe we’ll be finished.” Piper walked around the room, looking at all the finished products. “Right. I’ll label your potions before you leave, and you’ll get them back next lesson.”

  “Thank you, miss.” Hajlia bowed. “Are we dismissed?” he inquired, looking at the clock on the wall.

  “Yes, I’ll dismiss everyone early. Don’t forget your books! Oh, Theo, stay behind.”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Well, we can catch up,” she said casually. “I mean, we haven’t seen each other for months now!”

  “It’s been three days…” I replied.

  “I’ll leave you two to have your chat…” Rachel said uncomfortably as she backed out of the door. “I’ll be going to my mother’s office.”

  “Ah, I’ll see you next period,” I said, realising we still had a class in magic fundamentals.

  “Sure.” Rachel quickly left the room, her soft footsteps echoing behind her as she disappeared around the corner.

  “How’s school been?” Piper asked, placing the vials, which were now neatly labelled, into a box and leaving it on the teacher’s desk.

  “Er, it’s been fine, I guess?” I replied, not entirely sure how my three days had been.

  “What about the potions I gave you?” Piper asked, trying to sustain the conversation.

  “Yeah, I haven’t actually seen what they do yet…”

  “How have you been storing them?” Piper fiddled with a school-owned still. “I’m just curious.”

  “In the walk-in closet on the floor below my school uniform.”

  “Right…” Piper muttered awkwardly.

  “Why are you here, anyway?” I probed. “I mean, you didn’t have any reason to leave the town.”

  “Well…” She sighed. “I was drafted for a team created to stop the Old God…” She coughed slightly and then said, “I’m not strong enough to do much, though…”

  “I’m sure they wanted you for your alchemy skills.” I nervously patted her on the back.

  “You see, that’s what I thought, too. Until they asked me to spar in some facility in the middle of nowhere.”

  “And what did they make you do?”

  “Spar! I just said.” Piper sighed, releasing her pent-up annoyance.

  “Against what, I meant,” I clarified quickly.

  “Oh. Some beast from the wild.” Piper took a breath. “It’s strange, though… The beast could use magic.”

  “I’ve heard about those…” I replied. “The Adventurers Guild is commissioned to kill them, right?”

  “Yeah, they brought in some of the captured beasts,” Piper explained. “They really did expect us all to at least kill the beast.” She paused and then continued defensively. “I mean, I did, but…it was difficult, to say the least.”

  “Anyway, was the force created by my dad?”

  “If your father asked for help, it would mean the entire mainland was doomed! The Assimilators, the Trailblazers, and the alchemists, even the godforsaken State of Anti-Magic would be praying to their deity of choice!” Piper shouted.

  “Shut it, Piper!” Mr Rhimmage shouted from the floor above.

  “Sorry, Bill!” she replied. Mr Rhimmage’s annoyed tsk could be heard even through the thick flooring and soundproofing. I let out a giggle, and Piper did the same.

  “You two have an interesting relationship…” I said, laughing.

  “Yeah… Anyway, your father is too stubborn to ask for help. He’s got a serious god complex; he even thought he could save your mother from time itself.” She spoke quietly, no longer wanting to disturb the second-year class above us. Her subtle hint of a smile gave me multiple feelings, mostly reminiscent. I didn’t want to see him, but I saw him in everything. Her melancholic mood, created by what seemed to nostalgia, reminded me only of the man who had abandoned me as a child.

  “Yeah, I expected that. What happened with my mother?”

  “Ah…I don’t know much. All I’ve gotten are second-hand stories.” Piper smiled. “If you ask Ms Indallias, though, she might tell you.”

  “Ms?”

  “Mrs. I never got out of that habit even after she got married halfway through my first year.” Piper sighed. “She had to take a long service leave after that, too…”

  “You missed her that badly?”

  “Hm? No, no, no, don’t misunderstand. She’s a great teacher… That’s all.”

  “You admire her, don’t you?” I asked, not as a student but as a friend. “Want to talk?”

  “You’re a child and I am an a adult” She paused, reconsidering her words. “But maybe I do need to talk about it…”

  “I’m free anytime,” I said after she stopped talking.

  “Not right now. I’m currently her colleague; I don’t want some kind of falling out.” She smiled, but joy didn’t describe the emotion I felt when I saw it. “Let’s go to Ms Indallias’s office. We can finish our talk on the Old God.”

  “Seriously, though,” I interjected, trying to help Piper whilst she was in the Capital.

  “I’ll take you up on that offer for a talk; maybe we’ll go to Jayden’s bar-restaurant thing.”

  “If we go, you’re paying.”

  “Of course. I’m an adult with a wage.”

  “Want to do it after my first mission?”

  “So, you want to talk after the school year is over?” Piper laughed.

  “I’ve got things to deal with before I can talk.”

  “How ominous…” Piper giggled. “We should go and talk to Ms Indallias now.” She patted me on the back as she walked out of the alchemy room.

  “Aren’t you going to lock the door?”

  “The door locks itself without a teacher in the room,” Piper explained. “I mean, students don’t have nearly enough energy to measure up to a teacher, anyway.”

  “So, if a stranger entered the school building…”

  “If they had enough strength, we’d notice them before they got anything.”

  “I don’t get it,” I declared in defeat as we began the quick walk up the stairs, “What do we need to talk to Mrs Indallias about?”

  “Your interrogation,” Piper reminded me. “I doubt she’s going to let you go without any preparation.”

  “Ah, right.”

  “Anyway, we’re here.” Piper leaned against the door and knocked. “We’re here, Ms Indallias!”

  The door swung open, and Piper, still resting her weight against it, collapsed to the ground. A slight thud echoed through the hall as she lay there, clueless as to what had happened.

  “A-are you okay?” I asked, offering my hand to he
lp her up.

  “She’s fine. Take a seat, Theo,” Mrs Indallias said mercilessly.

  We stepped into the office, and I saw Rachel sitting on the couch in front of Mrs Indallias’s desk. I took a seat next to her.

  “Piper, come stand behind me,” said Mrs Indallias.

  “Oh, right, you’ll look like you have more authori—”

  “I thought you wouldn’t want to be lectured with the children,” Mrs Indallias interjected. “I do have more authority than you do, so be obedient and stand here.” She pointed at the spot just behind her and slightly to the right.

  “Well, I thought you were trying to look intimidating,” Piper said childishly.

  “Anyway, we’ll begin with arrangements for tonight.” Mrs Indallias sighed, and then to me, she said, “We’ll have you be trailed by some ex-military to ensure we know where you are so we can have confidence in your safety.”

  “Understood,” I replied sharply.

  “Don’t bother with formalities. You aren’t in the military.” Mrs Indallias paused. “We’ll be making sure you don’t do anything rash, Rachel.”

  “Ah, okay…” Rachel replied absentmindedly, not understanding what her mother was implying.

  “Rachel, you okay?” I asked, concerned. “Want to get some rest in the room?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Rachel said, barely whispering.

  “Okay… Take care of yourself, okay?”

  “Sure, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Theo.” Rachel tapped me on the shoulder. “I’ll go have a walk.” Rising and leaving the room, she closed the door softly behind her.

  “Piper, keep a close eye on her; the council has given orders to ensure every student’s safety,” Mrs Indallias ordered. “They’re worried about trespassers on our grounds.”

  “Sure!” Piper exclaimed joyfully, and then she skipped out of the room.

  Mrs Indallias sighed as Piper left the room. “We need to talk about your interrogation tonight. I’m sure you’re not foolish, but…we still need to go through the basics. Answer with only the truth, as long as it doesn’t incriminate either you or Harrold.”

  “And what if it does?” I asked.

  “Well, you don’t have to say anything,” Mrs Indallias replied slyly. “You could also respond with either ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I can’t say.’ As long as you aren’t outright lying, they won’t figure it out.”

  ‘And if I don’t understand the question?” I asked.

  “Then you ask them to rephrase it,” she replied. “If you have a question you can’t avoid, you can ask them to rephrase it.”

  “So, if I do understand but it’s a question that’s incriminating, I can ask them to rephrase it?” I confirmed, fidgeting.

  “That’s right.” Mrs Indallias grabbed a knife absently and tossed it in the air. It landed on the table, stabbing into the desk’s wooden surface.

  “Can they tell if I’m lying?”

  “Magic works wonders in the court of law,” Mrs Indallias replied. She paused, “I thought that up just then. You like it?”

  “I guess?” I said, hopping off the couch. “Anyway, class starts soon. Do you know where I can find Rachel?”

  “She wouldn’t go far.” Mrs Indallias leaned back in her chair and looked out her window. “See? She’s just outside, in the garden.”

  “We have a garden?”

  “If you want to call it that…then, yes.”

  “Right, I’ll go get her. Any tips on how to get there?”

  “Downstairs, on the first floor, there’s an exit next to the Battle Dome’s entrance.”

  “Thank you!”

  Closing the door behind me, I ran to the stairs and dashed down every flight. Sprinting across the first floor, I returned to the hallway that Piper and I had walked down earlier. No longer running, I walked the final distance to the glass door that led to Rachel.

  “Theo?” Rachel called out from the grass-filled courtyard behind the school. “Did my mother tell you to do come and find me?”

  “No, I’m here on my own accord,” I replied emphatically.

  “Should we head to class, then?” She hopped over to me and grabbed my shoulder affectionately. “I mean, that’s why you’re here, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a sigh, opening the door and entering the building again. As we walked down the halls, Rachel continued to talk.

  “You ready for the fights?”

  “You mean the friendly sparring?”

  “Make sure you win, okay?” Rachel smiled as we approached the classroom. “See, we’re nearly here!” she exclaimed as I grabbed the handle.

  “Why do you want to fight me so badly?”

  “Because your strength is in your quick thinking. I don’t want you to become an average mage.”

  “Sounds like you care a lot,” I replied sarcastically.

  “I do!” She smacked me on the back. “I really don’t want you to become boring!”

  “Calm down… I won’t become boring,” I said, reassuring her as strange glances passed me in the hall. I shook my head as if they were misunderstanding something.

  “You better not.”

  “I won’t!” I replied as I slid open the door to our homeroom.

  “Well, lovebirds, you’re fifteen minutes late.” The unimpressed voice of Mr Rhimmage echoed in the lecture hall. “Come on, class. Let’s have the happy couple lead the way!”

  Chapter 11: The Final Showdowns

  Walking slowly, Rachel and I turned our heads to face the class, who followed us in complete silence, led by Mr Rhimmage. We continued to shuffle uncomfortably towards the Battle Dome. Eventually, a classmate’s snicker sparked the entire group into a sea of laughter. I felt a shiver creep up my spine. Vin sped himself to our pace and patted me on the back in an attempt to comfort me.

  “I don’t think they’re laughing at you…” he muttered uncomfortably, and then he faded back into the background, not saying a word and keeping his status as a bystander.

  “Thanks, I guess?” I murmured to the air beside me.

  Seeing the curved entrance to the Battle Dome, Rachel and I quickened our pace to begin the sparring just a moment faster. Turning to look at our class, I realised that Vin was probably right. Noel and Shannon were wrestling over a quill; and they were too preoccupied with their dispute to care about our now-clear relationship. Juno kept glancing back and forth between the two of us, attempting to make sense of how we’d gotten together; well, that is what I assumed was running through her mind. Lucy and Norah kept a silence that I appreciated dearly, and I sent a silent thanks in their general direction.

  “We’re here. I’ll forgive you two for being late…” Mr Rhimmage stepped to the front of the group and organised us at the entrance. “But only because you two are semifinalists with Juno and Vin,” he clarified, not giving us much leeway to work with. “It would be nice if you could introduce yourself and your magic style… Actually, we’ll do it again in class, too, just so we know each other. For now, we’ll just have Rachel, Theo, Vin, and Juno come up to the front and introduce themselves and their magic style.”

  “Should I go first?” Vin asked, taking a step forward.

  “Sure, go ahead,” Mr Rhimmage replied, seemingly flustered at the idea of a student volunteering to introduce themselves.

  “I’m Vin Aaris. I specialise in material manipulation,” he said, holding up the sword that had been sheathed at his waist. “My sword is what I fight with.” He carefully returned the sword to its sheath. The sword was long; and its sheath did not appear to be made of an Arcanan wood, as its colour was a faded black. The handle, made of the same wood, was curved slightly; however, the sword wasn’t unique in any way from the standard blacksmith’s first blade.

  Juno followed Vin, her apprehension still visible, her noble voice shaking as she said, “My specialty is ice magic. My strengths lie in restriction and confinement.”

  As she had forgotten to say her name, Mr Rhimmage gestured
obviously, pointing at himself and mimicking speaking. A horrified expression reached her face, and her jaw dropped open. “Sorry. My name is Juno.” The tome she held was clearly a relic of another era. The cover was made of a solid slate of ice, and there was a single rune engraved in it…“Winter.”

  “Rachel. I specialise in fire magic. I use summoning and armament magic,” Rachel said simply, not giving the others much to work with in terms of information. She held a fire-red tome in her arms. Tapping nervously at the cover, she remained silent as she waited for me to speak.

  “Theo?” Mr Rhimmage prompted, swinging his arm toward the class.

  “Sorry,” I apologised, beginning my already mediocre introduction. “I’m Theo. I don’t specialise in magic, so I use my runic ability to compensate for my lack of magical strength.” I bowed slightly. In my arms was my father’s tome, and its diamond-backed cover dug into my chest. It eased my nerves to carry the book that my father had entrusted me with. Knowing him, I already realised that he’d probably held his head high as he’d entered this classroom. However, I knew that confidence wasn’t given; it was made through fire and flames, both literally and figuratively. I carried the mantle of the Arcanas family, which had spanned several generations, with renowned mages taking the forefront of the development of Arcana. The blood that I had adamantly rejected was the essence that kept my heart beating, but even I knew I would have to learn to either forgive and forget or accept what my father had done.

  “Right, we’ll structure the final fights as Theo versus Vin and Rachel versus Juno,” Mr Rhimmage said, breaking my train of thought exactly where it felt right to end. I looked at Vin, who faced me with equal fervour and excitement.

  “Ready, Theo?” he asked. We walked next to each other to the open arena marked with a large three carved into the centre of the stone.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said confidently. “I’m feeling good today.”

  “I don’t think the tide of battle favours you,” Vin said coyly. “I mean, I’m also feeling rather confident.” A small grin widened on his face, and his smug expression made me falter slightly.