I marched towards the table and sat at a nearby chair. At the table were the usual things one would put in an office, Richard's wand, and a moving picture of a young girl that had similar features to him, to me.
Richard sat in his throne-like armchair and smiled, "Did you like the tour?"
I nodded then decided to voice what's been going on in my head, "There is something that is still bothering me."
"What is it?"
"Why are we alike? I mean we have almost the same appearance and even the same voice!"
His expression turned solemn. He took some time until he finally answered with a sigh, "You are my clone, Orion; my other self."
I didn't quite register what he just said, "I am what?!"
From yesterday until now, I accepted many things. Yes, even the voice in my head. But being told that I am just a copy of someone else is...
"How can I be your clone? My parents gave birth to me like any normal person!" I asked still refusing to believe that.
"That is indeed true, Orion, I am not refuting that," he faced my query calmly. "Your soul, however, is what made you my clone."
"How?"
"An accident happened a long time ago that forcefully divided me into several clones. I have long since resolved that matter and joined back together with them. However, a tiny insignificant soul part escaped from one of them and fused with yours before it could disappear."
He gave me a few minutes to take in the truth of the matter. In the end, I wondered what happened to cause Richard to be forced into something like this, but I knew that now was not the time to ask about it.
"Still, why do I look like too many of my relatives? Do they also have a connection with you?" I asked, curious about this matter.
"Like I said before, your family is descended from one of the creator's bloodlines, specifically the one that I come from. Through me, you come from my son's, Ra's, line. A rather strong bloodline at that, which explains the resemblance to me."
"Then I am your great great great great-"
Richard laughed and interrupted, "Yes, you're my great-grandson, several generations later."
"Now enough about that. Let me introduce you to my students," he said. And as if they had been waiting for him to say that, the door opened and five people stepped in.
"Hello, little Orion," said one of them, an old man. His long, white hair rested on his shoulders coupled with the white beard that reached his knees gave him a wizened look. Just like Richard, he wore long robes, though they were purple.
The man on his right was a big bald man in what seemed to be a magical armor and had a medium-length black beard and two light-red eyes. A single-bladed battle axe, carved with Nordic runes, was hanging on his back along with two oddly-shaped blades. A tattooed head with two goat horns, golden jeweled eyes, and a wispy beard was held from his hand with the help of a rope.
The last man amongst the group, if he can really be considered a man, had an upper body of a human, and a lower body of a horse. I remembered a legend about half-human and half-horse creatures that were called 'Centaurs'. This centaur had a bow and a quiver held on the side of his hunter-like attire.
As for the women, what appeared to be the older one between them wore what seemed to be an armor and a healer's robe. Although middle-aged, she still had her charm and beauty, especially her braided brown hair.
The last one was a pretty teenage girl who looked the same age as me. Her silky red hair and her green eyes complimented each other extremely well. But the mischievous smile she had on her slightly freckled face made her look bratty and wiped out all the charm she could have had.
"Orion," Richard said, "Meet my disciples: Merlin of the round table, Farbauti of the giants, Mimir the wise, Chiron the centaur, Freya the healer, and Tulip the witch."
While he was introducing them, he gestured at them respectively: the old man, the big guy, the head, the centaur, the armored woman, and the teenage girl.
I greeted them and Richard continued, "You still have one senior brother in China called Emperor Sun. He sends his greetings and apologizes for not being able to join us today."
"You look my age," Tulip suddenly said, "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," I answered, not really knowing if she was my age or not. Look at Richard for example, he looks like a man in his 20s but is actually trillions of years old.
She must have been reading my mind since she said, "Don't worry, I am really your age."
"Oh..." We all exchanged some words and they asked me about my mortal life. Richard remained silent all the while until he tapped the desk in front of him gently to get our attention.
"Now," Richard said, "let us formally make Orion your junior apprentice brother."
He eyed me seriously and spoke like that as well, "Orion Fistore, are you willing to become my student and accept me as your teacher and guide in your training?"
I looked at everyone to see their reactions, which had looks of support on them. Then, my eyes went back to Richard and I made my decision, "I accept."
"Then I, Richard, Lord Of Chaos, make you my last disciple and student. To a journey full of success."
Something felt different after he finished talking. I couldn't describe it, but I had a feeling that it wasn't something bad.
"As a gift," Richard started again, "I will give you one of my feathers to make a wand, and a piece of Pangu's axe to fuse it with your weapon of choice. Please accept them!"
A pitch-black feather along with a crude piece of metal appeared on the desk in front of us. I picked them up and eyed them. However, I sensed some tension, and when I looked around at the faces of my senior brothers and sisters, there was shock and disbelief. Everyone except Tulip, who was as confused as I was.
"Richard," spoke Freya, "are you sure about the blade?"
"Yes," he replied calmly, "It is in good hands!"
He winked at me then added, "Mimir, tomorrow you will teach Orion about how to make a wand. Merlin, you will teach him charms and magical spells, and help him control his energy. Chiron, archery. And Freya, some healing basics."
He turned to the big guy, "Fárbauti, I will teach him some martial arts first, then you will take over. Now, leave us."
All of them left me and Richard alone in the room.
"I will send you to your home now, Orion," he said, "you have a big day tomorrow. Send my greetings to your parents."
Richard waved his hand while smiling, and I was suddenly back home.
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Author note: Updated on April 23, 2024