Steam smoked out every orifice so angered he was by Leo's words, "If you won't bow. I will make you bow!" Then he held out his right hand and began chanting a spell. As he did a purple magic circle appeared before him and with it the gravity in the room doubled. Then he laughed maniacally, "You will bow before me."
The next morning the sun was shining its resplendent and golden rays through his window. There wasn't a cloud in the oceanic blue sky.
Leo woke up taking his first breath as an eighteen-year-old. As the air filled his lungs joy filled his heart. Today he was finally going to leave this place.
Today he would get his gift!. Leo looked outside and saw that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, "Ah, what a beautiful day, the skies are clear and beautiful. The possibility of rain is the same as the sun taking a shower (1). No clouds equal good omens. Wait?! Did I just trigger a flag?"
Leo dove back to his bed and touched the wooden frame, "Touchwood (2)" He shouted then heaved a sigh of relief, 'Whew! I almost doomed myself there. In the future, I need to be careful of these signs. Especially with my luck, I don't want to be bringing misfortune on myself. Wait… Did I just do it again? Touchwood, you know just to be safe."
After touching his bed for the second time, Leo walked to the dining hall. It was time for breakfast and he was hungry. He was a man now and as a man he needed food.
He got there and even on his birthday his presence wasn't welcomed. They all looked at him with disdainful glares and then ate their porridge. Leo sighed, 'Not even going to wish me a happy birthday? Wishful thinking I guess…'
Then he went to the kitchen and dished himself a bowl of maize meal porridge. After that, he added a nod of butter to it. Lastly, he added some white sugar. Then he stirred it changing the white colour of the maize meal to a yellowy colour.
When he was done, he found himself a seat. He had to sit next to some unwelcoming people but this was his last day here. Why should he be forced to eat alone? It was his birthday they could at least let him eat in peace. Leo found a seat and then took his silver spoon and stuffed the porridge in his mouth. Then he looked at the silver spoon (3) and sighed, "If only."
After he had finished breakfast, he stood up and then everyone else stood up. Seeing this strange occurrence, Leo furrowed his brows, 'What now?' However, he acted like he never knew and continued to walk. That's when the eldest boy, Austin Fredrick called out to him. So Leo stopped and turned around, "Yes?"
"It's your birthday right?" The lanky ginger-haired youth said.
"Yes it is…" He said askance.
"Well as a house we all wanted to say happy birthday to you. We admit that we have been rude to you and want to apologize. We have a gift for you but you must close your eyes."
'I don't believe a thing this guy is saying. But the word gift intrigues me… Did the house mother give him the gift to give to me?'
"I don't want to close my eyes but I am interested in the gift…"
"You can't have the one without doing the other."
Leo sighed and then he closed his eyes.
Then Austin walked in front of him and punched a few times in front of his face to see if he would react. When he didn't, he was sure that his eyes were closed, "Okay your eyes are closed wait for two minutes and then we will guide you to your gift."
In the process of waiting, Leo could hear the young ones giggling. When he heard that, he wanted to open his eyes, however, Austin called out to him, "No peeking!" Austin was the same age a Leo. Actually a few months older than him. He was still here because they only called the nobles when the last eighteen-year-old turned eighteen. And other than Leo there was one more.
Once everything was ready, Austin told Leo that he can start moving forward and so he did. Austin was directly behind him so if there was some trap Austin would be affected too thus he walked without being afraid. Leo continued to walk forward and then he reached the kitchen. He knew this because he had an eidetic memory. Once they reached the kitchen all the children began singing, "Happy Birthday to you…"
They sang until the song was finished. Then Austin said, "You may open your eyes and collect your gift."
Leo opened his eyes with much anticipation; however, there was no gift? He looked around again and yet still there was nothing… He furrowed his brows and turned to Austin, "Where is the gift?"
Austin frowned, "Don't you see it?"
"No! There is no gift in this room?"
"It's the dishes, you moron! What did your brain get damaged too." Hearing this, the other children laughed.
Leo sighed, 'Of course it's the dishes…' "This is not a gift. But if you think so I'm passing it on to you."
Many stifled a chuckle at Leo's words. Austin didn't have a comeback and this made him feel weak, "Still quick as ever with your mouth. But how about with magic" He stretched out his right hand above his chest and began chanting, "This is gravity magic... How long can you last? eighteen seconds for your eighteenth birthda-"
But before he could finish his sentence he was slapped square in the face out of nowhere. When he came to he saw the house mother in front of him, "Are you insane!? Are you trying to break my house? Do you know how much these wards cost!? They cost more than twenty of your worthless ass!"
After the shock of the sudden appearance of the house mother, Leo stifled a chuckle. Austin glared at him but he could do nothing. He didn't want another slap, 'I'll return the favour to you one day. You will see!' He vowed in his heart.
When Leo laughed the house mother turned and looked at him with the eyes of a hawk, "Here is your gift. Go pack your sh** and get the f*ck out my house!"
With a jolt, Leo stood up and ran to his room. All the stress from the gravity disappeared as adrenaline pumped through his veins. Leo got to his room and buried the small wooden box in his pocket. Then he picked up his two black bags worth of clothes and walked past them in the kitchen. Then he opened the door ready to leave.
However, in front of him was someone who obviously didn't belong on this side of town. It was a middle-aged lady of noble birth. She had one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. Her arctic blue eyes were deep-set and narrow. Brunette hair and a heart-shaped face. Her figure was impressive too; she had an hourglass body and bulging breasts. Her rift was finely showing boasting the splendour of her chest.
Leo gulped at the pulchritudinous woman in front of him and then moved past her. He wanted to get the heck out of this place so admiring the beauty for her beauty was something he didn't care about. He took his first step out the premises when he heard, "How much for that one?"
"Eh!"
1- Sun shower – This is when it rains even though there is little to no clouds in the sky. Leo was using this as a play on words with a double entendre. If the sun is showering (sun shower) then it's raining. At the same time, he is mocking the absurdity of it. Since the sun isn't alive so it can't take a shower. Therefore the chance of rain that day is none existent.
2- Touchwood- It is believed that if you jinx something you can unjinx it by touching wood and saying, "Touchwood," That is why he runs to his bed to bring down the flag he could have possibly raised.
3- Silver spoon- To be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Is to be born in a family with resources that they can spend it on their children which give them a boost over those that don't have those resources. In that scene, Leo is lamenting that although he has a faux silver spoon in his mouth it isn't the real deal. He doesn't have anybody willing to spend money on him. This would rid him of his troubled mana channels.