Aramis sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair while he waited his turn. After the Hale kid, he'd have to talk to the principal, William Saxton. A lot of the kids just called him Old Man Bill but Aramis had always felt the nickname undermined what he was truly capable of.
The first time he'd met William Saxton was before he'd ever made his way to the Lost. A few years ago, the old man had resided in the Capital like he had. He was someone who formerly had a seat in the Magic Council and was known as one of the most esteemed Wizards that the Three Kingdoms had to offer. William was the Head Overseer of the Royal Medical Staff. He was getting along in age but no one ever doubted his strength or vitality. Everyone knew he had played a part in the Great War which had brought about the Second Coming of the Gods. Though he had never admitted it, he was there when the Conquerors won their battles and lived to tell the tale. That was something only a few were capable of. Most of all, Aramis owed him his life.
The Curse of Nyx was a disease that was meant to do more than destroy his Lifetree. If not for the help of Doctor William himself, he really might have died that day the Curse had struck him. Aramis could see no reason why the Doctor had decided to save him. His act of kindness could not have had any real benefits. So many people had prayed for Aramis' downfall and his death would have made many powerful peoples' lives much easier. This meant that not only had he no reason to help the Northerner, doing so had probably made him gain many enemies. William was a man of good heart. When the Academy had decided to take a vote on what was to become of him, William was one of the few people who had fought for his case.
Aramis still remembered when he was leaving for the Lost, he'd realized William already had his bags at the ready. He still remembered his emotions overcoming him as the doctor had told him he was not yet fully recovered and he would not leave a patient's side till he was well. He remembered sobbing as the old man patted his head gently and telling him things would be alright. Things would get better. By making the decision to follow Aramis to the Lost, he was also forced to give up his seat in the Magic Council and his job as the Royal Physician which were roles that anyone would kill for.
The old man had no one to call his own. His children had passed in wars of the past and sickness had taken his wife before Aramis was born. Maybe that was why he'd been able to move because he'd had nothing holding him down in the Capital.
Although they hadn't seen each other much lately over the past few years, he'd always seen Saxton somewhat like a grandfather figure in his life.
Perhaps it was for the best because retirement had never suited the old man. At the time, there had been no principal for the Lost's only school and he had taken the job when they first offered it to him. William Saxton had become so loved in this Village because of the work he had done for the Lost's education system. He forged a new path for the new generations of the Lost to flourish in a solid and innovative schooling practice. Within the first month , he had declared school would here on out be mandatory for all children below the age of 21. If there was a question of whether they could afford the school fees, it would not have been a problem any longer. William himself swore he would cover the costs for each and every student here in the Lost.
All in all, he was a man that Aramis respected greatly. So when he was told to stop, he stopped. But did he feel embarrassed and ashamed for his actions? No. He did not. All of them had it coming, one way or another. If given the chance, he would have beaten them senseless as many times as he possibly could. If not for his status as a Duke, Aramis would probably be facing much harsher punishment. He wondered what was taking so long, Thomas technically didn't do anything wrong after all.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, they emerged from the office and Thomas had a grim look on his face. He also looked pretty stupid because there were now bandages wrapped all around his head that kept his jaw locked in place, probably thanks to Saxton. Once a doctor, always a doctor. When the two boys locked eyes, the room filled with tension. Aramis was still pumped up and ready to go, itching for Thomas to simply just do something. Like Roland, Thomas had the ability to use magic but his was powerful. Powerful enough for his family to be given the status of nobility. Aramis wasn't afraid, he wanted a fight to break out. Instead, he turned to the principal.
"You spoke to my father, correct? Do you know whether he'll be heading home any time soon?" He asked slowly as if every word was a pain. It probably was with how swollen his jaw had become.
"I'm afraid this particular business trip will not be ending from what I know, Thomas. He is doing his best for the Lost, but I assure you he will return before you know it." Aramis could see the old man was trying his best to assure the boy but it didn't seem like he was exactly sure of his own words. Thomas kept his head hung down but nodded in acknowledgement. He could have sworn that he heard Thomas mutter a word of thanks as he moved to leave but he couldn't be sure. Before he could make anything of it, Saxton was gesturing him to follow him into his office.
"You broke his jaw, Aramis."
"He deserved it." He said, without a shred of remorse in his expression. Aramis had calmed down by now but his feelings towards Thomas Hale and his goons had not changed one bit.
The principal gave him a stern look and Aramis quickly found himself admiring the ground. He wouldn't apologize but he didn't want to anger the old man even further.
The guy was probably older than Liam but looked like he was still in his 50s. He looked like he hadn't aged a day since he met him. Saxton was a stout man, fit and able. Built like an ox. He boasted a full beard and a bald head. The man could really be intimidating when he wanted to be. That was why Aramis was kind of hoping that in the midst of the chaos, Saxton would not have remembered the fact that he'd been skipping school. He was a fool for thinking so.
"Sit. And remove your shirt. I need to check on your condition. I have not done so in a while because someone has not been attending his classes."
"I've just been...a little busy." With a weak smile, Aramis did what he was told. Normally, a person's Tree of Life was located at the base of a wrist on either arm. They usually grew to considerable lengths and at full maturity would take up an entire arm's worth of space. The bigger it grew, the more power it was capable of holding. Aramis' Tree Of Life started from the base of his spine and grew out to cover his entire back all the way up to his neck. It was like a mural of art. Each branch was intricate and clear, leading to different possibilities and combinations of how his magic could be used. In the very center, the Insignia of the Sun was branded into his skin, its glow dim and fading. The golden tree felt weak now, nothing like it once was.
"Busy drinking? Busy wasting your life away?" He examined his body closely as he spoke and Aramis stayed still as he possibly could. "It's growing weaker." He observed. That brightened up Aramis' day. Made him feel like it was all sunshine and rainbows for sure.
"I know this is asking a lot, but I'm going to need you to try it again." His voice was gentler this time, Saxton knew this process was painful.
The familiar feeling of dread closed in on him. The old man was asking him to ignite his magic once more. Aramis hated it but he'd had to do it every single time he checked up on his condition. It was part of the reason why Aramis had stopped coming to school. Every single time he was forced to experience excruciating pain and every time he did it, he ended up failing.
He closed his eyes, taking in a sharp breath of air. Just one more time.
From within him, he gathered all the strength he could muster. It was deeper than just his body, it was far more...magical. The amount of magical energy had not dampened, in fact, it felt like it within him had grown exponentially last time he checked. Drawing a bit from the large pool of Mana, he guided it towards the base of his Tree. Now came the hard part.
He felt his knees shaking as he forced the Mana through the Tree's roots, forcing it to flow through them and into the Tree itself. A soft golden glow began to flicker. Slowly but steadily, the magic began to run through his branches. Aramis felt a burst of hope, could this be it?
Filled with his living energy, the room basked in the light that now exploded from his body. As if on cue, an inky black stain seemed to explode at different points on the Tree. It seemed to spread rapidly in the opposite direction of the Mana's flow, forcing it out and causing pain to explode all around his body.
He yelled out in pain and fell to his knees before he crumpled completely to the floor. Saxton immediately came to his aid and put his mouth to his wrist. Then he breathed, activating his own Tree. His entire body felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of sharp needles. This could have continued for hours on end if not for Saxton working his magic. There was a cooling sensation that replaced the agony and he relaxed. His body had already begun to recover from the strain of forcing magic into his dying Tree, thanks to the old man.
There was a silence settled the room as William continued to breathe life into his Tree and Aramis simply laid there on the carpeted ground, trying not to cry.
"I think you need a drink." The principal finally said once he'd made sure that he was alright.
With all that out of the way, it was time for Aramis to face the music. Though, after what just happened, it didn't seem like either of them were in the mood for it.
The man poured him some warm tea which he gratefully accepted. It was nice. Some kind of lemon herbal tea that Saxton had probably brewed himself. He loved growing all kinds of herbs but Aramis wondered if he could still do it in such an unrelenting climate like this the Lost's.
"I've been having trouble with sleep." If there was one person who could diagnosis his dreams with Nyx as him just going insane, it would have been him.
"Are you having trouble sleeping? Is the Curse causing you discomfort of any kind?" He asked, immediately showing some concern.
"No not exactly. I've just been having these ...dreams. It's nothing too serious honestly."
Saxton's expression became a bit more serious. "Dreams are complicated Aramis. I don't think it'd be wise to just ignore them. Dreams...often have meanings that we sometimes do not yet understand." He looked at him expecting Aramis to tell him more about them.
He didn't. As much as he trusted the old man, he didn't feel like telling him about the Goddess and her offer. What would he think? What would anyone think if he was talking to the Goddess who ruled the lands of the Monsters? And what would they do if they knew he was thinking of accepting her offer?
"It's...nothing. I promise I'll start coming to school again." He needed to change the subject.
Aramis could see the principal contemplating about whether he should pry further but he decided against it. "Even though I know you are sorry for your actions, you will still need to face some punishment. It will be decided tomorrow morning. For now, I suggest you head home for now. It'll be better if you take the rest of the day and the weekend off. It's been...a long day for you."
Thank Eos for that. He couldn't stand sitting in a classroom any longer than he already had. He grinned as he stood, pulling his shirt back on and finishing his cup of tea.
"Cory is waiting for you outside." The smile on his face faded as quickly as it came.
He swore under his breath, the old man was sneakier than he looked.
Before he left, Saxton called out for him.
"One more thing Aramis. I do not know what dreams you have been having but I do know one thing. Trust the gut feeling. If you think it is right then it is right. When it comes to these things, you have to be able to trust yourself. I will see you tomorrow morning."
It was a long walk to the carriage waiting for him outside. He had a lot to think about, especially with those last words of advice.
The principal stood in front of the office's window and watched the boy board the carriage. He could become something great but he needed guidance from someone greater. Someone greater than he was. He glanced over at the letter at the desk. It was from one of the Captains of the Riders, the strongest the Lost had to offer. He was returning from the Borders after all this time. Coincidence? Or a blessing from the Goddess herself? An idea had begun to form in his mind. It was that time of year again, huh? Everything was all coming together.
Aramis needed a mentor and William Saxton now had the perfect person for the job. He chuckled softly to himself. Did the boy have it in him to endure what he was about to put him through? He'd have to find out.
Things were about to change for the young boy, for better or for worse...? That would be up to Aramis Morricone to decide.