As the three young mages made their way back to Red Copper Town, they were thoughtful and kept on thinking about what happened.
The encounter with Archvel changed their look on the world to some degree.
For new students like them, even a new mage at the level of Archvel is something to be taken seriously.
In a sense, the fact that Archvel has the resources and knowledge of the Dark Archive and that he is a hardworking mage with a keen interest in learning and adding to that he has a great level of intellectual mind, it would be expected to see that he improves at a lightning-fast rate.
It was only to be expected that in about one month he would be at the level where new students would marvel.
At the same time, he had some battle experience too, so he was not an inexperienced mage considering all the things he had seen.
"It was exciting."
Ezekiel thought as he kept on moving.
Cardian broke the silence.
"Did you see the way he commanded those skeletons? It was like they were an extension of his own will. Archvel is truly a formidable mage. It is no wonder he knows Master Jareth."
Ezekiel nodded.
"And the way he spoke was so composed.It's as if he holds the knowledge of a thousand tomes within his mind. I can't help but wonder what kind of experiences he has had to become so powerful."
Layla chimed in.
"I'm also curious about the punishment we'll face from Master Jareth for destroying Archvel's skeleton. He mentioned something about paying him 30 gold coins. That's quite a hefty sum."
The mention of their impending punishment brought concern to their faces.
They knew that their actions had consequences, and Jareth, their mentor, would surely hold them accountable for their misstep.
Of course, compared to the fact that the alternative to a bad encounter with a necromancer usually means that they would be killed and turned into the skeletons or undead to work for the necromancer.
They would definitely pay for even more if needed. Even if they need to work doing the most mundane jobs for one year, it does not matter at all.
Cardian let out a nervous chuckle.
"I can already imagine the disappointment in Master Jareth's eyes when he hears about what we did. I hope he understands that it was an honest mistake."
Ezekiel nodded in agreement.
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"Indeed, we didn't know the significance of the skeleton.”
Layla added with a grin,
"Well, we better start saving up those gold coins. We don't want to be in debt to Archvel for too long. Besides, it might be an opportunity to earn some extra funds through missions and tasks."
As they approached Red Copper Town, they were different.
-
Archvel had his own little plans for them in his mind that they weren't aware of.
Little did they know that the deal they made with Archvel and the impending consequences of their actions would shape their future in unforeseen ways.
The young mages of The Tower Of Black Sun walked onward; they were having a good time because they were able to save their own lives from the hands of impending death.
That was all they ever wanted from this interaction with Archvel, and they got it.
They were lucky to encounter Archvel, and that was all.
As the three young mages arrived at the headquarters of The Tower of Black Sun, they were greeted by the familiar sights and sounds of their organization.
They approached Jareth's office.
The door swung open, revealing Jareth seated behind his desk, a stern expression etched on his face. His eyes met theirs.
“Why are you guys here? I heard that you guys were in the forest looking to find something and experience the world."
Ezekiel coughed and then started talking and telling Jareth what happened between them and Archvel.
Jareth listened attentively as the three students recounted their encounter with Archvel and the destruction of his skeleton.
At first, Jareth's anger flared,
"You should have exercised more caution! Destroying the property of another mage is a serious offense, and it reflects poorly on our organization."
The three mages lowered their heads,
But Jareth's anger soon gave way to a surprising shift in demeanor. His expression softened, and a glimmer of relief danced in his eyes.
"However, it seems that you were fortunate enough to encounter Archvel instead of another dark mage. Archvel is a dark mage that is clear, but he is not inherently malicious. At least to us, this experience will serve as a valuable lesson for you all."
Ezekiel, Cardian, and Layla exchanged glances,
They again realized that their encounter with Archvel had indeed been a stroke of luck, one that had allowed them to learn and grow in a relatively safe manner.
The thought of encountering another dark mage with necromancer tendencies was enough to strike fear deep into their blood and bone.
Jareth leaned back in his chair,
"Consider yourselves lucky, but do not forget the gravity of your actions. Archvel holds significant knowledge and power; I myself respect him, despite I did not spend much time with him.”
The students nodded.
"We were really lucky to encounter a person that our organization knew and had connections with."
Layla thought as she looked down.
With a final nod from Jareth, the three young mages left his office.
Jareth laughed and thought
"They had learned a valuable lesson about the consequences of their actions."
"That lesson is worth more than thirty gold coins, as it will decide on their fate if they are going to keep on living or not."
Ezekiel held the gray-colored small bag with thirty gold coins in his hands and then looked at the others as he spoke.
"We should hurry up and go to the place designated to meet with him and give these gold coins to him."
Layla smiled and nodded.
The trio parted ways as Ezekiel and Layla wanted to go meet with Archvel again for the time being.
They knew that they were going to get punished because of these events, but they were feeling lucky to be alive, which gave them good enough reasons to not care about these things.