CHAPTER 6: EMERY WALKER 

Adjusting my waistcoat and tightening my collar, I stare out of the large window. The evening sun bathes the snowy streets in shining gold while people go about their daily lives.

‘It’s all going to be fine’ I tell myself as I bring my head back to the bare wooden table in front of me. This evening needs to go as planned. If it doesn’t… well I guess I should return to Alvinhroth.

“Sir, would you like some water?”

I jump from my seat, startled by the waitress’s question.  “No-no, everything is fine for now.” Reseating myself, the relaxing opera passes through my ears. Unconsciously closing my eyes, I watch a dancing symphony race through my mind; Each note creating an array of beautiful shapes and colours.

My fingers start to wave in the shapes racing across my mind as I feel myself separating from the world around me; the only reminder of my worldly attachment being the chair beneath me.

“I think Lucy’s going to like you”

My eyes snap open as I jump from my chair for a second time this evening. The man in front of me displays a small smile while seating himself opposite me. “No need to worry Mr Walker. I was quite enjoying you little performance”

Collecting myself; I reseat myself once again. The man raises his hands into air calling for the waitress. “Now Mr Walker, I don’t believe I introduced myself” said the man as the waiter took both our orders. Why would I even need an introduction, this man is known throughout the entire kingdom.

“I am Sir Wilford Galdara Ellenvale, your future employer” said the man as he seemed to relax comfortably into his seat. I sit slightly shocked for a moment, before I have the courage to speak. “Um… Are you really employing me? I haven’t even given you my history yet” I know it’s stupid of me to ask when I was just given the job, but I was scammed like this once before.

The man nodded; seemingly in thought about something. “There is however, a condition to your employment. Something that has excluded several applicants before you” I felt my throat become dry, just what kind of condition could rule out so many people. 

“Don’t worry, the condition is relatively minor. I require you to make a vow under the eyes of Algrand” casually said the hero in front of me. I almost choked on thin air hearing that. Who in their right mind would make a vow under the eyes of Algrand, that’s tantamount to suicide if one’s not careful.

The madman in front of me maintains a serious expression. Isn’t this supposed to be a tutoring position? Why would I be required to make such a ridiculous vow? No, going home and facing my parents is better than that. “I’m sorry Mr Ellenvale. But I too must decline, I don’t want to die any earlier than I must.”

“you will have my guaranty to lifetime employment, a salary of fifty gold coins a month, and your own housing.” Said the man before I could get off my seat.

Lifetime employment? Fifty gold a month? My own housing? That’s… that’s actually rather convincing. I would never have to grovel back to my parents nor those other houses they work with.

Tapping my finger against the table, I think through my options. It’s unlikely that I will get another offer like this. Though… If I die, it’s not exactly worth it either. “Sir, If I might ask… what will I be making a vow for? If I recall correctly, this was supposed to be for a tutor’s position”

Sir Ellenvale let out a small sigh. “It’s true the position involves tutorship, but it also includes a high level of secrecy, particularly relating to my daughter. I will require you to act not only as her tutor, but both assistant and bodyguard as well”

What!? That’s way too much. I guess that’s why he’s paying so much gold though… I guess I could always hear the terms of the vow. “I will agree to at least hear the vow I must make, but I will choose to accept it or not afterward” I declare almost forgetting who I was speaking to.

The man’s face shines unexpectedly; I am guessing no one got this far before.

Raising his hand, his fingers spread across my face, I nervously await the vows conditions. “You, Emery Hayden Walker shall hereby be sworn to secrecy under the eyes of Algrand, to protect both the secrets of Lucy Bella Ellenvale and that of the Ellenvale household. You, will also hereby be required to protect Lucy Bella Ellenvale even in the face of death” I can’t help but shudder at the last request; just what am I going to get myself into, I’m not exactly a soldier. Still I have a strange feeling that I just cannot shake.

“I… accept”

A sudden rush of mana spreads through my body, forcing me to hold my breath. Feeling my body tremble, I recall all the times I was told to never make a vow under Algrand. What the hell was I just thinking!? The rush of mana slowly stops and I become able to breathe again. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now.

Sir Ellenvale removes his hand from my face. “Don’t worry too much, Algrand will tell you if you are close to breaking it” I feel my heart rate start to fall. If that’s the case I should be fine… probably.

“Sir” Sir Ellenvale raises his hand.

“Please just call me Wil from now on, the titles only get in the way” says Wil as he grabs a bottle of wine from the waitress’s tray. I’m tempted to grab some myself but decide it is best not.

“Sir… I mean Wil. Judging by the vow, I’m guessing you wish for me to tutor your daughter. But what exactly do you wish for me teach her, I am licensed to teach until the seventh year of general studies, and up to the tenth year of magic theory” I ask as I watch Wil seemingly determined to drink as much as possible.

“That! My friend is the question, isn’t it? I think you will just need to ask her” says Wil as he drinks more. This guy discovered the cure to vixen?

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“Ask her? How old is she?”

The man in front of me lets out a small chuckle; probably drunk by now. “No Emery, that is the not the right question. I think It’d be best if you visited her yourself tomorrow. But I will tell you this, anything you think you know about children is irrelevant concerning Lucy”

I don’t quite know what to think about what he said, I’m guessing he means she’s well above her age group. I spent my final two years at Yherton University learning how to tutor, I’ve tried teaching several different age groups so I should still be able to teach her.

…

Snow engulfs my boots as I make my way through the silent woods. Why the hell am I supposed to teach her magic out in the freeking forest! When I envisioned my job yesterday, I assumed I would be sitting comfortably beside a fireplace in some mansion. No, Instead I’m looking for some hut in the middle of an icy wasteland.

A sudden cracking brakes the silence, causing my heart to beat faster. Why is the world always trying scare me!? Thankfully I see a small clearing in the distance, hopefully that’s where this ‘hut’ is. Even if this girl is above her years, what kind of parent lets them wonder alone this deep into the forest.

The snow starts to thin and the trees separate as a small wooden shack comes into view. checking the description given to me by Wil, a high pitch laughter escapes the hut. I’m guessing this is the right place…

Knocking on the door, the laughter quickly stops. “Identify yourself, NOW!” commands a high-pitched voice from behind the door, almost making be jump back. This girl is supposed to be three, right? She seems quite forceful.

“Um… I am your new tutor. You can call just call me Emery”

Silence filled the air as I waited patiently. “Come in, don’t touch anything” The voice replied quietly as I heard small footsteps move away from the door. I guess I’m supposed to open it?

Now staring at me intently is a small girl with fire in her hands, red hair, blue eyes, a slightly dirty red dress with a black top. After a small moment, the girl finally stops staring at me and extinguishes her flames. “When you knock next time, the password is, six point two eight”

I would normally think something like a password to the hut as something normal a child her age would do, but… she was so serious. Staring around the wooden hut, I cannot help but notice the array of tubes lying on the ground while leading to some sort of mouldy glass case.

“Umm… what are you doing in here Lucy? Aren’t you lonely?” I say as I bend down to her height and smile. I never really dealt with children younger than five but I did have a younger brother who was two. Confusion seemed to show on Lucy’s face before she burst out laughing. Ok… this is weird.

A few moments later she finally seems to calm down. “I’m sorry … Emery, was it? Please don’t treat me like a child. I’m guessing dad didn’t tell you much about me?”

‘anything you think you know about children is irrelevant concerning Lucy’

The conversation from last night plays through my head. I did not take what Wil said too seriously at the time, but now…

“No, he didn’t. would you like to tell me?” I ask, not particularly sure how I should be speaking right now.

Lucy looked at me for a moment before shaking her head. “I think not telling you would be a wonderful social experiment, it could be titled ‘the reactions of educated individuals from this world, confronted with an abnormal situation’. So, no”

Ok, this child is not normal. My eyes drift to the tubes below me, I can’t help but notice several lines etched onto the glass. What are these things?

“I’m sorry if I sound a little rude, but do you mind standing back. I just confirmed that methane can be manipulated with water magic, and you ruined my moment by knocking on that damned Door! I hate that door…” the girl's face was clearly showing anger.

I step back not wanting to anger this girl any more than I apparently had. Wait, did she just day magic? I suddenly recall seeing the girl surround her hands in fire as I entered. To do that without burning oneself takes years of practice to get the right feel, even if you are a fire attribute. How could she possibly…

I notice something now moving inside the tubes, it looks like water but it seems to be moving slower than the other tube. Didn’t she say something about ‘methane’, what is methane?

Eventually whatever was inside the tubes stops moving, with the one closest to me having travelled much further than the other.

“78.3cm, and 23.4cm” Lucy mutters to herself; completely ignoring me. This is definitely not how I envisioned my first day. After watching Lucy for a while I grew bored and started looking at the shelves.

A large glass tank, several weird contraptions, some sort of scales, a weird metal thing with glass tube and silvery liquid. Does all of this belong to Lucy? I don’t really know what she’s doing in here, but I am guessing it has something to do with why I had to make that vow.

Still, I must guard her for the rest of my life now…

 My eyes can’t help but flicker towards a small flat box at the end of the shelf. Staring at the object, I pick it up and examine every corner; what material is this made from?

“Please don’t touch that. I won’t exactly say he was my friend, but he was a well-respected rival.” This box was…?

Lucy slowly walks towards me while holding out her hand. Reluctantly letting go of the box, I stare back at the conglomerate of tubes on the floor. “Did you finish what you were doing?”

Lucy looks turns her head back before looking up at me again. “yes and no, I have two ideas as to what water manipulation might be now, but it’s going to take a while to test them.

Water manipulation!? But I thought she must be a fire user. More importantly, what exactly does she think water manipulation is. It’s my job to tutor her so I should make sure it’s correct.

“And what do you think water manipulation is?” I ask. Well, it’s not like anyone really knows; it’s just sort of…. Magic.

Lucy walks over and pulls out a small sheet of paper of a desk. “Currently I think that it is related to some sort of interaction between the electromagnetic field, and a mana field of sorts.

I still don’t know if a mana field exist of course, but the experiment over there should shed some light on that” Lucy points towards the large glass tank.

I was about to ask what an electromagnetic field was when she continued her explanation. “The reason I think the electromagnetic field is involved is because the molar mass of water is about 18g/mol and methane is about 16g/mol. When I sent both down the tubes I ensured each didn’t touch the surface to prevent surface tension, but, I could move water 78.3cm but liquid methane only 23.4cm. Since the molar masses are relatively similar but one is polar and the other isn’t. The solution that immediately jumps at me is the difference is electromagnetic in nature.

Oh yea, that’s the other thing. There is absolutely no way for methane to normally be a liquid at these temperatures, that’s why I was laughing before you came in. I wonder if mana can directly change charge distribution of an atom…?”

I hear an endless sea of words, but I can no longer follow it. I continue to listen as the girl continues about why she might be wrong and an endless list of assumptions she made, particularly her experience with magic, and how she would check some of them.

A smile appears on my face as I listen to hear… lecture. I don’t quite understand why the door made her so upset before, but now she seemed positively euphoric now. Still, just who is this girl. I can’t believe for a second that she is the same as every as everyone else.

“Hey Emery… I’m sorry about before. I sometimes get… well I’m not sure. Anyway, last night dad said you would be staying with us for a long time so I guess we better get along” I snap out of my thoughts and hold out my hand.

“Indeed, the rest of my life in fact. I just have two questions Lucy; who are you, and what can I possibly teach you?” Lucy looks puzzled for a moment before smiling.

“I am Lucy Bella Ellenvale, and you can teach me anything that I don’t already know” Well that’s not exactly helpful. Still, I think this could be fun.

“Nice to meet you Lucy, my name is Emery Hayden Walker. I will forever be your tutor, protector, and assistant. But hopefully I can also be your friend”