As the week continued, Alan found that the other acolytes' attitude towards him changed for the better, and he was made into an interesting and somewhat important figure all of a sudden, at least among some of the younger acolytes.
Alan had to admit that he actually did owe Catherine a favor or two, because her brazen display of familiarity with him was probably what had spurred this on, and he had to wonder if she’d done it all on purpose.
In any case, he’d at least managed to get on more friendly terms with several of his fellow acolytes, and made a good friend in Cal, who naturally had made a swift recovery in the infirmary. Cal had gotten the exact same advice from the guidance counselor, so his schedule was identical to Alan, and they soon found themselves working together in all subjects.
When it came to the riding lessons, Alan had repeatedly made such a fool of himself that Cal had to take him aside and teach him how to approach animals from scratch, something Alan sorely needed. He hadn’t had much experience with animals at all, in neither of his lives, and Cal had apparently grown up on a farm, though Alan assumed they hadn’t had horses.
Cal was a natural on the horseback though, and never once complained about Alan’s lack of skill or talent on that front, just encouraging him on and helping where he could.
Alan, in response, did much the same thing for Cal in aura training, and understood a lot more about Cal’s situation once he explained that he was just an ordinary farmer’s son, and that he was the first in the family to have the gift, as he called it. He’d sought training on his own, but had not had the money to pay for anything. In the end, Gillian had decided to take some time out of her schedule to personally tutor him enough that he could pass the entrance exam for the academy, and he was eternally grateful to her for this.
Alan also noticed that Cal didn’t have proper writing tools or notebooks, so he bought him what he needed. Cal initially refused to accept it, but Alan managed to convince him that taking proper notes was essential for learning, and that if Cal didn’t want to accept it as a gift, he could always pay him back when he started earning money as a mage. When Alan asked about the small salary the academy paid their acolytes, Cal admitted that it was all going to his family, as they were struggling to put food on the table from before, and his salary went a long way in remedying the situation.
Alan’s practice sessions with Aquillus had started up again, now that he was officially enrolled in the academy. They had started working on a number of important skills for a fire mage, according to Aquillus, the most iconic of them being the fireball.
Aquillus described the fireball as very difficult and dangerous to learn, but when properly mastered, it was the signature spell of all fire mages. It was also diversified in often behaving differently from mage to mage, but Aquillus put that down to differing thought patterns taught between the families, and that the spell essentially was the same for everyone.
What Alan understood was that the fireball behaved more or less like an incendiary grenade, as it had to move through the air for a while before exploding on impact. And so, he set out on the most difficult magical experiment he’d done so far, which was trying to recreate an appropriate material for his own version of the fireball, using his mana.
He considered going with napalm as the burning material, as he had studied the chemical composition of it during one of his projects in his previous life, and found he could use a thin and fragile insulating material encasing it, then a slow burning material outside that again. That was the idea, anyways. Alan didn’t dare try to actually assemble the individual ingredients together for a long time, focusing instead on making them separately, which was difficult enough in itself.
Sundays were his only real rest days, and he often spent them with Cal, inviting him home to dine with his family, or reading up on the magical theory together, and discussing chapters.
Alan didn’t see too much of Gordon Talbot, as he seemed to often find other places to sleep, or possibly sneaked in late and out early without waking Alan, but it didn’t bother him.
“How come you haven’t invited me to meet your family yet?” Alan asked one Sunday, as they were on their way back towards the academy grounds, having just had dinner at the Moltus residence. His family had welcomed Cal warmly, and they usually had some interesting discussions around the dinner table, which often pushed the trip back to the academy until late in the evening, as was the situation this time as well.
“I’d love to invite you once, but it’s quite far, so we’d need the entire weekend for the trip, I think.” Cal answered.
“Ah, I see. I’ll talk to Aquillus about getting a Saturday off then,” Alan said, thoughtfully. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue, he was making good progress on his work, and Aquillus would probably be glad to have some more time for his own projects.
They spent the rest of the walk discussing the location of the farm, what kind of animals they raised, and Cal taught Alan a bit about how to raise said animals, mostly cows and pigs apparently.
As they were about halfway through their trip, they heard some raised voices, clearly in a heated argument. When Alan recognized Gordon’s voice among the increasingly animated voices, they hurried towards the sounds.
“I’m sure I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
Alan clearly identified the somewhat gaudy voice of Gordon Talbot when he tried to impress upon someone his high station.
“I’m talkin’ ‘bout my daughter, you prick! You made her pregnant while boastin’ of being foreign royalty or some shite, and now ye’re suddenly no’ere to be seen, ey? Take some fucking responsibility!”
A very angry voice responded to Gordon’s claims, and Alan could only sigh exasperatedly as he turned a corner and found Gordon cornered by a group of angry citizens, led by what appeared to be a very angry father.
“And I have to reiterate the fact that I don’t know this daughter of yours!” Gordon responded, clearly desperate to get out of the situation.
It was absolutely the wrong thing to say, evident by the fact that the father took out a knife, and a few of his friends took out their own knives as well.
“What’s going on here?” Alan tried to push as much authority into his voice as he could.
“Maybe we shouldn’t get involved,” Cal said hesitatingly, but still followed Alan as he stepped towards the commotion, which confirmed Alan’s impression of Cal’s character.
The group seemed to eye Alan with suspicion, but quickly dismissed him as no one important. “None of yer’ fucking business, get lost!” one of them shouted, wavering threateningly with his knife.
“Do you not recognize the robes on that man you’re threatening?” Alan asked, hoping to see hesitation at that.
“Yes,” Gordon began, “You peasants should recogn-” “Shut up, Gordon!” Alan shouted, and Gordon wisely shut his mouth.
“I don’t give a rat’s arse about what fekkin’ uniform the guy is wearing. He ruined my daughter’s life, I’m gonna kill him!”
“And how are you going to help and support your daughter from jail afterwards, huh?” Alan countered, finally seeing hesitation in the eyes of the group.
“I don’t... “ The father began, but hesitated, then anger won over again. “He needs to pay for what he did!”
“And he will! He will be financially responsible for the child, and will have to make sure your daughter has more than enough to care for her child and herself.” Alan stated, with what little authority he could.
“I will?” Gordon asked, confused.
“Yes, you fucking will!” Alan shouted back.
The group seemed hesitant and confused, not sure about what to do.
“You better live up to that, you sack of cow dung, or we’ll find you again!” The father eventually said, before he abruptly turned around and left.
Alan finally deflated, turning an angry glare towards Gordon.
“Eh.. thank you for your timely rescue, my good friends. I was sure I had to teach the rabble a bit about true magic before they’d leave-”
“Shut it, Gordon.” Alan said tiredly. “You better follow up on what I said, I won’t save you a second time.”
“But I swear I’ve never touched the poor girl that the peasant spoke of.” Gordon countered.
“Then tell me where you keep sneaking off to at night! Not exactly visiting family, are you?” Alan asked, annoyed.
“I.. ehh.. As a matter of fact, I do volunteer work at the local church.” Gordon said, hesitatingly.
“In the middle of the night?”
“It’s… ehhh… okay then, you might be correct in your assumptions that I might have a tryst now and then, with a few local flowers.”
“Wait wait, a few?” Alan stopped dead and turned to Gordon.
“One or two, perhaps..” Gordon said, defensively.
“Are you… ugh.. Do you have any idea how much you could ruin their lives if they get pregnant?” Alan asked angrily.
“It’s their choice, I’ve never forced anyone!” Gordon defended.
“Of course you haven’t! You’ve just hinted at riches and glory and a life in a foreign court, haven’t you?” Alan countered.
“I… might have embellished my station slightly, now that you mention it.”
“That’s it! Next weekend, we’re going around and visiting every single woman you’ve slept with in this city, to ask if your tryst has had any unintended consequences. And if they have, you better be prepared to cash out to every last one of them, you hear?!?”
“But I can’t afford that!”
“Sucks to be you then! Find a fucking way. You’re an acolyte, earn some money!” Alan finally turned towards the academy grounds and started walking, fuming the entire way there.
A point in Gordon’s favor was the fact that he actually started looking for work, and quickly found a mage that accepted him as a research assistant, mostly having him doing paperwork.
Alan slowly revised his impression of Gordon over the following week, from a sly and cunning seducer, and more towards a confused teenager visiting a new and strange country he knew very little about.
“You’re telling me people would actually shy away from women who've already shown they can bear children? How does that make any sense at all?” Gordon asked one evening, after returning late from his assistant work.
“It’s a cultural thing, I guess,” Alan answered. “It might be related to the fact that they don’t want to take care of another man’s child, but often it’s more about the purity of the woman, and her having had a child makes her spoiled somehow, or some such nonsense. I’ve never really understood that part.” Alan said with a sigh.
“But that’s just so wrong!” Gordon stated. “Where I come from, women aren’t really attractive until they’ve had a child or two. Is it somehow less dangerous giving birth in this kingdom or something?” Gordon asked, confused.
“That’s a bit difficult to answer, considering I don’t really know where you’re from,” Alan answered with a sliver of sarcasm in his voice.
“Oh, my father is the King of a-” “Cut it, Gord.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Ehh…. My father is a pirate lord, technically within the Kingdom of Salar to the south, but he practically runs his own independent city.” Gordon said eventually.
“Really?” Alan asked, skeptically.
“Really! It’s not really something to impress the ladies with, is it? That’s why I tend to embellish it slightly. And that’s completely normal where I come from too, embellishing stories to make them more interesting. You don’t do that here?” Gordon asked.
“Ehh…” Alan began hesitatingly. “I guess it isn’t exactly unheard of. But when using it to woo women, you’re crossing the line. Not that people don’t do it, it’s just heavily frowned upon.” Alan answered, as best as he could.
Gordon was removing his jewelry before going to bed, which got Alan thinking. “How come you’ve got all this jewelry and fancy looking clothes, but claim not to have enough money to help a few children grow up?” Alan asked, honestly confused, though he felt the question was more accusing than necessary.
“Since we’re being open and honest about everything, you might as well know,” Gordon sighed, taking a moment to gather courage. “It’s fake. Not all of it, of course, but it’s mostly cheap lookalikes, fools gold and all that.” Gordon sagged a bit together upon his revelation.
“My father believes that everyone should earn their own fortune, so he hasn’t given me much to work with. That’s why I had to go for fakes and copies, instead of the real deal.” Gordon added.
“But why go to such lengths to sell a lie, and not just be honest about your origins and position?” Alan had to ask.
“Image, Alan, image is everything. Cultivate the right image, and people will automatically group you together with the rich and famous. There are distinct advantages to that.” Gordon explained, regaining some of his vigor.
“Distinct advantages like getting laid?” Alan asked, sarcastically.
“Okay, let’s say you’re a brigand, lying in wait to ambush the next traveler on an isolated road.” Gordon began, falling into his theater and performance voice, and ignoring Alan’s quip.
“There! On the horizon you spot a single carriage. Gold adorns the outside, reflecting the sun and telling everyone of the wealth to be found inside, unfathomable treasures. You see only a small honor guard, that would be no match for your band of villains. What do you do?” Gordon asked, excited and expectant.
“Go for it? If I can overrun the guards easily enough, shouldn’t that be the ultimate prize?” Alan asked, confused.
“You go for it! Braving the unknown! Your band of misfits emerge from their hideouts at the opportune moment, easily overpowering the guards. The golden carriage, indeed the ultimate prize for any highwayman, stands still in front of you, and out steps a man of impeccable taste in clothes, his gloves alone expensive enough to feed your family for years.” Gordon paused for effect, and Alan noticed he had actually been following the story with excitement.
“You approach the man, thinking his distant look is one of shock, and you’ve already won. It’s not until you’re very close that you notice you’ve mistaken his distant look for shock and confusion, when in reality, he’s just bored, and disappointed that you’ve interrupted his journey. Flames quickly spread out all around you, burning your friends as they scream and run, but soon they all lie motionless on the ground. The man finally deigns to look at you, and you see nothing but disgust, as the very world around you burns.” Gordon paused again, looking at Alan expectantly.
“Do you see now, why image is so important? A lone, luxurious carriage, with few guards? A single man out after dark, with more jewelry on his person than you’ll ever afford in a lifetime? These are not the signs of easy marks, but of confidence and the power to back it up.” Gordon looked serious and distant, at the end of his impromptu lesson. “Image, dear Alan, is everything.”
“It sure didn’t seem that effective last Sunday,” Alan couldn’t refrain from commenting.
“Bah, those ruffians would have accosted a prince, madmen!” Gordon countered.
“But does it have the same effect if your jewelry is fake?” Alan asked, curious.
“Ah, that’s where my pirate heritage and culture comes into play, you see.” Gordon said with a smile. “Knowledge is power, but bluffing is better! It’s really all about faking it until you make it, out there, you know. So that’s what I’m doing.” Gordon added, while getting into bed.
“Aha, now it makes more sense.” Alan said, and with that, they both decided to get some sleep.
When the next weekend arrived, Gordon had convinced Alan that he’d go through with the visits to his former lovers on his own, promising that he’d learned his lesson. They’d decided together that anyone with child should get at least one copper piece a day, which was enough to feed a family for a day, if spent sparingly.
Since that freed up Alan’s Sunday, he decided to ask Aquillus for a day off as well, in order to go visit Cal’s family at their farm.
“Do we really have to ride there?” Alan asked for the third time, really not feeling comfortable about the expected five hour trip on horseback.
“We could rent a carriage, if you’d rather spend all that extra silver just because you’re scared of horses. I’m not paying for that though,” Cal said, teasingly.
They had asked Mr Rashford about borrowing two horses for a weekend, stating it would be very good practice. The man had reluctantly agreed, on condition that they paid for quality feed themselves, and that they promised to take very good care of the horses, something they immediately agreed to. High quality feed for horses was still cheaper than most meals, and they could easily afford that for the two days they would be away.
Alan had decided to bring his latest railgun prototype, but he kept it wrapped up in his bag, along with a change of clothes, and food enough for both him and his horse for the trip. He also had several waterskins, too many, according to Cal, but he felt one could never have too much water available.
The two horses they were given were of a large and strong breed, though that was the extent of Alan’s knowledge on the subject. His was apparently older and calmer, by the name of Rylia, and luckily for Alan, she was quite experienced with unskilled riders, a fact Rashford stated with a bit too much of a mirthful smile for Alan’s taste. Not that Alan complained.
Cal, however, had gotten a younger and more energetic Matilda, and Alan was very thankful that his lacking skill had been correctly observed by the riding instructor, as Matilda seemed to be a handful. Cal didn’t seem to mind, though, and relished the challenge.
They set out early Saturday morning, going a slow and steady walk through the city, with Cal leading the way. Quite a few people stopped to watch them pass, keeping a respectful distance. Alan noticed that it was the horses that garnered most of the attention, even if both Cal and him were wearing the recognizable acolyte robes. They had apparently been given quite impressive mounts.
Once they left the city, Cal encouraged Matilda into a comfortable trot, and Rylia, bless her, followed naturally without Alan needing to do anything.
Alan spent his time admiring the countryside, though it was mostly farmland in all directions. Still, It was quite a sight.
After two hours of the same, the farmland lost a bit of its glamor in Alan’s eyes. They made a stop to rest the horses for a bit, next to a small river. Alan started stretching soon after they stopped, trying to remedy the sore spots from the riding. They spent some time relaxing in the shade of a tree, before they got going again. It was quite a hot day, and Alan was glad he’d brought the extra water skins.
A few hours after noon, Cal and Alan arrived at the outskirts of a farm surrounded by grass, wheat, and cattle. “Welcome to Agrot’s Stead.” Cal exclaimed, gesticulating to the entire area with his hands.
“I’m sure most of my family is out working in these fields somewhere, or in one of the barns perhaps, but we’ll ride to the main house first, and see if we can’t find some shade for our horses.” Matilda neighed restlessly in response, and Cal patted her gently. “Perhaps we can find some food for you as well,” he said, which somehow seemed to be the right words, though Alan was pretty sure the horses weren’t supposed to understand that.
They arrived at the main house, a rather large building with a small stable next to it, where they left the horses with both food and water. Alan noticed a young girl in a simple white dress hiding behind a corner of the main building, spying on him and Cal with great interest. As Cal started walking towards the main building, the girl rounded the corner with a happy squeal and ran towards them. “Cal!”
Cal caught her mid run, and lifted her up into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you again, little sister.”
“Who’s that?” the girl pointed at Alan.
“It’s rude to point,” Cal said, setting her down. “This is my good friend Alan, why don’t you introduce yourself?”
The girl seemed to consider Alan with big eyes, trying to figure out if he was dangerous or not. When Cal pushed her lightly forward, she took courage and a few steps forward.
“Hello, Alan, my name is Evelyn.” She did the cutest little curtsy, clearly having practiced it before.
“Hello Evelyn, it is very nice to meet you,” Alan said, as he bowed in return.
Evelyn giggled in response, then turned around and ran ahead of them into the house. “Moooom, Cal is home! He brought a friend!”
Cal and Alan followed Evelyn inside, and Alan introduced himself to Marie, Cal’s mother. His father and brother were out working in the fields, so Cal loaned Alan some worn down work wear, and they both went out to help in the fields. There Alan met Peter, Cal’s father, a relatively large and strong looking man, who had clearly been doing manual labour for most of his life. He also met Fred, Cal’s younger brother, who was about Alan’s age.
When the evening came around, the work stopped, and they all went towards the main house for a late dinner.
“Color me impressed, Alan,” Peter, Cal’s father, began. “Not many nobles willin’ to get their hands dirty to help out in farm work. You seem like a reliable sort.”
“Thank you!” Alan answered happily.
“So, ehh.. are your parents important?” Asked Fred, Cal’s younger brother.
Alan went on to explain about his family, and life in the city in general, to sate Fred’s curiosity and growing confidence.
They all went inside the main house to eat a thick stew of some kind, and Alan met the last member of the Argot family. Layla, Cal’s older sister, had been tending to the animals most of the day. Layla looked to be close to twenty years old, with the same brown hair typical for the family, in a long ponytail down her back. She looked lean and strong, with a healthy tan. Alan, tired from both a long journey and work in the field, took several seconds before he noticed his eyes were a bit adventurous in their appreciation for Layla, and he quickly looked down on his food in embarrassment once he was aware. Puberty was tiresome.
After they were done eating, Evelyn continuously pestered Cal to show off his magic, now that he’d finally started learning it, and Cal obliged by manipulating the air to form a small vortex above his hands. He moved it around and collected some dust from the surroundings, turning it into something like a dust devil, though only a few decimeters in height. Alan had never actually seen Cal’s form of magic before, and was just as impressed as Evelyn was, though less vocal about it.
Evelyn quickly started pestering Alan for the same show of magic, who found he couldn’t deny the young girl bubbling with curiosity either. He created a small flame above his hands, and Evelyn squealed with glee at the sight.
Both Alan and Cal spent the rest of the evening telling the family of the academy, other students, and their experiences so far.
Night quickly approached, and Marie led Alan to a guest room, which was small, but had a rather comfortable straw mattress. Not that he felt he needed anything so comfortable, he was more than tired enough to fall asleep right on the floor. He thanked the mother of the house for their hospitality, before he quickly got to bed and fell asleep in a few minutes.
“ ...sleeping?” A whisper woke Alan up.
“Hmm?” Alan grumbled, confused and sleepy.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” The voice whispered, and Alan finally managed to shake off the sleep and turn towards the source of the whispering.
“Ehh… Layla? What are you doing here?” Alan asked, then sat up slowly.
“What do you mean, what are you doing here, weren’t you eyeing me up earlier tonight?” Layla whispered aggressively.
Layla was standing next to his bed, dressed in a loose white night dress, ending just above her knees.
“I was?” Alan asked, still somewhat confused from waking up. “In that case, I am sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Did you come here to get an apology?” Alan asked, still confused.
“I’m not here for an apology!.” Layla answered, still in an aggressive tone, but she soon switched tracks. “Aren’t you interested in seeing more?” She asked with a seductive glean in her eyes, slowly lifting the hem of her nightdress halfway up her thigh.
“Wait… ehm.. ehh.. I’m only fourteen!” Alan eloquently countered, slowly backing on the bed until he was sitting against the wall.
“So?” Layla said without a care, leaning forward with a hungry smile.
“I’mmm..” Alan began, then lost concentration for a second. “I’m betrothed! Promised to another!” He eventually managed to get out, struggling with his instincts for control of his body.
“You are..?” Layla hesitated for a second.
“Yes, I’m sorry! Look, you’re a beautiful woman, and my eyes apparently can’t help themselves, for that I apologize. But I have committed myself already, and I would hate for your life to be ruined by a possible pregnancy...” Alan said as he won back control of body and mind.
Layla seemed to be in a fighting mood for a few more seconds, until she deflated completely, and sat down on the floor opposite to Alan’s bed.
“I failed. I’m doomed now.” The girl muttered to herself while looking up at the ceiling in defeat.
“Doomed?” Alan asked.
“I’m getting old. My family has wanted to marry me away for several years now, but I’ve refused every proposal so far.” Layla said with a sigh. “You’re a noble, can’t you have several wives?” Layla asked, but her heart wasn’t in it anymore.
“You’re what, nineteen? That’s not called getting old! And why would you even want to be a second wife? And why choose me randomly like that, you know practically nothing about me.”
“I don’t want to be a farmer’s wife! I want more! I always wanted to be a princess when I was younger, but of course, every little girl wants that. I quickly realized that was unattainable, but I’d settle for life in the city, one way or another.” Layla eventually said.
“I guess the alternatives to becoming a farmer’s wife are limited around here, huh?” Alan asked, beginning to understand Layla’s situation.
“Limited is the right word. There are no alternatives, except maybe living alone for the rest of my life in the forest, until an animal eventually gets me. My family’s already itching to get rid of me, hoping for the dowry to be enough to send Fred to get education as a merchant. This was my chance for the life of a noble, but I can’t get anything right.” Layla buried her head between her knees, and huddled together.
Alan studied her for a few seconds, considering his options.
“If you really want to come live in the city, there might be something I can do for you.” Alan eventually said.
Layla looked up from her knees, with hope in her eyes. “Please, I’ll do anything to get away from here!”
“I’ll see if I can find a job for you in the city, and some accommodations somewhere. You’ll have to work for it, but I think you can find a life there eventually.”
“You’d do that for me?” Layla asked, gazing at Alan with a mix of hope and suspicion.
“Like I said, I’ll see what I can do, and send you a letter if I find an opportunity. That’s all I can promise.”
“Ok, I understand.” Layla said, getting up from her spot at the wall. “Please, don’t wait too long with that letter.” She then hesitated for a bit. “And thank you, for doing this, and for not accepting my advances earlier. I’m not sure what would have… I’ve never actually… good night, Alan.” Layla said, slightly embarrassed, then left the room.
Alan finally laid back into bed, thinking about how unfair life could be. It didn’t take him long to rediscover how tired he was, and he soon fell asleep again.