"What's wrong with our boy? Is he going to be alright?"Leia asked, her voice cracking with grief and anxiety, holding Lucas's head on her lap as she gently wipes away the sweat accumulated on him.
"Normally that poison would have been the end for him, but I have cleansed the it out before it had gotten too deep in his blood so there should be no need to worry."
The couple sighed in relief and gives their thanks and blessings, kul only smiles and wave them off as he joined his companion waiting for him in a quiet corner of the tavern.
"......Why did you save him, Kul? You know better than to take that risk."Jade, the woman with lush black hair tied into a long ponytail questions him as soon as he made it within earshot.
"Oh, have a heart jade, the boy is clearly not what we expected to find here. Even you can tell there were no signs of him going crook, the boy was more human than most.Ha,not many would jump infront of speeding bolt to save a stranger."Kul explained, only to see her shaking her head as she sighs.
"I am not saying it is an easy decision for me, kul. You know the danger a rogue Binder can pose to the empire if left alone, he might be fine now, but it isn't the first time we have seen a binder lose control soon after we left them alone."Kul frowned, of course, he understands the stakes at hand, prehaps even far more than most does for being who he is.
"So what would you have us do now, there is no way we are going to murder him in cold blood now that he is okay." Jade rubs her temple, this situation was far from what they expected when they came here to test the ether potential of some noble's children.
"We will have to take him in as well then....."
"Yes, it was only logical.....wait what?!"Kul's jaw nearly dropped, he stares at jade as if she had grown a second head suddenly, but what stared back at him was the determined look of someone that are unwilling to negotiate.
"You know this is the only option left for him, kul," Jade said, glancing at the prone form of the sleeping boy in the embrace of the tavern couple, who likely have not an ounce of understanding of the troubles ahead of him.
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At first, there was the feeling of complete numbness, but soon it slowly felt as if hundreds of pins were poking at his shoulder. But even then Lucas was still contented in sleeping away the strange sensations.
Until abruptly, the image of a violet arrow punching through his shoulder came crashing down on his senses along with the pain of a hot iron rod being shoved through the same wound. He jolted awake, panting for breath as he took in his surrounding.
He was still on the main tavern floor, settled comfortably on a cushioned chair, Percy and Leia's brighten faces stared at him with concerns at his side. He noticed the streaks of dried tears on Leia's face and the memories of what happened before he lost consciousness came flooding back.
"Kid, are you feeling okay?"Percy asked, lucas has never seen the man this shaken other than when Alina's condition worsened. It always felt nice to know how much the couples care about him even when he is not of their blood.
"I am alright pa, wait.....what about the nobles?"Dread crept like ice in his vein, what if they left without paying because of that little stunt? They can't afford to fail the job tonight, Alina needs all the help she can get if she were to make it through again.
"There is no need to Fret, we will pay you for your troubles and more for saving Alison, it is the least we can do for you."To his surprise, both lord Rodney and Eric along with the rest of the convoy of nobles has stayed behind after the incident. Just as Rodney had said, a bag of gold was seating on the table next to his seat.
Gold!! Lucas nearly jumped in his excitement as he took sight of the glistening coins." we should be able to get a proper healer for Alina's treatment and even give the tavern a fresh layer of paint and upgrades with that much."The wound on his right shoulder protested at his sudden movement, but he could hardly care about it at that moment.
"On the terms that you came along with us, that is."The woman in dark green cloak sighed when she saw the confused look lucas gave her."Earlier, we had detected the usage of ether while healing you and… as the law implied,any children born in an unranked family but with the potential to control ether must be sent to the academy ground for further training."
Memories of him using that foreign ability to move in front of the bolt came back to the front of his mind. On one hand, he was glad that ability gave him the chance to earn his family such a bounty but then that means......
"You can't take our children away!"Leia stood in front of lucas before he could stop her"There must have been a grave mistake, none of our family members were adept in ether, how could luc_"
"Ma,am, we know he is an orphan. And as much as it pains us to separate you, the law must be complied "It would be an understatement to say lucas and his family were shocked, how could a newcomer have known about his background?
"He was born and raised here, you can't take him away just like that."Again,Leia protested,unwilling to back down.
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"Enough! We are not so idle as to waste so much time on your affairs, lowborn. And professors, I asked that we are on our way to the academy, Alison will need to hurry for her entrance exam."Eric's warning was grave and made very clear ,as much as lucas dislike the nobleman, he was right. Lucas needs to make a decision now. It was him or his family, and it was a simple choice once he looked at it that way
"I will go, so give us that bag of gold."If he refused they will take him away either way and worse still, knowing how strict the empire generally is about the law for integrating low-born children into an academy, they may cause more trouble than just taking away that bag of gold from his family.
"Good choice."The cloaked lady said as her expression soften and a smile flickered across her feature.
"Lucas, what are you doing?"Leia held onto his shoulder just as lucas was about to move and take some meager belonging from his room before heading out with the company of strangers.
"Ma, you know there is no other choice....."Turning around to face the mother figure he is ever grateful for having, lucas smiles and gives her a tight hug. Not knowing when will be the next time he will be able to do the same again.
"It's not goodbye forever and hopefully, Alina will be healed when I am back."in the corner of his eyes,he can see Percy Gritting his teeth as his eyes switch between the band of strangers and his family,indecision clouds his mind.At last,the old man sighed deeply and turned towards him and leia.
"son.....come back safely and remember, whatever happens, you will always have a place in this family."Percy joined in the embrace and give lucas his blessing as well , as embarrassed as he felt doing all this in front of strangers, deep down he knew he won't get much chance to do this again anytime soon.
______________
"Are you ready?"A soft but urgent voice behind him tell him that he can't linger any longer.Lucas gave his family one last quick hug and bid his farewell one more time,he frown as his gaze turn to the room in the back of the kitchen,regretful that he can't say his farewell to Alina for long while.
As he steps outside of the tavern door,a chill breeze brush past his simple travel coat made him shudder and suddenly the idea of going into a unknown future without his family finally sinks in.
"No matter,how bad can it be."Lucas reason with himself as he follow the convoy towards two heavily decorated wagon sat waiting for them on the road.
After the reduction of most of guardsmen,the group stretches much thinner with Rodney and the cloaked women leading the group.
Lucas briefly wonder if he can somehow get away from the group during their travel ,but soon dismissed it as nothing more than a silly dream.The two professor has introduce themselves as both staffs of the central academy,either one of them would immediately notice the moment he turn his back to them.
"How are you feeling son?"startled,Lucas turned to his right side to find the burly man who was responsible for saving his life.His eyes hides a myriad of thoughts and is just as unreadable as his face.
"I am fine,really.thank you sir…?"
Lucas asked.Kul flashed a easy smiles as he extend a hand towards him."My apologize,as you know I am a professor from the central academy.I am kul and that scary lady right there is jade.Thank you again for saving our student there,your bravery was very commendable."
A bit hesitantly,Lucas shook his hands,giving him a smiles in return."It is what any good person would have done,thank you for saving me as well, master kul."Grinning,kul give him a slap on the back,carrying enough force to make him jump a step forward.
"Ah sorry about that,still not very used to interacting with untrained civilians.And there is no need to be so tense,you are not going into an execution, boy.Soon you will be one of our students and we will look after you as well as any other."
Somehow the words does sooth his anxious heart quite a bit and he almost found himself becoming excited for the Academy life. Imagining the training,friendships and lessons he will soon be experiencing.
"I am gonna be one of those arcanist."The idea barely register in his mind,for all his life until tonight he have always thought that he is just going to be working in the tavren,maybe become a main chef when he is older and…prehaps if he was lucky, find a sweet,loyal and lovely village girl to marry.
Now that his potential awaken,he can have a chance to be something more,someone that matters.A life of adventures and wonder with new friends to meet,monster to slays and maybe girls to woo.At least,that is the impression he have on the life of an arcanist,he knows how much cheers and admiration were thrown their way when one came into their town once in a while.
"Are you day dreaming about the perfect life of a arcanist and all the maidens you can woo already?"The words nearly made him tripped on the steps to the inside of the wagons.His faced flushed as red as a jar of red spice,Rodney the young nobleman chuckled as he took a seat on the soft cushioned couch inside the wide space of the wagon.
"Was it that obvious,my lord?" As lucas took his seat opposite to the pair of future noble couples,they flatly stares at him as if he were the newest discovered specimens to a beast researcher.
It was Rodney who broke into laughter,Lucas grimace as he stares at the laughing noble,worrying if he had said anything wrong to upset them or not,he had hardly any experience interacting with anyone belonging to a ranked household.
"No…no need to worry,it was simply refreshing to have someone that jokes back in our presences without stammering.As you must already notice,I am Rodney and this is my fiancé Allison,thank you again for saving her by the way."The young nobleman beam at him.Grinning in relief and amusement,lucas introduced himself as well.
"As much as I think it was foolish to do that,I am in your debt as well,thank you for saving my life."Allison smiles as she look at him,it was only for a moment but lucas could feel his heart skipping a beat as heis face flushed.
"It was what any good person would have done."Luckily,he shakes the thoughts off as fast as it come and smiles politely as he recite the exact same sentence as he did with kul.The last thing he want is to get into trouble from two powerful noble household at the same time,because of a misunderstanding.
"Maybe it isn't gonna be so bad afterall."For the first time since the incident,Lucas genuinely felt hopeful that his future might be better than what he fear it would be.
And as he glance outside the widow at the thousands of stars blanketing the cloudless night sky like little diamonds blinking in the dark,he offer rare prayer to the eight deities to keep his family safe while he is gone.
With a little luck,maybe he can make a name for himself and his family.Buying the potion of rejuvenation for Alina would still be difficult,but it will be far more attainable as a high ranking arcanist.With that thought in mind,the exhaustion from the day finally caught with him as the comforting dark combrace him.