Convergence #2
Oops, almost forgot it was Friday and I promised to post a chapter. So here it is, the second chapter of Convergence.
This has no editing, btw, so forgive any weirdness. Also, this chapter is really, really short. If there are any suggestions as to how to make it longer, let me know. I couldn't think of anything.
So here we go to Chapter 2!
Chapter Two-
“Master, you really need to stop being so reckless,” the young apprentice muttered as he sat at the table and counted the money they had obtained from the last request. It was a good thing they always had the client sign the contract for pay before-hand, otherwise they’d never see so much as a copper coin. The contract, magically binding, ensured no matter how angry or upset the client’s family, the money was always automatically deducted as soon as the job was accomplished.
The master mage in question was sitting at the other side of the table, legs placed haphazardly atop the wood surface as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling, lazily drawing circles of wispy smoke with a finger. He shrugged, uncaring. He was far too set in his ways to change now, just because his cute little apprentice scolded him a few zillion times.
He smiled as he glanced at the scowling boy across the table from him. Haruo was really something, a real catch… in more ways than one. Itazura shut his eyes and recalled the first time he had seen the child, sitting prostrate in the middle of a dirty street, crystal clear eyes staring straight at him, big and watery and full of…
Fear.
He hated the thought of it, and turned the memory aside to linger elsewhere.
It really was luck, though, that he still managed to obtain clients these days. Well, luck and the fact that he was damned good at his job… mostly.
Well, good enough that, no matter how questionable his methods may be, he still satisfied his clients enough that they continued to recommend him, and that people were desperate enough to ignore his less-than-spotless reputation and hire him anyways.
He glanced again at his young charge, who was now glancing through a list of supplies that he would need to go out and purchase. The boy was as fervent and conscientious as ever as he meticulously crossed off unnecessary items and added on others, organizing them into the appropriate categories.
Haruo stood abruptly, nearly causing his master to fall out of the chair and frown in irritation.
“Well, I think I got everything. I’m taking some money and heading out, Master!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Itazura nodded, waving the boy off. All in all, it didn’t really matter to the master mage. So long as there was food when he wanted it, all was well. “Don’t get lost!” he tossed back as Haruo left the room.
Left to his own devices, the Master Mage picked himself up from his seat and meandered over to his books, pulling one out and poring through it. He was a good Master, at least he liked to think so, but he was a strict one too. His pupil was, after all, a prodigy.
It had become apparent very quickly.
The boy had been in his care for just a few days when he began to notice the way Haruo’s bright eyes would pick up on the subtleties of the spell’s Itazura used. Even while Haruo started off only watching as his Master went through his jobs, only observing the way a mage worked, he was catching on. He understood things quickly, why Itazura did a certain thing, and he could even pick up the mechanics of some of the simpler spells just from watching his Master perform them.
After the first mission, Itazura had handed Haruo a book of basic magery, and the boy had devoured it. Within days the boy understood the basics, and could even perform the easy spell himself, without being taught or shown.
Somehow, the Master Mage wanted to say it had something to do with the boy’s uncanny eye color. It was such a rarity, Itazura had to wonder if it didn’t have some origin in magic. It could definitely explain how Haruo could be so damn talented.
And so, he had realized he had taken in more than he had realized. He could barely understand the whim that led to him taking the boy in in the first place, but now he saw what a challenge it could be. He had to keep abreast of the boy’s studies, had to be ready and able to teach the boy high level skills.
And to think, the boy’s magic hadn’t even matured yet!
Itazura held back a grin. He was so damn proud of that brat.
He sat back with the book in hand and continued to turn through the pages. This was a new one, a book he had purchased just so he could teach the material to Haruo. The boy hadn’t found his specialty yet, so it was easy enough to make him a generalist. At least until a particularly special skill presented itself.
In the meantime, Haruo was consuming the lessons his master gave him. He devoured the knowledge and the reasoning, and he was learning well. Itazura was quite looking forward to seeing how his student would turn out.
But at the same time, he felt a little sad for his poor pupil. He was such a bad influence after all…
But oh well, Itazura, too, had been quite the prodigy. Only a genius had any right to teach another genius.
And he grinned at the thought. That was enough reason to keep cute little Haruo all to himself. And he knew, at this point, he’d fight tooth and nail to keep it that way.
Cute little orphan Haruo, whose despairing clear crystal eyes still haunted his thoughts at night.
Next week I'll probably post Chapter One of TRG. Or maybe a short story or something... We'll see.
Later!
This has no editing, btw, so forgive any weirdness. Also, this chapter is really, really short. If there are any suggestions as to how to make it longer, let me know. I couldn't think of anything.
So here we go to Chapter 2!
Chapter Two-
“Master, you really need to stop being so reckless,” the young apprentice muttered as he sat at the table and counted the money they had obtained from the last request. It was a good thing they always had the client sign the contract for pay before-hand, otherwise they’d never see so much as a copper coin. The contract, magically binding, ensured no matter how angry or upset the client’s family, the money was always automatically deducted as soon as the job was accomplished.
The master mage in question was sitting at the other side of the table, legs placed haphazardly atop the wood surface as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling, lazily drawing circles of wispy smoke with a finger. He shrugged, uncaring. He was far too set in his ways to change now, just because his cute little apprentice scolded him a few zillion times.
He smiled as he glanced at the scowling boy across the table from him. Haruo was really something, a real catch… in more ways than one. Itazura shut his eyes and recalled the first time he had seen the child, sitting prostrate in the middle of a dirty street, crystal clear eyes staring straight at him, big and watery and full of…
Fear.
He hated the thought of it, and turned the memory aside to linger elsewhere.
It really was luck, though, that he still managed to obtain clients these days. Well, luck and the fact that he was damned good at his job… mostly.
Well, good enough that, no matter how questionable his methods may be, he still satisfied his clients enough that they continued to recommend him, and that people were desperate enough to ignore his less-than-spotless reputation and hire him anyways.
He glanced again at his young charge, who was now glancing through a list of supplies that he would need to go out and purchase. The boy was as fervent and conscientious as ever as he meticulously crossed off unnecessary items and added on others, organizing them into the appropriate categories.
Haruo stood abruptly, nearly causing his master to fall out of the chair and frown in irritation.
“Well, I think I got everything. I’m taking some money and heading out, Master!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Itazura nodded, waving the boy off. All in all, it didn’t really matter to the master mage. So long as there was food when he wanted it, all was well. “Don’t get lost!” he tossed back as Haruo left the room.
Left to his own devices, the Master Mage picked himself up from his seat and meandered over to his books, pulling one out and poring through it. He was a good Master, at least he liked to think so, but he was a strict one too. His pupil was, after all, a prodigy.
It had become apparent very quickly.
The boy had been in his care for just a few days when he began to notice the way Haruo’s bright eyes would pick up on the subtleties of the spell’s Itazura used. Even while Haruo started off only watching as his Master went through his jobs, only observing the way a mage worked, he was catching on. He understood things quickly, why Itazura did a certain thing, and he could even pick up the mechanics of some of the simpler spells just from watching his Master perform them.
After the first mission, Itazura had handed Haruo a book of basic magery, and the boy had devoured it. Within days the boy understood the basics, and could even perform the easy spell himself, without being taught or shown.
Somehow, the Master Mage wanted to say it had something to do with the boy’s uncanny eye color. It was such a rarity, Itazura had to wonder if it didn’t have some origin in magic. It could definitely explain how Haruo could be so damn talented.
And so, he had realized he had taken in more than he had realized. He could barely understand the whim that led to him taking the boy in in the first place, but now he saw what a challenge it could be. He had to keep abreast of the boy’s studies, had to be ready and able to teach the boy high level skills.
And to think, the boy’s magic hadn’t even matured yet!
Itazura held back a grin. He was so damn proud of that brat.
He sat back with the book in hand and continued to turn through the pages. This was a new one, a book he had purchased just so he could teach the material to Haruo. The boy hadn’t found his specialty yet, so it was easy enough to make him a generalist. At least until a particularly special skill presented itself.
In the meantime, Haruo was consuming the lessons his master gave him. He devoured the knowledge and the reasoning, and he was learning well. Itazura was quite looking forward to seeing how his student would turn out.
But at the same time, he felt a little sad for his poor pupil. He was such a bad influence after all…
But oh well, Itazura, too, had been quite the prodigy. Only a genius had any right to teach another genius.
And he grinned at the thought. That was enough reason to keep cute little Haruo all to himself. And he knew, at this point, he’d fight tooth and nail to keep it that way.
Cute little orphan Haruo, whose despairing clear crystal eyes still haunted his thoughts at night.
Next week I'll probably post Chapter One of TRG. Or maybe a short story or something... We'll see.
Later!