healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2021-11-21 01:04 pm
healingbonds) wrote2021-11-21 01:04 pm
Entry tags:
The Bonds We Formed, Like Magic | Chapter 8
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9
Chloe: Thanks for sticking around this late for the clothes fitting session, Sir Sage.
Akira: Not at all; it was great fun. Thank you as always for your hard work.
The outfits are absolutely lovely. I hope the skies are clear on the night of the meteor shower.
Chloe: I agree!
I have lots of memories surrounding the Venator meteor shower, so I hope we get to see it....
Akira: Memories.... Because it’s the meteor rain of lineage that ties masters and apprentices of magic?
Chloe: So you knew, Sir Sage?
Akira: Arthur told me the other day. You and Rustica are master and apprentice, after all.
Chloe: That’s right. That’s why it feels special.
The Venator meteor shower.... The first time I heard of it was when I was still a child.
One of our customers asked us to create a stole for an evening watch party of the Venator meteor shower.
My dad told me to make the stole, but I had never seen a meteor shower in my life, so I had a really hard time.
Chloe laughs, his brows turned downwards.
Chloe’s parents, who were tailors, locked him up and raised him in a secret room.
It must’ve been difficult for Chloe to base his creation on a sight he had never witnessed before.
Akira: So how did you make it?
Chloe: Hmm. Well, I had seen the stars from the corners of the windows. I guess the rest was up to my imagination.
I heard you could see lots of stars during a meteor shower, so I scattered them across the stole.
So when I first saw a real meteor shower during my journey with Rustica, I was so surprised. Like, wow, so this is a meteor shower!
There were so many stars flying by. I thought the night sky was going to collapse in on itself and spill down from the heavens.
If I had known that sight, I would’ve created an even lovelier stole.
I feel sorry for that customer.
Instead of blaming the unreasonable task he was burdened with, he regrets the fact that he couldn’t design a stole to his satisfaction.
That’s just what I’d expect from Chloe.
Akira: I’d love to see a stole you designed after a meteor shower, Chloe.
Chloe: Really? I’ll show you next time, then. I made one for Rustica too.
When I told Rustica that story, he said exactly the same thing, Sir Sage. He said he wanted to see it.
And that’s when he told me about the meteor rain of lineage.
Chloe narrows his eyes in nostalgia.
His purple gaze glitters vibrantly like the milky way decorated with stars.
I grow interested, and ask.
Akira: Hey, Chloe. How does it feel to be an apprentice?
Chloe blinks in surprise.
Akira: I have experience learning from teachers back in my world, too.
But I’ve never had someone like a professional master....
So I wondered what that felt like. How is it different from a teacher, or your parents?
Chloe: Um....
Chloe looks down, as if searching for words.
It’s a strange expression — I can’t tell if his lips are trembling into a smile, or if he’s gazing down in sadness.
Chloe: This is my personal experience, so other people might feel differently, but.....
Akira: Yes.
Chloe: It’s like dyeing a cloth.
Akira: Dyeing a cloth.....
Chloe: No, wait. I guess it’s a little different.... It’s like sipping from a cup of tea, every day, a little at a time....
It’s as if I’m drinking Rustica’s life.
Chloe smiles.
At once proud and apologetic.
I doubt I understood a fraction of what Chloe truly meant by those words.
But that beautiful phrase flashes in my mind.
The meteor rain of lineage.
An inheritance like a star falling from the sky.
Chloe: Rustica is.... Well, it makes you wonder how he managed to survive until today....
Because he can be so laid back. But there are moments in which I feel the depth of his knowledge and the breadth of his mind; moments in which I witness ways to live.
Naturally, I find these amidst the words he uses to teach me magic, but.... I also witness them in our everyday conversations, and in even the most casual greetings.
The way he laughs; the way his gaze dances about. The way he moves his fingertips.... When does he rejoice? When does he mourn?
Rustica’s life dwells in the moments he basks in the gentle rays of the morning, and when he takes shelter under a giant tree during a dark, rainy storm.
Through the time we’ve spent together, I think I’ve learned something precious that cannot be expressed in words.
Chloe’s soft voice makes me imagine.
How they must have always been together, be it under the sun or under the rain.
Chloe: Back when we were traveling together, someone told me something scary.
Wizards teach their apprentices the things they’ve discovered over the course of their entire lives, piece by piece, day by day.
It’s like creating a mirror image of yourself, but also creating your greatest enemy.
That’s why, sometimes, when a master isn’t fond of his apprentice, he’ll turn him to stone before he gets in his way.
....I was so scared of that happening to me. I desperately tried to be a good boy, so that Rustica would like me.
But as we spent time together on our journey, the shards of Rustica’s life slowly made their way into mine, and.....
One day, I just realized. That Rustica would never do such a thing.
I realized: this person standing next to me isn’t the kind of person who will turn me to stone.
It’s not like he promised me anything! So it’s not like I have any guarantee, but....
I just knew, that day. I can’t put it into words, but it was definite — there wasn’t any room for doubt.
I really don’t know how to explain it.... I couldn’t see it, but I knew it was there; I felt like I saw that frail, thin string that tied us.
And that’s not the same as family, or just a teacher.....
I think it’s a bond that belongs to a master called Rustica, and myself — just the two of us.
Chloe’s smile brimming with happiness slowly sinks into the depths of my heart.
And I can’t explain this experience in words either. I don’t think I need to.
But if I had to — I would say that it’s like... An orbit of memories and trust that these wizards finally managed to find while drifting through their unimaginably long lives...
An orbit passed down through this thread called life; an orbit woven and bound from one generation to another.
Tying the ends of infinite time with the fleeting streak of a meteor rain.
Passed on, and inherited — the very bonds that exist between hearts.
Chloe lets out a troubled laugh.
He seemed anxious the whole time he was talking about the meteor shower.
Chloe: ....When there’s something I don’t need to express verbally, it makes me anxious to spin those feelings into words.
When I saw the Venator meteor shower with Rustica as a child, I asked him a favor.
"I know you’re forgetful, Rustica, but please remember tonight."
Rustica told me he wouldn’t forget, but.... I’ve never been able to ask him.
"Do you remember that night?" In fact, I regret asking that of him.
Because I’m so happy right now. I love Rustica so much. But if he’s forgotten.....
Then it’ll all start to feel like a lie. The invisible string that I thought I found might also turn into an illusion....
But somewhere in my heart, I yearn for him to tell me that he remembers.
.....Ah....
Chloe sighs deeply, covering his face with his hands.
Chloe: ....If we stay together for much, much longer, will I know the answer, even without words....?
Or will I be forever anxious so long as words exist — till the day I die?
The meteor rain of lineage.... I want to believe in the presence of Rustica’s life within my body, but....
I think I sort of understand the source of Chloe’s anxiety.
Something precious that you’ve collected in your heart over years and years...
The feeling of happiness, because you know it’s there, and the fear that comes from the possibility of it being a mere illusion.
The teachings of wizards passed down without words or letters; teachings that leave no written trace.
A story like a shooting star that is gone in the blink of an eye, unknown to the rest of the world.
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: Hah..... I can’t sleep tonight either......
Even when I have the Sage with me, there are days when I can fall asleep, and days when I can’t..... What’s up with that....?
......He sure is fickle, even though he’s supposed to be the Sage ...... I have to train him up more......
Starting tomorrow, I’ll conjure up some corpses and set them loose in the Sage’s room...... Hmm?
(Woosh)
Is that Arthur......
✦✧☾✧✦
Arthur: Yawn...... It’s gotten so late.
I could’ve rested at the palace, but I wanted to talk about the trip to Borda Island with everyone. I wonder if anyone’s still awake.
......Ah, it’s Mithra! He’s looking up this way.
✦✧☾✧✦
(Woosh)
Arthur: Mithra!
Mithra: Hello.
Arthur: Are you taking a nighttime stroll?
Mithra: I couldn’t sleep.
Arthur: Oh, you poor thing.... Would you like to take a quiet stroll by yourself, then?
Mithra: No. I’m just walking around because I have nothing better to do. You can’t sleep either?
Arthur: No, I had to handle endless paperwork for official affairs.
Mithra: Aren’t you basically the same age as Rutile and Mitile? They’re in their beds asleep instead of dealing with things like official affairs.
Arthur: I could do the same. As long as I complete my daily assigned work, I can end my duties each day without much trouble.
Mithra: So why aren’t you sleeping?
Arthur: It just keeps piling up — things I can’t overlook, or details I want to confirm. And in a blink, it’s gotten this late.
It’s not like someone is forcing this work on me. Thank you for your concern.
Mithra: I wasn’t particularly concerned. So what are these things you can’t overlook?
Arthur: The fact that the people here — like you, Sir Oz, the Sage and everyone else — continue to endure baseless misunderstandings and are forced to live under such imposing conditions.
Mithra: No one is forcing me to do anything.
Arthur: I’m happy to hear that.
I might be the prince of Central Country, but I was raised in the North. That may be why I look up to your strength.
Mithra: Me?
Arthur: Yes. I’d like Sir Oz to acknowledge me the way he regards you.
Mithra: Heh. It’s going to be quite difficult to become like me, though.
Arthur: I’ll do my best to train and become stronger! Next time, please cross hands with me without telling Sir Oz. I want to know the secret to your strength.
Mithra: I don’t mind.
Arthur: Yay!
The stars are lovely tonight...... I hope the skies are this clear on the night of the Venator meteor shower.
Mithra: You can just ask Oz to clear the clouds for you.
Arthur: Well, Sir Oz can’t use his magic at night now. Could you do it, Mithra?
Mithra: Who knows. I’ll try.
Arthur: Please. Hey, is it true that there are years when the stars fall over several days, and years where you can barely see any?
What kinds of Venator meteor showers have you beheld thus far, Mithra? Do you have any particular memories?
Mithra: Well, let’s see......
............
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: ......ah......... Hah.........
Oz: << Vox Nox >>
Mithra: Aaaaaaagh......
.......ah......gh...
Oz: ............
Mithra: ............uu.........
(I have no magic left...... Nor the strength to escape......)
(......Am I going to turn to stone here......)
(......Tiretta....)
Oz: ............
Mithra: (What is it......? Oz is looking elsewhere......)
(......Meteors......? There sure are a lot of falling stars tonight......)
(Is this the meteor shower that Tiretta talked about......?)
(......It’s beautiful....)
(......No.)
(......Surely that’s no reason to look away!? He’s supposed to be fighting me, right!?)
(You’ve got to be kidding. How could you take me for such a fool!?)
.......ah, ah.......
<< Arthi— >>
Oz: ............
Mithra: Aaaagh........
(He aimed just his staff at me without sparing a glance......!)
Oz: ......That is all for tonight.
Mithra: ......Don’t mess with me! Where are you going!?
Wait—....... Hh...........Ugh......
..........Hah......... This must be a joke......... He disappeared without even looking back at me......
......Mithra of the North — I’m right here, and yet he didn’t even turn me into stone.......
.......I’ll kill him.......
I’ll kill him for sure.......!
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: ............
Arthur: ......Mithra? What’s wrong?
Mithra: .......Don’t say my name as if we’re close.
Arthur: Huh?
Mithra: You, and that man — both of you sure think you can get away with looking down on me.
Arthur: ............? What are you saying? Weren’t we taking a friendly stroll.......
Mithra: Who do you think I am?
Arthur: ............ You are you, Mithra. I just told you that I look up to you.
Woah..... What......? Why are you touching my face......
Mithra: << Arthim >>
Arthur: Ouch...... There’s blood...... What did you do......?
Mithra: I cut your cheek. Do not heal this wound.
Go and show Oz. Tell him that I did this to you.
Arthur: Mithra.......
Mithra: I don’t know if you’ve made a promise with Oz; I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but you are—......
Arthur: ............
Mithra: What are you to Oz?
Arthur: ............ I don’t know.
Mithra: ...... Well, that’s fine. Oz will probably be furious if he discovers that I have harmed you.
This is my declaration of war.
I will kill Oz on the night of the Venator meteor shower.
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9
Chloe: Thanks for sticking around this late for the clothes fitting session, Sir Sage.
Akira: Not at all; it was great fun. Thank you as always for your hard work.
The outfits are absolutely lovely. I hope the skies are clear on the night of the meteor shower.
Chloe: I agree!
I have lots of memories surrounding the Venator meteor shower, so I hope we get to see it....
Akira: Memories.... Because it’s the meteor rain of lineage that ties masters and apprentices of magic?
Chloe: So you knew, Sir Sage?
Akira: Arthur told me the other day. You and Rustica are master and apprentice, after all.
Chloe: That’s right. That’s why it feels special.
The Venator meteor shower.... The first time I heard of it was when I was still a child.
One of our customers asked us to create a stole for an evening watch party of the Venator meteor shower.
My dad told me to make the stole, but I had never seen a meteor shower in my life, so I had a really hard time.
Chloe laughs, his brows turned downwards.
Chloe’s parents, who were tailors, locked him up and raised him in a secret room.
It must’ve been difficult for Chloe to base his creation on a sight he had never witnessed before.
Akira: So how did you make it?
Chloe: Hmm. Well, I had seen the stars from the corners of the windows. I guess the rest was up to my imagination.
I heard you could see lots of stars during a meteor shower, so I scattered them across the stole.
So when I first saw a real meteor shower during my journey with Rustica, I was so surprised. Like, wow, so this is a meteor shower!
There were so many stars flying by. I thought the night sky was going to collapse in on itself and spill down from the heavens.
If I had known that sight, I would’ve created an even lovelier stole.
I feel sorry for that customer.
Instead of blaming the unreasonable task he was burdened with, he regrets the fact that he couldn’t design a stole to his satisfaction.
That’s just what I’d expect from Chloe.
Akira: I’d love to see a stole you designed after a meteor shower, Chloe.
Chloe: Really? I’ll show you next time, then. I made one for Rustica too.
When I told Rustica that story, he said exactly the same thing, Sir Sage. He said he wanted to see it.
And that’s when he told me about the meteor rain of lineage.
Chloe narrows his eyes in nostalgia.
His purple gaze glitters vibrantly like the milky way decorated with stars.
I grow interested, and ask.
Akira: Hey, Chloe. How does it feel to be an apprentice?
Chloe blinks in surprise.
Akira: I have experience learning from teachers back in my world, too.
But I’ve never had someone like a professional master....
So I wondered what that felt like. How is it different from a teacher, or your parents?
Chloe: Um....
Chloe looks down, as if searching for words.
It’s a strange expression — I can’t tell if his lips are trembling into a smile, or if he’s gazing down in sadness.
Chloe: This is my personal experience, so other people might feel differently, but.....
Akira: Yes.
Chloe: It’s like dyeing a cloth.
Akira: Dyeing a cloth.....
Chloe: No, wait. I guess it’s a little different.... It’s like sipping from a cup of tea, every day, a little at a time....
It’s as if I’m drinking Rustica’s life.
Chloe smiles.
At once proud and apologetic.
I doubt I understood a fraction of what Chloe truly meant by those words.
But that beautiful phrase flashes in my mind.
The meteor rain of lineage.
An inheritance like a star falling from the sky.
Chloe: Rustica is.... Well, it makes you wonder how he managed to survive until today....
Because he can be so laid back. But there are moments in which I feel the depth of his knowledge and the breadth of his mind; moments in which I witness ways to live.
Naturally, I find these amidst the words he uses to teach me magic, but.... I also witness them in our everyday conversations, and in even the most casual greetings.
The way he laughs; the way his gaze dances about. The way he moves his fingertips.... When does he rejoice? When does he mourn?
Rustica’s life dwells in the moments he basks in the gentle rays of the morning, and when he takes shelter under a giant tree during a dark, rainy storm.
Through the time we’ve spent together, I think I’ve learned something precious that cannot be expressed in words.
Chloe’s soft voice makes me imagine.
How they must have always been together, be it under the sun or under the rain.
Chloe: Back when we were traveling together, someone told me something scary.
Wizards teach their apprentices the things they’ve discovered over the course of their entire lives, piece by piece, day by day.
It’s like creating a mirror image of yourself, but also creating your greatest enemy.
That’s why, sometimes, when a master isn’t fond of his apprentice, he’ll turn him to stone before he gets in his way.
....I was so scared of that happening to me. I desperately tried to be a good boy, so that Rustica would like me.
But as we spent time together on our journey, the shards of Rustica’s life slowly made their way into mine, and.....
One day, I just realized. That Rustica would never do such a thing.
I realized: this person standing next to me isn’t the kind of person who will turn me to stone.
It’s not like he promised me anything! So it’s not like I have any guarantee, but....
I just knew, that day. I can’t put it into words, but it was definite — there wasn’t any room for doubt.
I really don’t know how to explain it.... I couldn’t see it, but I knew it was there; I felt like I saw that frail, thin string that tied us.
And that’s not the same as family, or just a teacher.....
I think it’s a bond that belongs to a master called Rustica, and myself — just the two of us.
Chloe’s smile brimming with happiness slowly sinks into the depths of my heart.
And I can’t explain this experience in words either. I don’t think I need to.
But if I had to — I would say that it’s like... An orbit of memories and trust that these wizards finally managed to find while drifting through their unimaginably long lives...
An orbit passed down through this thread called life; an orbit woven and bound from one generation to another.
Tying the ends of infinite time with the fleeting streak of a meteor rain.
Passed on, and inherited — the very bonds that exist between hearts.
Chloe lets out a troubled laugh.
He seemed anxious the whole time he was talking about the meteor shower.
Chloe: ....When there’s something I don’t need to express verbally, it makes me anxious to spin those feelings into words.
When I saw the Venator meteor shower with Rustica as a child, I asked him a favor.
"I know you’re forgetful, Rustica, but please remember tonight."
Rustica told me he wouldn’t forget, but.... I’ve never been able to ask him.
"Do you remember that night?" In fact, I regret asking that of him.
Because I’m so happy right now. I love Rustica so much. But if he’s forgotten.....
Then it’ll all start to feel like a lie. The invisible string that I thought I found might also turn into an illusion....
But somewhere in my heart, I yearn for him to tell me that he remembers.
.....Ah....
Chloe sighs deeply, covering his face with his hands.
Chloe: ....If we stay together for much, much longer, will I know the answer, even without words....?
Or will I be forever anxious so long as words exist — till the day I die?
The meteor rain of lineage.... I want to believe in the presence of Rustica’s life within my body, but....
I think I sort of understand the source of Chloe’s anxiety.
Something precious that you’ve collected in your heart over years and years...
The feeling of happiness, because you know it’s there, and the fear that comes from the possibility of it being a mere illusion.
The teachings of wizards passed down without words or letters; teachings that leave no written trace.
A story like a shooting star that is gone in the blink of an eye, unknown to the rest of the world.
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: Hah..... I can’t sleep tonight either......
Even when I have the Sage with me, there are days when I can fall asleep, and days when I can’t..... What’s up with that....?
......He sure is fickle, even though he’s supposed to be the Sage ...... I have to train him up more......
Starting tomorrow, I’ll conjure up some corpses and set them loose in the Sage’s room...... Hmm?
(Woosh)
Is that Arthur......
✦✧☾✧✦
Arthur: Yawn...... It’s gotten so late.
I could’ve rested at the palace, but I wanted to talk about the trip to Borda Island with everyone. I wonder if anyone’s still awake.
......Ah, it’s Mithra! He’s looking up this way.
✦✧☾✧✦
(Woosh)
Arthur: Mithra!
Mithra: Hello.
Arthur: Are you taking a nighttime stroll?
Mithra: I couldn’t sleep.
Arthur: Oh, you poor thing.... Would you like to take a quiet stroll by yourself, then?
Mithra: No. I’m just walking around because I have nothing better to do. You can’t sleep either?
Arthur: No, I had to handle endless paperwork for official affairs.
Mithra: Aren’t you basically the same age as Rutile and Mitile? They’re in their beds asleep instead of dealing with things like official affairs.
Arthur: I could do the same. As long as I complete my daily assigned work, I can end my duties each day without much trouble.
Mithra: So why aren’t you sleeping?
Arthur: It just keeps piling up — things I can’t overlook, or details I want to confirm. And in a blink, it’s gotten this late.
It’s not like someone is forcing this work on me. Thank you for your concern.
Mithra: I wasn’t particularly concerned. So what are these things you can’t overlook?
Arthur: The fact that the people here — like you, Sir Oz, the Sage and everyone else — continue to endure baseless misunderstandings and are forced to live under such imposing conditions.
Mithra: No one is forcing me to do anything.
Arthur: I’m happy to hear that.
I might be the prince of Central Country, but I was raised in the North. That may be why I look up to your strength.
Mithra: Me?
Arthur: Yes. I’d like Sir Oz to acknowledge me the way he regards you.
Mithra: Heh. It’s going to be quite difficult to become like me, though.
Arthur: I’ll do my best to train and become stronger! Next time, please cross hands with me without telling Sir Oz. I want to know the secret to your strength.
Mithra: I don’t mind.
Arthur: Yay!
The stars are lovely tonight...... I hope the skies are this clear on the night of the Venator meteor shower.
Mithra: You can just ask Oz to clear the clouds for you.
Arthur: Well, Sir Oz can’t use his magic at night now. Could you do it, Mithra?
Mithra: Who knows. I’ll try.
Arthur: Please. Hey, is it true that there are years when the stars fall over several days, and years where you can barely see any?
What kinds of Venator meteor showers have you beheld thus far, Mithra? Do you have any particular memories?
Mithra: Well, let’s see......
............
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: ......ah......... Hah.........
Oz: << Vox Nox >>
Mithra: Aaaaaaagh......
.......ah......gh...
Oz: ............
Mithra: ............uu.........
(I have no magic left...... Nor the strength to escape......)
(......Am I going to turn to stone here......)
(......Tiretta....)
Oz: ............
Mithra: (What is it......? Oz is looking elsewhere......)
(......Meteors......? There sure are a lot of falling stars tonight......)
(Is this the meteor shower that Tiretta talked about......?)
(......It’s beautiful....)
(......No.)
(......Surely that’s no reason to look away!? He’s supposed to be fighting me, right!?)
(You’ve got to be kidding. How could you take me for such a fool!?)
.......ah, ah.......
<< Arthi— >>
Oz: ............
Mithra: Aaaagh........
(He aimed just his staff at me without sparing a glance......!)
Oz: ......That is all for tonight.
Mithra: ......Don’t mess with me! Where are you going!?
Wait—....... Hh...........Ugh......
..........Hah......... This must be a joke......... He disappeared without even looking back at me......
......Mithra of the North — I’m right here, and yet he didn’t even turn me into stone.......
.......I’ll kill him.......
I’ll kill him for sure.......!
✦✧☾✧✦
Mithra: ............
Arthur: ......Mithra? What’s wrong?
Mithra: .......Don’t say my name as if we’re close.
Arthur: Huh?
Mithra: You, and that man — both of you sure think you can get away with looking down on me.
Arthur: ............? What are you saying? Weren’t we taking a friendly stroll.......
Mithra: Who do you think I am?
Arthur: ............ You are you, Mithra. I just told you that I look up to you.
Woah..... What......? Why are you touching my face......
Mithra: << Arthim >>
Arthur: Ouch...... There’s blood...... What did you do......?
Mithra: I cut your cheek. Do not heal this wound.
Go and show Oz. Tell him that I did this to you.
Arthur: Mithra.......
Mithra: I don’t know if you’ve made a promise with Oz; I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but you are—......
Arthur: ............
Mithra: What are you to Oz?
Arthur: ............ I don’t know.
Mithra: ...... Well, that’s fine. Oz will probably be furious if he discovers that I have harmed you.
This is my declaration of war.
I will kill Oz on the night of the Venator meteor shower.
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9