Just Like Magic

Chapter 10: News

The house was quiet as you sat in the small living room. The fireplace was lit, and the fire kept you warm as the cold air beat against the window. The days were growing colder, and soon the snow would fall onto Vumaedal. A blanket was placed around your shoulders, and the book you were reading rested in your lap. The dark sky outside didn't provide much light, but the fireplace was warm and kept you heated.

As quietly as a mouse, the front door opened, and Arlutrix walked into the manor, warm. There was no sign that he was cold, but he was comfortable in the cold weather. Arlutrix didn't hear a single noise, but when he walked into the living room, he stopped in his tracks when he spotted you sitting on the chair. He knew he couldn't get to the fireplace without you watching him, so now he would have to wait for you to leave. 

Arlutrix tried to have minimal contact with you for fear that his master would pull his chain again. His throat had just recovered from the pain, and he wasn't looking to have the pain continue. The man waved his hand around the air, and blue sparks followed his hand before he threw them at his feet. The blue sparks wrapped around the floor underneath his feet and Arlutrix was lifted into the air. He floated to the other side of the doorway without causing enough disturbance to get you to look up from your book.

His feet landed back on the ground without a light tap. The breath Arlutrix was holding; he continued to hold in his mouth until he walked up the stairs. Lord Isembart's office doors were shut, and Arlutrix knew his master was in his bedroom. Arlutrix walked around upstairs until he stood in front of Lord Isembart's door, where he knocked. 

   " Come in! "

Arlutrix placed his hand on the door handle and opened the door, but he regretted not waiting until the morning when he entered the room. Candles were lit around the room, and his master was undressed underneath a robe. 

   " Arlutrix!? What are you doing here? Where is Y/n? " Lord Isembart said, jumping out of his skin.

Arlutrix couldn't think for a moment; the scene stuck in his mind. Finally, Arlutrix shook his head and lowered it so he wouldn't have to look at his master's disheveled appearance. 

   " She is in the living room, reading. "

   " I was expecting her up here, not you. I was hoping she would join me tonight. "

   " Join you? " Arlutrix asked, raising his head a little bit.

   " Yes. I sat down with her today and said that it might be time we moved to the same room. That way, I can have the guest room back in case someone needs to come to visit for a deal or a meeting. She wasn't thrilled with the idea and said she would stay in her room. I said to think about it more and to come to my room if she decided. But I guess she wants to stay in her room, not with her future husband. "

   " I'm sure she will come around, my Lord. I came to inform you of my previous mission, you gave me two days ago. "

   " Yes, how did it go? " 

Lord Isembart sat on his bed, looking at Arlutrix. He was eager to hear the news of the mission and was happy that Arlutrix could complete the task before his next shipment of goods was sent out.

   " It was successful. The bandits have been taken care of. "

   " Wonderful! Now, my shipments can make it through without trouble. Tell me, whose bandits were they? "

   " They were not of this kingdom. I had never seen their symbol before, so I am not familiar with them. "

Lord Isembart's happy tone died quickly, and he rested his hands on the bed sheets, leaning forward. Hearing that another kingdom interrupted his shipments so many times wasn't odd, but it was from a band of thieves Arlutrix knew nothing about. Arlutrix not knowing made things more interesting.

   " Did you see any symbol they were wearing? "

   " I did not. There was no type of branding anywhere on their bodies. They were unmarked. "

   " That is. . .quite odd. But It is something to think about tomorrow. You may go Arlutrix. "

Arlutrix nodded, left his Lord's room, and walked down the stairs. He peeked into the living room, and you were standing from the sofa and stretching your arms upward. The light of the fire gave you a honey-gold look, but that look soon died when you poured a bucket of water on the fire. Quickly, Arlutrix moved behind the doors to his master's study and hid behind the wooden doors. Your footsteps were light, but he could still hear them, leave the living room and travel up the stairs. Arlutrix only left the study when he heard a door shut, signifying that you were upstairs.

   " I can finally go to my room now. "

Quickly, Arlutrix stepped out of the study. His feet were fast running to the fireplace, and swiftly he opened the door and stepped inside the quiet room. Once the door shut, he released the breath he didn't know he was holding. The cream walls around him calmed his nerves, but his adrenaline slowly ran out, and the pain in his leg worsened.

   ' Oh yeah. I need to take care of that. '

Arlutrix walked toward his bed and sat down on the white sheets, and he used his feet to pull his desk chair closer. Waving his hands around, green sparks sparked from his fingers. After waving his fingers, sparks flew to his leg, wrapping around the whole left leg. Arlutrix's left leg slowly rose in the air, and his heel rested on the desk chair seat. 

   ' Alright, let's take care of this slash before it gets infected, and things will get worse, and I'll greet my parents sooner. '

Arlutrix pulled his robes off his leg and then moved his pants to his thigh, revealing a large gash in the side of his left leg. The green sparks twirled around his leg, making the pain disappear, but the gash wasn't healing. Waving his hand again, bandages appeared, and he wrapped his left leg in bandages before lowering his pants. The green sparks remained circling his leg, but it was all he had right now. Arlutrix kicked the chair back to his desk before lying down on his bed, resting his leg against the sheets. The blood on the floor would be cleaned up later.

   ' I'm so tired. Those bandits took a lot out of me. '

Arlutrix didn't even try to pull the sheets over himself but lay on the bed, closing his eyes. With no noise entering the room, Arlutrix soon fell asleep, with no noise to disturb him.