3 I Want Answers. NOW!
Thought of those mages sent chills down his spine. If they were real, then what? He couldn't even imagine what would happen if one of them came to earth to kill him. But for now, he kept those thoughts away. He preferred to believe that it was a dream and the nurse was wrong. But still..... His wounds... That doubt lingered in his mind. A question yet to be answered.
The nurse, Jessie, came in once again with a file in her hand. She eyed as Aster with rage, confusion and disgust. She looked at him as if he was an insect. She had cold contempt in her eyes. Aster understood that immediately. She might have known from someone or the other that he was a weak mage. This was something Aster never understood. Why do people discriminate? Anyone can be anything, right?
She kept the file on the table and without uttering a word walked out of the room. There was pure hatred in her heart. Aster could feel it. He had always felt that he could feel what others around him felt. The nurse slammed the door of the room as she walked out. Aster was alone again. Alone, with his thoughts. 'Tomorrow is the day' Eren had said. Yes, tomorrow is the day. The day, which he was waiting for impatiently for the past six months. Finally, he would be able to meet the strongest mage on Earth, Daniel Hogman. Not only meet. He could interact too.
The whole school was preparing for his arrival. And that too on New Year's Eve. Not everyone gets a chance to meet him. Aster was mortally thrilled at thought of meeting his favourite mage. Even though Aster was weak himself, he never liked to discredit or view powerful mages with hatred. He loved everyone, except bullies.He was lost in thought again. The chain of thoughts went on and on.... He just kept thinking about Hogman.
Aster's string of thoughts were broken by the file which lay on the bedside table. Feeling completely well, Aster, reached out and picked up the file. He sat crossed legged on the bed and opened it. The file was heavy. He flipped the pages of the file not even reading its content, thinking that it would be his health status and discharge notification. He had never seen such a large health report. He decided to read it again. But this time, not carelessly.
He started from the first page. He was horrified seeing the contents of the first page. So horrified that his eyes popped out in shock. There were two pictures and some paragraphs. He did not go as far as to reading the paragraphs, but the pictures were enough to horrify him.
The first one was the picture of a stone. A shinning red stone. It looked to Aster like the rarest diamond in the world. But this one was not the real horror. The second one. It was a sword. A sword of gleaming silver with a dragon shaped handle. One the rear end of the handle was written in golden letters 'Imperial Mage'.
The same sword. The very same sword, which he had held in his hands. The thought struck him as lightning. He got nervous. He flipped through the pages again searching for familiar sights. His nerves tensed. His bones stiffed. There they were. Those dark beasts. Those dragons. Those mountains. The forest. Everything was right there in that file.
"What the! " These words came out of his mouth and before completing the sentence he broke off.
'I have to find that nurse.' He thought.
As a flick of lightning, he jumped out of the bed. Looked into the wardrobe picked up the T-shirt which was on the top of the pile. He wore it within moments and furiously dashed out of the room. He did not even mind to close the door of his room.
The hospital corridors were gloomy, musty and dark. There were not many people. Just some nurses pushing trolleys which carried medicines or some other attenders who pushed wheel chairs about. Aster had no time to spare. As soon as he got out of his room, he started his search. He ran through each corridor and peeped into each and every half-open door hecould find on his way. He ran up the steps to the third floor, searched there, descending to the groundfloor again without any gain. He could not find her. She might have left.
He stood infront of an office panting. His breaths were faster. He was leaning on the door of the office. He couldn't run anymore. He was tired. Just then he heard a click. The doorknob turned and a young man came out. Aster was about to fall on the ground, but the man caught him right on time.
"I was expecting you. You are Aster Brown. I presume?"He said.
Aster recognised him as the doctor who had come to his room some time ago.
"How do you know me?"
The doctor smiled. His faced seeked respect. He had abroad forehead and dark green eyes. He had those thin lips which seem like they were drawn with a pencil. His face had a certain dignity. A dignity which no one else could handle. He was tall. He had that dark brown hair which was too long. He tied it into a bun at the back of his head. He looked strong. He did not have even one battle scar on his face. yet Aster could see a warrior in him.The doctor's smile widened seeing Aster study him indently.
"Come on. We need to talk."
He led the way into his office and Aster followed without rebuke. His office was just like the rest of the hospital. Dark and gloomy. But it was different too. The air was fresh. The room was well furnished, eventhough, it did not have sufficient lighting. The room had a window. But no light entered the room through the window. He had a crystal globe on his table.He had a table and a chair for consulting his patients, he also had a sofa in his room. Aster viewed the globe with curiosity. He had heard that these globes could predict the future and look into the past.
The doctor sat on a sofa which was placed atone corner of the room. He asked Aster to do the same. Aster sat on the sofa.
"So you read the file which I send?" The doctor spoke up.
So, it was this man who send that file.
"How do you know about the sword? What was that place? How come you know about it? What were those people? What do they want from me? Why did they try to kill me? Tell me. "
"Don't you think you are a bit too impatient?" The doctor replied smiling.
Aster couldn't take that sarcastic get sympathetic smile.
"Tell me."
The doctor sat smiling again. Without any other emotions. He just smiled.
"I want answers. NOW! "
"TELL MEEE....." Aster had lost his temper at the doctor's inhuman behaviour. He could feel heat building up in his body.
"TELL ME, I SAID!! " Aster shouted. Flames blazed from allover his body.The sofa he was sitting on caught fire too. Aster was confused. He looked at the doctor who was still smiling. Aster wanted the flames to die down that very instant. It happened as he wished. 'What is happening to me? 'Aster wondered. He was deeply distressed now. He couldn't take the anxiety anymore.
"Tell me if you know. Please..." He pleaded.
"I will tell you. There are a lot of things you need to know."
****************
"WHAT? You let that boy slip away?" A voice, a voice that reflected authority asked. No, roared.
"We are sorry Sire. It won't happen again. Tania played behind the scenes and let him escape." A meek and submissive voice replied.
"That traitor..." The first speaker, the master, clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth. His black armour gleamed in the sun. His cape flowed in the wind as he stood up from his chair. He held back his anger.
"I want that traitor infront of me before daybreak. Or else..." He broke the sentence midway and motioned his servant to come hear him. The servant obeyed his master. He bowed his head infront of his master and kneeled down. The master, touched his servant's shoulders with his deadly hands and made him stand up. He touched his servant's face. He caressed his servant's cheeks with his ugly fingers.
"I will miss you my dear. " He whispered in his servant's ear.
The servant struggled to run away. The master held his grip on the servant's shoulders. The servant knew that there was no point in struggling. His eyes showed fear. He pleaded.
"Don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Plea... " The sentence broke off in halfway. He couldn't complete it. Before he knew what was happening, his master had lifted his axe and without any mercy he had beheaded his servant. The people who watched this gasped at the horrifying sight. They let out tear drops from their eyes.
The servant's wife came running into the room and sat beside her husband's beheaded body and started crying. She looked at her master with hatred that could burn him alive. She went on crying.
" Feed him to the dragons! If the woman wails one more time, her too! " The master commanded with a sadistic expression on his face. It seemed he was enjoying the murder. He smiled to himself. She stopped crying. Tears dried and stick to her cheeks. She could not orphan her children. Her soul burnt in anger.
"Bring me that traitor. I want her kneeling under my feet before tomorrow." He ordered.
"Yes, Sire."
"If you faiI me again...." He looked at the beheaded man again with a smile.
