Professor Gemstone has to choose... part 3 (36)

Ming spawned from behind Ezera as the man relaxed against a tree.

"Can I brush your hair?" the boy asked, much like he did the first night.

Ezera looked up at him, surprised at his happenstance.

"Uh. Of course. But Ming, why aren't you with the others?"

Their usual morning training had been replaced with forest outing. Ezera was grateful for it. Sitting here under the bright green leaves, watching the children either quarrel or play around as Dereck tried to teach them things, hearing their laughers in the air along the light smell of the fresh breeze... All of it helped clear his mind. And the suns knew he needed it. If that was an appropriate expression.

Ming pinched his lips together.

"They're busy."

Ezera chuckled.

"Okay. Sure you can. Come here."

He scooted over a little, so that his back was no longer against the tree. Ming jumped from the branches, and Ezera was almost worried for him for a second, but the boy landed expertly to the ground. Then he started combing through Ezera's locks filled with bew knots and leaves.

Ezera was happy for him. Back in their original world, Ming had been a sickly child. Ezera thought the living conditions of this one may have been more adapted for the boy, perhaps it was related to the percentage of firelight in the air or something of the same sort. It was pleasing to see Ming appreciates his newly found physical health and fitness.

"Sometimes I wonder why you'd rather stay along with this boring old man, Ming," Ezera teased him. "Isn't your Grace something of a cool mystery? Don't you want to learn more about it? Dragons and all..."

Ming hummed.

"But there are no dragons here. Sir Dowmrish said so."

"Mmh... I see. But then, do you want to travel around the world? That might be nice, as an adventurer."

"Maybe... What about you, professor?"

"Let me think..." Ezera closed his eyes, basking in the sun the fell on his face in between the leaves above their heads. "I'll need to keep an eye on the little beasts hanging over here first. But perhaps, if you invite me after you're all graduated... Why not?"

Ming said nothing. His fingers kept moving nimbly in Ezera's brown hair, running lightly ln his scalp. It felt very nice.

They remained like this for a little while, simply enjoying themselves, before the world could catch up to them.

"I want professor to always stay," Ming admitted very quietly, the words would disappear at the slightest huff of wind. "This is nice."

Ezera opened his eyes, solemnly.

"It is."

But it couldn't be so. Ezera felt his heart clench at the idea of leaving them. Now this far away eventuality seemed ever closer.

"Life is so," he said. "One cannot predict where they will be washed away. There are always new stories to be made, new people to meet, and eventually there are families to be made along the way, or maybe at the end of it. This is only the beginning, child. People leave each other in quest of new horizons, whether they want it or not. But it doesn't mean it is insignificant. It doesn't mean you should love the present for how nice it is," Ezera smiled a bit, "and you know, Ming? Goodbyes sometimes aren't forever."

That was what life had taught Ezera. He didn't regret it. It meant he had met these wonderful children, and he could potentially remain a part of their lives in the future. Wasn't this formidable, to belong to something bigger?

He didn't want to leave.

"I'm not a child," Ming protested grundgingly, Ezera could almost hear his pout.

Yes, immediately after, the words turned serious once more.

"What if I want this to be my family?"

Ezera felt a terrible pang at those words, as well as a swell of amusement.

"See, Ming?" he sing-sang in a fond murmur, "this is what I call you child. You have still so much to discover in front of you. My role, as a teacher, is to support you through it. Only time will tell if this is your family."

"But you won't leave before I make up my mind, right?"

"If I leave, I'll come back."

That was a big promise. How could Ezera be sure. In fact, he wasn'r certain. But he didn't want to let them down.

Still, he needed to protect them. How could he guide them if he wasn't there right next to them? The lenses might cure his own paranoia, but what of his students' doubts?

Not only that, but Ezera had already engaged in a new commitment...

Ming nodded, still unsure.

Before he could speak again, though, a loud noise of wood and human and ground, interrupted them, a strange mix of clang, tump and yelp.

They both looked up, only to be faced with an incredible scene. In the bad sense of the term.

Speaking about his new commitment.

Ezera resisted the urge to facepalm, grimacing as he thought furiously,

Kai, what mess did you end up creating again!

True to form, their resident kendo master, now entitled samurai, notorious bad boy of the class, stood over Onyx, who was down in the grass, staring at the other with flames in his eyes. Kai extended a hand, grinning.

"Sorry, 'highness. Didn't see you there."

Oh god.