Learning (3)

It had been one month since Theo's fake death, and he had managed to start reliably imbuing mana into artifacts, was making Vin slightly less disappointed in their spars and Giselle had just approved him to move on to the next level of mana meditation which was equally boring, but supposedly strengthening his bond with his mana.

His cheeks were even starting to look a bit less hollow thanks to regular and proper meals.

Theo had also made it through all the basic lessons that any mana user should learn by the time they were 13.

Marc was tutoring him in the evenings, though he thought that Theo might start progressing through the lessons slower as they began learning about upper-level concepts.

It wouldn't help the studying that Theo's reading speed was slow from all the years of not being allowed to read.

Henley was coming over twice a week to give Theo archery lessons, but those lessons were a bit…uncomfortable, and Theo didn't seem to have much talent for the subject.

Henley didn't seem to like Theo much.

Not that Theo blamed Henley for it. Theo thought Henley's reaction was much more natural than all the other members of the King's Guard who had rescued him.

"Theo!" Marie called from the front door.

"Living room!" Theo answered.

"Do you want some tea?" Theo offered as Marie entered the room. Vin and another woman were with her. Theo tensed when he realized someone he didn't know was with them.

"I'm Sofia. I'm Marc's sister." The bird-like woman extended a hand to Theo. "I already knew about you, and Marie needs you to come with us to the festival tonight so she's not the awkward third-wheel to our date."

"I believe you are the one who inserted yourself into our plans." Vin smiled.

"Only after Owen abandoned the two of you for work." Sofia was serenely unfazed. "I'm saving the two of you from an awkward evening. Now, are you coming?"

Theo had barely nodded before Sofia was pulling him along.

"Perfect. I already wanted to go buy some clothes for tonight, but we absolutely must do something about your wardrobe. Marc told me he had given you some clothes, but he has no sense."

Theo stumbled as they walked out the door. He hadn't been brave enough to leave the townhouse since his "death".

He knew he would have to eventually, but –

"Do you have any preference in stores?"

Sofia left Theo no time to hesitate.

"No, not really." Theo replied.

"What do you think about 'The Queen's Cloth'?" Sofia turned to Vin. "We could all get ready-made outfits in matching colors. I could even pick one up for if Marc finishes work in time to join us."

"We can match?" Scourge popped his head out of Theo's pocket.

Theo smiled at the idea of Scourge dressed up. Unfortunately, the store was unlikely to sell clothes designed for a tiny dragon.

"Is this the dragon?" Sofia squealed. "It's almost as adorable as you, Vin."

"I thought you said I was handsome, not adorable."

"You're everything and more." Sofia fluttered her eyelashes.

Vin looked unfazed, but Theo noticed the tips of his ears were beginning to match the color of his hair.

Sofia also seemed to notice as her steps gained an extra bounce.

When they entered the store, it seemed a foreign experience to Theo. He hadn't even gone shopping much with his family. They had lived rather modestly in a small town and had made all their own clothes.

"How about green?" Sofia asked.

"We could do pink." Vin suggested.

Sofia shook her head. "Marc isn't a fan, and we have to get him an outfit, too." She frowned as she looked at Vin.

"It's pointless to decide based on what looks good on you since you look amazing in anything." Sofia continued. "Unless there's something you're particularly wanting."

"Whatever you want is fine." Vin said.

"All I want is you." Sofia winked at him.

"Ugh, we're getting blue outfits." Marie interrupted them and tugged Theo along. Theo thought he heard a quiet "you are currently fiancé-less" as they walked away.

Flipping through the clothes was interesting. Some were simple, spelled only with an effect that guaranteed a good fit. Others had additional spell work. Some made you appear slightly taller. Others could make your voice sound one octave lower.

They spent a much longer time choosing outfits than Theo would have thought possible, but it wasn't unpleasant. Theo also bought a blue and gold ribbon for Scourge. The light was turning golden as they walked back to Marc's house to see if he had made it off of work.

"Eloise?" Marie said as they walked up. "Why are you here?"

"The divine dagger." Eloise said. "I brought it to the magic tower, but it won't shut up about Theo's blood. I came here on my first break."

Eloise passed the dagger to Theo.

"Hi Stabby." Theo said to the dagger. "I thought I told you to behave, but you're annoying Eloise."

[This divine one's concerns were being ignored.] The dagger protested.

Everyone moved inside and sat at the kitchen table. Sofia and Vin brewed some tea while the others sat around the dagger.

"So what has you so concerned that you annoyed Eloise into wasting her day off?" Theo said.

[I need your blood.]

"That's a little creepy, Stabby." Theo glared at the dagger.

[Numen's child, I was ignored when I assisted you with the oath removal, but something was very wrong with your blood. I must check it.]

"I had kind of forgotten due to the excitement of breaking an oath, but the dagger was complaining a lot about your blood that day." Eloise rubbed the back of her neck.

"I guess that would be fine then." Theo pressed his finger tip against the dagger until a single drop of blood dropped on the blade.

[This is wrong.] The dagger paused. [Numen's children should have mana in excess, but not this much. No human should have this much mana.]

"Why do you keep calling Theo Numen's child?" Marie asked. "He's a warlock."

[What else would this one call Numen's child? It is obvious that he is one of the goddess' clan.] The dagger stopped. [The purity of his mana is as close to Numen, the goddess, as a human could possibly be.]

Everyone froze.

"I'm a warlock." Theo shook his head. "I'm the most evil type of mana user there is."

[It seems, that someone has begun to blasphemy while I was napping in that corridor.] The divine dagger growled. [Where, precisely, have the rest of the divine daggers been during this time?]