A Boda of New Beginnings for a Once Wandering Heart Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Oz: Though I mentioned there being traces of the Calamity, it was not anything you couldn’t handle.

Even so, call on me should there be trouble.

Lennox: We will, thank you.

Now then, we should proceed to the forest in the smallest group possible. The more members we bring, the more pressured he may feel.

So Nero, Shylock. Can I have you two stay behind and look over the situation?

Nero: Got it.

Shylock: Understood.

Lennox: Rutile, Riquet, please come with me.

Rutile & Riquet: Roger that!

Akira: Lennox, let me come with you. I might be of help if it’s to do with the Great Calamity.

Lennox: Alright. You can ride on my broom. Let’s go, everyone.

Hopping onto Lennox’s broom, we steadily rose up, Rutile and Riquet following behind us.

Akira: (This morning I was imagining how the wedding would go, and now we’re here…)

Rutile: …

Rutile looked sad as he watched over the town that was growing smaller the higher we flew. 

Rutile: Ah…that spot must be the tree Luca was talking about.

Lennox: Yeah. I can sense something strange too.

Riquet: He said that Al was about Mitile’s age, right? I wonder why a kid like him is living alone this deep in the forest. 

Lennox: A manner of things could happen to a wizard in their life, even young or newly born.

Rutile: That’s true…if Al’s in trouble, I want to be of help for him…

If it were back in my world, children around Mitile’s age sleeping outside homeless and alone would be headline news. 

But in this world, it’s an accepted truth that no matter how young you were, even a child could provide for themselves alone.

Akira: (Al might be handling more hardship than I could even imagine…)

(We have to find him soon…)

Spying a tree more impressive than the rest, we lowered our brooms to the ground and examined the area. 

As Luca and Emily mentioned, there was a large hollow in the tree, big enough for a group of adults to stand in. 

Around it were wooden chairs and shelves, with bottles and cooking utensils lined up. You could tell it’s been lived in.

Lennox: It must be here. From the looks of it he must be used to travelling. 

Riquet: Do you guys hear something from within the hollow?

Pointing my ears towards the tree, I heard a small voice. 

???: Lizzy, I, I…what should I do…how did this…

Akira: Is he talking to someone…?

Riquet: But he’s supposedly living alone…maybe he actually had a friend.

Lennox: We don’t know that yet. For now, let’s try talking to him.

I might scare him if it’s me. Rutile, can you?

Rutile: Leave it to me!

Slowly approaching the hollow, Rutile greets the resident with a kind voice.

Rutile: Hello. Are you home, Al?

The whisper of a voice we heard before came to a stop. 

Rutile: It’s okay, you’re safe. I just wanted to ask you about something…

Wah! 

A young boy dashed out of the tree, deep green hair alike the leaves growing upon these trees rustled in the wind.

Al: ….Ngh! I’m, I’m sorry…!

He pulled out a broom and lept on it with speed, flying high into the air.

Rutile: Oh, please wait!

The wizards all summoned their brooms to chase after him, but we soon noticed the abnormality in his flying.

Riquet: Isn’t it a bit…weird? His broom is shaking so much…

Instead of riding a broom, it was more like he was sitting on a broom that shook left and right on its own. 

Lennox: He just had a magic outburst, so he’s not yet recovered. Let’s go…

The broom came to a halt.

Al: Uh…?

Waaaaah!

And came tumbling down. I could see him clinging tight to the broom for his dear life, yet his descent only quickened.

Akira: No…!

Rutile: Ortonik Setomaouge!

He quickly said his spell, and the boy and the broom began to float midair, rising downwards slowly.

Without a moment’s delay, Lennox rushed to his fall and caught the boy in his arms.

Lennox: …Are you hurt?

He blinked like he couldn’t believe his eyes, and muttered a response.

Al: N-No, I’m fine…are you guys…wizards too?

Lennox: Mm.

Akira: Are you alright?!

Rutile: I must have startled you approaching so suddenly. I hope you can forgive me.
Riquet: There's no need to be afraid. We are not here to accuse or capture you.

Al: Uhm, who are you…?

Lennox: We’re wizards of the Sage. We were entrusted by Luca to find and help a wizard named Al.

Hearing Luca’s name, the boy shuts his mouth tight and looks down. 

Rutile: Might you be Al?

Al: …Yeah.

Lennox: Luca and Emily are worried about you. They figured you were panicking. 

Al: !

Al raised his face, tears about to leak out. Lennox softens his gaze and continues speaking, voice more gentle than usual. 

Lennox: Would you tell us what happened to you? It can be whenever you want, we’ll wait for you.

The young wizard turned his head down again, as if hiding his expression. With a small nod, he spoke, taking his time explaining.

Al: …I was travelling for a long time before staying here. I wasn’t planning on staying long,

and like always, I was going to be leaving soon. 

Except…ever since I chased off that wolf from them, Luca and Emily have been really kind to me…

So I decided that before I go, I should congratulate them and say my thanks. 

The wedding venue was the prettiest thing I've ever seen. And the townspeople were welcoming just like they said. 

That’s when I began to feel weird. Like something awful began welling up in me, and my magic burst out. 

I couldn’t stop the magic coming out of me, and before I knew it I was tearing the venue apart. I remember shouting at everyone to run with all my strength…

It was their, their precious wedding, and I…

He bites his lips. 

My heart ached thinking of how Al must have felt being unable to stop the magic pouring out of his body, forced into watching the senseless destruction occur in front of him.

It was a kind and soothing voice that then spoke, comforting his weak heart. 

Rutile: …Thank you Al, for telling us this. It’s just as Luca said, you didn’t mean to do any of that. 

Lennox: Was there anything that could have caused this strange feeling?

Al: A cause…

Be it by instinct, his hand moved to cover a certain lump in the pocket of his clothes.

We could tell by his expression that he thought of something, but his mouth did not open. 

Akira: (What’s wrong…? Is it something he can’t speak about…?)

Lennox: …I sensed a trace of something strange at the venue, the same one I’m sensing now. 

Al, you might have been affected by the Great Calamity. 

Al: What…? The Calamity as in, that one?

Seeing Al’s reaction just a second ago, Lennox must have figured something out, and began to probe further. 

Lennox: It doesn’t have to be yourself directly. After its visit, the Great Calamity can afflict objects and even affect the owner to cause abnormalities to happen. 

Al: Even objects…

Lennox: If you have any idea, please share it with us. 

By the look on his face he was still anxious, but he took something out of his pocket.

Al: …Here.

What he pulled out was a compass with a metal case. 

The glass was cracked, and the needle was unstable. I could not tell whether it was simply broken or under the influence of the Great Calamity. 

Riquet: It feels…odd.

Lennox: …I believe this is the object that’s been affected by the Calamity.

Hearing that, Al gripped the compass tight and mustered his next words out in fear.

Al: Please, don’t break it…!

Rutile: It’s okay, we won’t do that. Is it important to you?

Al: …Yes. Really.

Seeing how he didn’t want to let go of the compass, Lennox patted his head. 

 

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