557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWkySnzY4o
«Chapter 3»
⟨⟨New Moon⟩⟩557Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXONejv6b2
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The next day the magician returned just like I had imagined he would, when my father was nowhere in sight. With unchanged robes, cloak, hat and mask, the smirk was back on his lips and a satisfied, steely look in his eyes.
"I have lost my sleep over you," he said. From one of several pockets in his cloak he drew a piece of paper and gave it to me. "Before the sun touches the horizon, meet me here."
I unfolded the paper, then looked up. "It's blank."
"If you have eyes, as you claim to, you would have no problem seeing where to be."
I looked back at the paper. Apart from the prominent lines of where it had been sloppily folded, there was nothing. However, there was a red dot, barely noticeable in one of the quadrant. But nothing else. The paper was indeed blank. I frowned.
When I looked back up, the magician was gone.
That afternoon, I excused myself to my father by saying I had to run an errand for one of the carpenters, bringing him some collected wood. I ran before he could stop me. All throughout the morning, my head had not been into serving the customers like it was usually on the other days. I was infinitely more focused on what exactly was in that paper and where I had to meet the magician.
I was, however, certain that if I roamed the streets that afternoon, I would surely be able to find the magician. The clouds had started coloring themselves in the shadow of a dull orange when I realized that I had wasted my day.
I decided to not give up hope, but to check how much time I had before the sun actually touched to horizon. I started towards the docks.
After running as fast as I could, I was heaving for breath like my life depended on it... which it did. Disappointment was what I felt when I realized it would only be minutes before my deadline.
And scared to bones was what I felt when I heard a loud gasp right next to my ear. I swiveled on my feet and dropped into the sand. Standing tall in front of me was the very magician who I had spent the evening searching for.
"You scare me, Cloi," he breathed out.
"I scare you?" I could not believe him. "You were the one who sneaked up behind me!"
"Apologies for that." He bent over in the most graceful way one could possibly manage and lent a gloved hand to me. "You caught me by surprise when I found you here. So you really have the Sight?"
"The Sight?" I brushed the sand off my clothes.
"You saw what I had written on the paper. Only one other person have I crossed paths with was able to read something written in that ink. I call it the Sight."
For obvious reasons, I did not want to put an end to the excitement evident in his voice. So I kept my mouth shut about the truth of the situation. It was actually quite enjoyable to watch - the way his cloak flapped behind him in the wind and how he bounced on his feet and his hat shifted on his head.
"Well?" I finally interrupted.
"Well... what?"
"Why did you call me here?"
"Oh yes. About that... I have changed my mind. I am willing to give you what you want."
"So this was a test? To see if I actually had the 'Sight'?"
"Forgive me for my crudeness, but yes, it was indeed a test. And, not to offed you, but I have decided that you are worth my time."
"I am alright with that. So when do we start?"
"How about now?"
"The sun is about to set. My father would want me home."
"Then, I shall feel obliged to take you home. We can talk on the way."
"Let's get going."
Etaine played with his cane as we walked. His steps were a mix of graceful strides and childlike jumps over random objects found on the street. I managed my time with kicking around a stone which I found to my liking. And there was talking.
"So, you want to know everything?" He asked.
"Pretty much, yes."
"Where do I start?"
"How about your name?"
"You already know it."
"No. I mean your real name. That name is just to mingle with the folks. Anybody with ears could find that fine stutter in your R's and a hesitation in your T's."
"Ah, so you have eyes AND ear!" He chuckled. "Quite the sensory one, aren't ya?"
"By the gift of God, I am."
He laughed at that. "Listen, here, Clio. I will tell you this thing. Let this be the first of everything which you shall learn from me. In all my years of living, I will assure you, I have never encountered any God or such."
"How long have you lived?"
"Long enough to know that Gods do not exist."
"Maybe not long enough, then."
"You do not believe me!" He almost sounded offended.
"It is not that I do not believe you. But I also believe that there is are Gods watching over me - heart and soul. I do not wish to be swayed by your mere opinion."
"But nobody has seen God!"
"But we have felt him! He is one thing that even a blind person can decipher to be true."
He let out an exasperated sigh and jumped to hang onto a thick branch of an ancient looking tree. "There's no way to reason with you, is there?"
I rolled my eyes. "Let me explain. What we breath in, we call it air. We feel it's coolness on the tip of our nostrils when we inhale, we feel our chests rising, and we feel the warmth when we let it out. But we can't see it, can we? God's like that."
"EXCEPT, we CAN actually see the breath." He swung himself forward and landed on the ground with a catlike precision. "On a cold morning, we can."
There was no getting into this man's head. I decided to subdue this influential talk for later. "The night is upon us. I am going to run home."
"No!" I heard him shout behind me. "This is the most of a genuine talk which I have had with anyone for the longest time. Please stay."
"But my father..."
His head fell in dejection and with it went his hat tumbling to the floor, rolling towards me and dropping at my feet. I felt bad.
I picked it up and dusted it. Handing it to him, I said, "Meet me at my house after the lights go out. I'll be on the rooftop."
With that, I went jogging to reach the house before the sky went completely dark.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
