Ocular to the Dying Sun

Distracted Night Light’s; part 4

It’s nothing to deny, he’s been told that he looked like a few people, all high in rank or aristocratic. Some even curried favor to Yphemu, on certain occasions, with blanket compliments about despite not being of blood relation he has a strong resemblance to her.

He often watched these people and internally feel embarrassed for comments like that, since he would love to believe he is truly the child of Yphemu. Knowing in his mind that he isn’t despite not having any memory of his past before he was four doesn’t help make him feel at ease.

“At least I’m here beside her,” he whispered.

“Is there something wrong with the water master Mitt?” said the maid who was behind the accordion divider a few steps away.

“Nothing, Neldy, I just suddenly felt tired,” Mitt said with the best pleasant voice he could muster. “There’s nothing wrong. I’m going to get out now.”

Nodding, the maid readied his robes and other towels to lightly dry him and soon he was sitting in his living room as he organized his thoughts about the matter that kept on running in his head. Are the rumors about his father true?

How much is he supposed to let this issue bother him? A lot, perhaps the most surprising fact is, it bothered him so much to know that there was word out in the city about a man, who looked like him. Uncannily. Enough to put words in people’s mouths about this man’s certainty concerning him, Mitt.

There’s no doubt he’s satisfied in his life right now, despite all the bumps and easily dismissed opinions of the masses. He’s the next Prime Magician. The only candidate as of current and praised by many certified magicians of differing masters towards his potential growth, the support he was grateful given freely.

People believed his Light magic prowess is the strongest they’d seen, even his mother puts importance on his magic that he couldn’t stop feeling a bit overwhelmed when he is reminded. The reason why Yphemu, who may have a lot on her plate, takes her time to spend with him.

She cherishes him not just as her son but as a Prime Magician that should know what to do in times of crisis for the Slitark. His mother poured her blood, sweat, and tears so he could walk on the same road as she does and he is not remiss to dismiss her efforts.

Yet the idea that an existence of a man who simply walks the world, his blood father. Comes along. Lives are the opposite of what they represent.

Would it not be rational to deny such existence? Especially if they are from an opposition that brings difficulty in his mother’s life. He could be an enemy. An undesirable. The person behind the attack ten years ago.

Though, he couldn’t quite stop himself from wondering. What does he look like? Where he has been, and who he is in this world? The smallest of hopes comes into his mind that, if he was like him, then maybe he isn’t a bad person.

Filled with stories of a life he did not see from the perspective of losing touch with them. Traveling into corners of their world he cannot imagine even if the same kind of perks can be found with being a Prime Magician, maybe he wouldn’t be stuck learning so many spells to memorize if he walked the same path his “father” did.

Or, he could be a man staying in one place and cultivating their own family, missing him. Couldn’t putting the curiosity aside be something preferable to let it linger? But, in Mitt’s young heart, he could tell he wanted to know.

His imagination ran wild that even after dinner, where he felt his cheeks flush from Yphemu noticing him distracted from eating his food, he pondered for a second and thought perhaps it was fine to investigate on his own. Rather, rely on someone he knows he could be sure is a good source of information.

By his mother’s words, the best allies are those you could entrust tasks you couldn’t do, with an equal form of service given to them be it monetary or simply out of loyalty. The latter is his ideal form of currency since he hasn’t gotten the right to touch his money at a young age.

Without hesitation, he readied his simplest hooded coat and no changing of clothes and exited through the balcony of his room. The area of his room is surrounded by tall trees which makes it cool even if the view is hidden from his sight.

The room was once used by one of his uncles, Lady Tethea’s son, and was located in the part of the mansion where the children resided. There are many rooms unused even before his lonesome stay, but he didn’t mind because he liked playing alone on the off chance, he might hurt other kids with the way he played with his magic.

Time was graceful as it paid off practicing his Tapik magic enough that he could precisely fling himself into a direction without worry or stop his fall from breaking anything in his body. Confident as Mitt could be now at the age of thirteen to play with children his age while using magic, his caution remained.

Passing not within the gardens but a segway to the rooms at the back, he slunk under the fence that divides the main manor towards the location of the employee lodge. Leading from there he skipped going through the stables in favor of the one area where he could squeeze his body.

The back wall directly leads into the barracks of the Saturni family guards and Epiro’s quarters. Equipped with a humble bed, cabinet, and a corner where a rack filled with four swords and what looked like different types of slingshots. One table stood beside the rack of weapons and from the simple chair sat Epiro, looking at the intruder in the window.

“Okay,” Epiro said as he watched Mitt enter his room. “Kid, did someone ever tell you that your mother is scary when she is angry?”

“Sorry, could I take a moment of your time?” Mitt said as he settled on the bed. “Please, please. I need help on something.”

Epiro started towards the window, checked the surrounding for anyone who followed them, and back inside.

“I’ve promised to risk my life for your safety, but that doesn’t include skipping the little sleep I get or your mother’s trust in my service,” Epiro stated but he still sat in front of the boy without sending him away. “However, I’m not that heartless to listen to the young master’s concerns. What is it then? Throw it to me, I’m the older brother here.”

Nodding, Mitt breathed in before he quickly said, “Recently I’ve been hearing these unusual words about someone knowing who my father is—”

“Hold up,” Epiro suddenly said and quickly covered his mouth. He was looking at the door when he heard voices. Though the expression on his face said that he heard the boy’s words. Which he thought wouldn’t be reaching Mitt, at least not this quickly, but he was wrong.

Knocking thundered on his door before it opened, forcing him to hide the boy over what seemed to be a bunch of his old clothes covering Mitt’s head and flatly laying him on the bed. He felt the boy’s body squirm but stay still once he heard voices.

Inside Epiro’s head, he prayed that Lady Yphemu forgives him for this action. Though nothing bothered him more than his fellow guardsman just barging in without notice.

“Hey! Epiro, it’s boy’s night out in Aling Nora!” Someone said behind the person who opened the door.

“No pressure Epiro, but it’s been a long since you drank with us. Why don’t you come along, at least to let yourself have a different atmosphere?” Said the one in front of the door.

“Atmosphere? More like getting yourself better food and drinks in your body. Enjoying your posh food doesn’t make you happy Epiro. You’ve been sent to three different positions to focus on for months now, and none of them involve fighting.

“How the hell are you not breaking down with the level of post-shifts you’ve been through? Now you’re going to be the young master’s guard, which gives you enough breathing room but not enough enjoyment.” Said the other guard, who now stood by the door. “Get your ass off that bed, you still owe us that free meal!”

“Fine, fine, I’m going,” Epiro said as he patted the clothes on his bed, before forcibly pushing them toward the direction of the window.

He wanted Mitt to go back to his room. Epiro wasn’t about to ruin Lady Yphemu’s trust in him. At least until the moment, he saw the hooded-cloaked Mitt looked like an urchin with his cheeks stained by dirt and dust on his head.

Epiro wasn’t sure when and how he snuck out from his room and followed them, but he could tell that the boy must have used strong enough magic to conceal his presence from them. As the crowd of the eatery continued to raise noise, this just proved how the night could be longer than Epiro expected while Mitt looked around with enough fascination.

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Closed, thick velvet curtains, emblazoned with the Saturni emblem between wreaths of flowers décor the living room of Yphemu’s quarters. Hyles had prepared her midnight snack as she failed to stop working since a new set of documents had presented itself, more the investigation reports of Lagodis.

His service went way back in his youth under Lord Estring, even before her master became the Prime Magician. Due to his loyalty under an oath that he’s promised to the Saturnis and by extension to every member of Lord Estring’s direct family, he’s served them through thick and thin.

Every step was tinged with his innate ability to fight with skill and precision. He also taught Yphemu her sword skills, at least her ability to fight with two weapons. He was a valuable mentor of the blade and Yphemu was thankful for his help.

Before Lord Estring died, Lagodis had already established his life as a veteran. Known enough to be hired by the Academy as a mentor to many an aspiring squire, at least from time and again, since he has his own life and family back in the Saturni provinces. Living his whole life and family under the Saturnis has become something of a given during his job as a sword for the Saturni and the Prime Magician.

Even the point of succeeding in his services to Yphemu, as he swore his loyalty to her via a promise to guide and protect her from Lord Estring, he made sure to hone her potential the way his master saw. Another person in the life of the previous Prime Magician that Yphemu found she was grateful for.

The point on one side though is the fact Lagodis is now old and should be given the time to rest, like the reward he so deserved. Seeing this, Yphemu indefinitely offered him a part of the Saturni family via association, as approved by Lady Tethea and other branch members.

Since then, he and his family had acquired a title enough to call themselves aristocrats within the territory of the Saturni’s. Though, it wasn’t because he was loyal to death that he still worked even under Yphemu’s Prime Magician reign, rather he saw that she was worth serving.

Thus, the old grandpa’s presence on the battlefield continues even to this day, and so is all the other work he has always done during his days under Lord Estring. Included in this work is an in-depth investigation of certain individuals around the area of the provinces and outside the All-Monarchs kingdom.

Since he’s at liberty to move around now that he’s not stuck within the oath of a soldier or a guard, he’s become an old man roaming the kingdom and sending gifts to his grandchildren with the occasional work here and there. Thus, his investigative work comes into play, as his face is neither important to remember nor the reputation of his name stands with its power, he’s retained moving around the land in stealth.

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