Chapter 6: The Diamond Candle Lodge of Magic
Beatrix Town
"Now where are you taking me?!" Nathan was irritated. Irritated because the sun was beginning to rise up high and that Nathan was worried of getting skin diseases. Also, he hates being dragged to places he doesn't know.
Right now, I really wish to be inside my cool dry limo; worrying about my work than being here in a town full of strangers and being pulled by some hyper active child. More importantly, she's dressed like a boy from the victorian era; a brown vest under a plain white shirt, black shorts and leather shoes. The time setting here is all mixed up!!. Nathan was panicking inside himself. To cool off, he pictured himself inside the big air- condition car, talking to his loyal butler about the progresses going on at the newly built hotels in the Asia. His butler got some champagne and poured it in the wine glass Nathan was holding. The champagne delighted Nathan's taste and so he enjoyed every last drop of it.
Yet, the fantasy quickly ended as he came back to reality. He bumped on to several people, not even having enough time to see their reactions. He was panting heavily and also a little dizzy. Nathan also collided with coffee tables outside restaurants, destroyed fruit stalls along the streets, and almost got knocked of by a rectangular wooden board carried by two men. Unfortunately, he was able to duck before it happened.
"Excuse me, pardon me, out of the way please." Cosette yelled at the citizens of Beatrix who were walking on the streets.
"Hey!" A grumpy man shouted.
"Watch were you're going!" A baker yelled.
Nathan was growing pale and he was out of breathe. He was a fine healthy man except that he was asthmatic, and was not good at running long distances. The two of them ran up a small hill, with a herd of sheep was busy eating grass. Finally, Cosette came to a halt. Nathan was breathless, he leaned at the iron gates of where ever they were.
"H-h-how can you still stand and breathe like that.....after....all....that running?" Nathan spoke with difficulty.
"Well, we're here." Cosette walked pass the gates.
As Nathan looked ahead, he saw a huge tavern not far away from him. The walls were made of concrete and the roof was colored red. From the gates was a pathway that lead to the small terrace with a sign board above. There were two floors and a lot of french windows on the top. At the side of the building were trees and plants that grew with the help of the sun.
"Come on Nathan, don't act just stand there acting like a sick man!" Cosette rushed toward the building entrance.
"I am sick as of now." Nathan just whispered to himself.
He followed Cosette who was already entering the tavern. As Nathan walked forward, he looked up and watched as the birds chirped and the wind travel west. He was hearing noises from inside the building and sounded like the people inside are enjoying. As he reached the door, a touched the knob and gave a deep breathe. He opened the door slowly and-
Splat!!!
Nathan was unable to move because of the immoral greeting. He didn't expect that throwing cherry pies at peoples faces was a good welcome. The pie slid down Nathan's throat and splattered down the floor.
"HAHAHAHA!!!!" The room was full of loud laughs.
"Kingsley! I told he's not Elli. And it's bad for us to greet elders like that." Cosette warned the boy who threw the pie at Nathan.
"Hahaha!!! Even though it's nont Elli, he's still hillarious!!" The young boy rolled over the ground and tears came out of his eyes because of laughing.
"Hell he was!!" A man agreed.
The giggles didn't stop and Nathan was humiliated in front of a lot of people for the first time. His face was expressionless but inside he was burning with anger. The boy stood up and approached Nathan with a big smile in his face. As he reached him, the 13 year old boy raised his hand and patted Nathan's shoulder.
"Sorry about that man, we were just bored thats all. But honestly it was a great laugh." He apologized half- heartedly.
Nathan was just silent. But, without any warning, he grabbed the boy's shirt and toppled him down in an instant just like he was in a wrestling match. Kingsley, swiftly recovered and he began to back off a few steps.
"Oww..... no fair! You didn't tell me about that." Kingsley protested as he rubbed the back of his neck to ease the pain.
"Well, I wasn't ready for your pie either." Nathan countered.
"Why you..." Kingsley was pissed and grabbed another pie. He ran towards Nathan but unfortunately, slipped on the remains of the cherry he threw.
Kingsley landed on the floor with his butt going first. The pie on his hands got thrown away and landed on somebody's head.
"Hey Kingsley! that wasn't funny!" A huge man spoke. In order to get revenge, he got an apple pie and threw it towards Kingsley's direction.
"To slow buddy!" The young man remarked and dodge the pie easily.
The wasted pastry was received by Minerva's face who was just quietly sitting at one of the tables. Not long after, the situation got out of control and soon, almost all of the people got pie on them and were also throwing food at one another. Porridge, pies, beverages were flying in the air and the tables and chairs were disarranged and damaged. The food fight was on, and roughly everyone participated.
"Hugghh.." Cosette sighed.
She sat by the counter with Jane, the lodge's waitress and attendant. She stared as the men and women of the lodge throw appetizing breakfast and snack against each other. The sight was not new, it was always a fight that would be started by someone until everybody's involved. Cosette wondered if the Diamond Candle will ever stop being so troublesome.
"Here Cosette, have some milk" Jane offered a glass to Cosette.
"Thank you." Cosette accepted it and took a drink.
"So, where is Elli?" Jane was curious of Elli's whereabout.
"Well, to tell you the truth I really don't know" Cosette looked at the floor with a gloomy face.
"That's okay. He'll be back soon!" Jane lighted up Cosette with an energetic smile.
"Yeah... and......can all of you stop fighting already!!!" Cosette yelled at the rioting group.
Yet the noisy crowd never seemed to cease. Cosette just gave another sigh. Then, Nathan ascended from the group with a messy face and a wet jacket. His face was just blank, he approached the two girls and leaned on the counter.
"Welcome to the Diamond Candle Lodge. Did you enjoy our greeting?" Jane said and offered a towel to Nathan.
"I was lucky to have survived. It's like a wild jungle in here." Nathan replied as he wiped off the traces of food on his face. He took of his jacket and and gave it and also the towel back to Jane.
"Oh, do you want me to wash it?" Jane was confused, looking at the jacket.
"You can have it." Nathan spoke. "Do they always fight like this?"
"Yeah, sort of." Cosette said as she climbed up a stool.
"But don't worry, they should be all quiet at about.........." Jane looked up the ceiling with her hands crossed.
"Now."
Then, a fast moving sword came from the top floor, splitting a wooden table into half and landed ground, cracking the floor. Everybody became motionless, there eyes focused on the deadly sword.
"What's this ruckus all about!?" A woman with red hair roared.
"Ooohhh.....Arty it's you...ah..hahaha." Kingsley was shaken.
"Ughh....not again." The woman named Eron covered her disappointed look with her hand.
"Who is she?" Nathan asked, having his eyes focused up in where the woman was standing.
"Oh! So you're also caught by her beauty." Jane giggled.
"She's Eron Roux. A charming woman yet you might she might be a little too old for you and she's feared and greatly respected as well." Jane spoke.
"What do you mean by feared?" Nathan looked at Jane.
"Well, she has a kind of magic that can summon any kind of weapon. You make her mad and......let's just say you receive a taste of hell. Also, with the exception of the master, she's the only who can discipline the lodge using her voice." Jane explained.
"Who would even go against a woman like that?" Nathan received shivers.
"Well, there is one! And Eron lost!" Cosette answered Nathan question with her finger pointed upward.
"What?! Seriously?" Nathan looked at Cosette with astonishment.
"It was three years ago. But that man's gone now." Jane spoke.
The three of them looked at Eron with admiration. Even though it was Nathan's first time seeing Eron, he had already garnered a hint of respect toward the woman. Besides having great control of her powers, Eron looked beautiful, her red bangs covering her forehead, her hair cut unevenly forming a letter V at the back. She had black eyes and her lips were perfectly form. She wore a sleeveless collared shirt that was made from thick cloth. At the bottom was a short cargo that was enough to cover her thighs. It was colored brown and it had a lot of pockets. At her feet were a pair of heavy boots that covered her ankles, they were colored black and had shorts thick heels about an inch long.
"Listen everyone, especially you Kingsley." Eron said as she pointed at Kingsley who was feeling guilty. "If all of you continue doing this, I will cut your heads off and sell them at the market for 50,000 gold each! Now who wants get their heads sold at that price?" Eron made a brutal threat.
"There she goes with her warnings again, she probably said that for about the twentieth time already" Kingsley murmured to himself.
Eron waved her hand and out of the blue, a small portal appeared. Eron grabbed something inside it and slowly, she pulled it out. It was a sword much bigger than the other thing she threw previously.
"What did you say again Kingsley?" Eron grinned at Kingsley differently. It like he was a delicious meal Eron would like to kill.
"Uhh....Uhh.... I said I won't pick a fight again!" Kingsley was frightened.
"Very well." Eron spoke and the sword disappeared in a flash.
"Cosette, and that boy over there. Report to the master now." She said and went back to where she came from. Her footsteps were still loud and clear even though she had gone, the people watched her as she got back to her room. Finally, everybody snapped out from Eron's voice.
"Oh! Come on Nathan, the master wants us" Cosette ran up the wooden stairs located beside the counter.
"Why does it have to be me?" Nathan was feeling down. He walked wobbly, following Cosette.
"Hey you!" Kingsley called Nathan.
Nathan turned his head to him.
"Were not done yet! I'm definitely going get you!" Kingsley challenged Nathan to a friendly fight.
Nathan smirked as if accepting it. "Never in a hundred years." Nathan turned against him and continued walking.
"We'll see about that!" Kingsley was a bit pissed. He was about to charge Nathan but luckily, Bruce was able to hold him.
As Nathan approached the second floor, the first thing he saw was a hallway with a lot of doors in the side.
This must be rooms for those members who don't have any. Nathan thought.
As he turned to the right, he saw another hallway although it was short and it led to a brown painted door. Nathan moved to it opened the door. As he was inside, he saw a room with walls colored white. Below, the floor was carpeted with green and opposite to the door was a desk made of thick wood. There was also a swivel leather chair that was turned against him.
"Cosette, reports said that Elli didn't come home with you." The man sitting in the chair spoke.
His had a deep voice and it was more like a groan. Nathan looked at Cosette who was just a few inches from him. Also, Eron was there, standing firm by the huge glass window that had a view of the lodge's colorful backyard. Her hands were crossed and now, she was wearing metal gloves. Eron looks were fierce and serious.
Nathan stared at Eron and was paying no attention to the conversation. Eron glared at him and Nathan instantly curved his head away from her strict look.
"You there! pay attention!" The voice was calling for Nathan.
"Y-y-yess sir!" Nathan didn't know why, but it seemed that the voice was very powerful and grand.
"Is this the boy who Elli told you to send to me?"
"Yes master."
"Very well, Cosette, please leave for a moment."
"Yes master." Cosette followed her master's command and departed.
The door creaked loudly as Cosette went out of the master's office. Nathan was left alone with people he cannot trust. Suddenly, Nathan felt an eerie sensation, he felt really cold and shaken, he covered his shoulders with his hands as he looked down the floor.
"Wh-wh-what is this icy feeling?" He spoke.
As he looked up he realized that the office was gone, it was all a cold empty void. Eron was still their with her serious but calm look. Nathan looked at to where the swivel chair was and to his horror, the person who sat there turned into a huge and ferocious dark aura, it's eyes were steaming red and it groaned as if it was going to devour Nathan in a second. Nathan was horrified, he tried to scream but no words were going out of his mouth. His knees trembled and not long after, he was down the ground with his eyes petrified and locked to the monster's eyes. But then, after all the horror, the beast began shrinking and the darkness was suddenly fading. The monster was getting smaller and smaller and it was forming into a body of small person. Nathan was still sitting on the floor, his arms supporting the weight of his body.
"Yo there!" an old bald man in a white robe greeted Nathan.
Nathan was still in shock. The dark creature turned into an old man with an extremely long beard. He was standing in a crooked posture and on his right hand was a wooden staff. The rod was pointed on one end while on the other tip was, it chiseled to form a diamond with four edges. By looking at the old man, Nathan was annoyed.
Are they trying to provoke me? Nathan spoke in his mind.
"I'm Ivanox, the master of this lodge." The lodge master introduced himself.
"I'm well aware of that." Nathan stood up and tapped his shoulders to remove the dirt.
"So boy, why are you here?" Ivanox inquired.
"Now that you mentioned it, do you know how I can return back to Ireland?" Nathan was desperate to knowing how.
"Ohhhh....Ireland?" The old man scratched his bald head.
"Hughhh... I doubt if I'll ever go back." Nathan sighed heavily, his face saddened.
"Hmmm......" Ivanox was now stroking his long white beard. "Ah! I remember now, that's the place where Lucas was living." Finally, the answer hit his head.
"Lucas?" Nathan thought the name was familiar.
Nathan recalled very well about who Lucas was. He was sure he had heard the name before. Then, it struck his brain like a moving arrow.
"Do you mean Lucas Knight? My grandfather?!" Nathan was astonished.
"Yeah! that's right! That must be why you look a little similar to Pernel." Ivanox voice was hoarse.
"You also know my father?!" Nathan surprised.
"Oh yes I know Pernel! His Lucas' only son. That poor boy, always shoved in his lessons." Ivanox recalled.
"B-b-b-ut why do you know my family?" Nathan was still in awe.
"No, your're mistaken my boy. I only know Lucas and Pernel since Lucas was my partner back then." Ivanox strated pacing around.
"So that means you've visited Earth at least once!" Nathan concluded.
"I don't know what you mean, well, we also call our world Earth. But yes, I have visited your non- magic world. I really don't even know how I survived their for two years but I was glad to have met your grandfather even though we had a lot of fights and conflicts." The master explained.
"Then you must know how I can go back to Ireland!" Nathan yelled. He was loosing his calm and blank face.
"Woah. Easy there kid. I'm afraid you won't be able to do that. Let me ask you, did you get here through a portal?"
"Yes I did. It was that strange knife that opened it."
"Exactly. It was the Kinl knife that brought you here. It's a unique instrument that enables you to travel to other various dimensions." Ivanox climbed and sat on his table.
"So that thing that I saw in the cave was yours." Nathan spoke.
"Yes. It was mine and it was the last Kinl knife that has been ever made." Ivanox clarified.
"And don't have it with me now." Nathan was disappointed.
"Well, once it opens a portal, you must always grab the knife before you enter or else it will be left in the previous world you are in." Ivanox explained further.
"And so that means, without the stupid knife, I'll be stuck in this strange world for all eternity." Nathan realized the upsetting fact.
"Yes. You will be. Unless you train here and become a mage and make an instrument similar to it." Ivanox explained another option.
"I don't even know if i will survive a week with those dim-witted fools." Nathan protested quietly.
"You'll get along with them in no time! Eron will guide you." Ivanox spoke.
"Of course master." Eron was loyal to her master.
Eron approached Nathan. Nathan just looked up at her. Then, the fearsome warrior pinched Nathan's ear and dragged him with her.
"Come now you expressionless child, you got a lot to learn."
"Ow!" Nathan screamed.
The two of them walked out of the room and slammed the door really loud.
Ivanox just gazed at them and began to think.
Pernel, your son cannot escape his faith. Danger lies ahead of him. I hope he awakens soon enough or else the world will be plunged in great peril.
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