h2>Dating : Thomas the Dimwitted Apprentice
“Finally, I can say this! Thomas Anderson Copper, you are hereby exiled from Gallahore Witchcraft and Wizarding School!”
Everyone in the hall witnessed the young Copper’s mortified face after listening to the ‘death-sentence’ which Grandmaster Hamsloff just stated.
Exile? Really? Only for an accidental mistake during a class? He’s not even the reason for the accident, and there’s no one even hurt this time, well physically. But really, an exile? That’s just pure hatred.
Thomas Copper never had the brightest mind and might not the kind of person you want to depend on doing important things. It’s not because of the mysterious disappearance of his parents but rather merely because of his clumsiness. His remark was prominent enough to make people say, “Don’t you ‘copper’ off during an experiment, you could die.” He was always the last one to be picked during any group activities.
Despite that, Thomas was the kind of man you can trust whenever you need someone to talk to. But, with his reclusive character, it was evident that his classmates often pick on him; however, he never resent them. Not because he’s not brave enough to stand up for bullies, but he understands that fighting back will only result in greater hate.
His kindness and gentle attitude make the late Grandmaster Hawthorne fond of him. Sometimes it was a bit too much that he secretly passed Thomas’s failed tests despite his lack of knowledge. Hawthorne believes that Thomas’s character will make him a great wizard, even without his capability to perform high-level charms as a capable wizard should. However, Thomas did excel in the Magi-archeology, thanks to his father. He also understood ancient artefacts’ potent knowledge despite his inability to use it.
The grandmaster’s special treatment toward Thomas makes many students jealous and even makes some masters annoyed. Hector Hamsloff, the current grandmaster, resented Thomas quite intensely, despite his relationship with Thomas’s father. In fact, Thomas and Hamsloff already know each other when he was a mere assistant of Adrian Copper, Thomas’s father. He was a well-known senior Magi-archeologist who went missing along with his wife during an expedition years ago. Fortunately, Thomas had just admitted to Gallahore a few days before his parents disappeared, so he stayed at the school dormitory ever since.
A year before Thomas’s graduation, Hawthorne sacrificed himself to save Thomas from a rogue night-dragon, which supposedly guarded the school against dark creatures. For no apparent reason, the dragon appears and went berserk when Thomas was spending his time with Hawthorne on the hill’s peak near the school. Hamsloff was anointed as Hawthorne’s successor to be the Grandmaster of Gallahore afterwards. Due to the incident, he deemed Thomas as the cursed who could cause unfortunate for the people close to him.
Because of the new grandmaster’s ‘propaganda,’ no one even wants to get close to Thomas anymore. On the other hand, Thomas never seemed to hold any grudges to anyone who mistreated him. He knows if he succumbs to the hatred, it will only disappoint his parents and Grandmaster Hawthorne, whom he looked up to. Instead, Thomas is determined to be a master like his father and his saviour. But before he could achieve his dream, he has to face Hamsloff firstly and pass his apprenticeship period.
Grandmaster Hamsloff had no choice but to accept Thomas as Gallahore’s apprentice since it was written in Hawthorne’s will. Indeed, Thomas has to go through the excruciating experience in enduring disruptive attempts to fail his apprenticeship by the beloved grandmaster. He always blamed the young apprentice for any problem in the school, even for trivial things. Once, he forced Thomas to mend the ancient Kairns Vase, which was accidentally shattered by one of the grandmaster’s aide. Thus, Thomas was late in submitting his student’s test paper, which results in his apprenticeship points’ deduction.
One day, Thomas invited his students to the same hill’s peak, where the incident happened two years ago. Even after everything happened there, that’s still his favourite spot in the school area. He spends most of his time at this place with his mentor and the father figure he has after losing his parents. After all, the hill was a perfect site for him to teach magi-archaeology to his students, considering it was constructed with uncountable sacred ancient relics and runes.
Despite the blundering attitude, Thomas was quite charismatic when he teaches his students as if he was a different person. Everyone could witness how passionate and resourceful he is when he walked his students through the relics engraved on the obelisks lined up on their way to the top of the hill. Most of his students were mesmerized by Thomas’ unexpected charm, but, just like in any school class, there will always be troublemakers.
Thomas gave a warning at the beginning of the lesson for his students to be cautious. Despite that, a group of his students ignorantly scratched the runes on the obelisk. It activated the ancient spell contained inside it. The massive stone suddenly cracked and released creeping tree roots from the inside. The vines quickly start to entwined the nearest students and dragged their feet forcefully toward the crack on the obelisk.
Thomas instinctively jumped toward the stone and placed his hands above the broken rune. Soon after, all the engraved runes on the skin of the obelisk glowed one by one. Then the creeping plant began to dry out and release their grip on the students’ feet. Then he reached out his pouch and took out a kind of stone with a rune engraved on it. He placed the artefact above the students’ feet, and the bruises were instantly healed.
Thomas saved his students’ life with his intuitive action. Yet, those students were traumatized as this is their first near-dead experience. Worst, one of the troublemakers students was the son of the aide of Hamsloff — the one accidentally destroyed the very vase mended by Thomas later on. Hamsloff took this matter pretentiously as this is a good chance for him to kick Thomas out of the school.
In a matter of hours, Hamsloff called a school council meeting to deliberate regarding this matter. Hamsloff charged Thomas for the destruction of sacred relics, teaching misconduct, and endangering his students with his lack of competence. Previously, Hamsloff didn’t have a strong enough case to sack Thomas, but now he has one — especially when the victim is the son of one of his aide. Undoubtedly, it was a loss case for Thomas.
“Thomas Anderson Copper, you are hereby exiled from Gallahore Witchcraft and Wizarding School!” Hamsloff gleefully stated the verdict to the hopeless young apprentice. “Remove all of your belongings from this ground, immediately.”
Thomas wasn’t able to say anything since it was true that his students who are supposedly under his supervision are injured during his class. He walked out of the hall with his heavy legs without being able to say anything. Guilt and disappointment filled his soul, given he felt that he just failed his father and mentor.
“Wait!” Hamsloff stopped Thomas. “You are supposed to be jailed for your crime. But since I’m a benevolent man, you only have to fix the sacred runes you destroyed. After that, never step your foot into this school again. Do you understand?”
Thomas only nodded. Hamsloff smiled utterly wide as if someone slit his mouth from the end of his cheekbones — thinking he finally succeeded in abolishing the thorn in his finger.
Feeling responsible, Thomas immediately went to the location of the obelisk on the hill. As he arrived in front of the broken stone, he stayed still for a while. His breath starts to get heavier and heavier, while tears began to wet his cheek without him realizing. When his legs couldn’t hold his body anymore, he began to cry grievously, tightly squeezed his chest as he was holding the pain in his heart.
After a while, he finally able to calm himself down and wiped his tears away. He understands and accepts that he has to go through this — to be a great master like his father and mentor. He took a deep breath, pushed himself from the ground, and stand firm in front of the damaged relics. He put his hands gently on top of the crack on the obelisk and muttered a spell.
O Spiritus Sanctus terra, tua potentia fluit et quod confractum fuerat iunctissima quondam iterum
Shortly, the runes carved on the obelisk began to glow, followed by a gentle vibration of the stone. Like turning back the time, the obelisk cracks started to heal, and it absorbs the dried roots back inside to the rock. Not too long after, Thomas managed to mend the destroyed relic entirely as if there was no damage, to begin with. But suddenly, his sights went dark, and he felt someone dragged him forcefully.
When he regained his sights, someone tied him to a post and muffled his mouth with a cloth. Hamsloff was standing arrogantly in front of him, proudly presenting his fat belly while holding his long staff on the side. Two other men standing behind the grandmaster only displayed their eyes, and the rest of their body was covered by thick black clothing.
“Do you know where you are?”
Thomas began to panic and trying to release himself from the tight rope which bonding him on to the post.
“There’s no use to do that. Let me ask again. Do you know where you are?”
Thomas looked around and noticed that he was in front of a wall with ancient relics carved all over it.
“This is the place where the glory begins. This is where the revolution began, the fall of the old and the rise of the new.”
The young man seems to be trying to understand what does his former superior was rambling about.
“That’s right. This is where I ended the old man Hawthorne’s legacy and claimed what rightfully mine.”
Thomas finally understood what the man said.
“What? The dragon? Oh please A single dragon wouldn’t be able to kill that rock-headed senile crackpot. But it’s a different story if you can lock him together with the monster.”
Thomas slightly takes a look to the relic carved wall behind him.
“Very good. You’re not so dimwitted after all. Yes, that’s his grave behind you. You wouldn’t be able to imagine how surprised his face was when I bury him inside this cave with that creature. So helpless, just like your father.”
Hearing that, Thomas was startled and began to try to free himself aggressively.
“You have no idea, aren’t you? Yes. I took care of your father that night. He said something he should say. What is it? Oh right. Thomas will love this cup; this will be the perfect birthday gift for him. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? He wants to give the Nymph Goblet to a child! So, I have no choice than to stop him. Don’t worry. I’m a merciful person. I buried him together with your mother. HAHAHAHA! Too bad I didn’t get a chance to get that goblet beforehand.”
Thomas couldn’t contain his anger anymore, but he wasn’t able to free himself from the post either. He was only able to let out a desperate muffled scream while erratically bursting tears. He began to blame himself since he just heard that he was the reason for his parents’ death.
“You must be wondering why am I telling you this, right? Let me make it easy for you. You will have the same fate as them!”
As soon as Thomas hears that, he stopped sobbing and stared viciously at Hamsloff with his reddened eyes.
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you myself. In several hours, the seawater will fill this place, so unless you grow some gills, I don’t think we’ll ever meet each other anymore. See? I’m a benevolent man. I’m giving you the greatest gift anyone could — a reunion with your loved ones. HAHAHAHA!”
Thomas once again struggled to release himself from the post although his attempts are in vain. Hamsloff decided to left him alone to die as he realized the seawater began to wet the ground. However, before the meaty man walked far, the terrain was trembling quite strongly, enough to shake the support of the post, to which Thomas bonded. Thomas realized that the post wasn’t as sturdy as before; he tried to move his body once more with every ounce of energy he had. He finally able to take off the post from the ground, but he has no more strength to release himself from the rope knotting.
“Well, well, well. Not bad. You’re stronger than I thought. What’s with the earthquake? Are you trying to scare me?”
CRACK!
The rune carved wall behind Thomas began to crumble.
“What is it? What did you do!?”
KABOOM!
The entire wall was ravaged and leaving a gigantic hollow space behind.
ROAAAARR!!
A deafening, frightening sound was echoing from the inside of the cave. Followed by loud thumping sounds with evident vibration which could be felt along with the noise. A pair of bright yellow eyes became apparent, coming out from the darkness after a short while. Those eyes belong to a creature with a long sturdy neck, covered with black glossy scale all over his body, the beast of Thomas’ old nightmare, a night-dragon. Looking at the terrifying creature, Hamsloff and his two underlings immediately run away.
ROARRR!!
The dragon was never intended to release the three of them and jumped in front of them, blocking their path altogether. Hamsloff was slipped and fell due to his shock and the wet grounding. The creature slowly moved toward the terrified three and displayed its blackened fangs while intimidatingly growling.
“STOP!” an old man shouted from the other side.
The creature obeyed the man’s command. As Thomas heard the voice, he tried to turn his head around to figure out who has such an authority above the deadly creature. It was a white-haired old man, with his long white robe. The old man slightly waved his hands, and suddenly the rope which tied Thomas to the post was burned, releasing the young man from his bond.
“Grandmaster Hawthorne!”
“Hello, Thomas. Good to see you again.”
“But how? I thought you were…”
“Dead? Oh, Thomas. A night-dragon wouldn’t be enough to kill this old man. Although it took me some times to release it from Hector’s mind-control enchantment.”
“Hawthorne? No. That’s impossible!”
“Oh my. How are things going, Hector? I assume you’re Grandmaster Hamsloff now?”
“Hawthorne, please. I know I’m in the wrong here. But you know I’m only doing this for Gallahore.”
“Of course you did. So, let me give you some choices. Do you prefer to be fodder for my new friend over there or you wanted to in the same room with him for, let’s see, two years? Don’t worry. You won’t be alone. I’ll let you bring those two gentlemen with you.”
“No, Hawthorne. Please. Forgive me.”
“Enough! I can let your impudence tainted the pride of Gallahore!”
Hawthorne waved his arm, and the dragon immediately jumped toward Hamsloff.
“NO! STOP!”
Hawthorne stopped the dragon immediately after hearing his old student’s voice.
“Thomas, this man has done unforgivable things. You of all people should know this better than anyone.”
“I know. But I need to ask something from him first.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“Where are my parents?”
“…”
“Fine. Grandmaster Hawthorne, you can do whatever you want with this man.”
“WAIT! Wait, wait. Okay. They’re in the Sevillian Cave. Happy? Now release me!”
“Release you? He never promised you to release you. Right, Thomas?”
“What? Please, Thomas. I’ll do anything.”
“Grandmaster, I think we shouldn’t kill him.”
“Thomas…”
“Yes! Thank you. I know you’re a great person.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say I forgive you. I simply didn’t want to be on the same level as you. Also, I don’t want Grandmaster Hawthorne’s hands to be tainted with someone worthless like you. We’ll let the council decide on your fate.”
Hawthorne smiled to hear what Thomas said. Then he snapped his fingers and performed a sleeping spell on Hawthorne and his lackeys. Afterwards, Hawthorne and Thomas brought the three back to the school council for their judgement. It was given that the whole school were bewildered to witness Hawthorne’s return. After all, he returned with such a grand entrance by riding a vicious night-dragon.
“So, when will you start your next class, Master Copper?”
“Master?”
“Yes. Master Copper. I’d like to join your next Magi-archeology class.”
Thomas wasn’t able to hold his tears; only this time, the tears were the tear of joy.
“Grandmaster, why didn’t you break free earlier?”
“Well, it was almost impossible to break a rune-enchanted prison from the inside unless you know the key. But on that day, there was a kind of tree roots suddenly pierced through the cave ceiling and create a slight opening.”
“Tree roots? Do you mean…”
“Yes, possibly.”
“So what will happen to Grandmaster Hamsloff?”
“Well, he will be jailed for sure and stripped from his position in this school. Murdering attempt at the school’s grandmaster is a life-time prison crime, you know?”
“But he won’t receive a death sentence, right grandmaster?”
The old man smiled. “You made me proud, do you know that?”
“I’ve done nothing but a mess.”
“That’s not what I heard. Everyone said you’re an inspiring Magi-archeologist. Well, of course, you’re still clumsy as ever, but that’s a different story.”
Thomas smiled.
“And I’m sure Adrian and Elaine will be proud of you too if they see you now.”
“I hope so.”
“You know, the Sevillian Cave has this old legend to hold the secret of living eternally.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s a chance that they are still…”
“Alive? But that’s only a legend, right, Grandmaster?”
“True. I mean they still have to find the Nymph Goblet for that.”
Thomas looked at the grandmaster with a spark in his eyes as if it was saying ‘hope’.
THE END (?)
