Sorcerer Stabber Orphen Fan Fiction ❯ Velvet Flames ❯ Invisible Borderlines ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
:: Velvet Flames ::

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai

Notes: Um... Sorry it's short. It's filler-ish, but it's semi-important to the plot. We're getting closer to the actual plot, I swear. We're VERY close in fact. If I do this right, we'll be really getting into things starting chapter 13. ^^

Thanks to both Kat-chan, the original Muse-chan, and Ivy-san, another muse-chan, for giving me so many great ideas. This fic wouldn't thrive without either of you. ^_^




Hartia was getting a strong sense of deja vu as he searched for Majic. He didn't exactly feel guilty this time around, but the boy had looked so shockingly heartbroken. The deja vu got even stronger when he found him in the training grounds.

'Weird,' was all he thought before he called out. "Majic?"

The younger boy glanced back, not seeming surprised. "Hello," he said softly, one arm lifting to wipe the remaining tears from his eyes before he attempted to smile. "Krylancelo-sama must have thought I was a complete weirdo, hugging him like that."

Hartia shrugged. "I think you just startled him," he said delicately.

Majic shook his head. "No... He didn't like it at all." He sighed, suddenly seeming a lot older than just nine. "He never did, did he?" Before Hartia could answer (though how could he answer to something like that?) the younger boy suddenly said, "That's why I wish I was you, Hartia-san."

He was so taken aback that he actually took a step backwards. "Me? Why?" he asked, bewildered. Majic wanted to he HIM?

"Yeah," Majic agreed. "Because... Because you're close to Krylancelo-sama. He likes you. You know what to say around him and you can act perfectly natural even though you-- You like him," he stammered suddenly.

It was like Majic had thrown melted ice on him. "What?" he whispered, feeling cold all the way down to his fingertips. How had Majic KNOWN? Not even Krylancelo knew! But then, no one had ever said that the sienna-eyed boy was the sharpest of mind... And Majic was impressively so, especially for his age. He couldn't compare to someone like, say, Rai in that sense, but he was still exceptionally perceptive.

"And you're smart," Majic continued, smiling sincerely. "And really talented. I can't use magic. I try, I try really hard, but..." He flinched, glancing down at his palms as though to blame them for his inability. "No matter how loud I scream or how hard I focus, it just doesn't COME."

By now Hartia was very flustered and unsure how to respond. Majic was far too innocent to try to lie, and his eyes flickered if he was even attempting to hide something. Right now they were shining brightly, not a waver to be seen, and his gaze was diverted to the distant sky beyond.

"Two weeks," Majic said mournfully, shaking his head.

Hartia started to say that it would be okay, Krylancelo would be back and be perfectly fine, but a dark voice intervened with practiced smoothness.

"I need to speak with my student."

Both boys looked up sharply, Majic physically cowering at the sight of his teacher. Hartia didn't even flinch, but inwardly he cringed. Flameheart was known to be insanely jealous of Childman's high ranking and respect in regards to the Elders.

Hartia shot the golden-haired boy one last look before muttering an excuse and making a swift exit. The moment he was out of sight, Flameheart grasped his student roughly by the wrist and pulled him towards his tower.

"Sensei, you're hurting me," Majic cried the moment they were out of earshot.

"Silence," Flameheart snapped, stopping abruptly and dropping his arm like something disgusting. "Just what did you think you were doing, anyway?" he asked with that disturbing softness.

Majic clutched his arm to his chest, though the only proof of Flameheart's roughness were red fingermarks making circles around his pale arm. "What?" he said, confused.

"Displaying such disgusting affection for Childman's student," his teacher said, still dangerously soft. The hairs on the back of Majic's neck prickled. It was never a good thing if Flameheart kept his voice in control. At least when he shouted he was predictable, but when he got all soft and almost gentle like that... Well, it was the purr of a lioness before she pounced.

"Do you really think that's good?" the man continued, narrowing his eyes at the child. "For one of my precious students to associate with such lowlifes?"

Majic's defenses rose on impulse. "If they're lowlifes, why are Childman's students better than yours?" he demanded before he could stop himself. He covered his mouth, though it was too late to avoid the stinging slap on the ride side of his face.

"You will stay in your room until tomorrow morning," Flameheart said tightly. "I don't want to see your face for the rest of the day. Go!"

Majic choked back the tears that wanted to escape, not willing to give his teacher the satisfaction, and fled. Flameheart was left sneering, shaking his head.

"Better than my students... Better than HIM, maybe, he's nothing but a failure," he murmured, more to assure himself than anything else. With a slight nod, he strode back to his own quarters to mellow out.

Just outside the entrance of Flameheart's tower, where the incident had taken place, Hartia was pressed flat against a pillar, his face so white his freckles stood out even more than usual.

'Flameheart hit a student... He hit MAJIC. Oh, shit, oh, if anyone finds out... If Sensei found out, he'd be PISSED...' He exhaled softly and quickly ran back to Childman's tower, hurrying to find his own sleeping quarters.

'But... I can't tell anyone,' he realized. 'If I do, no one'll believe me, and anyway, rumor has it one of the elders favors Flameheart... Damn! I wish you were here, Krylancelo, you'd know what to do in THIS kind of situation...'