Chapter 77 The Student seeking a Master* (1/2)

Cordon was not what it had been when Aegin has once glimpsed it from the outside. There seemed to be some form of relief amongst the people there. A sense that they had moved on and forgotten what had happened. While this was no doubt good for those there, it did nothing to help Aegin. Nothing but tell him that Rassa's father, Phillip, had long since left.

To put it mildly, Aegin had been stumped on where to go next. After all, there was only so much that Aegin could ascertain by staring at the little village. Eventually, and seeing no other leads presented to him, Aegin decided to return to the spot where he'd first seen Rassa.

Toulle.

He'd surveyed the city itself, the Guild, the Knight's Barracks, the taverns. He'd turned up empty on all accounts. Phillip was nowhere to be found. But surely he'd known his son would be taken here? That Magician had been the one to take Rassa from Cordon, so surely Phillip had been aware of that. No other logical step was presented, so, against his better judgement to stay in the shadows, Aegin sought out the Magician.

”What?”

That was the greeting he'd gotten when he'd shown up unannounced at the Magician's lab on the outskirts of the city. It was rude, but Aegin couldn't really bring himself to care.

”Was there a man that came by here looking for his son?” asked Aegin, ”The son that was no longer...human?”

The Magician crossed her arms, ”Who's asking?”

Aegin hesitated. It wasn't like he could prove the relationship, but it was better than nothing, ”A friend”.

”He didn't have many friends from what I could ascertain,” the Magician replied.

”Not of Phillip, of the boy,” Aegin replied.

The Magician paused, looking over Aegin again, ”You've seen Rassa?”

Aegin sighed and awkwardly stepped back, ”I was kind of part of the people who took him from you”.

There was a pause, then the Magican opened her hand and a light appeared that was so bright it momentarily blinded Aegin. He stepped back in shock, covering his eyes.

”Argh! What the-”

Aegin felt a hard kick to his stomach and he fell to the ground, disoriented.

”Wait, I-”

”What did you do with that, boy? He better still be alive!”