"My son has been training to get accepted into Aslan for most of his life. I want him to be the best of the best. We all know the challenges they have to face at the school. He deserves to be at the top. Therefore, I ask you again to train my son. It would take months...no YEARS for Celestia to even get a shot at Aslan and she wouldn't survive the exam. My son, however, already received his acceptance letter. At least if you concentrate on what he needs to work on these next three days, he'd be well ahead of the other entrance students," he concluded.
I felt my shoulders slump after the long explanation. A wave of doubt hit me. What if he was right? Magnor was known by many, yet he stopped most of his duties to help raise me. Maybe it was time for him to focus on someone who'd achieve more.
"No."
I blinked, the simple word seemed to echo through the room. I had to shake my head, wondering if I'd heard Magnor correctly.
"Celestia is the one I have chosen to train. She's an exceptional student, both humble and strong. No one should judge a book by its cover, especially when you haven't spent five seconds appreciating its beauty. Your son doesn't fit my qualifications. I will not train him," Magnor declared; his voice was hard, sending shivers down my spine. He rarely got upset, only using that tone when he'd reached his limit with something or someone, or if he personally felt insulted. Given what I’d heard of the conversation, I thought that it was a mixture of the two.
"Please, Master Magnor. Just a few training sessions with him and you'll see his potential compared to—"
"I said no. Celestia will be the only student I will spend my time on," he declared, his voice grew deeper, with a hint of anger lacing his words.
I had to strain my ears to catch his next words.
"If you continue insulting my student, I will make sure you are not allowed entry into my home again."
"Master Magnor, please. I know you favor this girl, but she's shown no progress. Everyone knows it. She doesn't participate in tournaments. We barely see her leave your grounds! After all this, you're still willing to train her? How am I, or ANYONE in the village supposed to believe there isn't some underlying benefit that you get from training her?" I could sense the desperation in the man's voice. He was pulling out all the stops, wanting to prove that Vincent was indeed, the better candidate.
As I continued to hide, I felt something land on my shoulder. I looked to see Arielle quietly stretching her wings before returning them to her sides. I lifted my finger and pressed it to my lips, signaling her to remain quiet. She nodded in agreement, relaxing on my shoulder.
"That's enough. Celestia is a strong woman and when the time is right, all of you will hear about her excellence. The time, however, isn't now. As for you and your son, I have no need to see either of you again. In fact, I don’t want to see any of your Seral Clan members on my doorstep again. You've overstayed your welcome. This conversation is over."
I winced at his tone.
Shit, he's pissed.
"Bu-but...Master—"
"You come into my territory to ask for my assistance. Instead of being humble and showing some respect for my decision, you throw insult after insult at my choice of student. I have shown you patience by hearing you out, but your actions insult not only Celestia, they insult me as well. You are no longer welcome here. Do NOT make me repeat myself again," he thundered.
I could imagine the glare and rage on his face. I tried not to shiver at the wave of energy that leaked off Magnor; the slight slip was enough to make me want to tremble.
"Come, Vincent. We shall find a different teacher."
I heard footsteps and the door slam shut; the room fell silent. I stayed where I was, glancing up at Arielle who tilted her head at me. I turned to make my way back down the hall.
"Come out, Celestia."
I froze, biting my lip. I could hear the amusement in his voice which only made me grumble. I turned around, opening the other half of the door and made my way into the living room.
"Brrueeeee." Arielle fluttered her feathers, hopping up and down on my shoulder.
"Ari, you’re heavy," I mumbled.
She stilled; a white light engulfed her and she changed to her miniature form which was about the size of my palm.
"Bru-ree?" she chirped, the sound higher pitched than in her larger form.
I grinned, petting her head. "Much better."
We turned our attention to Magnor who was relaxed in a gold armchair, his arms crossed over his chest. His lips twitched into a small knowing smile.
"Hear anything that interests you?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow at me. His amusement was clear as day, making me blush.
I looked to Arielle who knew what I wanted to do, flapping into the air to hover over me. I gave him a bow, before meeting his gaze. "Thank you, Master," I whispered, hoping my action was enough to show how grateful I was.
It was because of him I'd made it this far. No one else would have stayed by my side. He was like family to me and it was comforting to have a sense of reassurance that no matter what anyone tried to say about me, he'd always have my back.