^^ Count Fallon ^^

--- Oscar Cкрытые ---

The Halls that we traversed were totally stuffed with people, and several times, Lillian had to bodily move people out of my path, until she tired of this, and drew her sword, and roared wordlessly.

A path was swiftly parted for her.

We walked on unmolested, after that, and reached a large oaken door rather easily, after a set of very tall stairs that seemed to move on their own.

She sheathed her sword, and then knocked clearly.

It creaked open, and an elderly man stepped out. "The count has been expecting your report, Madame Cordova." The old man spoke in perfect Russian, surprising me.

Then I blinked and looked at the translation spell that was dancing around my neck and ears, and grinned. 'Interesting...'

Lillian nodded, and smiled at me. "Just sit tight, for now, alright? Pam and Ryan will stay with you while you wait."

I nodded. "Alright."

She nodded and straightened her jacket, then her hair, and stepped into the room with purpose, as the old man closed the door behind her.

Pamela, the shorter of the two girls, gestured to a set of soft couches opposite the door. "Let's sit down."

I hopped onto one of the cushions, and waited, listening to the birds flying above us.

"You hear about those peeps in town?"
"Slaughtered."
"Totally."
"Heard a crow down on Corsica say he saw the whole thing."
"Can't trust a crow, though."
"Nope."
"All liars."
"Shaddup! Anyways, he says he saw the whole thing! Some kid-demon went berserk in front of the Parade. Killed like forty people, maimed like ninety others.."
"Bull!!!"
"Yeah, we all heard the numbers from that Raven from the Morgue."
"Yeah, only six dead, but like fifty maimed."
"Had some type of gravity magic, I heard."
"Yeah, that's what I heard, to. Just ripped right through those poor sumbitches, no warning, just BAM!"

"Y'all stop spreading gossip and get back to work!!! Geez." A White Raven scattered the sitting birds irritably.

She turned her gaze suddenly, and saw me staring up at her. "Oh? A human who speaks bird? Or just curious..." she circled down slowly out of the rafters, and landed on the back of the couch.

I smiled. "Hello! I am Oscar!"

"Oh! You speak bird! Well met, Young Master Oscar, I am Valerie Swift, the King-Crow of the messenger birds around the Castle." She fluffed up her chest feathers to make herself look more important.

"You do look like one I would trust with supervisory duties." I nodded seriously.

She croaked out a laugh. "Why thank you, Young Master! I have to run, now, but I look forward to seeing more of you! If you need to find anything, just whistle!" She darted into the rafters, and I grinned.

"Thank you!!!" I called after her.

Pamela raised an eyebrow. "You speak bird?"

"Yes. And most Magical creature languages. I was born with Raven-Tongue." I shrugged.

She smiled. "That's a powerful gift. One of many, I suppose."

I snorted softly. "To say that the other one is a gift would be incredibly over-optimistic."

She nodded slowly. "True... my apologies, I didn't think about that."

I shrugged. "It's fine."

"So tell me about your family, Oscar! Any siblings?" Ryan asked.

"I have seven brothers and eight sisters." I lied with a straight face, staring at her blankly.

She whistled. "Ouch... your poor mother!" She hissed, rubbing her stomach.

I snorted, laughing softly. "Wow, I didn't expect that to work."

"Oh, okay, so that was a joke? Phew! Geez that was a scary thought." She shook her head, chuckling.

"Hmph. I have a few siblings, yes, but I don't see them often. They all live in Mongolia." I frowned.

She blinked. "Why would you live separately? Are your parents separated, or something? Or are your parents dead?"

Pamela snapped at her softly. "You can't ask things like that!"

"My parents are very much alive, thankfully. My siblings do not live with me... for reasons I guess I can't share. Secrets that aren't mine to give, I think." I hummed.

She raised an eyebrow. "Sorry... and secrets, huh? I don't like secrets. I find tickling reveals all..." she wiggled her fingers.

I slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Ah... right. I'd rather keep my fingers attached to my body." She drew her hands back.

"Wise decision." I said dryly.

"Don't you get smart with me, kid! I'll call your mother!" She snapped.

I smirked. "That would be really funny, actually. My mother is not a woman you bother lightly." I shook my head ruefully.

The door creaked open, and the elderly man stepped out. "Young Master Oscar Hidden, please? The Count wishes your presence." He bowed sharply.

I hopped down from the couch, and entered the office slowly.

The walls were covered in star maps of every kind, even glowing ones like father used to teach me from, which were on the ceiling, and mapping the stars above us.

"You like stars, child?" A middle-aged man with silver streaks in his brown beard and hair sat at a large desk, underneath a chandelier that wasn't attached to the ceiling. It was in the shape of a silver gyroscope with blue Quartz in the rims; its movements were hypnotic, almost, but a bit odd. Not as fluid as they should have been, and there was a slight keening noise above my hearing.

"My father used to teach me about them. He said that stars were important, because they represented the culmination of the human spirit. That the ultimate form a spirit could achieve, its 'nirvana', (he's Buddhist,) was that of a star, because there was nothing more beautiful or enlightened and enlightening than the stars." I answered after a few moments of deliberation, still looking at the gyroscope.

"Your father seems like a wise man... would I know him?"

"I highly doubt it... my Clan doesn't like other mages. We avoid you for some reason. Mother says you're all dusty old fools who think Magic is for learning, not doing. Father says that you're all greedy and mean, and if we shared some of our knowledge with you, you'd never be satisfied." I shrugged, and stood on his desk, ignoring Lillian's surprised gasp and hissed warnings.

The gyroscope was being thrown off, as its balance wasn't exactly right. I reached a hand in, making it slam to a halt around my arm, and then pulled out a piece of metal from the gears.

"Gotcha." I nodded, and spun the gyro again gently. I hopped down, and dropped the metal on his desk. "Fixed it. It was bothering me."

He grinned. "You could tell? I put that there a few years ago, to see if anyone ever noticed."

"I'm sure several did, they just didn't think it was their place to tell a count that his several-million gold-royal magic gyroscope was broken." I said dryly.

He blinked slowly. "Hmm... true. Now, back to business. I've seen the memory of the incident, and frankly, I'm surprised I haven't heard of you... if this happens, wherever you go... I would have heard of it, as the head of the Fallon Mage College."

I shook my head. "My mother usually catches me and brings me back before I get into any trouble."

He nodded. "I see. And because you came here on a magic steed, she couldn't catch up in time? So she'll be here soon?"

"Well... I snuck out just after she left for her yearly trip to Khanbilaq, so... I really don't think she'll get word of my disappearance at all. I think my sitter will come retrieve me as quickly as possible, so that she doesn't get scolded by mother for losing sight of me." I shrugged.

He chuckled. "You timed it perfect, huh? I remember those days, learning your parents schedules so you could work a little party around them, or a visit to town... alright, so it'll be a while, then, before your mother gets here? Because I can't and I won't release you into a custody other than your legal guardian, aka: your mother."

I groaned softly and sat down on one of the leather chairs. "Well, I'm dead. Kill me now." My shoulders raised a dropped dramatically with my heavy sigh.

He snorted. "Indeed. I'm sure your mother will have some choice words for you... of course, however, you understand we can't allow you to stay in the city. You'll have to stay here in the college, for everyone's safety."

I sighed again, lighter. "Fine, that makes sense... I'm just not used to people being so fragile." I grumbled.

"Fragile?" He asked.

"Yes. You rip apart like paper. It's shocking, honestly." I shivered.

He blinked. "I suppose from the standpoint of a mage with uncontrolled physical abilities, that would seem true."

"My abilities are not based in my muscles. It's not an augmentation-magic." I shook my head.

"Oh? Do you mind explaining it, then?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do." I nodded.

"Ahh, yes. I suppose it would make sense, you don't want to share your secrets with me... how about I make you a deal? If I promise, no, swear, to not misuse or spread the information you give me, will you explain your powers?" He asked.

"No. Because I don't know you, and I don't trust you." I said honestly.

He smiled. "Hm. Makes sense, I can't fault your logic. However, you should know that the laws of the Mages Guild clearly state that all fully-developed magical knowledge must be submitted to the Index of Magical Understanding."

"I am not a member of the Mages Guild, and so their laws do not apply to me. However, if you wish to use those laws, I will rebut. The law does say that, yes, but only in regards to 'new' Magic." I smirked.

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me it isn't?"

"Exactly. My clan's magic isn't New. It's very old. Almost four centuries old, to be specific, dating back to the First World War. Therefore, any and all of my magic falls under the article, not for New Magic, but for Ancestral Magic, which, as you know, is outside the limitations of the Magical Understanding Act of 2020, and so I am fully within legal rights to refuse to explain my magic or theorems to you, and I am not allowed to be punished or disciplined in any way for that refusal." I stated clearly.

He blinked a few times, slowly leaning back in his chair, and then snorted, and lost his composure, bellowing out Deep brays of laughter. He pounded his fist against his desk once, and the calmed himself marginally, down to soft snickering, and finally cleared his throat.

The butler handed him a handkerchief to wipe away his tears of mirth with a soft cough.

He nodded, leaning back in his chair comfortably. "You're correct, of course, Young Master Oscar Hidden. I apologize, for underestimating you. I should've known I couldn't try to strong-arm you into spilling your family secrets." He shook his head, chuckling.

"Yes, well, if anything, I can trust you to take me seriously from now on." I shrugged.

He nodded. "True. Very true. I'd like to offer you a position as a student here." He said suddenly.

I blinked slowly. "Pardon me?"

Count Fallon nodded seriously. "I want you to study here. I think I might know a spell or two that could help better manage your problem, and I'm sure you'd learn a thing or two, as well. I always welcome new students, even ones as young as yourself! Most students start around 10, but that's fine-"

"I am 10." I interjected, still thinking deeply about the offer.

"Ah, perfect, then! The semester begins tomorrow, actually. You have until then to decide. Don't rush the decision, and I want to be clear on something: you will not be expected to give out information about your ancestral magic. We respect those boundaries in this school, and in the West-European Mages Guild." He stood, and nodded with that same level of sincerity, before going to his bookshelf, and pulling down a small tome, handing it to Lillian.

I blinked. "Uhm... I will... think about it?" I said slowly.

He nodded, and then sat down, and nodded at the door. "Good! Then you are Dismissed, Madame Cordova and Sir Hidden. I hope to see more of you tomorrow."