Chapter 17: Tsukasa
Mira hummed quietly as she entered the castle library. She was a bit bored since Sinta had taken over the paperwork she was supposed to finish, but that made sense because he understood it better. Looking around, she noticed Mathias was missing for once. She wondered where he was, but then she saw Tuskasa. He had been away at Lyne's to study, so when did he come back?
She walked up behind him and gave him a warm hug. "When did my quiet mage come back?" she asked, her voice playful and curious.
Tuskasa jumped lightly and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I've been back for a few days, Princess... You were busy with Sinta and Snow to notice," he said quietly.
She blinked and then furrowed her brow slightly. "I'm sorry, Tuskasa," she said softly as she nuzzled gently against his back.
The mage blushed lightly but hummed softly, as he had grown accustomed to her doing that. "It's okay, Mira..."
Mira thought to herself while cuddling up to his back, "Has Lyne found out anything about you or Soren's mark?"
Tuskasa let out a small sigh. "No... not yet. She believes that Soren's mark is from his mother or the clan he was born into. As for me, there's still no indication of what I truly am..."
She paused for a moment before stepping in front of him. Looking up at him with a gentle hum, she said, "Tuskasa, why don’t you tell me what you remember?"
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright," he said as he set aside the book he was reading and led her to one of the tables. Once they were both seated, he let out a light sigh.
Lyne was out for a walk when she found a young boy. She couldn't understand how he got there or where he was from. She walked over and knelt down. She reached over and very gently touched the boy's cheek.
The boy appeared to be around 10 to 11 years old, with short silver hair and large, deep purple eyes. He had strange marks on his cheeks and was dressed in tattered robes. To Lyne, he appeared to be nothing more than a human; however, she could see magic flowing around him.
The boy did not react to her touch, but he gazed at her with curiosity. He remained silent, yet there was a peculiar calmness about him.
She took a brief moment of silence, her expression showing concern as she glanced over at him. In a gentle tone, she asked, "Are you okay?" Her careful choice of words reflected her empathy, as it was clear she was genuinely worried about his well-being. The atmosphere was charged with an unspoken understanding, indicating the depth of their connection.
The boy nodded and then tilted his head slightly.
She hummed softly. "Okay, can you stand?" she asked gently as she pulled her hand back.
The boy blinked and then slowly stood up. He was somewhat unsteady, but he managed to rise.
Lyne blinked and stood up. She observed him closely and noticed that he appeared underfed. She extended her hand and said, "Come to my house; I'm sure you're hungry."
The boy, after a brief moment of surprise, blinked his eyes, a subtle indication of his deepening emotions. He then gently placed his hand onto hers, a gesture filled with tenderness and connection, suggesting a yearning to bridge the gap between them.
She gently led the boy to her tower, where Yue was lying nearby in his dragon form. He was resting after dealing with Kue. She walked past him and took the boy inside.
Yue opened one eye to watch them pass by, then closed it again. He trusted Lyne and was too tired to engage with anyone else.
Lyne led the boy to the kitchen and seated him at the table. She prepared a light meal for him and placed it in front of him. "It's safe to eat," she assured him.
The boy looked at the food and then began to eat slowly, even though he was hungry. He noticed the lady watching him, but he didn’t care. The food tasted good.
She hummed softly as she watched the boy. Once he finished, she asked, "Do you have a name?"
He nodded slowly. "It's... Tuskasa..."
She blinked a few times and then asked softly, "Tuskasa... do you know where you came from?" She had heard his name before but couldn't recall where.
Tuskasa shook his head; he had no memories. All he knew was his name.
Lyne tilted her head slightly in contemplation. She set the plate aside and extended her hands. "Please show me your hands."
He blinked, and then she placed his hands in hers.
She hummed softly while casting a simple spell to determine if he had magic. However, she blinked in surprise. 'He has magic flowing through him like a mage or a warlock... Could he be the child of a mage or a witch?' She wondered, confused by the revelation.
The boy blinked as he watched her. He was a little confused but didn't know what to say.
She shook her head, not wanting to frighten the boy. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke. "Tuskasa, it seems you are a young mage."
He blinked. "A mage... like a magic user?"
She nodded. "Yes, just like a magic user." After a moment, she began to hum softly as she stood up. "I'm sure you need some rest and a bath, so let's go get you settled for the night."
Tuskasa blinked but then got up from the chair. He followed her without voicing any complaints.
It took a while, but Lyne helped Tuskasa with a bath and then into clean clothes before putting him in a soft bed. Once the boy was asleep, she cleaned up a bit and then stepped outside to speak with Yue, who was still resting in his dragon form.
Yue opened his eye and looked at her when she stepped closer to him. "What's wrong Lyne?"
She sat down close to his snout and sighed softly. "Nothing is wrong, Yue. I'm just uncertain about that boy."
He paused for a moment. "Why not send him to Mira? I'm sure the princess would appreciate having another mage."
She hummed softly and leaned against the dragon, which Yue didn’t mind. "True... Lyra already has two mages and Rain in the north."
"Right, while Mira has Yuna and Soren... isn't that Soren studying in your library?"
Lyne blinked then sighed softly. "Right... I forgot Soren was learning under me... for a while."
Yue let out a light hum as he puffed out a bit of smoke. "Then ask Soren about it. I'm sure he would know if the boy would be best around Mira."
She paused for a moment. "That's true... Soren is right. I'll speak with him later. Are you going to sleep outside tonight?"
He thought. "Yeah..."
She hummed lightly. "Okay." She placed a kiss on his snout then stood up. "If you feel like it, I won't mind you caling inside to sleep."
Yue chuckled lightly or what sounded like one. "Okay, Lyne."
Lyna walked back inside and paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. Then, she headed upstairs to her library. After checking which floor he was on, she discovered Soren asleep amidst a pile of books. She sighed and gently woke him. "Soren, go to your room and get some rest."
Soren let out a small yawn then nodded. "Okay...Lyne..." He said in a sleepy voice. With some help, he got up and went to bed.
In the morning, something felt off. Tsukasa and Soren were unusually quiet, Yue and Kiba appeared sleepy, and Lyne was simply present. They all ate breakfast in silence. Afterward, Yue took Kiba out for some training, leaving Lyne with the two young mages.
Lyne looked between the two then sighed softly. "Soren, this is Tuskasa. He is a young mage."
Soren looked at him and hummed lightly. "You are thinking of send him to Mira?"
Tuskasa looked between the two, confused.
She hummed softly. "That's the plan but I wanted your input as you know the princess better then most."
Soren paused for a moment before shrugging. "I don't mind. I think Mira would appreciate having another mage to hug," he said with a gentle hum. He understood that Mira wouldn't openly express her affections, but he wanted her to feel safe.
Lyne pondered, "Tuskasa, are you comfortable with what we are discussing?"
The young mage nodded slowly; although he didn't fully understand, he didn't see any issue.
She hummed softly. "Then it's settled. Tuskasa, why don't you study with Soren here for a few months? After that, I will take you to Mira."
Tuskasa nodded, and then Soren took him to the upstairs library. The boys studied together for the next few months. Soren was surprisingly gentle with Tuskasa and assisted him whenever he was confused. They even practiced magic together.
The months passed until Lyne felt it was acceptable for Tuskasa to visit the southern princess. The journey to the castle went smoothly, and when they arrived, Mira was already outside, brushing Chrono's hair.
The princess looked up and blinked. She stood and walked over to Lyne. "Lyne, who is this, and how is Soren?"
Lyne sighed softly. "This is Tuskasa, and Soren is doing well. I thought you might want to 'claim' this boy, as he is a mage."
Mira blinked and then approached Tuskasa. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "Tuskasa, do you even know what Lyne said?"
Tuskasa thought then shook his head. "Not really..."
She thought to herself, "Well... to me, it's simple. All you have to do is agree to be my guard, which I refer to as knights. Do you understand?"
He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I believe so."
Mira listened to Tuskasa speak slowly. It had been a long time since she heard him talk this much. When he finished, she blinked. "So, Lyne thinks your parents were mages or a witch and a warlock?"
Tuskasa nodded. "Yeah, but there's no way to know who my parents were... or where I came from."
She hummed softly and then stood up. She walked over to him and hugged him sideways. "I'm glad you're here and that you're my knight and mage, Tuskasa."
Note: Well that took two days to write... but it's done and cute? Right? Well I hope I make this chapter a cute one.
