The Enchanted Forest

Summer Employment (Story 26)

Titos Zion sat in his chair, his dark, gray-blue, wavy hair resting about his face, his blue eyes fixated on the blank walls of his prison, as he aimlessly fiddled with the sleeves of his dark gray tunic. The office being quiet; still. The academy was so different without the bustle of children. A peaceful reprieve, many would think, but Zion grew restless. The Forest was regaining balance, the school was empty, and the assassins were all on what some would call "vacation" since the forest was in a period of make-shift peace. So there Titos sat, with nothing to do, and bored to tears.

With a heavy sigh, he stood from his chair, and folding his arms behind him, walked over to the large windows, gazing blankly, his sharp blue eyes, dull from boredom. Despite his age, Titos would rather have something exciting blow his way rather than sit in idle relaxation.

About to step away from the window, he stilled, seeing a flash of sliver outside on the grounds. With excited and almost frantic actions, his eyes quickly scanned the grounds for an attack, or even a minor threat.

Something down on the school yard caught his gaze, immediately. Raising his, white gloved hand. and summoning a glyph on the grounds, he was about blow it to smithereens. However, soon, Titos noticed it was merely a student... wait, a student?!

That couldn't be right, it was summer holiday and only the staff was permitted on the grounds, and he did not hire the students. It was against his policy. That left... great, pranks.

With an irritated harrumph, Titos marched out of his office with a menacing gait in his step, his brown heeled boots clicking steady stucco against the tiled halls of the academy floor. This was not merely enough to placate his boredom. This would merely take a few minutes of his time.

When he left through the exit of the school, Titos waved the student down. The boy seemed to be holding a pair of clippers in hands covered by gardening gloves. This was getting even more peculiar by the minute. As he approached the boy, he recognized him as one of the few older students his school actually had. When Titos first developed the Academy seven years ago, only twenty students decided to attend. Five more, plus that, joined their junior. They were all juniors or seniors by now.

As he neared the student, he couldn't help but appreciate how masculine he looked for a student. His short sun blonde hair was dampened from sweat as it clung to his face; his icy blue eyes were incredibly beautiful against his slightly tanned peach skin. He was a few inches taller than Titos putting him nearly at five foot ten and he was surprisingly well sculpted and handsomely built. The white V-neck t-shirt stuck to his sweat soaked skin and his worn blue denim jeans were faded from excessive use. He wore a pair of leather sandals and Titos had never really been a foot man, but the boy had well-manicured feet.

Titos had finally reached him and leveled an incredulous stare on the boy; "I am surprised to find you trimming the hedge instead of at the beach...?" he trailed off, waiting for the boy's name.

"Loris Meinard, Professor Zion, sir." Loris answered while wiping the sweat from his forehead with his right arm.

He relaxed his frame a bit, easing the clippers down to a simple hold in his other hand. He seemed to be seriously gardening the grounds. However, Titos was about to send him on his way.

"Right, as I appreciate your... service. I am afraid I will have to ask you leave. I do not hire students." Titos informed him.

Loris seemed a bit stunned at that, "The secretary, Miss Schuftien, said you wouldn't mind." His expression became serious, almost desperate, "I'm making a better wage than I could... elsewhere, and I need this to pay my mother's medical bills."