In Jeopardy (Discontinued)

Chapter One-The Butterfly Brand

"Doctor," the man said politely, striding into the small, but clean room. "Ah. Matthias. I've... Almost been expecting you," the doctor murmured from behind his book. Scattered across the desk in front of him were symbols, diagrams and charts, with not a single anatomical depiction in sight. Matthias shifted uncomfortably, standing just inside the doorway. "You... You suggested, to my wife and I, that, well, when the baby arrived, if..." He trailed off, unsure whether the doctor was even listening. The doctor lowered his book and looked up impassively. "Go on," he said, eyebrow raised. Matthias shuffled his feet, allowing his gaze to twitch within a foot of the doctors head, then dart away again. "You said... When the baby was born... T-t-t-to come to you." Slowly, ever so slowly, like the sun rising, yet more menacing than beautiful, the doctor smiled. "And it has been born?" "Y-yes, sir, he has," Matthias said, unconsciously granting the doctor authority. "Well then, let us be off. Where, exactly is the boy?" "Erm... The hospital, with his mother." Gathering his cloak, the doctor strode from behind his desk and grabbed Matthias by the elbow. "Concentrate now." Matthias started. "I can call a coach, sir. There's no need." "Oh, lad, you have a lot to learn. Haste is important in this game we play," the doctor smirked. Slowly, inexorably, light crept out from the doctors collarbone, spreading faster as it travelled along his arm and connected with Matthias'. The light shone brighter and brighter, until they both were radiant points of light, and then they vanished, leaving the office as plain and tawdry as before. The moment the doctor and Matthias stumbled back into reality, Matthias' wife flung herself at him. Holding him so tight it hurt. Startled, Matthias hugged back. The doctor shot them an amused look, before they parted and he stalked over to the baby lying in the crib. Torn between his desire to learn from the doctor, and the nagging feeling something terrible had happened, Matthias glanced from wife to doctor and back. "What is this!" The doctor barked, shocked. Shakily, the woman replied. "It's... It's a lifeblood charm." Both the doctor and Matthias snapped their attention at her then. "What!" they demanded. "He-the baby, he... He nearly died." Matthias squeaked. "Rosa..." "I think he Did die, for just a second. But... One of the nurses was a quick thinker, and a caster at that. She saved him." The doctor shook his head in wonder. "This magic, this is powerful. Who-exactly-cast it?" "I did." All heads in the room swiveled towards the voice, except the baby, who was sleeping. "What? I took a medical magic paper. I'm good at it. Is there something wrong, doctor?" In the doorway stood a young nurse, clutching her clipboard and raising her eyebrows at the magician. She looked a nice enough woman, bright and bubbly, but not over the top. She smiled sweetly at the doctor, who scowled back. The doctor had been frowning dispassionately ever since the revelation of the baby's seeming death and revival, by a charm not his own. "Certainly, I would have called for you doctor, but frankly, I didn't quite have the chance," the nurse spat, rivalry worn like a coat on her words. But a second later, the gentle, quirky demeanor of a nurse resettled and she smiled a brilliant smile. "Oh, all right then," the doctor grumbled. "I can see when I've been beaten." "Beaten?" Rosa hissed. "Beaten!? Our child nearly Died, and all you worried for was being BEATEN?" Matthias lay a hand on her arm and murmured to her softly. "Just leave it, he's helping us, just leave it." Rosa threw the doctor a haughty look and strode across the room, bundling up the baby protectively. "Nurse," Matthias said quietly, "Your services are much appreciated, and I will be sure to send a payment by way of thanks. But now, my family and the good doctor have some business." The nurse nodded, obviously disarmed by Matthias' calm manner. She smiled brightly, waved goodbye and slipped out. They three watched her leave, and once she had, Rosa slid her gaze back to the doctor, directing her fury in a glare. Somewhat taller than her, the doctor seemed genuinely amused at the situation. "So, the boy's name?" the doctor asked mildly. "Denzyl," Rosa muttered. "Fitting," he replied blandly. Matthias snorted. Rosa shot him a sliver of the glare directed at the doctor. The doctor wandered around the small room, picking up presents for the baby here and there. After inspecting a pair of shorts for the baby, he turned back to the couple. "Matt. Rose," he began. "Rosa," she corrected. The doctor rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he growled, actually irritated. "Shortly before the birth of your child, Denzyl, you two sought me out in the hope that, in the unlikely event of magical talent being present, I could tutor him as he grew older." Rosa nodded cautiously, still clutching the boy protectively to her chest. Matt had his arm protectively around her waist, appraising the doctor. The doctor sighed. He could see the amount of convincing he would need to do, in the frown lines appearing prominently in Rosa's forehead, in the grave, grey look in Matthias' eyes. "Look. I'm not Evil. I'm not Bad. I'm a magician, and I work for a living just like you," he began. He smiled slightly before continuing. "Now, neither of you have even a bat's dropping of magical talent in you." Matt snorted, Rosa huffed and hitched the baby up. He grumbled and turned to survey the strange man in the room. Startling midnight blue eyes watched the doctor pace, and when the baby's head turned to follow, streaks of silver ore flashed in the light. The doctor caught his eye and for a moment, their gaze connected and the doctor found himself subject to a subtly knowing look even his peers wouldn't dare patronize him with. "How... However. The baby... Denzyl. He has potential. He has a flare that I have never honestly seen in the M-field." Curiosity splashed across Rosa and Matt's faces at the doctor's stumble, but they remained silent. "So... Are you saying that... You would consider tutoring Denzyl?" Rosa asked, voice shaking with barely concealed excitement. A child with magic, no matter how small, could carve themselves a future far above anything their parents ever achieved. Magic is a blessing, especially in common castes. But the problem is finding a tutor. Sending a child to classes for magic might work, but common knowledge dictated that a child with a tutor flew far further from their nest than a child sent to school magic classes. A smile flickered across the doctor's face. "Oh, no, I'm not even going to bother to consider tutoring your child." Rosa let out a squeal of dismay and buried herself in Matt's chest. He rested his forehead on her scalp, comforting her. Again, the doctor smiled, more impish this time, however. "I would be insane to even consider turning your son away." They both looked up again, shock whirling like a tornado against their pinched faces. On Rosa's, there was a little frustration at the doctor's games, but Matt simply looked amused. "He has potential, like I said, that I haven't seen before. Now, there will be countless other magicians who will chase him and snap him up for the glow he could bring. So.." he hesitated, unsure of how to explain. "So?" Matt asked, curious. "So." The doctor paused. "Oh, alright. The only way to protect the kid is to brand him. A brand is a focus that every magician uses to control their magic. And another magician has to give a brand. This magician is then the only one who can physically be the tutor of said magician; nobody can replace them unless there is the event of death." Matt and Rosa processed this for a moment. Confusion turned to understanding turned to shock on their faces. "You want to... Brand... Our son... Like a cattle?" breathed Matt, outraged. The doctor hesitated. "Yes... And no. But mostly no. It's more of a focal point." Matt scowled, but Rosa at least seemed placated. "Alright then," Rosa said at last. Denzyl again turned his gaze towards the magician, his face as solemn as a day old baby could muster. The doctor raised his eyebrows at the baby, then continued. "If... If you may, could you lay him down on the bed?" Rosa did, and the doctor strode over, gripping the side of the bed to steady himself. The sheets were scratchy and uncomfortable to his touch, and he felt awkward reminded of his clean linen at home, washed almost daily by one of his numerous servants. He shrugged. Pulling a vial of clear liquid from a pocket in his jacket, he addressed Rosa. "Do you, Rosa, mother of this child, Denzyl, give your permission for me to be his tutor in the ways of magic, his instructor, his guardian and guide in this world of magic, and the one whom shall be kept solely responsible for any injury or malady that is magically related, including but not limited to death?" Rosa shook herself. "I do." The doctor looked down at the baby, who merely lay there, watching gravely. "Then Denzyl, with your mothers blessing, I engrave these droplets of ink upon your soul and destiny. Throughout your life, these shall be your anchor." He shook the vial, and the liquid turned a deep, midnight blue; the exact color of the blue in his eyes. Carefully, he dripped three droplets onto Denzyl's forehead, where they shimmered and glowed, before sinking into his skin. Then, the doctor turned to Matthias. "Do you, Matthias, Father of Denzyl, give your blessing to any and all forays your son shall make into the realm of magic, give your blessing as he ventures into the unknown, give your blessing and protection to him for the duration of his life and yours?" "I do," Matthias intoned shakily. The doctor nodded once, then looked again at Denzyl. "Then Denzyl, I engrave these droplets of ink upon your soul and destiny. Throughout your life, these shall give your magic the form it needs to enter this realm." Taking a deep breath, the doctor shook the vial. The liquid swirled and shimmered, rippling into a pure silver glimmer. Slowly and gently, he again measured out three droplets, and let them drip onto Denzyl's forehead. The droplets travelled in slow motion, breaking the surface of his skin as gently as they were measured. "And I, Zachariah, accept Denzyl as my apprentice in magic with the promise that I shall tutor him to the best of my abilities, that I shall pass to him all the knowledge I can, and most importantly, with my blessing as a magician and caster." Rosa closed her eyes, hands over her mouth in terror and excitement. Burying her face in Matthias again, she left him to observe the ceremony in it's entirety. Taking the vial, he gave it one last gentle swirl, and watched as the liquid turned into a shimmering golden haze. Then, precariously, he poured out three droplets onto Denzyl's forehead. The three colors, although unmistakeably beautiful apart, shimmered together into something that could only be described as omniscient perfection. In one bright, silver flash, the mixture turned into a stream, that turned into a river, that turned into a flood that swept right down the baby's body, turning it a soft midnight blue, streaked with silver and pinpricks of gold. Then, swirling hazily, the colors all flowed up to one point-Denzyl's shoulder-before flowing down to his slightly curled hand. The palm, covered from view, could be seen to glow a brief bright gold, then died down again. Slowly, Rosa reached out to her baby. Then, quickly, she shot a look at Zachariah to ask if it was alright. He simply nodded. Gently, Rosa overturned the baby's hand to uncover the palm. What mark lay there made even Matthias' eyes widen in amazement. For there, ringed by gold, was the Midnight Butterfly, the Wind Bringer, and the Caller of Hurricanes. "They say," Zachariah murmured, "they say that a butterfly could flap it's wings in one part of the world, and cause a hurricane in another." Rosa shook her head in shock, whilst Matthias merely sat there, stunned. Even aside from it's significance, the brand was beautiful. A solid ring of gold, with a midnight blue butterfly at the centre. The veins in it's wings were a shimmering pure silver that caught every strand of light and seemed to weave it into something more. The midnight blue of the wings suggested unimaginable depth, and seemed to almost absorb the light in places. "Well ain't he something special," Matthias said shakily. Then he turned to the doctor. "Thank you. For everything." Zachariah snapped out of his stupor suddenly and painfully, then laughed it off. "Oh, no problem. But trust me. you're going to hate me later on." Rosa was startled. "Why?" "Darn it, but you're gonna hate me for the homework."