Through it all, the boy sat on the ground next to Silver, terrified but excited by the whole situation.
"Are you alright? I don't think you need treatment." Alexander said, with a puzzled look directed towards the boy.
"Ehm... I'm fine, thank you so much for everything! Now, if you'll excuse me, I should just..." but without being able to finish the sentence, the powerful wizard appeared in front of the boy, blocking his path and looking at him inquiringly.
"Okay okay, I wanted to earn a little more than my monthly allowance, so I took advantage of it by taking Silver out for a walk, found a tavern and won a couple of hands at the Witch Out card game, but the man noticed on the last hand that I was counting cards... I'm sorry, sir."
"Counting cards? Boy, how old are you?"
"I'm 13 years old...sir. "
Alexander looked at the boy in surprise.
Only 13... and already smart enough to understand that complicated card game and counting cards? Impressive.
Witch Out wasn't your average card game. Fifty-two cards, five clans, and a limit of 35 points. Add bonus multipliers, hidden witches, and strategic hits or stands... Most adults barely kept up. And yet, this boy played like a veteran.
The crimson wizard was entranced by what the boy had just said
"Boy, what is your name?"
"Adamas Tural, sir."
"You can also call me by name, Adamas" Alexander said in an amused tone.
"My mom always tells me to respect older people."
Alexander Rubino looked his age, with a face hardened by the years and framed by a thick but short gray beard, contrasting with his dark midnight blue eyes, long white hair gathered in a bun, but a well-built body that exuded experience and strength.
"Ohoh, wise woman! Look, I have a proposal for you and your family," the wizard said in a soft but firm tone
"Mhh, I don't know, can you tell me first what it's about?" Adamas said with a gleam in his jade eyes, knowing that he could pull the string a little more thanks to his age.
"Alright boy, I want to recommend you to enter the scientific section of the Red Tower, obviously you will have to take the entrance test, what do you say?"
Trying to hide his smile at the grand offer proposed by the Crimson Magician, Adamas pointed to the middle-aged man locked in the cage of fire.
"What will become of him?" he asked, trying to divert the wizard's attention to something else, as he wanted to go home and talk to his parents before the wizard himself revealed the news.
Looking at the cage and noticing the man who passed out inside, he said:
"He will probably be locked up for child abuse. I said the death penalty to scare him, but he probably passed out earlier..."
Smoothing his beard with his right hand, he kept talking.
"Now I don't remember for how long, the Magical Association takes care of the law..."
*Thump!*
By the time Alexander finished his sentence, Adamas had run away with Silver through the hole in the wall.
"Ahh, youth." the magician chuckled. Then, with a soft pop and a burst of crimson sparks, both he and the prisoner vanished from the alley.
******
Tural's House
"I'm home!" Adamas called out as he stepped through the front door.
He took off his shoes, slipped on his house slippers and, as he passed in front of the family portrait, he headed into the living room.
Opening the door, his gaze fell on the leather sofa in the middle of the room: an elderly man was talking to his mother.
For a second he paused, observing the situation worriedly.
In a moment, he glanced around him: no one was present on the walkway on the second floor, his sister's bedroom closed, instead, his room was open.
Looking out, he noticed the open kitchen door: no one was present.
Taking a deep breath, he took another step.
"Oh, welcome home, Adamas! Everything went well on your walk with Silver?" said the boy's mother with a warm smile, checking with her beautiful sapphire eyes that her son was okay.
Adamas' mother was Alice Winter, a 40-year-old woman.
Her silver hair ended with some blue shade on the tips, so fine it looked like silk, all accompanied by a face that exuded maturity and sweetness at the same time.
However, Adamas couldn't answer his mother's question, all his attention was focused on the man in front of him
A crimson red robe, hair tied in a bun... how can that be... the boy thought, shuddering
"Adamas, this is Alexander Rubino, the commander of the Red Tower." Alice said in an enthusiastic tone.
"Ohoh, good to see you again Adamas! I anticipated you to talk about my proposal with your parents."
"Ahah... it's nice to see you again, sir." Adamas said, with a formal smile
"Oh? You've already met?"
"Yes, just today, Mrs. Tural."
"I was doing some shopping, when I saw a man chasing him with bad intentions, so I intervened, and we started talking, I wanted to accompany him to here, but he ran away..."
"Anyway! I didn't come here just to share my encounter with your son, Mrs. Tural."
"A man with bad intentions?! What? Adamas! Are you alright?!" Alice got up suddenly, taking the skirt of the dress with her hand and ran up to her son.
Raising his hands, Adamas said: "I'm fine, Mom, don't worry. Silver is also fine, he's done the rounds and he's in the garden."
Alice looked at the boy.
The sapphire gaze fixed on the jade one.
*Sigh*
Getting even closer to his son, Alice stroked his head.
"Let's have a nice talk afterwards, what do you say?" she finally said, whispering.
*Gulp!*
"All right, hahaha..."
Nodding satisfied, Alice turned again to the Commander.
"I apologize. What is this proposal about, Mr. Rubino?"
"I'll get straight to the point: I would like to recommend your son for the science section of the red tower."
After saying these words, a light crunch announced the opening of the door upstairs.
Silent, a girl looking like a fifteen-year-old girl began to descend the stairs, the old wood groaning slowly under her footsteps.
She wore a cream-coloured shirt with slightly crumpled edges and a broad dark green skirt, convenient for the home.
Her silky purple hair was loose, barely moved by movement, and the irises of the same color dropped for a moment on the people in the living room, before returning straight to her. Just a slightly deeper breath before she finished the descent.
When she stopped in front of them, the light filtered through the window caressed her face slightly pale, balanced by slightly almond-shaped eyes and slightly meaty lips.
No smiles. No theatrical gestures.
"Mr. Rubino..." she said in a quiet but firm voice, "I would like to take the entrance test myself. But not for the scientific section, but for the magical one.
"The problem is... the cost of the exam is too high for the magical section."
Alexander Rubino remained impassive in front of the girl, indeed, since she had laid her violet eyes on him, his eyes widened for a second, as if he understood something he was missing.
"Ambra Tural! Apologize for your tone!" Alice snapped, a mix of embarrassment and anger on her face.
"Don't worry, it's better this way, I like direct children," said the crimson commander with a smile.
Immediately afterwards, he looked at the girl
"I like your character, miss...?"
"Ambra, Ambra Tural... Sir."
Alexander looked amusedly at the girl in front of him.
"Alright, enough with the 'sir'..." he said, moving his hand.
Clearing his voice, the magician asked:
"Since you've made such a request, how about showing me you deserve it?"
"I will personally hold an interview with you. Question and answer... Think of it as a quiz, I want to see why you're so bold."
"I apologize, Mr. Rubino, but you don't need to listen to a little girl's requests..." Alice said, dropping the tone.
Hearing this, Ambra shook her hands on her skirt, observing her mother with impassive purple eyes.
At that moment, Adamas approached his older sister.
"Ambra, you're scary with that look... Moreover, it is my fault If the Commander is here, don't-."
*Click!*
The sound of the front door immediately caught everyone in the room's attention.
Alice immediately spoke, taking advantage of the silence.
"My husband has arrived. If you have the patience to wait for his opinion, I would be grateful," Alice said in a neutral tone.
Smoothing his beard, Alexander smiled.
"Ohoh! Why shouldn't I, I'm the intruder with the sudden demands."
"Thank you."
From the corridor that connected the entrance to the living room, a voice was heard.
"I'm home!"
The slow rhythm of footsteps filled the silent room with a tension no one dared break.
When the man finally crossed the threshold, the air shifted: his expression changed from a broad smile to something puzzled.
His short raven black hair highlighted his jawline, while his jade eyes fell on the figure in the red robe.
"What's going on?"