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Last of The Fae Chapter 1: A Late Night Introduction
🕑 Added 2024-08-02 14:28:46 +0000 UTCWith a flash of light that lit up the night sky Minerva appeared in the middle of a muddy dirt road, that clung to her boots with a vengeance. Minerva’s lips contorted into a small frown of displeasure, but with a barely noticeable wave of her hand the earth’s hold on her shoes vanished.
With a self satisfied nod Minerva straightened out her robes before turning to face a lone hill atop of which sat a worn down church with a faded sign over the doorway that spelled out, ‘Saint Mary’s Sanctuary.’
“What a dreary place,” Minerva muttered to herself as glided across the ground unimpeded by the unfavorable terrain. Arriving at the front door Minerva raised her hand to knock, but before she could the door nearly flew off its hinges as it swung open.
Taken by surprise Minerva’s mana flared and she raised her hands ready to defend herself when she made eye contact with two inquisitive orbs the color of freshly fallen pine needles.
Standing in the doorway was a teenage boy with dark sun kissed skin and curly brown hair who cocked his head to the side as he stared up at Minerva, “I knew I wasn’t the only one.”
“Pardon?” Minerva asked as the boy muttered to himself and she lowered her hands letting her magic return to rest.
The boy smiled revealing a perfect impish grin, “You’re like me…you can use magic!”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed as she peered at the boy as if trying to see through him, “How is this possible, you can sense me but possess no mana of your own.”
The boy blinked in confusion as his smile slipped for a second before it retired at full force, “Oh sorry, I usually keep my magic tucked away, if I don’t it tends to spill over.”
Before Minerva could fully process the boy’s words, a wave of mana washed over her and Minerva’s eyes widened into saucers as she realized it was all coming from the unassuming boy in front of her. Then just as quickly as it came the wellspring of magical energy disappeared.
Blinking away her shock Minerva stared at the child in front of her, “Who taught you to control your aura?”
“Nobody did,” The boy replied still with an impish grin on his face, “But the nuns were getting tired of having to prune the garden every day. Who would have guessed magic is a great fertilizer?”
“Your mana shouldn’t affect muggle plant life,” Minerva instinctually corrected before she realized that the conversation had gotten off track, “But that is besides the point, may I assume your name is Thane Carter.”
The boy, Thane nodded, “That's what it says on my birth certificate.”
Minerva smirked, “Well Thane, my name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. As you know I am a Mage, but more importantly I am a teacher at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I am here to inform you that you have been accepted into the finest magical institution in the Great Isles.”
Thane’s eyes practically shone like gems as his smile widened to almost inhuman proportions, “Really? I don’t remember submitting an application.”
Minerva couldn’t help but smile, “The admission process is largely autonomous, but I assure you there is no mistake. In fact once I explain the situation to your guardians I would be more than willing to take you shopping for your school supplies.”
While Minerva expected Thane to be ecstatic at the news, she watched his face fall as the glimmer of wonder disappeared from his eyes, “D-do you have to tell the nuns?”
Minerva frowned, “Of course I do, you can’t expect to just vanish in the middle of the night.”
“They won’t let me go,” Thane murmured as his body posture changed as he shrunk in on himself, “T-they don’t like anybody talking about magic, t-they say it’s blasphemy.”
“I’m sure they’ll be more understand if-”
“NO!”
Thane shouted, cutting off Minerva as his mana flared with enough force to shatter the floorboard beneath him. As if realizing what he did Thane’s face paled and he quickly reigned in his magic, “Oh no…no, no, no.”
Minerva watched as Thane dropped to his knees and placed his hand against the cracked floorboards, “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to, please don’t be mad at me.”
In shocked horror Minerva watched Thane slowly start to break down, and in that moment she noticed a slew of concerning little details that had slipped through the cracks earlier. The tarnished quality of Thane’s clothes that loosely hung off his boney frame and the freshly healed scabbed along the back of his knuckles and hands.
Kneeling in front of Thane, Minerva took his hands in hers, “Here let me.”
Thane looked up at her with wide fearful eyes as Minerva flicked her finger causing the floorboard to glow with a faint blue light that fizzled out after a second taking the cracks with them.
“T-thank you,” Thane muttered, “I-I’m sorry I lost control.”
“There’s no shame in making a mistake,” Minerva advised sagely as she pulled Thane up to his feet, “Now you have five minutes to gather your things, then we’ll get going.”
Thane blinked as he looked up at Minerva, “W-what?”
“You heard me, five minutes now, hop to it,” Minerva repeated again with a slight smile.
A broad grin spread across Thane’s face as he darted back inside and Minerva watched him vanish before she let the smile slip off her face, “Sometimes this world is too cruel.”
Not even a minute later Thane returned his footstep barely making a sound as he came to a stop in front of Minerva, “O-okay I’m ready to go!”
Minerva looked Thane over wondering what he had grabbed only to see a small pouch in his right hand, “What do you have there?”
Thane grinned as he hoisted up the bag for Minerva to see, “Seeds! I collected them from the garden.”
Minerva opened her mouth to say something but decided just to smile and offer her hand to Thane, “Very well then, let’s get going shall we?
