Curse the Mainframe! 97 Into the Fold

Alec paused.

In fact, the words had taken him by such surprise that it was only when he saw the man make the slightest of shifts, as if awkward, that he snapped out of it.

He saw elder Gracen roll her eyes, however subtly, before she stepped forward. She had to do something to help this socially awkward man, or he'd never get anywhere.

"Hello, Alecris. My name is Gracen Lyle, head of the medicinal division in the Heavenly Ascension Sect. What this man here is trying to say is that he'd love for you to be his direct disciple. He's the elder of the array division, Nathan Cain."

Nathan cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. "Yes, my name is Nathan Cain. I noticed how you seemed to be able to decipher the runes of the array we use to filter out those who wish harm to the sect."

What should he do? This was practically handing him the mission points on a silver platter, but would it be worth the added drama that he would probably have to face upon accepting the man's offer?

Heh.

Who was he kidding? Of course it was. Not only was this way more efficient, it also meant that he wouldn't have to go through the entire 'outer disciple' nonsense that he'd most likely have gotten stuck with considering both his Magitype and Societype.

The smile that blossomed on his face made both elders stare at him briefly before snapping out of it. "Thank you for the offer," he said politely.

Nathan's shoulders tensed slightly, anticipating a rejection.

"I accept."

The stunned look on his master's (?) face made him feel amused. Both of them stared at each other without saying anything, one amused, one reeling from not being rejected.

"…"

Gracen rolled her eyes yet again. Men. Man, and boy? Males.

"Nathan, you bring your disciple to get himself settled in."

Nathan nodded, his eyes cutting to Gracen briefly. "Mn."

She waved them off.

Nathan visibly hesitated. How did he do this? Did children like holding hands? Or should he just pick him up?

Gracen looked at him encouragingly, while Alec had a slightly confused air.

In the end, Nathan picked up the boy, a hand under his stomach as the boy was clutched to his side, hanging limply down.

Alec, "???"

What the fuck was even happening now? He stiffened at the unexpected touch from the man, not quite comfortable with it, yet not uncomfortable enough to justify throwing off his touch. Also, this manner of 'carrying' him??

Gracen snorted, shaking with silent laughter as she turned around.

It was just too funny! The man was socially awkward as hell, which was what made his reactions all the funnier!

Nathan quickly left for the array division peak, moving quickly.

All Alec saw was the ground changing and blurring as the man moved, his eyes barely able to keep up with the speed that they were changing. The only good part about this was that he (miraculously) wasn't getting motion sickness from the way the man deigned to carry him.

He wondered if he got the read on him wrong. Was this some sort of subtle revenge?

The moment he was put down, looking at the still awkward touch on the man's face, he knew that it was most likely a coincidence. Though the man came off as aloof, Alec reckoned that it was just more likely that he didn't really know how to respond than not being interested.

"This is the array division's peak. All our disciples stay here, but in terms of seniority, you're higher than all of them since you're my immediate disciple."

Alec nodded to show he understood.

Looking around, the low-hanging clouds that seemed to be a staple of the sect didn't actually seem to block any of the sunlight from passing through. The iridescence that they reflected from the sunlight didn't blind them either.

The buildings here looked less modern than the city Alec had just come from, instead preferring the aesthetics of natural wood and timber.

Nathan handed his new disciple a token with his magic infused into it. "Inject your magic into it," he instructed. That would allow Alecris unmolested on the sect grounds so long as he had that with him.

"Don't lose it."

Alec held the warm, cut jade. The magic that it already held flirted with his fingers slightly, but otherwise remained sealed inside the jade. Alec got the impression that it wasn't precisely the man's magic, but rather an echo of it.

Inserting his own magic into the jade caused it to vibrate slightly in his hands, before the two magic echoes stayed separate and unblended.

Nathan nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

The two of them stared at each other before Nathan held out a hand for the token.

Nonplussed, Alec put it in his hand. Then, Nathan chucked it on the floor.

Or rather, he chucked it into an array, which momentarily glowed before spitting back the token.
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Alec strangled the distressed sound that wanted to leave this throat. That had been so quick he hadn't even managed to see anything discerning.

Nathan patted him on the head like he understood what he was thinking.

"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to study it later."

Alright, so maybe he really did understand what he was thinking. Along those lines, he could semi-forgive the head pat the other man had given him condescendingly like an errant puppy.

Nathan led him into a large hall that had floor made of timber, reflecting the outside as well. There was no additional padding on the floor nor walls, giving off a very traditional feel.

The hall was large and empty, giving the feeling that it wasn't used very often. For all Alec knew, that was true.

Nathan didn't quite come across as the type that would use the hall extensively for lectures, only using it once in a while.

Nathan seated himself on the ground, legs folded under him in a traditional gesture that Alec never had to use even back in the clan compounds – never that often, that was.

Alec was, of course, up to date in his etiquette since he hadn't known whether or not that would be 'breaking character' from the Mainframe, and he hadn't wanted to test it out at that time.

Alec dropped into a similar stance, bowing low three times as he acknowledged his new master.

He wasn't imagining the happy glint in the man's eyes when he came up to look.

Nathan held out a hand to his first direct disciple, who hesitantly put his much smaller hand on top of his.

Initiating a rite of magic, Nathan's magic coated his hand as he waited for the boy to return the favour.

Nathan looked at Alec with an anticipatory feeling, causing the dark-haired boy to inwardly raise an eyebrow before he understood what the other wanted.

Just as hesitantly, Alec pushed his magic onto the hand that was still joined with his master's, strangling the jolt that wanted to appear when he felt their magic mingle slightly, feeling highly uncomfortable.

But still, he bore with it.

The magic faded from both of them, and Nathan let go.

Alec clenched his hand slightly.

Well, that was more… permanent than he expected.

The master-disciple bond went both ways, it seemed, and was cemented on loyalty.

He felt the singing of magic under his skin, hinting at the joy that his master was feeling now that he'd accepted a direct disciple, and despite himself, Alec felt himself soften slightly towards the awkward man.

Chapter end

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