Blue Badge

However Sarin responded quickly with his big eyes: “Magician! You’re a magician”

There was an excitement and also a fear in his voice, he almost suppressed the last words. Sarin never thought that a magician will appear in front of him. For more than two hundred years there has been no magician in the Ceylon city, but that doesn’t mean that people do not know the existence of magician.

The magician represents mystery, status and terror. Ordinary people cannot come in contact with magicians. Only the aristocrat, emperor, the wealthy and the army have the privilege to know the magicians.

Magicians are very wealthy people, they live a solitary life with huge magic power. If a magician wish he can destroy a city even in front of the emperor. A magician does not need to bow in front of anyone.

In other words, a magician is a living legend. They build their magic towers, train themselves in the tower and they cannot be restricted by any secular forces and power. Even during any war, there won’t be any influence of the army around the towers. If an aristocrat gains the favour of a magician and gets the opportunity to have the support of a magician then the status of the aristocrat enhances instantly.

Sarin’s mind was confused, he was keenly aware of the emergence of the magician, and knew that will change his destiny. But he did not know how to deal with the magician.

“One hundred gold coins will be ok? And I will go and buy a small house in the city for you stay” magician looked at the boy compa.s.sionately. Sarin’s body is very thin and weak, the number of ribs can be counted very clearly. There was a bruise on the ribs that makes it more pathetic.

Sarin was carried away by the one hundred gold coins number, he immediately agreed to it. But suddenly he had a rib pain, he inhaled loudly, frowned and bent the waist.

“Oh let me see” the magician holds Sarin by one hand and releases a magic by another hand. A blue light sparkled and embraced Sarin’s body.

Sarin felt as if he was immersed in warm water, the blue light penetrates from the skin to the body and the pain vanished.

Sarin’s mind was struck by a thought, the temptation of the devil was gone.

“I don’t want gold coins!” Sarin straightened up his body and said: “Mr Magician, please accept me as your student”

Sarin doesn’t know how to salute, he lifted his head and looked into the magician’s eyes. At that moment his mood could not be described. How would the magician react? Didn’t he feel insulted as a master in this occupation?

The magician with profound deep blue eyes looked at Sarin and said: “You want to be my student?”

“Yes, I want to learn magic” Sarin with a firm voice, in spite of the fear that the rib injury is stimulating his heart. What is the use of earning gold coins by selling the house if he doesn’t know the survival skills in his life? He cannot even guarantee his survival if he encounters a burglar and he loses all his coins.

“Learning magic is difficult.” The magician prevented Sarin from interrupting and continued “Among ten people, nine can become magic apprentices, but among hundred apprentices only one or two can become real magician. The power of magic apprentices is not strong, the kind of skills they have can merely make a living. If you become my student then without my permission you’re not allowed to change your profession.”

Sarin kneeled down and said: “I am willing to be your student.” He tried his words not to sound desperate and showed a polite expression.

“Get up” the magician with a cold voice “Remember one thing, even the magic apprentices are not supposed to bow or kneel down in front of others. This was the last time in your life that you did.”

“Yes, teacher” Sarin stood up with joy, he knew that the magician promised his request.

“What’s your name? How old are you?” the magician with a moderate and gentle voice.

“My name is Sarin Jacob Lee, twelve years old” Sarin respectfully answered while his stomach was purring up due to starvation.

The magician smiled and said: “You go and change your clothes, eat something and come, I’ll be waiting for you in the living room.”

“Ah!” Sarin promised, quickly ran to the second floor, returned to his room, wore a coat and then came down the stairs, ran into the kitchen. The half a pack of old rice was still lying there on the stove, he opened the oil-paper wrap, grabbed a handful of rice into his mouth.

“Do you eat this?” the magician’s voice at the door. Sarin was shocked, stopped eating and embarra.s.sed thinking what to say. The magician sighed, took out a piece of meat and handed it to Sarin. Tears didn’t stay for a moment in his eyes and dropped down immediately.

He wiped his tears with his sleeves, did not eat the meat and said: “Teacher, I will not cry, you won’t be embarra.s.sed.”

Looking at the boy’s tears the magician said nothing. Even if the magician gives ten thousand gold coins still he won’t be able to console Sarin. There was no life in Sarin’s eyes, he was dying of despair.

The magician did not let Sarin make anything, he took out more meat pieces and breads, placed in the kitchen. Sarin did not know how to change the things but undoubtedly in his heart, the Magician is the Almighty!

First the magician made Sarin rest, he looked at Sarin and hypnotised him to fall asleep. When he opened his eyes, he felt hungry. The magician’s voice in his ears: “You first look around you, be familiar with the environment and go to the living room.”

The mysterious magic spells, which sound directly into the ears in a moderate way. Sarin sighed with emotion, jumped out of bed, realised that the shoes have dried, sets the good shoes, found more doors in the room. The house has changed a lot, there were tables, chairs and a cabinet with a full-length mirror.

The entire room was clean and spotless. Furniture is new, there were many mattresses on bed along with blankets and pillows which had lot of comfort. When Sarin opened the door, he found the corridor was exceptionally clean, doors were installed in several rooms, and the walls were also covered with paintings. That reminded him of his parents when they were alive. Sarin was about shed tears but this time he refrained.

The second floor had eight rooms, four were big and another four were small. Sarin’s room is small, located at the end of the corridor. He looked at the rooms one by one, the four large rooms were transformed into study, and one of the small rooms was his bedroom and the doors of the other two could not be opened.

Sarin was surprised, at the entire second floor, the doors, windows and the floor were repaired with the addition of numerous mysterious symbols. The walls looked like newly painted and no spider could be seen.

The house became very strange. Sarin goes down the stairs restlessly, found furniture has been laid at the first floor and the kitchen was filled with utensils. He didn’t have a look at the bas.e.m.e.nt yet. He came to the living room, opened the door, although he was mentally prepared, he was surprised at the completely changed look of the living room.

A huge rectangular table was placed at the centre of the living room, but he had no idea of which material it was made of. There were various types of grotesque appliances and also a crucible burning black flames. Only one chair around the table and there stood several cabinets against the wall, which were filled with stuff.

Sarin knew nothing, he only saw mysterious symbols everywhere, and crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling, soft light shed but could not see the light.

The magician gently looked up and said: “Sarin, you wake up, eat something and then we’ll talk.”

“Teacher, you eat first, I’m not hungry.” Sarin standing beside the table restlessly.

“Well, let me tell you first, my name is Jason Parker. I cannot give you much guidance because I don’t have much time. I’ll teach you how to read magic first, which is zero-level magic. If you can grasp this magic then I’ll teach you the rules of meditation. Then you can read the magic books, master your magic knowledge before you learn all the ten levels of magic learning. I’ll not give you the guidance for the other levels.”

“Ten levels of magic learning?” Sarin questioned cautiously, he didn’t understand the concept of ten levels.

“During the magic learning period there are ten levels of apprentices, you can only grasp zero-level now. Zero-level magic does not need magic string, you can perform the magic as long as you’ve mental power and the corresponding elemental affinity. Your spiritual power determines your ability to control your magic and the corresponding elemental affinity determines how much magic you can release continuously. If you’re not qualified for both of them, then you can’t be a real magician.”

“How to qualify for that?”

“First rank of apprentice can perform two zero-level magic continuously, second rank apprentice can perform four zero-level magic continuously and so on. Therefore you can perform twenty zero-level magic continuously. I’ll teach you how to become a magician, let’s start from the zero-level magic.” said magician Jason, reading out some strange syllable spell and coordinating his both hands to make a fixed magic gestures.

“Do you follow this? You can learn the words and magic knowledge in the books.” Magician Jason recited the spell repeatedly unless Sarin learnt. After three times, Sarin too started reciting the spell with the correct hand gestures.

“Well, you need to practice it, once you succeed, I’ll teach you the rules of meditation. Then you can read the books that I’ve provided for you in the study rooms. Unless you don’t complete reading the books in the first room, don’t move to the second room.”

“Yes, teacher.” Sarin bowed to salute him and to his n.o.ble kindness towards this ordinary boy of Ceylon city. Magician Jason shook his head and thought about Sarin’s courtesy issue of bowing. He could not correct Sarin’s etiquette, waved his hand to bid him goodbye.

Sarin was feeling very hungry. He moved to the kitchen, took the rice storage box, the hanging dried meat directly, white bread and some water. He ate them happily.

While eating he was recalling the magic that he has just learnt. Whether it is the magic spell or the hand gestures, there was no difficulty. Particularly the magic spell, the first time he recited to remember it and the next two times just to correct the p.r.o.nunciation. It seems he is gifted, at least not a stupid. Sarin feels a bright future ahead.