Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

"I am focusing on that woman's promise over Zie's safety so that no wizards can target him due to that immortality spell. That simple thing can keep me strong. I will do everything for her as long as she keeps her promise," to be honest, I felt like I had sold my soul to that woman for Zie's safety. I had no other ideas to make him safe and we were not hunted anymore. 

Azalea had said that hunting Zie was no use, but not with my father and some groups of wizards. They were still hunting him. 

When we arrived, I saw Hanna was standing in front of the gate, it seemed she was waiting for me. She waved at me, and I waved back in return even though it was not esasy with my hand holding on to my suitcase handle. 

"Hana," I held her tight like someone who was afraid to lose," It feels ages we did not meet," I really did not understand my emotion that I really missed those who took care of me here. 

Releasing my hold, I turned back and introduced that three headed dog, and asked him to come forward, "He is Kerberos, a friend who has taken care of me during my escape and ran away from the chase of Azalea's guards," I explained to Hana. 

Kerberos came forward, "Hello," he greeted stiffly and responded with Hana's wave. 

I handed her something I had prepared for her, a beautiful moon orchid of salmon color, representing her gentle and graceful character. 

"Orchid, this is the favorite flower of my nanny, her name is Nana. I hope you like it, too," I said as I handed out that pot. 

Although Hana was faceless, I believed she could see it. She leaned her head forward to examine a flower that looked strange for her, "Beautiful!" She exclaimed joyfully, "I will take care of it," I just smiled and nodded. 

…

Azalea saw me come with Kerberos when she went up the stairs to meet me, "Spirit realm keeper," she looked so cynical. 

"I will take care of her during her stay here," Kerberos was even more cynical. 

I saw Azalea smiled proudly, she folded her arms across her chest, "Don't worry Sir, I will not kill her, or—" 

"Or send your soldiers to attack us, like the last time you did?" Kerberos' sarcastic remarks made Azalea displeased. 

"It was just a mistake," Azalea denied, turning her gaze to me, "One more hour. Yoru has been waiting for you in the training room. Be ready!" she spoke firmly, then left us.

Kerberos returned to his dog look, then we walked up the stairs, "How did you tame that monster, Miss?" He was curious. 

"I wish I knew. But it seems like she has not been fully tame to me," Kerberos chuckled and listened to my reply. 

A room of three times four meters with a wall and floor of cold iron would be my place for—I could not be sure how long it would be. I put my suitcase under the bed because there was only one small cabinet and a round sitting table, and a fur carpet. A heater had been added too, and a small window that was quite high and located not far from my bed. 

"I will practice my archery and self defense here. Do you want to come along with me?" Kerberos nodded in reply. 

I picked up my bow that was hanging on the wall and some arrows left from my destructive hands. 

Yoru told me that my skill was more improve than the last time I was trained. He also said there had been some change in me. I did not notice it but it looked like he praised me and hopefully it was a positive change too. 

Perhaps it was due to my sincerity to take all what was given to me without any complaints provided that Azalea kept a good care of Zie. I started getting used to my conditions at the moment that I had to be in a world where normal people did not belong. 

"Tomorrow we will start practice with your knife skill," Right after he said that, Yoru left me in that training room. 

Azalea did not allow me to use sword. Her main reason was that sword did not suit with my body posture. I hardly lift the tip of a sword off the ground although it was the smallest size. To be honest, I felt like lifting a heavy rock I ever had so that I would only succeed to drag it  with my both hands. 

Azalea and Yoru were annoyed enough to teach me with a sword. Therefore, for the second weapon she freed me to choose any that suited me. I decided to use a knife as a means of self-defense, the one Kerberos gave me some time ago. 

My eyes felt so heavy after the training. It might be due to the two hour sleep. I walked limply to my room, even I forgot my souvenir for Yoru. When I reached the hall where my room was, I saw someone was standing in front of my room door and was about to knock at it, "Naar?" I was guessing because my eyes were blurred from the unbearable drowsiness.

"Tha," He greeted me. 

I walked to his direction and he handed me something as I was closer. It was a wooden box varnished glossily and with the edges of golden color, "For me?" I asked him, before I turned my eyes to Kerberos, and that white dog looked back at me. We both were looking at each other in confusion.

"Yes," Naar replied. 

I took that box hesitantly and then I remembered something. Hurriedly I went onto the room and took something I had prepared, "For you!" as I said I handed him a blue box, "I hope you like it, it brings joy to everyone, I guess," 

Naar was awkward when taking it, "Alright. Thank you," And he rushed to leave us.

I was silent in confusion. My eyes were still looking at Naar who was running in the hallways. I wondered what happened to him, he looked a bit weird. 

I decided to ignore that and went into my room followed by Kerberos. But my drowsiness was suddenly gone and replaced by my curiosity. I opened the box and I found a hairpin with lotus shape, with a combination  of red, purple, and white beads in the middle side, "Wow! This is for a woman," I said in awe. 

"Aren't you a woman?" Kerberos said innocently. 

I felt like there was somewhere in my body that was cracked when hearing that. I wanted to cry as well as to laugh when someone questioned my gender status at this time, "I guess, I am too, I am too barbarian to be a true woman," I said honestly. 

River Flow Into You of Yiruma was distinctly heard, knocking my ear membrane shyly. I smiled happily when I heard it. In the box I gave to Naar, I put a music box in the shape of a thick book, so that when it was opened, a beautiful melody would be played. Right in it here was a small automaton wooden bird that would move up and down while flipping its wings. 

That music box worked by using light as energy and a small panel as support. Seeing that the conditions here were more like nights, I thought such a gift was suitable for Naar. And the bird in the middle symbolized freedom. I created that bird for a competition on campus in the beginning of the semester and had perfected the replacement part of the battery.

After being softly tuned, the melody grew louder and clearer in my ears. I enjoyed it so much, and it seemed someone did too at the moment. 

"You give him a music box, Miss?" Kerberos asked. 

"The freedom for people who have been locked for so long," I replied and smiled while staring at my white orchid I put by the window, "One more person remains," I muttered to myself. 

I did not really know the real meaning of home, but I wanted to make peace with myself and my ego. I wanted to feel home wherever I was because I kept moving from one place to another. I met and left people around me so that I experienced so many meetings and partings. 

I just wanted to be welcomed and be part of any environment I was in. Therefore, I tried to build a good relationship with anyone so that I would get decent treatment and hospitality in accordance with what I did to them. I wanted to reach what I had targeted by making peace with myself and my ego.

… 

I woke up after falling asleep for two hours, peeped from the window, faintly I heard an arrow shot through the target.. My room was located right behind the target board, so that I could see Yoru was practicing shooting, "I think he is crazy," my heart was annoyed, my rest time was disturbed.