Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

For 27 years of my age, it was my second time to meet my father. The last time I met him was when I was only 12 years old. At that time my mother took me to visit him, on the first day this house had been finished constructed.

My father's house was built pretty far from the village. It was rather in the middle of a forest. He land was uneven, but the weather was very cool. Not far from that house there was a station. Due to the change of the train route, the operational facilities in that train was abandoned. Benches and chairs were left dusted. Ticket windows and the floors were full of dry leaves. Some walls stared cracking, and the rail tracks were covered with bushes and wild grass.

Kerberos took me to that place this morning. Once we arrived there, we saw some train cars were left parked for years and they were rusted in many parts. That white dog with thick fur walked slowly along every moldy wall and sniffed looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" I wanted to know.

"Did you know that this place was known as zero point?" His words were level. Kerberos walked to my direction. "Surely you knew that all kinds of magic don't work here. That was also the reason why they sent your father here to be on guard because no one could do that," he explained to me.

As a matter of fact, I had known that, but I preferred staying mute. That was also the reason came here after seeing that marionette. I knew it was magic that brought it alive. And in here magic did not work at all. It was such a good place to get away from such thing and to find solution as well

"What are you looking for then?," Kerberos was still busy looking for something, even when I addressed him question, he remained undistracted. Then he stopped at certain part, at a heap near the park of the station which was covered with bushes and dry leaves

"in a few day, I am sure that marionette will arrive here. And it comes here for you," As saying so, he kept digging. "I plan to catch it" He sounded very confident with his plan.

"But, didn't you say that you could not do that unless waiting for the spirit to leave that body?" That was confusing me but I needed to know, too..

"You are right, Miss. I cannot take that spirit before it leaves that body. "Kerbaros replied without stopping his activities. He kept digging. "I have a plan to overcome that problem. For your information, no magic lasts long. "There is time the magic will disappear. When it happens, I will take it."

…

That afternoon, I went to a swamp by the forest to catch some fireflies. Zero point, besides neutralizing all kinds of magic, it also made all electronic devices not functioned.

Zero point was not a wide area, only around 15 meters square from the total area of that station.

After I caught enough fireflies, I put them in a glass jar and covered it with a lid holed on it. The insects which were glowing in the dark and could be seen at night would be used as a flashlight.

I and father planned to go to the station at night and to prepare a trap for that marionette.

After preparing some supplies, at 7 sharp we left. Kerbaros walked at the front holding the jar as the flashlight. He held the handle of the jar by his teeth. Father carried a wooden crate of 0.5 times 2 meters sized which was more like a coffin, while I carried a basket of supplies and 2 spades.

The atmosphere in the station was much spookier than it was in the morning. Completely dark, almost nothing to see, so quiet, only the noise of leaves rubbing each other when the wind blew.

We worked in silence. Kerbaros dug soil with his two front legs helped by father. Meanwhile, I loaded the soil in the crate up to one-third of it, and the rest was put in the sack we had prepared. Luckily it did not take us much time to finish. Around 9p.m we completed everything

…

The sound of wood knocking! I heard it again that morning. It was heard so clearly among the noise of bargaining between buyers and sellers in the market. I focused my hearing, ran my eyes around if that marionette was somewhere around me.

I walked away from my father who was buying some fish, and trying to find out where the knocking came from. In front of a food stall, I stopped. It was the last I could hear the knocks. I pushed myself to go inside, looking slightly at visitors in there.

"Please have a seat,"A waiter showed me to a vacant table. I had no choice but sat and ordered some food.

Soft purr of an animal ruined my concentration. A fatty grey cat looked pretty familiar for me. At first I did not believe it was Mickey, but after a closer look I knew it was really the same animal I saw.

That fat cat jumped onto my table and played with the tissue there. A waiter who saw that wanted to send Mickey away. But I stopped him and said that Mickey was my cat. A lot of questions came up about how that fat cat could come here.

I hurriedly took that grey fur animal out and asked my order to be packed home.

I walked out from that eating place. It crossed to my mind that Mr. Stone might be around there and it was also possible he thought that he lost Mickey. I contacted someone once that thought came to my mind.

"Ery, is Mr.Stone at home? It seems he has lost Mickey. That cat is with me now." I spoke fast because I had to hold that heavy Mickey.

"That animal is with you there?" Erick's voice sounded surprised. "That fat cat has gone since you went home. My boss is upset because of that," he sounded to control his annoyance.

Not only Erick was shocked, but I also got even more confused. "Is your boss around?"

"He is out buying some stocks" Erick replied. "He may be home in a few minutes,".

I hang up the phone. Whatever Erick told me made me even more confused. 'if it was not Mr. stone that took Mickey here, how could that cat manage to be here?' my heart wondered.

Mickey jumped out my arms and ran among the crowd in the market. Afraid of losing it, I followed him quickly.

That fat grey hair ran fast despite his rounded tummy. I was pretty difficult to keep up with his speed. Several times I was out of breath and had to stop to inhale enough oxygen before continued running. Finally that cat stopped in front of a church and scratched the church door.

I snatched him to my arms to take him away from that place. When I turned around, I heard wood knocking. It was slow and so close. The next moment, the creaking sound of the church door that was slowly opened followed.

That marionette stood by the door. His expression was cold wit mysterious smile behind the door. I was frozen instantly. Mickey jumped out from my hold and could not do anything. My legs were paralyzed and I could not run.

"You guys finally meet," the voice of that cat sounded so happy.. "It was not for nothing. That boy has been waiting for so long, His trust on you is paid off now,"