Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

10. The Nameless Hound

Elaine's eyes peeled apart as she took in the sight of the colossal stranger before her. He stood with his arms crossed, his massive chest straining against the unbuttoned trench coat that barely contained his hulking physique. He wore a white shirt underneath, its simplicity in stark contrast to the rough exterior of the man, along with baggy trousers and boots that were caked in damp grime.

Was he a gardener? No, there was a wand in that meaty hand of his. It was made from light-colored timber and there was a shatterstar fragment poking out of its handle—an amethyst stone harvested from the mountains in Star Fall Valley to the far north.

Fritz! He thinks I'm an intruder, doesn't he? This wasn't good. Only sulmos made a Professional Sorcerer their enemy. Especially one enlisted at Glyph. Elaine shot her hands in the air, hoping it was enough to communicate to the man that she wasn't a threat. 

"You're not supposed to be here, lass. This room is prohibited to students," he growled, advancing in a heavy march. "If I were in your shoes, I'd be explaining myself right about now."

"My name is Elaine," she blurted, squeezing her eyes closed as she did. "Elaine Harwood! I was only trying to find my homeroom class! I'm a first year! I hardly know where I'm going so...so...err..."

"A first year, you say?" the man grumbled, clearly still suspicious of her. For some reason, the runes on the walls went dark, meaning that the room was now pitch-black, save for the faint light emanating out of the lumas crystal fixed into the ceiling. The orange-colored mineral gave off a glassy glow, casting a dim light, just enough for Elaine to see.

The sorcerer drew near, gradually stepping into the flickering radius of the lumas' glow. As he approached, his facial features became more distinct. Hidden under the cap that covered his head was a mop of dark brown hair. His eyes—a deep, burnished gold—exuded warmth and understanding, and his firm jaw was obscured by a silvering beard that flowed down his chest.

Elaine stood in awe as the fairy from earlier appeared once more, its form taking shape before her very eyes, laughter bursting out of her smiling lips. The ethereal creature twirled gracefully around Elaine, leaving behind a trail of iridescent light that illuminated the surrounding area. In a flash, the fairy darted towards the sorcerer like a shooting star, its movements fluid and graceful. Landing on his shoulder with a soft thump, she bare feet kicked playfully over the side. The sorcerer grumbled in response to her whispered words, his face etched with annoyance. "Really? Is that so?"

No way. Can he understand her? Elaine thought, eyebrows raised. To her ears, the fairy sounded like a bird. All that she had said in her chirping ensemble of a sentence was lost on her.

"Ah, a student. Now I get it," the sorcerer said, and Elaine winced when his glare flared at her. Fortunately, it sluggishly molded into a proper smile, the tips of his mouth curving his scruffy beard ever so slightly. "No need to be frightened, lass. We tend to get a few Blue stragglers every year. Although this is the first I've ever caught one poking around in here. This room is special, you see."

Elaine bowed her head at him. "I'm really, really sorry."

"You know," he chuckled, a sort of deep-pitched cackle that made his beard twitch, "despite its status as a premier magic-teaching institution, this academy can be dangerous. Particularly to those who poke their noses in places they shouldn't."

As he spoke, she couldn't shake the feeling that her mind was playing tricks on her. It was almost as if there was an invisible rhythm that echoed through the air, pounding away relentlessly. The Pulse had returned, but it seemed that he was oblivious to the noise, just as Fearne and Custas had been.

"In any case, I'll let you off with a warning this time, lass. Just be sure to stay clear of this room from now on, yeah? The Sakura Shrine is off limits." The man paid an unamused leer at the fairy, who was still sitting primly on his shoulder. "And you wouldn't have had anything to do with this, would you, Fara?"

The creature paid him with a cheek-to-cheek grin, but she didn't say anything. "It wasn't her fault," Elaine spoke up. "Like I said, I only got lost."

"Is that right? Well, Lady Harwood, it won't do you any good just standing there silly like that. Come on, I'll take you to your homeroom if that's what you want."

Elaine's entire face lit up, both with happiness and relief. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I'd appreciate that very much...err..."

"Ah! Never gave you my name, now did I?" The sorcerer folded his giant pair of arms. Even though they were covered by the trench coat's sleeves, Elaine could tell there was a brawny frame hiding within the fabric. He fixed his expression with a mixture of confliction, as well as frustration, as if he was trying to recall some distant memory. "Hmm? My name? What was it again?"

"You...you don't know your own name?"

"No, I definitely know it, lass. I'm not that old," he laughed. "It's just, well, I haven't had to use it in so long that I keep on forgetting what it is. You understand, right?"

Elaine whittled an artificial smile. Nope, not even a little...

"Ah, sunder it! It's not important anyhow," he said, giving her his back as he started for the exit doors with a stomp. "The kind folks around here call me Hound. You can too, if it suits your fancy. I'm the groundskeeper of this institution. But I'm not opposed to helping a student every now and again. Got a problem and you can come pay me a visit. If it's within my power, I'll help you resolve whatever's bugging ya."

Hound the Groundskeeper, huh? She wouldn't blame anyone if they were initially put off by the giant. Such an imposing figure, coupled with a voice as deep as spinebear's growl would make even the most open-minded of individuals shudder with reluctance.

Granted, he was a bit off. Not remembering his own name. Being able to communicate with a fairy. He certainly wasn't the most...normal. Then again, none of the Glyph Academy staff she'd met so far were explicitly normal either. At the very least he was willing to help her.

Elaine followed after him with purposeful strides, only for the Pulse to throb at her consciousness once again. She quickly turned around, anticipating to find a person standing in front of the stone statue. She felt a presence, like someone was there with her that she couldn't see. Elaine felt it. A faint step on dirt. A slight breath streaming out one's lips. Eyes of a ghost giving her a spectral once-over. She wasn't alone. No, definitely not. 

"Hey," called Hound, a step outside the shrine room. "It's bad manners to show up late on the first day of classes."

"Oh!" Elaine exclaimed. "R...Right! Coming!"

Good luck, Harwood. Remain vigilant. Goosebumps appeared on her skin like miniature hills, and there was a shout lodged in her throat. Who's voice had that been? She turned around to see if someone was there, but like before, the shrine room was empty. The eerie silence only added to her sense of unease.

Her imagination, that must have been it. Her imagination. The stress of starting a school year was plainly getting her, causing her to hear things. She dispelled the odd occurrence with a shake of the head, and Elaine shut the doors behind her.