The Counterweight (A Magisterium *Calron* Story)

#8

AN: Hey everyone, long time no see, right?
Been busy with school and such, but today was a snow day (yay!) so I was able to finally write up another chapter for this story!
Once again, thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to read this little thing I made as my contribution to the Magisterium fandom.
I have really had lots of fun writing this and hope that you've all had fun reading it, just as much!

Enjoy, friends! : )

"Call, has anyone ever had visions of the Void, like hallucinations, maybe?", Aaron Stewart casually asked his boyfriend of exactly 2 days, as they were walking down one of the cave corridors to lessons with Master Rufus.
Whatever Callum Hunt had been expecting the other boy to say, wasn't what he had thought he would, and he stopped abruptly beside a row of stalagmites. He then turned slowly so that he was looking directly at Aaron and without thinking, brought his hands up to rest on the blond's face. "You're having visions.", he said after a moment, grey eyes bright with an emotion Aaron couldn't identify, as he continued to stare into the other's sparkling, green ones. "of the Void.", he finally said as an afterthought.
Aaron nodded or rather, he tried to, as Call was still holding onto his now extremely flushed face. "Y-Yeah. They started the night before we had that big fight and you ran off... I-I saw it, Call. I'm sure of it."
Call gently released his grip on Aaron's face, his arms falling to his sides, but he did not look away once. "W-what did you see?", he enquired, silently cursing himself for stuttering. "Aaron", he said, as said boy immediately risked a glance back over at him. "What did you see...in your vision?"
The blond was quiet for several long moments, until Call feared he would never say another word ever again. But, he did, forcing himself to look right at his boyfriend, as he bit his lip, nervously.
"I-I saw an open plain of nothingness. It was dark and cold, yet their were creatures there. Wolves. Chaos-Ridden wolves, like Havoc. Well, not entirely like Havoc, you know? But, there was a mother wolf and she was sniffing at the still air within the Void, trying to find her pups.", Aaron paused then, and he felt a comforting hand try to reach up to touch his shoulder. He decided to take a seat on the hard, rough, cave floor and Call in turn, sat down next to him.
"Aaron, what happened after that. Did-did she find the pups?", Call asked, desperately wanting to help the other boy make sense of what he had seen.
The blond shook his head, as he looked over at Call with a troubled expression. "Yes and no, they-they managed to catch a bird to eat that had accidentally flown into the Void. Her and the four of her pups, that is. But, the fifth one-the fifth one was...", his voice tapered off. He couldn't say it.
"Dead?", Call asked, and Aaron nodded, as he bit his lip again, attempting to hold back the tears. Then, he felt Call's hand rest on his shoulder, before he carefully encircled his arm protectively around the blond boy's back. For what seemed like an eternity, neither spoke. Instead, they just sat there in the Magisterium corridor, contemplating what it all meant and what would need to be done. Until at last, Call stood up, again.
"Let's go and see what Rufus thinks.", was all he said, as he offered his hand to the blond to hold onto.
Aaron immediately took Callum's hand in his shaking one and gave a tentative nod, before they started to walk down the hall once more.
No matter what, Call thought. He knew, he would do anything for this boy...

When they finally found him, Master Rufus was standing in the entry way of a classroom, closest to the Refectory and he appeared to be smiling slightly. It only took Call a moment to figure out why, and he hastily let go of Aaron's hand, causing the other boy to glance quickly back at him, frowning. But, before either could speak, Rufus interrupted them, clearing his throat.
Instantly, both boys turned to look at their teacher and silently prayed to some higher power, that their flushed faces would not give them away. However, it appeared that the dark-skinned mage was still smiling in their general direction as he said: "Ms. Rajavi mentioned something like this to me, boys. I assure you, I am by no means, going to hurt either of you for loving someone who is of your own gender. After all, you are both capable of choosing your own partners in life and it really does only make sense, that you both would choose the other as such. Sure, it probably had a lot to do with both of you being each other's counterweights. No doubt also, your connection as being the school's two only Makaris, were a factor as well. But no matter the means of how you realized it, I do not care to dwell on the matter because you and Mister Stewart," Master Rufus said, gesturing at Aaron who was standing impeccably close to Call. "Can be together as you wish...so long as it does not interfere with your lessons. Are we understood?", he asked, but the stern tone was betrayed by his evident smile.
Callum Hunt gave a hesitant nod and forced himself to look up at his teacher. Aaron did likewise, and both mumbled something incoherently under their breaths, their faces feeling like they were practically on fire.
"Pardon?", Master Rufus asked.
They both took a deep breath.
"We understand."
There was silence for a brief moment or so, then their teacher smiled down at them. Both boys were holding onto each other's hand, again.
"Now then, why ever are you two here? It's Saturday, should you not be off enjoying your weekend break?", he asked them, gesturing slightly with a hand to the long corridor that led back to the common rooms.
The blond reluctantly nodded, but Call, stubborn as ever, shook his head.
"Aaron's had a vision of the Void.", he said.
More silence followed in the wake of this statement. Master Rufus' eyebrows pulled together in a conflicted frown.
"That is not possible.", he told him at last, turning away so as to go back into the classroom.
Callum and Aaron looked at each other, then back at Rufus' retreating form.
"Wait! Hear him out!", Call blurted out, causing their teacher to look back over his shoulder at him.
"Mister Hunt, I must ask you not to shout so-"
"Aaron's had a vision! He told me earlier and we decided to go see you, thinking you'd know what it means-"
"That is not possible. No Makar can have a vision of the Void. The Void can only be felt, glimpsed at yes, but never-", however, he was cut off again, this time by Aaron.
"A glimpse? That's what it was? Just a glimpse? Gosh, I felt like I was there. Like, actually there. Why did I-", but he was interrupted by Call, who was now shouting.
"AARON HAD A VISION, HE TOLD ME! THERE WERE WOLVES! CHAOS-RIDDEN WOLVES AND ONE OF THE WOLF PUPS WAS DEAD!"
Suddenly, Call stopped shouting at his teacher because, a look had passed across the man's face that caused his usually dark-skin to go a pale white. Master Rufus stood stark still and then grabbed Callum by the shoulders. "This-this is not good.", was what he managed to get out in a mere whisper. "I-I must notify the council... Yes, that is what I must do...", he continued to mutter under his breath. He quickly let go of his student and without looking back at either of them, dashed out of the classroom and down the cave's long, winding corridor.
Aaron and Call didn't bother running after him. There would be no point, really. They would have to wait and talk to Tamara.