The Magician & I

Chapter 4: The Red Haired Man

A/N: Another update for this story~ There won't be a set schedule for this novel. It will be a short story and estimating it to only be maybe 25-30 chapters in total? Can't guarantee but it definitely won't be anywhere near 100 chapters. Enjoy and thank you for the votes and comments! Have a Merry Christmas, everyone~! Σ(★'・ェ・)=C<☆・゜:*мёяяу Ⅹмαδ*:゜・☆

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They got into another carriage and 'he' was taken to the outskirts of the capital, this time the carriage was all white with gold trimmings and small but intricate decor. It was pulled by two strange horses with white fur, a glimmering silver mane, and two folded wings attached to their back. 'His' eyes produced at scintillation at the sight of them. Never had 'he' seen such magnificent and pure creatures before.

'He' stood, starstruck for a moment before 'he' collected his mind and followed behind the others that were waiting for him. The interior walls of the carriage was a light champagne color with pale beige seats and there was even a table inside in case someone wanted to eat snacks or wanted to drink some refreshments. Even with the grade of the materials used and that most people would have dropped to their knees and kowtowed¹ onto the ground at the sight of it, it did not intimidate 'him' in anyway and instead gave 'him' a sense of comfort.

'He' followed the man and took the farthest seat from the man. The moment 'he' sat down, there was a soft unfamiliar feeling that was strange to 'him'. Standing up quickly as if poked by a hot iron rod, 'he' sat down on the floor instead.

The magus chuckled at 'his' reaction, "Why do you choose to sit there? Is it uncomfortable?"

Seconds ticked by but only silence greeted the magus' questions. He was not disappointed that the young boy did not respond to him. He assumed that the other was probably feeling homesick at the moment and decided to leave the child be.

Along the way, 'he' would take sneakily take peeks of the scenery around 'him' from the corner of 'his' eyes. 'He' didn't dare to keep 'his' head up, as 'he' was discipline about doing so in the past. From the previous treatments that 'he' had been given, it became second nature for 'him' to act like this.

The carriage went through the bustling streets filled with people with ease as the roads were rather large, and many of the citizens made way for them as they approached. For the first time, 'he' was able to see many stalls and stores and 'his' eyes lit with a curious spark.

'He' had never seen such unique items before, and with this large quantity as well. There were sticks with red fruits glazed in a sweet and clear hard coating, skewers with pork, white soft and fluffy buns, very pretty clothes that dragged along the floor, hair pins with peerless jewels in forms of butterflies and flowers, clothes with soft and smooth fur on the collar and hood, silk handkerchiefs, the choices were endless.

The trip took a total of three hours, they went through the large stone gates of the capital and were headed towards the suburbs of the capital. The houses that lined the streets became fewer and fewer, the amount of people also became more scarce. Soon only the green hills and blue sky greeted their sight.

Even if it was the afternoon currently and the temperature was sweltering, those that dwelled inside of the carriage weren't able to share the experience of the hot and humid temperatures.

A landscape of trees entered their vision and they continued their way deep within. As they journeyed on, 'he' saw and heard many different sounds that came from the forest. The songs of the birds, the guffaw from the large spirit beasts, the small splashes from the creek near by, and the quiet crackling noises of the tree branches. It was like a natural beautiful melody to 'his' ears as he soon forgot about the other party inside of the carriage and raised 'his' head to look outside.