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Some days presented themselves more challenging than others. As he could tell from the moment he first woke up, this would be one of them.
After an uneasy rest, the reality of morning´s arrival shook him awake.
The dreamy teal hues of the ocean were too bright, the wavy shimmers reflected on the ceiling now seemed to taunt him in their jovial dance, as he watched in resignation.
Beyond the decorated walls of his study, the Great Hall slowly arose. Time seemed to run too fast and too slow, with the Wise becoming aware of his incoming duties and yet his body refusing to cooperate. Feet too heavy to sit himself upwards, fingers too cold to draw, a pressure of anguish and frustration on his chest. He waited for a bout of energy, meditated to calm his turbulent mind, but to little effect. Not even in his mind he could conjure a playful misty version of himself to attend his duties elsewhere.
Finally, he decided, he would give in to the fragility of his self. With utmost effort, he drew a quaint sigil in the shape of a misty dragon, and sent it flying through the halls to the hands of those concerned for his absence.
'Apologies, for I am indisposed. All teachings are postponed for morrow.' the letter read.
My-, fatigue had done a number on him, being unable to add even a single quip to his message... He let himself sink back into the soft haven of his cushion, drained by such simple action.
It was all familiar, to become aware of his weight, the tightness on his chest, the buzz in his head. Sadly, it made it no easier to endure. Resigned, he waited, and waited some more, hoping his own body would offer a truce.
He did not know how long he had remained there, swimming through his own thoughts, when the door to his chamber was pushed open by an unexpected visitor.
Beldaruit glanced over, spotting a pointy hat of pearly color that mimicked his own, long light hair framing eyes as bright as sky. For the sake of the boy, he mustered a soft smile.
"Riliphin. I'm sorry my lad, I sent for classes to be dismissed."
His own apprentice, a young lad more akin to a shy deerling than not, was somehow bold enough to peek into his chamber unrequested.
"I... I hoped to be of assistance. May I come in, professor?"
He did not wish to spook the boy by a curt answer. Company was not something he sought when the worse of his condition weighed on him. However, being requested by Riliphin in specific awoke a certain curiosity. He did love the unexpected...
He tapped the cushioned surface next to him, and the lad was light on his feet as he crossed the room to his side. Even in proximity he spoke in a hushed voice. Perhaps too shy to speak up. Perhaps aware of his teachers' headache.
"I apologize for barging in, I hoped to provide some comfort or distraction."
"Thank you for your concern, young starlight. I have little energy today, is all."
Having lived through unforgivable abuse from his previous teacher, Beldaruit knew the boy was to be nurtured by gentleness; given distance and agency to make his own choices, regain trust in others and himself at his own pace.
Seeing a tinge of rebellion in his gentle eyes was a huge improvement.
In truth, accustomed to -ah- challenging characters such as young (and current) Qifrey, taking in Riliphin had been a completely different experience. He realized at that moment that while the boy would not accept comfort for himself, being kind to others came with ease.
He walked through the room, dimming the lights and the crowd murmur of the city, the atmosphere calm and soothing like moonlight. Gathered books and parchment away from sight, and retrieved clean cups from his nightstand to serve him a cup of warm enchanted tea from the set that his professor most favored. Guided by gentle hands, Beldaruit rose in his cushion to receive the delightful serving.
More than the dragon-illusion peacefully sleeping on his cup, it warmed Beldaruit's heart to see his apprentice take action. Evidently he had been receptive of his professors preferences and needs in the couple months under his wing. It wasn't the first time Beldaruit had needed assistance with Riliphin present, and apparently his talented apprentice had taken note on how to resolve each and every one. Such a bright young mind with no less a kind heart.
While honestly grateful for these actions, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt.
"You are my apprentice, Riliphin. I should provide you with wisdom, and here you stand, tending to a fragile old man that can offer little in return."
Riliphin, now sat on a cushion previously concealed by the bed covers, fidgeted with an object in his hands -the enchanted letter Beldaruit had sent- his fingers absently tracing the sigils on it.
“It´s hardly an effort, professor. I can never return the kindness you have offered me. But if I can help in some way, the weight on my heart is somewhat lessened.”
Hm, indeed. He had seen his apprentice recoil from multitudes, blend away among the folds of Beldaruit´s own robes when others approached, but he was yet to flee from his side. Despite disliking crowds, he found solitude just as unappealing.
Mellowed down by the gentle heat of the tea in his hands, he took slow sips while the room remained still and quiet. Sometime later, Beldaruit found his mind drifting to slumber, leaving the discomfort of his body. He let his conscience return by it´s own accord with no clear telling of the hour.
He no longer held the cup in his hands, and found a different comforting warmth to be enveloping him instead. The fuzzy head of a dragon similar to his own style peacefully napped on his shoulder, curled up like a cat atop his chest, it´s long neck wrapped like a scarf around his shoulders, the echoes of purring and the sounds of a crackling stove spreading through his body. Rather than illusion, the little creature held the weight of a cosy and rumbling pillow, yet the stiffness that had tormented his morning was no more.
Riliphin watched from his seat, attentive of his reaction. His hands still held onto the letter, but his notebook rested on the Wise´s bed, a new sigil long since dry. It portrayed the dragon sigil within, his style gentler than Bel's springy designs, surrounded by intricate paths of runes of cloudy warmth and soothing rumblings.
The sight of such marvel had the misty remains of slumber dissipate, and Beldaruit felt his smile brighten without effort. If his dearest former apprentice had offered plenty of diversions, Riliphin now provided excellent comfort. Seeing his students flourish and find their styles was greater reprieve than simple medicine.
“How ingenious a resource! And skillful the art-” the dragon yawned and tucked it´s head under his chin, but remained otherwise undisturbed “In all honestly, you have managed to astonish this old man, Riliphin.”
His apprentice looked away, but a practiced teacher could see the sparkle of pride and recognition in his eyes. The pinkness of his ears was an easy tell.
“It is but a variation of your teachings, Master Beldaruit. I can ask for no credit.”
“Ah, nonsense, my young starlight. Inspired by the works of others is how we grow ourselves, but the magic we conjure is ours to flaunt.”
He extended a hand, Riliphin placing the spell on it for him to review. Beldaruit nodded along in delight to such ingenuity. “Practical, versatile, and no less important, adorable!”
While his legs remained heavy and the buzz of his head dim yet persistent, the Wise found his spirits lifted and his ailments out of mind. A life of teachings, and even the burdensome mornings came with delightful surprises.