"You okay?" Dorin asked Sebastian as they left the tower.
"I will be," Sebastian replied. He looked at Dorin from under his hood. "Can you take me away?" he asked of him. "To somewhere quiet?"
Dorin seemed to hesitate a bit, then, whistling into the air, he flew to the nearest tree – a birch, and broke off a long branch. He then flew back down to Sebastian and held the branch afloat with another tune.
"Hop on and hold on tight," he said.
Sebastian did as he was told, holding on to Dorin's back, as the branch glided into the air and gained height. He gasped as he almost slip and fell. Dorin kept the branch level and waited for him to get a better grip. Sebastian quickly grabbed at his friend's waist.
"Are you ready?" Dorin asked. He was answered by Sebastian nodding behind him. "Let's see how far the University walls can get us."
They went past the crumbling wall.
It looked like a winding snake from their height, extending at both directions and disappearing in the distance. They flew for some until the branch stopped in midair, as if they were hit by an invisible force.
Sebastian and Dorin were almost thrown over from the sudden impact. Dorin quickly whistled a short tune. A small whirlwind surrounded them and brought them gently to the ground.
"Whew, that was close!" Dorin laughed weakly. He looked at the surrounding area and noticed a line of sandstone on the ground, about 2 inches high. It looked old and weathered. You wouldn't think it was a wall if you didn't know it was there. He tried to turn around and realized that Sebastian was still holding on to him.
"You can let go now," he called to his companion.
Sebastian didn't move. He kept his tight hold on Dorin's crumpled cloak, his face against his back. He could feel his wet tears seep into his shirt.
Dorin kept still, waiting for his friend to let go.
"Sorry..." Sebastian finally said after a while of silence.
"It's okay," Dorin replied. "Just let it all out."
He tried to face his friend, but Sebastian held on to him tighter. He then started to sob. He gave a muffled cry as he pressed his face against Dorin's back. His chest heaved, his shoulders quivered, yet he hardly made another sound.
Dorin wanted him to scream.
He wanted him to shout and release all the pain he was holding inside.
Until he noticed movement on the ground and in the nearest trees as small birds and critters came near them.
They, too, were silent, being drawn by Sebastian's sadness.
'Just what would a Silver Tongue screaming in anguish bring?' he thought to himself. He raised a hand and placed an airtight bubble around them. He wasn't taking any chances.
"I am ready to talk now," Sebastian said after a while. He let Dorin's cloak go and raised his hood to face him. His eyes were red, his face still blank, but his voice quivered as he spoke. "Dorin... Lady Chantrell was..." he trailed off.
"Your mother?" Dorin continued for him.
"You knew?"
"It was quite obvious," Dorin replied. "You wouldn't be crying like this, otherwise."
"You think the others might have notice too?"
"Who are these 'others'? And why do you need to hide it from them?"
Sebastian stared at Dorin.
"After the tragedy of the Mad king... We had no choice..."
"But, that happened hundreds of years ago, who would want to do something like that in this day and age?"
"They did it to my mother," Sebastian's voice was shaking. "They forced a bond on her, and I was the result."
"But you said..."
"She fell in love, yes. And look what it brought her. I never knew my father. Nobody did. They say she just disappeared for months and came back one day, heavy with child. She had been slowly dying ever since."
"They said? They who?" Dorin asked, frowning.
"General Muller and your aunt, Prof. Althea... I found about it through them..."
Dorin stared at Sebastian wide eyed. "My aunt?"
"They hid everything when I was born, sending me to a Revious family to be taken care of. But sometimes, in certain occasions, they would visit me..."
"Marcus and my aunt?" Dorin asked.
"Yes," answered Sebastian. "But only `till I was about 5 years old," he continued. "One day when I was 11, while I was feeling rebellious, I asked my parents who those people were and why they kept visiting me..." Sebastian went silent once more.
"What did they say?" Dorin asked.
"They refused to answer me, so I forced them to tell me the truth and got more than I bargained for." Sebastian continued, "I found out that they were not my real parents..." he mumbled. "Out of remorse, I ended up telling my adoptive father to 'get lost'... that was the last time we saw him alive."
Sebastian fell silent again. Dorin thought he would not speak again, but he went on after a while.
"I also found out that day, the truth about my birth," said he, "About the beautiful woman who loved me so much she couldn't bear to be with me... and about the dangers that surround our family."
"Is that the reason behind all the secrecy?" Dorin asked "Why you refuse to use your voice?"
"My powers have always been too strong," Sebastian continued. "After that accident, the power of the Silver Tongue got even worst. Soon, even a sigh would have catastrophic effects, until I decided to hide it completely... that is, until you came along..."
"Perhaps you just needed to talk more," suggested Dorin. "Suppressing something would only make matters worst. Johan and I, we can talk with you, we can help you control your voice again."
"Yes..." Sebastian said softly... "I see that as a possibility now..."
"Just one more thing I want to know..." Dorin asked Sebastian. "Before, Marcus said that Prof. Dupont got to you first... If it's true that they knew you since you were born, then why...?"
"Why is it that Prof. Dupont is my benefactor?" Sebastian finished for him. "It's because they never meant for me to come here," Sebastian explained. "They were against me going to University. But my mother... Lady Chantrell... she had other plans. That's why she sent Prof. Dupont to bring me here, and once I was discovered, there was nothing more they could do."
"Ah, so that's it!" Dorin said thoughtfully.
"Lady Chantrell sponsored me as a distant relative, for it's been so long since someone from the main family showed any talent in magic. The rest of the snobby Revante nobles were against it, though, since the Revious family were too far from the main bloodline that they no longer view us as Ravantes. That's why the funding was just enough for me to get by," continued Sebastian. "I also decided not to accept more help from that blasted family. My pride won't let me, after the way they treated my adoptive family... for my late foster father's sake... and for my own..."
"Well, as I see it, you've been doing great on your own," Dorin assured him.
"Exactly. Even after I found out about my lineage, I told Lady Chantrell that I wanted to get through university on my own. Besides, it's not like I could just tell everyone that she's..." Sebastian sighed and slowly shook his head. "This is so unlike me," he mumbled as he looked up at Dorin. "I'm sorry for showing you all this drama. I'll be better in a bit..."
"It's okay," Dorin placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "There are times when a man needs to let things out so that new feelings can enter in."
"And who was that quote from?" Sebastian asked with a laugh.
"From Dorin," grinned his companion. "I'm glad you decided to open up to me," he said, "At least now, I can understand you better."
"No," Sebastian said after a while, his face buried in his arms as he leaned on his knees. "That's not entirely it."
Dorin looked at him expectantly, yet Sebastian refused to say anymore about the subject.
"Dorin," he softly said after a while, "Mother never trusted anybody. She never told me why, but she said we can't trust any of them."
He slowly raised his head to look Dorin in the eye.
"There's nobody we can trust."