Chapter Twelve
After the mage looked up and saw them, 2 other pairs of eyes raised and rested on the king. Only the female seemed to acknowledge that Justin was even in the room, and that was only for the briefest of glances.
As though of one mind, they all bowed deeply to the king. In response, he nodded his acknowledgment and again cleared his throat as if unsure of what to say.
"Sorry for the interruption, but I hope what you have been working on has proven to be fruitful." The mage in the center of the group let his shoulders fall ever so slightly as though an invisible weight had been laid on them.
"I am afraid your Grace, that we still have not come up with a solution to the magical creatures dilemma. We would appreciate any input you have."
Justin felt awkward watching the exchange. He put his hands in his pockets for something to do and immediately felt the D20 dice still resting safely at the bottom of his pants pocket. As soon as his fingers grazed the surface, his mind jumped to the book that it fell off of. For some reason, he couldn't quite remember what he did with the book after he went into his room. He had been so overstimulated and exhausted that all he could recall was blowing out the candles and getting into bed, but surely he must have laid the book down without realizing it. Maybe he had put it on the bedside table before he fell asleep. He made a mental note to check once he got back to his room.
He had been so lost in thought that he was caught off guard when he heard the king say his name. He looked up to find all of the mages and the kings looking at him expectantly. He could feel his cheeks flush, and he bowed to the magicians in the hopes of hiding the worst of it.
Since Justin had no idea what had been said prior to hearing his name, he could only assume that the king had been introducing him. He wondered if the king had given any information about why he was there.
Looking at the king in the hopes of seeing some clue in his features, he was surprised to see a kind smile on his face. Relief flooded through Justin as the king turned to the mages and spoke again.
"Justin is here from the higher learning school. He has informed me that the professors have started to teach classes about the magical creatures, and they thought it would be wise to send their top student to help solve the problem. I ask that you listen to what he has to say, and together you all should be able to come up with a solution."
At the king's words, interest dawned in their eyes. As they focused wholly on Justin, he took that time to really look at them. He was surprised to find that they seemed to be much younger than he had imagined. He didn't know if they were naturally that age or if their appearance was enhanced by magic. He knew there was no really good way to ask. The female had blond hair the color of wheat, that flowed freely down her back. The man next to her and the man on the far end had black hair that reached their shoulders and was perfectly straight. Now that he was really looking at them, he would bet money that they were twins.
Only the man in the middle, whom Justin guessed was the leader, showed any age in his face or hair. He was the only one with any facial hair, and his goatee was a mixture of black and gray. His hair was grayer than black, but streaks of the darker color remained. Other than a few crows' feet and small laugh lines, his face looked as young as his companions'. If magic was being used to keep their appearance young, either the man with the goatee chose not to use as much as his companions, or he was much older than the rest of them.
After allowing the mages and Justin a moment to take the measure of each other, he once again cleared his throat and spoke. "Would you be so kind as to each introduce yourselves to Master White and explain to him what you have been working on as individuals and as a group." Turning to Justin, he rested his hand on his shoulder until Justin met his gaze. "Before I leave you is there anything I can get you?" Maggie's words came to him, and he was grateful that he could at least appear as though he had done some planning for this meeting.
"Yes, Your Majesty, if you or your mages could provide me with some parchment and a quill so I can make notes, I would very much appreciate it."
The king nodded once before calling for an attendant to bring the requested items. Turning back to the mages, he gave them each a serious look before saying. "I will leave you and Master White alone to do what must be done. When I come back before lunch, I expect a report on your progress.
Looking back down at Justin, he saw his kind smile return. "Thank you for your willingness to help us with this. It is greatly appreciated." With a pat on Justin's shoulder for encouragement, the king turned and exited the room as the attendant returned with the parchment and quill. He also carried a small vial of what looked like ink. Justin realized, as he saw the writing utensils, that he had never used a quill and ink before. He felt a brief moment of fear, wondering if he would make a fool of himself in front of the magicians by gripping the quill too tightly and breaking it.
The attendant set the parchment, quill, and ink on the table beside the woman, bowed to the mages, then to Justin, and silently left the room. When the door closed behind him, Justin felt completely and utterly adrift. He stood before a woman and men who knew how to work magic. There was no telling what they had the ability to do. Did he really think his college classes and his love for mythical creatures would be able to hold a candle to their knowledge and power? In that moment, standing in the silence and illuminated by the magical candle glow, Justin felt very small.
Justin swallowed hard and forced himself to keep his head and back straight. He wasn't sure if he had ever had to do anything harder. When the silence was almost deafening, the head mage spoke. "It is very nice to meet you, Justin White. I, too, want to thank you for agreeing to come and help us with our problem. I know the school you attend is many leagues away, and it could not have been an easy journey. Is there anything that my colleagues or I could provide you to make your time with us easier?"
Every once in a while, Justin had moments of brilliance that shocked him. As he formulated a way to reply, he prayed this was one of those moments, and he wasn't just about to make a fool of himself.
"I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve my king. If it would not be too much trouble, I am afraid my luggage was lost on the journey from the school, and all I have is my journal and the clothes on my back. Do you have a way to create clean clothes and such with your magic?"
All four of the mages looked at each other and smiled. When they turned to look at Justin, their smiles still held, and he felt the uneasiness he had carried since being left alone with them ease.
"Yes, we can most definitely help you with that. But first, I think we should do as the king asked and share our names and what we have been working on. We have been standing for quite some time. Would it be all right if you joined us around the table and we all took a seat?
Justin smiled his thanks and came to sit across from the head mage. When everyone was settled, and Justin had pulled the parchment, quill, and ink in front of him, the head mage folded his arms in front of him and spoke. "My name is Arthur Trill." Gesturing to the other mages around the table, he continued. "My friends call me Art, and I hope you will too."
Justin nodded once as the man to Art's left spoke. "My name is Oaklie Brush, and this is my twin brother Philip Brush. Justin was pleased to see that he had been right that the two mages were twins.
Last to speak was the woman. Her voice came out rich and deep. There was a melodious sound to it that might have been enhanced by magic, but Justin couldn't be sure. "My name is Cora Hill. It is very nice to meet you, Master White." Justin stuck up his hand to stall her. "Please, you all can call me Justin, and it is very nice to meet you."
With the introductions out of the way, it was time to begin the real work. Justin wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and waited to hear what the mages had to say.