II. Clarification

"Let me get this straight." Meistrof started as he and Spencer walked down the halls and towards the library, where Princess Moon was. "Princess Moon assigned you to be my apprentice?"

"Yes." Spencer responded. He paused, before speaking up again. "I'm just wondering...I have a question about the Zaira person."

Meistrof let out a sigh. "She's a Fay, Spencer, not a person, technically. What is it about her that you want to know?"

"Well..." The teen paused, before asking. "Did you know her for a long while? You looked like you did."

"...No, I just met her, Spencer." Meistrof responded quietly, crossing his arms. "I know nothing about her except for the fact that she is a fay, she might be in danger because of whatever that dark magic was that attacked us, and I have no idea where she might be right now."

"Oh. That's not good..." Spencer paused, before grinning and speaking up again. "...Do you think she's pretty-"

"Please Spencer, stop bringing up my first meeting with Miss Zaira before I start blasting you with my thunderstorm spell." The older man cut in, giving him a small glare.

"But-c'mon, I bet you thought Zaira was pretty attractive-"

"Shush, or else." Meistrof gave him an angrier glare. It shut up Spencer for a good few moments, before he spoke up again, still grinning.

"Just admit you think she's hot, and I'll shut up!" He remarked, letting out small laugh at the end of the request.

Meistrof let out a sigh of frustration, shaking his head and looking away from his apprentice temporarily. His face heated up slightly in embarrassment, but he was thankful that his mask covered that from view. If he was going to get his apprentice to shush, he now figured he had no choice but to comply.

"Alright, Spencer. I admit that I think Miss Zaira is pretty. That does not mean, however, that I am attracted to her in any way." Meistrof answered him quietly. "I am no man to fall for anyone mainly due to appearance."

"Hmm..." Spencer seemed to think about this for a moment, before he spoke up again. "Is it true that you have no social life outside your work-"

Meistrof glared at him. "I thought you said that you would shut up if I admitted that I thought she was pretty." He snapped. The apprentice swallowed nervously, and went silent. Meistrof smirked slightly. "There. Much better, don't you think so?"

"I apologize for not telling you about this earlier, Meistrof." Princess Moon spoke quietly, wringing her hands together as she continued to speak. "And also, to hear of being attacked is quite dreadful. I, too, can only hope that the fay escaped the attacker's clutches."

"I was not harmed. I only hope that Miss Zaira is alright, and not injured, taken hostage, or harmed in any way." Meistrof responded. "Princess, it is alright that you forgot to tell me-we all make mistakes at times, even the ones with a high amount of power; whether they be of magic, physical power or political power."

"Thank you." The Princess paused, before continuing. "About your apprentice, Spencer..."

"What is it?" The other two spoke up simultaneously, before they exchanged weird glances with each other.

"He will be staying in the vacant room opposite yours in the West Tower of the castle. I do hope you two can bear with living in the same space during the time of apprenticeship."

Meistrof let out a sigh. I was wondering why there was a vacant room opposite mine in the tower... I have a feeling the Princess must have been planning this for quite a while, now, for me to have an apprentice...

"That is all." The princess finished. "You two may leave now."

Before the two could thank her and start to leave the room, two people burst into the room. Meistrof immediately identified them as Moniaka and Kain, the former a royal patisserie chef while the other was someone Meistrof knew-Kain was a loyal warrior to the Princess Moon, and had accompanied him on the past trip to destroy Snowza for good.

"Erm, Meistrof?" The patisserie chef spoke up, taking a deep breath before speaking up. "There is a visitor waiting for you in the West Tower. I think she needs to speak with you quite urgently."

"She?" Meistrof asked aloud. "The visitor is a she?"

"Yeah, the visitor is a she. Is she a friend of yours?" Kain asked, looking a bit confused.

"Yes." Meistrof answered quickly, before rushing out of the room. "Forgive me, but I need to see her right away." Before anyone could answer him, he had opened a small portal in front of him to run into, and it vanished as soon as he entered it.

Spencer stared in disbelief, before speaking up again. "I really need to get Meistrof to teach me that." He remarked, before turning towards Moniaka. "Where's the West Tower? I need to catch up with him!"

"It's west. Isn't it obvious?" Kain spoke up, crossing his arms.

"Oh, right." The blond apprentice paused, before grinning. "Thanks!" He dashed out of the room before anyone could stop him.

"Erm, Kain...I think he's running in the wrong direction. Should we bother telling him?" Moniaka asked.

Kain just shook his head in response.

Meistrof nearly ran into a wall as soon as he entered the West Tower, and started checking all of the rooms at once. He checked his room.

"Not here..." He gritted his teeth slightly in frustration, opening another door, revealing the bathroom behind it.

"...No." He muttered quietly, shutting the door before rushing to the next door and opening it. "No-" He closed the door, and he paused for a moment. "Wait a second..." He reopened the door to reveal Zaira, who had just started to leave his room. His room. And he had almost slammed the door in her face.

"Blast." Meistrof muttered underneath his breath, before speaking up again. "Er...I apologize for so rudely slamming the door like that-did I injure you?" He asked, hoping that he did not injure the poor fay in the process.

"Oh, no, you didn't. Thank you for asking, though." Zaira let out breath, before speaking up again. "I thought I would thank you for trying to protect me when that...that dark energy attacked us."

"Um, you're thanking the wrong person." Meistrof explained awkwardly, gritting his teeth slightly. "It's Spencer whom you should be thanking, not me. He was the one who sent the light element attack at that energy and destroyed it. He is my apprentice, as of..." He glanced at the clock on the far wall, before finishing. "As of approximately half an hour ago."

Zaira seemed to laugh a bit, and the laughing reminded him of tinkling bells. "Thank you for your honesty." She responded, smiling at him. "I'm glad that I know who I should thank, now." Her face distorted itself into a small frown right afterwards. "The main reason I'm here, however, is not just because to reassure you that I am alive and well. The thing is, I need to give you a warning."

"A warning?" The mage repeated, unsure if he heard it correctly.

"Yes, a warning." Her gold-flecked eyes bore into his light blue ones as she continued to speak. "There is one person that will ultimately make sure that Snowza stays gone forever, or resurrect her. You must be careful. Do not repeat this message to anyone except for the ones you trust most. Understood?"

Meistrof swallowed a bit as soon as he heard the statement, but he nodded quietly in response. "And what am I to do if I find this individual?"

"If he or she is trying to resurrect her...stop them at all costs. If they are trying to make sure that Snowza will be gone for good, help them at all costs." Zaira whispered softly. One of her hands gently grasped his own, and he looked down at them quietly. "Understood?" The hand squeezed his hand once, and Meistrof nodded in response. She let go of him, before her body started to literally break down before his eyes.

"Wha-" He could do nothing but watch her become nothing but flower petals, drifting out the open window and into the forest ahead of the castle.

He went silent, and did nothing but think over what had just transpired in the past few moments.

Snowza? Resurrected? As if he would let that happen. The loquat was burnt in the garbage bin, and Snowza was destroyed. There was no way she could come back. But...if someone was trying to either seal her away for good or resurrect Snowza, it meant that there was a risk either way of Snowza resurrecting...

She is dead, she is dead, and she will not come back. Ever. Snowza will never come back...

He shook his head quietly, before he heard the sound of something collapsing behind him. Turning around, he saw his apprentice, who had collapsed at the top of the staircase.

"Stairs...they're seriously a killer to me." Spencer panted as he slowly got up. "Went the wrong way before I found the West Tower. Sorry..." He suddenly paused, looking at Meistrof in concern. "Hey, is everything alright? Was it Zaira who came here?"

"...Yes, Spencer. She was here. She just wanted to thank me for trying to save her, but I told her that you were the one that did so. She's gone now, and everything is fine." The older man half-lied to him, after a moment of hesitation. "Your room is across from mine, Spencer. I suggest you get some rest, as your training will start tomorrow morning." He spoke up, pointing at a door across the hallway.

"Uh, thanks..." The apprentice paused for a moment, looking at the door to his room before speaking up again. "Meistrof, are you sure you're alright? You look a bit...unnerved by something."

The mage shook his head. "No, Spencer, I'm not. I'm just...tired, that's all. I didn't get a good sleep last night." He lied. "I will be departing to bed, now. I trust that you will not cause any chaos during my absence..." He went inside his room, closing the door behind him.

Spencer paused for a moment, confused.

Something was definitely wrong, and Meistrof was refusing to tell him about it.

He wanted to help him. That is what apprentices tried to do for their masters, right?