#((the drabble in which Aevus approaches Lucas and makes it clear that he wants him to be his apprentice))

[timebranded]

His father had gone out to pick up some herbs, which left Lucas alone in the shop for once. He hadn’t wanted to come along; going out in the daytime had become almost overwhelming for him as of late. He found himself regretting his choice to stay home anyway. At least he wouldn’t be worrying about what happened last night.

Did someone see? He sure hoped not; in that chaos of what had happened, he liked to think that he had slipped away with little issue. All the same, something nagged at the back of his mind, telling him that someone had seen him. While he couldn’t be certain if it was truly his intuition or just the result of his overactive mind, the thought wouldn’t leave him be.

In an effort to distract himself, he chose to throw himself into his books. If nothing else, he could at least update his notes. One doesn’t become an apothecary by not taking notes on what kind of herbs did what.

Lucas’ studies were interrupted by a knock at the door. He ignored it at first; anyone looking at the sign would know that the shop was closed for today. Maybe this visitor didn’t see the sign yet, and would walk away soon enough.

Apparently not; the stranger not only lingered, but decided to knock on the door two more times. By the third time, Lucas had become fed up and stood.

“Hey,” he called as he approached the door. He knew the door wasn’t soundproof, the stranger could absolutely hear what he was saying. “Can’t you read the sign? We’re closed for today, you’ll have to come back tomorrow if you really need something done-”

Lucas cut himself off as he actually opened the door. Even upon getting a good look at the stranger’s face, he reflexively shut the door.

Two things occurred to Lucas in that moment.

First: that was Aevus at the door. The court mage, the one that hosted that stupid event in the first place. Not only was he famous for his use of time magic, he was also said to be a talented tactician. Between his strategic mind and the might of the Royal Guard, many people felt that very few could actually threaten the kingdom.

The second thing Lucas realized was that he had just slammed the door in Aevus’ face.

Slowly, he opened the door again and peered out. Mercifully, Aevus was still standing patiently. Other than a raised eyebrow and crossed arms, there was no way of telling what Aevus could have been thinking.

“Um,” Lucas stammered. “I-I’m so sorry. I wasn’t expecting any visitors, especially not one like you. Not to say I’m not honored-!”

Aevus let himself in. He wasn’t alone; he was followed in by an armored fellow. That particular suit of armor marked him as a member of the Royal Guard - he was probably there in case Aevus got into trouble.

“You can relax,” Aevus said, turning to Lucas with a polite smile. “I’ll say it right now; you’re not in any trouble.”

Despite Aevus’ words, Lucas found it incredibly hard to relax. There was an intensity in the air that the court mage seemed to bring with him; whether it was because of his magical strength or something else, it made it near impossible for Lucas to be anything but tense.

“I hope you’ll forgive me saying so, but I find that hard to believe,” Lucas said, eyes flickering towards the knight. He seemed content to just stand by the doorway. “It’s not every day we get a visit from the court mage, after all. And a member of the Royal Guard, if I’m not mistaken? If you’re looking for my father, he’s out gathering herbs-”

“I was looking for you, actually.”

The words filled Lucas with dread; he could practically envision what Aevus was about to say next. Sure enough, Aevus took a moment to observe Lucas before continuing, “I saw what you did back in the Mage’s Tourney. Are you aware that was time magic?”

It took everything Lucas had to not respond with a sarcastic comment. The man somehow saw him completely reverse a whole awning's collapse…and he chose to not only state the obvious, but to phrase it like he was talking down to him? “Are you looking down on me? Of course I know that was time magic.”

At least Aevus had the courtesy to realize the weight of his words.

“My apologies, I hadn’t meant to…” He trailed off, and for the first time he seemed almost awkward. That was a surprising sight from the man that seemed so stoic and self-assured before.

“My point is, I’d like to know how you came to learn that kind of magic,” Aevus said. “Dialga is rather…picky with who he imparts his wisdom to.”

“I actually don’t know how I learned it,” Lucas admitted. He placed a hand on his arm - he could feel it tingle. “All I know is that I got hit by something, and ever since then…”

“Where were you struck?”

“My arm.”

“May I see?”

Lucas complied; he pushed his right sleeve up so that Aevus could get a good look at his arm. The scar stretched from the back of his hand to his elbow. Maybe it would be more accurate to describe the scar as a mark - his arm looked more like one of those bowls that had been glued together with some kind of paint. He couldn’t recall the name of that particular art.

Aevus carefully traced a finger over the scar. “Well, this is indeed temporal energy you were struck by. A very strong blast of it, too. That you survived is a miracle in itself.”

He circled around the boy. “Is that scar the only physical change? You don’t feel any older or younger than you should be?”

“Well…people always tell me I look younger than I am. That said, I don’t feel any different.”

“Have people told you this before you got the scar?”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, I’d say you haven’t aged any.” Aevus stopped his circling and looked at Lucas. “Count yourself blessed in that respect; such a blast could have easily aged you sixty years.”

“Great. Nice to know I miraculously dodged being eighteen going on eighty.” The comment seemed to burst out of Lucas’ mouth without warning. Aevus seemed to take it in stride, though; in fact, he thought he could hear something like a chuckle coming from the mage.

“Now, have there been any other changes? Any other scars, or things that have changed since the incident?”

“Well, now that you mention it…I’ve been pretty sensitive to light. I mean, more sensitive than I was before. Is that normal?”

Aevus paused. “That depends. Have you started seeing colors around every living thing as well?”

When Lucas nodded his assent, Aevus hummed, “Interesting. That’s actually an indicator of a different kind of ability. Perhaps the temporal energy awakened that trait in you.”

“What do you mean, a different kind of ability?!” Lucas cried. “It’s not enough that I can apparently use time magic, but something else is going on with me?!”

“Calm down,” Aevus assured him. “What you are sensing is called Aura. It’s actually very common in certain circles of magic. I’d be more surprised if you didn’t sense this kind of thing, considering what you’ve been through.”

“Does that include time magic?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Aevus answered. “I can sense it as well.”

Lucas had to admit, that was almost comforting. If only because he knew he wasn’t alone in being this overly sensitive.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Lucas said. “How did the rest of the event go? Was everyone safe?”

“I was actually hoping you’d ask that,” Aevus said with a smile. “Not to worry. What you did actually ensured everyone’s safety. You stopped the collapse right before it could cause any lasting damage.”

Lucas let out a sigh of relief before Aevus’ words registered. “…Why were you hoping I would ask that? I mean, of course I would. What kind of apothecary would I be if I wasn’t concerned for people’s safety?”

Aevus shrugged, the smile remaining on his face. “A rather poor one, I must agree. You would also be a pretty poor excuse of a court mage. Fortunate that I’ve chosen you to be my successor.”

Lucas stared. “Excuse me?"