Zeph Malston: The Aether Mage

Michelle Davis knew that the 3-V class would have its own unique set of challenges. Wrangling twenty cocky pre-teens wasn't easy. But this... this was something she never expected. Zeph Malston, the grandson of the Lord of Asperitus was in her class. Why wasn't she told? She was completely unprepared for this. How should she address him? Could she discipline him like the other kids? What were the things she could and could not do? Question after question ran through her mind.     

The rest of the class wasn't fairing well either. After getting over the initial shock, they started discussing amongst themselves about how to treat the young lord. Jasper and Ashley were pale. Especially Jasper, he feared for his life. Why did he have to attack the new kid? He could be executed for treason if Zeph wanted.     

While everyone was still trying to come to terms with Zeph's sudden reveal, Lili was tapping her foot impatiently. After a couple of minutes, she stood up. "Is it my turn to introduce myself?"     

Ms. Davis pulled herself together. "Uhm… yes." She clapped her hands to get the classes attention. After everyone quieted down, she smiled at Lili. "It's your turn now. Go ahead."     

"Cool! My name is Liliana Phillips. I like hunting, fighting,…" she looked towards Ashley and Jasper. "Teaching bullies a lesson and hanging out with my friends. I have a high affinity for ice magic, and I can't wait to have some fun this year."     

After Lili gave her introduction, the class had calmed down. The boy behind her introduced himself, followed by the girl behind him and so on and so forth. When it was Ivy's turn, she stood up and looked around the room nervously. She took a deep breath to calm herself.     

"Hello, my name is Ivy Alcott. I like gardening, practicing spirit magic, reading," she took a quick glance at Zeph and blushed for a second before looking at Lili, "and hanging out with my friends."     

Zeph noticed the blush, and so did a few other people. 'Oh, youth,' Ms. Davis thought. Then she noticed that Zeph, Ivy, and Lili all wore matching flowers on their uniform. What relationship did they have? She decided to ask them about that later.     

The class introductions continued with Drew. "Hi, I'm Drew Bennet. You all already know me, so I'll give you a quick summary. I like burgers, shakes, video games, and having fun. My specialty is earth magic."     

Introductions continued, but Zeph was pretty sure he wouldn't remember most of these kids' names. Most of the introductions were pretty standard consisting of names, likes, dislikes, and what magic they specialized in. There was one kid that stood out, however.     

"My name is James Carver, and I'm going to be an archmage someday. I'll prove that it doesn't matter if you come from a mage clan or if you're a noble. Anyone can do it if they work hard enough!" The boy spoke passionately and looked over at Ashley and then toward Zeph when he made his declaration. He looked angry or annoyed, like he was ready to fight.     

Zeph smiled. The kid reminded him of a character from a show he used to watch. Some of the kids in class were dismissive of James' declaration. A few, like Ashley and Jasper, actually sneered. There was probably some history there.     

With introductions over, Ms. Davis decided to give the class a pop quiz. Groans and complaints spread throughout the room. She told them that she needed to know where they were at academically so she could create a lesson plan. It would also help her figure out who needed extra help. In the morning, the class would focus on general studies. After lunch, they would go to the training field and work on their magic and combat skills. Then they would finish the day by going to their elective courses.     

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While the kids were in class, Bernard and Ronan were having a nice chat with Ivy's mom. Tara was chatting with the two lords about her mother. Relina was too nervous to sleep last night. She was excited to see Eli and worried he might not have feelings for her anymore. It was a justifiable fear. After all, Eli hadn't called her for over ten years. Then again, she didn't call him either.     

Relina only learned of his location recently. She'd been looking for the man off and on for a long time and was excited that she finally found him. They never told each other how they felt, so both elves thought it was a case of unrequited love. Tara, Bernard, and Ronan thought it was laughable.     

Bernard and Ronan knew Eli for a long time because they were part of the same operations unit. The trio would go into enemy territory for sabotage and espionage. Whenever they went drinking, the elf would often talk about Relina, the girl that got away. After the war was over, they disbanded slowly over time. It wasn't until over ten years ago that Eli contacted Bernard again. He left government work and wanted to catch up with some old friends. That led to Eli being hired as Bernard's head of security. It wasn't supposed to be an intensive job, just something to do while the elf rested and recovered from his many years in service.     

After the three finished talking about Eli and Relina, Tara changed the subject. She started asking about Zeph and told Bernard about Ivy. It was common knowledge that the girl had a crush on Zeph, because Lili felt the need to ask everyone she could for romantic advice on Ivy's behalf. Lili's heart was in the right place, but everyone made a mental note to never tell the girl something embarrassing.     

After gossiping for a while, they decided to have Eli bring the kids to Zeph's mansion and have Relina pick up Ivy later in the evening. They wanted to have Eli meet her so they could get the awkward reunion out of the way. Then there would be less tension in the morning when Relina joined Eli on guard duty.     

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The bell for lunch rang, and the students slowly left the classroom. Quite a few looked over to Zeph, trying to decide if they should talk to him or not. It seemed like they decided to wait a while before they interacted more with the young lord, because the only one that talked to him that morning was Drew.     

"I wouldn't worry about them. They're probably nervous and don't know how to act around you. The closest thing they've come to a noble is Ashley, and she's a pain in the neck." Drew stretched before leaving his chair. "So, you guys need help getting to the cafeteria?"     

"Sure." Zeph stood up and got ready to leave. "So, why aren't you nervous now that you know I'm the young lord?"     

Drew shrugged. "You were pretty laid back when I met you. Learning you're a noble doesn't change who you are. Also, I don't really care if someones a noble, a member of a prestigious family, or just some dude. People are people. If their cool, that's great. If they suck, then I won't bother with them."     

Zeph, Lili, and Ivy laughed at his carefree attitude. They decided that Drew would be easy to get along with.     

"Wait for a moment Mr. Malston. I'd like to speak with you for a bit before you leave." Ms. Davis called to him when she saw Zeph walk towards the door.     

"Okay?" He tilted his head. "Give me a second, guys," he left Lili, Ivy, and Drew, and walked to the teacher. "What's up teach?"     

Michelle was surprised at his casual attitude. "Well, I was wondering how you would like to be treated during class. I've never taught a noble before, so I don't know what concessions you are expecting. Know, however, that I won't treat other children unjustly and don't expect me to be lax in educating you."     

"Uhm, are you asking if I expect to be treated differently because I'm the Lord's grandson?"     

"Essentially."     

"Then don't worry about it. I don't really care for all that formal etiquette and stuff. Just treat me like a regular kid, and I'll be fine. Lili and Ivy also think the same way." He gave Ms. Davis a bright smile.     

"Understood, but why would you mention your two friends over there?"     

"Cuz they're nobles too."     

Michelle's eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. "I see. Is that why they're wearing the same flower accessory on their uniforms?"     

"Not really, we just wanted to add a little pizazz to our look. I figured we were going to draw attention, so we might as well look fancy." Zeph chuckled. He didn't want to tell her the purpose of Eli's enchanted plants. It was better to keep anything security related a secret.     

"All right. I thought, for a moment, that they were wearing those to symbolize some sort of relationship between you three."     

Zeph shook his head the moment she said relationship. "Nothing like that, we're just friends. Trust me, I've got no plans of being involved with anyone any time soon."     

The teacher chuckled. "If that's the case, you better watch out. I'm pretty sure a few girls will approach you soon."     

"Yeah, that's going to be a pain. I'll probably just make a public announcement or something if it gets out of hand." Zeph's stomach growled.     

"Well, I've kept you long enough. That's all I wanted to know. Enjoy your lunch Zeph." Michelle smiled. She was glad that the little noble was so amicable.     

"Sure thing Ms. Davis." He waved goodbye, joining his friends, and his new acquaintance.     

Drew led them to the cafeteria while they made small talk. He asked how Zeph managed to keep Ashley and Jasper pinned to the wall for so long. Zeph said he used telekinesis to put them there, but only needed to create a stationary barrier to keep them pinned. It was easier to do it that way than constantly use telekinesis to carry them and hold them in place.     

"If it was me, I would have just-" Lili was interrupted.     

"We know what you would have done Lili." Ivy smiled. "I think it was better that Zeph acted instead of you."     

"Why's that?" Lili asked. Drew was curious as well.     

"Well, he didn't cause them any physical harm, so their parents can't really complain much. He showed that he was stronger than them, and he embarrassed them. A punch in the face would have just made them angry and they'd probably use their families influence to give us a hard time. Zeph's the territory's young lord. No one could complain, even if he decided to torture or execute those two then and there. If you wanted to establish dominance as you like to call it, then you'd have to probably beat them senseless. It seemed like Jasper, in particular, was pretty stubborn. You would need to hurt him enough to make him fear you, so it would have taken a while."     

Drew whistled. "Well, that got dark. Remind me never to piss you off either."     

They continued to chat, laughing occasionally, and made their way to a table. Everyone pulled out a box with their lunch inside. Ivy had a salad and a sandwich. Drew had some sort of pasta. Lili and Zeph had what seemed like a pastry.     

"What's that?" Ivy asked, "Are you guys having dessert for lunch?"     

"No, these are something Zeph came up with. He calls it a pizza pocket." Lili started using magic to warm up her food."     

Zeph did the same thing, making sure his pizza pocket got a little crispy. He liked a bit of crunch to go with the soft dough. "Yeah, it's pretty good. You two want to try? I have a couple extra." Bianca packed several of them, because Zeph planned to use the pizza pockets to make some friends. Ivy and Drew nodded, so he used magic to bake a couple more.     

Ivy stared at hers for a couple of seconds before taking a bite. Her pupils dilated and her eyes widened in surprise. Zeph could see a sparkle of light. She quickly took another bite and savored it slowly. "This is amazing!"     

Drew didn't even comment, he was too busy savoring the new flavor. His head was tilted up and his eyes were closed. 'This must be what bliss tastes like,' he thought. Lili and Zeph laughed.     

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