CHAPTER 8- MEETING SAL
CHAPTER 8- MEETING SAL
In a simple room, with unadorned walls made of limestone-colored blocks, a young boy lay on a single bed. The room was sparsely furnished, containing a few chairs near the plain wooden door, nightstands on either side of the bed, and a window revealing a quiet beach with waves rhythmically breaking on the shore.
"Ooooh," groaned the young boy in the bed. He twisted and turned as if he truly did not want to wake.
Suddenly, he stopped moving. His hands started to feel around on the bed, sensing an unfamiliar texture. He sat up straight like a ruler, opening his eyes in shock to look at his surroundings. Shock was an understatement; he didn't recognize the place. It certainly wasn't his cell. It wasn't any place he knew. It didn't resemble any location from his previous life either, so that ruled out the possibility of "everything was just a dream."
He froze, his eyes widening in realization.
He brought his hands in front of his open eyes and began to wave them. He started looking at everything in the room, turning his head around wildly. His gaze then settled on the beach and the water outside until he heard a small screech behind him.
He turned instantly and saw a small ball of red and gold plumage. A little head with a golden beak and almost glowing orange irises stared at him, perched on the bed's headboard.
"Who are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The bird let out a soft trill in response. The boy's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall if he had ever seen such a creature before.
"You're a phoenix, aren't you?" he asked, more to himself than the bird. The phoenix tilted its head, as if acknowledging his words.
The boy slowly got out of bed, his legs feeling wobbly. He took a deep breath and walked toward the window, staring at the serene beach outside.
"How did I end up here?" he muttered. "This place... it's too peaceful to be real."
Turning back to the phoenix, he asked, "Did you bring me here?"
The phoenix flapped its wings gently and flew to the boy's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. He felt a warmth spread through him, a comfort he hadn't felt in ages.
"Alright," he said softly, "I need to figure this out."
He walked to the door and hesitated before opening it. Beyond the door was a long hallway, similarly adorned with limestone-colored walls. He could hear faint echoes of voices, though he couldn't make out any words.
"Looks like I'm not alone," he murmured. He glanced back at the phoenix, which was still perched on his shoulder. "Let's see where this leads us."
As he ventured down the hallway, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this place held secrets—secrets he needed to uncover. The phoenix's presence was reassuring, but he knew he had to rely on his own wits and skills to navigate whatever challenges lay ahead.
He reached a fork in the hallway, and the voices grew louder. Taking a deep breath, he chose the left path, following the sound. Soon, he found himself outside a large wooden door, slightly ajar.
Peeking inside, he saw a group of people seated around a table, deep in conversation. They seemed familiar, yet he couldn't place where he had seen them before.
"Excuse me," he called out hesitantly, pushing the door open wider. The group turned to look at him, their expressions ranging from surprise to curiosity.
A tall man with graying hair and a kind face stood up. "Welcome," he said warmly. "We've been expecting you."
The boy's heart raced. "You know who I am?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The man nodded. "Yes, and we have much to discuss. But first, you must be hungry. Come, join us."
As the boy took a seat at the table, he couldn't help but feel a sense of destiny unfolding. This place, these people—they were part of something bigger, something he was meant to be a part of. And with the phoenix by his side, he felt ready to face whatever came next.
Ares' P.O.V.
I could feel a connection to it, like it could sense me, and I could tell what it wanted to convey. At this moment, all I could feel was a small, fluffy bird jumping at me, almost hearing 'pet me!' in my mind.
"Hey there, little guy. Are you the one that was lighting everything on fire?" I said gently while catching it in my hands and stroking its fluffiness.
That was until it nipped at my hands, and I felt a surge of anger at what I said, making me pull my hand away quickly. I felt its irritation and the words "little guy" coming from the small phoenix.
"Ow! Okay. Are you the one that was lighting everything on fire, little girl?" I asked, correcting myself.
It nodded its head in response, and I could feel a little happiness as I continued to stroke its tiny head.
I kept thinking about what could have happened. The last thing I remembered was getting stabbed by the old demon and fighting the little sun ball in my hands. As soon as I was done, I passed out. So, how did I end up here? And where is here?
"At least it doesn't look like another dungeon," I thought.
While I was musing on my situation and absentmindedly stroking the small bird in my hands, a random thought came to my mind.
"Hey, little girl," I said to get its attention. "We are bound together now, right?" I asked to get some confirmation.
It chirped in agreement, and I felt a warmth spread through me, reinforcing the bond between us.
"Then I think we should get you a name if we're going to be together. I already introduced myself as Ares when we came to an understanding," I declared while looking at the bird nodding its head and letting out an excited chirp.
"I think SAL would be a good name for you, my little girl. Because the first time I felt you, it was as if you were a little sun," I said to her as I rubbed her fluffy little body.
SAL let out a series of happy trills, nuzzling into my hand. I smiled, feeling a sense of companionship I hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Alright, SAL," I said, looking around the room again. "We need to figure out where we are and what our next move is."
SAL chirped in agreement, fluttering her wings. I took a deep breath and stood up, with SAL perched comfortably on my shoulder.
"We'll face whatever comes next together," I said, feeling a newfound determination. "Let's get moving."
With that, I opened the door and stepped into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges awaited us.
Hearing her agreeing chirp, SAL started jumping around my bed in an excited manner, looking like an adorable little fluff ball in the process. Her cute actions made me unable to hold in my laughter.
"Well then, I guess that'll settle it. Nice to meet you, SAL. I'm Ares Bones, and I hope we can be together for a long time," I said to her with a gentle smile on my face.
While I was playing with SAL, I heard the door gently open. I snapped my gaze to see who was coming in and was quite surprised. It looked like an elderly woman. She resembled an old-fashioned nun, except her outfit was mostly white with red sleeves and a white hat with fabric attached to it going down her back. I couldn't see any of her hair as it was all tucked inside the hat, but her face showed her age with wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes. Her lips were pressed thin, in an expression that almost seemed like she was always disapproving of something.
"Ha! Looks like you're finally awake, boy. Maybe now those Aurors will finally stop bothering us about you," she said as if it was somehow my fault I wound up here.
"Now sit still and keep you and that blasted bird quiet. I'm going to cast some diagnostic spells on you," she continued as she took out her wand.
She tapped me on the head a few times, each time causing a cool sensation to spread from my head to the tips of my limbs. I felt the effects until she stopped and started to write whatever she found on her clipboard.
"Excuse me, but where exactly am I?" I asked the matronly elder.
"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," she answered curtly as she wrote.
"You mean I'm at the hospital?! I'm out of that hellhole!?" I asked loudly, my voice cracking as tears built in my eyes, blurring my vision. The matron looked up from her notes.
"Yes. Where else would this be?" she asked disbelievingly.
As soon as she confirmed it, tears fell down my cheeks.
"I'm out. I'm really out," I murmured quietly to myself.
The matron paused, her stern expression softening for a moment. "You’ve been through quite an ordeal, haven’t you?" she said, her voice losing some of its sharpness.
I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat. SAL nuzzled against my cheek, her warmth comforting me.
"You'll need rest and time to recover. And that bird of yours... she seems to have quite the bond with you," the matron observed.
"Yes, her name is SAL. She... she saved me," I said, looking at SAL with gratitude.
The matron nodded. "Well, you both need to rest. The Aurors will want to speak with you soon. But for now, just focus on getting better."
She turned to leave, and I called out, "Thank you."
She glanced back, giving a slight nod before closing the door behind her.
I sat back on the bed, feeling the weight of everything sink in. I was free from that dungeon, free from the torment I had endured. With SAL by my side, I felt a glimmer of hope for the future.
"SAL, we're out of that hellhole. We're free," I whispered, stroking her feathers. She chirped softly, as if sharing my relief.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I allowed myself to relax. The road to recovery would be long, but with SAL and the newfound hope in my heart, I knew I could face it.
"Let's rest for now, SAL. We'll figure everything out soon," I said, lying back down. SAL nestled against me, her warmth a comforting reminder that I wasn't alone anymore.
As I closed my eyes, the rhythmic sound of the waves outside lulled me into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of the possibilities that lay ahead.
I started crying out of happiness and relief. No more worrying about that old demon. No more daily torture. No more hunger and escaping to my mind. No more threat of death hovering over me. I was finally free.
The matron was startled as I broke down in tears. "There, there, child. It's okay, it's all okay. You're safe now. No one will harm you here," she said in a soft tone, trying to conSALe me.
It took a few minutes for me to stop crying, while the matron simply rubbed my back to assure me.
"Thank you," I said, feeling embarrassed and still sniffling a bit.
"No problem, dear," she answered understandingly. "Now, some Aurors are probably going to come soon. They've been impatiently waiting for you to wake up these last few days. They'll ask you some questions about what happened. I think I'll be present when they do, so don't worry too much. Now try to get some more rest until they arrive, dear," she added, her voice tinged with disapproval at their actions.
As I laid back down in the bed, I looked at her and simply said, "Thank you."
She met my gaze but then froze, staring into my eyes.
Suddenly, floods of images exploded into my mind so fast I couldn't make sense of them. One moment, an old house. The next, a small fluffy creature. Then, an old castle, classrooms filled with children, a test room with teenagers, a family celebrating something, young adults rejoicing, intimate moments I didn't want to see. People rushing around injured and sick patients, rooms filled with potions and ingredients, spells being used to heal injuries. Patients with deformities, missing limbs, and sicknesses blurred together in a crescendo of rapidly accelerating sights and sounds until I simply passed out from the overload of information flooding my brain, effectively stopping anything new from entering.
I didn't know how long I had been out, but it took me a while to fully awaken as I sorted through everything I had seen. Those images were the memories of the elderly matron, unwittingly accessed through my newfound ability in Legilimency when I looked into her eyes. It was a daunting task to sift through it all, but amidst the splitting headache from the information overload, I found two unexpected benefits.
Firstly, the knowledge I gleaned from her memories on treating injuries and magical maladies proved invaluable. Using my Occlumency skills, I meticulously stored and categorized this information, providing me with numerous reference points and practical insights for future use.
Secondly, I discovered that I could repurpose the excess memories into a sort of labyrinth surrounding my mental fortress. This modified version of the matron's memories acted as a barrier, potentially disorienting anyone trying to breach my mind before they reached my core thoughts.
SAL's reaction surprised me as well. Through our deep bond, she had the ability to enter my mental realm. I spent time reassuring her that I was alright and that the intrusion had been accidental. Despite her initial annoyance at being worried, she understood and forgave me.
Reflecting on the incident, I realized the dangers of relying too heavily on extracting information through Legilimency. While it accelerated my learning, I wasn't truly acquiring knowledge or understanding—it belonged to someone else. This could lead to gaps in my understanding and lack of foundational knowledge in the subjects I glimpsed through the matron's memories. Moving forward, I reSALved to use them sparingly, treating them more as points of reference and advice rather than abSALute facts.
With my decision made, I reverted to my tried and true method of sensing without seeing. Feeling around the room, I sensed SAL behind me before opening my eyes in relief. The familiar ceiling greeted me, but the matron was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't be sure how long I had been unconscious this time.
"Well, let's just try not to have any more accidents at St. Mungo's," I muttered to myself, shaking off the remnants of my headache and focusing on the task ahead.
I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings. SAL chirped softly, perched nearby, her presence a comforting reassurance. St. Mungo's was quieter now, the sounds of distant footsteps and muffled voices echoing faintly through the corridors. It was a relief to be in a place where I could rest and recover, even with the uncertainties that lay ahead.
As I gathered my thoughts, I made a mental note to be more cautious with my newfound abilities. The lessons learned from inadvertently delving into the matron's memories were clear—relying on Legilimency without proper control could have unintended consequences. I needed to focus on honing my skills in both Occlumency and Legilimency to avoid further mishaps.
"Alright, SAL," I said softly, looking at her. "Let's take this one step at a time."
SAL trilled in agreement, fluttering her wings gently. Together, we would navigate the challenges ahead, relying on each other and our growing bond.
I took a deep breath, ready to face whatever came next in my journey beyond the walls of St. Mungo's Hospital.
With SAL perched nearby, I took a moment to collect myself. The room felt peaceful, a stark contrast to the tumultuous events that had brought me here. I closed my eyes briefly, focusing on my breathing and centering myself.
After a few minutes, I stood up from the bed, feeling more grounded. The events of the past days—escaping captivity, awakening in an unfamiliar place, discovering my latent abilities—felt like a whirlwind. Now, in the quiet of St. Mungo's, I had a chance to gather my thoughts and plan my next steps.
I glanced around the room, noticing a small table with a pitcher of water and some cups. Thirsty from my ordeal, I poured myself a glass and drank deeply. SAL hopped closer, chirping softly as if checking on me.
"I'm alright, SAL," I reassured her, setting down the glass. "We're safe here."
SAL trilled in response, her bright eyes fixed on me. Her presence was a constant source of comfort, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this unfamiliar world.
As I considered my situation, a sense of determination welled up within me. I needed to understand more about my abilities—both the Legilimency that had unintentionally surfaced and the wandless magic I had begun to experiment with. St. Mungo's seemed like a sanctuary for now, but I couldn't stay here indefinitely. Questions about my past and the mysterious circumstances that led me here gnawed at me.
"I wonder if there are others like me," I mused aloud, more to myself than to SAL. "People with unique abilities, struggling to find their place in this world."
SAL cocked her head, as if pondering the same question. Her presence was a comforting reminder of the bond we shared, transcending words or conventional understanding.
Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, a knock at the door interrupted my contemplation. I turned to see the matron from earlier, accompanied by two Aurors in distinctive robes.
"Ares Bones?" one of the Aurors asked, his voice firm but not unkind.
I nodded, feeling a mix of apprehension and curiosity. The matron stepped forward, her expression softening slightly.
"These Aurors would like to ask you some questions," she explained. "It's important to understand what happened and ensure your safety."
I glanced at SAL, who chirped softly in response. Taking a deep breath, I nodded again.
"Alright," I said, meeting the Aurors' gaze. "I'll do my best to answer."
As the Aurors entered and began their inquiry, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease mingled with determination. Whatever questions they had, whatever truths they sought, I was ready to face them. With SAL by my side and a newfound reSALve, I was determined to uncover the mysteries of my past and forge a path forward in this uncertain world.
The Aurors took their seats, their expressions a mix of curiosity and professional detachment. The matron remained nearby, a silent presence that offered a measure of reassurance amidst the formal atmosphere of the hospital room.
The lead Auror, a woman with sharp features and piercing eyes, began the questioning.
"Mr. Bones, can you tell us what happened before you arrived at St. Mungo's?" Her tone was direct, probing for details.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts, recounting the fragmented memories of my escape and awakening in the unfamiliar room. SAL hopped onto the edge of the bed, her presence lending me strength.
"I... I was held captive," I began slowly, choosing my words carefully. "In a place that... that wasn't fit for anyone. There was an old demon... and experiments. I don't remember much after that. Just pain and... and darkness."
The memories were still raw, the trauma of my captivity lingering like a shadow. SAL chirped softly, as if urging me to continue.
"But then I woke up here," I continued, glancing around the room. "In this hospital. The matron found me and... and helped me."
The matron nodded, her gaze sympathetic. "You were in bad shape when they brought you in," she said softly. "But you're safe now."
The Aurors exchanged a glance, silently communicating. The lead Auror leaned forward, her expression serious.
"Mr. Bones, do you have any idea why you were targeted?" she asked, her voice low but intense.
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. The events leading to my capture were still murky, shrouded in uncertainty. But I knew one thing for certain—I had to protect SAL and myself from whatever dangers lurked in the shadows.
"I... I don't know," I admitted quietly. "I don't remember much before... before waking up here."
The Aurors exchanged another glance, their expressions unreadable. The lead Auror scribbled something in her notebook, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Well, Mr. Bones," she said finally, closing her notebook. "We'll need to investigate further. For now, you're safe under our care. But if you remember anything else, anything at all, please don't hesitate to let us know."
I nodded, a weight lifting off my shoulders. The Aurors rose to leave, the matron following them out of the room. SAL chirped softly, perched on the bed beside me.
"We're going to be okay, SAL," I murmured, stroking her feathers gently. "We'll figure this out together."
SAL trilled in response, her presence a comforting anchor in the storm of uncertainty. As the door closed behind the Aurors, I leaned back against the pillows, exhaustion settling in.
The road ahead was still uncertain, filled with unanswered questions and hidden dangers. But with SAL by my side and newfound allies in the Aurors and the matron, I felt a glimmer of hope.
Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to rest, knowing that whatever challenges awaited, I would face them with courage and determination.