Within a large chamber with a grand bookshelf to the side, was Ambrose who stood, looking around.
This was the Grand Magus’s chambers, and Thamoryn had made him follow her back.
While he was examining the room, his eyes fell upon a fancy-looking bracelet.
Then he raised his eyes to look toward the other room within her chambers, where Thamoryn had gone, perhaps to see if she was returning.
Since she hadn’t yet, he simply stretched his hand toward the bracelet, and it instantly manifested within his grasp. He quickly slid his hands into his pocket to conceal it.
Right then, Thamoryn walked through, carrying the orb with both hands.
After she had brought Ambrose in, she had gone into another room to retrieve the magic testing orb.
She placed it on her desk, then raised her smiling face toward Ambrose, who acted as though he hadn’t just stolen an item.
"What’s your name?" Thamoryn asked.
"Ambrose," he answered straightforwardly.
"And the rest of the name?" she asked, wanting to know his surname.
"I didn’t quite take a liking to my stepfather’s," he retorted.
"I see. Now Ambrose, as I recall, I asked you to see me after the assessments were done. I can tell blatant disobedience," Thamoryn said.
"The way I see it, I exercised a little free will and thought it best to go home," Ambrose said, which was particularly disrespectful.
"Heh," Thamoryn looked at him with that smile still on her face. She knew what disrespect sounded like but wasn’t reacting to it. Yet.
"Well, no matter. To the business of why I called you here. What magic do you possess?" she inquired.
Ambrose sighed, realizing he wasn’t getting out of this one. "I don’t know what name it’s called, just how it works."
Thamoryn moved her index finger slightly and made the orb float through the air toward Ambrose, who watched as it approached him.
"Then show me. Dispel some of your magic into that orb," she said, gesturing to it. This was the process of magic sample collecting.
Thamoryn was hoping that by seeing the magic, she would understand what it was, and come up with it’s name.
Additionally, with Ambrose using his magic on the orb, it would collect a sample, after which she could configure the orb’s mechanics to store the magic’s name.
So that in the future, should one with the same magic channel his mana into the orb, it would be able to present a rune that identifies the magic type.
"Would love to help you with that, but the magic doesn’t work that way. I can’t release it," Ambrose replied.
"Then show me whatever methods you use for this magic," she responded.
Ambrose looked around for a moment, and his eyes settled on one distinct book.
He gestured toward it. "See that book with the gold cover binding?"
Thamoryn’s eyes immediately found it as Ambrose pointed, and he stretched his hand toward it.
In an instant, the book appeared in Ambrose’s grip.
Thamoryn however, didn’t look particularly fazed by the display of his magic.
"It’s a magic that lets me take whatever I want. Claim magic? Pillage? Theft? Maybe Snatch? I don’t know, but whichever name fits," Ambrose continued.
"And what about things you want but can’t see?" Thamoryn asked, trying to understand the limits of the magic.
"Maybe someday," Ambrose said with a smile appearing on his face, "but right now, it’s just things that I can see."
Ambrose conveniently left out the full truth about that question. Perhaps it was caution about not revealing too much, or just his inherent dishonest nature.
But taking what he couldn’t see, was exactly how he stole his stepfather’s heart.
"So a magical way of committing theft," Thamoryn said as she gestured her index finger back, which made the orb telekinetically return to her desk.
She sat in her seat and pushed it forward slightly so she was properly seated closer to her table.
"May I take my leave now?" Ambrose asked.
"Yes, I suppose so," she said.
Ambrose turned and slowly started walking toward the exit.
"Although I don’t suppose you’d be kind enough to return my bracelet," Thamoryn’s voice said from behind.
This froze Ambrose dead in his tracks. He didn’t think he had been caught.
He then turned back with a casual smile to look at Thamoryn’s now expressionless face.
"How did you—" he began, but couldn’t finish the question when suddenly an invisible force pulled him toward the Grand Magus’s desk.
Thamoryn looked at him with the eyes of someone who could kill him at a whim’s notice.
Ambrose struggled to get free of the magic but to no avail. In fact, it only made Thamoryn increase the intensity of the spell’s constriction.
She raised her index finger and began, "First, you intentionally disobeyed a direct instruction."
Then she raised her second finger and continued, "Second, before me you behave unruly and speak disrespectfully."
She raised her third finger and added, "And then you dare steal from me?"
"I have unleashed the worst on people for far less," Thamoryn said.
She waved her index finger, which made the bracelet in his pocket float back into her hand.
Ambrose’s eyes were struck with terror as he felt helpless against the woman’s magic.
"Now I’ll let that go because you will serve greatly to this kingdom. But know that I have my eyes on you, and if you ever stray again..."
Her lips contorted into an evil smile as she flicked her index finger, which caused the invisible force to send Ambrose flying out of her room and through the doors that burst open.
The doors immediately shut forcefully, and Ambrose, who had crashed into the wall, slowly tried to stand up while catching his breath from being held by such magic.
In her chambers, Thamoryn scoffed slightly. "Silly child, but that magic of yours is truly something," she said to herself.
...
In the dormitory area, Aiden had just stepped into an assigned room as the second occupant, and closed the door behind him.
He had been paired with practically the worst possible roommate: the young lord, Kayden Thorne.