Seeing the first pattern, she could not help as a beautiful smile graced her lips. How could she have not thought of it? These incomplete patterns which seemed to have no complete set were many interconnected patterns that appeared as one.
As she delved deeper, the smile on her lips broadened and Alaric happened to see it which he could not help but feel impressed on how smart she was. Aurora let a chuckle and she looked at him with joy.
"These are arrays," she said with a proud look on her face. And Alaric could only smile in reply. "These all small arrays, you have connected them in a way that they appear as if they are one incomplete pattern whereas each incomplete pattern has around five arrays." She continued he tone thoughtful.
Alaric just smiled at her conclusion. He had finished drawing the second page and he had time to spare for her.
"Am I wrong?" She asked unsure as Alaric's smile appeared as a smirk.
"You are partially right," came his voice and one could see the smirk in his face.
Aurora was dejected from his reply. His choice of word made it clear that she was far from the truth. She could only look at the drawing and try to observe anything else she had missed from the patterns but they were all the same. She could only glare at him in askance as to why he was yet to ecplain6 himself.
The reason you are unable to know what is actually happening in the patterns is that your array knowledge is too shallow," he paused after he saw her annoyed face at the blatant insult. "Not in a bad way though for it would take anyone else more than a week to finally discover that it was an array, yet you were able to discern that in less than one hour which surely is impressive.
"The reason you are partially right is because there are those small arrays but the entire incomplete pattern is an array in its own. And also, the entire page is nothing but one array," Alaric explained as he watched the bewildered gaze on Aurora.
The few arrays she could see in the incomplete patterns were what made up them and formed nodes. These nodes were also arrays on their own and it was impossible for her to tell that without learning about nodes which they were yet to learn in class.
The entire page he had drawn was made of incomplete patterns [nodes] but they all appeared connected with one another in the edges and thus they formed the entire array. A complex structure that could be studied in years without discovering what they were.
"Just how deep is your knowledge on arrays?" She could not help but ask. It was impossible to start her teaching on nodes when the students were yet to know all about simple arrays. Alaric looked at her and at the center of the array, was a somewhat semicircular pattern which appeared complex.
"This is the array core and all incomplete patterns and small array have their own cores. The core is also an incomplete pattern and to make it work, you shall have to channel some of your energy into it," Alaric explained.
Aurora was once again in disbelief. Looking at the entire page, it had almost twenty incomplete patterns and each pattern had around five mini-arrays. This meant that it was close to impossible for her to even grasp it.
She was yet to understand how an entire combination of around five nodes could connect and form one core and still have their core each and at the same time have small mini-arrays with their own cores.
She could only shake her head in defeat. Alaric then handed her the other paper he had completed and let her study it for a while and her response was thrilling.
"These mini-arrays seem to be the reflection of the others in the first paper," she said and Alaric smiled as he raised his hand to pat her head but she evaded mischievously and spoke out.
"I am having lessons here yet you are trying to have me distracted. You have to teach me," she said with a tone that said she was ready to learn from him about arrays any time he wished.
This time, Alaric patted her head and she did not evade and he nodded.
"That will happen soon, though not now. Now that you have proven to be smart, I will proudly take you as my apprentice," he said with a chuckle which she did not object.
It seemed that only arrays could make her obedient. She then brushed his hand off and asked the question which had been bothering her.
"So, mind telling me what it is that you are going to do with this array or how you are going to use it the first place?" She asked but Alaric's reply was expected as he said, "Its a secret." To which she did not press further.
She had come to know that it was impossible to convince him otherwise after he had made up his mind.
"But why don't you take a guess?" He said with a knowing smile as if issuing her another challenge. And she readily accepted and started making guesses.
"Since they are opposite sides of each other, they probably may be used to mirror something from one side to another," she made her first guess to which Alaric first paused what he was doing and looked at her smart self.
He did not reply though as he picked the wood and he could not help but sigh. Being the strongest wood, it was obvious that they would make little to no damage to it using their powers. Alaric could only look at her and lifted the wooden box onto his shoulder and headed for the door.
Aurora keep trying to guess and she followed him outside and locked the door after she was out not even asking where they were going.
***
Someone had an ugly face for a long time and the older man with glasses hanging on his nose could only chuckle everytime the other shifted and looked outside. The other man would then glare and show his anger.
They were in an office and it was already getting dark. The older man fixed his glasses and continued scrolling through the endless documents on his table. The other man only stared at the window in a fidgety manner.
The two men in topic were the headmaster and General Morris. It was the general who came looking for the headmaster angrily. He ranted about how the princess begged him to go back to the acadamy.
He then complained about how he was used as an errand boy to go and retrieve wood for the kid he loathed a lot. He could have rejected had the kid not asked it specifically as his reward.
When the princess learnt that it was the reward, she was excited and urged the general to hurry up amd bring the reward so she would offer it to him personally as a token of appreciation.
Immediately he brought it, she took it from him and hugged it tightly and ran towards the male dorms. The general had gritted his teeth to the point they almost crushed each other. He kept his senses alert so he could hear if anything went wrong.
He was calm for a few minutes but when half an hour passed and she had not returned, he stood up to go look for her but he was forced to sit down by the headmaster.
"Let the youngsters do as they wish. I assure you that they know their limits," the headmaster said with a tone that stated it was a command for the general not to interfere with activities of the academy.
An hour passed and it was then that darkness started crawling in and the two were still together. The general was all fidgety moving on his seat as if it was on fire and he was trying as much as he could to endure the heat.
The headmaster chuckled a lot and the general only glared. It did not take long before their senses caught them walking outside the dorm and they were heading in another direction.
The general suddenly was invaded with wicked thoughts. ' What if they had realized that the dorms were not safe and decided to go to another place?' He had to stop them but this time he received a glare and the headmaster explained to him where the two were headed but the general was skeptical.
"And why would they go there at night? Wasn't it written that the rooms there are soundproof to prevent any noise from coming from the inside? What if the two... I must protect the princess's purity. I can't let the two head there."
The general said his tone resolute but when he attempted to stand up, he was unable, as if he had been chained. He glared at the headmaster who had a flat expression.
"This is my Academy and you are but a visitor. I would be immoral if I let the two go there if I was not aware of their intentions. Just do not intefere with affairs of the academy. Anything happens, I will take responsibility." The headmaster's words were final.
The general who thought the headmaster was not that strong was shaken when he was unable to move. Just what kind of monster had been provoking and disrespecting for a full week?
***
"In this direction is..."