The Great Sage (Fem. Reader x Great Sage)

Chapter 11

I allowed my back to slide down the tree I was leaning against, slowly falling to the ground. I had been training since midnight, trying to create a new spell. Flight.

I was alternating taking notes and trying the spell under the stars, trying to get the perfect combination of runes to activate the spell's magic. It was hard work, but if I finished it Chris and Ethan would be so amazed!

I climbed back up the tree and balanced my toes on a sturdy branch. With a leap, I jumped to the roof of our inn and balanced.

"Flight!" I yelled, and jumped off the roof.

Pretty risky, I know, but magic is always risky. You have to be willing to get hurt if you want to make a new spell.

As I fell, I tried to think of birds and how their wings always achieved flight. I thought of the sky, and the puffy clouds. I risked a glance to my sides and saw flickering images of light purple wings. Had I finally done it?

But I was nearing the ground too fast. I panicked.

"Flight! Flight! Fli- gah!"

Someone caught me before I hit the ground.

"You can't just jump off roofs, (Y/N)," Chris' kind but stern voice said, "You'll get hurt."

I sighed, and tried to reason with him.

"But-"

He put his pointer finger to my mouth, and I stopped protesting. It was understandable that he was worried about me. Jumping off roofs isn't really safe. Don't try it at home, kids!

"But I really want to make this spell... and I know I can do it! I almost had it..." I sighed, "I just need a few more tries."

Chris' eyebrows knit with concern.

"Sure, (Y/N). I was just worried about you. Next time, tell me when you want to practice dangerous magic, okay? I can help," he said, giving me his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Of course, Chris. You can catch me if I don't make it, okay?"

"Okay."

I surveyed my notepad, changing the order of the runes and adding a new one. Chris leaned over my shoulder and looked over my notes, his teal eyes wide in amazement.

"You made all this?" he said.

"Yeah," I replied, "These are my notes. And this-"

I unfurled a blank scroll and showed him it.

"-is where I will put the finished spell. It should allow the user to fly. But it's tricky, because to learn it I need to put these runes in the exact right order. And that means trial and error."

"And you're doing this dangerous thing alone. In the dark. (Y/N)..." Chris whined.

I raised my hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, you and Ethan were sleeping! I didn't want to wake you guys up and worry you."

"I woke up to find you jumping off a roof," Chris scoffed.

"Well, you're here now," I reasoned, "Now come on, catch me if I fall."

I climbed up the tree and jumped to the roof. Chris winced when I almost lost my footing on the slippery tiles. I walked over to the edge, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Flight!" I yelled, and jumped off.

Birds, sky, clouds. Birds, sky clouds. I looked back to see luminous purple wings folded in a gliding position, and they didn't seem to be flickering. I did it!

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, flying past Chris.

He gave me a thumbs up, and I turned back to smirk at him. But when I turned back around, it was too late. I smacked face-first into a tree.

Chris yelped and ran to my side. Wait, why are there two of him? I must be hallucinating.

"I'm fine," I managed, rubbing my head, "Umm... do you have an identical twin?"

His eyebrows knit like they do when he's worried about me.

"Hold still," he said, and placed his staff on my forehead.

"Cure," he muttered.

My head cleared, and I could see that there was, in fact, only one Chris. One very worried Chris.

"Ahhh, that feels much better," I sighed, and leaned up against the tree.

"(Y/N)..." Chris pouted, "You can't do that."

"Can't do what?" I said.

"Anything. Anything dangerous. I worry too much about you," he replied.

"Okay, Doctor Sage, sir," I teased, "I won't do any more jumping off roofs. Or flying into trees. Or-"

We heard a rustle in the shrubbery. If I wasn't so dazed, I would have gotten to my feet in an instant. Instead I flinched and pressed myself back against the tree like a coward. Chris grabbed his staff and stood between me and the apparent threat.

"Stay here. I'll check it out," Chris whispered, and crept into the bushes.

I sighed, I was pretty competent! He shouldn't worry about me that much. I could take care of myself. Usually.

My heart started racing when I heard a strangled yelp. Chris. A surge of energy gave me the power to leap to my feet and ready my mind to cast some destructive magic.

"Chris! Chris!" I screamed, pushing through the brush in the direction Chris had went.

I found my friend sprawled out on the ground, his staff inches away.