~Find You~

Chapter 6:~The Wizard's Game~

Next day, Gwydion woke up early and silently got dressed and left his and Melinda's chambers. He was back to himself again and this time, nothing was going to stop him from doing his duties. Hopefully, Cedric wasn't going to try to do anything to him. He glanced aside and saw Christian's spirit watching him from afar and he smiled softly and started gathering supplies in his bag. "Where are you going?," Aurelius interrupted. Gwydion turned towards his parents. "Out and gather supplies for my magic potions," he explained. Aurelius nodded gently. "Promise you will be careful," Samira begged her son. Gwydion smiled at his mother. "Aren't I always," he said and left the chambers, leaving his parents looking at each other worriedly.

Gwydion gently gathered supplies in his bag and bottles. He took a break after a while to eat his breakfast and drink some water from his water skin. He had no duties with the King today. He had a whole day for himself which made him finally able to relax a bit. "What a pleasant surprise. I thought it would be harder to find you," Cedric's voice interrupted the young wizard who immediately turned around. Gwydion immediately stood up and backed away slowly. "Oh, you don't have to be afraid of me," Cedric smiled wickedly as he stepped out into the meadow. The evil wizard was wearing dark black coat, mantel and pants. He had black boots and some kind of silver bracelets that sat together with his middle finger. He looked at the young wizard with a wicked smile on his lips. Gwydion looked at him frightened. "What do you want?," he asked fearful. Cedric chuckled and looked at him. "You," he said shortly. Gwydion shook his head in protest. "You won't get me!," he protested and started running away from the wizard. Cedric merely  smiled wickedly and disappeared.

Gwydion run through a path in the woods and had almost reached the crossroads where he needed to take left to reach the castle when Cedric showed up a bit in front of him. "Going somewhere?," he said wickedly. Gwydion swallowed and turned around to run the other way when Cedric suddenly grabbed him from behind. Gwydion struggled to break free of the evil warlock's strong grip. "Let me go!," Gwydion protested quietly. Cedric smiled wickedly. "I don't think so! If you value your family's life, you'll stop fighting against me," he said. Gwydion tried to use his magic when he suddenly felt a bracelet being put on around his right wrist. "No more magic for you for a while," Cedric said wickedly. "It's time to get out of here, don't you think, my young wizard," Gwydion snorted at him. "I'm not going anywhere with you!," he protested, "You'll have to kill me!," Cedric laughed. "You are a cheeky and challenging one!," he observed, "But that we can change," And he threw some kind of dark dust over Gwydion. Gwydion suddenly felt himself collapse and Cedric smiled wickedly as he looked down at Gwydion who lay passed out on the ground. "Let's begin, my young wizard," Cedric said wickedly and disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke with Gwydion.

Melinda exhaled in relief as Elderon, Rachel and Kailen entered the hall. "Thank the gods you're here," she exclaimed. Aurelius and Samira had left to return home a while ago. Melinda was revealed that her husband's siblings had stayed. "Melinda, what is it?," Rachel asked worriedly. Melinda sighed deeply. "Earlier this morning, Gwydion went out to gather supplies," she explained, "He was supposed to return for lunch at this time, but he hasn't. No one has seen him," Elderon looked at his sister in law. "How long time was it since he left?," he asked worriedly in a calm voice. Melinda shrugged lightly. "He has been gone since eight this morning," she explained. Rachel looked up at Elderon worriedly and turned back to Melinda. "Where was he going?," she asked. Melinda sighed. "The woods near the castle. It's where he always gather supplies for his potions and healings," she explained, "I'm just so worried something might have happened to him," "Mother?," Merlion interrupted behind them. He was eighteen. Same age Aranel's son Halderon. Melinda turned towards her son. "We'll find him, I promise," Elderon said. Melinda nodded and watched them leave.

Elderon, Rachel and Kailen walked through the woods when they noticed something laying on the ground. Rachel hurried to pick it up. It was Gwydion's necklace their father had given him and a bag was laying beside it. Elderon squatted down beside his sister. "This is tracks from dark fainting dust," he explained. Rachel looked up at her older brother. "There is tracks of unknown dark magic here," she said worriedly. Elderon sighed deeply and stood up. "Cedric has taken him," he explained angrily. Rachel sighed and stood up. "We'll send word to mother and father," she explained, "But how shall we able to find our brother if we don't even know what Cedric's after?," Kailen stepped forward. "Maybe I can be of help," The Leclitra began, "My Queen, Nerida. She has existed in Shivanna since the very beginning of time. She surely knows something that might help us find Gwydion, Elderon," he explained. Elderon looked at his lover and smiled and Rachel nodded in agreement. "Towards the fairy kingdom then!," she smiled.

Aranel walked into his privy chamber when Melodiana entered. Aranel smiled towards his sister. "Melody, what is it?," Aranel immediately noticed that his sister was crying. He immediately walked over towards her. Melodiana didn't answer what was wrong, she only leaned herself into her brother's embrace and Aranel embraced her tightly. He soon realised that he didn't have to guess what had happened. Something had happened in Gwadrien.

In the shadows, a hand opened a dark wooden rectangular box that contained a waved silver dagger on the sides with a black pattern and a black grip. "Finally, it's time for my plans to play," Cedric's voice said in the darkness and he laughed wickedly.