Awakening Of Magic

🌄🔆 Chapter 31 🔆🌄

Tired from attempting magic, Aurelia and Alexan retired - and each had someone waiting for them.

Alexan threw open their bedroom door and nearly jumped out of their skin at the sight of big, leathery black wings filling half the room.

"Jesus- Maxim?! Um, hey."

The drahke raised a brow. "Who? Never mind. What kept you so late? Did that kriffing witch make you do anything weird?"

Alexan scoffed. "Weird? Like what?"

He cleared his throat, shuffling a little. "Like that weird ritual where you have to lay down in the spell circle, the candles... No? Forget it." He ran a hand aggressively through his hair. "What did you do?"

Their hazel eyes gleamed with amusement at his bumbling. "Fire magic. Look!" Excitedly, they held out a hand and demonstrated their warm glow.

The drahke snickered. "Is that it?"

"Shut up, I'm a human, magic isn't something we can do. This is amazing!"

His grin grew enough for his fangs to show. "Amazing. You can warm your hands when ther's a cool breeze. What, I'm a fire aligned drahke, this isn't going to impress me."

Alexan pouted. "Jerk. Heh, but I know what does impress you."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you now."

They got up closer to him, smirking. "My sparring skills."

His hair fell back over his eye as he scoffed. "As if you would ever survive in a real fight."

"No? I still held out better than you thought I could. Don't even try to deny it."

"You're pathetic! You'll just die slower than the others."

Alexan stepped even closer, making his wings bump into the wall. "Then teach me."

"Why should I?"

"You had fun."

"Yeah, beating your ass."

"Then do it again."

"...Bet."

Meanwhile, next door, Aurelia - even more exhausted than her friend, gasped and stumbled back against the door as she too found a tall man in black standing in her quarters.

"Ah! K-king Baltazar?" She hastily curtseyed to him. "What are you doing here, Your Majesty...?"

He was as regal as he was demanding. Coming up to her, he took her chin in his hand. "Have you yet managed to cast magic, little human?"

Her heart hammered in her chest at his proximity and forceful questioning. "No sir. Humans can't use magic on Earth. I don't fully understand how Alexan could. But I certainly can't."

His gold eyes had flecks of red and black in them, she could see. In even greater clarity as he leaned in closer. "I can feel the charge of magic on your skin. It is within you, I am sure. Though how it will manifest is less certain."

She took a slightly shaky breath. "Why do you want me to be able to use magic?"

A rare smile bloomed on his lips, through she felt it was more like a smirk. "You intrigue me. Magic objects I can protect easily, but living beings I am interested in must be able to protect themselves. At least to a degree."

"W-why would you be interested in me?"

Long, ring-stacked fingers gently carded through her ever more gold-tinted hair. "A beautiful, graceful creature from a distant world, taken in by my rival, humming with untold magic. You are indeed fascinating."

"And... what? Do you like to collect fascinating things?"

He chuckled, his deep voice sending a tiny shiver through her. "Yes. I take great care of the things in my collection. I presume you have never heard of Moon Silk. Light elves' Sun Silk is heavier, bulkier. Only from a dark elf would you ever experience the decadence of its superior rival."

Finally pulling back, his voice again took on the commanding air of a king's. "Tomorrow you will join me after noon. Meet me at the observatory."

There was something that neither human realized as they met the Saranians - neither had fully closed their doors.

Not long after they'd returned, King Kaidan came to the hall to see Veronica peeking in the open crack of Alexan's room. She jumped at his presence.

"Milord! I... came to see if Alexan needed anything."

He smiled ruefully, hearing King Baltazar's voice through the gap opposite them. "As did I for Lady Aurelia."