The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 12

Logain didn't mean to fall asleep. He only meant to rest his eyes for a moment, but that moment turned into a couple of hours. When he opened his eyes again, the campfire had died down. The children were sleeping and huddled together as they lay underneath Casimir's coat. The prince was also still passed out, and Logain's heart raced when he realized how close they had become.

Sometime during the night while Logain was asleep, he somehow ended up lying against the prince. His head rested on Casimir's shoulder, and the prince had his head against Logain's. The prince also still had an arm wrapped around Logain. Upon realizing how close they had become, Logain's face began to heat up. Falling asleep together was innocent enough, but it still made Logain embarrassed. He had never fallen asleep so close to another person before. During his two hundred years of being alive, he didn't bother to get close to people, especially not mortals. It was pointless to get close to mortals when they would one day die, and he would continue to live.

That was part of the reason why he wanted to forget this encounter with Casimir after returning to Ambria. He didn't see any point in becoming friends with the prince. He didn't want to start a friendship that wasn't meant to last. They could get along when traveling together, but after this, Logain had all intentions of going his separate way. It was for the best, and the prince would one day forget about him anyway. This was a small adventure for Logain, one that he would also forget about as the years passed. He had already gone through so much, plenty of which he didn't have much memory of.

As carefully as he could, Logain pulled away from the prince without waking him. Now that he had the chance to be alone while the prince and children were sleeping, he would slip away for a little without them knowing. He would try to return before they woke up. There was something he needed to do.

Quietly, Logain slipped away to find a solitary place.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Casimir felt cold when he regained consciousness. The warmth that made him fall asleep was no longer beside him. When he opened his eyes, he saw the children resting peacefully, but they were the only ones around. Logain was nowhere in sight.

The prince's first thought was that the warlock finally decided to abandon them. Casimir was surprised Logain stayed with him for as long as he did, but perhaps he finally got tired of him. After all, Casimir forced him to do things he wasn't fond of. He knew Logain didn't want to help people, yet the prince always insisted. His teasing might have also been the cause of Logain's disappearance. He knew some of Logain's backstory and how he already had feelings for another, but Casimir kept pushing it. He must have pushed Logain to the point where he decided to leave.

With a sigh, Casimir stood up. Even if Logain abandoned him, Casimir would still help the children and then return home. As much as he would have liked to stay as far away from Ambria as he could, he knew he had an obligation to fulfill. He couldn't run away from his destiny forever. He would return home and live up to his position as the crown prince. At least he was able to enjoy this adventure while it lasted.

Before he had the chance to wake the children, Casimir saw a flash of light coming from further within the trees. It looked like a bright red spark, and it didn't happen only once. He saw the red light a couple of times. Against his better judgment, Casimir decided to investigate the mysterious light. It probably would have been safer to get the kids out of the forest, but curiosity got the better of him. He would check out the light and if it posed to be a danger, then he would escape with the kids. Before leaving them behind unattended, Casimir whispered a prayer under his breath. The prayer was mixed with light magic, which created a small barrier around the children and the campfire. Nothing would be able to touch them while he was gone, and he would be able to sense any sign of danger if something threatened the barrier.

As silently and as carefully as he could, Casimir followed where he saw the sparks of light. When he saw them flash again, he knew he was going in the right direction. He kept approaching the light, stopping to peek around one of the trees to see what was going on. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, and it was a relief when he saw that it was only Logain.

Casimir didn't know why the warlock was in the middle of the forest casting spells, but he watched in awe as Logain cast another spell, this one creating a few spectral butterflies that floated around him. Logain reached out his hand towards the ghostly butterflies. When they touched his fingers, there was a mist, and the butterflies were absorbed by the staff Logain was holding. The staff was also glowing with a light blue color.

The prince decided to finally make his presence known instead of continuing to watch the warlock silently. He stepped out from behind the trees and cleared his throat.

This startled Logain, and the warlock couldn't help but accidentally shoot a bolt of magic in Casimir's direction. The magic missile missed and hit the tree beside Casimir, but it was a close call. If he was a few inches over, then he would have pierced the prince. His life would have been over if he had accidentally killed the crown prince of Ambria.

"D-don't sneak up on me like that! I-I could have killed you!" Logain shouted as his heart beat fast. He was relieved he missed, but that was a close call. He was annoyed with the prince for not being more careful. How could he expect to sneak up on someone and not face the consequences when they were frightened?

Casimir scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward grin. He knew he messed up. "Sorry. I'll be more careful next time. Anyway, what are you up to?"

The warlock shyly glanced away as he gripped his staff tightly. "Practicing magic. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Why are you practicing, if you don't mind me asking? You seem to be decent at casting spells. Well, spells that don't require teleportation." He couldn't help adding that last part. If Logain had been good at casting teleportation magic, then they wouldn't be in this mess right now.

His comment made Logain glare at him. The warlock sighed, then answered, "If we're to be stuck with each other, then I guess I should be honest. The thing is, I'm only a half-warlock, which means that my powers aren't what they should be. My magic is very unstable and if too much builds up inside of me, then basically my body will self-destruct. I need to release my magic now and then to keep my body stabilized. This staff isn't just for show. It holds all of my excess magic. I have to be careful with each spell I cast, otherwise, we can run into some trouble. I sometimes cast too powerful spells."

It made a little more sense why Logain wasn't very good at casting a teleportation spell. If his magic was prone to running haywire, then his magic could take them anywhere. It sounded like a burden, but luckily, Casimir was there with him. His divine magic would be able to stabilize whatever Logain was going through, at least for a little while.

The prince held out a hand towards Logain and asked, "May I?"

"What do you plan on doing?" The warlock reluctantly took the prince's hand.

Casimir focused as he absorbed some of Logain's magic. He was able to store some of the excess magic inside of him, which felt like a weight being lifted from Logain's shoulders. For once, Logain didn't feel as though his magic would overpower him. He hated to admit it, but this was the best he felt in a while. He had never met anyone before who was able to help him stabilize his magic.

"Are you feeling better?" Casimir asked with a smile.

"I . . . yes. I've never felt this good before, as though I actually have control of my magic." Logain shyly glanced down. He appreciated it. Casimir didn't have to help him, but he did. This prince was shocking Logain with each day they spent together.

The prince smirked. "It seems as though we're perfect for one another. You're cute and totally my type, and I can help you control your magic better. I think we were meant to be."

Logain scoffed at him. "Keep dreaming. Anyway . . . let's get back to the kids. You're stupid for leaving them alone . . ."

The warlock pulled his hand away from the prince's. He didn't wait for the prince as he walked through the trees and towards their camp as his heart raced. Why did the prince have to say such things that made his heart beat fast? This was the first time in his life had had been flirted with like this. He didn't know if his heart could take this.

Logain's reaction was humorous as the prince chuckled to himself. He wasted little time following after the cute warlock.