The Wandering Mage (Sequel To The Last Mage)

Chapter 15

 Celene ducked under a sword swing, the blade shaving off a few stray hairs in the process. Bringing her own weapon up she blocked another strike, then rolled out of the way to slash at her opponents back. He easily parried the blow and kicked Celene square in the chest. Instead of reeling back in pain, she took the kick and stabbed forwards, only to have the weapon knocked out of her hands. She felt the edge of a sword pressed against her neck ans sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

 "You win again, Cedric." She said, and the sword was lifted and sheathed before Cedric held out a helping hand. She took up and picked herself up, brushing the dirt off of her breeches. She retrieved her scimitar and placed it in it's scabbard.

 "That may be so, but you are improving vastly. Soon you'll be just as good as me." The mage remarked, smiling at his friend. "After we get you trained with a sword, we will start to shift the focus on controlling and honing your magic."

 "That sounds great. I cannot wait to be able to freely cast spells like you can, manipulating the elements and bending them to my will."

 "It certainly is a great power, but one that comes with a great amount of training to be able to use." Suddenly, Cedric's stomach grumbled and he blushed. "And to be focused, one must have a full stomach. How about we head to the tavern and grab a bite to eat before going to sleep for the night?" He asked Celene, noticing the sun beginning to set. He hadn't realized how quickly the day had passed.

 "Well, are you asking me out Cedric?" Celene laughed, leaving her friend flustered. "I only kid. I am hungry too, let's go grab some food."

***

 Celene laughed as Cedric danced about the tavern, clapping along to the music and singing with the patrons. He'd clearly had too much to drink, evident by the empty mugs set on the table. Though, she herself had almost as much as him, yet she felt fine. Perhaps her tolerance was just higher. Celene couldn't think about it anymore as she was grabbed and pulled into the sea of dancing people.

 "Why hello there." Cedric slurred as he spun his friend around in a circle. "Having fun? The people here sure are lively."

 "Indeed they are." Celene laughed. "It would seem you are as well. How much have you drank this evening?"

 Cedric slowed the spinning down but didn't stop, tilting his head in thought. "I'm not too sure about that to be honest. I don't usually drink anyway, so it is sort of new to me. Why do you ask?"

 "Oh, no reason. Do you need to sit down? You are not looking so well." She noticed his face was turning slightly red.

 "I think that may be a good idea." Cedric agreed, taking small, stumbled steps back to the table. He sat down, inhaling deep and slowly.

 "That was quite a show." Celene winked as Cedric gave a lopsided grin.

 "Glad you enjoyed it beautiful." The boy responded, and Celene's eyes widened. "Sorry, I'm just saying things and my brain isn't exactly stopping me."

 Celene blushed. "I- it's fine, nothing wrong with a compliment." She then had a thought. Perhaps this was the time to get some information out of her friend. "So Cedric, what is life like back at your home?"

 He raised an eyebrow at the question, but answered all the same. "Well, I live in a huge home with lots of people. I get to go riding with my horse, Hion, whenever I please, though my schedule is basically dominated by someone named Avaco. He's an annoying man who gets on my nerves but... I know he cares. Not just about the kingdom, but about me. He's always tried to keep me out of danger, and now that I think about it, has kept the Council off my back for three years." Cedric rubbed his face. "When I get back, I need to tell him how sorry I am for the way I treated him... and to let him know that it is okay to use the power that I know  rests within him."

 "That all sounds wonderful, and this Avaco fellow does sound like he cares about you, but what did you mean when you mentioned the kingdom? Why would he care about it's safety?"

 "Oh, I... uh.." Cedric stuttered as he realized his mistake. The words were just pouring out of his mouth, not thinking about what he was saying. "He's just a very important figure who advises the king. Thanks to some persuading, he also tends to help me out on his free time."

 "Oh, I see." His friend said, not sounding convinced. "It just sounded like you had something to do with the kingdom."

 "Ha, no, not me. I am not important enough to be dealing with anything like that."

 "If you say so." Celene shrugged, taking a gulp of ale. "I do have something else to ask you though, if you'll permit me." Cedric nodded and she went on. "The other day in the alleyway, you said that you hadn't changed as much as you thought you had. What exactly did you mean by that?"

 Cedric's face suddenly darkened and he slacked in his chair. He frowned and clenched his fists on the table. "We all have our demons Celene. Even you, though you probably don't remember. Back before, well, everything, I was not such a good person. I killed without hesitation, not caring about who I hurt or who stood in my way. I was only s child, but I'd already seen more death than most have seen in their lives." He looked up at Celene. "So, I've tried to change, not murdering unless I have to, but I have already failed. I could have simply notified the guards, but I took it into my own hands and took their lives out of anger. And do you know why I want to stop, and why I want to change?" The girl slowly shook her head, and Cedric stood up, walking away from the table. He stopped, looking back at his friend once more. "Because whenever I kill now, all I see is my brother, and each time I take a life, I become more and more like him."

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