All is Fair in War and Dragon Scales (UNREVISED)

The Champion and his Apprentice Pt. 4

Cailin fidgets as he sits next to Finley in his room, irritated as the blonde taps his pencil against his desk in an annoying rhythm. The younger boy has been like this for a few days now, ever since King said those ominous things he said. It's been swimming in his mind for days now, and Finley's other part has been completely silent about it all.

After minutes of incessant tapping, Cailin places his hand on top of the blonde's, making Finley flinch.

"Stop it. You're annoying me."

Finley sets the pencil down, sighing and laying back in his chair as he then fiddles with his raven mask. "Sorry... I do that when i'm stressed."

"Yeah. I know. And you're getting sicker now too."

As if on cue, Finley sneezes and the other boy rolls his eyes, passing a tissue to his friend who takes it with a frown.

"I just feel like we need to do something. Anything."

"I know, and I feel like we need to too, but you heard what King said-"

"That we were powerful enough to take these guys on."

"Screw that, King's wrong."

Finley turns to give Cailin a flat look and the older boy gives him one back. "He is. We aren't ready to face people with dark magic. We just aren't. We don't even know most about that type of magic."

Finley slouches. "Well we can't research it. King burned the volume."

Cailin hesitates, turning to the corner of the room where the Book of Old sits and he tilts his head. "Maybe the book we found can tell us more about it..."

Finley turns in his chair to stare at book as well, still feeling the pulling sensation deep within his chest, and he swallows nervously.

"Why do I feel like we're not supposed to?"

Cailin sighs, groaning as he reels back and hits his back against the bed. Completely defeated.
***
"Alright boys... this going to be tough."

Finley and Cailin glance to each other, Finley shifting uncomfortably. "Tough how?"

King hesitates, before sighing. "Follow me."

The boys follow the mage as he leads them through his office, Lavender taking a nap on his desk that sits right in front of a wall of books.

King takes a single golden book, pulling it forward and the boys watch in awe as the library shelves split open, showing a vault like door on the other side.

"This the point where your training gets more dangerous. You two have connected to your other halves in ways that tell me we need to move a bit faster. I'm sure you two are ready to handle this..."

Finley doesn't like the sound of that, stepping back as King twirls the wheels until the door clicks open, King pulling to leave room for the boys to walk in.

"One of you go to one side of the room, and the other on the other."

The boys listen, Finley walking to the left and Cailin taking a right.

King stands there for a moment, eerily staring before pressing a secret button on the side of the wall, and the boys flinch when a steel wall lifts itself out from the ground, effectively cutting the entire room in half.

Finley's heart jumps in his throat, immediately panicking now that he cannot see Cailin on the other side. He runs over to the wall, hearing Cailin hitting on it as well, calling his name and Finley's eyes widen, turning to King who smiles.