New Generation

Sorcery and Flowers

        We (finally) start the fire, and Max comes up with the idea of stabbing the apple with sticks and putting them over the fire. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. We finish eating our apples just as the moon starts to rise. 

        "So Max..." I start. He looks at the cover of the book he has. 

        "Yeah... Can I borrow your pictures?" I nod, and give him the envelope. He finds a picture I hadn't yet looked at, one of two guys. Seto and Brice, I think. 

        "Well this makes things easier. Okay, for starters, I wasn't lying when I said I was adopted. At least, that's what my parents say. I'm not convinced. These are my parents, Seto and Brice. You judge, you get hit with the book." Indy looks surprised, but doesn't make a comment. After learning my dad had dated the dead kid Max claims to have seen, nothing can really surprise my anymore. 

        "To make things easier for you guys, I'm gonna call them from their first names. Seto apparently got in trouble with Mitch and Jerome at some point, so he didn't want them to know I was his kid. That's why I got freaked out when you saw the book and flipped out." Max looks at Indy, who looks slightly guilty. Slightly. 

        "Are you, though?" Indy asks. Max nods, looking back at the book. 

        "This is dad's spell book. He had it locked in a box, told me it would help me finish learning how to do magic. I'm still technically an apprentice. That's also why I'm good at first aid. Dad taught me." Indy still looks like something is wrong. 

        "But what are you? You're not human." Max looks surprised. 

        "Sorcerers are people! We just happen to be able to control things others can't! I'm just me." He says, confused. Indy frowns, then sighs. 

        "Forget it. I'm still not convinced, though." Indy sighs. I take the picture back from Max and look at it. It is a little odd how he looks like both of his parents...

        "Oh, and my real name is Maxia, but don't call me that. I'm used to just Max." He says. Indy raises an eyebrow. 

        "Maxia? Itsn't that a girl's name?" Max crosses his arms and frowns at Indy. 

        "Well, Indy can't be your real name, so shut up." Indy doesn't even deny it, he just shrugs.

        "I don't know about you two, but I wanna go to sleep now. Anyone want to take first watch? I don't think we should all sleep at the same time." I say. Max raises his hand. 

        "I will! I'm not really tired, and I don't want Indy to murder us in our sleep." Indy sighs, but lies down next to the fire and closes his eyes. 

        "Good night then. Wake me up when you get tired." I say, then I lie down as well and close my eyes.  I hear Max poking the fire, then yelp and swear at the fire for burning him. What have I gotten myself into? 

        The next thing I know, I'm waking up. I don't even remember falling asleep, huh. I see the sun is rising, then notice Max is still awake. 

        "Did you sleep at all?" I mutter, still half asleep. He jumps, then smiles at me. 

        "You're up! No, I didn't... I don't get tired, really. Look what I made for Indy!" I look over, then cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. Indy, who is still asleep, now has a fancy flower crown, necklace, and bracelets. 

        "Wow... that's amazing. I wish I had a camera." I whisper. Max nods, smiling. 

        "He's so gonna kill you." I say. I can only imagine how Indy is gonna react. Max shrugs. 

        "It's worth it in my book. I'm gonna time how long it takes him to notice once he wakes up." I notice the spell book is next to him on the ground. 

        "Did you try reading it yet?" I ask, noding at the book. Max shakes his head. The sunrise is casting a interesting light on him, making his hair look almost like gol- budder. 

        "Maybe you should. You said your dad gave it to you to let you learn more about... about magic. That's so cool." He laugh, and holds his hand out in front of him. A ball of brownish red light, almost like clay, forms out of the air. 

        "It's just life to me. Everything can have something to do with magic. I remember when I was little, I made a clay cat come to life. It's still in my room somewhere.... If my house even exists anymore." I give him a small, awkward hug. 

        "Hey, we're all in the same boat here. Well... maybe not Indy, but I'm sure he has some bad secrets under that stupid bandana of his." Max laughs. 

        "You think it's dumb, too? Really, he sleeps with it on. Maybe he has braces and thinks we'd laugh at him." That makes me laugh. I'm glad Max is here, he can turn anything into a joke. I hear movement, and see Indy is waking up. 

        "Wha..? Ack!" He sits bolt upright and starts taking the flower off of him. Max laughs. 

        "Three seconds! Three seconds to notice!" Indy looks mad at first, but then laughs a little as well. 

        "Max... Why do you know how to make flower crowns?!" Indy asks. Max opens his mouth, then shuts it. 

        "Good question, actually. Maybe Max is secretly a girl?" Max's face turns pink. 

        "I'm not! I just get bored sometimes! It's not that weird for boys to make flower crowns, is it?" Indy laughs lightly, but doesn't answer. Max rolls his eyes and grabs an apple left over from the night before. 

        "Well, let's get going! How long till we get to the castle, do you think?" He asks. I shrug and look at Indy, who is working on making our fire pit disappear. 

        "A day or two. Depends on if we run into trouble. With our luck so far, I think something's gotta go wrong, so I'm guessing closer to two days." Max shrugs and takes a bite of his apple. 

        "Well then, let's get going! Apples for breakfast, people, then back to the road!" Max and Indy nod, and we get ready for our first full day on our own.