The Mage's Son

by T Ariyanna

  “You better hurry up with that master plan, kid, 'cause they're trying real hard to get in.”

  Why should I? Ought to just let them charge in here and kill me. That's why they're here, and it's the only thing that'll get them to leave.

  “That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of! I'd rather you slaughter them all and bathe in their blood than just give up. I thought you were done being a coward? Just get off your ass and do something already!”

  I'm the master here, Cyllorian. I'll not have you telling me what to do. Now just shut up. I'm not going to hurt people anymore!

  Kaitlyn was crying again. Arion looked down and said, “I'm sorry, Kaitlyn. I promise I'll make this right.”

  “I just want to go home, Arion. Don't you have some spell or something that can just send them away?”

  “Yes, Master, send them away. Let us be done with this night already,” Cy snorted in his head.

  “Send them away,” Arion muttered to himself, his eyes darting around as an idea formed in head. He pushed himself to his feet, grunting with the effort. Kaitlyn whirled her head around to watch him, terror clear on her face.

  “That is not what I meant. Don't you dare, kid!”

  Arion held his arm out, and Tome appeared in a puff of green smoke. “Goodbye, Kaitlyn.” A sad smile formed on his face, ignoring Cy's yells of protest. She darted to her feet, and he kissed her cheek, sliding a small key into her hand. She stared at it, confused, and Arion gestured to the door. A shiny new lock was there, that hadn’t been before.

  “What are you…” she started slowly, tears dripping down her face again.

  “They’re not after you, Kaitlyn. They’re after me. If I go, they’ll leave you alone.” Arion stepped away as she started reaching for him, and clapped Tome between his hands above his head. He was engulfed in thick smoke, and held his breath.

  When the smoke cleared, he was in a large room the size of his entire house, made entirely of stone.

  “Where did you take us?” Cy growled, his frustration curling in Arion's fingers like his lost talons.

  “Back to the castle.”

  “I told you at least a hundred times that we shouldn't be here. But do you ever listen to me? Besides, you were so damn adamant about staying where you were this long. Why the sudden change of heart?”

  Arion cringed at his words, and hoped that he hadn't tried to joke about the situation. “I only stayed for Kaitlyn. But they're coming after me now. It's too dangerous for her. Not like she'd get a chance to come visit after that, anyway.”

  He ignored Cy's sulking, and moved from room to room, telling Cy his ideas for each.

  “You remember that I'm in your head, right? I review your ideas before they're even finished, idiot.”

  “Fine. I changed my mind,” Arion snapped, admiring a large ornate desk at the base of the west tower.

  “About what?”

  “I thought you could see everything I'm thinking?” Arion asked sarcastically. He had gotten better at keeping his thoughts from Cy's reach when he tried, and he taunted him often.

  “Just tell. Before I lose interest, preferably.”

  “I was thinking of ways to get you your own body. Then we both can work at the same time. I was reading through Tome, and thought that maybe a golem would work. It wouldn't be your old body, but it would something.”

  “You'd spend your time to help me? Really?”

  “What are you, an emotional wreck now? Don't flood my brain with tears. It was just an idea.” Arion laughed at Cy, which sent him into a fit.

  Once the demon calmed down, he asked, “What kind of body were you thinking about?”

  “I don't know. Can't I just make something and put you in it?”

  “Yes, an empty shell sounds fantastic! Just shove me in any old body, why don't you. Nothing beats the old Void model. Memories, emotions, and personality sold separately!”

  “Void? What are you talking about? I just meant a golem or something. What's gotten into you?”

  “Nothing,” he grumbled before going silent.

  Cy didn't say another word all night. It wasn’t unusual for him to go dormant recently, and Arion was starting to enjoy his moments of peace.

  Arion walked through the castle to the balcony on the south side, and stepped out. He leaned on the balustrade and gazed at the stars. “I'll be back Kaitlyn, I promise. As soon as I can, I'll come back for you.”

  He stared longingly at the lit town beneath him, outside the reaches of the Dire Woods. He wished he could see Kaitlyn's house, to know if she was watching the stars. To know if she was worrying about him as much as he worried about her.

  “What's gotten into you lately? You've been acting all weird ever since the mob attacked,” Arion mused as he checked through all of his belongings. He had spent the past few days recalling all of his work materials, and using magic to bring them to the castle. Cy had done nothing but sulk in his head, refusing to help at all.

  “What are you talking about?” he spat.

  “Well, before Kraven, you know, almost killed us, you seemed like you actually cared about me. But now you're back to being the stubborn demon you always were.”

  “I only care myself. So when that means pretending like I care about a little snot like you, then that's what I do. You ought to know that by now.”

  “I don't believe you. There's something else on your mind. But whatever. If you don't want to tell me, fine, but being difficult like this isn't getting us any closer to finding Mom. So if that's what you want, then…” Arion trailed off.

  Arion stared at his map, the quills dancing over the surface. He ran his fingers over the glowing spots on the map. “Pools of Lorile, Mount Draken, Centric, Kindling Woods. Odd name for a forest, don't you think? Wonder if it catches fire.”

  Arion had hoped to spark a sarcastic remark from Cy, but none came. He sighed, and continued listing off the places. “There's a weird ring inside Kindling that's marked. Like a meadow, or something. Look, there's even something in the wasteland! I watched Tidus when he was flying over the mountains in the north. The biggest one has a giant hole going straight down, and you couldn’t see the bottom. I wonder what could be down there? I’m calling it Plummet Summit, what do you think?” Cy scoffed at the name Arion had chosen, and he smiled knowing he had finally gotten a reaction. “Maybe we can explore all of these places with Mom after we find her.”

  “Give it a rest, kid. Don't you have anything better to do than pine over her?”

  “What are you talking about? That's the whole reason we're doing all of this! We have to find her. She's out there somewhere. I know it.”

  “Don't you think that if she wanted to be found, we would have caught wind of her by now? We've been searching for what? Almost two years now? She'd come back by now if she wanted to,” Cy's voice was harsh in his mind, but he thought he heard a twinge of something different. Sadness? Fear? Or something else entirely?

  “She has to hide, Cy. Centric is probably after her. She said something like that in her note. That's got to be why she had to leave in the first place. So we have to find her before they do!”

  “If you say so,” Cy mumbled, going silent again.

  Arion thought over what he said, gazing over the map again. What if she doesn't want to be found? he asked himself. He shook his head before an answer could form, and shoved the question away.

  Chapter 12

  “You want me to what with that thing?!” Cy shrieked.

  Arion was standing in front of a small suit of armor, his hands on his hips. It was a simple suit, with a wide breastplate and broad shoulders. The legs had only thin cloth for the back, and the shoes were spiked at the front and back. The helmet had one long slit for the eyes, and the same thin cloth to cover the mouth. Smaller plates made of gold covered some of the armor, etched with intricate designs.

  “Get in it,” Arion stated simply.

  “That rusty hunk of metal? I don't think so.”

&
nbsp; “Would you rather just stay up here your whole life?” Arion poked his head, and Cy cringed.

  “Not particularly,” he growled.

  “Then just try it. I put a ball of magic in there for you to connect to, so it should be easy. I'll even help you get out. Ready?”

  Cy nodded his head, and the two concentrated on the walls that kept Cy locked in. “One. Two. Three!” they counted together.

  Cy rammed himself against the wall, using all of his force. Arion worked to both pry down the wall, and push Cy through. But the wall pushed back, and Cy was shoved away.

  “Again,” he hissed with determination, panting, though he didn't need to breathe.

  Arion nodded, and they attacked the wall again. Cy's force put a crack in the wall, and Arion filled it with his magic. He pulled it apart from the inside, Cy's power joining in.

  “Concentrate, Cy!” Arion yelled as he put in a last burst of strength. The wall shattered into pieces and disappeared completely. He felt Cy tumble out of his mind, and then, it was empty.

  Arion doubled over, resting his hands on his knees. A sweat had broken out over his face, and he was breathing heavily. “Cy?” he gasped around breaths.

  “Arion?” Cy's voice sounded. At first, Arion was disappointed, but the voice bounced off the walls around him, and his head shot up.

  Through the seams in the armor, Arion saw green light. Smoky purple eyes shone in the slit of the helmet, watching Arion closely.

  “Did you get in the suit?” he whispered. He could barely contain his excitement, but he waited to celebrate until they were sure.

  “I think so. I can't move. I don't feel solid, and I have no idea where all of my pieces are. Is this the arm?” Cy’s voice was muffled slightly, but present. The suit's arm shot up and flailed wildly, Cy erupting into shouts of confusion and protest.

  Arion fell back onto the floor, laughing. He rolled on the floor while Cy screamed at him, trying to get enough control over the arm to grab him. Though Arion wasn't moving around, Cy couldn't get the hang of it, and it only made him laugh harder.

  “Will you just shut up and help me already?” Cy burst.

  Arion pulled himself together and stood up, though he couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. “Stop moving, and relax.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Cy muttered, but he complied.

  Arion placed his hands against the chest plate, and focused. He could feel Cy's essence inside, twisted up on itself. He wondered briefly if it hurt, but set himself to help the demon as fast as he could. Using the magic that was already inside the suit, he untangled Cy. He lined up the strands of magic with his arms and legs, and placed them where they should be, the magic acting as the connector to the suit.

  He took his hands away and stepped back. “How does that feel?”

  Cy raised his arms to look at them, staring at the new body. He didn't speak, but Arion could tell how grateful he was by the gleam in his eyes.

  “Your eyes are different,” Arion said in shock.

  Cy tilted his head in confusion. “What?”

  “They were black when I let you out of the music box. Now they’re glowing and…purple.” Arion covered his mouth, holding back his laughter.

  “What’s wrong with purple? It’s the color of my essence, thank you very much. It’s deep and mysterious. I’m not restrained anymore, so my eyes are their true color.” Cy touched the empty slit for his eyes, and the violet light gleamed on the armor.

  “You finally have your own body again.” Arion smiled at him, and Cy met his gaze. Though the helmet had no features, Arion could imagine his smile.

  “Well, almost.” Cy glanced down at his foot. A green band was wrapped around the suit of armor’s ankle, nearly fusing into the metal. A thin, glowing string was connected to it, and when Arion followed it, he found the same green band was clinging to his own leg.

  “I guess it's not permanent.” Arion dropped his head, feeling like a failure.

  “By the way it feels, I can only stay here as long as I have strength left. But I have to go back in your head to rest. At least the wall is down, and I can come and go. We did it, kid. Good job.”

  A heavy hand clasped down on his shoulder, and Arion looked up into Cy's eyes. He nodded at the boy, and Arion was flooded with relief. Whatever mood Cy had gotten into seemed to be gone now, and Arion was glad to have his friend back.

  Howls rang through the air, and Arion jolted awake. It had been a few weeks in the castle, but it’d been mostly quiet. The howls echoed again, followed by a high-pitched scream. Arion jumped from his bed, and bolted for the door.

  “Where are we going? What's going on? Should I grab a body?” Cy asked groggily. He was jostled around Arion's head, struggling to hang on.

  “No time. Something's going on, I think someone's coming after us again. The wolves are going crazy, and it doesn't sound good.”

  It was pitch black outside, with a harsh breeze. He battled the wind as he dove into the trees. He formed a fireball beside him for light, but it had a secondary purpose. Tracking.

  The fireball zoomed ahead of him, and he followed it with ease. The howls got closer, the screaming increasing in volume. He pushed himself harder, Cy arguing with him like always.

  He broke into a clearing to find a pack of wolves cornering something. It shrieked again, and then resolved to crying. Arion snatched the fireball from the air and threw it at the wolves. It caught the tail of one, and the beast whirled around. It glared at the boy, and the rest of the pack turned. The one closest to their prey was the last to turn, holding its head high above the others.

  “It's just a hunting party. This really isn't a good idea, kid. We should just leave.”

  Arion shook his head slowly. His eyes finally caught a glimpse of what the wolves had been hunting. Kaitlyn was hunched against a tree. Her dress was torn and filthy, and her stockings were stained with blood.

  Before he could move, the wolves lunged at him. They tackled him as one, but he shoved them off with his magic. Reaching behind him into his belt, he unsheathed his knife. It had become a habit to carry one, even while he slept. Now, he was grateful.

  He rolled under one wolf and drove the knife into its stomach. He sliced along the length of it, its innards spilling out. It collapsed to the ground, but two more took it place. With a wave of his hand, a wall of fire swallowed one of the wolves, the other just barely avoiding the flames. It jumped at him, muzzle raring for his throat. He threw his arm up, and the wolf latched on. Using his arm, he sent a shock wave into the wolf, and it fell to the ground. It spasmed for a moment before pulling itself up, limping away.

  Arion created a wall of fireballs while the rest of the wolves watched him. Two inched forward and grabbed their dead. They lagged behind as the others ran into the trees as fast as they could.

  No sooner had Arion released his magic and sheathed his knife than Kaitlyn was on him. She clung to his waist with little strength, bawling uncontrollably and trying to talk through her tears. Arion held her while she trembled.

  Once she had gotten control of herself, everything came gushing out in one breath. “I've been waiting for the chance to get away. I remembered you said it would be safe at the castle, and figured you'd be here. I punched my guards and ran away, but I got lost in the woods, and the wolves found me. They bit my leg, and, and…”

  Arion placed his hand over her leg. He healed it carefully, knowing the pain it would bring. She clutched his arm until her knuckles blanched, and bit back a scream. She stared at her healed leg in awe, but it slipped from her face.

  “Kaitlyn, you should go back home,” Arion whispered after a long moment.

  “What? No way, not after I came all the way here! You don't know what's going on in that village. They've all gone insane! Some weird doctor showed up and fixed Kraven and he's been spewing nothing but nonsense ever since he woke up. They said the wound wasn't bleeding, and that's what kept him alive long enough. It doesn't seem possible, but the
y won't tell me any details. Now the whole town’s on his side, saying they want to hunt you down! I can't go back, Arion. I want to stay with you.”

  He turned away from her, refusing to meet her gaze. “I can't keep you safe, Kait. It's too dangerous out here for me, let alone for you. You have to go back to your father. He can take care of you. But I won't leave you alone. I'll find a way to keep in touch, okay? Will that work?”

  “Not really. You're not even going to give me the choice, are you?”

  Arion shook his head, and she groaned. She buried her face in his chest and laughed cynically.

  A growl sounded just outside the clearing, and Kaitlyn shrunk against Arion. He glared into the darkness, reaching for his knife. He heard shuffling, and watched a shadow dissolve into the trees. “Here. I'll make you something to get you home.”

  Kaitlyn pushed herself off of him, wiping the remaining moisture from her cheeks. He held his hand out in front of her, and a small ball of green fire formed in the air above it.

  “It'll lead you back home, and scare off anything that would hurt you. It's small, but it's tougher than it looks.”

  “Just like you,” she whispered, giggling. Arion gave her a lopsided smile through the pain in his chest. He couldn't breathe. It was like a vice had caught him. He was shaking. Half of him wanted to do anything to keep her safe, and the other half just wanted to lock her away for himself. He couldn't tell what the difference was between the two, and it scared him.

  “You promise we’ll keep in touch?” Kaitlyn was absentmindedly stroking the wisp as tendrils of fire licked at her hand.

  “I swear, Kait. It's all going to be alright.” He gave her a smile, but it hurt to do so. She smiled back and turned away.

  The ball of fire zoomed back to Arion, dancing mere inches from his face. “No harm is to come to her, understand? Ever,” he whispered. The fire grew in brightness, and then clung to Kaitlyn.