Fic Archive: Into the Light, 7
May. 28th, 2009 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texchan(Written: 2004)
Warnings: Bad Language. Violence
Summary: Badly injured while protecting his companions from a magical creature the Heavenly Ones sealed away centuries ago, Orphen has no choice but to call on Childman for assistance and protection. Will the sorceror who was once his master come to his aid, or is Childman really bent on Orphen's destruction?
Legal Stuff: As always, this story is intended to express one fan's genuine appreciation of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and its characters. It is just for fun and not for profit. If you have any rights in the anime described here and find the posting of this fanfiction offensive or harmful, please contact me, and I will be happy to remove it.
Into the Light
CHAPTER 7
Majic fidgeted nervously with a blade of grass as he watched his master. With every fiber of his being, he wanted Orphen to come out of the water and back to the safety of the riverbank. He had watched nervously as the sorcerer had picked his way unsteadily across the slippery, wet boulders. Orphen had slipped and come precariously close to falling more than once, sending Majic to the verge of panic. He had been inches away from sprinting into the deep pool each time, but Orphen had just waved him away, instructing him to stay where he was. Now, the sorcerer was sitting on one of the largest boulders, halfway across the pool and directly under the roaring waterfall, with his eyes closed. He had removed his shirt, and now sat under the waterfall with the water crashing down onto his back, chest, and shoulders.
Majic squinted up at the sun, and figured, judging from its position in the sky, that they had been here for almost an hour. He looked back toward his master, and wondered what in the world Orphen was doing. He had been watching the sorcerer for the past hour, but Orphen hadn't so much as twitched a muscle. Now that Orphen's torso was bare, Majic could see almost every bone in the sorcerer's back, chest, and arms, confirming what he had suspected his master's loose clothing had hidden. He was shocked at how thin Orphen was. He had known that the sorcerer had been eating very little, but, looking at him now, Majic realized that he probably hadn't eaten anything for quite a while. He shook his head, silently cursing himself for not keeping a closer eye on his master. Orphen always was good at hiding things from everyone. As he watched him, meditating under the pounding, rushing water, Majic found that he was amazed by his master's strength. He knew that Orphen was sick and weak --- that the sorcerer himself felt that he was on the edge of death --- yet, here he was, sitting calmly under a waterfall with thousands of pounds of water rushing down on him. Majic knew that the water's weight would have been too much for almost anyone to stand, and he couldn't understand why it didn't drive Orphen right into the rocks. Majic squinted up at the sun again, and silently wondered how much longer they would be here. Sighing, he laid back on the warm, grassy riverbank and fell asleep.
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Majic awoke slowly to a distinct and unpleasant feeling of being --- wet. At first, not wanting to emerge from his slumber, he wriggled around in search of a drier spot of grass. When he failed to find one, he finally gave up and resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to wake up. During his sleep, he had thrown his arm across his face to shield it from the sun, and, now, he slowly opened one eye and squinted around his arm and up into the sky. It had been mid-morning or early afternoon when he and Orphen had come to the waterfall, but, now, the sun was very low, and the sky was streaked with red and orange, indicating that they had spent almost the entire day there.
'What in the world was he doing all that time?' Majic wondered absently as he looked toward the waterfall. Suddenly, he realized that his master wasn't sitting under the roaring water anymore and bolted upright in a panic, which quickly subsided as he again became aware of the feeling of --- wet --- soaking through his clothes. He twisted around to look behind him and saw Orphen laying a short distance away, his back facing Majic. The sorcerer, who still wore no shirt, as if he had just emerged from the water, was curled up into a tightly coiled ball, and he was shivering so violently that Majic could hear his teeth chattering together. Water poured off of his skin in little streams and ran the few inches down the hill to pool under Majic, who finally realized that that was the source of the wet feeling that had awakened him.
"Master?" Majic called softly.
When Orphen didn't answer, Majic felt the fear he'd been holding back take hold of him. He crawled on his hands and knees up the small rise and hesitantly put his hand on his master's back. Orphen's skin had been cold ever since his fight with Morph, but, now, it felt like the sorcerer was made of ice. When Majic touched him, Orphen jumped and cried out, as if the boy had struck him. Majic jumped back, shocked at his master's reaction. Carefully, without touching Orphen, Majic leaned over to look into the sorcerer's face. His eyes were closed. It looked like he was asleep, but he whimpered and groaned as if he was in pain or having a nightmare. His skin and lips were tinged with a faint blue color, and he was soaking wet.
Majic frowned and silently cursed himself for not thinking to bring along one of the blankets from their campsite. He looked around, desperately searching for something he could use to help warm Orphen. In the dying daylight, he managed to make out his master's jacket and shirt, which were lying on the pool's bank, right where Orphen had left them before going into the water. After quickly checking Orphen once more, he bolted for the pool and quickly returned with the jacket and shirt. He gently placed the coat over Orphen's bare torso. As its weight settled over him, the sorcerer groaned and struggled against it, but he finally quieted and fell back asleep when Majic gently comforted him.
Majic really wanted to get Orphen back to their campsite, and he knew, now that it was getting dark, that Cleao would be worried about them. He briefly thought about trying to wake Orphen. But, as he watched the older boy sleep, Majic realized that waking him was impossible. He briefly thought about leaving Orphen to go back to camp and let Cleao know where they were, but, he quickly dismissed that idea. He didn't want to risk leaving the young sorcerer alone out here, because he seemed so exposed and fragile lying there. As he watched him sleeping, Majic noticed that Orphen barely even moved, and it was difficult for the boy to even tell that he was breathing. Suddenly, the phrase "sleeping like the dead" popped into his head.
"No," Majic whispered, as he shook his head to rid himself of his disturbing thoughts. "He'll be OK. He just has to be."
Once Orphen settled down, Majic settled back, resigning himself to waiting for the sorcerer to wake up on his own. Finally, haunted by his own fears and nightmares, Majic drifted off into a restless sleep.
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"Get up! Now!" The sound of a strange, harsh voice worked its way into Majic's mind and rattled around until he awoke. At first, he wondered where they were, but, as he opened his eyes to see the full moon and stars twinkling over the waterfall and pool, it all came flooding back to him.
The voice came floating to him once again, through the dark, "I said get up! Right now!"
It didn't dawn on Majic, who was still half asleep, that he didn't recognize the voice. His sleepy mind told him that it was his master calling him, and he slowly stretched and got to his feet, grumbling under his breath, "All right. All right. I'm coming. It's your fault we're still here, so no need to be so damn grouchy with me. I shoulda just left you here last night. Then I coulda slept next to a nice, warm fire. You'd think you'd be a little grateful. Jeez…"
Majic finally made it to his feet and turned to face his master, only to realize it hadn't been Orphen calling him. As he turned, Majic came face-to-face with a strange, dark figure. Even though the figure was in shadow, so that he couldn't see its face, Majic could tell it was a man. He could also see that the man was wearing flowing, black robes, and had long, black hair, which was pulled back into a low ponytail. The strange man, who appeared to be very tall, was bending over Orphen. He was holding the sorcerer by the shoulders and shaking him roughly, as if he were trying to wake him.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Majic screamed. Before his mind could convince him of the foolishness of his actions, Majic formed a flame ball on his palm and launched it at Orphen's attacker.
The man didn't even turn to look at Majic. Without releasing Orphen, he put up one hand, palm facing the boy, as if to shield his face from the attack. As the flame ball approached him, the man whispered, "Away." Instantly, the ball dissipated into thin air, and the man turned his attention back to Orphen, continuing to shake him roughly.
Majic felt anger welling up within him, and he prepared to launch a second attack. Before he could manage it, the strange man, still without looking away from Orphen, said quietly, in a tone that barely covered the distance between them, "Stay where you are, boy." Something about the icy tone of this man's voice made Majic do exactly as he said. He felt as if his feet were frozen to the ground, and he could only watch as the man continued to shake and yell at Orphen.
After another few minutes, Orphen moaned softly and put his hand out toward the man, as if to stop the shaking. Seeing that he was finally waking up, the man released the young sorcerer. He was still kneeling on the ground, facing Orphen, but, now, he was just quietly watching as the object of his attention struggled to wake up. As Orphen sat up, swaying, the man reached out to gently steady him and pull the jacket, which had fallen off onto the ground, back up over his bare torso. He gently draped it over Orphen's shoulders, and Majic was surprised to see him smiling.
Majic couldn't understand anything that was going on, but he forced his feet into action, crossing the space separating him from Orphen in just a couple of strides. He skidded to a stop next to the older boy, and quickly knelt to help him sit up.
"Master! Master! Are you OK?" He glared at the stranger, and felt rage building up inside of him when the man just laughed. "He … He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Orphen, who had finally managed to clear most of the haze from his mind, reached up and gently ruffled Majic's hair. "It's OK." He turned to look at the strange man kneeling in front of them and said, "Master. You came."
The man shrugged and simply replied, "You called, didn't you?"
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Majic looked around quickly to make sure that he and Orphen were alone. The strange man, who Majic now knew as Orphen's master, Childman, had gone into the woods to find some firewood. Upon seeing Orphen's condition, Childman had immediately conjured a fire, insisting that they had to get the young sorcerer as warm and dry as possible before returning to camp. Since Childman could create fire by using a spell, he suspected that the man had retreated into the woods so that he and Orphen could be alone. But, Majic didn't care and decided to take advantage of the older sorcerer's absence.
"Master," Majic whispered, leaning in close to Orphen so that he didn't have to speak very loudly. "Isn't Childman the one who's been after you all this time? Hasn't he been trying to kill you to stop you from saving Azalie?"
Orphen continued to stare blankly into the fire. Other than a weak shoulder shrug, he gave no indication that he had even heard Majic.
Seeing that his master hadn't immediately bitten his head off, Majic decided to continue to gently pursue the subject. "So, why would you call him? Do you really think this is such a good idea?"
Orphen replied, "Don't know. The Tower of Fang has been after me, but I never really knew about Childman. He raised me. He's my master. I have to trust him. It's the only option now."
"But Master," Majic began, only to be cut off by a wave of Orphen's hand.
"I'm tired, Majic," he snapped irritably, "Leave me alone." He pulled his jacket closer to him, but it did little to stop his shivering.
Seeing that his master's patience was finally wearing thin, Majic wisely decided to let the subject drop. A sound from the direction of the forest brought his attention away from Orphen, and he watched silently as Childman returned from the woods --- without any firewood. The tall sorcerer skirted the fire and silently approached Orphen. Kneeling in front of the young sorcerer, Childman reached out and gently cupped his hand under Orphen's chin and tilted his face toward the fire so that he could look into his student's eyes. Although Majic had to fight the urge to protect his master, Orphen didn't flinch away from Childman's touch. He barely gave any indication that he was aware of what was happening, and he didn't even look at Childman, but just continued to stare blankly into the fire with dull, tired eyes. Childman simply frowned and rose to move to the other side of the fire, facing Majic and Orphen, the flames licking into the air between them.
"You really look like hell, Krylancelo. What did you get yourself into this time?" he asked as he sat down, cross-legged, on the ground across from them.
Wordlessly, Orphen reached into his jacket pocket and removed a page he had torn from one of the books back in the library cavern. He was unable to control his shaking hands as he passed the paper around the fire to his teacher. Childman frowned, but he didn't say anything. Only his eyes betrayed the worry he felt, and he gently steadied his student's hands as he took the paper and unfolded it. When he finally saw what was on the paper Orphen had handed him, Childman's eyes widened in shock and surprise. He held the paper up so that it was facing Majic and Orphen, and Majic quickly recognized the drawing of Morph that they had located in the library cavern.
"This?" he asked, his voice suddenly going deadly serious, and his eyes snapping with anger. "Is this true?" Orphen just nodded in response. "How long?!" Childman snapped.
Orphen didn't respond, and Childman, his anger building, reached right through the flames to grab the front of his student's jacket. "Answer me!" he yelled. "HOW LONG?!"
Majic, surprised at the man's reaction, replied, "Nine, maybe ten days?"
Immediately, Childman stood and waved his hand, instantly putting out the fire. He paused for a moment to give Orphen a look that seemed almost sad before saying, "Get up. We have to go." When he saw Orphen struggling to get to his feet, he gently pulled the young sorcerer into a standing position, and, in a softer voice, said, "We must hurry. There's no time to waste."
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You know what? I really don't like this. Not at all," Cleao whispered to Majic.
They were at the riverside campsite Orphen had picked out upon exiting the tunnel. He and Cleao were sitting on one side of their campfire, and Orphen was lying on the ground between them, asleep. Majic couldn't help but smile as he remembered the look on Cleao's face when he and Orphen had returned to the campsite with Childman. Orphen had been so exhausted that the older sorcerer had had to practically carry him. Majic had never seen Cleao shocked into speechlessness, but, when Childman had walked into the circle of firelight to dump Orphen on the ground next to her, she had just stared at him, her mouth open in surprise. The younger sorcerer had fallen asleep almost as soon as he hit the ground, so Majic had been forced to make the introductions. Even when Childman had greeted her pleasantly and held out his hand, Cleao had had nothing to say. She had just continued to stare at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open. Majic almost laughed, but he thought better of it. He could tell that Childman's appearance and Orphen's deteriorating condition had put Cleao on edge, and she could be pretty scary when she was angry.
Childman. Majic turned his thoughts toward their unexpected guest. He could clearly see the man, who was sitting across from them, through the flames. Orphen's teacher had just finished eating the meal Cleao had reluctantly offered him, and he was soaking up the remains of the stew on his plate with a piece of bread. Majic had to admit that he, like Cleao, was a little unnerved at having the older sorcerer in their camp. After all, he, Orphen, and Cleao had spent the past few months running from the Tower of Fang … and Childman. Although Majic had never actually met Childman before now, he had come to fear this man who professed to want his master dead. He shot a look sideways at Cleao, and the look in her eyes told him that she felt the same way.
"Well?" Cleao hissed under her breath, shooting an angry look sideways at Majic.
"Well, what?" Majic whispered back.
"It's not a good idea," she said.
"It wasn't your decision," Childman said, from across the fire. The sound of his voice, intruding on their conversation, made both Majic and Cleao jump. The older sorcerer laughed at their reaction, and continued, "Krylancelo called me. That is the only reason I'm here."
He slowly got up and walked around the fire, tossing his plate onto the ground near Majic and Cleao's used dishes as he walked toward them. He stopped directly in front of the two blondes. He was a very tall man, and he towered over them. Both Majic and Cleao involuntarily scooted backward, away from his imposing physical presence, but, as Childman knelt down and reached out toward Orphen, Majic jumped forward and tried to place himself physically in between their new guest and the younger sorcerer, in an attempt to somehow protect his unconscious master from what he perceived as a threat.
Childman frowned at the boy's reaction and snapped, "I don't bite, boy. There's no need to be so nervous. As sick as he is, his life would end soon enough without me helping it along. If I wanted to hurt him, I just wouldn't have come. How long since he last ate?" He looked from Majic to Cleao, and, when they just sat there and stared at him, he snapped, impatiently, "Well? Are you both mute?"
"I… I … d… don't know, M … master Childman," Majic stammered, practically choking on the "master" part of the sentence. "Several days. Three, maybe four?" he said slowly, looking at Cleao for confirmation and getting no help whatsoever from her.
Childman pushed Majic aside and, gently, shook Orphen awake. "Krylancelo. Krylancelo. Get up. You need to eat something." When his student didn't respond or move, he urged again, "Come on, now, wake up Krylancelo." Majic thought he could hear a note of panic creeping into the older sorcerer's voice, and it surprised him.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Majic, Orphen stirred, grumbling for them to leave him alone. Once the young sorcerer began to wake up, Majic thought he saw, in the dim firelight, a smile play across Childman's face. The boy shook his head, telling himself that he had to be mistaken. It couldn't be possible that the one sorcerer who had been pursuing them for months would actually be happy that Orphen was still alive.
"Here." Cleao's voice came out of the darkness over Majic's head, causing him to jump. He moved aside as the girl handed Childman a plate of stew. The older sorcerer nodded his thanks and pulled Orphen into a sitting position as he moved into the spot where Cleao had been sitting moments before. Majic wondered exactly when she had gotten up to get the food as he watched the girl stalk to the other side of the fire and sit down, staring hostilely at Childman the entire time.
"Come on. At least try to eat something."
Childman's voice brought Majic's attention away from Cleao and back to the two sorcerers sitting near him. He watched in surprise as Childman gently pushed the plate of food into Orphen's hands and tried to coax him into eating. At first, Orphen pushed the plate away, but, when Childman gently pushed it back, the younger sorcerer took it without protesting. As Orphen tried to eat, his hands began shaking uncontrollably, spilling most of the food onto the ground. Majic turned away quickly to hide the tears that came to his eyes. Orphen was always so strong and confident, and seeing him like this broke Majic's heart. When he got his emotions under control, he turned back toward the two men sitting next to him, thinking that he would try to help his master eat. Majic was shocked to see that Childman had already pulled Orphen over so that the young sorcerer was leaning against him. Wordlessly, the older man encircled Majic's master with his arms and gently helped still his shaking hands so that Orphen could finally eat. After eating most of the food on the plate, Orphen fell asleep cradled in Childman's arms like a small boy.
Majic stared at Childman. His voice was soft and gentle, and his laughter was friendly and honest, just like Orphen's. This man, who was his master's teacher, was nothing like Majic had imagined he would be. He had always pictured Childman, who had been pursuing them for months, as some kind of bloodthirsty madman, but this man didn't seem like that at all. Watching him with Orphen was like watching a father care for a sick child, and it reminded Majic of his own childhood and of times when his own father had cared for him or comforted him. He couldn't understand Childman at all, and he was beginning to realize why Orphen always seemed so mysterious, and why the young sorcerer was so good at hiding his emotions and pain. He knew that the Tower of Fang had raised his master, but Orphen had also told him, during a moment of unguarded conversation, that Childman had been the one individual largely responsible for his upbringing. Even though they had been running from the older sorcerer for months, Majic had never gotten the sense that Orphen was afraid of him. Instead, the young sorcerer always seemed incredibly angry and bitter toward Childman. Now, Majic was beginning to understand that Orphen's hatred toward the older man came from feeling that he had been betrayed by someone he had loved deeply --- by someone he had loved like a father. Although Orphen had been fighting to hide it, Majic knew his own master well enough to tell that the young sorcerer felt his life was coming to an end. The fact that Childman was the one person Orphen turned to for help at this --- the lowest point in his life --- proved to Majic that his master had once loved this man. Majic was shocked at the realization that Orphen felt the same way about Childman that he felt about Orphen, and, for the first time since meeting his master, he thought that, just maybe, he had finally gained some insight into the young sorcerer's feelings. He just prayed that Childman really could save his master.
Warnings: Bad Language. Violence
Summary: Badly injured while protecting his companions from a magical creature the Heavenly Ones sealed away centuries ago, Orphen has no choice but to call on Childman for assistance and protection. Will the sorceror who was once his master come to his aid, or is Childman really bent on Orphen's destruction?
Legal Stuff: As always, this story is intended to express one fan's genuine appreciation of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and its characters. It is just for fun and not for profit. If you have any rights in the anime described here and find the posting of this fanfiction offensive or harmful, please contact me, and I will be happy to remove it.
CHAPTER 7
Majic fidgeted nervously with a blade of grass as he watched his master. With every fiber of his being, he wanted Orphen to come out of the water and back to the safety of the riverbank. He had watched nervously as the sorcerer had picked his way unsteadily across the slippery, wet boulders. Orphen had slipped and come precariously close to falling more than once, sending Majic to the verge of panic. He had been inches away from sprinting into the deep pool each time, but Orphen had just waved him away, instructing him to stay where he was. Now, the sorcerer was sitting on one of the largest boulders, halfway across the pool and directly under the roaring waterfall, with his eyes closed. He had removed his shirt, and now sat under the waterfall with the water crashing down onto his back, chest, and shoulders.
Majic squinted up at the sun, and figured, judging from its position in the sky, that they had been here for almost an hour. He looked back toward his master, and wondered what in the world Orphen was doing. He had been watching the sorcerer for the past hour, but Orphen hadn't so much as twitched a muscle. Now that Orphen's torso was bare, Majic could see almost every bone in the sorcerer's back, chest, and arms, confirming what he had suspected his master's loose clothing had hidden. He was shocked at how thin Orphen was. He had known that the sorcerer had been eating very little, but, looking at him now, Majic realized that he probably hadn't eaten anything for quite a while. He shook his head, silently cursing himself for not keeping a closer eye on his master. Orphen always was good at hiding things from everyone. As he watched him, meditating under the pounding, rushing water, Majic found that he was amazed by his master's strength. He knew that Orphen was sick and weak --- that the sorcerer himself felt that he was on the edge of death --- yet, here he was, sitting calmly under a waterfall with thousands of pounds of water rushing down on him. Majic knew that the water's weight would have been too much for almost anyone to stand, and he couldn't understand why it didn't drive Orphen right into the rocks. Majic squinted up at the sun again, and silently wondered how much longer they would be here. Sighing, he laid back on the warm, grassy riverbank and fell asleep.
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Majic awoke slowly to a distinct and unpleasant feeling of being --- wet. At first, not wanting to emerge from his slumber, he wriggled around in search of a drier spot of grass. When he failed to find one, he finally gave up and resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to wake up. During his sleep, he had thrown his arm across his face to shield it from the sun, and, now, he slowly opened one eye and squinted around his arm and up into the sky. It had been mid-morning or early afternoon when he and Orphen had come to the waterfall, but, now, the sun was very low, and the sky was streaked with red and orange, indicating that they had spent almost the entire day there.
'What in the world was he doing all that time?' Majic wondered absently as he looked toward the waterfall. Suddenly, he realized that his master wasn't sitting under the roaring water anymore and bolted upright in a panic, which quickly subsided as he again became aware of the feeling of --- wet --- soaking through his clothes. He twisted around to look behind him and saw Orphen laying a short distance away, his back facing Majic. The sorcerer, who still wore no shirt, as if he had just emerged from the water, was curled up into a tightly coiled ball, and he was shivering so violently that Majic could hear his teeth chattering together. Water poured off of his skin in little streams and ran the few inches down the hill to pool under Majic, who finally realized that that was the source of the wet feeling that had awakened him.
"Master?" Majic called softly.
When Orphen didn't answer, Majic felt the fear he'd been holding back take hold of him. He crawled on his hands and knees up the small rise and hesitantly put his hand on his master's back. Orphen's skin had been cold ever since his fight with Morph, but, now, it felt like the sorcerer was made of ice. When Majic touched him, Orphen jumped and cried out, as if the boy had struck him. Majic jumped back, shocked at his master's reaction. Carefully, without touching Orphen, Majic leaned over to look into the sorcerer's face. His eyes were closed. It looked like he was asleep, but he whimpered and groaned as if he was in pain or having a nightmare. His skin and lips were tinged with a faint blue color, and he was soaking wet.
Majic frowned and silently cursed himself for not thinking to bring along one of the blankets from their campsite. He looked around, desperately searching for something he could use to help warm Orphen. In the dying daylight, he managed to make out his master's jacket and shirt, which were lying on the pool's bank, right where Orphen had left them before going into the water. After quickly checking Orphen once more, he bolted for the pool and quickly returned with the jacket and shirt. He gently placed the coat over Orphen's bare torso. As its weight settled over him, the sorcerer groaned and struggled against it, but he finally quieted and fell back asleep when Majic gently comforted him.
Majic really wanted to get Orphen back to their campsite, and he knew, now that it was getting dark, that Cleao would be worried about them. He briefly thought about trying to wake Orphen. But, as he watched the older boy sleep, Majic realized that waking him was impossible. He briefly thought about leaving Orphen to go back to camp and let Cleao know where they were, but, he quickly dismissed that idea. He didn't want to risk leaving the young sorcerer alone out here, because he seemed so exposed and fragile lying there. As he watched him sleeping, Majic noticed that Orphen barely even moved, and it was difficult for the boy to even tell that he was breathing. Suddenly, the phrase "sleeping like the dead" popped into his head.
"No," Majic whispered, as he shook his head to rid himself of his disturbing thoughts. "He'll be OK. He just has to be."
Once Orphen settled down, Majic settled back, resigning himself to waiting for the sorcerer to wake up on his own. Finally, haunted by his own fears and nightmares, Majic drifted off into a restless sleep.
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"Get up! Now!" The sound of a strange, harsh voice worked its way into Majic's mind and rattled around until he awoke. At first, he wondered where they were, but, as he opened his eyes to see the full moon and stars twinkling over the waterfall and pool, it all came flooding back to him.
The voice came floating to him once again, through the dark, "I said get up! Right now!"
It didn't dawn on Majic, who was still half asleep, that he didn't recognize the voice. His sleepy mind told him that it was his master calling him, and he slowly stretched and got to his feet, grumbling under his breath, "All right. All right. I'm coming. It's your fault we're still here, so no need to be so damn grouchy with me. I shoulda just left you here last night. Then I coulda slept next to a nice, warm fire. You'd think you'd be a little grateful. Jeez…"
Majic finally made it to his feet and turned to face his master, only to realize it hadn't been Orphen calling him. As he turned, Majic came face-to-face with a strange, dark figure. Even though the figure was in shadow, so that he couldn't see its face, Majic could tell it was a man. He could also see that the man was wearing flowing, black robes, and had long, black hair, which was pulled back into a low ponytail. The strange man, who appeared to be very tall, was bending over Orphen. He was holding the sorcerer by the shoulders and shaking him roughly, as if he were trying to wake him.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Majic screamed. Before his mind could convince him of the foolishness of his actions, Majic formed a flame ball on his palm and launched it at Orphen's attacker.
The man didn't even turn to look at Majic. Without releasing Orphen, he put up one hand, palm facing the boy, as if to shield his face from the attack. As the flame ball approached him, the man whispered, "Away." Instantly, the ball dissipated into thin air, and the man turned his attention back to Orphen, continuing to shake him roughly.
Majic felt anger welling up within him, and he prepared to launch a second attack. Before he could manage it, the strange man, still without looking away from Orphen, said quietly, in a tone that barely covered the distance between them, "Stay where you are, boy." Something about the icy tone of this man's voice made Majic do exactly as he said. He felt as if his feet were frozen to the ground, and he could only watch as the man continued to shake and yell at Orphen.
After another few minutes, Orphen moaned softly and put his hand out toward the man, as if to stop the shaking. Seeing that he was finally waking up, the man released the young sorcerer. He was still kneeling on the ground, facing Orphen, but, now, he was just quietly watching as the object of his attention struggled to wake up. As Orphen sat up, swaying, the man reached out to gently steady him and pull the jacket, which had fallen off onto the ground, back up over his bare torso. He gently draped it over Orphen's shoulders, and Majic was surprised to see him smiling.
Majic couldn't understand anything that was going on, but he forced his feet into action, crossing the space separating him from Orphen in just a couple of strides. He skidded to a stop next to the older boy, and quickly knelt to help him sit up.
"Master! Master! Are you OK?" He glared at the stranger, and felt rage building up inside of him when the man just laughed. "He … He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Orphen, who had finally managed to clear most of the haze from his mind, reached up and gently ruffled Majic's hair. "It's OK." He turned to look at the strange man kneeling in front of them and said, "Master. You came."
The man shrugged and simply replied, "You called, didn't you?"
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Majic looked around quickly to make sure that he and Orphen were alone. The strange man, who Majic now knew as Orphen's master, Childman, had gone into the woods to find some firewood. Upon seeing Orphen's condition, Childman had immediately conjured a fire, insisting that they had to get the young sorcerer as warm and dry as possible before returning to camp. Since Childman could create fire by using a spell, he suspected that the man had retreated into the woods so that he and Orphen could be alone. But, Majic didn't care and decided to take advantage of the older sorcerer's absence.
"Master," Majic whispered, leaning in close to Orphen so that he didn't have to speak very loudly. "Isn't Childman the one who's been after you all this time? Hasn't he been trying to kill you to stop you from saving Azalie?"
Orphen continued to stare blankly into the fire. Other than a weak shoulder shrug, he gave no indication that he had even heard Majic.
Seeing that his master hadn't immediately bitten his head off, Majic decided to continue to gently pursue the subject. "So, why would you call him? Do you really think this is such a good idea?"
Orphen replied, "Don't know. The Tower of Fang has been after me, but I never really knew about Childman. He raised me. He's my master. I have to trust him. It's the only option now."
"But Master," Majic began, only to be cut off by a wave of Orphen's hand.
"I'm tired, Majic," he snapped irritably, "Leave me alone." He pulled his jacket closer to him, but it did little to stop his shivering.
Seeing that his master's patience was finally wearing thin, Majic wisely decided to let the subject drop. A sound from the direction of the forest brought his attention away from Orphen, and he watched silently as Childman returned from the woods --- without any firewood. The tall sorcerer skirted the fire and silently approached Orphen. Kneeling in front of the young sorcerer, Childman reached out and gently cupped his hand under Orphen's chin and tilted his face toward the fire so that he could look into his student's eyes. Although Majic had to fight the urge to protect his master, Orphen didn't flinch away from Childman's touch. He barely gave any indication that he was aware of what was happening, and he didn't even look at Childman, but just continued to stare blankly into the fire with dull, tired eyes. Childman simply frowned and rose to move to the other side of the fire, facing Majic and Orphen, the flames licking into the air between them.
"You really look like hell, Krylancelo. What did you get yourself into this time?" he asked as he sat down, cross-legged, on the ground across from them.
Wordlessly, Orphen reached into his jacket pocket and removed a page he had torn from one of the books back in the library cavern. He was unable to control his shaking hands as he passed the paper around the fire to his teacher. Childman frowned, but he didn't say anything. Only his eyes betrayed the worry he felt, and he gently steadied his student's hands as he took the paper and unfolded it. When he finally saw what was on the paper Orphen had handed him, Childman's eyes widened in shock and surprise. He held the paper up so that it was facing Majic and Orphen, and Majic quickly recognized the drawing of Morph that they had located in the library cavern.
"This?" he asked, his voice suddenly going deadly serious, and his eyes snapping with anger. "Is this true?" Orphen just nodded in response. "How long?!" Childman snapped.
Orphen didn't respond, and Childman, his anger building, reached right through the flames to grab the front of his student's jacket. "Answer me!" he yelled. "HOW LONG?!"
Majic, surprised at the man's reaction, replied, "Nine, maybe ten days?"
Immediately, Childman stood and waved his hand, instantly putting out the fire. He paused for a moment to give Orphen a look that seemed almost sad before saying, "Get up. We have to go." When he saw Orphen struggling to get to his feet, he gently pulled the young sorcerer into a standing position, and, in a softer voice, said, "We must hurry. There's no time to waste."
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You know what? I really don't like this. Not at all," Cleao whispered to Majic.
They were at the riverside campsite Orphen had picked out upon exiting the tunnel. He and Cleao were sitting on one side of their campfire, and Orphen was lying on the ground between them, asleep. Majic couldn't help but smile as he remembered the look on Cleao's face when he and Orphen had returned to the campsite with Childman. Orphen had been so exhausted that the older sorcerer had had to practically carry him. Majic had never seen Cleao shocked into speechlessness, but, when Childman had walked into the circle of firelight to dump Orphen on the ground next to her, she had just stared at him, her mouth open in surprise. The younger sorcerer had fallen asleep almost as soon as he hit the ground, so Majic had been forced to make the introductions. Even when Childman had greeted her pleasantly and held out his hand, Cleao had had nothing to say. She had just continued to stare at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open. Majic almost laughed, but he thought better of it. He could tell that Childman's appearance and Orphen's deteriorating condition had put Cleao on edge, and she could be pretty scary when she was angry.
Childman. Majic turned his thoughts toward their unexpected guest. He could clearly see the man, who was sitting across from them, through the flames. Orphen's teacher had just finished eating the meal Cleao had reluctantly offered him, and he was soaking up the remains of the stew on his plate with a piece of bread. Majic had to admit that he, like Cleao, was a little unnerved at having the older sorcerer in their camp. After all, he, Orphen, and Cleao had spent the past few months running from the Tower of Fang … and Childman. Although Majic had never actually met Childman before now, he had come to fear this man who professed to want his master dead. He shot a look sideways at Cleao, and the look in her eyes told him that she felt the same way.
"Well?" Cleao hissed under her breath, shooting an angry look sideways at Majic.
"Well, what?" Majic whispered back.
"It's not a good idea," she said.
"It wasn't your decision," Childman said, from across the fire. The sound of his voice, intruding on their conversation, made both Majic and Cleao jump. The older sorcerer laughed at their reaction, and continued, "Krylancelo called me. That is the only reason I'm here."
He slowly got up and walked around the fire, tossing his plate onto the ground near Majic and Cleao's used dishes as he walked toward them. He stopped directly in front of the two blondes. He was a very tall man, and he towered over them. Both Majic and Cleao involuntarily scooted backward, away from his imposing physical presence, but, as Childman knelt down and reached out toward Orphen, Majic jumped forward and tried to place himself physically in between their new guest and the younger sorcerer, in an attempt to somehow protect his unconscious master from what he perceived as a threat.
Childman frowned at the boy's reaction and snapped, "I don't bite, boy. There's no need to be so nervous. As sick as he is, his life would end soon enough without me helping it along. If I wanted to hurt him, I just wouldn't have come. How long since he last ate?" He looked from Majic to Cleao, and, when they just sat there and stared at him, he snapped, impatiently, "Well? Are you both mute?"
"I… I … d… don't know, M … master Childman," Majic stammered, practically choking on the "master" part of the sentence. "Several days. Three, maybe four?" he said slowly, looking at Cleao for confirmation and getting no help whatsoever from her.
Childman pushed Majic aside and, gently, shook Orphen awake. "Krylancelo. Krylancelo. Get up. You need to eat something." When his student didn't respond or move, he urged again, "Come on, now, wake up Krylancelo." Majic thought he could hear a note of panic creeping into the older sorcerer's voice, and it surprised him.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Majic, Orphen stirred, grumbling for them to leave him alone. Once the young sorcerer began to wake up, Majic thought he saw, in the dim firelight, a smile play across Childman's face. The boy shook his head, telling himself that he had to be mistaken. It couldn't be possible that the one sorcerer who had been pursuing them for months would actually be happy that Orphen was still alive.
"Here." Cleao's voice came out of the darkness over Majic's head, causing him to jump. He moved aside as the girl handed Childman a plate of stew. The older sorcerer nodded his thanks and pulled Orphen into a sitting position as he moved into the spot where Cleao had been sitting moments before. Majic wondered exactly when she had gotten up to get the food as he watched the girl stalk to the other side of the fire and sit down, staring hostilely at Childman the entire time.
"Come on. At least try to eat something."
Childman's voice brought Majic's attention away from Cleao and back to the two sorcerers sitting near him. He watched in surprise as Childman gently pushed the plate of food into Orphen's hands and tried to coax him into eating. At first, Orphen pushed the plate away, but, when Childman gently pushed it back, the younger sorcerer took it without protesting. As Orphen tried to eat, his hands began shaking uncontrollably, spilling most of the food onto the ground. Majic turned away quickly to hide the tears that came to his eyes. Orphen was always so strong and confident, and seeing him like this broke Majic's heart. When he got his emotions under control, he turned back toward the two men sitting next to him, thinking that he would try to help his master eat. Majic was shocked to see that Childman had already pulled Orphen over so that the young sorcerer was leaning against him. Wordlessly, the older man encircled Majic's master with his arms and gently helped still his shaking hands so that Orphen could finally eat. After eating most of the food on the plate, Orphen fell asleep cradled in Childman's arms like a small boy.
Majic stared at Childman. His voice was soft and gentle, and his laughter was friendly and honest, just like Orphen's. This man, who was his master's teacher, was nothing like Majic had imagined he would be. He had always pictured Childman, who had been pursuing them for months, as some kind of bloodthirsty madman, but this man didn't seem like that at all. Watching him with Orphen was like watching a father care for a sick child, and it reminded Majic of his own childhood and of times when his own father had cared for him or comforted him. He couldn't understand Childman at all, and he was beginning to realize why Orphen always seemed so mysterious, and why the young sorcerer was so good at hiding his emotions and pain. He knew that the Tower of Fang had raised his master, but Orphen had also told him, during a moment of unguarded conversation, that Childman had been the one individual largely responsible for his upbringing. Even though they had been running from the older sorcerer for months, Majic had never gotten the sense that Orphen was afraid of him. Instead, the young sorcerer always seemed incredibly angry and bitter toward Childman. Now, Majic was beginning to understand that Orphen's hatred toward the older man came from feeling that he had been betrayed by someone he had loved deeply --- by someone he had loved like a father. Although Orphen had been fighting to hide it, Majic knew his own master well enough to tell that the young sorcerer felt his life was coming to an end. The fact that Childman was the one person Orphen turned to for help at this --- the lowest point in his life --- proved to Majic that his master had once loved this man. Majic was shocked at the realization that Orphen felt the same way about Childman that he felt about Orphen, and, for the first time since meeting his master, he thought that, just maybe, he had finally gained some insight into the young sorcerer's feelings. He just prayed that Childman really could save his master.