The Beast Within

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Haneul and Auris watched as Adrik and Ceraun tussled, rolling around.

Haneul was unfazed, already used to their bouts while Auris winced occasionally, looking immensely worried when Adrik forced Ceraun’s head underwater, the Lightning Using Mage struggling to escape.

"Don't worry, he's fine." Haneul was quick to reassure her when it seemed like Auris would like to go separate them or at least save Ceraun from Adrik who looked like he very much wanted to drown the other.

Haneul was not worried for his safety because Ceraun was the only one who could drink the water without falling dangerously sick, Adrik finally let him go and Ceraun fell on the sandy river bank, still laughing endlessly.

"See." He pointed out to Auris who had been watching the scene with apprehension.

Haneul was more interested in other things, like why Auris’ clothes were ripped and how she had managed to outrun Adrik when the day before she could barely walk without falling.

"Um, Auris, what happened to your clothes?" He asked curiously.

Auris glanced down like she was just remembering that she was walking around with her arms bare and her skirt ripped, which was saying a lot considering she had always hidden from the sun.

She wore layers of dresses and cloaks even while she was still living in her small Mage village of Glendall.

"Uh, well there is a myth that goes like, Light Magic Mages can draw strength from the sun..."

Ceraun perked up at her words, shaking the water out of his hair as he moved closer.

"Don't get the poisonous water on us." Haneul reprimanded, sending a wave of wind at Ceraun who had been shaking out the water from his hair like a wild animal.

Ceraun was unfazed by Haneul’s scolding, the Mage's magic, helping to dry out the water on him. "So it worked?" He prompted curiously, black eyes fixed on Auris.

Auris glanced down at her feet encased in oversized boots. "I should like to think so, I mean I was able to run here and I don't feel particularly tired."

Ceraun beamed at this. "It means you should be able to train with us now..." he started to say but Adrik was having none of it.

He scoffed loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "I had to teach Auris for a day, you can all bet on your lucky lock of hair that you'll also be doing the same." He said to Ceraun and Haneul, emphasising more on the fair haired Mage.

They gulped, there was no way around it.

"Fine." Ceraun agreed, pushing a hand through his drying hair, the dark blonde locks fell past his jaw, obscuring his vision. "By the Pillars, you make such a huge fuss about everything." He muttered under his breath, low enough that Adrik could not catch it.

He was finally getting his long hair to dry, he was not about to tempt Adrik to dunk his head in the icy water of the river again.

"That means that you will have to finish up the day with Auris." Haneul pointed out, heading back to the boulder he had been easily dragging behind him.

Ceraun went back to trying to retain his magic in his hands, he still had not made much progress as the sparkling lightning sitting on his hands dissipated or streaked away when he tried to keep its form.

"Have you tried meditating?" Auris’s voice startled him making him jump and lose control of his magic.

Auris moved to the side with fast movements to escape the streak of lightning coming for her, it scorched and chipped the side of a big rock in the distance.

"Watch where you're pointing your lightning!" Adrik's cold voice called sharply at him.

He winced, tucking his shoulders in, in mortification. "I apologise for that."

"No, it was all my fault really, I should not have startled you." Auris was quick to straighten out.

"I could not help but notice what you were trying to do and I thought I could offer some advice." She added, looking a tad nervous.

"You mean meditating?" He asked, frowning slightly. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"It might help you gain better control over your magic." She smiled encouragingly at him. "Just sit quietly, try to empty your mind and come to terms with what is causing your internal imbalance, perhaps you might find a solution there."

Adrik listened intently, impressed. "You seem to know an awful lot about it." He noted.

Auris flushed. "It was a sort of family heirloom." She mumbled vaguely, walking over to him so that they would resume their training.

Ceraun had listened and while he was not impressed with the idea of just sitting down and doing absolutely nothing hut trying not to think, he decided to give it a try.

He had exhausted every other option anyway and was rather starting to get tired of not seeing results so he wandered along the bank of the river, looking to get far enough so that he would not be able to hear or see the rest.

Walking across the river bank, made it so that he would not wander too far and it would be easier to find them again when he was done, all he would have to do would be to just follow the gently flowing river back to where he left them.

When he was far enough that he could no longer hear any sounds but that of the gurgling river, he stopped moving.

Cream looked around him for a proper and comfortable looking spot to try to meditate.

His eyes settled on a flat boulder, the sun was not scorching yet and he was better off staying somewhere above the ground of he did not want to get distracted by crawling bugs.

He got up on the boulder and assumed a comfortable position, not too comfortable that he was inclined to fall asleep.

He took in a deep breath and let his eyes slip shut, his now dry hair was back in its loose bun, a soft wind blowing tendrils of his hair into his face.