The Beast Within

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ceraun ended up with his tunic off as well, it needed to be dried. Adrik had not been trying to be mean when he said they would not move on until Ceraun had perfect control of his output of electricity.

Adrk had wisely refused to be Ceraun’s test subject, he could still feel the sting from the first time that Ceraun touched him and that hadn’t even been as powerful as the first.

The first try when they had started to practice in earnest was a disaster, the rock that Adrik had told Ceraun to hit was missed by a large margin, Adrik having to jump from the path of lightning which shot up to the sky after ricocheting around, brightening up the sky in a colorful display.

“You think anyone will notice that?” Ceraun gulped.

Adrik shot him an icy glare, tunic back on again. “Try again.” He ordered crisply.

Ceraun nodded and took in a deep breath, he didn’t need Adrik to tell him that if he kept using the full intensity of his powers like this, he would soon have to rest and be unable to use them for a long while.

Which meant, he needed to get the hang of controlling his lightning…

Easier said than done…

A few minutes later had him on his back on the ground, panting breathlessly, the trees and rocks around him were scorched and broken, and he was still nowhere close to his goal.

He had not even managed to get his trajectory right but at least he had refrained from sending another bolt of lightning into the sky.

Once, could be counted off as a strange occurrence but more, that would make it easy for non-Mages to tell that a Mage was using magic.

His control of his powers was still laughable and it might have been bearable if he could use them indefinitely but no, here he was on the ground, breathless and feeling like a couple of large rocks had been rolled over him and to make it worse, he couldn't use his magic again, he was burned out.

"Don't beat yourself up so hard, it's only your first day." Adrik's voice floated over to him from the river side.

Ceraun sat up with a groan, curious at what the other was doing, he had been crouching beside the river the whole time.

“What are you doing?” He asked curiously, getting to his feet.

“Nothing.” Adrik was quick to say, quite hastily too as he shoved his hands back in the water.

Ceraun gave him an odd look, deciding to let it go, at least until a wet splash alerted his attention. “Is that… a fish?” He suddenly perked up, hurrying over. “Are there fishes in the river?”

“Shut it, Feyrer.” Adrik bit out at him, when he hurried over and shoved his head over Adrik’s shoulder to get a look, yelling in his ear unpurposely.

“Stop holding it underwater, I want to get a look at it too.” Ceraun leaned even further, his weight resting on Adrik who was quick to shove him away.

“Now see, you have made me lose hold of it.” Adrik got up in a peeve, hands wet even as the fish scurried away, the river rippling.

“Sorry.” Ceraun apologized sheepishly, he was seated on the ground, his upper body bare, he pushed his long hair out of his face. “If you had just let me see it, you wouldn’t have lost it.”

Adrik’s eyes glowed briefly in his anger, Ceraun scrambling backwards cautiously. “How was I supposed to do that when you about sat on my head?”

“So there are fishes in the river?” Ceraun asked with a small smirk, an eyebrow raised curiously, ignoring Adrik’s complaints.

“Bastard…” Adrik cursed, going after him, hazel eyes glowing.

It didn’t take very long for Adrik to catch up to him as he was already exhausted, tackling him to the ground and readying a fist to punch him.

“Wait! Wait! Adrik! Who is going to explain to my mother why I have bruises for the second time in a row?” He raised a hand protectively over himself.

Adrik stopped and retracted his arm which was already poised to strike, kicking him in the side instead. “Now, unless you’re a tattler she’s not going to find out.”

Ceraun cursed on an explosive breath, curling to his side in pain.

“Tch, you are so out of shape.” Adrik scoffed to him, returning to the edge of the river.

“I have been practicing nonstop for the past half hour…”

“You mean, a couple minutes, at most.” Adrik corrected dryly.

“What?” Ceraun blinked in surprise still sprawled on the ground, to him it had been so long.

“What I said, you are not going to be able to fight properly if you don’t train your body too.”

“This is coming from the person with Anatomy Magic?” Ceraun scoffed, rolling his eyes.

In the next moment Adrik was looming over him, a dark expression on the Mages face. “This time I will not restrain myself from stepping on your gut.” He threatened. “And I do train, that is why I can do this…” He walked a little ways to pick up a reasonably sized rock. “...with ease and without using my powers.”

Ceraun’s eyes went wide as saucers, impressed with the other’s feat. “What if you’re using magic?” He asked curiously, rising to a sitting position.

“There is not much of a difference.” Adrik shrugged, dropping the rock.

He wasn’t being modest, his magic wasn’t very impressive, not when it was detrimental to his body, he had been warned against using it extensively or at it’s max or his body wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure.

It was frustrating because what was the use of having magic if you couldn’t even use it, using his ability to the max would have to mean that his body was in peak condition.

“Oh.” Ceraun muttered, noticing the mood change of the other. “I want to train as well then.” He shot up to his feet, determination painted across his face.

Adrik gave him a detached look, although he was relieved that Ceraun was back to his usual bright self but that didn’t mean he had to be nice.