The Escapade of Althea

Chapter 6

Althea's POV

"You're here for me? What for?" I asked him, but I just shook my head and help him to stand up. I looked at him and he's clothes are now ragged and dad almost kill him. Thinking about that makes me sigh even more. I look at my dad and said: "You almost killed him! What's wrong with you dad?" 

He just shrugged his shoulder and smile at me like he hasn't done anything wrong, so I rolled my eyes at him and help Bryan to go inside our house. Once we went inside, I let him sit and make dad give him a quick heal spell on him. "Why are you really here, Bryan?" 

"Patrick the Great Sage is your father?" Bryan asked with an amused face. I chuckle and just nod at him but in real honesty, I don't believe dad is a great sage once, I thought he's just boasting. I looked at him and saw the smug look in his face. 

"Hey, Althea is asking you." My dad reminded him and that made him composed himself. 

"Oh, yeah. Like I said a while ago, I came for you. You know how much we want you to join us." He said

"And you follow her to spy on her?" My dad rebutted him then look at me and said: "And you young lady, how come you didn't notice his presence at all?" He sighs and continues talking, I put my hands to my face and shook my head. Oh my goodness, he's been like this forever and now in front of Bryan too, this is too embarrassing. I look at Bryan and still saw the amused face he has then look at me, I mouthed 'sorry' to him and he just laughs it off. 

"I think we have to have training again, Althea." 

"Yes, dad," I said quickly but realize what he said just made my eyes grew bigger. "What?!" 

"Why, aren't you thinking that too? That's why you came home and told me what just happen." I nodded and admit defeat to him. 

"Can I stay and make myself useful to you guys?" We both look at Bryan then look at each other. We both smile and nodded to him. 

"Are you sure about that, young man?" Dad smirk when he asked that to Bryan, I bet he's planning something unknown again. Bryan just nodded with a smile on his face. Poor Bryan, he doesn't know what he's saying. 

"Alright then, go to sleep and we'll start tomorrow morning," Dad said and the smirk on his face. And he goes out and leaves the of us here in the living room. I stand up and ready to go inside my room too but suddenly Bryan holds my arm and pulls me back. 

"What is it?" I said, looking at him and waiting for him to tell me what he got to say. He sighed, standing up then look me in the eye. I look back at him, I notice how he have dark brown eyes, his pointed nose that fits his face, and how his brown medium hair tied up nicely so his handsome face is showing. 

"So are you okay with that?" I wake up from my daydreaming and started to panic a little bit. Gosh, what did he say? 

"Please Althea?" He said again, I nodded then he smiles widely at me. "Thank you so much! I knew you understand. Let's finish your training as soon as possible then we can go back to the city and inform Chloe about you joining our team." My eyes grew bigger after hearing what he said. I brush him off and instantly walk towards my room, I hear him shouting my name but I choose to ignore him. I quickly go to bed and think about this, am I really ready to do this? I close my eyes and saw Taylor, Liam, Alexa, and William smiling at me. 

Third Person's POV

The night is young and Patrick can't sleep planning the training he will do to Althea and Bryan. He smiles thinking how he's going to train them. Meanwhile, Bryan is also smiling thinking about going to tower with Althea, and how he tricked her to be on his team. The truth is, he knows she's checking him out and use that advantage to make her say yes. He risks that and thankfully it works on her, he didn't expect she'll say yes but it works. 

Sunset is starting to wake up and Patrick is humming happily while he cooks something and from time to time he's looking outside where they will train. The two woke up and see what Patrick doing, they smile and look at him. 

"You are really excited, Dad," Althea said. Patrick looks at her and smiles so wide. 

"Of course, I've been alone and bored to death here. Now I got to train you again and your friend." He said, he put the dishes to the table and sit down to have some breakfast, the two did the same. "After this, you two can rest for a while then we will proceed to our training." 

An hour has passed and the three of them are now standing outside their house and waiting for Patrick to give instruction. Patrick can't contain his excitement and that makes the two nervous and excited at the same time. 

"Thousand Push-up, Sit-up, and lapses of running for you Bryan. And for you, my dear Althea, you do some concentration and make sure that you can lift this stone here consistent and this high until Bryan finishes doing he's warm-up." Althea smile and Bryan just sighs. While they're doing that, Patrick is sitting in the corner and watch them do all that he orders. 

Bryan is doing fast as he can to finish all of it, he's worried that if he takes his time Althea will have a difficult time. However, she's enjoying what she's doing and just calm on the other side.  

Two hours have passed and Bryan just finished the warm-up, he pats Althea's shoulder. She looks over to him and smiles. "What took you so long?" 

Bryan wants to be shocked but he just sighs and said, "Nothing is going to shock me about you anymore." 

The two of them walk toward where Patrick is sitting, he's smiling looking at them. Althea approaches him first then asks, "What's next?" 

He smirks to her then draw different sizes of circle, the two just watch them quietly and wait till he finishes what's he's doing. "I want you now to focus on your fire magic, and create a fireball that fits with these sizes. And every time you will fail, I will beat up this punk." 

Althea looks at Bryan and he just scowls at Patrick, and that made him laugh. "And you Bryan, you should focus on practicing to hide your aura." 

Bryan nodded and start concentrating, and Althea did the same. But Patrick is shocked to the two of them that they're doing great to their training. 

"It looks like this will end quickly." He said to himself and grin. And he's right because Althea is done and only left with two circles, the smallest and biggest. Bryan is doing great too, he's improving his concealment of aura. 

"Any advice on how to do this dad?" Althea asks. 

"Just focus on imagining and full concentration, sweetie. You are gifted, so all you have to do is to focus, be calm, and believe in yourself." He said to her, she nodded and close her eyes. And after a minute she opens her eyes and targets the remaining circles, and she did not fail. 

Patrick claps her hands and Bryan loses his focus and looks at her with an amused face, "You're impressive as ever." Bryan said 

Patrick approaches Bryan and calls Althea to approach them. 

"And for our last training." Patrick quickly cast a spell "Impervious Cage" 

"What we will be doing?" Althea asked.

"Keep your power control, and make sure not to hit us with your spell. Use your magic power in a full rage that will break this whole cage in one go, while we're here inside with you." Patrick said with a smirk on his face. Althea looks at Bryan worriedly but he nods to her and gives her a smile. 

"And I guess my job is to protect myself while she's doing that?" Bryan said looking at Patrick.

"Yes, but can you 100 percent conceal yourself too?" Patrick asks him. 

"I will do my best," Bryan said and conceal himself.

"Okay, but don't blame me if you got hit!" Althea shouted to them, the two of them chuckles. She ignores them and starts to concentrate. She uses a search engine to find both of them, she senses where his dad is since he did not conceal his aura. But she couldn't Bryan's aura, but didn't mind this since he said he'll protect himself. She took a breathe and start to cast a powerful fire spell that can cause to break the cage. She searches and focus on where's the weak point of the cage and targeted all the fire there.

"Hell's Fire Explosion!" 

Bryan immediately runs towards where Patrick is and uses him to cover for himself, Patrick chuckles after what he did. Thinking that he's smart and knows how to use others as well. 

"I'm sorry for this Bryan, but defend yourself to the fullest," Patrick said and before they knew it, he starts attacking Bryan.