Hunted

Summary: Grimtrix somehow manages to hire a magical bounty hunter whose job is to eliminate any and all magic conjurors, and his job is to take down Cedric for good. *Requested by Mr. Shortman92*

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wolfrik belongs to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: Mm-kay, so this story is going to be a bit darker than many of my others. And I mean that. With what Mr. Shortman92 presented, it is definitely darker than my usual stuff, which is fine. Lol. I like a challenge. Just wanted to give you a heads up. *passes out flashlights* 😉 Anyway, hope you enjoy!

PS: There is a bit of continuity from my story "Silhouettes" in this story. It's also a follow-up from "Princess Nova" and will explain the mysterious person at the end of the story.

*Story*

A few weeks ago…

Grimtrix paced back and forth in his cell, his brow furrowed in a reflective manner as he moved. He grunted in annoyance and kicked a pan of food that had been delivered to him a few hours ago. Had he had his magical scepter, he could have conjured better sustenance than the slop he was being fed. So he had organized an order to overthrow royal rulers… Big deal. The least the Hexley Hall crew could do was get him some decent food.

"A whole year in this miserable place," he grumbled angrily. "It's all that wretched Cedric's fault. If he'd only done as I said, I wouldn't be in this mess." He sighed loudly and flopped onto his cot, folding his arms as he pondered this train of thought. True, Cedric had been the main reason for his capture… The little purple-loving princess didn't help matters, but most of this was between him and the younger sorcerer. He should have known he'd go soft; how could he not, having a doting apprentice like that?

"Hmm," he murmured, stroking his beard contemplatively. "Perhaps I can handle both problems in one swipe." He smirked as he heard the squeaking of the door to the dungeon, signifying that someone was likely on his way down. He glanced through the bars as he recognized the visitor: a younger man with dark messy hair, wide blue eyes, and a sloppily-kept red robe half-tied. It was the new kid, as he called him. "Ah, Fabian the Fearless!" he teased with a grin. "Come to deliver supper this time?"

Fabian, a protégé working under the new headmaster Zeldon, gulped as he clutched the tray of food tighter. "Y-Yes," he affirmed, frowning. "Headmaster Zeldon sent me to deliver this to you."

"Good boy." The silver-haired sorcerer snatched the tray through the larger section of the bars and smirked at the student's reaction. "Relax, Fabian. I'm not going to…hurt you." He chuckled as he set the tray on his cot. "I don't have any magic left, remember?"

"Y-Yes…" Fabian cleared his throat and responded more firmly, "Yes. It was for the best."

"Sure, it was. Say, lad, could you do me a favor? Could you fetch me a quill and some parchment? I desperately want to write my mother and check on her. She wasn't well before I was locked up, you know." A sad expression formed on his face, and quite a convincing one at that. "I'm all she has—had—in the world, and it would break her heart if she never heard from me again."

"I—I don't know, Grim—"

"Please, Fabian," the former headmaster pleaded, his aqua eyes beginning to line with unshed tears. "Please, boy, I don't ask much, do I? I barely eat that slop—I mean…food… Just grant me this one wish, and I'll be satisfied."

Fabian sighed and nodded. "One moment." He turned and left the dungeon, hurrying back up the stairs to the main floor of the school.

Grimtrix sneered. "I'm good." He glared at the plate of meat and vegetables that had been delivered tonight. Well, at least it appeared more appetizing than whatever mushy mess he'd received that afternoon. He picked up what appeared to be a turkey leg and bit into it, a pleased look appearing on his face. "Hmm, not bad."

A few minutes later, Fabian returned with the requested items just in time to see Grimtrix polishing off his meal. He couldn't help laughing a bit. "You actually liked the meal tonight?"

"I guess even the biggest screw-ups will eventually get something right." He wiped his hands off on the cloth napkin before shoving his tray back through the bars at the boy. "Ah, you've found what I was looking for. Wonderful. Now I can…write my dearest mother." He smiled 'sincerely' as the student passed him the quill and parchment, thinking nothing of it. "I'll just write a quick letter, and if you don't mind, make sure you see that it is delivered to the location I designate. Dear old Mum lives in a rather isolated place, so I want to make sure she gets it."

"I'll see to it, sir," Fabian responded, ever the kind soul despite his present company.

Grimtrix nodded as he shifted his body so that the young man couldn't see what he was writing. "Dear Mother, how are you? I have an update for you…"

Several minutes later, the wicked sorcerer folded the letter and used a wax seal (courtesy of Fabian, the thoughtful lad) to ensure it was closed and private. "I appreciate your help, young Fabian," Grimtrix stated with a small grin. "Now, here's what I need you to do…"

In a practically abandoned village in an undisclosed area, a man sat at a rustic, makeshift desk as he poured over a letter he'd just received. The man in question was quite tall and clearly strong, his entire body made of practically nothing but muscle. He obviously spent plenty of time in the sun, as evidenced by his darkened skin. He had no hair to speak of, and he possessed sharp and piercing green eyes, both of which seemed to add to his intimidating appearance. An angry red scar etched its way down the left side of his face, particularly over his eye. His entire outfit consisted of black: black trousers, black boots, black half-tied tunic, black cloak draped over his shoulders… Around each of his muscled arms lay multiple spiked bands; on each hand was a black fingerless glove with the same types of spikes, some of which seemed to have been a bit chipped away in a few places, and some even lined with faint red stains. Make of that what you will. He wore a leather belt draped around his left shoulder and circling around his back that contained several throwing knives. Inside each boot he carried a dagger, but his favorite weapon was his sword…which could perhaps use a cleaning, especially after his recent…activities.

The man was known as Wolfrik the Fairy Destroyer; however, to many others, he was mainly known as something of a magical bounty hunter. People called on him to deal with (destroy) magical pests: dragons, fliegels, wee sprites, and many other magical creatures, particularly fairies, which was how he gained his title. At this point in his career, he'd probably eliminated close to two hundred fairies of different varieties. It was Wolfrik's belief that all magic was evil, and anyone or anything of that origin was also evil and needed to be destroyed. Magic, in his opinion, was evil and corruptive, and even the most innocent of souls could be taken in by the alluring aspect of it. The least common of his victims were magical people (witches, warlocks, sorcerers, sorceresses, wizards, etc.), but he was certainly not opposed to dealing with that sort of 'task' when challenged with it. After all, the fewer magical beings in the world, the better, in his opinion.

Therefore, when he received this particular letter that day, his interest was certainly piqued.

Honorable Wolfrik:

I have a job for you. There is a sorcerer by the name of Cedric the Sensational in the Kingdom of Enchancia, and he is causing trouble for the community-me in particular. He has misused magic, attempted upheaval of his own kingdom, committed treason against the royal family, corrupted a young princess named Sofia by teaching her powerful magic and exposing her to dark spells, and so many other things I cannot possibly recall right now. If he is not stopped, he will get away with everything and will continue his wicked ways.

He has manipulated the system and has had me captured and imprisoned in the dungeon of Hexley Hall. While it is true that I am classified as a sorcerer, and I know how you feel about magical beings, I no longer utilize magic in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I hadn't used it in years when Cedric suddenly turned on me for whatever reason and decided to have me captured. I've been locked away for a year, and I can no longer handle the mistreatment from the guards here.

It is with a heavy heart that I plead with you to deal with Cedric the Sensational, as you deal with any other wicked anomaly corrupted by magic. As a matter of fact, you might as well deal with the little princess too, because she herself is in possession of a magical amulet that can cause absolute chaos. Of course, that's up to you. If you succeed, I will pay you well beyond your imagination.

Regards,

Grimtrix the Good/Gratified (one of these days anyway)

Wolfrik narrowed his eyes at the words clearly quickly penned on the parchment. It appeared this Grimtrix fellow had been in a hurry when he'd written the letter, as many splotches and scratches were scattered through the message. Despite that, he was more focused on the content.

"Cedric the Sensational, hmm?" he mumbled to himself, his voice slightly gravelly and pensive. He smirked. "Well, then, Cedric the Sensational…" He gripped his sword and stabbed the letter mercilessly, the blade piercing the wooden desk. "Ready or not, here I come."

Present Day

"Thanks for coming with me to the village, Mr. Cedric," Sofia said as they walked together through Dunwiddie one afternoon. She sighed, twirling her ponytail around her fingers. "Everyone else was just so busy today."

"It's quite all right," Cedric acquiesced as he smiled at her. "I don't mind at all. You got me out of making yet another odor-reducing potion for the Queen of Barabagh again, so I am certainly not complaining." He shuddered involuntarily. "After seeing how much of that potion your father asked me to make, I hope I never have to meet that woman in real life…"

Sofia gave her friend a disapproving look before rolling her eyes. "Anyway… Let's go to the bakery. Ruby said they were starting to make some boysenberry muffins, and I'm really curious to try them."

"Ooh, those sound delicious," he admitted. "Count me in." He was slightly caught off guard as the princess grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bakery in obvious haste. He laughed. "Slow down, Sofia. Those muffins aren't going anywhere."

She grinned back at him. "You don't know that. Hurry, Mr. Cedric!"

Several minutes later, the two friends exited the bakery with a few boxes filled with goodies: muffins, scones, sweet biscuits, tarts, and so many other things. Cedric was particularly infatuated with some sugar-dusted cookie, which he seemed to be enjoying immensely.

"Is it good, Mr. Cedric?" Sofia teased as she munched on her boysenberry muffin.

"So good," he admitted, "that it may give my mother's fly cakes a run for their money." He smirked down at the giggling girl. "Don't tell her that, of course. I don't need a lecture." He then shook his head as he looked at the boxes they were each carrying. "It's funny. I thought we only went in for muffins. We came out with practically half the shop!"

"I didn't hear you complaining, Mr. Cookie-Muncher." She grinned as he rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's a treat to ourselves. We've both been working hard lately. We deserve it." She smiled mischievously as he nodded in agreement. "By the way, did you ever find your shoes?"

"Yes," he replied with a bit of a grumble as he gestured toward his feet, which indeed were properly in their shoes. "My shoes, my wand, several books… They'd all been stored away in one of my suitcases somehow. Either I was sleepwalking and sorting things around in my sleep, or someone has been messing with my stuff." He glanced toward her curiously.

Sofia shook her head. "Don't look at me. I didn't do it."

"I didn't think so…" He shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. I'm just happy to have everything back in order." He lifted another cookie from one of the boxes. "When we return to the castle, I have a few new spells to show you if you're interested."

She smiled happily. "I'm always interested in magic, Mr. Cedric."

Back at the castle, things were operating as normal. Baileywick oversaw the daily preparations and cleaning, as usual. Roland and Miranda were in the throne room conducting business as always, while the twins were walking through the corridor, bickering over the best vacation spot for their summer break. All in all, pretty much everything seemed rather normal.

At the gate to the castle, two of the guards suddenly stood more alert as a dark-cloaked man approached them. He looked rather intimidating and said nothing as he stopped, standing before them.

"Who are you?" the first one demanded clearly. "State your business."

"I'm not sure you'll like my answer," the stranger responded cheekily as he removed the hood from his cloak, revealing Wolfrik's scarred face. "But if you must know, I'm here to commit a grievous crime." Before the other two men could react, he used the heel of his sword and knocked them both out cold, their bodies slumping to the ground. He smirked. "Almost too easy…" Scouring the area and seeing no other obstacles, he simply walked through the gates undetected.

If there were supposed to be other guards on the grounds, they sure seemed either short-handed or absent altogether. Wolfrik thought that was both strange and amusing. A castle with no guards? Interesting… Perhaps he'd be out of here faster than he thought.

"Daddy!" Amber called as she and James entered the throne room, which was finally free of visitors. "Would you please tell James we're not going to Tangu again this summer?"

"What's wrong with Tangu?" Miranda asked curiously.

"Yeah, Amber," James agreed, folding his arms. "I mean, it's a cool place. Plus, we can visit with Zandar—"

"That's the only reason you want to go," she challenged with a roll of her eyes. "You can see Zandar any time. We need to go somewhere exotic for a change—like the Island of Scemaria." She squealed despite her previously annoyed mood, clasping her hands together. "I hear they have mermaids there!"

James looked toward his parents seriously. "Please don't let mermaids be the deciding factor in our summer vacation…"

Roland chuckled as he approached the twins. "Actually, Miranda and I were looking at the map earlier. There's a kingdom called Terramora not too far away from Avalor. When Sofia gets home, we can sit down and have a discussion and see what you think."

Amber sighed, nodding. "Okay, Daddy. Just remember that this is a big deal for us, especially since we're all about to be leaving Royal Prep for a brand-new school. We want this to be memorable for all the right reasons."

He smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He frowned as he heard a scream coming from the corridor and then turned quickly to Baileywick. "What was that?"

"I'm not sure, Your Majesty," the steward responded uncertainly, his face paling as he made a realization. "I… I think that was Violet screaming, though…"

"Stay here," the king demanded as he made sure the children remained with Miranda. He even pointed Baileywick back toward the trio before peeking out the door. To his relief, he saw Violet unharmed, but she looked panicked and was hiding behind a curtain. He frowned and made to call to her when he was suddenly shoved violently back into the room. "Ugh…"

Wolfrik entered the throne room, a sneer on his face and several feet of rope in his large hand. "Well, well, well… You must be the Royal Family of Enchancia." He chuckled darkly as the kids and Miranda ran over to help Roland to his feet. "Tell me." He snapped the rope, a sickening cracking sound echoing through the grand room. "Where is the sorcerer who works for this castle?"

"Cedric?" James asked in surprise. "Why are you after him?"

"Is this about what happened last year?" Roland held onto his wife. "We've settled all of that…"

"Nothing is ever truly settled when magic is involved, Your Majesty." He smiled wickedly as he began unraveling the thick rope. "And until I get a definitive answer, you're not going anywhere."

"Allow me," Cedric offered as he took the boxes of goodies from Sofia before using his family wand to levitate them around them, each one twirling and floating within feet of them. He smiled as she giggled. "It certainly makes things easier, does it not?"

"This is why I love magic," she said honestly and contentedly. "It makes things so much better." Her eyes were drawn to the gate to the castle as they crossed over the bridge, and she saw what appeared to be two men…asleep…on the ground? She frowned. "Mr. Cedric, look."

Cedric glanced in the suggested direction and instantly felt his heart speeding up. He'd always said the castle guards were useless, but the mere fact that they seemed to be… Something wasn't right. Still using his wand, he sent the boxes of goodies up to his opened tower window, satisfied that they were now secure so that he could handle the real matter at hand. He told Sofia to stand aside as he knelt next to the two guards, feeling their pulses and checking for breathing. Relieved at finding the evidence of life, he looked back toward his apprentice. "They're all right."

"Obviously they're not," she argued lightly as she stepped closer to him, clinging to his robe. "Mr. Cedric, I have a bad feeling…" She reached up with her free hand and grasped her amulet.

"As do I, my dear. Just stay close to me until we figure out what is going on." He reached down and freed his robe from her hand, wrapping his hand around hers instead. "Follow me."

It was an eerie feeling walking into a quiet castle. Even at night, Enchancia's castle was still bustling with busy workers or just general movement. But nothing? Nothing at all? It was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

"What happened to all the guards?" Cedric wondered yet again, not liking the absence of what was supposed to be their defense force. Looking down at the floor, he couldn't help noticing what seemed to be a…red trail…

"Mr. Cedric," Sofia whimpered, tightening her hold on his hand and her amulet simultaneously. "My family…" She looked up at him worriedly. "You don't think…?"

Cedric frowned before dropping to his knees and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sofia, I don't want you thinking like that. Everything is going to be fine, all right?" He swallowed nervously as she nodded uncertainly. "A-And… If… If anything did happen…" He watched as she stared back at him, her eyes wide and obviously full of fear. "I… I'll protect you, no matter what. I'll always be with you; I promise you that." He sighed as she hugged him tightly, and he returned the hug with a few whispered words of comfort as she shook a little, the action reminding him that she was, in fact, still so young, despite how mature she was. As she let him go, he gave her a calm yet serious look. "No matter what happens, stay nearby. We're going to find out what's going on here."

Sofia nodded quietly and took his hand again as he stood to his feet.

They began their trek and decided to start with the most obvious place: the throne room. After all, it's where they would expect to find at least the king and queen, so it seemed reasonable.

Cedric kept his hold on the princess's hand while his other hand gripped his family wand. He pushed the door open slowly…and immediately wished he hadn't.

"Ah-hah!" a jeering voice laughed, taunting the sorcerer as he and the princess fell forward through the door. "We've been awaiting your presence."

Sofia gasped as she noticed her parents and siblings, not to mention Baileywick, tied up in the center of the room. They didn't seem to be hurt, but it was obvious the man who'd captured them had quite the skill at imprisoning people, for lack of a better term. She glared at the dark-clad man. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Princess Sofia, I take it?" He sneered as he folded his arms, watching as the girl helped her mentor to his feet. "I am Wolfrik, a magical bounty hunter hired to destroy any and all users of magic." He withdrew his sword, aiming it toward Cedric. "And I see you've brought my bounty to me, Princess. How kind of you!"

"M-Me?" Cedric asked in shock. "You've been sent to destroy me? But who…?" He scowled, realizing quickly what was likely going on. "Grimtrix."

"Even for Grimtrix, this is going a bit far, isn't it?" Baileywick questioned.

"Surprising news, Baileywick," the sorcerer snapped as he held his wand up toward Wolfrik. "He's not a nice person." He glared at the bounty hunter. "And at the moment, neither am I. Dearmo!" The sword fell from the other man's hand, but other than that he got by unscathed, which didn't sit well with Cedric.

The darker man smirked as he ducked out of the way of the magical attack. "Nice try, sorcerer! But you'll have to be faster than that!"

Sofia quickly turned and frowned, a determined look setting on her face. She was going to free her family, no matter what. She started running toward them.

Wolfrik grinned as he watched the young girl take off. "That's right, Princess. Run right into my trap…"

Cedric overheard him and glanced up, gasping at the dangling cage above the royal family. "Sofia, look out!" He rushed over toward her and, just as she triggered the cord attached to the cage, he grabbed her and rolled out of the way, leaving the cage to fall directly over the five prisoners, still unharmed but even more trapped than before. He panted and glanced down at the girl. "Are you all right?"

She frowned but nodded. "I'm fine. But this guy won't be when I'm done with him."

"Sofia, don't do anything stupid."

"Saving my family isn't stupid, Mr. Cedric," she challenged, pulling away from him and jumping to her feet. "Hey, you big bully!" she called out to Wolfrik, who began approaching her. "Let them go!"

"Or what?" he taunted, grinning. "You'll throw your tiara at me?"

"You should learn not to underestimate people." She grasped her amulet, closing her eyes. "I wish—"

Amber gasped, leaning forward against her restraints. "Sofia, look out!"

Sofia couldn't react fast enough. She opened her eyes in time to see Wolfrik right in front of her, shoving her hard into the wall, causing her to hit her head against it. "Mm…" Her vision began swimming, and she was fighting against the overwhelming desire to succumb to sleep.

"Sofia!" Cedric gasped, wielding his wand and growling at the hunter. "Your fight is with me, Wolfrik. Not with the royal family, and certainly not with Sofia."

"You know what? You're right." Wolfrik, acting quickly, snatched the wand from his hand and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed.

Seeing he was now essentially weaponless, Cedric gasped when he found a strong pair of hands enclosing around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"Cedric!" Roland called, echoed by the others in his family, and even Baileywick. "GUARDS!"

"You're wasting your time, King Roland," Wolfrik informed him darkly, focusing his gaze on the slowly waning sorcerer. "No one is coming. I took care of everything… Nothing and no one is going to stop me from doing what I need to do—destroying anyone of magical origins, especially those who use it for all the wrong reasons."

Sofia slowly opened her eyes, her vision still slightly blurry but her senses kicking in again. She looked up to see her mentor in a chokehold against the much stronger bounty hunter. She gasped softly before feeling something next to her left hand. Cedric's wand… She gripped it and stood up shakily, her right hand clenching.

Wolfrik laughed wickedly as he could tell Cedric's breathing was slowing to a standstill. "That's it… Give it up."

"Hey!" Sofia yelled, getting the man's attention. "No one messes with my family, and no one threatens Mr. Cedric." Using her Enchantlet, she summoned a lasso and used it to tie around one of his arms, forcing him to loosen his grip on Cedric, which caused the sorcerer to fall to the floor.

"You want to play that game, little girl?" The bounty hunter smirked as he quickly scooped up his sword from the floor. "Let's play."

Sofia's eyes darted to her mentor, who was very pale and…was he even breathing? Her heart grew cold as she narrowed her eyes at the approaching bounty hunter. The sword came within inches of her heart before she held up Cedric's wand and commanded, "Interficio!" She had to close her eyes and turn her head as a blinding light erupted from Cedric's wand. She really wished she could have covered her ears too, because…that scream… She'd probably never get that sound out of her mind.

Feeling her Enchantlet slacken a bit, Sofia opened her eyes and noted with both relief and guilt that Wolfrik was gone. As in…gone. She retracted the lasso into her Enchantlet again before aiming the wand at the cage holding her family and Baileywick captive. "Libero!" She watched as the cage disappeared and the ropes fell to the floor around them, allowing them to stand and check to make sure each one was okay. Turning her attention back to her friend, Sofia's resolve crumbled.

She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled over to Cedric's limp body, her hands trembling and trying desperately to revive him just by shaking him. "Mr. Cedric, wake up… Please!"

"Sofia," Miranda murmured, not sure what to say to the girl. After all, their royal sorcerer really did appear to be…

"Sofia, I think he's…" Amber couldn't finish her statement, especially seeing the other princess's emotional state.

"He's not gone!" Sofia snapped. "He can't be!" She took in the fingerprint marks still around his neck, his pale features…and she just sobbed, wrapping her arms around him. "You promised me, Mr. Cedric. You promised you'd never leave me!"

Amber tried to hold it together, but the sight was too much for her. She also began crying, turning to her brother, who instantly held her and let her cry, a few tears falling from his own eyes.

Baileywick lowered his spectacles and rubbed a hand over his face, taking in the situation and not believing what he was seeing.

"What do we do, Rollie?" Miranda asked softly, her heart pounding at the scene. She couldn't fathom what they'd just witnessed. Was he really…?

Roland just shook his head, uncertain how to respond.

Sofia continued crying, her tears soaking Cedric's purple robe. With a shuddering breath, she gasped in surprise as she felt fingers weakly stroking her hair. She glanced down, her eyes widening as she realized her friend was breathing—weakly, but still breathing. His eyes were opening, his warm brown orbs connecting with her frightened blue. "M-Mr. Cedric?"

He smiled very feebly. "Sofia…"

The others gasped in surprise, and relief. That was far too close for their liking…

Sofia laughed in disbelief, a new wave of tears (of happiness) leaking down her face as she hugged him tightly, smiling as he sat up and gently returned the gesture. "You're alive… You're still here…"

He caressed her hair as he whispered, "I made you a promise, Sofia…and I intend to keep it."

Several hours later, after the guards were all recovered (they'd been locked in a guest bedroom and knocked out with some strange concoction Wolfrik had evidently created; some had been injured as well, which explained the red trail on the floor in the corridor earlier) and after everyone was medically examined, it was determined that for most no serious injuries were sustained. Cedric was still having a little trouble breathing and talking without pain, but the royal doctor assured that would improve in time. Sofia, having knocked her head against the marble wall when attacked, had the remnants of a headache lingering, though she too was assured that would fade. Both were advised to rest and heal the next few days.

Once night fell and everyone else was in bed, Sofia disregarded the medical advice and put on her Protector clothing, wincing as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her head still hurt, but she knew it would be okay soon enough. She quietly crept through the castle and made her way to Cedric's tower, climbing the stairs to his workshop. She wished he'd been moved into the main part of the castle while he was healing, but he'd insisted on staying in his tower. 'Such an introvert,' she thought with a little smile. She gently knocked and then pushed the door open, revealing her mentor staring out the window of the tower. "Mr. Cedric?"

He turned, one hand holding onto his injured throat as he offered her a smile. "Sofia," he whispered, sighing as she walked over and hugged him gently. "I'm still here," he rasped, patting her back. "Thanks to you."

"Mr. Cedric, I have something to tell you…" She urged him to sit down, and she pulled a chair up beside him, lowering her head. "I, uh… I had to do some stuff today to save you." She frowned as he peered at her in curiosity. "I used your wand."

He nodded. He'd figured as much.

"I…" She closed her eyes tightly. "I…destroyed him… Mr. Cedric…"

The sorcerer's eyes widened. Interficio was the strongest and deadliest spell he knew, and he was aware that she knew about the spell. But did that mean…? "Y-You…" He sighed, seeing that she was nodding and shaking. He reached out, grasping her hand and lifting her head with his free hand. "You did what you thought was right, Sofia."

"But…"

"Sometimes doing the right thing isn't easy," he said softly, his voice still cracking a bit but not nearly as badly as before. "No one is going to think less of you for this."

She squeezed his hand. "I'll never be able to get that…that scream out of my mind…" She shook her head. "I know he was a bad guy, but… Why do I feel so horrible?"

"Because you want to save everyone," he responded gently, his hand on one side of her face to keep her attention. "Not everyone can be saved, my dear. Don't let this destroy you. You did the right thing, even if you don't feel that way right now…"

She nodded quietly before diving into his arms again, letting out a sorrowful sob as he held her closely. She'd almost lost him today. She could have lost her family. She was in danger herself. It hit her then just how precious life was, and how it could be ripped away at any moment… And for that reason, she cried.

Cedric rubbed small circles on his apprentice's back. He hated seeing her in this state. For someone so strong and so powerful in her own right, it was in times like this that he realized just how vulnerable she could be, and how young she still was. She still had a lot to learn. Today was one of those hard lessons: life wasn't always easy, and decisions weren't either. He knew she'd done the right thing by destroying Wolfrik, but it would be useless to tell her that. She—who wanted to save everybody…like she'd saved him… "Sofia…"

"No, Mr. Cedric…" She looked up at him. "I don't want to hear that it'll be okay, because for now, it won't be. I hurt someone. I…" She sighed heavily. "I don't want to hear that it wasn't my fault, even if it wasn't. I don't want to hear that anyone else would've done the same thing… There's nothing you can tell me right now that will make me feel any better."

"Sofia…" He placed both of his hands alongside her face and gave her a serious look. "You saved my life. You saved your family. You need to know that nothing you've done will change our feelings for you. We still care about you, we'll still protect you as you've done us… And we'll still love you."

She blinked in surprise.

"I'll still love you." He knew at that moment—that was what she'd needed to hear.

The princess hugged him tightly once again, sniffling. "I love you too, Mr. Cedric…"

He rocked her back and forth until she'd fallen asleep, exhausted from the day's events. Who could blame her? He made sure to safely return her to bed before doing the same for himself, sporadic images replaying in his mind of what had transpired that day. Despite the fact that his apprentice had…destroyed…Wolfrik… He had a feeling this ordeal wasn't over. There just seemed to be so many unanswered questions. Truly, he hoped he'd get those answers sooner rather than later—if not for himself, then for Sofia.

He closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him as the moon shone high in the sky.

The end (and to be continued in "Redemption")