These Things We Do

Part 2: Alfred

"Incendi!"

Alfred flinched. The birds above him took flight and cawed loudly, the sound scratchy in his ears. He should have been used to loud, sudden, painful noises by now, but he wasn't. His big brother's voice was usually so calm and soothing that the harsh commands were like pin pricks on his eardrums.

"Incendi!"

Again, Alfred flinched. He wished his brother would stop with this fascination of his and spend time with him. Maybe it was because he was jealous, but Alfred blamed that book for all of the problems between the two of them. Ever since Arthur bought it off that merchant in Rome it was all he ever talked about. "I think I'm getting closer, Alfred!" Arthur would say over the fire at night. "I got a little flame today; I feel it, one day soon, this book will realize that the best master of all is right under its nose!"

Arthur had been teaching Alfred everything he knew about magic ever since he found him lost and alone in the woods all those years ago. Consequentially, Alfred knew that Arthur's magic was so poor because the book didn't want to bond with him. He wasn't sure if the bond between book and servant was something that happened instantaneously or gradually, but either way, it had been nearly two years and Arthur was hardly any better than he was the first week.

"Incendi!" This time the call was followed by a little yelp and the rustling of bushes as a small cluster of insects flew past. "Oh my, I did it!" There was some more rustling as Arthur jumped around happily. "My God, I did it!"

Alfred smiled. He didn't know what exactly Arthur had done – something small, undoubtedly – but it had made Arthur happy, which made him happy..

"I…I've got to go tell Alfred!" There were quick footsteps in Alfred's direction and the boy inhaled sharply. He was supposed to have waited for Arthur to finish his 'training' by their camp about a mile away but had followed him as he always did. He dodged into the bushes and only just barely missed being found out. Arthur ran right where he had been sitting. "Alfred! Alfred! I did it!" He called merrily, whooping and jumping as he did.

Alfred sighed in relief. That was close. It wasn't abnormal for him to wander away from camp every once and a while to go exploring while Arthur 'trained', but he was absolutely forbidden from being anywhere near the Magic Book while it was open. Arthur was always babbling on about how dangerous the Magic Books were and would have a conniption if he knew how much danger Alfred was putting himself in.

When Arthur was well out of earshot, Alfred stood up and peeked into the clearing his brother had just left. On the stump he used as a desk was the Magic Book, sitting wide open and all alone.

Alfred sighed, a mischievous smile working on his face. "Arthur. Just like you." He started towards the stump. He knew he wasn't supposed to touch the book, but he couldn't leave it open. Sometimes, Arthur said, the books would cast spells all on their own. And besides, when would he ever have the chance to ever touch it again, especially if it chose Arthur as its servant?

Never. Now would be his only opportunity.

He crept towards it even though he knew nobody was watching. It was old but not ratty, it's simple grey cover nondescript and innocent. When he finally stood above it, he could see the strange characters on the page. He remembered the nights before Arthur bought the book, back when they had an actual house and actual food and actual clothes. Arthur would spend hours practicing reading the confusing script aloud; sometimes stories, sometimes history, sometimes the recipes for potions and the like. Alfred had never been allowed to learn the magic language himself, but it couldn't be too hard if Arthur could do it.

He was right. The characters were odd, but familiar, like he already knew the language and was just remembering it. He picked the book up, holding it open with both of his hands. Yes, the characters made some sort of sense in his mind. That one…the one that looked like a sickle…that made the 'yuh' sound…and the convex curve was a syllable, 'rod'. Alfred smiled. No, this wasn't hard at all. He didn't know what any of the sounds meant, but he knew the sounds. Maybe one day he would find his own MagicBook! He stood a little straighter, holding the book out, pretending to be a book servant like his brother wasn't. He smiled. He wondered what those strange syllables would taste like on his tongue…

"I…Incendi."

As soon as the word left his lips, the book grew warm in his hand. A second later, flames as tall as the trees and as yellow as the sun spurted forth, very nearly consuming his head. The book sank into his fingers, almost molding around them, and the fire grew steadily hotter – but he was not afraid. He was confused but comfortable, as if all of the questions he had ever asked had been answered and all the discomfort he had ever felt was washed away.

Peace turned to panic when the flames touches the tips of the trees, their dry leaves catching fire almost immediately. Panic swept through him and he starting breathing heavier. He looked down at the book. The words were barely visible beneath the flames, but a particular symbol stood out. It was a square with a backwards "R" imposed over it.

"Desino!"

As if a back hole had opened up in the spine of the book, the flames were sucked back in, leaving only burnt trees, ashes, and a few wayward sparks behind.

Alfred let out the breath he had forgotten he was holding. That was close. He understood why Arthur was so paranoid about him touching the book.

He moved to set the book back down on the stump but found he could not. He didn't want to.

Flipping the book over in his hands, he examined the front cover. There was a strange symbol etched in gold…it looked almost like the tracing of the outside silhouette of a house. Instead of a chimney it had a little almost-heart shape with the bottom cut off.

"That says…my name. But…my last name is Kirkland…" No, a little voice in his head reminded him, Arthur's last name is Kirkland. You two don't share blood. That was true. But it had been so long he couldn't remember what his name had been before Arthur found him. He traced the shapes with his finger. "Alfred Jones."

The cover flipped open and Alfred gasped. He placed his free hand under the other half of the cover. His eyes trailed across the characters until he reached the top. He scrunched his eyes together as he read. "Ecce meus libellus."

The book came alive in his hands, the lettering glowing a warm golden hue. The gold spread across the words, down the page, and onto the next, the pages of the book flipping as it spread. The symbols seemed to walk off the pages and up his arms, across his chest around to his back. They were cool and pleasant against his flesh, like an ocean breeze in the evening.

He closed his eyes. There was a pleasant fluttering in the pit of his stomach that he chose to revel in. His intestines were twirling around each other like snakes, a sensation that others might find disconcerting but Alfred loved.

After a few moments, the feeling faded and when Alfred opened his eyes the words had returned to the pages of the book. He smiled. He didn't know what had just happened, but he really wanted it to happen again.

When he moved to turn the pages they moved on their own accord, to an entirely new page. All of the letters on the page were blacker than coal. Somewhere, the back of his mind noted that the cover was no longer grey but goldenrod yellow.

He opened his mouth to say another word from the book when he heard a rustling and looked up.

There, in the same spot that he had entered the clearing from stood Arthur. His mouth was slightly a gape and his hand was extended, as if reaching out to grab something. Alfred's eyes widened and darted between Arthur and the book.

It was Arthur's book. He had touched it. He had used it. That look of hurt and pain and anger in his brother's eyes was unbearable and he knew he should put the book down and beg on his knees for forgiveness.

But…

The very idea of putting the book down and giving it back was even more unbearable. The idea of someone else's hands on his book…he felt violated just thinking about it. It was as if his being had extended outward to encompass the book along with his own body.

He could always tell Arthur he would rather keep it.

But…

Those emerald orbs were furious, betrayed, alight with fiery hate, and he knew that Arthur was going to want the book back no matter what. He could not give the book up even on pain of death. Alfred did the only other thing he could think to do. He ran.

He could hear Arthur's footsteps behind him and he pushed the book to his chest. "Alfred!" Arthur roared, all of the mirth and joviality that was in his voice not even ten minutes ago gone. "Wait, Alfred!"

Alfred did not wait but he knew that soon he would be caught. Arthur was much faster than he was. Somehow, he knew that the book would provide the answer. He pulled the book away from his chest and waved his hand over it. The book opened to a page somewhere in the middle and he knew instinctively that the answer to his problem was there somewhere.

He found it about half way down.

" Absentis!"

And just like that, he was gone, Arthur's voice ringing in his ears.

A/N: Yay! I don't like this chapter! Sorry, it's a bit...bad. I needed to write something and this happened...I promise, next chapter won't just be a boring description of someone bonding with a book, though it does happen ;) Character request to whoever guesses correctly! But yeah, there is one more chapter in stockpile and another in the works after this, next update will either be next weekend or sometime that week, considering I'm now in the process of editing X over Y. Please tell me what you think of the story and if you have any suggestions for future chapters go ahead and throw them passed me. I might not honor them, but I love brain candy :3 (but if you guess corectly I'll tell you who I've already decided on and you can pick from anyone who doesnt already have a role)

I love you all! Please leave me reviews! Wether it be praise, critisims, or corrections of my horrible grammar/spelling mistakes, feel free to let me know!