Seamus groaned; he was getting fed up with James refusing to tell him virtually anything. But the young mage led the way through the bustling city confidently, as if he had spent his whole life living there. Maybe he had, Seamus mused - he never really asked about James' past. He figured it rude and just didn't delve into it.

"Will you tell me where we're going now?"

"To the royal prison."

"Ah, oka- wait, what?!" Seamus exclaimed, stopping dead in his tracks, the soles of his shoes digging deep into the sandy ground (he stopped floating by the time they reached the city, not wanting to gather any more attention). "What in gods' names would we go there for?!" he asked, perplexed.

"We're busting someone out," came James' calm response. When did he become the composed one?

Seamus opened and closed his mouth a few times, obviously wanting to say something and then deciding against it. He shook his head, sending his hair flying, and finally said, "No, that's stupid."

"I know," James chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. "You don't have to help me if you do-"

"What are you blabbering on about?! Of course I have to help you! You're gonna get yourself caught and thrown in the prison and I'll be left without my bondmate. What then?" Seamus asked, knowing full well that James couldn't answer that. He rolled his eyes. "Who?"

"Who who?"

"Who are we busting out? Who is so important that you'd risk your freedom for them? Remember that as a mage, you'd get even worse conditions."

"It's a friend. I owe him one from ages ago," James said, ignoring Seamus' third statement. "I'm the reason he's in that prison, anyway."

"Oh, great. I'm not even going to ask."

"Heh."

"You sure managed a lot in your short life."


Determination rolled off James' magic - spirit, whatever - in waves, probably trying to contaminate Seamus as well, thought that was not going to happen. Just hurry along and get this over with.

It was the most stupid and reckless thing that he had ever heard James say and gods, did he hear him say stupid things. "Are you one hundred percent positive that I cannot talk you out of this?" he asked, even as they stood mere metres from the prison wall. There were guards no farther than seven metres from them, just behind the corner, and they probably wouldn't have been elated to see them plotting a breakout. You know, right outside of the prison.

"Yeah."

That was the answer he expected, but he still sighed. "Mind telling me your grandiose plan, then?"

"I'll need sleeping spells on the guards in this whole part and a blast spell on this," he tapped the worn out stones, mossy and icky, "wall."

Seamus frowned, sticking a hand into his robe. A second later, it emerged back, holding a small stone. "Just use this, it'll save us some trouble. I'll go work on the guards."

He tossed the stone at James, who caught it expertly. He turned it over in his hands, looking at the rune engraved into it. It read 'fire' and had red lines running all around it. A power manifestation stone. One of these bad boys and the wall would be done for in two seconds flat. He remembered Seamus telling him about those; remembered reading a bunch on them because they intrigued him. They were also rare as hell.

And now he could use one.

James eyed the wall for a few seconds until he felt a slight tug in his stomach. Seamus started putting guards to sleep. James' thoughts swayed to the blond and how much of a hassle it would of been if he weren't here with him.

He placed the stone onto the ground and started chanting a spell that he knew by heart. The air around him went hot and dry instantly, and his magic resonated with the stone. It was such a nice feeling - no description in a book would ever come even close to the real thing.

One more line. The words flew out of his mouth, smooth and trained to perfection. The stone shook a bit in its place and the next second the wall was gone, pieces of debris - stones and moss and dirt - were launched all around and James had to shield his face from them.

When he turned back around, observing his handiwork through the settling dust, he couldn't help but nod approvingly. The manifestation stones were cool.

"I got most of the guards, but some are still going to come check it out," Seamus stated, popping up from behind a corner. He looked the hole over. "Nice work."

"Thanks," James replied, allowing himself a grin. He hoped to get to use more of the stones in the future. He ignored Seamus' additional remark of 'could've been a bit more precise'.

Through the stones on the ground, a figure stepped over, holding a hand on their face to keep the dust away. When they stepped into the sunlight, revealing chocolate hair and pale skin, James smiled in earnest. The man was wearing a light brown tunic and holding onto a small object that looked somewhat like a lantern.

"Aleks!" he exclaimed, closing the distance between himself and the newcomer, grabbing him into a bear hug.

"James," 'Aleks' replied flatly. "You came." It sounded surprised, as if he didn't believe it himself.

"I promised, didn't I?" James said, letting go of Aleks when it became obvious that he wasn't too comfortable in the hold.

"I'm sorry to ruin the no doubt heart wrenching reunion," Seamus peeped up, not sounding very pleased, "but we've got about two dozens of guards just behind that corner coming at us with swords drawn."