Chapter 06

"You want to go back?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow at his apprentice, who stood before him, arms folded in a resolute manner, his beloved beside him, she having a worried look on her face and looking between them. She wasn't quite sure whose side to take and her whole mannerism made that obvious.

"Yes. There has to be a way."

The old master sighed, shaking his head.

"Balthazar, I understand how you feel. But you need to let go. Your life is as much over as mine is. And yes, I know why you want to change that. Listen closely, my student. Even if there was a way for a dead person to go back to life, it would likely have consequences. I don't want that to happen to you."

Balthazar was deeply in thoughts, one hand scratching his bearded chin, the forehead in thousand folds, cogwheels turning. Merlin waited patiently, but Veronica was finally unnerved and turned to her husband, her eyes betraying both panic and anger at the same time. Panic he could do something really dangerous and anger that he actually considered it an option.

"Who knows what could happen! Please, don't try.."
"Beloved.."
"No! Listen Balthazar, we can be together for all eternity here! You don't need to go back."
"Did you watch the soul mirror lately..?"
"Eh?"

The thing he mentioned was something he'd found out about quite recently. It was less of a standard mirror than a pond, working like a television, allowing the afterlife's inhabitants to watch what happened on earth. Of course he was always sitting there when Veronica looked for him. And each time she looked over his shoulder, she'd always see the same and it enraged her. Why was he so obsessed with this boy? Even now?

"He needs my help. He may be the prime Merlinean, but he's still a child, Veronica. A puppy without parents to feed it. A lost lamb at best."
"But you're no shepherd, my love... He needs to grow up alone."
"Not if I can help it.."

"But you can't." cut Merlin's voice harshly into their discussion, making them both flinch and turn their attention to him again. As they did, his features softened a little.

"Stay here. Do not try to defy the greater power. It's for your best."
"Please, Master.. there has to be-..."
"No. I'm sorry, Balthazar."

With that, the white-bearded master turned away, ending the conversation and sending his apprentices off. As they left the castle, Veronica was depressed and her husband fuming, his eyes one dark glare. While Veronica tried to talk to him, he kept quiet, both hands in his coat's pockets – lately he'd been wearing it more often again, as, unlike popular media suggested, you could wear whatever damn you pleased, not some cheesy robe and wings unless you wanted that – walking in front of her, his steps striding. She'd rarely seen him this angry. And when she did, it always had resulted in him taking action. There'd be no way to stop him if he'd decided to do something. Back in the days, she'd tried to keep him from running back to the castle - it didn't feel right and had ended with Morgana almost killing him and her in a thousand-year sleep in the grimhold. If he'd listened, they could've looked for the prime merlinean together.

Maybe he'd listen today.

"Please..", the sorceress tried again, closing up on him and finally embracing him from behind. He stood still now, but didn't turn around. Veronica felt him shaking. It took all he had for him to stay as composed as that.

"You need to calm down, my dear..", she said, leaning her head against his back. "Merlin only wants the best for you. So do I."

No answer was given. They spent a while standing on the field, none saying another word. The wind blew around them, past them and whispered all kinds of soft words. The minutes passed, then, finally, the man broke the silence.

"Beloved.. For over thousand years, all that time, I wished for us to be united forever. It was what kept me going, even when it got difficult. The only reason find the prime merlinean in the first place. Now that you're free, I'd want nothing more than to stay with you and live in peace at last. But Dave needs me. You didn't see his face. Hovarth is still out there. He might try to use him. If Dave stays the way he is.. The world still depends on him, even with Morgana gone, you know that."
"The world is safe. There are no more morganians now, no more merlineans, only David. And a powerless traitor."
"Who knows what Hovarth is capable of. I've got to try, beloved. Even if it means we won't see each other for another long time. It was foolish of me to seek death, I know that now."
"Foolish you say.. do you regret being here with me?"
"No my love. I don't. But my quest isn't over just yet."
"I understand.. But what do you scheme? Merlin said there was no way."

Balthazar was quiet for a moment. Then, slowly, he said "You did see the clock tower, right?"

"My love... we can't..."
"We can. If we work together, nothing can stop us, Veronica."

Finally he turned around to face her, determination in his storm blue eyes. She knew that look all too well. It meant that he wouldn't waver at whatever occupied his mind, or she or anyone else said or did. He would follow his plans, with or without her help. But since she loved him dearly, did she even have a choice to begin with?

"When do we go?", she then asked, a smile on her lips while her beloved one just took her into his arms as answer.

"Thanks, beloved."

Dave's day had been another disaster.

He'd lived through physics – saying a lot about a nerd like him -, withstood the urge to point out the nerve system's powers in biology, even solved a few problems in maths. But in history he slept. Literally. The teacher threw him out and that was about as much about it. After that, he'd missed the bus, had to walk home while all heavens decided to team up against him, sending their most powerful rain to soak him to the bones.

As he reached home, he was looking not only depressed and tired, but wet too! All he wanted now was a hot bath, followed by a warm bed and a night of good sleep, he didn't care it was still early afternoon. Walking up the stairs he found himself leaving trails of water on the steps, hoping nobody saw them lead to his apartment and make him mop up all of it. This would've been today's climax. Luckily, he got into the dwelling without a problem, closing the door soundly behind him with a sigh of relief.

"Hey bud'", he heard Bennett call from the living room, the roaring of a television in the background. "You might want to come over and watch the news.."
"What? Did they invent a drug against the common cold now?"

Saying that, Dave threw aside his sneakers and backpack, hung up the drenched jacket and made his way into the living room, to find his room mate sitting on the couch, a glass coke in his hands, eyes pinned on the screen.

"They said just a few minutes ago someone fell from a skyscraper. They're trying to find out how the man got up there in the first place."
"A suicide then?"
"Probably.. Failed too", Bennett said, taking a sip of the caffeinated suger water, pointing at the television with one offstanding ring finger. "I mean, how can you fail at dying, dude? They call it miracle of New York. That man isn't even scraped. Man!"

Dave raised an eyebrow at that. Falling at least 100 meters deep usually killed people, it didn't leave them without as much as a scratch. He turned to look at the man who either was too lucky for his own good or damn skilled in whatever extreme sports he practiced – and horribly failed at. As the camera switched from a utterly distressed female reporter and turned to the victim, Dave yelped so hard that Bennett nearly spilled his coke in a startled flinch.

"Are you insane, man?!", the dark-skinned cursed, his pulse racing and anger rising up, but latter feeling was being sufficated by the view his friend gave. Or rather, the sight he did not give as Dave rushed out of the room and the door fell shut with a loud bang without as much as a 'bye'.

Turning back to the television he thoughtfully scratched his head and further inspected the man, that was being loaded into an ambulance right now – as it was a live stream for once -, finding it interesting that a man could have so many rings on both hands...

Again, he was running through the thick lines of water that rained down on him. Only this time, the youth didn't care. He nearly tackled two or three people who called after the rushing boy, one cursing at his retreating form, but even that was easily dismissed. There was no time. He'd seen him laying there. Dave knew this was impossible. On the other hand, with sorcery, nothing was impossible, everything had become quite possible, if not likely. But that would be a completely new level of insanity. He'd recognized the street on television. And the shop in the background. It was now a mobile phone store, but not ten years ago. He forced his legs to go faster until the muscles cramped and he had to stop for a moment, just to dash off again in the next.

When he finally reached his destination, the whole "miracle" was over already. Police had finished their work, the tv teams were packing in, having found one hell of a story to repeat over and over for the next weeks to come, and the ambulance was gone. Dave knew where to find it of course, but his legs refused another run so he just sank on the wet side walk to his knees and stared to the cloudy sky, from where raindrops were still falling to no end. Closing his eyes against incoming drops and choosing to ignore the passing by people, he kept sitting there for a while.

Until a hand touched his shoulder, scaring him out of his wits.

"You'll catch a cold, Dave", someone said behind him. A male voice, that nearly had him laughing out loud. He'd heard it since that incident in Russia and, by now, deemed it another hallucination. He shook his head, smiling broadly. Even the touch on his shoulder was probably nothing else than his own imagination, right? He chuckled softly, then laughed openly over his own stupidity as he turned his head to look in the direction the voice came from. Of course, nothing was there. Again, he laughed, still ignoring the now scared bystanders and their comments of the likes of someone should call the police and there's another nutcase as he stood, slowly turning back the way his head should be.

He shouldn't have done it.

Storm-blue eyes, shrouded by a lined face with three-days-beard, a black hat and dark blonde hair, followed by a long coat, stared at his sceptically, causing the startled youth to jump backwards with a yelp and land badly and hard on said back, feeling his heart race and backside ache.

"Are you insane?!", he barked at the appearance, which gave it a crocked smile and two raised fingers. Dave sighed. Now, that was typical.

"Very funny, man."

He took the astonishing materialistic hand that was offered by the other and was lifted to his feet, firmly held by two astonishing materialistic hands to his shoulders. He now knew he probably was dreaming and was supposed to wake up soon after he realized it. The apprentice decided to make the best of it if he was right.

"Good to see you, Balthazar.."
The man raised an eyebrow at that. "Good to see you too, Dave.."

"So, how you've been doing?"
"Can't we discuss this somewhere else?"
"No, because I'm sure I'll wake up soon and cry my eyes out again. Thanks a lot!"
"You think this is a dream?"
"You're dead, aren't you?"
"Come", the elder said, taking his probably out-of-mind student with him by that one's hand and dragged him to the next subway entrance, out of view and hearing range. It was there when he let go of the freezing cold limb and turned to face Dave again. He wished he hadn't. The boy wasn't only shaking, he was openly sobbing and his face definitely wasn't wet just from the rain by the way water streamed down from his eyes that were fixated on him as if he'd.. seen a ghost maybe? The master decided to snap his apprentice out of it.

"I sure hope you're not pulling a 'David-Stutler' now, do you?"
"V-very funny. Is there a comedian school up there?"
"Get yourself together, Dave. I don't want you to end in psychiatric ward."

"Too late, man, much too late. Been there ten years ago, from ten to fifteen. Thanks a lot for reminding me!", he wailed, literally.

This was starting to cause his opposite a serious headache. He wasn't made to deal with mentally broken apprentices.. Then again, after all, it was his fault, at least part-wise. A sigh was threatening to show itself and was pressed back to make room for a deep breath before Balthazar replied.

"Dave, listen. And listen closely. I am not dead. This isn't some dream either. If you don't pull together, I'll plasma bolt you home and then make you train till you drop. I am perfectly determined to do that and you know this."

He didn't care if he sounded as stressed as he was. All he cared about was getting out of the cold and, maybe even more important, keep his apprentice from falling over from exhaustion in body and mind. The youth nodded, eyes widened and shaken. If this was a hallucination, it was a pretty authentic one!

"Good. Can you walk?"

Another nod. He'd loved to have heard Dave say it, but it would do for now.

"Come."

Dave did so, even if his gait betrayed the inner turmoil. If he'd ever been close to a nervous breakdown, it was now. His mind couldn't quite catch up with the recent events. Not quite wasn't even cutting it. Not at all maybe more.. He followed his master, who he still believed to be some kind of phantom, until they came to the railroad tracks, where he stood and waited for his distraught apprentice, who wiped his running nose with his sleeve, sniffing most pitifully. Buying two tickets he gestured the trembling youth to a bench, making him sit down on it first before joining.

"... how?", Dave finally asked in a tear-stricken voice, croaky and barely audible.
"That, Dave, would be more than you could bear right now. Wait till we get home, then I'll enlighten you."

On any other day, the intonation would've been enough to warn Dave of the thin ice he was walking on.
It wasn't today. Nor was there thin ice. Only Balthazar trying to get his apprentice to stop crying - it didn't sit right with him. It hadn't felt right up there and it still
was incredibly wrong to see a usually high-spirited boy like Dave down to the most human-possible level.

"No.. if this is a dream..", Dave started again, but the scolding glare of the other sorcerer made him shut his mouth before the sentence was even completed.

"It isn't. For now, believe it. And calm down, for heaven's sake"

His tone had been harsher than intended, which made Dave cringe visibly, adding to Balthazar's bad conscience instantly. He leaned back, blowing some hot air off with a snort, closing his eyes, thinking on how to comfort the upset youth somehow. The master knew how Dave felt, he'd been like this when Merlin died too - minus the mental breakdown. Unlike Dave, he didn't have had the time to mope around. Back then, being weak could get one killed. And he had a mission back then, even if he hadn't known just how long it would take, and if he had known, he'd probably appropriately grieved too. Forcing his thoughts into a different direction, he looked at Dave again, who still kept silently staring back at him, his eyes betraying the mistrust - mixed with a glimmer of hope he was wrong - of this whole situation. This look was what Balthazar had been afraid of..

When the train came, Balthazar felt doubts sprouting. Still he led Dave in, to a seat and placed himself next to the shaken boy, just to provide some comfort, even if he wasn't sure about advanced techniques for such. After a while, he felt something slump against his right shoulder and when he looked down, Dave had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Dave again woke in his bed. He couldn't quite put together how he got there and felt utterly puzzled. Then that weird dream...
Slowly he sat and fell back right away, when a throbbing headache attacked out of nowhere. With a moan he put one arm over his eyes - they felt crusty. Carefully he took said arm off and rubbed them.

"Just a dream then.. Of course.", he mumbled to himself and laughed humorlessly before turning on his side with a sigh. Actually he'd have to get up soon. If he was to catch up with his backlog - and the experiments - he'd have to get dressed and down into his laboratory. But he felt so drained. Staying in bed seemed like such a good idea.. But since both his stomach and conscience disagreed with that, he dragged himself out of bed and started the day.

Down in the kitchen he passed Bennett who looked at him like he'd seen a freaking ghost, gingerly waved hi and didn't remark on anything.

Weird.

So much he did believe last night had only been a dream he didn't expect - or even suspect for that matter - anything when the door to the subway turnaround was not only unlocked but also neatly warded. Maybe if the spell had kept him from entering, he might've given it a second thought, but since it was just another day, he didn't. Neither did he stop to think about simply entering the lab casually.

Until something narrowly missed his head and hit the wall behind him, sizzling out of existance.

Dave blinked, stared from the random point he'd been staring at to the wall behind, then followed the line of whatever had come at him. Again, his brain took some time to process what he saw.

"Hi", he then simply said to the person standing in the beautifully glowing merlin circle. Which was, in fact, not broken anymore, as his brain then noticed.

"You're late, Dave. Let's get to work", Balthazar stated in reply, which was either not heard - which he doubted - or not understood, which was the more likely of both, because Dave just kept staring. After a while, this got so unnerving the master feigned a cough which not only made Dave flinch more than it should have, but also seemed to break something utterly fragile that had kept him in one piece. The young sorcerer moved his mouth as if trying to say something, but failed to produce the matching sound. Before Balthazar could even waive a spell to catch Dave, the youth had fallen over already, out cold.

Dave found himself on a couch when he came to. This alone was puzzling. Plus, the headache from earlier had multiplied; instead of just throbbing in his temples, now the back hurt too. That day was just getting better and better..

"I see you're awake. Good", someone said and Dave craned his neck to look in the direction the voice had come from. Of course. So he was still asleep, wasn't he.. Probably part of some kind of psychological mechanism or something... But sudden blackouts? And hallucinations? Why couldn't he dream of Becky?

"Not so sure about that"
"You still don't believe me?"
"No. And if you ask me, I think I've lost it. I'm even talking to the hallucinations now. If that's not a deterioration I don't know what is. I should just visit a doctor, right?"
"No and yes."
"Shocking. That's new."
"What is?"
"You usually say yes and yes.", Dave said, seriously imitating the tone he remembered his master using which in turn made said one raise an eyebrow in question.
"If it's appropriate, Dave. But I agree you may need medical attention right now. I'm not sure if magic works on a concussion."

Dave almost grinned manically but could prevent that from happening just in time.

"Neither am I, buddy. And I'm supposed to be a master now, right? I ought to know such stuff."
"You would be, if you'd bothered reading the Encantus every now and then. Also, I'm not dead."
"Look, I know you're here to cheer me up and stuff and it's probably just my mind playing tricks on me too. But stop trying to convince me you're alive! I've been through that phase you know. Through all five freaking phases, man."
"I know.. And I'm sorry."

That caught the apprentice's attention and he slowly sat up to take a first full glance at the man he was talking to.
It was Balthazar alright, wether dream or not. He leaned against the backpiece of the couch, both ringed hands leaning on either side for balance. When Dave gingerly touched one of them, it felt warm and real and didn't pull away, though there was some visible tension going through the man for a moment before it left him again. Still he kept studying the ceiling.

"I made you go through all of this, Dave. That, I am deeply sorry for."

"You say that.. but do you have any idea what I've been going through?", was the unexpected resignating answer, that hoarsely and dry echoed back. As there was no reply, Dave first jumped off the couch, faced the man and then went on. Holding back was no option now.

"Just how many times do you expect me to see you die without snapping? Tell me, Balthazar."

Just as the elder was about to answer that, Dave spoke - more like shouted - again, now, that the shell had finally broken down completely, the dams went down with it.

"I went through hell since Russia! I couldn't concentrate on anything! I kept seeing you everywhere! Heard your voice, turned around each time, am deemed nuts by all of New York..!"

Breathing heavily, he waited for an answer from his older friend, who blinked in surprise at the sudden outbreak. When none came, it was again Dave who spoke.

"And the worst of all.." - he got silent all of a sudden, turning his back on his master once again in a sad attempt at hiding the a single tear running down his cheek. ".. I missed you a big deal, old man."

He felt his shoulder being gripped firmly in a reassuring touch. He looked up, trying to act bravely and – most of all – don't cry, but he failed miserably at both, when he saw the compassion in his friend's eyes. Now, more than before, he looked like a lost child in need for comfort, snivelling and shaking.

"You know, Dave.. it's the first time you are being honest with me", the master said after a while, making Dave's head snap up in a try to protest, but was cut off.

"Let me finish. If I'd known what I do to you I wouldn't have cast that spell. There could have been other ways. I presumed you'd get over it like I did when I was your age. I was wrong. Can you accept my humble apology for throwing you into hell?"

".. do you have to ask? How can I hold it to you that you saved me.. again?" There was the hint of a teary smile when he said that, lifting the spell of dread from the both of them. "You know, it's the first time you actually apologise for something too... We should mark the day in the calendar. Like 'the great day of firsts' or something..."

A nudge to his side was the only answer, before Balthazar stood and went over to the merlin circle, turned around to Dave who raised an eyebrow questioning, and said

"Let's resume where we stopped before you fainted like a girl, shall we?", he said, decisively provoking. Dave tried to put up a pouting front, but then smiled and made to join his master, allowing everyday life – and life itself – to return to him.

Dave's grades gradually recovered and actually became better than ever. Even Balthazar couldn't oversee his apprentice's improvements in both, school – for some reason the youth came to him each time he'd received test results now - and magic. There was a kind of shine in the young eyes, which had been missing for quite a long time. Maybe, thought Balthazar in a quiet moment, that was the Dave from ten years ago. The very same boy who'd entered his shop in search for a small, yellow letter.

Good old days. It was then it struck him; an idea. He'd reclaim his shop. Right now before anything else came to keep him busy. But as any plan, this one needed some preparations. Nicely asking and scaring tactics hadn't worked. Time for plan B.. Not that he needed the money or was bored - he had the feeling would bring some well-needed stability in both their lives. He'd spent all of his life chasing a phantom. Then spent half of the remaining training his apprentice. Spent the other half dead.

If he was to live, he wanted to do so to the fullest. With Veronica safe, nothing else to keep him, he'd do just that.

With that in mind, he was off. The master left a short letter for his apprentice, grabbed both his coat and and hat, before he left the turnaround behind.

"Balthazar?", asked Dave into the room when he arrived an hour later. A quick look to the wall clock told him he wasn't actually late, more like in-time for a change, for their appointment at six in the evening. In fact he wanted to show his master the A++ he got for The nervous system in Biology. He wanted to tell him of the stupid faces his classmates had made when he told them how everything worked to an extend that surpassed the textbooks. He wanted so describe in the brightest colors what the teacher had said and, most of all, he wanted to spend some quality time with the elder.

But that one wasn't there as he hit the bottom with an enthusiastic step. Even calling him a second time didn't result in an answer, causing him to frown slightly. Putting down his bag beside the staircase, the youth walked around, looking for any signs, if there were any, for an assaulter or whatever might've happened and overlooked the letter.

By the time he finally found it, he was all nervous and jittery, having all kinds of scenarios in his head. Reading the writings, he gave relieved sigh. Which was quickly replaced by sceptism.

"Righting what's wrong. Don't wait for me, levitate some stuff until I come back. - Balthazar"

Weird. Did the old man have unfinished business here? For half a heartbeat Dave panicked, thinking just for a second that might be the very reason he'd come back. To "right what's wrong" - but then again, that wasn't him. He'd be back. And when he would be, Dave didn't want to get caught loitering - or "get righted".

About two hours later, Dave jumped awake by the sound of a metallic door opening. The chairs he'd used for practice laid around him, definitely not levitating. Concluding he'd fallen asleep, the apprentice peeled off the floor and stood, stretching and barely keeping a yawn inside, looking up the stairs, where the sound of descending steps was heard from as the master joined him in the chamber, a sweet smile on his face – rather creepy in fact – holding a rolled paper in one hand. When he saw Dave, he frowned a little, as if he hadn't expected the youth to be here, then shook his head as he remembered why exactly that was the case.

"Hello Dave..", he called, half leaning over the handrail of the catwalk, grinning down on his apprentice, who greeted back.

"What's that?", the younger sorcerer finally asked, pointing at the thing the elder brought.

"Oh, nothing. Just an owner's license."

Dave cocked an eyebrow at that. "Of what? Did you finally purchase an apartment?"

It was meant as a joke, but the, the, glare Dave got, made him shrink and lift both hands in defense. Balthazar snorted and replied; "No. Well, not just that. There are rooms upstairs, but the main part is for business."

It finally clicked.

"Can I tell you what I think?"
"Tell me what you think."
"I think you bought back the Arcana Cabana and are trying to re-open it now."
"Wrong in two parts, Dave. First, it's a mobile phone store now if you remember..."

- Both made a face at that, Dave feeling stupid and Balthazar feeling hesistant of wanting to even think about it, he continued anyway - "... and I'm not trying to, but doing so. And you will help me."

"What could you possibly need help with?"

"For once, recovering the goods the city administration unrightfully sold. We'll need to locate them. There's a lot of potential dangerous stuff among it. Too much for just an old man, don't you agree?"

"Ha-Ha. Very funny."

"We'll skip training for today", the elder then said, oblivious to the fact he already had his apprentice train more than his usual share today, which was a reason for Dave to look up, pointing wordlessly – but open mouthed – at the furnishings, trying to get a clear statement out, but stuttering in utter dismay at the obviously forgotten effort he'd done.

Blinking twice, Balthazar finally got the clue and raised from the rail, descended on the stairs and stood beside the apprentice, patting him on the shoulder, making the dark-blonde frown in confusion and close his mouth.

"Well, since you went forth and practised, let's see your progress", he said, turning around, stepping back into the shadows and looking expectantly at Dave, who was quite at a loss, before he caught himself and sprinted back to the circle, cleared his mind in record time and made the chairs slowly raise before they formed a ring that wobbled around him in a wide radius. Proud of himself he looked over to Balthazar who gave it an aknowledging nod.

"Not bad. How long can you keep them up?"
"I've done it for two hours!", Dave said with pride, but dropped it when he noticed the smirk on his master's face.
"Let's see it."

That made Dave nearly lose his concentration and call "WHAT?". But before that happened, he forced back the urge to strangle the elder and focused on the spell once again, chanelling all energy to keep all at a steady pace. He would show him, hrmph...!

Oh yes. He had shown him alright.

One and a half hour he'd levitated the chairs until they started to drop, one by one, clattering to the ground, some breaking, some unharmed. As the last one fell, Dave also did, panting and exhausted beyond believe. He heard steps and looked up to see Balthazar stand beside him, looking down on him, an amused look on his features.

"That wasn't quite two hours..", he said loud enough to get through the ringing in Dave's ears, but before the apprentice could jump up and at his master, said one continued. "But you made progress, concentrating that long. As reward, I'll treat you to a pizza."

Instantly, life returned to the beaten youth, who jumped to his legs in one swift motion. Over-estimating his vigor though, he felt them buckle under him and he was spared a painful fall just because the man beside him caught him by the shoulders, shaking his head in silence. When Dave gave the impression stability again, Balthazar released him and stepped back one step, looking at the trembling appearance of the younger sorcerer, sighing.

"Alright. Sit down on one of these..", he said, motioning to the chairs and summoning over Dave's phone, ".. and then order two pizzas; make one of it hawaii."

The phone was given to it's blinking owner, who took one chair by the backrest and set it on it's four legs before falling heavily on it and dialing the number of the delivery service – like most students, a limited timeframe between school and home had him memorise the frequently called number by now so he didn't need to look it up. As the order was completed and he closed the phone, he leaned back, glad about the rest. Peeking over to the elder sorcerer, he found him backwards leaning on the table where the Encantus laid, studying the document he'd brought, his reading glasses sitting neatly on his nose.

A question was pressing.

"How did you do it?"
"Come again?", the talked-to retorted, looking over the glasses at Dave.
"I thought you'd given up on your shop.."
"For once, Dave, it's not a shop. It is all but a store."
"Come on..!"

"They claimed my grounds unrightfully. I offered them a lawsuit and they complied. That's all about it..."

"Oh."

If Dave hadn't known better, he could've pictured his master standing before the owners, a mindspell over them, and talking them into accepting the deal. But as Balthazar was Merlinean, he probably wouldn't do that... not even for payback... right? It was then Dave noticed he'd stared at Balthazar, who smirked after probably hearing every single thought, making the youth blush furiously in embarrassment and look away.

"Don't worry, Dave", was all he said, before he returned to reading the document, the smile still present and unwavering. It made the apprentice uncomfortable and relieved at the same time. Another thing bothered him though, but he didn't dare to ask it. Not even thinking was an option. So he decided to ask later, leaning back on the stool, sighing contently. He heard a chuckle from the side and smiled a small smile too.

It was good now.

The nightmare finally was over.