- Chapter 10 -

"It's been a while since I've seen the Hungarian mirror trap."
~ Maxim Horvath

"The Persian quick rug...And he thinks I'm old-fashioned."
~ Balthazar Blake

The breeze was very cool outside the courtyard of the castle, and Maxim thought that perhaps it was the perfect spot to teach Balthazar with the sword. Also considering how fair a day was that time.

The older apprentice then looked back to the younger one, whom held in his hand two wooden swords for practice.

"Does the courtyard seem alright to you?" Maxim asked over his shoulders, his back facing the blond.

Balthazar nodded, not really caring where his colleague may take him. "It's fine."

"Good." Turning to face the blond, Maxim then asked, "When did you last parried with your father?"

"Oh, it wasn't father whom parries with me," answered Balthazar. "Father chose to let Benjamin be my sparring partner."

"I see," said the dark haired apprentice quietly. "Where did you last left out with your lessons?"

The blond shook his head. "I don't remember."

Maxim looked as though surprised. "It has been that long?" Balthazar nodded.

Although he was aware that Balthazar was first taught with the sword by Sir Frederick at a younger age compared to him when he was taught, Maxim wasn't aware on how long exactly since last Balthazar ever took up a sword.

"Then I suppose we have a lot of work to be done," he only said. "Is it alright for you if we start from the beginning?"

Smiling with that silly look on his face, Balthazar teased, "Whatever makes you more comfortable...master Horvath."

Quirking a brow, and subtly smiling himself, Maxim thought on how good it feels to be some kind of teacher to someone. Perhaps someday, who knows? He'd find an apprentice of his own and, indeed, become a master himself.

"Not funny," said Maxim, but he wasn't able to hide his smile. "Do not ever call me that."

"Ah, but you like hearing it," said Balthazar, holding up a finger. The smile on his friend's face, no matter how subtle, didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Still not funny," replied Maxim, having his arms placed across his chest. His chin slightly lifted so as to look down on the blond, which was not hard since he was taller because of their age gap. "Now, are you ready to learn from me or are you going to jest at me all day?"

"I'm ready for both," answered Balthazar, raising a brow, smiling out of more to himself. In which, Maxim only rolled his eyes on that.

"I don't even know why I asked," murmured the teenager to himself. "Now," he then held out a hand to the blond, "hand me one of those swords." The blond did as told. "This is how I was taught, therefore it is the only way I know how to teach you."

Balthazar nodded, and all of a sudden, his features became slightly serious from hearing Maxim's tone of voice. He then watched carefully when the older apprentice lifted the wooden sword.

"Once you took possession of your sword," Maxim started to say, running down a hand on the wooden sword's supposedly blade, "think of it as already a part of your body." He sliced on the air, a very quick movement, and held the sword higher, his sword arm outstretched. "It then becomes an extension of your arm."

Staring wide-eyed at his colleague, Balthazar almost couldn't believe how serious Maxim was talking. The expressions, the stance, Balthazar thought to himself that if ever Maxim ever does become a master to an apprentice of his own, Maxim could be one strict and frightful master.

The older apprentice then slashed an invisible 'X' in the air, before holding up his wooden sword towards the blond. "Using the sword requires movement from your entire body, not just your arm," he said. He then approached the blond boy, hitting the left leg of said blond very lightly with the sword. "First: You must have a good footwork."

Maxim then made off to parry with Balthazar, skipping forward to drive the blond backwards, trying to make his point about footwork. After two successful blocks, Balthazar watched as Maxim moved in with great speed. It took about five seconds before Balthazar realized that his colleague got a sword under and through his left arm.

"If that were a real attack," said Maxim suddenly, "I could have killed you."

Balthazar swallowed hard. Yes, he knew that to be true, that he need not hear it. He watched Maxim again, standing up straighter to look at him.

"Only other thing that is required," the dark haired apprentice spoke again, "is the use of wits."

At that, Balthazar once again found his smile, saying, "Oh, I have a lot of wits."

Once again, Maxim quirked a brow. He then touched Balthazar's chest with both his middle and index finger. After the blond looked down on it, Maxim raised up his hand for his fingers to slightly flick on Balthazar's nose.

"I meant using your brain," said Maxim, knocking lightly on Balthazar's head. "Not using tricks."

"That only meant that I'm resourceful," said Balthazar in return, defending himself. "It is still counted for using wits."

"No, it is counted for using tricks," was Maxim's quick response. "It is not the same, if that's what you're trying to say."

"It is to!" retorted the blond.

"It is not," said Maxim firmly.

"Is to!"

"Is not!"

"Is to!"

"It is n-" Maxim stopped himself from even finishing what he was about to say. He closed his eyes, sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I shouldn't be wasting time arguing with you on this." He then looked back up to the blond. "When instead I should be using that time to teach you. Can we start now?"

After a few moment's hesitation, Balthazar made a look of resignation and held up his wooden sword, positioning himself in a fighting stance. Maxim on the other hand raised Balthazar's guard a little with his own wooden sword.

"Your guard's too low," said the teenager.

After a split seconds, the two were at it.

Here and there, the two parried on, until they got to a short pause where Balthazar was holding up both arms in shielding himself from another attack from Maxim. The older apprentice then adjusted the blond's arms.

"Your arms are in the wrong positions," was what Maxim only said, much to Balthazar's annoyance.

Once again the two parried some more, with the occasional 'ouch' from Balthazar as Maxim was doing a good job on repeatedly hitting the blond on the hand with the wooden sword. It eventually came to an end after a few more moments when Maxim finally slapped Balthazar's hand making the blond lose hold of his sword, and only because Maxim thought best that he shouldn't be too hard on Balthazar on their first duel practice. After all, they have just started.

While Balthazar was still in the middle of coping up with the pain he was feeling on his hand, Maxim placed his wooden sword over his shoulders, and said, "That, my friend, is the worst swordplay I had ever have in my life."

Looking up, Balthazar was obviously not so please with himself at all. "I told you, it's been too long since I last handled a sword."

Sighing heavily with a weary expression on his face, Maxim then said, "Well, if that's the case, then I believe you are to have a hard time with me."

Every Friday and Saturday, at least an hour before sunset, voices of two boys in swordplay, and the constant exclaim of 'ouch', were usually heard in the courtyard of the castle for about two months since. Not that there was anything that Merlin found wrong with it, in fact he simply found it rather amusing for his two apprentices. He could almost consider it as form of bonding, which he found rather good to prepare the boys to finally work together when the time is right.

"Stop it!" came a shout from Balthazar, obviously wanting to halt whatever his fellow apprentice was doing.

"Stop what?" Maxim simply replied. "We still have thirty minutes."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," replied Balthazar, slightly wincing at the pain he was feeling on his right leg and sword hand.

"It isn't my fault if you're not successful in blocking every attack I make," said Maxim, indicating to the wooden sword Balthazar had in possession with his own wooden sword.

After Balthazar flashed a smirked, the two were once again in swordplay.

Not far from where it was all going, Merlin watched silently with a smile on his face. The boys were working out well and quite better than he expected to be. He only hoped that the boys would stop making a lot of mischief together and at least try to stay out of trouble. He'd wanted to believe that it was Maxim's influence on Balthazar, but, he doubted it himself. Maxim could be more of a trouble-maker and more mischievous as he could get compared to Balthazar. On that, Merlin believed so to be very true indeed.

A sudden thought came to mind. Perhaps he shouldn't wait more. Perhaps the time had come. And perhaps what he was looking at right now, was already enough. Wasn't two months a good enough time? Yes it is. Besides, the boys seem to be ready to become training partners.

Merlin pushed himself away from where he was leaning his back on a wall. He made cautious steps towards his two apprentices, still in the middle of their swordplay, which ended as soon as he got about ten feet away.

"Let's face the truth, Horvath," Balthazar said after collapsing on a sitting position on the ground. He was panting heavily as he spoke. "I'm never going to win against you."

Maxim smiled to his friend. "Perhaps, but I have to admit, you're improving."

"But let us see how both of you would improve."

After hearing their master's voice, Maxim turned around immediately while Balthazar stood up in attention.

Merlin smiled down on both his apprentices as he approached closer. "Boys," he started to say, "I suppose it is time."

The boys shared a look with each other.

"Time for what exactly?" asked Maxim.

"About time for the two of you to work together," was Merlin's simple answer.

Once again, the boys shared a look with one another, before looking back up to their master.

"If both of you agree with me," Merlin spoke again, "then we shall start immediately tomorrow. We'll have a lot of work to be done."

For one last time that the boys looked at each other, there were broad smiles written on their faces.

Balthazar finally dropped both his hands, completely wasted of what he was doing. It had been hours since he and Maxim were training under their respective Circles, trying to use mind spells. He never would have thought that such spells could actually be quite draining. But out of being very tired, he was also very bored. He then slowly turned around to face his fellow apprentice to see if they were sharing the same thing.

"Horvath, I'm bored. What about you?" Balthazar started to ask, as he caught sight of his friend sitting very still on the stone floor. He then thought that perhaps something was wrong. "Horvath? Are you alright?"

The blond ten-year-old then thought of approaching, cautiously, his dark haired friend. When he got too close, he noticed that the older apprentice's shoulders were rising, up and down, continuously in a rhythm. It all made sense when he heard soft sighs. Apparently, Maxim was asleep, much to Balthazar's annoyance. Taking in one step back, Balthazar then pushed Maxim forward. When Maxim opened his eyes, it was too late. His nose met the stone wall, as he fell over to his face.

As the teenager scrambled to his feet, he drew out his blue-jeweled sword threateningly, shouting, "Show yourself, coward!" But there was no coward there in the room, only a blond boy, arms across the chest, feet tapping on the floor, and was glaring at him. He understood immediately what the look was for. "I wasn't asleep. Just having a rest, I swear." He only had a shook of the head from the blond as an answer.

"'As I was saying," Balthazar spoke once again, "I'm bored. What about you?"

Sheathing back his sword, Maxim gave out a big yawn and walked over towards his opened Encantus on a nearby table, then flipped a few pages. "Suppose we could do some other spells?" he said to the blond. "I think Merlin wouldn't mind if we learn a thing or two without him being around."

"That is if we get the spell right after this. But anyway, what sort of spells do you have in mind?" asked Balthazar, flipping a few pages himself on his own Encantus.

"Anything that would be interesting," answered Maxim, still having his gaze on the printed pages of his Encantus. "Or at least something we could have some fun with."

"Are we even allowed to do that?" asked Balthazar with a raised brow. Somehow, even if it was just two months, he already knows how his fellow apprentice's mind goes about.

The only reply Balthazar had was a look from Maxim as though saying, 'Who cares? No one's here with us, is there?'

Shrugging with resignation, Balthazar only said, "Well, what do you have?"

Once again having his gaze back to the Encantus, Maxim flipped one last page, then landed a finger on one particular spell.

"Here, this one," the teenager said. "Why don't we try this one? We would at least have enough time to work on it before Merlin comes back."

Having a look on the spell that Maxim indicated, Balthazar considered it for a long moment.

"But that's a trap spell," said the blond. "We haven't come across that kind of spells yet."

"Exactly," said Maxim simply. There was an air of flippancy in his tone of voice.

Though a little uncertain if they should, Balthazar agreed either way.

Hours later, Merlin came back to the castle from his visit to King Arthur. And as he stepped into the training room, he was still expecting the boys there, but rather, he found the room completely empty. He didn't know where the two went off to but he would like to have a few words with them, after seeing on what page their respective Encantus was opened.

Merlin then made off to get himself a chair and thought perhaps to wait for the boys to get back. But as he stepped into the rug right in the middle of the room, he felt his feet sunk into the rug like it was quick sand. He knew that spell! And he knew that the only way out of that was the same way on how one must get out of a quick sand. Oh heavens above forgive him, but when he get his hands on his apprentices...

And speaking of his apprentices...

Maxim and Balthazar went out of the kitchen, satisfied with the little snack they had eaten, which they had made for themselves...without help from magic. And so, as they made off to try and get back to the training room, Balthazar made to a halt along the way, making Maxim stop on his tracks as well. There was something about, considering the look on the blond's face.

"Why is it that I can't help having this feeling that we forgot something?" asked Balthazar to his fellow apprentice.

Furrowing his brows to think about it himself, Maxim said, "Yes, now that you've mentioned it, I suddenly had that feeling too."

Leaning over to the older apprentice, Balthazar added, "And it somehow concerns a rug."

"Wait." Maxim suddenly come to the point as though he just realized something. "Did we ever got to undo the spell on the rug before we left the room to have a bite?"

In return, Balthazar shook his head. "No, I don't believe we had."

"Eh," Maxim shrugged nonchalantly, "there's no idiot around the castle that could possibly step on it."

Finally turning a left and reaching to another hall, the two apprentices got about two feet away from the door of the training room, when they heard the voice of their master from the inside.

"Boys, I know you're there," Merlin was saying. His tone of voice was very calm. "If you don't mind, do hurry it up and give a helping hand."

Both apprentices looked at each other, mirroring each other's expressions on their faces.

"Because I can't seem to get myself out of this Persian rug trap," came Merlin's voice again.

"Oh no," whispered Maxim, and from the looks on Balthazar's face, it would seem as though the blond was thinking the same thing...

They were in trouble.

"Now do come inside and help me. We have a lot to talk about."

Immediately after, as soon as the boys entered the room, they tried to help their master get out of the rug trap, both holding onto an arm. They tried to pull their master free off the trap, and as they did, Maxim suddenly slipped off losing his hold on his master's arm. The teenager was forced to take steps backwards until he found himself falling over into a mirror behind him. As Maxim went through the other side of the mirror, Merlin realized that his apprentices were not only trying the the rug trap, but also...

"Please do not tell me you two tried out the Hungarian mirror trap as well," said Merlin, directing his words to both his apprentices.

"That would be me," replied Balthazar, looking a little sheepish, still holding onto his master.

Merlin tried to look over to the mirror. "Are you alright, Horvath?"

The older apprentice appeared from the mirror, standing up to his feet. "Yes, I'm alright. Um, may I just ask...how do I get out from here?"

"Are you trying to tell me that the two of you didn't even try knowing that important fact first?" asked Merlin with an angry tone.

Both apprentice's answer were silence. Merlin only sighed heavily on that.

"You can only get out of there by running through your own reflection," answered the sorcerer still stuck in the rug trap.

As Maxim did so, unfortunately, he leaped too far and found himself trapped in the rug same as his master.

"Balthazar help!" cried the teenager.

The blond immediately ran to his friend's aid and caught said friend by the shirt, leaving his master who also was in need of help from getting off the rug. Luckily for Merlin, it only took a few seconds for Balthazar to be able to pull off Maxim from the predicament before the teenager was able to sink down up to his knees.

"Very good, boys," said Merlin, still struggling to keep his head out, since he was already sinking up to his chest, both his arms still outstretched. "Now that Maxim is free, I suppose it is my turn, if you please."

It took a few minutes before the boys were able to pull their master out of the rug trap, and immediately after Merlin had gotten himself up to his feet, he undo the spell on the rug and magically rolled said rug and put aside somewhere in a corner. He then made to undo the spell on the mirror just the same, and returned his gaze to his two apprentices, whom were staring up to him expectantly.

"Now," said Merlin, "I believe we were to talk about what punishment would be suitable for this?"

The boys only shared a look with each other.

They messed up.