*I own nothing STF!*

Casting Shadows

The Next Morning…

The stench of smoke wafted through the Freezenburg castle balcony, ravaging the inside air of the royal study and making the already heated atmosphere even more stifling.

As Wormwood and Lucinda followed behind James and a few Order members into the room, the raven eyed Cedric's father, Magnus, and King Henrik of Freezenburg bent over a table; maps were strewn haphazardly onto it. Cedric's father, that annoyingly chipper headmaster, Grimtrix, and the rest of the Order surrounded the kings, including a brawny sorcerer Wormwood assumed to be Freezenburg's royal sorcerer.

The raven peered up at the monstrous royal sorcerer who soberly stood beside King Henrik. A sudden chill shot through his feathers, causing Wormwood to look away and find everyone glowering at them instead.

Why did you bring a witch spy here!" Magnus snarled, pointing at Lucinda and Wormwood. "Guards! Search her for a wand and restrain her!"

The Freezenburg and Enchancian guards surrounded Lucinda and Wormwood, roughly bringing them closer to everyone.

"I'm not a spy!" Lucinda snarled.

"Did I permit you to speak?" The Rudistan king fumed. "Be silent!"

"Say," Grimtrix exhaled, tilting his head quizzically. "That's Cedric's animal companion. What happened?"

The room soon swarmed with concerned whispers and angry noises from Magnus until Roland cleared his throat, "Everyone calm down!" He commanded. "I am sure my son has a reasonable explanation."

It was not until then that Wormwood saw soot on the king's face and arms upon a closer look. His jacket was gone, wearing only his under blouse with the sleeves rolled up. It was the most unkempt the bird had ever seen King Roland, and the sight reminded him of when they flew into the town, the homes and shops burned down, ash and snow mingling on the streets. Soldiers went in and out of the castle, tending to the wounded and putting out small fires. It was chaos.

I wonder if the king was helping them? Wormwood glared then smirked. He could not imagine the pompous King Magnus getting his hands dirty or having one greasy hair out of place.

"Dad, as you requested, I was about to go searching for Sofia in the nearby villages." James began introducing the two strangers, retelling everything Lucinda said about their time with the cult and their escape. "They made their way to the castle; however, I made them take me back to the cult's lair."

Gasps erupted once again as Roland and Goodwyn both frowned.

"That was very dangerous, James," His father murmured.

"If the cult were there, you would have been terribly outnumbered," Goodwyn added.

"It was fine!" James waved his hands defensively. "Since some of the Order members stayed with me, they could sense with magic who was there. If there were too many, we would not have gone in. I just… I had to know if Sofia was taken there and find answers."

"What did you find?" King Henrik prompted.

Clenching his fists, the prince uttered, "There was no trace of anything."

"Well, of course not!" Magnus humphed. "They all came here screaming bloody murder."

"Everyone must have used the teleportation spell to come here," Grimtrix surmised. "There was no way the cult could get here that fast without it. After talking with some villagers, they said the people who attacked were not many; they were just very powerful. So the cult must have another hideout up here where all of them are hiding."

Goodwyn nodded, "With the kings' permission, We should scout out where they may be hiding and plan a strategy."

Roland sighed wearily, rubbing underneath the purple circles of his eyes. "I think the best option right now should be to get more alliances on our side and rest briefly. First, I must tell my wife what happened, and then I will go to the head fairies of Royal Prep for help." Directing his attention towards Goodwyn, the king continued, "If you and the Order wish to stay to plan, I am not opposed, but please do not rush into anything. Let's all conjoin here tonight at sundown with more allies and plan to destroy this cult for good."

"I am sorry," Magnus sniveled, crossing his arms. "But I disagree with one part of this plan. If we are to get reinforcements, then they cannot be magic wielders." Then, puffing his chest proudly, the king proclaimed, "Everyone, now is the time we need to gather up all the magic users who are not a part of this cult and interrogate them. The cult must not grow."

"I am sorry, but I cannot allow that," The Enchancian king replied, his voice strained, low, and too controlled as if he were trying to keep himself from an outburst. "What do you intend to do once you lock up every magic-user? How are we supposed to track them down and arrest them all? How will we defeat the cult after that?"

"Don't get caught up in all the details, Roland," Magnus stated icily. "I say we each go back to our kingdoms and start separating the wheat from the chaff as it were. We must not have the cult get too arrogant. "

"I must send my daughters away from here where they'll be safe." Henrik trembled. "We were almost caught completely off if it were not for Igor and the rest of you all. If arresting anyone suspicious is the way to lessen the cult's power, then we should do that."

"Exactly. We should not even be arguing over this," The Rudistan King nodded his head at Henrik proudly.

Roland's eyebrow twitched, "No, we shouldn't because it is a terrible plan. We should take some time to plan an attack and ally with the sorcerers who will fight on our side. I know plenty of fairies and sorcerers who would help us."

"Oh, who? Like your royal sorcerer?" Magnus sneered.

Roland's eyes grew dark, his mouth clamping into a thin line.

Wormwood, who had been watching the argument unfold before his irritable eyes, wanted to screech at them how wrong they were about Cedric. If they only knew that his idiotic master put his life on the line for Sofia and the rest of them. They should be on their knees with gratitude, but the change in Cedric's heart was evident only to Sofia and Wormwood, who truly knew him. Still, now it even seemed like Sofia turned on the sorcerer with how James described her erratic and strange behavior at the meeting.

"First, it was Greylock, and now it is Cedric," Magnus growled. "We can't trust anyone with magic, and we must show our power and right to rule over their wild ways!"

"What about us?" A deep voice rasped out.

All eyes turned to Igor the Invincible, who held his muscular arm out to the Order. "They are risking their lives to help you, as am I, yet you say you do not trust us?"

"I trust people who obey me." Magnus seethed. "I have no issue with you or the Order as long as you all know your place."

Wormwood saw all the Order members stiffen and exchange distrustful glances with each other as the king lashed out.

A chuckle cut through the tension, and all heads turned to Grimtrix, who leaned against his staff. "Your majesties," he continued giggling. "I must advise you that one does not want an uprising on their hands. If the cult were to be angered again, what happened here in Freezenburg tonight could be ten times worse."

And who are you again?" Magnus spat out with annoyance, making the headmaster wince.

Goodwyn stepped in front of Grimtrix, stating, "That's Grimtrix the Good, the headmaster of Hexley Hall and vice-head of the Order."

"I don't remember seeing him at the meeting." Magnus crossed his arms.

He couldn't make the meeting because-"

"A friend of mine who lives here told me that the cult was attacking a village nearby before they came to the castle." Grimtrix's syrupy tone cut off the elderly sorcerer. "I am afraid I could not make the meeting due to that because I was helping already before everyone got here."

"I see…And since you were not there, you did not hear what happened; therefore, your opinion is invalid." Magnus sniffed.

"Oh, whatever you wish, Majesty." Grimtrix cooed, bowing low. "I only seek an outcome that is peaceful."

"There is no need to worry about that." The Rudistan King huffed. "I will handle everything like the great and powerful king I am."

"But your method is impractical and impossible!" King Roland stressed again; his voice raised this time. "It will only waste our time!"

"For goodness sake, Cedric stole your daughter! Who knows what he will do to her with his twisted dark magic? Who knows what he will do if more people join his cult!" Magnus pounded the table with his fists, making King Henrik jump. "We cannot just rush in when we are completely defenseless! We must take out anyone who poses a threat first!"

"You do not have to remind me that my daughter was taken from me." Roland muttered hoarsely, "I am terrified for her safety and the rest of my family, but we still must reason about this. Cedric might not be in charge of the cult, and it could still be Greylock or someone else, for that matter."

The raven's breath hitched, and Lucinda immediately gave him a sidelong glance. What was gnawing at Wormwood's brain this whole time, ever since James told them about the disastrous meeting, finally clicked. Hearing Greylock's name reminded the bird of the sorcerer's bizarre behavior at the ball that was eerily similar to Sofia's. And the mysterious figure that Wormwood saw with Grimtrix. Come to think of it; it almost sounded like the phantom was ordering Greylock to kill her, not merely plotting with him.

Could that creature have possessed him? Wormwood thought. Is something like that still possible? But, of course, controlling someone is a banned magic practice and improbable unless the darkest magic is involved. Still… this is a cult we are dealing with, and what if Greylock was calling for my help!

"It's been a long day and night." Goodwyn intervened between the two kings. "Let us not make a final decision until tonight."

"Fine." Magnus gave the nod. "I will stay here with Henrik, but you can leave Roland. Hopefully, taking a moment to clear your head will bring back your common sense."

Roland only bit his tongue and gave a slight bow to both kings. "My guards will be leaving with me, as will Lucinda and Wormwood. I will question them back in Enchancia."

"Absolutely n-"

"If you want me to even think about your plan," The king cut off Magnus from his outburst. "Then you will let me escort them back with me, and I will return with them tonight."

Without another word, Roland turned his back to leave, the rest of his party solemnly following. Once they exited the castle, did Wormwood give an exhale of relief. At least they were returning home, and then he could search for any clue as to where Cedric might have gone. The raven decided that once he set foot back in the castle, he would find Cedric himself and get real answers as to what happened, as well as figure out who that phantom was. No matter what, Wormwood was determined to discover the truth himself.

Dawn rises at the Dragonhold Fortress…

A stabbing pain in the back woke Cedric up. He had fallen asleep sitting up, his head reclining comfortably on top of Sofia's, but his neck was clearly not enjoying it. Resting his eyes on Sofia, she lay asleep still as a sliver of the sun's rays from above illuminated her face.

The sorcerer let his hand softly caress her cheek. She's so beautiful. Pulling back sharply, his lips curled into a slight scowl. What was that about? He told himself, freaking out why he just subconsciously let those words pass through his mind. Sofia was always a lovely young woman, but waking up and having her be the first thing he saw was making his stomach flip upside down. I think this entire situation we're in is making me ill.

Sofia's eyelids fluttered open, her eyes adjusting to an unfamiliar room. Jolting up from Cedric's shoulder, she cried, "Where am I?"

"Sofia," Cedric grasped her shoulders. "It's alright."

"Cedric? Wh...where? Oh." Sofia's eyes watered in realization before she held a hand to her head, wincing. "Right. I thought for a second this was all a bad nightmare."

"I'm so sorry," Cedric murmured, his head bent in shame.

"Don't apologize, I'm fine, really," Sofia beamed, interlocking her fingers with his, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Did you solve anything?"

Choosing to ignore her, holding his hand and not refusing to let go either, Cedric clicked his tongue, "No. I can only make out the Maruvian word, blank and the elvish word, blank. The rest are the symbols that I told you about, and I can't remember them.

"You're probably exhausted," Sofia soothed, stroking her thumb over his fingertips. "Did you sleep at all?"

"A little."

"Well, well, the two lovebird idiots are finally awake!" The familiar grating voice sneered from above them.

"The worst thing Grimtrix could ever do was cast a spell so that everyone can hear your aggravating voice," Cedric seethed. This weasel was the worst.

"My master instructed me to give you food and a fresh bandage." The weasel ignored Cedric's comment as she lugged two pieces of bread and cloth, dropping them into Cedric's hands. "There's also fresh water in that pitcher over there. My master will be back soon and hopes you are making progress, Cedric. For her sake."

Cedric snarled at her but helped Sofia change her bandage to the fresh one, and afterward, they ate in silence.

Turning the journal into his hands, Cedric munched on his bread, a few crumbs falling onto the page where the last journal entry was. Scrutinizing the page, Sofia snatched the journal from Cedric's hands. "That's a huge smudge on this page. I didn't notice it yesterday."

"It's probably from the wear and tear." Cedric huffed as he chewed.

Sofia thoughtfully rubbed her hands against it before getting up to grab water. "Remember when you had a smudge on a spellbook one time, and it covered up part of the spell? I wonder.." She splashed some water and used the end of her dress to rub off the grime. "There's something here, look! It was covering up this symbol."

Studying the mark, Cedric traced his fingers around it. "I think...I think this is the sign of the animal familiar."

"What's that?"

"Back then, receiving your animal companion as a sorcerer was a big deal. Not just anyone could give it to you; some prestigious sorcerer from somewhere had to come and assign one to you if you were training at any esteemed sorcerer academy." Cedric explained. "This sign would appear on your hand and somewhere on the animal if you made a match with your familiar. It is a bond that represents deep affection and friendship."

"That's really sweet!" Sofia clapped her hands together, traces of her old smile gracing her lips. "Did that happen to you and Wormwood?"

"No. This was an ancient ritual from more powerful sorcerer's magic to deem their bond as fate. Nowadays, anyone can pick their animal helper."

"Interesting, although I think you and Wormwood being together can still be fate." Sofia acknowledged. "I wonder why Erasmus put the symbol here."

"I don't know why," Cedric quizzically said. "I don't know too much about him besides that he betrayed Merlin. I do not even know if he had a familiar. "

"Did Merlin?"

"Yes," Cedric leaned forward. "The tales always mentioned how close Merlin was with his familiar. It was a dragon-" A curious gleam pierced his eyes as he shot up from the desk. Grasping Sofia's hand and in the other, holding the journal, the sorcerer informed Wriggley they were heading downstairs for research purposes. Feeling the weasel follow them closely behind, he hurried down the musty corridors.

It may have been an insane hunch, but the sorcerer could not help but find out if it was connected. Merlin and his animal familiars were close, so perhaps Erasmus figured that somehow the dragon was the key to his new teleportation spell. Cedric didn't know what to expect, yet his instincts told him that maybe he would find answers.

Entering the dark foyer, there, the imposing stone statue loomed overhead. Cedric scrutinized it for a moment before saying, "I think that is a statue of Merlin's animal familiar."

"Really?" Sofia muttered breathlessly. "It's beautiful." Taking a step closer, she noted, "It looks like it's crying."

"You're right; it does," Cedric observed. Inspecting all the dragon's sides, he gave a start when he eyed the inner bicep of the dragon's right claw. "Look there, the animal familiar insignia." He called Sofia over, pointing to the muscular frame.

Peeking over his shoulder, the princess gasped, "It is!"

Reaching out, Cedric touched the stone engraving, pondering the meaning behind it. Then, a beam of light sparkled from the insignia, shrouding Cedric's fingertips in a blue glow. The beam flew backward, resting on Cedric's forehead as if studying him. He and Sofia stood perfectly still, unsure of what was happening, when all of a sudden, the glow enlarged, its force sending Cedric and Sofia reeling backward in different directions.

Dazed, Cedric slowly stood up, watching as a grey haze consumed the entire room." Sofia?" He called, waving his hands through the smoke to find her. Hearing no sound, panic entered him at the thought of the blast making her hit her already wounded head. Staggering through the haze, Cedric stopped short, seeing a figure ahead of him in front of the statue.

"Sofia!" He exclaimed as he approached the form, the smoke subsiding around him. The person came into view, and the sorcerer stiffened, goosebumps forming on his flesh. Freezing in shock, Cedric found himself face to face with Merlin.

Meanwhile...

As the castle turrets came into view, Wormwood breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally home. Cedric was very peculiar about leaving notes around if he was away from Wormwood, which was usually seldom, but he undoubtedly did this time. All Wormwood had to do was get inside the tower and see if Cedric might have left something to tell him of his whereabouts.

The moment the carriage landed, Wormwood jumped off Lucinda's shoulder, haphazardly flying up to the tower window that was thankfully left open.

"Wormwood!" He heard Lucinda yell. "Be careful; your leg still isn't better!"

"Where is he going?" James shielded the sun's glare with his eyes before watching the bird enter the sorcerer's tower. His curiosity piqued, the prince told his father to go inside without him. Then, grasping Lucinda's arm, he pulled her with him, and they ran to the tower after Wormwood.

Wormwood flew into the tower with unease. While his leg had healed up pretty well by then, he still felt shaky and crashed onto the workbench in exhaustion.

After a moment, he propped himself up and hopped around to find a slip of paper. Grinning proudly, the raven had correctly guessed that his sorcerer would leave him a note and began reading.

Dear Wormy,

I trust you made it back safely, and if you didn't, I will come to find you and turn you into a rabbit. Hopefully, you found some answers about the cult's plan. We are about to head to Rudistan for an order meeting, for King Magnus is coming up with some idiotic plan to jail every magic-user for interrogation, but hopefully, I'll stop him. I don't exactly know how to remedy all the chaos between the cult and royals, but I hope Sofia's advice will help. I also pray I won't stumble over my words when I talk to my dad, the entire order, and the two kings. Merlins Mushrooms, I am getting sick just thinking of it. Sofia's health has been worsening these past few days, and I don't think it's from Greylocks spell. I'll explain more when I come home, but she's not acting like herself. I'm going to talk to Grimtrix, and hopefully, he'll help.

Stay safe and don't do anything stupid,

Cedric The Sensational

A loud whisper and scuffle made Wormwood open his eyes wide as he peered underneath the bench to find Clover, Mia, Robin, and Whatnaught crouched together.

"Oh, joy!" Wormwood drawled. "Fuzzball and his band of merry misfits. What are you doing trespassing?"

"Sorry, but I don't see your name engraved here on stone," Clover argued. "And where have you been? We didn't see you around when Cedric came back from Rudistan."

"That's because I was undercover with the cult," Wormwood answered. "I am sure you know everything that has been going on?"

"Sort of," Mia replied shyly. "But, there have been some weird things happening here-"

"Hold it, Mia," Clover lifted a paw before glaring at Wormwood mistrustfully. "Cedric went back to Rudistan, but why did you not meet him there?"

"There's been a communication issue, and it seems I barely missed him," Wormwood scowled. "He told me to come straight here when I was done scouting, but I decided to go to the Rudistan castle to see if he was there, which he was or well… he…."

Robin frowned. "I think we should tell each other what's been going on. Maybe it'll help clear out any confusion and give us some answers." Then, eyeing Clover's disgusted face, Robin reprimanded him, "Wormwood's smart, and since he probably helped Cedric plan to steal the amulet, he knows about it and can help us."

"What!" Wormwood screeched before realization hit him. "That fool told Sofia everything, didn't he?"

"Yep." Clover crossed his furry arms. "And don't think you-"

"Wait, what happened to the amulet? Why do you need me because I know about it?" The raven cut the rabbit off.

Robin sighed, "Things have been rather chaotic. First, Sofia's amulet got stolen yesterday."

"What!" Wormwood screeched again, his pitch much higher. How long had he and Cedric planned and failed in stealing it, and now someone had claimed its power in a day? "Who did it?"

"This terrible weasel," Clover answered with a scowl. "Named Wriggley."

Wriggley? Wormwood's heart suddenly dropped as he whispered, "What in the Ever Realm is going on?"

A/N: Yay! I churned out a chapter! Please excuse the long updates, I had a harsh writer's block and classes never seem to give me a break. It feels like such a long time since my last update but I am here. As I said, this chapter was hard to write but let me know what you all think, any feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated for future writing! Winter break is almost here so I will hopefully be putting out more chapters.

Reviews:

Nerdsinatree: I am so glad you are enjoying the Cedfia moments, I promise there will be more to come! The Triune is indeed powerful and more about it will be coming to light soon…

Allyrwhitney: Thank you for your well wishes! Still getting over my illness but I am happy to produce another chapter finally! I am so glad you enjoyed the Cedfia, I find that they are quite calming to write. I love reading your guesses on the plot with the Triune. I can't say anything though, it's hard! :D

Leonel Pea: Ooh that last chapter and this one is definitely a calm before the storm. When I write Wriggley I literally cringe. I cannot stand her lol.

Thank you all for reading! Ok now I am off to catch up on all the STF fanfics I have missed even though I should be studying for a test but hey, priorities, am I right?

Stay happy and healthy and I'll see you in my next chapter!