Oblivion
Summary: Cedric and Sofia, as well as Greylock, Sir Finlay, and Gabriella, attend the Sorcery Seminar where Cedric has been asked to speak. While there, they learn of a new uprising enemy that may be more catastrophic than the entire Never Realm combined.
Disclaimer: I own Sir Finlay, Gabriella, the Sorcery Seminar, Master Extorio, the Oblivo Realm, the Elementals, and any other OCs or original items/places mentioned here. Everything/everyone else belongs to Craig Gerber.
A/N: All right! We're finally getting into the real threat for this season. Well, at the very least, you're going to meet two of the new bad guys. Don't worry; there are plenty to go around. 😉 Also, you'll finally get to see all of Cedric's speech that he and Sofia created in the last story, and you'll also get to discover a new endeavor Cedric has been working on. We know that his AutoCoach is his pride and joy, so what else does he have up his sleeves? Hmm. Anyway, hope you enjoy! This story's long, so get you some popcorn. Haha.
*Story*
"I don't remember the Sorcery Seminar having this many people the last time we went," Sofia admitted to Cedric as they walked along through the corridor of the new host site for the conference: the Elysium Palace. It was much grander than usual with far more participants.
They had just arrived about ten minutes ago, having turned Cedric's AutoCoach over to some of the estate attendants to secure until they were ready to return to Enchancia. They had also already taken their luggage to their designated room. The palace itself was extensive and ornate, filled with a mix of both majestic antiquity and magical intricacies.
"That's because there are quite a few new people to the magic field," Cedric informed her as they walked together. "And more realms than ever are involved and have been invited to attend."
She nodded, pondering asking him something serious but wondering how he'd take it. Deciding to do so anyway, she ventured, "And…considering how many people there are…" She glanced up at him with a soft smile. "How are you feeling about giving your speech now? Are you still planning to use the actual confidence potion?" After their previous mishap a few days ago, they'd actually gotten the correct ingredients for the confidence potion, and she knew he'd packed it before they left.
He returned her smile before wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to where she returned the sentiment. "Actually, I think I'm going to give it a go without the potion."
The princess offered her partner a confused look. "Seriously? After all that? Why don't you want to use it now? I thought you were concerned about your confidence."
Cedric chuckled, kissing her forehead and causing her to blush (since they really didn't get too terribly affectionate outside their comfort zone, so this was new). "I don't need a confidence potion as long as I have you, Sofia. I know you'll keep me grounded and secure. I don't know why I didn't realize that in the first place. I could have saved us both a lot of discomfort…" It was now his turn to blush as he recalled 'the updated incident' (as they now called it) from a few days ago. Oh, that had been interesting…
Sofia grinned and leaned her head against his shoulder for a few moments as they walked, and then she looked back up at him. "I wasn't as uncomfortable as you might think, though… In fact, it was kind of…nice."
"O-Oh?" He inhaled slowly before finally allowing a smile to appear on his face. "G-Good to know…"
"Do I spy Ceddy-Weddy and Princess Sofia?"
Cedric groaned, releasing Sofia from his hold and rolling his eyes as she laughed in realization. "I know that annoying voice anywhere." He turned, seeing the former Rudistanian royal sorcerer approaching them. "Hello, Greylock."
"Don't sound so miserable upon seeing my gorgeous face, Cedric," the brown-haired sorcerer teased, laughing. He then gestured at his old friend. "I noticed you got a robe upgrade. It's about time. You've been wearing that other one since you began your role as the Enchancian royal sorcerer."
"I've had a couple since then, but you can thank Sofia for that, either way." Cedric nodded toward the princess/sorceress/Protector beside him, who smiled.
Greylock smiled toward the princess, taking her hand and kissing the back of it, causing her to laugh. "And you look lovely, Sofia. If I didn't know you were a princess, I would have mistaken you for a well-known sorceress who's been in the field her entire life."
His comment, of course, was based on her attire. All her normal jewelry was intact, and her hair was down (as it often seemed to be these days), but she did indeed have a new outfit: an ankle-length purple robe-dress that had fanned sleeves starting at her elbows that flowed down to rest over either of her hands. The dress itself actually consisted of two parts: an apparently sleeveless underdress with silver lining and accents, and the full-length outer coat where the sleeves were attached, which was fastened in place in the front with a silver fleur de lis. Her upper arms possessed the same silver lining to match the underlayer. Black boots barely showed from underneath the dress, finishing off her outfit.
"Aw, thanks, Greylock," she giggled. "Amber asked her friend Hildegard to design this for me, and she gave it to me as a late Wassailia gift. One, it wasn't finished in time, and two, with Alamea being born…"
"Oh, that's right! I heard you're now an aunt." He grinned as she smiled and nodded. "Congratulations to both your sister and you." He then eyed Cedric with a smirk. "And what does that make you, Cedric? Uncle Ceddy-Weddy?"
Cedric coughed and looked away, folding his arms and trying very hard not to blush yet again.
Sofia, sensing her partner's discomfort, changed the subject: "And how are Ivy, Zinnia, and Miss Nettle doing?"
"Perfectly well! In fact, Zinnia has a birthday coming up in July. I was hoping you two would attend. Oh, perhaps you could even bring along your sister and her family." He smiled. "The more, the merrier!"
She nodded happily. "Sure! You just tell us the exact date, and we'll be there."
"Oh, speaking of children, where are the girls?" Greylock sighed. "Zinnia, of course, had to stay with Ivy and Miss Nettle. I sort of wish they'd let us bring our children to these events. It would be far less boring."
Cedric shook his head. "That's to be determined. But Cordelia graciously offered to watch them again. Well, Cordelia and several others, I should say."
Sofia laughed. "Yeah, because Nana and my little brother Corban adore each other, which means my mom might end up helping out. And then Calista and Angel usually get pulled into it somehow, and Tanya has actually really enjoyed getting to know them. By the time we get back, we're usually wondering who's really watching whom."
Greylock chuckled.
"That sounds like the good old days, Princess Sofia."
The trio turned to see Sir Finlay and Gabriella approaching. They looked very much the same, although Sofia instantly noticed something.
"Gabriella," she began with a knowing smile, watching as the older woman smirked, "are you…?"
"Pregnant? Again? Yeah." She laughed as Cedric and Greylock blinked in surprise. She shrugged. "We meant to tell you, but it's been kind of hectic."
"Oh, we understand 'hectic,' trust me," Cedric remarked. "But I'm happy for both of you. Congratulations."
Sir Finlay smiled. "Thank you. It was a bit of a surprise this time… After Sapphire and Davina, we were unsure if we were going to have any more children. Lo and behold, my darling Gabby is now five months along…"
"I think it's a boy this time," the dark-haired sorceress predicted. "This one feels different…"
"Do you think this baby will have powers too?" Sofia asked curiously.
Gabriella shrugged. "I'm not sure… Sapphire was a shock. But Davina? We're having her go through some training little by little right now, and she'll soon be practicing more often. The last thing we want is for her to be unable to control her powers. Sapphire pretty much has hers down though."
"Are the girls with Arabella then?" Cedric asked.
Sir Finlay nodded. "Oh, yes. And having a grand time, I imagine. They love their aunt." He smiled and took his wife's hand, chuckling as she shrugged with a small smile.
The group of friends located the check-in area and signed in before receiving their room assignments. Sir Finlay and Gabriella were assigned to 238, Cedric and Sofia were assigned to 240, and Greylock was assigned to 241. As they made their way to their rooms, Cedric presented a rather interesting question for Greylock.
"Not to sound insensitive," the Enchancian royal sorcerer began, definitely getting the others' attention, "but Greylock… You do realize that these seminars are for royal sorcerers… And unless King Magnus has, for whatever reason, asked you back—"
"I'm going to stop you right there, Cedric," Greylock began with a humorous tone, though it was easy to tell that the mention of Magnus's name was enough to cause him to balk a bit. "I realize that the majority of the main attendees are royal sorcerers: you and Finlay, for example. But you both have visitors who are not. And, from what I saw in the small print, practicing sorcerers who aid any—any—kingdoms can be verified."
"And who exactly verifies you each time?"
He cleared his throat. "Queen Evynletti…from the Kingdom of Grayzinnia."
Sofia frowned in confusion. "I've never heard of—" She gaped at the sorcerer. "Did you seriously enter an anagram just to come to this thing?"
"An anagram?" Gabriella folded her arms. "What anagram?"
"Evynletti—has to be Ivy and Nettle," Sofia surmised, watching as Greylock turned more and more sheepish. "And Grayzinnia… Greylock. Zinnia. Really, Greylock?" She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, good for you, though. Because if they weren't smart enough to catch that, you have every right to be here anyway."
The brown-haired sorcerer blinked, making a face as he looked toward the others. "Should I be pleased or insulted by that?"
Cedric smirked. "Perhaps a little bit of both."
The princess sighed. "Sorry, Greylock. I don't mean to sound upset with you. I'm glad you're here…" She smiled apologetically toward her friend. "I just wish you didn't have to lie just to come to something like this…"
He shrugged. "Heh, price you pay when you stupidly overtake a narcissist's kingdom and then run away from the law. But then again, since my pardoning, I've just kind of been walking in between the lines as well as I can. I'd rather not overstep my boundaries and lose everything, though I'm well aware of my limits."
"Same," Gabriella laughed. "Former criminals have to stick together. Heck, the only one of us here who's never officially been in 'legal' trouble is probably Sofia."
Sofia shrugged. "Unless you count that one time in Dante's kingdom with his evil cousin… But wow, that was years ago, and a total misunderstanding."
Cedric playfully nudged her. "Admit it. You're every bit a misfit as the rest of us."
She grinned at him. "Must be the company I keep."
Sir Finlay and Gabriella exchanged humorous glances while Greylock smirked and rolled his eyes at the two best friends' antics. Some things never changed, it seemed.
The first meeting wouldn't be for another three hours, so all the sorcerers in attendance did one of three things: retired to their rooms until then, mingled and chatted with old chums, or explored the grounds. The quintet opted for the first option, so they could at least see what their rooms were like. They were almost always luxurious but different in their own ways. It would be interesting to see what their rooms were like this time.
While Sir Finlay took Gabriella into their room to rest, and while Greylock checked out his own room, Cedric and Sofia entered room 240. As expected, it was certainly luxurious. Paintings from all varieties of artists (including magical ones) lined the walls. A magically illuminated chandelier hung from the ceiling. The large window with the opened curtains revealed a window bed, which Sofia found delightful and familiar, of course. The color scheme of this room was gold and black, which was interestingly warming, considering it was a cold February day. The fireplace was already lit and crackling invitingly. There was a small kitchenette close to the window and a lavatory near the main door where they'd entered.
As for furniture, they had a large sofa near the fireplace, a wardrobe in the corner that was already stocked with their luggage, and a huge canopy bed made from sturdy iron with heavy purple drapes surrounding the black satin-covered bed itself.
Cedric looked around in appreciation before turning to Sofia. "You'll be taking the bed, and I'll take the sofa."
She scoffed. "That's unnecessary, Cedric. It's big enough for both of us."
He sighed. "Yes, but…wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? We're not…you know. And…"
Sofia just smiled and grasped his arms. "It's fine, Cedric. I'm not letting you sleep on a lumpy sofa and have a miserable night just because you're anxious about overstepping 'proper' boundaries. I trust you more than just about anyone else, so relax. Besides." She nodded toward the bed. "If it makes you feel any better, I tend to stick to one side." She grinned. "Ask Tanya or Nana. They'd tell you the same." Her grin changed to a softer smile. "And anyway, it's not like we haven't shared sleeping arrangements before… And you've always been accommodating and comforting during those times: whether it was on the pirate ship, on an abandoned beach, in a cave, or even with the girls in my room…or alone in yours."
That comment caused him to blush a bit. "R-Right…" He then cleared his throat. "I-If that's what you want to do… But you choose the side you want."
She pointed toward the right. "That's the side I usually take at home, if that's okay."
"Perfectly fine." He nodded to himself. "I'd be that much closer to the food anyway, just in case I got hungry in the middle of the night. Heh…"
Sofia laughed. "Oh, I see. Ulterior motives." She playfully poked him in the chest. "If you wake up to eat, though, you better wake me up too. Some of the best snacks I've had have been late at night after everyone else has gone to bed."
"I must concur, my dear."
She smiled before walking over to the bed, gently pressing at the soft surface. "We have a few hours… I might go ahead and take a nap, if you don't mind."
"That's fine. I think I'll practice my speech…" He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out his bag, withdrawing the book that held his speech within. It was a rather colorful book with a circular outline of the planets and numerals like one would find on a clock. The words 'Galactica Spellbook' were embossed near the center. He tugged the speech from the book and turned, shuffling back to the sofa as Sofia slid under the covers and sighed softly, drifting off to sleep. Cedric glanced at her momentarily and smiled gently at her sleeping form before sitting down in front of the fire, beginning to look over his upcoming speech.
A few hours later, it was time for the first meeting to begin. Everyone gathered together in the Grand Hall, which was packed with people. Cedric had to check in with the meeting leaders while the others found some chairs together, one seat left vacant between Sofia and Greylock for when Cedric was finished.
When things had settled down, an older gentleman stepped before the crowd, his wand raised to his throat so that his voice could be amplified. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice sounding like the hushed tones of an autumn breeze, "welcome to the annual Sorcery Seminar. Many of you already know me, but for those of you who don't, my name is Sir Xalton of Yovsha. My family line has served the royal family of Yovsha for the past four generations, and my grandson is now the most recent royal sorcerer in charge. I have seen many changes—some good and some less than wonderful—over my 82 years of life. However, I'm impressed by the innovation of some of the endeavors I've witnessed. I was actually told of another royal sorcerer who's made some successful inventions of his own, and who is, in fact, working on another even now to make a specific form of magic a little bit more utilizable. Please welcome our keynote speaker, Cedric the Great from Enchancia."
While everyone was applauding, Greylock leaned over to Sofia and asked, "What invention is Cedric working on, exactly?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. He hasn't said anything about it to me…" She frowned thoughtfully as the brown-haired sorcerer sat upright in his chair again. "Hmm…" What was he working on? And why hadn't he mentioned it to her? Was it dangerous? Overly ambitious? She supposed she'd have to ask him later.
Cedric swallowed nervously and hesitantly stepped up toward the front of the crowd, where an assistant was standing and holding out his wand as a voice amplifier. At least he wouldn't have to do that himself, he reasoned, since his shaking hands were both needed to hold onto his speech. "Th-Thank you, Sir Xalton," he said in a clearly nervous tone, though he cleared his throat and took in a deep breath before sighing and smiling lightly. "Ladies and gentlemen of all magical persuasions…"
Everyone had their full attention on him, and aside from minor shuffling and a few coughs here and there, one could hear a pin drop. It should have been frightening to the typically introverted loner, but for some reason, knowing he had their attention calmed him down a bit.
"My name is Cedric, and I work for King Roland II and Queen Miranda of Enchancia, as well as their family. My father, Goodwyn the Great, served as royal sorcerer for King Roland I and his family before I ever stepped in. I have now been working for the royal family for quite a long time, and I have come to truly appreciate the abilities of magic in general."
Sofia smiled. He seemed less nervous than she'd thought he would be, which was great, especially since he'd forgone the confidence potion.
"Along with my apprentice-turned-partner, Princess Sofia…" He nodded in Sofia's direction, causing her to grin, "…I have come across a number of different magical spells, potions, and devices that can make things much easier for us. For example, in my efforts to make travel easier and safer not only for myself, but also for my loved ones, I invented what is known as the AutoCoach. Sofia and I actually arrived here in it this morning, much to many people's surprise. However, we've been using it for at least five years now, and it has been extremely beneficial to us in our work as Magical Ambassadors."
"Ooh, he's one of those sorcerers," one woman whispered to her friends. "I've heard about those. They're really revered throughout the kingdoms."
"And working with a princess?" another woman whispered. "Impressive."
Thankfully, Cedric didn't overhear the women and continued, "I'll explain a bit more on that later. What I'd like to introduce to you now is my latest invention: the Dimension Door." He tucked his speech into an inner pocket of his robe and then withdrew the Galactica Spellbook from the other side of his robe, holding it up for all to see. "Behold. To the untrained eye, this appears to be a regular Spellbook, correct? But looks can be deceiving…" He reached up with his left hand, tapping the center of the book where a colorful claddagh symbol resided. "With a mere tap here and the correct magic words—Ratio Veni Magia—" The book sparkled at his words and touch, beginning to glow and hover before him, which caused the crowd to gasp. "One can transform this simple book into a dimensional portal… I call it the Dimension Door."
The leaders of the meeting in particular were paying close attention to what Cedric was revealing. This was unlike anything any other sorcerer had invented in a while. Sure, most were enthusiastic and creative in their own rights, but if Cedric had actually figured out an easy and magical way to make cross-dimensional travel that effortless (not to mention concealed), they were highly interested in speaking privately with him later. A couple near the end, both dressed in simple blue and gold robes with matching black hair (hers a bit longer than his), were the most attentive to Cedric's revelation.
Meanwhile, the book had shifted to its ultimate form: the Dimension Door. It was large and silver in frame, though in the center was a light purple circle surrounded by the colorful outline of the planets and dark clock numerals, and in the dead center was that same claddagh symbol—actually a door knocker—that was glowing. The claddagh knocker appeared to be two silver sleeves and green cuffs with hands holding onto a glowing pink heart, upon which resided a royal crown. Engraved into the door itself were the words 'Dimension Door.'
Cedric tapped the heart of the claddagh knocker three times, and it was as if the fabric of reality itself opened into another dimension…and it did. Inside, the crowd could see a swirling vortex of stars and light, though not much beyond. And aside from the sound of the galactic winds, it was pretty quiet.
"Keep in mind that despite the ancient concept and novel idea it once was, dimensional travel is still relatively new and unpredictable," Cedric informed the crowd. "It is something that could be highly beneficial, and I am working to perfect it to make things easier for all of us. For right now, though, we'll call this a motivational work in progress."
The crowd, still awed by his revelation, cheered at the very idea of the possibility. Anything to make life easier, especially magical inventions, was more than welcome to them.
When the crowd calmed down and Cedric had sealed his Dimension Door back into the Galactica Spellbook, he traded it for his speech and continued his message. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm a Magical Ambassador with my partner and best friend in the entire world, Princess Sofia of Enchancia." He smiled toward his partner, who shyly returned the sentiment and nodded at him. "We've been traversing the realms together for a number of years now. Our goal is to educate others on magic and how it can make things better for anyone if used properly. We also train to increase our own knowledge and skills, and we've learned a great deal along the way. Our work has made a huge impact in not only our lives, but also our family's as well, including our daughters'." He knew he was taking a big risk by mentioning that, but he had committed to it, and he'd said it.
The whispers around the room told him (and Sofia) that people had begun speculating. Sofia shrugged it off while Cedric nervously tried to hurry up and finish.
"W-We, um… In a long story short, Sofia and I became guardians to two very sweet little girls due to some very dark issues. Without going into too much detail, both were victims of the former Never Realm and didn't have much hope for a good life. However, we learned their stories, took them in, and began raising them as our own. They're our own little family now, and—magical themselves—they make our lives complete."
Sofia smiled sweetly at his words, especially as the crowd clapped again. She was sure they hadn't been expecting that turn of events.
"Thank you… I encourage you all to take chances in your own lives: magical or not. And if you get the chance to make a difference, or even do something like becoming Magical Ambassadors yourselves, do it. It's well worth the extra work. You will certainly learn a great deal and become a more well-rounded individual in the end because of it. And furthermore, speaking on my own behalf, Magical Ambassadors offer a great deal of insight to those who are willing to listen, especially since magic is to be regarded with an open mind. Now, I've spoken on many things today. I've shown you and told you of things I've done or created to make life a little easier. I've told you a little about my own reality. I've opened both a book and a door, with hopes that what lies beyond will help us all out in the end. Now the question is…what will you do? Thank you."
The sound of the applause didn't fully register in Cedric's mind until he'd stepped toward the crowd. He'd done it. He'd really done it! Without the potion and on his own merit, he'd managed to speak to a crowd about something that he cared a great deal about… And it had been wonderful. He was happy it was over, but he was equally as happy that he'd done it in the first place.
Once he'd gotten seated between Greylock (who'd clapped him good-naturedly on the back and congratulated him) and Sofia (who'd taken his hand and squeezed it gently with a warm smile aimed his way), Cedric noticed that another speaker had taken his original position and had begun a new topic.
He felt a gentle tug at his robe sleeve and turned toward Sofia, who leaned in to whisper to him.
"Why didn't you tell me about the Dimension Door sooner?"
Cedric certainly knew this question had been coming, and he had the answer prepared as he responded, "I wanted to…protect…you… Just in case it turned out to be a horrible idea. I wasn't about to lose you, Sofia. You're worth more than all the magic in the world. It may run through my veins, but it doesn't have my heart." He gingerly kissed her cheek. "That…belongs to you."
Sofia smiled again, her heart fluttering a bit and her cheeks tingeing pink at his words. "Oh…" She could hardly find the right words to string a sentence together. She finally managed, "I-I guess I can accept that response." She held his hand tighter before leaning against his shoulder, her attention finally drawn back to the speaker.
Greylock nudged Sir Finlay and also caught Gabriella's attention, a playful smirk on his face as he nodded toward the two best friends. Seeing their smiles, he rolled his eyes before shrugging and snickering.
The usual topics came up during the meeting: progress in different fields, recognition for outstanding sorcerers across the realms, updates to potions and spells, and so forth. However, there was a new topic that appeared to be extremely important—so important that not only had it been saved for last on this first day of the seminar, but even Malango the Magnanimous had stepped up to address it personally.
"I'm aware you're all tired and ready for your evening meal," Malango began calmly, though he did seem a bit wary. "However, there is one final topic we've yet to broach, and it's rather important that you all be aware of it." He visibly inhaled before sighing. "There is a new enemy uprising, led by a fiend who calls himself Master Extorio."
"Master…" Sofia frowned as she sat up, listening to the murmuring voices around them. She glanced toward Cedric. "Isn't that the name of the evil being who supposedly corrupted Calista's father?"
Wordlessly, Cedric nodded.
Malango managed to calm everyone down before continuing: "Extorio is from the Oblivo Realm. He is allegedly responsible for a band of miscreants known as the Elementals. Several other underlings are rumored to work with him as well, and we've received reports that they're causing mass chaos throughout the realms. While many have expressed doubt that they could be worse than the Never Realm, I would like you to take this into consideration: they've already destroyed seventeen realms, sacrificed thousands of children and ailing adults, and even obliterated their own members in excruciating rituals if they attempted to flee." He knew that news wouldn't be well-received, especially as he heard the angry roar of the crowd. Once again, he had to stifle their clamors before adding, "It is also rumored that Malum In Se was the 'creator' of the Oblivo Realm, though no one can verify such information. However, this Master Extorio does appear to be just as much of a threat as his predecessor. I wanted you all to be aware of the situation, so that you can at least be on your guard and cognizant of the situation at hand."
The meeting ended a few minutes later, and the group was dismissed to eat before retiring for the evening. However, Gabriella hung back a bit when she noticed the pair who'd paid close attention to Cedric's speech earlier staring in their direction. She grabbed Sir Finlay's arm, causing him to stop as well, and nodded discreetly in their direction.
The blue and gold clad duo broke eye contact with the group before turning and dispersing into the crowd of people, practically disappearing.
"That was weird," Sofia told the others, folding her arms. "I wonder what their deal is. They were staring Cedric down the whole time he was talking. Especially that girl."
Greylock smirked at this mentioning. "A bit overprotective of him, eh?"
She smiled lightly at the jest, even as Cedric waved his fellow sorcerer off. "He's my partner. I have to look out for him. And not just as Protector, but as…well, family, I guess."
Cedric smiled at her words before wrapping an arm around her, feeling her return the sentiment. "I wouldn't worry about them right now. I think instead, it's time to eat. I know I'm hungry."
"I did hear an interesting rumble while we were in the meeting," Sir Finlay joked, chuckling as the younger sorcerer blushed. "Perhaps the seminar will have some good choices for meals. Come. I would hate to be last in line, especially with how many people are present this year."
"We'll be right behind you guys," Sofia told the others as she took Cedric's hand and held it a bit tighter than usual. She nodded toward them as they responded affirmatively and left.
Once they were alone in the conference room, Cedric looked toward Sofia curiously. "What is it?"
She opened her mouth to ask him a question that had been nagging at her for the better part of an hour or so, but she sighed, deciding to change the subject. "You…did a wonderful job up there."
He slowly smiled at her words. "Really?"
"Yeah…" She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, her gaze softening a bit as her smile lingered. "And to do all that without the confidence potion says a lot… It means you're better at talking to others than you think, and you don't always have to rely on magic or anything related to it to do something well. Just believe in yourself, the way I've always believed in you." She lowered her hand to his hand again, offering it a gentle squeeze.
Cedric sighed happily. "Thank you, Sofia… That means a lot, coming from you." He blinked and looked up as he heard a light shuffle from the other side of the room, but when he glanced over the area, he saw nothing there. "Let's…hurry and catch up with the others. You heard Finlay. Don't want to miss out on the food."
She blinked as he took advantage of their linked hands and led her out of the room. "Okay…"
The man and woman from earlier stepped out from behind one of the pillars in the room and stared after the retreating duo.
"We must get our hands on that invention of the sorcerer's," the woman insisted, her accent a bit heavier and more exotic sounding.
The man next to her chuckled. "Chill, babe," he responded, and just judging by his tone, he appeared a bit less serious and uptight than his partner. "We'll get it."
She frowned as she looked at him. "I hate these disguises."
He scoffed. "You hate everything. Just a bit longer…" He took her chin and smirked at her, causing her to return the sentiment. "And then, it's party time."
After everyone had eaten, people began heading to their rooms for the evening. Cedric and Sofia bid their friends goodbye until the morning before heading off to their own room.
As soon as they entered, they both had the same realization.
"It's cold in here," Sofia remarked, shivering a bit as she rubbed her arms. "It wasn't like this when we left."
"I'll enhance the fire," he informed her. "You go ahead and get ready for bed. I won't be too far behind you." Seeing her nod before grabbing her suitcase and heading off to the lavatory, he set to work adjusting the fire and warming up the room.
A few minutes later, Sofia returned, setting her suitcase on the floor near the fireplace. She'd already braided her hair, and she was dressed in a clearly warmer set of pajamas than she normally wore: flannel matching purple shirt and pajama pants. She also wore some matching socks. "Your turn, Cedric."
"Right." He stood up from the fireplace and turned, grabbing his own bag. "I think I got it. If it doesn't get any warmer by the time I get back, let me know, and I'll see what I can do." Seeing her nod, he headed to change.
Sofia yawned and crawled into the bed on the right side, which was her chosen side from earlier that day. She pulled the cool covers up, her arms coated with goosebumps as she shivered again. However, not long after, she could feel the temperature slowly increasing, and soon she was rather comfortable.
Cedric exited from the lavatory before placing his bag next to Sofia's. He'd removed his gloves and now wore all black flannel pajamas: the usual button-up shirt and matching pants. Like Sofia, he also wore some thick black socks due to the earlier chill. He nodded in approval at the feel of the room, checking the fireplace once more before sliding into his side of the bed and pulling the covers up to his chin. "Hmm, this is rather comfortable."
Sofia grinned as she turned to face him, watching as he did the same. "And to think, you were going to sleep on the sofa."
"Out of propriety," he argued lightly, laughing. "I care about your wellbeing, Sofia. And… Well, it's not exactly a normal practice for…" He gestured between them. "…this to happen…when we're not part of a…matrimonial situation." He blushed lightly at his phrasing, unsure of how Sofia would react.
"Oh, that's true…" She then smiled mischievously before reaching out and tracing her fingers over his left hand, which was resting on the pillow between their heads. "So…when are we getting married then?"
Cedric had already been blushing, but now he practically felt like his entire face was on fire, and most of his skin had that warm tinge to it. And the flannel couldn't be blamed for this one. "S-Sofia!"
Her smile changed to a lighter one as she allowed her fingers to linger on his ring finger, next to the BerryBand. She couldn't help laughing softly as she saw her own matching BerryBand nestle next to his. "It's not exactly a thought that hasn't crossed other people's minds, you know… With how close we are and with us already having the girls and being their guardians, people seem to think…" It was her turn to blush now, as she realized what she was saying. She could tell that she even had his full attention. She sighed softly. "Cedric… Remember how I told you that I'd always be with you, and I always wanted you to be with me too?" Seeing him nod quietly, she shrugged once. "I…wasn't exaggerating."
He blinked, feeling his heart beating a little faster. "W-What are you saying, Sofia?"
She could see that he was growing a bit anxious, and she could also feel their hands trembling ever so slightly. It appeared that they'd both been affected by her declaration. She smiled nervously and withdrew her hand, pulling it back toward her. "Never mind… Just…know that I really will always be here when you need me… Just like you've always been for me."
Cedric chuckled, feeling his heart calming a bit. Though he was also a bit curious now. It appeared that she'd halted herself from saying something, though he wasn't quite sure what. Well… Maybe that wasn't quite true, but… "Oh, I know that, my dear… You've made that very clear over the years."
Sofia sighed contentedly, her eyes never leaving his. "Yeah… Glad to hear it. Sometimes I thought you were too clueless to realize it." She giggled as he gasped.
"Me? Clueless?" He then paused as she giggled a little louder. "Well…perhaps about some things, I suppose." He shrugged and smiled as she calmed down. "What do you say to getting some sleep now?"
"Can I ask you a question first?" Seeing him nod, she frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not mad, first of all… I know you said you had your reasons, but… How long have you been working on the Dimension Door?"
He hummed softly as he raked his hand through his hair, clearly trying to recall something. "I suppose…on and off for a little over a year now." Seeing her surprised look, he explained, "Around the time we went up against Malum In Se, I knew just how bad things could be. I knew how fragile life was, and how things could be taken away so suddenly… Bonvis losing his brother took us all by surprise. Calista getting hurt…" He reached out to take her hand, holding onto it securely. "Nearly losing you…again…"
Sofia smiled sadly at his words.
"I couldn't fathom that… Being stranded on another island? Fine. Facing down another band of pirates? Bring it on. But losing my Sofia?" He blushed a little at the way he'd worded that, but he couldn't take it back now, and she didn't really seem to mind his phrasing, if her shy smile was any indication. "I couldn't stand to think about that. So… I started thinking…" He slowly began running his thumb over the back of her hand, causing her to sigh. "There has to be something we can use as a method for escaping immediate danger. Teleportation has been forbidden for a few years at least now, so I had to come up with something different. Then I considered the fact that we'd already met our dimensional counterparts. Well, by now, we've actually met a few versions… And that hasn't been an issue, for some reason. So, I took advantage of that and started doing some research."
"Did you have help, by any chance?" she asked curiously. "I mean, this is sort of huge, and while you're brilliant, Cedric, I doubt you'd take on this type of project alone."
He laughed. "You know me well, my dear. I actually had a few sources for help: my father, Cordelia, Finlay, and even a few sorcerers we'd met during our travels as Magical Ambassadors. While Cordy and I were able to meet in person, and on occasion my father and I did so as well, the rest were mostly by letters. It was a back-and-forth collaborative effort for the better part of at least a year, if not more. Cordelia designed the book. Finlay and his daughters designed the door. And I worked on the engineering side of things. Last was involving Merlin, who helped us connect the book and door together, as well as develop a reliable scientific and magical method for opening up the portal to other dimensions."
"Wow… I had no idea." She frowned playfully, narrowing her eyes at him. "Any other secrets you've been keeping from me? Do you have a secondary partner that I don't know about?"
He scoffed. "Please. There's only one partner for me." He smiled as she gasped softly before smiling sweetly at him. "I don't know why you're so surprised, Sofia… I think we've both made it clear by now that…we belong together."
Sofia's smile lingered as she let go of his hand and moved a bit closer to him, lying next to him and watching him closely. When he didn't say or do anything, she told him, "We belong together, you say… Prove it. Where's my hug?"
Cedric laughed before sitting up a bit, leaning against his pillows and holding out his arms, wrapping them around the princess as she leaned into his embrace. "There, better?"
"I'm always better when I'm with you, Cedric…" She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest. "Besides, you're nice and warm."
"Heh… It's probably the flannel… Or the fire…"
She grinned playfully up at him, gently patting his cheek. "Or all the blushing you were doing earlier."
He rolled his eyes and took her hand, lowering it gently. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you. You've done your fair share tonight as well."
She shrugged. "Have I? I didn't notice." She giggled as he hugged her more closely. "Good night, Cedric."
"Good night, Sofia."
It didn't take long for the Enchancians to fall asleep, disregarding the initially chosen 'sides' and instead enjoying the comfort that both had to offer one another.
The next morning, the magic wielders were served breakfast in the dining hall. Then, promptly at 10:00 AM, the next meeting began. This one dealt with some fine tuning of expectations, opportunities for extra income, and any other variety of things.
While the meeting continued, Gabriella again pointed out the blue and gold clad couple standing near the front of the room, mingling with the other seminar leaders. Yet again, they seemed to focus their attention in the quintet's direction, which was more unnerving than the previous day, because (according to Gabriella), "They didn't even blink."
Sofia, sensing something off about them, whispered, "I'll take care of it." She made to stand up before feeling someone grab her hand. She glanced toward her partner and smiled. "Don't worry, Cedric. I'm a Protector. I can handle this."
"I know… But be careful." He then allowed his gaze to soften as he asked, "Do you…want my help?"
"Hmm…" She shrugged. "We are partners… So, come on." She quickly stood with the sorcerer in tow, pulling him along past the other gathered sorcerers, including their friends.
"Attached at the hip, those two," Sir Finlay commented with a soft chuckle.
Greylock rolled his eyes before smiling. "You have no idea… Makes me wonder, though…"
Gabriella grinned at him. "Same."
Luckily for them, the couple from the front had ceased looking at them when they were distracted by a few others coming up to talk to them. Cedric and Sofia were able to move along the side of the room, pressing closely to the wall to avoid distraction. They also moved slowly so as not to draw any attention to themselves.
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Cedric asked Sofia as she stood in front of him, her hand immediately on her Enchantlet.
"I'm going to scan them and see what's going on with them," she told him as she activated the Enchantlet, holding out her arm and performing the scan.
"When in the Ever Realm did you get the ability to do that?"
She grinned back at him. "Chrysta and Orion helped me update the programming with it. Magically enhanced, sort of like your items." To emphasize her point, she wiggled her fingers, indicating her BerryBand and GuardoRing. "Luckily, we haven't really had to use these in a while. Or this." She indicated her ES Bracelet. "That's actually a huge relief for me."
"And for me," he murmured as he watched her draw her Enchantlet back. "Find out anything?"
Sofia tapped the Enchantlet and watched as it holographically played back some information to her. The black-haired duo had a red aura pulsating from them, and she could see a faint dual copy behind them. She frowned. "Those two aren't who they appear to be…"
Cedric leaned over to look closer at the results. "Who are they?"
The blue and gold outfits disappeared, and the duo's entire appearance changed.
The man now had a peculiar teal shade of skin with some dark streaks beneath his glowing blue eyes. His well-kept black hair had morphed into bluish-purple hair instead, styled in a Mohawk with a low-swooping fringe, some shaved hair lines on either side of his head, and two long sections of hair hanging halfway down his chest. Both his pants and jacket were black leather. The jacket had eight buckles on the right side, and the jacket itself was open to expose his muscular chest. He wore a simple black belt at his waist, but over that was a chain with tiny skull heads all around the circumference of his body. His black boots were coated with silver spikes, adding to his menacing appearance. And lastly, from his hands flowed an interesting combination of water and lightning. Across the top of his image was a name: Yeizou.
The woman's appearance was also vastly different. Her skin was now a chalky white, and she possessed quite long (and sharp) black fingernails. Her hair fell just around her waist in frosty white layers. On her face, she bore strange black markings similar to the other man, though hers were under and above her eyes, and a few also spread from her forehead and down her cheeks. Dark eyeliner and mascara coated her eyes, matching with her heavy black lipstick. Her dress was skin-tight black leather from her neck to her mermaid tail hem, which flowed out across the floor. There was a keyhole cut at the top of her dress, obscured by a heavy diamond and orange gemstone necklace. Behind her was a tornado of what appeared to be fire and obviously wind. Across the top of her image was a name as well: Topaz.
Sofia pointed to the description beneath their images.
Yeizou (Water Wielder) and Topaz (Fire Wielder) are allegedly a couple from the Oblivo Realm, specifically as part of a group known as the Elementals, run by one Master Extorio.
"The Elementals," Sofia mumbled to Cedric. "Water, fire… Makes sense…" She glanced at him. "There are four main elements, right? Earth, fire, air, and water… These are two of them. So, they probably have two other people who work with them, I'm guessing…"
"Well, true… But there's more to elements than just those four primary parts. However, let's not jump to conclusions just yet. We need to subdue them before they cause any problems."
"Good point…" She lowered her Enchantlet just in time to look up and see a blast of dark magic heading her way. "Ah!" She felt herself pulled tightly against Cedric as he used his wand to deflect the dark magic, making it dissipate. Angry at having nearly been attacked, she turned and faced the couple from earlier. "I know who you are," she challenged, fisting her hands together and feeling her hand magic starting to flow.
The seminar had obviously paused, and all the sorcerers were clamoring and watching to see what was going to happen.
"Good," the woman cooed as she and her partner shed their disguises, morphing into their Elemental forms. "Then you know that we are Topaz and Yeizou…part of the unstoppable Elementals."
"All evil can be stopped," Cedric countered, stepping up in front of Sofia, just in case. He'd noticed her hand magic flowing but didn't say anything. While she rarely used it these days, it wouldn't hurt to have it available if these two ended up being more dangerous than they appeared. "The Never Realm is no more. Malum In Se is gone."
"Is he?" Yeizou laughed, his voice like a rasping yet watery sound. "It's intriguing what you mortals will believe…"
"We work for Master Extorio, Malum In Se's personal protégé." Topaz held out her hand toward Cedric, a flame appearing in her palm. "We'll take your Dimension Door now. That's far more useful than any other mediocre science project these other morons have demonstrated the last few days."
"You can't seriously think I'm just going to hand over something that powerful to you." Cedric held his wand up toward her, even as he saw the crowd closing in on them, including the seminar leaders. He saw the authorities finally pushing through, trying to reach the Elemental duo. "I'm not daft, and you're not getting it."
"Oh, really?" Yeizou activated what appeared to be a water-based lasso, wrapping it around Sofia and pulling her toward him. He grinned, showing off his shark-like teeth as the princess struggled against his grip. "Hand it over, or your little girlfriend will be shark bait." He leaned toward the Protector and slowly inhaled, sighing with a pleased grin. "She smells delightful…" His tongue slithered like a snake from his mouth, slowly licking the skin of her cheek. "And she tastes even better…"
"Let her go!" Cedric growled, blasting a warning shot at Yeizou's boots and just barely missing.
Yeizou cackled. "She is rather delicious, you know… I might need a little snack." He yelled in pain as he felt a zap on his exposed chest, forcing him to release Sofia, who quickly hurried back into Cedric's arms. "She attacked me!"
Sofia glared at him as she held onto Cedric. "Do that to me again, and I'll do much worse next time."
"Let's go, Yeizou," Topaz insisted, chuckling as she saw her boyfriend's clearly pained expression. "We'll deal with them another time." When the authorities attempted to subdue them, she lit a ring of fire, forcing them back, before grabbing the Water Wielder and vanishing.
"Are you all right?" Cedric immediately asked as the crowd seemed to be in a state of panic and disarray. He watched as she grimaced and reached up, wiping off her cheek and making a disgusted sound. He gently brushed her hand away and finished the task himself, causing her to sigh. An amused smile appeared on his face. "Quick thinking, attacking him with your hand magic."
"He said he was going to eat me!" She shuddered at the thought. "Whether he was just saying that to get you angry or not, I wasn't taking any chances… And then he licked me… Ugh!"
"How dare he do that," Greylock remarked as he, Sir Finlay, and Gabriella approached, folding his arms. "I mean, clearly, if anyone is going to do such a thing to you, it should be—" He blinked as he suddenly found a magical plaster over his mouth, prohibiting him from speaking anymore. He glanced toward Cedric, who was both blushing and glaring at him, and oh, if Greylock could have smirked and snickered, he would have…
"So, a new enemy," Gabriella spoke up. "Is this who they were talking about yesterday? The Oblivo Realm?"
"It appears so," Sir Finlay told her.
"There are more," Cedric added, removing the plaster from Greylock, who instantly attempted to wipe the residue off his face. "There have to be. Sofia and I were just talking about that. Elementals—it must be a relation to the elements themselves: water, fire, earth, and air. But as I told her, there could be more than we realize. And if this Master Extorio is the leader, then I'm sure we'll eventually have a run-in with him as well."
"He and his little element people can't possibly be worse than the Never Realm, right?" Greylock asked as he finished wiping off his face. "I mean, they were sort of the place where all true evil was born, and now that it doesn't exist anymore…" He shrugged. "How terrible could they be?"
"Unfortunately, I suppose there is only one way to find out." Sir Finlay glanced toward the Enchancians. "Always be on your guard, even more so than normal. With them clearly after the Dimension Door, you are already a target. And even Princess Sofia appears to be in some form of danger."
Sofia sighed. "What else is new?" She glanced toward Cedric. "Here we go again, I'm guessing."
He smiled gently at her before taking her hand. "Don't worry, Sofia. We'll tackle this head-on, like we always do."
She smiled as he pulled her into a hug. "Good."
That evening, the last night before they were to go home, Cedric sat on the bed and waited for Sofia to return from changing into her pajamas. There were a few questions he had for her, or rather, just a few things he knew they would need to discuss either way.
Sofia walked over and sat on the bed, this time in some pink pants and a black button-up shirt, which was a new color combination for her. Her hair was now in a loose ponytail as she climbed onto the bed and immediately slid her sock-covered feet under the covers. "It's not as cold as yesterday, but I'm definitely glad these covers are so warm."
"Allow me." Cedric pulled her into his arms, hugging her to him as she giggled. "Better?"
"Mm…"
He gently began caressing her back and hair, noting how much quieter and calmer she was now. "Sofia… I think we need to talk."
She didn't move too far, because she was rather enjoying their current position, but she did look over at him. "We do, don't we?"
"First of all, are you all right?" He picked up one of her hands and examined it, tracing his fingers over her palm. "It's been a while since you've used your hand magic. Though, given the situation, I'm not surprised you did."
"Yeah…" She glanced down at their hands. "It doesn't hurt like it used to. Just…feels like an extension of my magic now."
He nodded. "It is… That's actually a relief to hear, too." He wasn't quite sure how to address the next part, but he knew he would need to check on her status after the incident earlier. "So… About the thing that happened back at the conference…"
Sofia blinked at him before frowning. "Ugh, you mean that creep licking me?" She lifted her free hand and wiped at her now-clean cheek, shuddering. "Of all the things a villain has ever done to me, I think that was one of the creepiest, most disgusting, and definitely most violating things ever. What if he had diseases?" She paused, rolling her eyes. "He probably does. He's part of a group that's pretty much a cousin of the Never Realm, or whatever situation they have going on." She looked back at him again. "Do you have any cleansing spells for bad-guy licking or whatever you want to call it?" She frowned at his current state. "Are you laughing?"
Cedric smiled and shook his head as his chuckles calmed. "I'm sorry, Sofia. I know it was awful what happened, and I'm truly sorry you had to experience it, but… I must say, your descriptions are quite humorous."
She huffed lightly before pulling her hand away from him, folding her arms. "Glad you think my discomfort it 'humorous.'"
"Oh, come on, Sofia. You know I'm just trying to cheer you up." He smiled as she kept her gaze focused on the other side of the room, her head turned slightly. "Fine, I apologize, my dear… And I'll do everything in my power to keep something like that from happening again…" He reached out and cupped her chin, turning her face toward him. He could see a faint smile on her lips now and knew she had already calmed down. "I promise you." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek (the opposite of the incident from earlier) and smiled again as she began blushing. "We'll call that a countermeasure to earlier."
Sofia giggled a bit, coming out of her mildly annoyed state. "I…definitely prefer…this…" She unfolded her arms and gently clasped his hand again. "With you…" She blinked as he reached up to her other cheek, gently brushing his fingers over it, a bit of his own magic flowing from his fingers and onto her skin. "Cedric?"
He chuckled softly. "Don't worry, my dear. Whatever might have lingered is now gone. Can't have my beloved partner feeling upset and concerned about a menacing villain, can I?"
"Don't bring Wormwood into this." She snickered as he suddenly laughed a little harder than expected, lowering his hand to her shoulder. "I'm just kidding, of course."
"Yes, I know. But I really wish Wormy had been here to hear that. I can just picture the argument now…"
Sofia grinned, turning and hugging him before whispering, "Honestly, I'm glad he's not here… I rarely get you to myself as it is..."
He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that comment, so he instead just returned her hug. "R-Right…"
She leaned back and smiled up at him. "Maybe we should get some sleep… We'll need all the rest we can get before going back home to the girls and the rest of our family and friends."
"True…" He lightly tugged at her ponytail, causing her to laugh. "Night, my darling Sofia. Sleep well."
Sofia smiled at his statement before kissing his cheek. Seeing him blink, she explained, "That's your thank you for helping me out. And this…" She kissed his forehead. "…is your goodnight kiss." She slowly moved back over to her side of the bed, pulling the covers up and around them both. She turned and faced her partner, who had done the same. "Good night, Cedric." She reached out and took his hand, her heart warming as she saw him smile happily at her actions. "I love you."
Cedric held her hand more securely. "I love you too, Sofia."
And that's how they fell asleep that night: warm, happy, and hands clasped together once again.
The end (and more coming up soon on the Elementals and Master Extorio)