- Chapter 12 -
"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero."
~ Marc Brown
"Stop doing that!" Balthazar shouted where he had collapsed, sitting on the stone floor.
"What? You mean winning against you for, say, a thousand times?"
It has been a year and still he can't win against Maxim in terms of the sword. And to make it even worst, that mere fact gives the older apprentice more reasons to be so boastful about it. But it's not that he had nothing to boast, he had everything to boast about! Although, there was one way where he can win...
Out all of a sudden, Balthazar threw a great amount of energy towards Maxim, making the older apprentice flew over up to the wall and got stuck there as though something was holding him up there, the wooden sword he was holding clattered on the floor. Maxim only raised a brow when the tip of another wooden sword came at his chest, and cast a half-hearted glare towards the blond who was then staring up to him with a silly smile on the face.
"Well that's not so sporting of you," said Maxim to his fellow apprentice.
"What are you talking about?" replied Balthazar, furrowing his brows.
"Let me explain it to you, then," started Maxim. "You didn't pin me down because of your sword, you used your magic. Second of all, we weren't even engaged in a duel because I was waiting for you to get up. So technically, to sum that all up, you cheated."
Balthazar only scoffed. "You just won't admit that I beat you in this round."
Although rolling his eyes, Maxim wasn't able to hold back a smile. When he looked back down to Balthazar, he said, "Alright, fine, I concede, you have this round. Now can you at least get me down from here so that I may be able to get back at you?"
Smirking, the blond turned around and walked off, snapping his fingers together as Maxim fell heavily on the floor.
"I said get me down," Maxim was saying, hauling himself to his feet, dusting a few dirt off his sleeves. "I didn't say drop me down."
"In what other way would you have me get you down, then?" asked Balthazar, meaning to tease, as he turned to once again face the older apprentice. He was smiling, out of more to himself, but that smile slowly vanished when Maxim gave out a subtle smirk.
Before Balthazar knew it, Maxim swung his blue-jeweled sword up and the two found themselves parrying with each other.
It took only a few blocks and slash before Maxim was able to disarm Balthazar, as the blond found himself once again on the floor, looking up to the older apprentice, whom then had the tip of the sword under his chin.
"No," Maxim shook his head. "Either way, I'd still win against you."
Making out a face as though saying 'Yes, I know', Balthazar took the hand held out to him and hauled himself to his feet. Having Maxim around as his best friend was like having another older brother. One who is not really a brother by blood, but by bond, which only made them much closer to one another. Also, Maxim could be quite different in many ways in being a brother compared to both Benjamin and Bartholomew.
"What say's you about having a bite from the kitchen?" asked Balthazar, jerking his thumb towards the open door of the training room.
Risking a brief glance towards the door, and looking back to the blond, Maxim replied, "What would you like to have?"
"Cheese. Bread. Anything at all," answered the blond boy, shrugging his shoulders.
"Sounds quite satisfying to me, but what of drinks?"
The boys walked out of the room with the older one having an arm around the younger one's shoulders.
A quirked brow appeared in Balthazar's face. "We can't drink wine, you know that."
"I'm not talking about wine."
"Hmm...Milk?"
The older apprentice looked down on the blond still under his arm. "But who would milk the cow?"
After a few moments of considering the matter, Balthazar came to decide in saying, "Perhaps we should just settle with whatever is in the kitchen."
Maxim nodded. "Agreed."
When they reached the hallway, they were met by their master, standing at the end of the hall as though expecting them to be there at that moment, as though he was waiting for them for quite some time already.
"Boys, come with me outside," Merlin said, as he turned around to walk off, certain that his two apprentices would follow him without further hesitations. "I suppose it is now time."
"Time for what, exactly?" came Maxim's voice, he and Balthazar had ran to their master's side.
"Follow me and I will explain outside," was Merlin's answer, a subtle smile slowly appeared on his face.
Sharing a look with each other, the boys settled with the idea that perhaps they should wait until they got outside. They got used to that when it comes to their master, always with the suspense, but the wait was always worth it.
Moments later, the boys were led to the forest nearby at the back of the castle. Although still wondering of what were they to do there, they still kept their silence and waited for their master to say more. Whatever it was that Merlin had in mind, both boys were certain that it concerns casting spells, perhaps the kinds that requires a great amount of space, to think that they were taken outside instead of using the training room, or even the courtyard, for that matter.
After they have walked about thirty feet away from the castle, Merlin had the boys to a halt, then he walked off, giving in a good ten feet distance in between him and his apprentices. When he faced them, he crossed his arms on his chest, tilted his head to the side slightly, and considered the boys first.
A year had passed so quickly, and to think that they were at eleven and fifteen years of age. There was this one particular thing he'd want to see for himself with his own eyes, and would want to test it, before taking up the boys to work together for real, and not just in training.
"If the both of you are ready to listen," started Merlin, "I would be now telling as to why I brought you here." He waited a few seconds for the moment to sink in before he continued. "As the two of you probably know, it has been a year, and it has been quite some time since you were training together. Now, I would like to see how the two of you improved, together."
Once again, the boys shared looks with each other, then looked back up to their master.
"Now listen very carefully, because this is where everything becomes interesting," Merlin spoke again, replacing his hand to be clasped casually behind him, that subtle smile once again resurfacing. "I want the of you to cast out every single attack spell you know, and approach me as though you intend to kill me."
The surprised look on both apprentices' faces were expected, but Merlin was very pleased that the boys immediately understood him on what he truly meant, in which they implied to him with nods.
"Just remember, you will attack as one. Therefore you would have to defend each other."
Again, the boys nodded.
Merlin took in a deep breath, slightly tilting his head back, closing his eyes in the process. When he opened his eyes again, he then made out a serious look on his face, then nodded once to his apprentices.
Both boys moved at once, with Balthazar taking in the front line, trying to cast a plasma bolt between his palms. When Balthazar finally threw the plasma bolt towards his master, Merlin only returned the bolt towards the blond with ease. Until suddenly, Maxim came in front of Balthazar like lightning, raising his sword with both hands. The teenager then used his sword to redirect the plasma and returned it to Merlin. Certainly enough, the sorcerer was able to avoid the attack by stepping aside to a safe position. But as Maxim knelt to one knee, Balthazar hopped onto the older apprentice's back, as the blond came leaping down towards Merlin with both hands coursing with electricity.
A shield was then cast around Merlin, with a wave from the sorcerer's hand, and as Balthazar clasped his hands together, lightning came flashing towards Merlin, crackling sounds were heard as the electricity made small cracks on the shield bit by bit.
'I didn't know he already learned that spell,' thought Merlin to himself, peering through crossed arms. That was when he saw his older apprentice once again raising that blue-jeweled sword and slamming the blade to the ground.
There was a shake, as a crack came forming on the ground and made its way towards Merlin. The sorcerer rolled away to safety moments before he was able to fall into the hole that the ground made on where he stood.
'These boys must have a lot of time learning new spells without my knowing,' thought Merlin again to himself, only being a little thankful that he could still keep up with his apprentices.
Suddenly, Balthazar was once again on the move, blasting a ball of energy towards his master. As Merlin once again successfully avoided another attack spell, he found himself on the same situation when he saw Maxim manipulating knives and with said knives coming at him fast. Although Merlin was able to avoid that too, one of the knives got too close in cutting off some of his hair, and scratching his face.
Taking in a few moments to have a deep breath, Merlin was already in the process of thinking how impressed he was with what his two apprentices was doing, until his attention went back to the boys. He noticed Maxim inhaling air deeply through his mouth, and when the teenager exhaled, black smoke came out of his nose.
'Dragon breath?' Merlin thought almost in panic. Then he saw Balthazar waving his hands around, as a strong wind encircled around the blond boy.
A question then came to mind: What keeps fire alive? Isn't it air?
"Oh dear," whispered Merlin to himself as he braced himself for the boys to cast each of their spells.
Maxim slashed his hand in front of him as though trying to catch something in the wind, then he slammed his hand to his mouth. When he removed his hand, fire came out of his mouth, directing the fire towards his master. On the other hand, Balthazar forced the wind he was gathering towards the fire to keep it even more lively. The boys did this all at the same time, with Merlin disappearing among the flames.
When the fire went out, both apprentices came towards each other, their gazes never leaving the woods still in flames.
"Where did he go?" asked Balthazar to his co-apprentice, when they got about two feet from each other.
That was the moment both boys felt a hand placed carefully on their heads.
"Does that answer your question?" replied Maxim, looking towards the blond with only his eyes, a tiny hint of annoyance was seen on his face.
"I'm impressed with the improvement on both of you," said the master, with both apprentices turning to look up to him at the same time. "You were both good." He then raised his left arm, showing off the burn on his sleeves, as he looked down on it. "Rather very good at that."
Maxim and Balthazar shared smiles with each other.
"I suppose it is time for the two of you to have your first errand together." Merlin turned to leave and go back inside the castle. "So get cleaned up, and after that, the both of you will be leaving immediately."
Maxim held out a hand, palm's up, to Balthazar, and the blond boy answered to that by slapping his own hand on the older apprentice's palm.
The black horse stood very still on its ground, not minding at all on how the dark-haired teenager was caressing his neck and face. There was a smile on the teenager's face, adoring the beautiful, strong animal that he was looking upon. He simply couldn't help himself with it, the horse was a present to him from Carlyle.
"Beautiful, isn't he?" he said almost to himself. "My own horse."
There was nothing inside Balthazar to stop himself from rolling his eyes at his friend. "What is it with you and the color black?"
Looking up briefly to the blond boy dismounting from another horse, Maxim only clicked his tongue between his teeth, saying, "I was only adoring my gift. Besides, it feels good to have a horse you can call your own."
Shaking his head with a sigh, Balthazar walked on alongside Maxim, as they both stopped a foot away from the front door of the house.
"It's rather quiet inside," said Maxim all of a sudden, hesitating to knock. He looked down on the blond beside him. "You think no one's at home?"
"How will we know if we don't knock?" replied Balthazar, but neither he even dared to knock at the door, and only looked down on the thing he had in his hands. "But don't you think it's rather strange we haven't met any trouble along the way here?"
The older apprentice finally made two knocks on the wooden door, as he stepped aside to wait for someone to open it. "What do you mean?"
"Merlin said that this device here, this Grimhold," said the blond boy, still looking down on the thing in his hands, "is a very powerful device, and that Morganians may have interest on it, enough to even want to take possession of it."
The boys looked at each other.
"He also warned us, if I remember right," added Balthazar. "Three times."
Although Maxim came to the point of wanting to consider what the younger apprentice was trying to say more carefully, he decided to ignore it first, and thought perhaps they should go inside the house first. So, without waiting further more if anyone would even open the door, Maxim opened it himself and went inside, beckoning his friend to follow him. Inside the house, the first thing that welcomed them was mess, all around. The chairs were broken, a nearby table was cut in half on the middle, the wooden walls had signs as though it was burned, with books and scriptures of spells were all scattered everywhere, papers all torn into pieces.
Cautiously, both boys wandered more inside the house to investigate, splitting up in different directions, with Maxim drawing out his sword while Balthazar held onto the Grimhold more tightly. Whatever that's happened in the house, apparently it was something rather not pretty.
All of a sudden, Balthazar exclaimed, "Horvath, over here!"
Running towards the kitchen, Maxim found his blond friend sitting beside a very badly wounded man.
"A...Are you...Lord Merlin's...apprentices?" coughed the wounded man, and it appeared as though he was having a hard time speaking already.
"Yes," nodded Maxim, as he found himself seated next the man, "yes, we are. And, are you Reynard?"
"I am," replied the man. He was the Merlinian sorcerer the boys was to give the Grimhold to. "Y-You have...the Grimhold?"
Balthazar quickly held out the mentioned device. "Here. We have it right here."
Raising a rather shaky, and blood stained hand, the man, whom was known as Reynard, tried to cast a somewhat spell on the Grimhold, his purple jeweled ring glowing. Both boys did not know it, but the spell was meant to be the finishing touch on the Grimhold. Unfortunately, Reynard was too tired, and was near death, that he found no such strength in him to even start up the spell.
"Blast it!" he exclaimed as he closed his eyes, dropping his hand. "I...I'll be needing y-your help, lads." When Reynard once again opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon the dark haired apprentice. "You. You seemed to be...t-the older one here. Come hither, lad." He beckoned to the teenager to come closer, implying that he was to say something.
While still in the middle of whispering something into Maxim's ears, Reynard held onto the hilt of the teenager's sword, as both his ring and the hilt glowed with energy. Balthazar watched in silence as it became apparent to him that the dying Merlinian was passing over something into the sword. After a few more moments, Maxim pulled away from Reynard.
"H-Hurry, lads. There isn't much time. He...will find you here."
"Who's 'he'?" asked Balthazar, but he soon regretted in ever asking when the walls collapsed and out came an angry looking man.
"You there! Give me that!" the newly arrived demanded to the blond boy.
"What are you waiting for? Can't you see it's a Morganian? Now run!"
Although hesitating to leave Reynard there, the boys scrambled to their feet and ran as fast as they could, out of the house. And immediately after that, the poor Merlinian took his last breath.
"What did he tell you?" asked Balthazar to Maxim, as they both mounted their horses.
"He said I need to do the spell!" replied Maxim.
Before they were able to get far from the house, they were both knocked off from their horses by some invisible force, letting them drop to the grass on their backs. Seeing the Morganian sorcerer coming at them, the only option the boys had was to run by foot. They quickly made their way towards the forest, running so fast as they had never done before.
"What spell?" shouted Balthazar along the way.
"The finishing touch to the Grimhold!" shouted back the older apprentice. "I don't know how it's done, but Reynard said I should just focus my energy on my sword!"
A plasma bolt came out of nowhere hitting a tree, and it almost hit Maxim on the head.
"Balthazar, do me a favor and let's discuss this later."
As the boys reached the end of the forest, they found themselves at a lake. When they turned around again, the Morganian sorcerer was coming in close, and fast. They braced themselves for a showdown though they had doubts whether they could meet up to the level of the older and more experienced sorcerer.
Minutes later, attack spells were being cast continuously on either sides, back and forth, with the Morganian sorcerer having the upper hand. Neither one of the boys wasn't certain whether they could get out of it alive at all, but Maxim was thinking that perhaps the only way to win and not get killed, is to be the one to make the kill first, but he didn't know if he could.
"Give me the Grimhold!" shouted the Morganian angrily towards Balthazar, as Maxim went flying in the air, hitting a tree.
When Maxim finally got to one knee, shaking his head off his dizziness, he looked up only to find Balthazar lying on the ground with the Morganian standing over the blond. There was murder in the Morganian's eyes. Fear came over to Maxim, as he quickly stood up and ran, holding up his glowing sword, manipulating the knives he had on the back of his belt. He aimed the knives towards the Morganian and when the sorcerer turned around, three knives were then pierced on his chest, one directly on the head. The knife on the head instantly killed the Morganian.
Falling on his knees beside his blond friend, Maxim took up Balthazar in his arms, dropping his sword to the ground.
"Wake up!" shouted Maxim, shaking the blond. "You're not dead. I know you're not!"
Slowly, Balthazar opened his eyes. When he saw his friend, he managed to smile, showing off the Grimhold still in his arms. "I still have it."
"Yes, I can see that," nodded Maxim, his eyes nearing to tear up.
"M...Maxim..."
Balthazar's head fell to one side. His eyes close one again.
"No. No!" shouted Maxim, not able to hold back the tears that were then already falling from his eyes. "Don't die on me! Balthazar wake up!" He shook the blond more forcefully, but Balthazar just won't open his eyes, nor talk back. "No! This is not happening! Not again!" he said to himself as he shook his head. He finally let go of his friend's unmoving form, burying his face in both his hands, crying his heart out.
"Why? Why?" he was asking himself between sobs, until he heard a low chuckle from under him.
Maxim took his hands off his face, only to find a smiling, and very much alive Balthazar, trying to get up on a sitting position.
"You're crying? Because you thought I'm dead? I'm touched," said the blond, teasing the older apprentice. But the reply he got was a hard punch on the shoulder. "Ow! That wasn't necessary!"
"You had me worried half to death! And then you meant to jest like that?" shouted the teenager angrily.
"Look, I'm sorry. I was just..." Balthazar tried to defend himself but was cut off shortly.
"Sorry can't bring a life back, Balthazar!" Maxim shouted even louder. "What if you truly died? What would that leave me with?"
Balthazar made off to apologize again, but was cut off for a second time.
"No, you listen to me," Maxim said, his dark eyes were serious looking. "I watched my father die right in front of me. I will NOT watch the same thing to a brother! Not if I can do something to prevent it!"
Balthazar was taken aback, utterly silenced by his best friend's words. He was just called a brother. Maxim referred to him as a brother.
"So don't you ever do that again," said Maxim softly, his features turned soft.
Managing a small smile, Balthazar reached over to his best friend, placing the Grimhold carefully down on the ground, wrapping his arms around the teenager's neck, saying, "I promise. Never to you...Testvér."
Returning the hug, Maxim slightly frowned, quirking his mouth and resting his chin on the blond's head. "Do it again and I'll be the one to kill you."
His smile went broader but slowly vanished as Balthazar caught sight of the dead body of the Morganian, not too far from where they were. "Did you, truly kill him?"
Pulling away, Maxim considered Balthazar's face before looking towards the direction the blond was looking. "Yes. I suppose I did."
"You killed a man, just to save me?"
The only reply Maxim could give was a nod when he looked back to Balthazar.
Silence suddenly took over between the two of them. It was Balthazar who broke in with a sigh, holding up the Grimhold in his hands once more, saying, "Well, let's not be wasting much time and do the spell right here. Then we go back to the castle."
Picking up his sword, and placing the tip of the hilt on the Grimhold, Maxim asked, "You think Merlin would be angry with me if we tell him I've killed a man in cold blood for trying to save you?"
There was pure seriousness by the tone and the look on Maxim's face, and Balthazar didn't know how to answer the question.
A/N: "In case you are all wondering, or perhaps you already know, the Hungarian word 'Testvér' simply means 'brother'."