Adventures in Magic
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters/locations affiliated with it. The original characters introduced in various chapters belong to me.
A/N: And here's where you'll get to see Sofia in action. 😉 She's doing what she does best: protecting people and trying to get everyone ready for a showdown. :D
Chapter 23
Strength in Numbers
Summary: Cedric and Sofia call on the inhabitants of Mahiya to prepare to take down Kitanya.
Cedric attempted to take in a quick breath as he and Sofia hurried through the marketplace, swiftly avoiding colliding into people as they did so. "S-Sofia!" he called, his heart pounding at the overexertion. "Wh-Where exactly are we going?"
She suddenly stopped in the middle of the marketplace, her friend nearly crashing into her but managing to avoid doing so somehow. "Master Elgraste is the ruler of this kingdom," she mentioned thoughtfully as she also caught her breath. She glanced toward Cedric, seeing his confused nod. "Mahiya is doing really well, wouldn't you say? Even with no outside trade or communication."
He frowned. "What exactly is your point?"
"If the kingdom does well, that's a reflection on leadership, or at least that's usually the case. And my theory is that most of it is due to Master Elgraste." She gestured around. "If we tell everyone that he's been captured, surely they'll rise up and help us fight Kitanya."
Cedric sighed and shook his head. "Sofia, as much as I admire your optimism, many people choose to let others handle things like that. They figure it's too dangerous to get involved."
Sofia frowned at his words. "That's not what happened in Avalor, when Princess Elena led her entire kingdom to overthrow Shuriki."
"We're not in Avalor," he argued, noting his voice becoming a bit stern. He sighed and backed off quickly, realizing that his tone could have been misconstrued as being angry like earlier. "I just…don't want you to get your hopes up, Sofia."
The princess sighed as her look changed to one of concern. "At this point, Mr. Cedric, hope is all we've got left. Come on!" She quickly pulled him along yet again, heading off to communicate with different Mahiyan inhabitants.
Meanwhile...
"Kitanya," Dexter spoke calmly, though at this rate his voice betrayed his nerves. He was wary of the situation in which he and the other two had been placed. He didn't like the direction things were heading… Especially as he watched the sorceress pouring numerous ingredients into her giant cauldron, the oar magically stirring it as smoke billowed from within. "If nothing else, at least let Brexley go."
The dark-haired woman turned to glare at the young wizard.
"She's innocent, and you know she doesn't deserve to be here."
Kitanya fixed her glare on Dexter for a few more moments before growling and blasting the chains that held Brexley captive, causing her to collapse onto the hard floor.
Brexley looked around in confusion, her big brown eyes widening as she realized what had just happened. Quickly, she hopped to her feet, only to be met with an irritated Kitanya reaching out and grabbing her by her signdant.
"You won't need an interpreter for this one, kid," she seethed, making sure she spoke slowly and clearly so that the girl could read her lips. "Get lost, before I change my mind and destroy you too." With that, she shoved the girl backwards, smirking as she fell against the floor again.
Brexley made a little sound of pain before pulling herself up to her knees, standing again and moving over to her brother, signing desperately to him.
Dexter shook his head as he realized that Brexley was signing about freeing him. He chose to utilize her ability to read lips for the next part of the communication, knowing very well that she would sign her response.
"Don't worry about us. Go find help."
"What about Princess Sofia and Mr. Cedric?"
"If they are still here, yes. They are powerful and could help us. If not, get the guards. But be careful."
"I will. I love you."
Dexter smiled as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek before hurrying out of the room. "I love you too, Brex," he whispered to himself. He glanced over to Master Elgraste, who had pretty much passed out, probably from exhaustion, and maybe even from blood loss. He sincerely hoped his mentor and friend wasn't… His eyes narrowed as they trained on the sorceress again. "I hope you're happy with yourself."
"I am, thanks for asking." She tossed a few more ingredients into the cauldron, smirking as they caused a mini explosion.
As she moved to grab the next few ingredients, Dexter finally focused on the heart and dagger pendant around her neck and frowned thoughtfully. He didn't recognize it, and he knew she'd never worn something like that before. Kitanya had always preferred to wear the golden chain with an emerald stone dangling from it—the one Master Elgraste had given her when she was younger to protect her from danger. Apparently, it could ward off evil or something… He scoffed internally, realizing the irony: she was the evil one now… It would be stupid to ward off yourself, wouldn't it?
"What exactly are you planning to do with that?" He hadn't wanted to ask, but it was quite obvious that whatever she was creating had something to do with him and Master Elgraste. He figured he had the right to know.
Kitanya smirked as she poured a thick red substance into the cauldron. "You'll find out soon enough… Don't worry." A dark chuckle erupted from her, causing Dexter to shiver in dread.
"Excuse me!" Sofia called, trying to get peoples' attention. No one seemed to be paying her any mind, and very few people had probably even heard her. This had been going on for a while now, and she was growing frustrated. She huffed and hurried toward a stack of crates, climbing up them and standing on top of the wall that separated the marketplace from the outside of Mahiya.
"Sofia, get down!" Cedric insisted, his tone more worried than irritated. "I don't want you to fall!"
"I'm fine, Mr. Cedric." She lifted her Enchantlet, smiling mischievously. "Time to get their attention." She created her lasso and released it, grabbing several items out of peoples' hands or stands and releasing them on top of the awning of a nearby stand.
"HEY!" one man called angrily. "Give me back my fish!"
"And my cloths!" a woman shouted. "I need them to make my dress!"
A crowd had soon gathered, the members of it all angry with the princess's actions.
"I will give everything back," Sofia promised, calming them down. "But I had to get your attention somehow. I need you all to listen to me." She gestured toward the castle, which was within walking distance from there. "Master Elgraste and Dexter and Brexley of Mahiya have been abducted, and they need our help to save them." She retracted her lasso and instinctively grasped her amulet. "We can pool our powers, and—"
"We can't do that," an older woman returned, shaking her head. "Despite what you may believe, young lady, we citizens aren't the ones with powers."
Cedric blinked in surprise as he heard that.
"Only Master Elgraste, his staff, and the selected ones for training have magic still. The rest of us are just normal human beings who've been lucky enough to reside here in Mahiya."
Sofia was baffled by this information. How could they not have magic? "And why don't you guys have magic…?"
"Master Elgraste took them years ago," a man responded, folding his arms. "He said it was for our safety."
"That sounds rather questionable," Cedric murmured as Sofia hopped down from the wall and stood next to him.
"The magic in Mahiya was becoming dangerous," another man explained. "It was tainted with signs of corruption. Because he didn't want anything bad to happen to us, Master Elgraste asked us to forfeit our powers until he could determine what was happening." He sighed. "That was…eight years ago?"
"Right," a woman echoed. "We can't possibly save them without magic."
Sofia and Cedric exchanged glances. Eight years ago… Wasn't that when Kitanya had returned with her dark magic abilities? Had she somehow managed to taint all these people and their magic? With a quick gesture, Sofia used her lasso once again to retrieve the captured items, sending them back to their owners. Then, she grabbed her friend's hand and quickly guided him toward the castle.
"What exactly are we going to do now?" Cedric asked as they approached the building. "The citizens are no help. You heard them when you said master Elgraste and the others were captured: 'We can't possibly save them without magic.' They're not even willing to try."
Sofia frowned. "Then I guess it's up to us. So much for strength in numbers…" She gasped as she felt a small form crash into her, and glancing down, she saw Brexley scrambling to her feet. She quickly grabbed the girl's arms and helped her stand. "Brexley?! Are you all right?"
Brexley quickly signed something, but without her brother there to interpret, she was just gesturing emphatically to the Enchancians. She sighed in a huff and grew upset, tears stinging in the corners of her eyes.
Sofia sighed, just as frustrated as the younger girl. "Brexley, I'm sorry… I wish I could understand you." She glanced at her amulet as it suddenly began glowing, only to calm down a moment later. "Oh…"
Cedric looked toward his apprentice, who gazed at him uncertainly. "Give it a try…"
She nodded before looking toward the five-year-old. "Brexley…" She took her hands momentarily and smiled gently. "Try signing to me again."
Blinking at the request, Brexley nodded as Sofia released her hands. She hesitantly signed to Sofia:
"Kitanya let me go. Master Elgraste and my brother are still in trouble."
"Has anything happened to them yet?" Sofia asked.
The little girl's mouth fell open when she realized that the princess had actually understood her. She signed her response: "Not yet. Kitanya was making something in her cauldron…"
"Ask her if she's seen that wretched cat with our wands," Cedric muttered, expecting a jab from Sofia for being one-track-minded. When it didn't come, he was surprised.
Sofia asked Brexley, "Have you seen Tiya?"
That didn't need an interpretation. She shook her head.
"Blasted fuzzball," the sorcerer huffed. "Fine. I suppose we'll have to utilize everything we can to save them then. Between your amulet and Enchantlet, and both our internal magic… We may just be able to save them." He sighed. "I just know it would be better if we had our wands though."
As if on cue, Tiya came strolling out from behind the side of the building, the friends' wands still in her mouth. Upon seeing the glares from the two Enchancians, she panicked and turned, trying to run, but she tripped over a rock and tumbled to the ground, the wands rolling out of her mouth. She attempted to jump up to retrieve them, but a lasso worked its way around her, and she soon discovered that the Enchancian princess was now holding her captive. "Meddling princess," she spat, meowing fiercely as Cedric retrieved the two wands. "You may have your wands, but you'll never stop Kitanya."
"That's your opinion," Sofia answered, smiling as Cedric passed her wand to her. She then smirked at the flustered feline. "You've been a bad kitty, Tiya. I think you need a time out." She nodded to Cedric, who used a spell to entrap the cat in a magical floating cage, which hovered high enough in the air and away from any buildings to encourage escape. She retracted her lasso again before calling the Mystic Isles, smiling as Orion and Vega answered. "Hey, you guys… I have a bit of a weird favor to ask."
After communicating with the Protectors and getting Brexley to safety, Cedric and Sofia returned to the castle. However, just as they were about to approach it, the entire structure suddenly imploded. Before they could react, though, Kitanya's lair somehow propelled from under the structure and hovered midair, the four walls that had once encapsulated it now gone. The skies even began darkening, and thunder clapped in the near distance as the sorceress poured over her cauldron, ominous green smoke rising from within.
Cedric's mouth dropped at the sight. "What exactly is she hoping to accomplish with this?"
Sofia frowned without answering and took off running toward the structure.
Cedric sputtered, "W-Wait for me!" He hurried after her.
Upon reaching the area directly beneath the floating lair, Sofia turned to her friend. "We need to get up there."
"I realize that, but how?"
She pondered for a moment before noting a few airlows floating by. She smirked. "I have an idea."
"It's finished," Kitanya cackled as she whirled on the two captives, her eyes now a complete shade of red as she grinned sinisterly at them. "With this brew, I'll drain you both of your powers." She grasped her pendant. "And with this, I'll drain you both of your lives… No one can stop me!"
"You think so?"
She snarled as she looked to the side, seeing Cedric and Sofia standing there, the wind ripping by and causing his robe and her Protector cape to billow out around them. "You! What are you doing here?! I told you to leave!" She smirked suddenly, opening one hand and watching as the dark energy swirled in her palm. "Never mind. I'll handle you myself. Venit malus custodibus!"
The friends looked behind them, surprised to see four beings appear, each with their pupils a complete shade of red and each dressed in pitch black cloaks, which covered their bodies and their faces. While Sofia managed to escape, Cedric gasped as the evil beings entrapped him, tossing his wand away, the magical object coming to a halt before Dexter's feet.
Sofia gasped and ducked as a frustrated Kitanya hurled a blast of magic her way. "Kitanya, stop!" She whimpered as the next blast hit her arm, singeing through the fabric and causing her to wince, though she continued toward the woman. She narrowed her eyes in determination.
"She wasn't always this cruel," the princess thought to herself. "She's been hurt, I can tell, even if it was unintentional… Master Elgraste wouldn't have made her his protégé in the first place if she'd always been this way…" She frowned. "I've got to do something…"
"You think you can take me down, little princess?" Kitanya challenged with a malicious cackle as she sent another wave of magic the girl's way, smirking as it hit her, causing her to trip over a loose section of flooring, which sent her spiraling to the floor in a heap.
"Sofia!" Cedric called in horror as he struggled against Kitanya's assailants, his attempts feeble at best.
Sofia panted and shakily sat up, grimacing in discomfort as she felt her hairband ripping against the jagged stone and falling away, her hair freeing itself from her ponytail and whipping around her in the harsh wind. The thunder clapped again in the background, the skies darkening even more, and lightning even struck nearby. The princess glared at the wicked sorceress and attempted once again to stand, only to whimper and collapse to the floor once more.
"Hmph." A smirk spread over the woman's lips as she glared down at the teen. "And this is the Protector I'm supposed to be afraid of? You can't even take a direct hit without falling to your knees!"
"Leave her alone!" Cedric ordered as he fought against the evil beings holding him captive yet again. "She's done nothing to you!"
Kitanya turned her glance toward him, her back now to the princess. "She's done nothing for me either. Really, your entire Ever Realm would be better off without the princess. Wouldn't you agree, Cedric?" She grinned as Cedric's mouth fell open in shock, and as she turned to point her wand at the fallen girl, she realized something rather quickly. A frown set on her features. "Where did she go?!"
"Hey, Kitanya!"
The sorceress turned and gasped as she saw Sofia hovering in the air on an airlow, her arms and legs crossed and a triumphant smile on her face as her hair blew out behind her.
"Looking for me?"
Kitanya snarled, "Why, you little-!"
Sofia grasped her amulet with her right hand, noting as both the necklace and the Enchantlet activated at the same time. She then lifted her left hand, which began glowing with a softer light, the magical energy beneath a familiar shade of purple.
"You think you'll destroy me?" the woman sneered.
"No," Sofia corrected as her amulet and Enchantlet also began glowing. "I think I can help you."
To be continued…
