But as he had to train tirelessly in the days and sometimes late at night for his tests to becoming a sorcerer, since he aspired to become a sorcerer such like Merlin and his Mother and Aunthe didn't have much time to dwell on his heart's desire the maiden Gwen. These important women in his life not only passed their magical knowledge into him, but also trained him in combat, because as a sorcerer, he not only had to master all the magic, but also had to be skilled in combat. Intrigued as to why, he was bold enough to ask his tutors :

"Why?"

"Because there's one cardinal rule in our order : if your opponent doesn't know any magic, you shall fight him or her with mortal weapons in an official duel, nothing enchanted or the like, for the fight to be fair for both sides. Never forget this or you'd have your powers taken away."

"You still care about fairness Mother?" He asked in joke.

"Yes, there's still some honour left in me. I always thought a sorcerer who fought someone who didn't know magic with magic was really a coward with no real skills. That's why you shall be trained in sparring too, my son."

"I was trained in jousting and in combat in my father's court already, Mother, I don't need to anymore."

"Don't need to anymore? Why, how arrogant you are to think this my son, you are never skilled enough or good enough, there's always someone better than you in everything else." Not wanting to argue with her, he just said :

"You're right mother, so today we shall practice fighting? It's still better than Aunt Morgana's potions and healing."

"Potions and healing arts are also as important as other magics, son. But after your duel with me, I promise to teach you invisibility, shape-shifting and creation skills."

"Really, Mother?"

"Yes, son, that's going to be your reward if you're win against me today in combat."

Hence why he duelled her with normal, non-enchanted weapons such as short and long knives, spears and swords. He was always weaker with normal weapons, and found it to be a useless to acquire such skills. But since his Mother said this was going to be required for his tests to become a sorcerer, he still took it seriously. "A sorcerer's path isn't as easy and fun as it seems, many challenges on his road." He thought afterwards.

And as his Mother promised him, she began teaching him invisibility, shape-shifting and creation skills. He loved this private lessons with his Mother. He thought it was his Mother who taught him this, because his Aunt was less skilled in these, however, it was because his Aunt had other rituals to perform, and duties to her Goddess to mind. He didn't mind not being too often with his aunt, as he found his aunt's lessons less interesting. But he didn't know history was just as important as other practical magical skills. He was musing about these, when his mother abruptly interrupted his thoughts :

"Now let's go find a place to practice the skills I've promised to teach you."

"Why didn't I learn about them when I was an initiate?"

"Because as an initiate, you were taught the less difficult arts in magic, it takes quite a bit of willpower to do these things. And all initiates have the same lessons as you, son."

"But I learned how to bewitch other people when I was an initiate though?"

"Yes, that's relatively easy, once you learnt how to use the will. Now disappearing into nothingness or invisibility, known to normal people, is a bit more risky. I'll first teach you shape-shifting, your aunt Morgana is quite a skilled shape-shifter, she can morph almost into anything, be it objects, humans or anything else. After you've mastered shape-shifting, I'll teach you how create things with your mind."

He thought he quite liked shape-shifting, changing sometimes into a Phoenix, sometimes into a tree and other times into other animal forms, and somethings into inanimate objects such as a table. Right now he was perched on a tree as fiery Phoenix. He could see everything so clearly now with the Phoenix's piercing eyes.

"Get down, Mordred, it's almost time to eat."

"But I don't want to, I want to continue my lessons with you, Mother."

"How are you to master these difficult skills if you don't have any energy left in you?" His Mother asked rhetorically.

Because he mastered shape-shifting so well, tonight his aunt and mother willed a huge feast for him, as opposed to his normal simple dinners. He ate everything with gusto. He was never this hungry in his life.

"Mother, you're right, it takes a bit of will for these more difficult things in magic. But I'm confident I'll master invisibility as well as shape-shifting."

"You'd better not be overly-confident, Mordred. It's good to have some self-esteem, but not too much." His aunt said.

"Yes aunt Morgana." But he didn't agree with her on this, he thought if it weren't for his confidence, he wouldn't have mastered shape-shifting so well today.

"How is your taming the magical folks on Avalon now, son?"

"Well, I've tamed almost everything, from dryads to nymphs, to faes and to elven folks."

"Really, Mordred?"

"Well, all except one : Titania. I think she has something personal against me or she just hates me."

"No, Titania, wouldn't hate you, she's just proud enough to resist you, even as the Lady of the Lake's Heir. See, she sees everyone as equal : be it humans, nymphs and everyone else. So it's natural that she doesn't bow down to you, Mordred."

"So, what should I do for her to listen to me, Aunt Morgana?" His Aunt, he found was quite well acquainted with Avalon's magical folks.

"You'll have to prove yourself to her, Mordred."

"How? Make her see you are worthy of her loyalty too. Make her see you care about everyone else."

"I understand, aunt."

"It's getting late, son, you should take some well-deserved rest for some time because what I'm about to teach you is going to take more of your energy than ever : creation and invisibility, all skills required for your passing the Sorcerer's tests."

"Yes Mother." And he went to sleep, thinking about the interesting lessons ahead, but also worried about his dear friend or beloved Gwen. "My beloved or my best friend only?"

At least, he had some time to breath now. But as he couldn't stay there and do nothing, unlike his Aunt and his Mother, he took to taming Titiana, the wild and fiery fairy Queen. One afternoon, he heard a voice from behind when he was trying to summon the Queen of Faes, he heard someone tell him :

"You're doing it wrong, Mordred Pendragon."

Surprised because he didn't see her coming, he asked her politely :

"Who are you?"

"I am Viviane, the Lady of the Lake." But at that time, she didn't tell him she was also his grandaunt, and the one who was going to oversee his Sorcerer's tests.

"Viviane? The High Priestess?"

"Not now anymore, your aunt Morgana is."

"So how do I tame this wild and resisting Fairy Queen?"

"Save her life and she'll forever be your servant, Mordred."

"But how can I save her life? She has magic I don't have and she's so high and mighty and everything."

"Didn't you not notice how all the fae folks never go into water?"

"No, I've not been around them long enough for that, Lady Viviane."

"Well, that's her weakness, I'm going to make her fall into the stream accidentally and you'll rescue her gallantly like a prince."

"Thank you, my Lady Viviane."

And that was how he tamed the passionate Fae Queen Titania with trickery. "Something Auntie Morgana wouldn't approve of, but well, it did work. Her powers are now mine to use." He thought some while before his tests. But before that, he needed to work on invisibility and creation, two very hard and ancient powers, that only the Goddess's descendants like himself could use. And he was, by his Mother's blood, one of her descendants.

After he told his Mother he at last tamed Titiania the Fairy Queen, she declared :

"It's time for you to learn creation now, my dear son. Now let me tell you why we can create things? Because we are using the Goddess' powers and the Goddess can create anything, anyone she wishes. And we as Sorcerers and Sorceresses, only borrow her powers to create…"

While she was babbling about theoretical things, he wasn't quite listening to her, as he was getting impatient to master this useful skill. Finally, she showed him how to ask the Goddess for her power to create :

"You must join your hands, like this, and up to the Moon, you ask her : Oh Great Goddess of all, Grant me, as your Sorcerer, the power to create a table. And you can only create at night, for her powers come from the Moon."

"That's why Christians sometimes call her the 'Moon Goddess'."

"Exactly."

"Anymore questions about the Goddess or her creation powers?"

"Yes, it can be anything I want, can it?"

"Yes, anything you wish, son."

"And after I'll learn all about invisibility?"

"Yes, son. You're so very much like me, wanting to learn everything so fast and asking ever so many questions. Go now, go and play with the fae folks or the nymphs or the elves, while I and your aunt, have some other rituals to perform in the Goddess' Temple."

He did as his Mother asked, though a bit sad she dismissed him this way. Some while later, again when the Moon was high up in the night, his Mother called him for his lessons in invisibility. She told him then :

"Only at night, son, can you use this arcane magic and you know why now." And so he honed his skills in invisibility at night only. After some time, she asked him :

"In some days, it's going to be your turn to pass the tests as a Sorcerer? Are you nervous?"

"More excited than anything to become a real Sorcerer."

"Oh and, the one who will be overseeing your tests is Lady Viviane, your Grandaunt." He deliberately didn't tell her about his meeting her, because otherwise he'd have to tell her about how she helped with Titiana, and he didn't want to. So instead, he just asked :

"Will you come with me?"

"No, you'll pass these alone."

He asked no more. For the next few while, he was preparing himself for these tests, practicing, honing and polishing the magical arts rotatively and even brewed some powerful elixirs under his Aunt's watchful eye. He knew it was a test of will. If he bested his grandaunt the Lady Viviane, he'd be a Sorcerer.

And before he knew it, he was walking in a secret chamber of the Temple he's never been before. The chamber was immaculate, and only an arena was there. He supposed this was where he was going to pass those tests. "You can do it, Mordred." He was encouraging himself. But when he faced the Lady Viviane, he had to summon all his willpower to not fail these. After his tests, he waited for a long while until the Lady Viviane came out and said :

"Necromancy, telepathy and seducing people, all passed. As well as invisibility, creation and shape-shifter, but you'll need to work on your taming magical creatures, you have some difficulties still with the fairies and especially their Queen Titania, even after you saved her life. Mordred Pendragon, you are now a Sorcerer. But as both Avalon's and Camelot's Heir, I wish for you to make peace with your father's realm."

"I'll do my best, Lady Viviane." He promised.

"I know you will."

But he couldn't see it then, he was only a pawn in his Grandaunt's, Mother's and Aunt's plans. His Mother and Aunt didn't teach him magic for nothing, they expected his loyalty in return. And he was grateful to them for teaching him such knowledge and for passing on their powers onto him, but he still really couldn't forget how good his Father was to him when he was mocked by others and everything else.

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