The Apprentice Ch. 02

They started the climb up the slope, watching, and listening intently. Finally, they spotted a cave and ventured close. Fiona checked her potion. She had decided to put it in a small oval bottle, which she intended to throw at the Fellcarn and then break with kinetics if needed. She hoped that the tranquilizer inside would be enough to deal with the creature, or at least make it less dangerous. They came close to the entrance and peered inside. To their disappointment and relief, the cave was quite shallow, ending only several feet from the entrance. They turned back and went up the mountain again. After another steep climb, they found themselves on a much smaller plateau with barely any vegetation on it. They stopped to catch their breaths and walked around, trying to spot a crevice or entrance... anything. And there it was. Slightly elevated from the plateau was an entrance to a cave. The entrance was quite big and from their vantage point, it looked like it led deep into the mountain.

They exchanged reassuring looks and nodding to each other, set off towards the entrance, alert and ready. At the entrance itself, Fiona conjured a small light, enough to let them see the contours of the cave and the shape of rocks inside. She had to be satisfied with a small dim light if they hoped to surprise the Fellcarn. They entered the cave slowly, and then they felt a faint scent of something... something foul. A shudder went through their bodies. This was it, probably. Stopping for a moment to gather their courage, they took several deep breaths and then ventured further, stepping lightly and looking around themselves, barely daring to make a sound.

Magnus walked on his tiptoes, slightly ahead of his Mistress. He watched the floor, the ceiling of the cave, its sides... There was moisture on the walls, a sign of underground waters, no doubt. He stepped lightly, every crunch under his boots making him cringe. He stopped after each step, straining to hear any sound coming from inside the cave. He was gripping the handle of his sword nervously as he ventured deeper, every step taking him closer towards their enemy, and possibly their doom. He turned to see Fiona, equally alert and tense, glancing around and trying to find a sign of Fellcarn's existence, other than the foul smell that grew stronger the further they ventured inside. Magnus stepped forward, wobbling for a second, then cursing inwardly when he heard a loud cracking noise under his boot. He looked towards the floor, trying to find a clear spot, and then suddenly froze.

"What?" she whispered as silently as possible, with a hint of annoyance.

"There are bones... everywhere..." Magnus whispered back, once he found his voice.

They stood there for several seconds, the sound of their breathing the only thing breaking the grave silence of the cave. Magnus crouched, picking something up from the floor. Fiona leaned in to see a ring in Magnus' hand. There was no doubt anymore... These were human bones. They watched the scattered bones, dread gripping their hearts. It was all that was left of the disappeared villagers, a silent reminder that humans were not at the top of the food chain. Magnus felt a hint of anger seeping into his body. So many people met their end here. They were someone's loved ones, someone's fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters... Finding some resolve in his anger, he moved forward, trying to step around the bones and startling Fiona who was still taken by the gruesome sight. They ventured several steps further, looking at the surrounding walls of the cave. It felt as if they were in a chamber of a sort. The walls seemed more distant, although it was hard to tell with the minuscule light source they used.

Magnus was peering into the relative darkness, his body tense like a spring. Fiona's light was slightly behind him, making his night vision fairly intact. He watched intently, trying to see through the faint shadows, trying to distinguish between the contours of the cave walls around them. His eyes lingered on a shape, a tall, round rock protruding from the cave wall a dozen paces in front of him. He stared, trying to figure out its purpose, the nature of how it came to be like that... And then he noticed a few tiny red spots on the rock, the spots that kept getting bigger and the strange rock moving, turning...

Magnus felt terror grip him as the realization settled in. Fellcarn's eyes watched him with hatred, as a ragged, almost growling sound came from the monster's jaw. The staring contest seemed to last for an eternity, when a much stronger light bathed the cave, making the monster shriek with irritation. A second later, Magnus saw some recognizable energies flow around them, a form of air magic he began using only recently. Fiona was obviously still in possession of her wits, and she bathed the cave in yellow light as it was obvious that their plan to catch the Fellcarn off guard had failed. She cast a sound barrier between them and the monster, shielding them from the creature's hypnotic sounds.

Magnus moved carefully to the side, swinging his sword left and right lightly, trying to keep the monster's attention on himself. He saw the creature open its jaw, he saw its chest expand and contract. The creature was screeching undoubtedly, but Fiona's sound barrier was doing its job, preventing any sound from getting to them.

Fiona moved her hand towards her pocket, fishing out the potion bottle, and gripping it in her sweaty hand. The monster's attention was on Magnus, as he swung his sword pretending to attack the monster. She brought her hand slowly, so slowly. She had to be careful so the monster would not see the danger... She pulled her arm back slowly and then suddenly threw the bottle towards Fellcarn, getting ready with her kinetics. But the monster proved to be much more clever than they gave it credit. As soon as Fiona threw the bottle, Fellcarn reacted with incredible agility. It lashed out with its powerful, huge wings, deflecting the bottle before it came close to its body, and hurling it towards the end of the cave. Fiona cursed and then felt her blood freeze as the monster turned towards her and moved forward, opening its fearsome jaw.

Magnus saw their plan fail and he saw the enraged creature shift its attention to Fiona. Without thinking and without any hesitation, he rushed forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc towards the monster. The sword skidded over the monster's hard scales, delivering only a glancing blow, but making the creature turn towards Magnus once again. Magnus heard the terrible screeching sound reverberate in the cave, a sound he would recognize anywhere. Failing to realize what that meant, Magnus swung again, making the creature evade swiftly, but then, as the momentum of his swing had brought him forward, Fellcarn's wing lashed out, sending him crashing into the cave wall. Recovering from the impact almost instantly, Magnus moved forward, deciding to abandon swinging and try thrusting instead. Squeezing the grip of the sword tight, he rushed forward and then... and then he wasn't there anymore...

By the gods, where did the cave go?! Where was Fellcarn, where was Fiona?! Magnus stood still, looking around himself frantically but seeing nothing except grey emptiness everywhere...

***

Fiona cried out to Magnus in warning but to no avail. The sound barrier worked both ways. She saw him swing at the creature twice, she saw him crash into the cave wall, she saw him move again, and then she saw him stop and freeze on the spot. She watched with dread as the creature moved towards Magnus with confidence and she saw it stretch its powerful jaw. In a few moments that terrible jaw would bite through Magnus' neck. Fiona pushed at the monster with her kinetics in panic, barely making it stumble. She pushed again and again, to little effect. She couldn't use any fire spells with Magnus so close... She felt despair clutch her heart in the anticipation of the moment when her Apprentice, her lover and friend would meet his end in the horrible jaw of this hellish monster, and she was powerless to stop it... The monster was clearly impervious to her pushes... but... but Magnus wasn't! Finding her resolve again, she pushed at Magnus, putting as much control into the spell as she felt capable of in her state, and saw him fly out of the reach of the monster, his body settling in the corner of the cave with minimum impact. She breathed out in relief as the monster turned towards her, its malevolent red eyes focusing on her once again.

Fiona felt new resolve flood her muscles and she decided to go all out. Magnus's and her own life hung on her ability to pierce through the resistance of this horrible creature. As the creature advanced, she cast a fireball, putting all her magical strength in it. The ball of fire flew straight and fast, crashing into the side of the monster as the creature turned in its attempt to evade the spell. A faint smell of charred meat permeated the air, but the creature turned and advanced again, showing only a patch of darker scales on one side. Fiona tried another fireball but to no more effect than the previous. Feeling the panic rise in her chest again, she switched to air spells, casting a lightning bolt and seeing it singe a small spot on the creature's wings but nothing more than that. She rummaged through her brain in haste, trying to think of some spell, something, anything that might have had an effect on this monster. She tried to freeze the creature with a water spell, she pushed with her kinetics, but nothing worked. This creature had such incredible magic resistance. It would take a spell of immense power to break through it. She saw the creature come to the near edge of her sound barrier and she pushed with kinetics, using all her talent-enhanced magical strength. She saw the creature stumble and then lean forward as if walking against a strong wind. Closer and closer it came, towering over Fiona and almost stepping inside her sound barrier. When that happened, it would all be over for them. With a mix of desperation and resignation, Fiona kept pushing, feeling the energies rush towards the creature and then disperse as if hitting a wall.

***

Magnus reached out with his hands trying to poke through the fog. He saw the same dull greyness everywhere. He couldn't tell if its source was inside the reach of his hand or far away... He felt lost, completely lost. Somehow, he found himself in this endless grey world, just when he was supposed to... What was he supposed to do? There was something he was going to do... and together with someone else... Who was it? Was it his father? Maybe they needed to take care of the horses... or were they supposed to go into the field and plow it? Why couldn't he remember, damn it!

He made a few steps, wondering what he was stepping on. It all looked exactly the same... In front, behind, below, and above, it was all the same... An endless field of pure grey nothingness. He knew he needed to do something... something urgent, but the thought kept evading him. More than that, he felt a great sense of danger inside of him, but he couldn't say why... As he racked his brain furiously, he suddenly noticed a shape several paces in front of him.

A dog. A large dog with piercing red eyes and a maw dripping with saliva. Unconsciously, Magnus reached for his hip, finding nothing there. The dog circled him slowly, readying for an attack. Magnus felt a surge of panic inside of him. He had no weapon to fight this demonic dog. He leaned forward, his whole body tense like a spring. The dog let out an unusual screeching roar that tugged at his brain, but Magnus had no time to ponder it. The dog leaped at him, its terrifying maw showing sharp, glistening teeth. Magnus' body reacted on its own, diving to the side, the attack missing him by an inch. The dog came around incredibly fast and leaped again at Magnus who was still trying to get to his feet.

"AGHH!" Magnus growled in pain as the dog crashed into him. He managed somehow to grip the creature's neck, keeping the deadly maw away from his face, just barely. Those fearsome red eyes bore into Magnus' mind as the dog struggled to grab its prey in its maw, the disgusting saliva dripping all over Magnus' chest. Sharp paws raked at Magnus' arms, making him roar in pain but he knew if he let go of the dog's neck he would be finished. Anger and pain warred in his mind as the struggle continued, endlessly. Somewhere in the deepest recess of his brain, Magnus knew with certainty that he had to win or something worse than even his own death would happen.

"RAARRGH!" Magnus growled, feeling a surge of desperate strength and squeezing the creature's neck with all his might. The deadly maw was now mere inches from his face, its foul breath making Magnus' stomach turn.

"YOU WILL NOT WIN!" Magnus roared, baring his own teeth and squeezing like a madman, his muscles strained to their absolute limit. With the last bits of his strength, he pressed, screaming in pain and anger. Then, finally, finally, he felt the creature's neck crack beneath his fingers and the giant dog went completely limp in his hands, only to vanish from sight the very next moment.

"What?!" Magnus wheezed, suddenly fighting for his breath. The fight had taken a lot from him. Struggling to get to his feet, he kept looking around himself frantically, feeling the drumming of blood in his ears. After several long moments, Magnus managed to get to his feet, his breathing getting steadier.

"What the hell happened?!" he asked that same grey emptiness, looking at his body and seeing no wounds. As his body and mind began to settle down, the feeling of urgency emerged once again. He was supposed to do something, but what? The feeling still nagged at his brain... Maybe he was supposed to meet with his sister? Yes, maybe Lina was waiting for him so they could go and pick mushrooms together... or maybe they were just going to rest and talk in their favorite meadow? Was that it? The question was still tugging at his brain, yet unconsciously, Magnus felt his posture relax as soon as the image of his favorite meadow flooded into his mind. The lovely green grass that came just above his ankles and the sound of wind breezing through it, reaching the branches of his favorite tree... So many times he had lain there with his head resting on his arms and just watched through the branches and leaves how the sky looked different, how the few rays of sun that managed to break through the branches painted such strange shapes on the ground... He was so at peace in this place... All his thoughts, all his desires and dreams were at home here. A smile of deepest satisfaction came to his face and he saw the scenery change around his eyes. The dull grey nothingness was rapidly being replaced by his favorite meadow, and he felt his heart leap when he touched his favorite tree and felt the gentle breeze on his face. He closed his eyes wishing he could take a nap and rest in this place of absolute safety for him. But no, the inner voice told him. It was time to wake up, to truly wake up.

Magnus came to, his back against the cave wall. He saw the monster only a few paces from Fiona. He couldn't see all of her, but he did see she was completely motionless, frozen, her hands at her side. In a split second, it all came back to him. He felt his limbs come alive with energy and awoken rage, and he rose, rushing forward and picking up his sword from the ground. He charged at the monster, giving his body tremendous momentum. He rushed like a wild bull thrusting his sword with all his might. Fellcarn managed to turn halfway before Magnus's sword impacted the creature's side. Magnus felt sharp pain lance through both his arms and shoulders, but he gritted his teeth and didn't let go. With a strange tearing sound, the sword managed to pierce through, just below the creature's ribs, its momentum pushing it deep inside Fellcarn's body. The monster let out a terrible screech of pain and agony. Like a madman, Magnus kept twisting and pushing the sword, ignoring the pain in his arms and the lashing of the creature's wings.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!!" Magnus screamed as he twisted and pushed his sword. Releasing a final screech of dying agony, Fellcarn crumbled to the ground, its lifeless body completely motionless. Magnus trembled for a few seconds, breathing hard, and then rushed towards Fiona who was now lying on the ground. He let out a breath of relief when he sensed her heartbeat. She was alive... That was all that mattered. Magnus took her in his arms and walked towards the cave exit. He felt relief flood him when he finally saw a clear sky above his head. He climbed down, carrying her in his arms and putting her over his shoulder on steeper places so his hands could be free. It took him a while to get to horses and he felt sweat pour from his face. He sat her on the horse and climbed behind her, taking the reins of the other horse as well. The sun was halfway down the rim when he finally reached the village. He dismounted and carried Fiona inside the house, taking her clothes off and putting her in the bed. He watched her for a moment and then smiled. He had stripped her so many times, but she had always been conscious before.

"There is a first time for everything..." Magnus thought, chuckling, as he caressed her face gently. He moved to get up but then he felt a soft touch on his wrist.

"Stay..." Fiona said faintly, barely able to open her eyes halfway. Magnus smiled at her and then took off his clothes. He climbed into the bed, taking her into embrace and enveloping her with his arms, protectively. Their warm bodies were touching and Magnus felt a hint of arousal, but this wasn't about that. Their embrace was one of warmth and intimacy. A wave of serenity and fulfillment went through his body as he buried his face in her lovely hair. Soon, they were both sound asleep, their bodies completely exhausted from the day's events.

***

Magnus woke up the next morning, feeling a dull pain in his shoulders. It would pass. He opened his eyes to see Fiona lying next to him, her face only a few inches from his own. He saw that beautiful smile of hers as she watched him silently.

"Good morning, Mistress," Magnus said, smiling back at her.

"Good morning, Apprentice."

He saw there were so many questions written on her face. How much did she remember? She was under hypnosis when he killed the Fellcarn, but only for several seconds probably, otherwise, the monster would have had time to tear her apart. Magnus almost shuddered at the thought of how close they had cut it.

"You must be curious... What do I get in exchange for answers?" Magnus asked with a smirk.

"Ten slaps," Fiona replied calmly, still smiling.

"Bah, why would I give you any answers then?"

"Because you will get fifty if you don't."

"You are worse than Fellcarn..."

She climbed on top of him and sat on his chest.

"Start talking or I will start counting down from fifty..."

"All right, all right," he said, laughing. And he told her everything. The way he had broken out of the hypnosis, and the way he had dealt with the monster.

"You broke the hypnosis with concentration?"

"Yes, I went to my meadow, and my focus destroyed the hold of hypnosis on my mind."

"Well, I've never heard of such a thing... Your focus is a thing of legends, apparently... Anyway, it seems I managed to save the day, all on my own again," she said, smiling happily.

"You saved the day?" Magnus asked, laughing.

"Of course! Who made your focus so incredibly strong? Me! With all the practice you get every day, with all the steel concentration you need to restrain your arousal after months of denying your orgasms, your focus has become stronger than anything. So yes, if it wasn't for my daily, well more like nightly lessons in restraint, you would never have reached such incredible depth of focus. So go ahead and thank me for saving your ass again," Fiona said playfully.