Chapter 46 WATCHING FROM ABOVE
Two days after his awakening, Magnus was able to walk around the castle without the risk of collapsing. That first day had been hard for him. He had been bedridden for a week, so it was only natural. He had nearly passed out when Darren had told him how long he had been sleeping. Obviously, something like this had never happened to him before. He probably wasn't used to getting hurt.
For the time being, the four travelers were allowed to remain within the castle for as long as they wanted. Christian and his wife didn't seem to mind at all. They had plenty of room, plus the castle was relatively quiet since their daughter wasn't at home. She had left only a day before their arrival to go visit her aunt in Drester. Although disappointed that they wouldn't get to meet her, the peace within the castle was much appreciated.
Darren and Astrid couldn't help but notice that Magnus was slowly starting to forgive Xyra. He didn't yell at her anymore, which was indeed a relief. However, he wouldn't talk to her at all now. If he passed her in the hallway, he would simply avoid her eyes and brush past her coldly. She didn't even bother trying to talk to him anymore, because he wouldn't listen anyway. It was obvious he still hated her, so she figured that the less she said, the less he could criticize her. So far, it seemed to be working.
Magnus stood in the large grassy area in the middle of the castle. It was outdoors, almost like a courtyard. It was the perfect place to train himself. He had to get back in shape after his close encounter with death. He was basically just practicing martial arts. He was throwing kicks and punches in every direction, testing his balance, and seeing just how fast he was. He wasn't aware, however, that he had an audience.
Standing on one of the balconies that overlooked the courtyard was Xyra. She was leaning against the stone railing, watching Magnus as he practiced below. This was the only place she could observe him that he wouldn't be able to see her at. She enjoyed watching him practice. He was surprisingly good at martial arts. He was a sorcerer who seemed to care greatly about his physical strength. Although he didn't look like much, he was incredibly agile and had a lot of power in his legs and arms.
She would never admit it, but there were other reasons she enjoyed watching him. For the past few days, she had been thinking about him a lot. She wasn't sure why, but it was slightly annoying. He plagued her thoughts, and she had only known him for close to three weeks. In her mind, that wasn't nearly long enough to be thinking about some of the things that went through her mind. She couldn't help staring at him though. He was fun to watch, and he had a gorgeous face. Like Darren, he drew a lot of looks from women, except he didn't try to. Darren made it all too obvious.
"So…this is where you disappeared from," said Christian with a smile as he walked up next to Xyra, leaning against the railing as well. He had startled her a bit, but when she realized that it was just him, she put on a soft smile.
"Good morning, Christian," she greeted kindly before turning her attention down to the ground again.
"What are you doing?" he asked, a childish smirk on his face.
"Just watching."
Curious, the young mayor turned his attention downward. His smirk widened when he saw just who was down there. Xyra was spying on her companion as he trained himself. This was his chance to play with her mind a bit.
"Ah, young love," he sighed, really putting on the dramatics. "Must be nice…" He glanced over, noticing that Xyra was staring at him a bit nervously.
"It's not like that!" she stated firmly, a small glare present on her features. "I just… I'm…" She wasn't sure what to say anymore. She wasn't sure just why she was watching him or why she enjoyed doing so, but there was one thing she knew for sure. It wasn't love. She barely knew him, and to top it all off, he hated her. However, she still wasn't sure just what she was doing here.
"You just feel guilty, right?" he asked, defending her from his own assumption. He sighed a bit, slouching as he leaned against the railing. "I don't blame you. He was pretty harsh that day, and he meant every word."
"You don't have to remind me," she mumbled as she turned her attention back to Magnus. "He still hates me, doesn't he…"
"I don't think hate's the right word."
"How about loathes or detests?" He laughed at her a bit, finding her pessimistic attitude rather fascinating. She really did sound disappointed though, a very cold and cynical sound accompanying all of her words. She was doing her best to remain sarcastic so that people wouldn't realize that most of the things she spouted were true. She really was feeling bad about what happened to Magnus, and she really did believe that he hated her.
"Let me tell you a little secret," said Christian. "Men don't like being wrong, especially a man like him. It's probably killing him not to say something. He most likely wants to make amends, but his pride won't let him."
"So what should I do?"
"Apologize, but lay it on real thick. Make him feel so bad that he has to forgive you. You can act, right?"
"Yeah…" The truth was she probably wouldn't need to act. She really did want to apologize again, but every time she tried, he would just cut her off or completely ignore her. She would have to find a way to get his attention. It was something to ponder as she watched him continue his training.
Down below, Magnus was really working up a sweat. He was getting tired, but he didn't plan on quitting just yet. This gave him something to do, plus it was good for him. He wasn't nearly as strong as he wanted to be, so he was going to have to push himself harder. He was going to make sure that he was able to watch out for himself and his companions.
"Hey," greeted a voice from a nearby entrance. Magnus stopped for a moment, glancing over. Darren was standing there, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Looks like you're having fun."
"I guess," he said, shrugging a bit. He didn't look all that tired despite how long he had been out here.
"How about you quit practicing and have a real fight?"
"A real fight?"
"Yeah." He uncrossed his arms and walked out into the courtyard. "I got nothing to do, so I'll spar with you for a bit. You seem pretty tough…for a sorcerer."
"Is that a challenge?" There was a smirk on the sorcerer's face as he got himself ready for this. "I accept."
"But you can't use magic," stated Darren. Magnus didn't seem to care about that restriction. He just wanted to get on with it. His fellow hunter obviously did as well. He stopped just a few yards from him. "It's been a while since I've fought someone who's actually worth my time. Don't disappoint me, okay?"
"Same to you."
Both boys just gave each other a confident smirk before taking off. They were charging right for each other. Magnus made the first move by punching forward. He had been aiming at Darren's head, but his fist found nothing but air. The hunter had dodged far too quickly and was now sending a kick towards Magnus. He was still under a punch, so he quickly used that to his advantage. He shifted his weight, aiming his punch downwards. He opened his hand, his palm hitting the grass. Using that one arm, he lifted his entire body onto a cartwheel and completely avoided Darren's kick.
"Pretty nice move," the hunter said as he tried punching but hit nothing but air.
"Thanks," Magnus replied as he once again had to dodge a spin kick.
From above, Xyra and Christian watched the two hunters in astonishment. They were both amazing fighters, neither one being able to hit the other. Their fists and feet met nothing but the air, each dodge being just seconds before the strike. Despite the stereotype that sorcerers were physically weaker, Magnus seemed to be giving Darren a run for his money.