Leo raced from the training grounds back to his house at full speed. Though, he wondered what his mother’s reasons were to have him return home so soon. He figured because he hadn’t said good morning before racing off to see his friends. The rest of the ride went peacefully, yet Leo couldn’t help finding it so quiet. He thought it must had been due to Kazu and Celine staying behind with his father and Akira.

“Leo.”

Just then, the sorcerer pulled at the reins, causing Ariel to stop. The voice Leo heard back in the training grounds was calling out his name again. He searched everywhere from beyond the bushes, but there was nobody else in the forest.

“Alright,” whispered Leo. “This has to be my mind playing tricks on me.”

His suspicions stayed intact as he continued through the pathway. Leo’s village came up ahead seconds after he and Ariel reached the end of the road. There, he was more people awake, mending their own business, or chatting with friends. It was enough to bring a soft smile to the sorcerer’s face as he grew closer to home.

“Ah! Good morning, Leo!”

Then, Leo ceased riding when someone called his name out yet again. However, it didn’t sound the same as before, but instead came off deeper and gravellier. When he looked around, he spotted a very large man walking over, bringing him relief.

“O-Oh! Hi, Chief Roy!” Leo greeted back. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, how could you not spot a big man like me?” He joked.

Theodore Roy, founder and chief of Sanctum, also Celine’s loving father. Theodore was nicknamed the “gentle giant” of the village partly due to his kind nature. The man could settle any dispute that ever occurred between his people. But mostly, he stood at a height greater than Leo on Ariel, and a shape found to be unhuman. It always left the sorcerer to wonder if his chief was truly a giant.

“What are you doing riding back by yourself?” Theodore asked. “Usually, you’re alongside your friends.”

“Dad came to the training grounds with Uncle Akira,” answered Leo. “He said my mom needed me home for some reason.”

“And let me guess,” the chief cocked a brow, “For using a teleportation spell that daughter of mine taught you?”

Leo’s eyes widened in shock by how right his chief was on that. Theodore bawled out in laughter, giving the sorcerer a sharp slap on the back. It was so strong it caused Ariel to mistake it for a command to resume moving. The large man noticed the young sorcerer trotting away before catching up to him.

“That girl,” chuckled Theodore. “There’s just no stopping her when it comes to her love of magic.”

“N-No arguments there,” Leo cringed in agreement.

As much as the slap hurt, he tried very hard to endure the pain. The two both entered the village and were greeted by several people walking by them. Most of which carried crates of food and decorations more extravagant than the last.

“That sure is a lot of food,” Leo commented.

“It’s for the festival coming up,” clarified the chief. “We need to have everything ready for ‘The Calming of Leonardo’.”

Mention of the coming holiday brought a sense of gloom to the sorcerer. Theodore became distracted greeting more people to focus his attention on Leo. All the sorcerer wanted was one real birthday where there was nothing to overshadow it. But instead, it would just be the same result as it’d been the last sixteen years of his life. The chief looked over at Leo and noticed the sulking expression that was on his face.

“Leo, you alright boy?” called Theodore in concern, “You seem a bit troubled.”

“Huh? O-Oh! Uh…,” he stammered before saying, “I just don’t want to keep my mom waiting is all.”

“Oh, well okay then,” the chief complied. “Tell your mother I said ‘hello’.”

Leo nodded and headed off; careful not to hit anyone while riding. And when the path was clear enough, Ariel dashed at full speed through the open field. The sorcerer caught sight of his house, but also something else moving around the front of it. A woman wearing a sleeveless dress as black as the long hair on her head. She saw Leo come up on the hill of his house and smiled at him with her arms crossed.

“Well, hello my son!” The woman greeted. “Nice of you to come home after sneaking off this morning.”

“Sorry Mom,” apologized Leo, climbing off Ariel.

Eudora Cayden, loving wife to her husband Fredrick, and Leo’s mother. She originated from Thanatos, a kingdom built under endless darkness and chaos. The people there were rumored to hold no sense of sanity toward those unwanted. But Eudora, however, was someone who was proven different from the rest. A woman that’s kind-hearted, fair, compassionate and a friend to all others in Sanctum. Although, if any danger made way toward her son, she won’t hesitate to release her dark magic.

“Oh, and Chief Roy says ‘hello’,” Leo recalled.

“That man is such a sweetheart,” said Eudora.

She walked up to her son, giving him the biggest hug possible. Leo returned it and released her before leading Ariel back to the stable with Copper. He knew his mother followed behind them as he started taking off his horse’s saddle and reigns. The sorcerer had no doubt in her wanting to ask how his day went.

“So, what spell did you and your friends learn today?” She asked.

“Teleportation,” stated Leo smugly. “Which wasn’t all that hard, considering how talented I am.”

“Of course,” Eudora laughed, shaking her head. “And I believe they attacked you during combat training again?”

The young sorcerer nodded before the both of them burst with laughter. Like all mothers, Eudora worried over her son’s safety when it comes to fighting. But it brought her immense relief knowing Leo was more than capable in protecting himself. Two walked out of the stable together when he finished putting everything away. The sorcerer was headed for the house, until he felt something tug at his arm to stop. 

To Be Continued...