To the Woods
To the Woods
"Yeah, I'm coming," said Zeph as he was pulling a suitcase down the driveway. Bernard had an excited look on his face. 'Guess the old guy likes camping,' Zeph thought to himself. While he was thinking this, Bianca was following after him reminding him of things.
"Don't forget to hang the food in a tree so wild beasts won't get it, and make sure you make a secure barrier around the perimeter. Oh and also-" she continued talking like a concerned mother.
"I don't see why you're telling us all this, since you're coming with us." Bernard interrupted her.
"Huh!" Bianca stood still surprised for a few seconds, her tail and ears standing up. "Wait, why do I have to go? Isn't this a family outing?" Zeph was smiling at this new expression she was showing him. He thought it was funny how much more expressive a person could be with animal ears and a tail.
"While it is a family outing, my grandson and I are going out to train his magic. He has some catching up to do before school starts this fall. So while we're busy, we'll need someone to take care of the day to day stuff." Bernard explained to her. There was a sentence there that caused Zeph to be surprised.
"Wait, school! When, what...how," he was having trouble finding words.
"I think you forgot 'why' little dude." Eli chimed in while laughing. He was seemed to be messing with some equipment behind the truck.
"Of course you're going to school this fall. You've got two and a half months before the semester starts. I've already been talking to an old friend to get you enrolled." Bernard gave Zeph a pressuring look. "You'll be going this fall."
"Alright.' the boy sighed.
"Master Malston, I've finished loading Ms. Bianca's things. I believe everything is prepared." Alex appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Wait! Did you go in my room? Through my belongings?!" Bianca exclaimed. Her nails seemed to grow a little and the look on her face darkened.
"Of course not, that would be uncouth. I have prepared new clothing and personal effects, including camping gear and daily necessities. Master Malston was kind enough to provide me the details of his training excursion last night, so I prepared some things for everyone.
"Everyone? You and Eli are going too?" Bianca asked, noticeably calming.
"Of course, didn't you say so? It's a family outing." Bernard answered her. It was at this point that everyone noticed Eli trying to get several camping chairs to stay on the truck without falling.
"Those chairs take up unnecessary room fully assembled Eli." Alex sighed.
"Uh, I probably should have waited 'til we got to the campsite before I set them up huh?" They all nodded.
"I have a question, how are we all going to fit in the truck?" Zeph asked.
"We'll be taking a separate vehicle young master Zeph." Bernard answered while gesturing towards the garage. There was a dark blue S.U.V with some camping gear attached to it.
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Zeph was watching the scenery as Bernard was driving away from town. It was a beautiful day, partly cloudy and the sun was shining pleasantly. Zeph was worried about the heat, but Bernard said he had a fix for that. Bernard was explaining their itinerary while they traveled. They would set up the camp today, go over some of the basic spells that Zeph should know for his age, and set up a training regimen. Zeph was extremely excited that he would finally be learning some spells. When he told Bernard that, the old man gave him a stupefied look.
"You know you already have a ton of spells in your brain right?" he asked his grandson with an incredulous look.
"Huh?" Zeph only managed to reply with a blank stare.
"Remember, you used those Learning Gems. I basically downloaded an entire spellbook into your head. You just have to look it up," Bernard chided the boy while tapping his forehead.
"Geez, okay I get it. Quit that." Zeph exclaimed brushing Bernard's hand way. He sat back and relaxed. After closing his eyes, he started to search through his mental library. It took a few seconds, but he found it. He thought that the exercises for magic control would be linked to spells, but he was wrong. They were sectioned off in a different area in his mental library. After finding the knowledge, Zeph started to comb through it, trying to integrate it with his memories. There were descriptions, methods to practice, and all the details he needed to start casting spells. He was absorbed in his thoughts for the rest of the trip.
The road from town led to a giant border station. Bernard pulled into one booth, while Alex drove his own car into the other. They had to declare their identity and reason for leaving the city. After stating that his grandson and he were going on a camping trip for training, the guard handed them a handheld metal object. This was a positioning beacon. If they did not return within a set amount of time, the beacon would notify the border patrol to make an investigation. Bernard set it for one month. After thanking the guard, Bernard headed past the station. There was a clear shimmering wall that he had to pass through before they were officially in the wilderness. This was the city's barrier that protected it from monsters and outside threats. Only people with a beacon or similar devices could pass through. Looking back from the other side of it, Bernard could see the view of a city seemingly encased in a glass dome. He reminisced about the past when the barriers didn't exist. Bernard had a history of inventing many new spells and magic devices, but these barriers were one of the things he was most proud of. He remembered the team of researchers he was on and their dreams of making a better world. Those were good days, he thought. Then he looked at his new grandson. 'Maybe I'll have a new thing topping the list of my most proud of creations.
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Alex had been driving for hours now, and he was starting to get annoyed at some of Bianca and Eli's constant bickering. Right now, they were currently arguing over who was going to watch the kitten when young master Zeph was training. He smiled smugly. It was already decided that he would be taking care of the small thing. When everyone was about to get into the vehicles, Alex went to Zeph and asked if he could watch the cute little thing while no one else could hear him. Zeph said he didn't mind, and Alex ended up thanking him with a bit more enthusiasm than intended. When the boy asked why Alex was trying to hide his joy, the old dwarf explained that he had a certain image to maintain. If Bianca and Eli knew about his love of small, cute, and adorable animals, they might use it as leverage. When the young master asked what he was talking about, Alex told him that the other two servants were more scheming than they appeared. They might try to bribe him with a plushie, small animal and other cute things to get a raise, or extra vacation days. Zeph laughed but still promised that the butler's secret was safe with him. While lost in thought, Alex noticed that the car had gotten quieter. When he was about to ask what was going on, he noticed they had arrived at the border. He was thankful that the two had the decency to keep a civil appearance in public. Unfortunately, as soon as they finished procedures and passed the city barrier, Bianca and Eli started arguing again. Alex finally had enough.
"Honestly you two, would you please stop. I don't know what you're arguing about, but can you please come to some form of agreement or ceasefire?" Alex asked exasperated at their behavior.
"It's not my fault man," Eli tried to explain. "She just keeps on nagging me and getting on my case."
"All I'm doing is trying to advise you on how you could be a better role model for Zeph." Bianca defended.
"And I'm telling you that Mr. Malston said we should act like ourselves, so that's what I'm doing." Eli retorted.
"Enough!" Alex exclaimed. "Bianca, there is no need to instruct Eli on proper behavior. He knows what that is, and chooses to behave this way. Master Malston has accepted that and you should too." Eli had a triumphant look on his face. "And you, Mr. Greenleaf, please explain your reasoning to Ms. Wells in an understandable manner. You are, after all, the eldest among us. I know Elves mature at a different rate than the rest of us, but you should have lived long enough to not act like an insulted child when discussing differing opinions. The two turned meek at Alex's chastising. He didn't scold often. And when he did, it was effective.
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