Brett realized something was off when he realized that it was snowing.
"Please tell me that it can snow on July," Brett groaned.
"I'm afraid not, young one. Some time has passed, unfortunately," Eddy picked up a tattered poster rolling on the sidewalk.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?
LAST SEEN IN THE SCHOOL VILLAGE OF ASNADEL. KIDNAPPED BY THE BEAST.
PLEASE CONTACT THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU SEE THIS MAGICIAN.
And there was Brett's goofy face on the poster.
"We're in more trouble than I thought," Eddy muttered.
Brett gulped, grabbing an old staff more tightly to his chest. They did found Reia's staff from the fairy's home, stored away in the attic, covered in dust. It was a red mahogany wood, a little heavier than what Brett used before. He has left his own staff back in Eddy's house because it was broken anyway. After that, they walked out of the fairy's territory, landing in a small village next to the forest.
Brett had some hope that Reia's staff will help Eddy clear his name in Asnadel but everything sounded much worse now. The beast was not only accused of trying to eat the magicians outside of school but he was also charged with kidnapping Brett for a solid 6 months.
"You can't do a teleportation magic, right?" Eddy asked.
"Um, I can try..?"
"Nah, it won't work. We're too far from the school anyway. It will require tons of mavis," Eddy sighed, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
Now that Brett was back to his usual inconvenient self, there was no real way to get back to Asnadel by themselves.
"We should call the police. They will take us to wherever we need to go."
"I left my phone back at my school so we will need to ask around and walk there..." Brett shivered from the cold.
Eddy turned his head toward an old house in the center of the small village. He let out a small whistle and the roof of the house exploded with fire. The villagers screamed as they ran away from the house, scrambling to call the police and the fire department.
"Eddy!"
"Cool, the police will come soon. The house was empty anyway."
Brett rolled his eyes, too fed up to comment anything. They sat next to the burning house, waiting.
Eddy was right. The fire department and the police team came a few minutes after the explosion. When the officers realized who they were, they were immediately escorted to the station. Brett fidgeted nervously while the officers contacted his family and school, asking for teleportation permission.
"My parents would probably kill me if the council does not kill us first," Brett murmured.
"Yeah, a thousand-year-old beast with an eating disorder was probably not what they were looking for in their future son in law," Eddy kissed Brett lightly, laughing.
"Stop flirting with me," Brett laughed along despite the anxiety.
"Might be my last chance, young one. Let's enjoy it while it can," Eddy ruffled Brett's hair, smiling playfully.
Eddy knew what would come after they were transported to the front of the council. Everything was pretty clear to him, as an old beast who lived long enough. There was no way Brett could convince the council no matter how good of an evidence he had. The beast was hated and he was dangerous and he was to be executed. Eddy was merely playing along with Brett, trying not to stomp on Brett's fragile hope just because he couldn't stand seeing Brett so sad.
"Alright, the council and your family is ready for you, Brett Yang," the officer called finally.
"Are you ready?" Brett asked nervously. He was determined to save Eddy.
"Of course," Eddy squeezed Brett's hand tightly. Whatever that laid in front of him, Eddy was ready to face the consequences.
.
.
"Brett, oh thank god!"
Brett's parents rushed to Brett when he was transported back to school. The council and his family were all waiting for them in a conference room.
"I'm sorry," Brett apologized as he hugged his parents.
Eddy stood beside Brett, feeling guilty. Although he didn't intend to do any of this, there was no doubting that he was the one who created all this chaos. The murderous look of Brett's parents looking at him said it all.
"I think we need to talk without the beast for a second," Karian swung her staff.
Immediately, Eddy was bound to the runes and was trapped in an iron jail box designed with protective runes.
"No!" Brett tried to run back to Eddy but Eddy waved his hands casually.
"I'm alright. Have a nice talk," Eddy sat down in his small confinement as the guards took the beast outside.
Brett inhaled sharply, realizing the difficult explanation ahead of him.
"We found a way to break the code of Vocamen," Karian announced as she sat down. "After we break the code, the beast will be killed immediately while he is still weak from starvation."
"The beast is not dangerous," Brett replied, conjuring up all his bravery.
"How can you say that when you were kidnapped by your own familiar for 6 months?" Brett's parents eyed him as if he were crazy.
"I wasn't kidnapped. Eddy... the beast needed to go to the fairy's territory to heal himself. The time frame got messed up and I'm sorry about that. During my stay there though, I learned something about the beast ..."
Then for half an hour, Brett rambled on about Reia, showing them the staff he brought back from the fairy's territory.
"The beast must have messed up your mind, Brett. Dragons are deceiving creatures," Brett's father shook his head in exasperation after he heard the story.
"No, it is true," Brett cried desperately.
"Show me the staff, Brett Yang," the council took the staff from Brett.
Brett waited patiently as the council examined the staff in their hands.
"This doesn't prove anything though," Karian sighed.
"Why not? If the staff shows that Reihanza has used the spells to destroy all the villages, that means-"
"How can you prove that she was trying to destroy the village with that spells? She might have just been trying to stop the beast."
"No, but-"
"Reihanza was a great magician, recorded in history for hundreds of years. I don't think anyone will buy your story, young student," Karian sharply threw the staff back to Brett.
"I know people have a strange affection for their familiar but isn't this going too far, don't you think? Are you trying to endanger the whole wizarding community just because you want to keep your pet?" Karian snarled.
"I'm telling you the truth!" Brett grabbed the staff, hugging it.
"The beast lied to you to save his ass. You were too naive," Karian stood up from the conference table, walking out.
"The Code of Vocamen will be broken tomorrow."
The final announcement was made and the door was shut.
.
.
Everything was quiet and dark. Just like back in that cave that he was sealed in. He admits that he has missed this peace a little.
Outside the conference room, Eddy overheard a conversation here and there. A cry of Brett, a shout from the council. He could sense that the conversation was not flowing very well just from hearing the volume of the voices. Eddy crawled to the corner of the jail, curling up into a ball.
Would Brett be mad if he knew that Eddy was secretly glad that this is going to be over finally?
He didn't want anything more in his life. He made peace with his inner turmoil. He loved and was loved back from this young magician who healed him. And this young one needs Eddy to disappear from this world to live a better life. What a good excuse to end your life, right?
Eddy was smiling faintly as he fell into a peaceful sleep, one that he hasn't had much for many many years.
.
.
"Reia," Eddy called in his dream.
Just like always, Reia appeared in front of him, beautiful and young, frozen in time.
"Beastie," Reia called him back.
When Reia appeared in his dreams, Eddy was always down on his knees, pleading Reia to forgive him. This time was different though. Eddy walked up to Reia and embraced her in his arms.
"It was a long journey," Eddy whispered.
Reia slowly patted Eddy's hair.
"No regrets?"
"The young one will be alright. He is a smart one."
There was a long silence until Reia spoke again.
"Did you have a good life?" Reia asked softly.
"The best one."
And Eddy meant it.
.
.
The cloud was masking the sun the next morning. Everything was still dark when Eddy woke up before the trial at the conference room.
"Eddy!"
Eddy sat up, startled. Brett was looking at him outside the bars, crying out his name. Brett didn't look like he slept at all yesterday.
"Hey, young one," Eddy yawned.
"Only a few minutes left before the trial," the guard grumbled as he closed the door behind Brett.
"Eddy- they wouldn't believe it. They just won't. They are going to kill you and you need to run away-" Brett was crying,
"Shhh...young one, it's alright," Eddy scooted to the iron bars and touched Brett's wet cheek.
"It's not alright. I can't let you go."
"If you love someone, you sometimes have to learn how to love the farewell," Eddy smiled sadly.
"That doesn't make any sense. How can I love the farewell when I love you?" Brett shook his head.
"I want you to be safe, Brett. This is how I want you to be."
The door creaked open behind Brett. Karian and two other council members stepped into the conference room.
"No-" Brett sighed painfully.
"Alright, guards. Place the boy to the left rune. The dragon on the right," Karian spoke coldly.
Brett slashed and screamed as he was dragged to the white rune on the left. When Brett was moved and restrained, Eddy's cell opened. The dragon was chained in layers before he was let out of the bars. The guards escorted the beast to the golden rune on the right.
Brett was pushed to the floor, kneeling down. He looked at Eddy with tears in his eyes, crying out the beast's name. The beast smiled as he looked at Brett for the last moment.
Don't cry, Brett. I want to see you smile.
"Obcillo promissum - familiar venir," Karian spoke out the spells, raising her staff.
The runes around them shone brightly. A strong wind coursed the room.
Brett resisted the guards but it was no use. He was a young and small magician after all. As the runes shone, Brett felt as if he was ripping apart into pieces. Eddy sighed in relief as he felt the spell lift up from his body.
The Code of Vocamen was broken.
"Now-" Karian gestured with the other council members as they raised their staffs together.
"Formandi glacie!"
A circle of frost formed around Eddy. Sharp jagged spears made of ice sprouted from the frost, aiming him.
The council members were ready to kill.
Eddy closed his eyes, waiting. Waiting for the peace. Waiting for the silence. Waiting for...
"Protegere Incidium," a small voice whispered in the room.
A circle of fire traced the frost, melting the sharp spears away. The fire roared around Eddy, protecting him. Eddy stared at the fire in disbelief.
He knew only one person in the room who would do this.
"Young one, stop."
"I command you, my familiar, shut up," Brett spoke softly as he stood up from the runes. The guards beside him retreated as a ring of fire surrounded Brett.
Brett walked up to Eddy with Reia's staff in his hand, their fire colliding together. The council members were shouting something they couldn't hear. The guards were running to them from every direction, trying to put out the fire.
When Brett hugged Eddy, Eddy finally saw what Brett has done.
A broken earring on the rune.
Brett has taken off his protection and cracked it on the floor.
"You can't do this," Eddy whispered.
"Nobody can hurt you. I won't let them," Brett clutched Eddy's collar tightly. "You are mine."
The fire enveloped them as they kissed, blinding everyone from the heat. When the circle of fire incinerated into ashes, the guards found nothing left in the middle.
.
.
"What-" Eddy looked around confused when he suddenly felt a soft cool grass on his feet.
It was the sacred forest once again, thousands of miles away from where they were. Brett has teleported them all the way here by himself.
Brett paced back and forth around Eddy, mumbling to himself.
"We can't go back again to Asnadel. They were really going to kill you, they won't listen to me and I can't let you-"
"Brett," Eddy stopped the young one, grabbing his shoulder.
"...what?" Brett stopped, sensing the alarm in the beast's voice.
Then he felt a warm liquid flowing from his nose. He wiped it off with his sleeve.
Red. His blood.
"No..." Eddy shut his eyes, wanting to deny everything.
Brett stumbled backward, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Everything was swaying under his feet now as he crashed to the ground. Eddy immediately sat next to Brett, hugging him.
The fire inside him has started. And there was no going back.