The fight between the trio went on for what seemed like an hour. Celine and Kazu were firing heavy rounds of magic wherever they could in the field. Leo, however, was dodging every blast that came his way using the teleportation spell. He found it unfair that his friends would team against him, though it provided a lot of practice. The two kept firing at the sorcerer, until finally, they used up both their energy and stopped.

“Okay!” Celine yelled frustratingly. “I think it’s safe to say that Leo has mastered teleportation!”

“I second that,” the Kagemusha muttered in agreement.

“Thank you!” Exasperated Leo, appearing before them. “And it seemed unfair using me as target practice!”

Kazu and Celine collapsed to the ground, exhausted to even get back up. Leo stood by taking in the scenery, knowing that karma had rooted for him to win. However, the excessive teleporting around the field did leave the sorcerer a bit dizzy. It took only seconds for him to set his mind at ease before making his way toward Kazu. The Kagemusha was still gasping for air, oblivious of his best friend’s presence.

“Are you alright, Kazu?” Asked Leo.

“I…I think so,” he panted, not sounding believable. “But I bet I’m in better condition than Celine over there.”

Leo looked over at the witch who appeared to be as tired as Kazu. Clearly, both were exhausted for more training, so the sorcerer thought it best to stop. But it also seemed neither his friends were capable of moving at the moment. So, Leo grabbed for Kazu’s ankles, then began dragging him across the field.

“W-Whoa—Hey!” Cried the Kagemusha in surprise. “W-What the hell are you doing!?”

“Bringing you closer to Celine,” Leo plainly stated.

“A-And the thought of teleporting never crossed your mind!?”

The sorcerer ignored his friend’s argument and kept on pulling him. Celine sat up to see the commotion that was going on and couldn’t believe it. She shook her head and chuckled softly at the child-like behavior between both boys. When Leoreached Celine, he placed Kazu a few feet away, leaving room for him in between.

“Well, thanks for that,” Kazu groaned, slowly sitting up. “I think you pulled me over a rock somewhere.”

“Sorry,” apologized Leo, laying between his friends. “What do you say we stop training for today?”

“Thank the gods!” They both praised in unison.

The trio laid together in the grass, staring up at the clouds passing by. Neither magic wielder uttered a word to each other during their time of solitude. But Leo’s mind suddenly drifted back to when he heard that voice moments ago. The prospect of his head playing tricks on him still seemed like the simplest explanation. Though, even a sorcerer like himself knew not to doubt the things that sound impossible. The least Leo could do was talk to his parents about it before making any decision. If they had experienced something similar, he could find out who or what was calling his name.

“Hey Leo,” Celine called on, “What do you want for your birthday?”

The witch’s question surprised the sorcerer, pulling him from his thoughts. Leo completely forgot about his birthday with all that had happened. But if he considered giving it any thought, he wasn’t really so thrilled about it.

“Oh,that’s right!” Kazu beamed.” You’re turning seventeen the day after tomorrow. You must be excited for that.”

“Um, yeah I guess,” Leo stated, not sounding thrilled.

“Really?” Questioned the Kagemusha. “Because you don’t sound so happy about it.”

Leo felt uncomfortable sharing his thoughts about his birthday. He assumed he wouldn’t need to, considering how wonderful his life’s been in Sanctum. But the sorcerer figured it was time to rid the weigh in his chest before anything else. So, Leo got up from the ground, then began explaining his frustration to the upcoming day.

“You all know I was born on an important holiday, right?” He hinted to his friends.

“Yeah,” acknowledged Celine. “The memorial to the first king of Savína.”

“Yes, well…,” Leo pondered before saying, “I’ve always felt that my birthday was sort of… outshined by it.”

For almost five centuries, Savína’s people stop all they’re doing to commemorate the legacy of the first king. It’d been established by his children after the passing of their father. A day where all conflict between opposing sides were pushed aside for a moment of peace. It’s mostly known as “The Calming of Leonardo,” which was how Leo first got his name. In the village, they’d give a sermon at the church, along with a festival following afterward. It’s how the sorcerer spent every one of his birthdays for sixteen years so far. A tradition that’s lately filled him with dread for some time.

“What do you mean ‘outshined’?” Asked Kazu, getting up with Celine.

“Look, I love going to the village festival and all,” Leo attempted to explain, “But lately, it’s more as if my birthdays end right after they start.”

Leo slowly turned away because he thought he was sounding ridiculous. Complaining about how his birthdays hadn’t been what he wanted like some overgrown brat. Next thing he knew, his feet started moving on their own toward the apple tree. Kazu and Celine hurried after him and all three were walking beside one another.

“How come you’ve never told us this?” Questioned the witch.

“I guess I was embarrassed of coming off as selfish about it,” Leo sighed.

“Leo, you have nothing to be embarrassed over,” Kazu consoled. “And we don’t need the festival to have fun on your birthday.”

Hearing his best friend say something so genuine almost surprised him. Leo usually saw him as the carefree cousin who enjoyed causing trouble for others. The perfect example would be he tried stealing some sweets from the village bakery. That memory always made Leo laugh because Kazu was caught once by his own mother. Before he could crack a smile, the sorcerer felt a presence give him a nudge on the shoulder. When he looked, he saw that it was his horse in need of attention.

“See, even Ariel has your back,” joked the Kagemusha.

The three all laughed before the white stallion gave Leo another push. He provided Ariel a pet on the nose and continued talking with his friends.

“You know what I want as my birthday gift?” Asked the sorcerer rhetorically. “To explore all areas of Savína.” 

To Be Continued...