16 Young Instructor

"Not so easy, huh?"

Emrys grimaced and bared his teeth as he forced himself back on his unsteady feet, straining his sore muscles.

Gray raised an eyebrow and flicked his fingers as if he were brushing away dust. He beckoned at him to continue.

"You can do it, Prez!" Jade's voice suddenly echoed in the empty parking lot. "Keep going!"

Emrys turned his head in surprise to see the girl beaming brightly at him, waving her homework sheet cheerfully in the air as she sat at the far edge of the abandoned lot. Milo was seated next to her, though on the hood of his car instead of the floor.

The pink-haired man smiled as he held up the camera of his cellphone to record the two mages in their daily training session. He gave an encouraging thumbs-up and pushed up his glasses with one finger.

Without really realizing it, the four of them had begun to spend more and more time together. It was only supposed to be Gray and Emrys at first, but soon they found Jade and Milo joining them for late-night snacks or even just watching them do their thing.

Even if Gray put on a facade of annoyance at their presence, anyone could tell he actually didn't mind...and maybe he grew to like this extra company he wasn't used to having around.

"Heh..." Emrys straightened up on his two feet and dropped into a ready stance, staring at Gray's lax posture in determination.

They've been training every day for three hours after Gray got off work for at least a week now, and every time seemed more tiring than before. How is it that he was clearly improving, but still can't lay a single finger on Gray?

"You have put your mind to your core," Gray said all of a sudden. "Yes, you may find it quick and efficient to channel what you have from what you feel throughout your body, but it's really all in the core."

He noticed Emrys' utterly confused expression and scratched his head. "Think of it this way...you can't run a country by going to every little state and city to tell them what to do. You have to start from the center, which is the capital...and the law."

"When you have the law, then order will naturally follow-"

Gray suddenly stopped talking and Emrys noticed the dubious look in his eyes before he averted his gaze and added, "...usually."

Emrys nodded in understanding and tried again, this time reaching deeper through his veins to the origin of his power core. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows, his mind closing in on the sparkling blue sphere that floated lightly in the darkness.

Slowly but steadily, he reached out with an imaginary hand in the darkness. The moment his hand closed around the brilliant ice core, he felt a bone-freezing chill surge through his body, a loud drone filling his ears.

He gasped, his eyes flying open to see a soft blue glow radiating from his arms and legs.

A squeal from Jade filled the silence. "Yes!"

Gray straightened up a little, genuinely surprised. "You managed to get it first try," he noted, impressed. He grew silent, observing the kid just a moment more before a crooked smile spread across his lips, pleased.

"Hehe...I didn't know I was such a great instructor," Gray sneered, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Hmm, but if I keep doing this, all my secrets will get out..."

Emrys stared down at his palms, his fingers trembling slightly with a new pulse. The sensation was somehow a bit familiar...

Isn't this how it felt that day he had his first fight with Gray?

A sharp clap of hands snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Gray beckoning at him. "Since you've got it, how about you try it out?" he suggested. "Hit me."

Emrys took in a breath and stepped back once, preparing himself. Then with a small shout, he directed his arms behind his head and drew them forward, crisp arrows flying out from his hands at a tremendous speed.

Gray tilted his head to the side and narrowly avoided being impaled in the face as the arrows whizzed past his right ear and struck the wall behind him with a loud boom. He didn't even bat an eye.

"How did that feel?" he asked instead. "Better?"

Though he did feel a bit disappointed for missing again, he also felt delighted with his new accomplishment. The coordination of his body movements and the release of power seemed more fluent; it was like he gained a whole other level of understanding and experience.

"It feels...great!" Emrys answered in awe. Choosing Gray to be his instructor seemed to be the right move, after all. If it were anyone else...he'd doubt he'd be able to much such progress in such a short amount of time.

Gray wiped a finger across the tip of his nose and rested a hand on the back of his neck, equally satisfied with this result. "Hey, kid. What's your goal, anyway?" he suddenly inquired. "You want to become strong so badly, surely you have a reason?"

Emrys dipped his chin and clenched his fists. The question finally came, and he didn't want to give a disappointing answer.

"...I want to join the Mage's Association," he replied, his tone set. "I want to become the strongest mage!"

Gray stiffened at the mention of the organization and took a subconscious half step back. The Mage's Association...mages in general were already extraordinary, and those who managed to be recruited into that organization were considered the country's heroes.

Great heroes.

In other words, the good guys.

And the good guys have been after him for many years.

"Uh...Gray?" Emrys called uncertainly. Gray was spaced out...did he say something wrong again?

Gray seemed to snap back to reality as his eyes flickered with resolve. He smirked and tapped the ground with the tip of his foot casually. "You want to join the Association? Then I guess, as your instructor...I have no other choice but to help you."

It seems that no matter how he wanted to avoid those people for the rest of his life, their meeting was inevitable. It was as if fate was drawing him closer and closer to that point.

Relief filled Emrys' chest as he heard the words coming from Gray's mouth. Seeing his reaction earlier, he had thought he was going to disagree with him. A smile broke out onto his lips, something that he usually wouldn't ever do in front of others.

Gray caught his look and let out a breath. "Hmph, stupid kid. What's so good about the Association?" he muttered inaudibly.

He sighed and turned on his heel, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "We're done for today. We should get going before it get's too late," he said, a dark look crossing over his eyes. "The streets have been getting quite dangerous lately..."

For the past week, the whole city has been in a mess. Days ago when he was told of the suspicious-looking gangsters standing around before the start of the fire, he was sure it was just some thugs trying to get back at someone due to a grudge.

But then the waves of disorder came, and when he saw that familiar tattoo flash on the screen on the store's television, it all dawned on him.

It was that old fogey. He'd probably caught on to him when the police come looking, and now he was trying to lure him out.

It's not going to work, Gray thought as he slowly made his way towards the car. He'd already made up his mind. Whatever the underground does from now on has nothing to do with him.

He is Gray...and Rune was long gone.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling for him, and he was torn out of his thoughts once more to see Emrys standing before him.

He stopped in his tracks and said, "What?"

Emrys frowned, wondering why Gray kept zoning out. But he shook his head as he thought that it was none of his business and instead focused on the question that kept lingering around in his mind since last week.

"About last time, you didn't happen to obtain hydrokinetic powers, did you?" he asked. He was sure Gray had, but after he put out the fire, he didn't have the same reaction as to what happened after he got his cryokinetic powers.

Gray glanced at him dumbly. "No. Why?"

Emrys stared at him, flabbergasted. "T- then how did you put out that fire?"

Gray put out his two hands in front of him. "Fire...and ice, kid. You mix 'em, and you get water," he answered simply with a shrug. Then he grinned and boasted, "Of course, the only person who can do that is me."

Emrys shook his head, for he didn't quite understand. "Gray, you're such a powerful mage, and even you yourself know that. Don't you have any ambition? I'm sure many mages are aiming to join the Association, to become the top mage. But you're just working in a small corner shop!"

Gray only smiled, and Emrys knew immediately that he wasn't planning to take his questions seriously. "Well, other people are other people, and I am me. I don't need to have the same goal as every other person out there, do I?"

Emrys took in a sharp breath, annoyed. But he still proceeded to try to get more answers. "How old are you, really? You look so young, but your power is so impressive. Are you some old master that managed to keep his young appearance or something?"

The corner of Gray's mouth twitched and he smiled in indignation. "Hey, there, now. That's just insulting. I'm only twenty-one, you brat," he answered before he could correct himself. "Why do you have so many questions all the time?"

Milo, who was only listening to their conversation from the side, spat out the water he was just drinking in utter shock and disbelief. "W- what did you say?" he exclaimed.

Gray frowned irritatingly at everyone's weird expressions and dropped jaws. "What? What did I say?"

"You're only twenty-one?" Jade cried out, astonished.

Gray wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms. "Got a problem?"

Emrys stared at the man before him with disbelief. To think that the one that has taught him all his current knowledge on magick and helped him improve so quickly was only someone barely three years older than him...it was close to mindblowing.

"No- no problem," he answered, still dazed.

Milo slid off the hood of his car and cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward. "I thought you were older than me this entire time," he uttered. "Seems that you're just quite mature for someone at your age."

"Am I, now?" Gray said a bit haughtily. He grinned. "Heh, I told you all...I'm the best there is!"