A Hundred Lifetimes: A Clairxie AU

Chapter 9

"What's the point in learning spells if I'm not supposed to use 'em?"

"So, how was the night watch?"

Douxie paused from chewing his waffles. No one's ever asked before. But then I guess no one else really knew about it before.

"Fine," he responded, after wiping the syrup from his lips. "Had a run-in with the local trolls, but nothing too tricky."

Claire hung her purse from a chair. "Local?"

"Yeah, Arcadia's crawling with them. There's a Trollmarket under the canals."

She turned, her lower lip protruding in concern. "And that's not a bad thing?"

"No, they keep to themselves," Archie answered, without glancing up from his newspaper.

Douxie chuckled. "Just in case you were wondering where your left socks always disappear to."

Claire smirked and pulled up a chair next to the dining wizard, apparently reassured. "So I'm kinda curious," she began.

"How shocking," Archie interjected, his sarcastic tone obvious.

Claire continued, unfazed. "...how do wizards live so long?You mentioned it before, but I still don't know how it works."

The wizard nodded. "There's this potion. Merlin made it for me. It lets wizards live for...well, a really long time."

Claire's eyes widened. "How long?"

Douxie scratched his neck. "No one really knows. Never seen a wizard die of old age."

"Really? Not once?"

"Nope," Douxie replied. When you're around that long, there's usually no shortage of other factors trying to kill you.

"But there's got to be some kind of catch, right?" Claire scooted her chair closer, demanding the wizard's attention.

Douxie forced his waffle dinner down his esophagus. "Well it's not an easy potion to come by. The most potent ingredients come from creatures that are extinct now. Griffins, selkies, yokai, that sort of thing."

Claire nodded, casting her gaze downward in subtle disappointment. "Right, okay. That makes sense."

Turning away, Douxie snapped his fingers, levitating his paper plate into the garbage bin.

Claire giggled. "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"That whole, making things float trick. You do it all the time!"

Douxie smirked. "That's probably why I don't notice it."

The girl crossed her arms in playful frustration. "Yeah, well it's really convenient and I want in on it, Teach."

"Do you?" Douxie casually rose from the table. "Magic isn't a permissible shortcut to hard work, you know."

Claire took a small step forward in challenge. "Shouldn't you take your own advice before you give it to your students?"

The wizard composure broke, his smile widening in amusement. "Yeah? Tell that to my master."