The Complexity of Magic | Ryden

Down at the Lake | Chapter Five

Ryan woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. Yesterday had been an exhausting day.

He sat up, and looked around. Pete and Patrick were both awake, talking with each other. Brendon was awake too, seemingly staring Ryan down. Ryan offered a smile to him.

Brendon smiled back. It made Ryan feel a spark of happiness. God, he shouldn't be able to affect him like that.

Then, Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. Dallon didn't appear to be in the tent, leading him to be curious about the wizard's whereabouts. Brendon suddenly squatted down next to him. "Let's go on a walk," he said quietly.

"Where's Dallon?" Ryan questioned, figuring he would be aware. The two seemed close.

"Not important," Brendon shrugged. Maybe Ryan was being too nosy. But why was it something neccessary to keep a secret?

"What about the others?" Ryan asked, standing up from his spot on the arm chair. Brendon stood up as well, brushing himself off.

"They don't like you," Brendon replied simply, turning to leave. He walked out of the tent, leaving Ryan flabbergasted.

"And you do?!" Ryan exclaimed, as he caught up to the younger boy. He wasn't sure how it was possible.

Brendon didn't answer him, instead just continuing to walk. Ryan took the hint and sighed to himself as he followed.

It was a quiet journey, with the two boys asking each other some questions. None of them were serious, and more lighthearted.

Soon, they stumbled onto a small lake. The body of water stretched out farther than Ryan could see. The water was a clear blue and it sparkled magnificently. "Woah," Ryan breathed, in awe.

Brendon didn't seem too surprised. If Ryan had to guess, this was probably one of his favorite spots to hang out. He smiled.

Brendon went to the edge of the lake, pulled up the legs of his pants, and let his feet get into the water. Ryan followed his example, sighing to himself blissfully. It felt so good. "This place is beautiful," Ryan said.

Brendon nodded. "Yeah, I like coming here to calm down. I found it just a little while ago."

How long have they stayed at that camp, anyway? The King had said it can't have been an old settlement, or else he would've known about it sooner.

"Can I ask you something?" Ryan asked, wondering how much he could get out of him. He was still unsure of how they worked, and why Brendon was so different in comparison. What had Pete meant by the fact that he had nobody to lose?

"You're going to anyway," Brendon shrugged, moving his feet carefully.

"I'm just confused about you guys... Like, you seemed like friends, and then Pete went off on you," Ryan trailed off.

Brendon pursed his lips, turning to him. There was a certain look in his brown eyes, something that made Ryan freeze. That look had power of it's own, no magic involved. It was intimidating, and Ryan felt like he had finally went too far. "I don't want to talk much about it," he said sharply, "but Pete hates me, Patrick can't hate anyone, and Dallon..." Brendon stopped himself there.

"Dallon?" Ryan tilted his head.

"I have no idea about him," Brendon explained stiffly, "If he likes me, or if there's an ulterior motive."

"He seemed fond of you," Ryan hurried to speak, wanting to reassure him for some reason. "You two seem like you have a bond."

Brendon looked over at the water, seemingly thinking about that. For a moment, Ryan thought that would just be the end of their conversation. But Brendon eventually muttered, "Only per his design..."

After that, Ryan decided he didn't want to keep prying. It was Brendon's business anyway, and although he was genuinely curious by all of this, he knew it would be out of line to keep asking. Besides, Brendon had properly scared him a moment ago, and he didn't want to test his luck.

The two stayed in the water for a while, just enjoying the feeling of it. Ryan got out of the water and pulled the legs of his pants back up. For a moment, he just stared out at Brendon, who was gazing at the sky with a peaceful expression.

He was beautiful. Ryan had acknowledged this, and he wasn't going to lie about it. The sight before him left him mystified.

"Let's head back," Brendon said, and his voice made Ryan's heart leap in his throat. Ryan nodded, unable to reply intelligently.

The two went back to the camp. Dallon was inside the tent, sitting down on the sofa with his arms crossed. "Brendon, where the hell did you disappear to?" Dallon hissed, frustration in his tone.

"We went to the lake," Brendon replied calmly, sitting down next to him. "It looked real beautiful, Dallon. You should've been there."

Dallon sighed, sounding truly exasperated. "Some of us don't have the time to enjoy the simple things. I wish you would realize you don't have the time either."

Ryan was unsure what that meant. Again, he didn't feel like questioning it. He was certainly not on good terms with Dallon, and Brendon was definitely hiding things.

Ryan thought this would be another conversation that would fly be, leaving him more and more confused. But this was different.

Brendon suddenly scowled, an unreadable expression crossing his face. "Stop pushing things on me," he growled. "I know what you keep me around for."

Dallon didn't seem shocked by his sudden mood change. "For your lovely attitude and handsome looks, of course," he answered, sarcasm apparent to everyone listening in.

It was then that Brendon proceeded to get up and storm out of the tent. Dallon didn't attempt to call him back in, but when Ryan moved to leave, he stopped him. "Let him have his temper tantrum," the wizard said, a wicked look in his eyes. "He always comes back."

It made Ryan freeze. Sure, he was intimidating, but he never really said anything that made him seem villainous. He nodded, sitting back down on the sofa.

He would have to check up on Brendon when Dallon is unaware. This time, Ryan needed answers. This time, he worried for Brendon, and that is what made the difference.