The nightly therapy sessions with Camille had dulled the edges of Ciaran's nerves. There was still much work to be done, but in one week they were able to at least lower gis aggressiveness to an acceptable level.
The boy had learned to love meditation. Emptying his mind was hard; keeping Ariadne out of it was even harder. They were used to sharing their mind space, and the absence of the other was quite disheartening. The benefits however were undeniable.
His improved mental health was secondary to the boy. What really mattered to the boy was the fact that with no thoughts or emotions to deafen it, the sound of the Wind was louder than ever. He could not yet understand what he was hearing, but it had gotten closer.
"Are you still going to keep me, grounded bro, I want to try out my new theories." Ciaran was pleading with Eleftherios. The man was adamant and stubborn in the beginning, but eventually, he gave in and allowed the boy two hours of practice every day.
There were only five more days before he was scheduled to meet his classmates and the dryad wanted him to focus on his therapy. There would be plenty of time to work on his magic later in the year.
"You know, physical exercise is also very good for one's mental health. Maybe we could have a spar later today if you aren't too tired old man." Ciaran taunted him.
Eleftherios was tempted to beat his ass, but that would be contra-productive. The boy wanted to make sure he was combat-ready because, despite their best efforts the boy was still on high alert, he had just gotten better at hiding it and keeping his violent tendencies under control.
"Sure, but you need to get permission from your mom first." He told the boy.
Ciaran wasn't too optimistic after that, his mom seemed to want to keep him shielded from all violence, yet it didn't heart to ask. Later that night after their session, the boy took a shot at it.
"Sure. Nothing too serious of course, but I will allow it. But only, if you agree to spend some time with your mom as well. I want to teach you some things as well. And I believe neither of your mentors can provide you with the same." Camille said.
The boy was a slave to his own curiosity so without giving it a second thought he agreed. He also asked if Ariadne could join them.
"Not only can she join in, but it is also mandatory for her to be there. It is as much for her as it is for you."
"As you have probably figured out by now, I specialize in stealth. Or I did before I retired when I married your dad. Now you two get to benefit from my past experience."
She looked at the two and her smile vanished. Her eyes became sharp, and for a moment they felt killing intent from her.
"Be warned, however, that I will not be gentle like your teachers at the Academy or Eleftherios. I will drill you until your stealth is perfect. I am sure you have figured it out, you are weaker than most real Warriors of your own level. You are also slower, less dexterous, less agile, and less tenacious."
"Your excellent stealth is why you are alive today, and Ciaran I am sorry to say, but you are dragging Ari down. She is the expert when it comes to stealth, you are just going along for a ride, literally."
"It's time you learn how to do it on your own. And don't you worry Ariadne, I will make sure to sharpen your skills even further."
"When I find your individual skills to be at least passable, you will be trained on how to make use of them together."
Camille had thought long and hard about whether she should teach her kid, but in the end, there was no avoiding it. He had the affinity, and he had the bad habit of getting in over his head a lot. It was better to at least teach him a skill that would keep him alive.
The duo looked at each other and stared for the better part of five minutes.
"Ok, we agree," Ciaran said.
Camille's pressure disappeared after that, and a smile appeared on her face.
"I thought I told you no mental communication when we are in the middle of a session." She said playfully.
"We weren't in one Mom. Why do you think it took so long? With the new limits you placed on us, we are now experimenting with nonverbal communication. The idea is to grasp what the other is thinking, without the need for any kind of connection."
"I figure, all kinds of magic exist right? So, there is bound to be one that messes with our ling, and when we are forced to deal with that, we will have an alternative." Ciaran explained, and Ari nodded.
Mrs. Clades was once again stumped at how deep their bond was. Not because it was unusual for Master and a familiar to be close, but because Ciaran was, to put it lightly a sociopath.
She knew what he thought of everyone, everything outside his immediate family. Even Clara only became his friend after years of interactions. So for the boy to trust someone so deeply after such a short time, was a real shocker for her.
"Good. Now, for the unpleasant part of the night. How do you feel about meeting your dad? I heard about your deal with Mrs. Elizabeth Parker, and to be honest I think you will need his help."
She tried to disappear his thoughts, but the boy had put on an expressionless face. It was more than enough to show her his unwillingness, but he did not refuse.
'Benefits before emotions. You are so much like Liam, it hurts to see you, divided son.' She thought, with sadness in her heart.
"Fine, but the old man stays away from me. I am more than sure I would want to beat him if I see him."
Camille was puzzled and asked him to clarify what he meant.
"Gramps would be pissed if I took a spider as my familiar. Doesn't fit with his image of a soldier. And if he utters one bad thing about Ari I would break my hands on his teeth. Damn Earth users and their rock-hard bodies." Ciaran cursed out, and Ariadne covered her eyes.
"Ari says 'phrasing'. She said it a lot, I don't understand what she means and she never tells me."
Camille didn't know where to start. On one hand, the boy was right, her father-in-law would be grumpy about Ariadne's existence. On the other, the boy underestimated how much of the stern persona The Colonel was keeping up was a façade. If he knew his grandson was wary of him, the man would cry.
And then there was the other problem. Ciaran was intelligent, and way in front of his peers when it came to emotional maturity… but no one had bothered to educate him about sex. No one wanted to talk to a soon-to-be eight-year-old about it.
'One more thing for his father to worry about.' She nodded to herself, as she washed her hands off the matter, and trow her man under the carriage.
"I will have a talk with him, not one bad word will come out of your grandfather's mouth I swear. When he is, ah, properly educated I will bring him here so you can make sure. Eleftherios can beat him up if he acts out of line. Is that ok?"
"No, Big Bro is way too overprotective. He would not stop at a few punches, ask Big Sis. At most, she would take a few years of his life." Ciaran said, matter-of-factly.
In a different section of the Maze, two dryads were listening. One was protesting, and his sister was laughing her ass off. Their dog was barking angrily, influenced by her owner.
The mother and son had a deal. Tomorrow before his session with his mom, he would have a talk with his dad. After that, there would be further negotiation for when and IF he would talk with his grandfather.
When she left Camille was satisfied with the progress made today. More than anything, she was relishing the time she finally got to spend with her son. She was looking forward to the day her family would be reunited. Hell, she even got a new daughter out of it.
She wasn't sure how the dryads would fit in within her image, but they would figure it out. For once in her life, she dared to be optimistic about the future.
As Ciaran was done with his meditation, and Ari had gone back into his soul, the boy was getting ready for bed.
He was sleeping in the Maze. He didn't have a soft bed, or even a regular pillow, his was made of leaves and some fur he had picked up along the way, but he much preferred it to the little room he had in the Academy.
Not only did the Maze keep his sleeping undisturbed by bugs, but it also contained a constant temperature. As an added benefit, he even had his own Archmage who came to put him to bed every night.