Waking up to a persistent knocking at his door, Cedric groggily gets up and glances at the clock hanging on his wall. "Six a.m.? I thought I was the first one to wake on most days..."
Opening the door, he finds Ara standing there, her eyes shining with excitement. She can hardly contain herself as she tells Cedric about her plans for the day. "Today's the day! I'm going to perform my first summon spell, and I want you to be there, big brother!"
Smiling at her enthusiasm, Cedric agrees to join Ara in the family garden. The sun casts a warm glow over the beautiful array of flowers, and Lily and Oliver are already present, waiting for Ara's spellcasting.
Oliver, always eager to share his knowledge, explains the intricate method involved with summoning. He details the precise movements and incantations required, emphasizing the importance of concentration and control.
Ara takes a deep breath and begins the summoning ritual. "By the power of my heart's desire and the magic within me, I call upon the spirits of the teddy bears. Come forth and manifest, Fluffy!"
A burst of magical energy swirls around Ara, and suddenly, a giant, tiger-like teddy bear materializes before them, its plush fur shimmering with magical essence.
"Wow, Ara! You did it!" Lily exclaims, clapping her hands excitedly.
Oliver nods, impressed. "Good job, Ara. That was a well-executed summoning spell."
Ara giggles with delight, her eyes sparkling. "Thanks, Lily! Thanks, Oliver! I'm so happy it worked!"
Cedric grins, feeling proud of his sister's achievement. "Well done, Ara. You have quite the talent for summoning."
The teddy bear summon, misinterpreting Cedric's grin as a threat, takes a few menacing steps toward him. Ara quickly intervenes, stepping in front of the teddy bear. "No, Fluffy! Cedric is our friend. He won't hurt you!"
However, the giant teddy bear ignores Ara's words and continues to advance towards Cedric, its fluffy paws poised to strike.
A look of concern crosses Oliver's face as he warns, "Ara, be careful! Powerful summons like Fluffy sometimes struggle to control themselves. They might become aggressive if they perceive a threat."
Ara hesitates for a moment but then reaches out to Fluffy with a reassuring smile. "Fluffy, it's okay. Cedric is not a threat. He's my big brother, and he cares about us."
The teddy bear seems to calm down, and Ara pats its soft fur. "See, Fluffy? Cedric is our friend."
Cedric, still trying to maintain his grin despite feeling uneasy, chuckles nervously. "Yeah, Fluffy, I'm your friend too."
But the teddy bear summon sees Cedric's chuckle as a sign of aggression and growls, raising its paw threateningly. Before anyone can react, Fluffy grabs Cedric by the collar and hurls him into the sky.
"Whoa! Cedric!" Oliver yells, his eyes wide with shock.
Ara gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh no! Fluffy, why did you do that?"
Lily remains calm, assuring Ara, "Don't worry, dear. Cedric is the hailed strongest mage. Something like this won't hurt him."
Ara nods, still worried but trusting her. "You're right, Lily. Mama and Dada said that big bro is super strong."
Meanwhile, in the air, Cedric is flying uncontrollably. His mind races as he thinks, "I'm so dead. How do I get down from here?"
As he reaches the apex of his flight, he catches sight of a pair of unfamiliar figures in the distance. He can barely make out a small elf girl with pink hair and a giant of a man with a muscular frame and a bald head, but shirtless, walking through the woods.
The Elf girl looked at her large companion. "Are you sure this is the right way?"
The large man still looking forward nods. "Grunt."
As Elena and Grom continued their journey through the woods, the elf girl couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "I hope we're on the right track. Our client was very specific about finding a powerful mage," Elena said, glancing at Grom for reassurance.
"Grunt," Grom replied, his expression stoic as ever.
Elena sighed. "I wish you could talk more than just grunting. It would make our conversations much easier."
"Grunt," Grom said, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Elena rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on, you know what I mean."
As they walked, Elena's mind wandered back to the stories she had heard about the renowned mage of Montclair. The tales painted a picture of a powerful sorcerer capable of feats beyond imagination. "I wonder if he'll be anything like the stories. I hope he's friendly and willing to help us."
Grom grunted again, this time sounding more serious.
"I know, I know. We have a mission, and we can't rely on someone just because they're famous," Elena replied, nodding.
Grom nodded and moved silently beside Elena, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. "Grunt..."
"Whoa, look at that!" Elena exclaimed, her eyes widening in awe as she saw Cedric flying through the air.
Grom grunted, his curiosity piqued as well.
"Oh no, that doesn't look good," Elena said, concern evident in her eyes.
Grom grunted in agreement, his instincts telling him that something wasn't right. He leaped into the air, leaving a small crater where he stood.
Grom catches Cedric's eye as he thought. "A giant?! Is he going to save me?"
Before Cedric could comprehend the situation the giant man catches Cedric and simply grunts.
Cedric relieved took a deep breath and said. "Thank yo....."
However before Cedric could finish his sentence Grom flexed his arms and tossed Cedric back in the direction he came from.
The elf girl looks on, puzzled as Grom, landed and asks, "You threw that guy? What's got into you?"
The giant man grinned and pointed up. Following his gaze, Elena spotted Cedric flying through the air.
"Oh, wow! Look at that!" she exclaimed in amazement.
Back at the garden, Ara felt her summoned teddy bear and exclaimed how soft he was. "Fluffy, you're so cuddly!"
Lily smiled at Ara's joy. "It seems like you and Fluffy are going to get along just fine."
Oliver sat still, still in shock, thinking, "Cedric is most definitely dead..."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Cedric came flying back, crashing into Fluffy.
Ara cried out, "Don't hurt Fluffy, big bro!"
Luckily, thanks to the plush and cushiony nature of Fluffy, Cedric remained unharmed. Dazed, Cedric got up and looked at Fluffy, saying, "Do not do that again."
Cedric walked away, his voice weak as he said, "I-I'm going to get some fresh air."
Lily, confused, pointed out, "We are already outside, though..."
Oliver followed him, concerned, as they reached a far enough distance for Ara and Lily. Oliver tried to check on Cedric. "Hey man?"
Cedric doesn't respond as he is just standing there, pale and mutters. "That man threw me? Giant.... Flying....."
Oliver approaches, asking worriedly, "Cedric, are you okay? That was quite a throw."
Cedric doesn't respond, lost in his thoughts still only muttering. "Teddy bears... giants... I can't believe this is happening."
Oliver nodded with empathy, realizing that Cedric is deeply traumatized by the encounter with Fluffy. "Yep, he's traumatized," Oliver thinks to himself, feeling sympathy for his friend.