The magic was beautiful as it was dangerous. The lights and colors were a sight to behold, casting a brilliant glow over Ghent's hand and the gate around it. Had his senses been dulled, he may have felt exhilarated rather than frightened. He didn't know what was to come, but the feeling of instability warned him that the outcome wouldn't be good.  
	"No, no, no!" Ghent tried to talk the magic out of misbehaving, and the magic paid him no mind. Before he could warn Drust and Elayra, the magic rebelled and they were assaulted by a violent shockwave of force.
	Yelling out, Ghent was hurled backwards without much chance to prepare for a landing. His backpack served as a shield for the third time that morning, helping to prevent injury as he slammed into the ground. The slickness of the overgrown weeds made the boy skid a few inches back, scuffing the earth to reveal fresh dirt underneath. 
	"[i]Oww[/i]..." Rolling onto his throbbing side, Ghent winced when Drust called his name. "I'm good," he slowly raised his hand to show he was alive, brows furrowing when Elayra responded with only a groan. 		
	[i]Stupid magic! [/i]Fearing the worst, Ghent sat up, spotting Drust first. The knight was already on his feet, which made Ghent wonder if he ever hit the ground at all. Elayra was several paces away when she regained her footing. The trio appeared unscathed for the most part, which was a miracle after how far they were thrown.
	Still on the ground, Ghent made eye contact with the girl, confused by her expression. She wasn't angry. "Sorry about that," he began to apologize for his newest failure, dumbfounded when the girl turned to the gate and proceeded to yell at it, rather than him. 
	[i]Brilliant? [/i] He couldn't have heard that right. Fearing Elayra hit her head, Ghent scrambled to his feet. When she disobeyed Drust's newest warning, Ghent winced again. The knight took off after her, so Ghent took after him to serve as a barrier between the two should another fight arise.
	"Elayra, don't bother!" Approaching from behind, Ghent hung back as Elayra unleashed her frustrations on the gate. He didn't want her anywhere near it after the magic reacted so badly to his interference. He swallowed hard, eyeing the glowing heart with apprehension. The heart's glow was the last thing he remembered before the invisible force sent the three of them flying.
	Drust didn't seem to want Elayra near the gate either. Ghent allowed him to move ahead, startled by the force he used when jerking Elayra away from their current obstacle. That couldn't have felt good with her injuries.
	"Whoa, come on!" Ghent reached out to help catch her, but Elayra never lost her balance. To avoid her finding out about his unneeded -- and unwanted -- help, he stepped away, head hung low. His failure to open the gate was the cause of this.
	"Guys...I'm sorry, but I don't think I should try that again." Humbled by defeat, Ghent's eyes were downcast when he heard a loud squeak of rusted metal. To the amazement of all three, the door opened for them. 
	"Did...that just open?" After a long pause, Ghent put both hands to his head, laughing in disbelief. "It actually worked!" In his excitement, he turned to high-five Drust, but he awkwardly lowered his arm as an afterthought. Even if Drust knew what the gesture meant, Ghent decided he wasn't the high-fiving type. To avoid further embarrassing himself, he faced Elayra, pleasantly surprised to find her smiling. This was a rare moment, one to be ruined by his own cockiness. 
	"[i]Featherhead?[/i]" Ghent snorted at the name as he always did. "Really? I think I'm entitled to my real name after my hard work here, Blondie." Plucking a browned leaf from Elayra's hair, he smirked at her. "After all, someone as brilliant as myself deserves respect." He purposely used her word from earlier, fully aware of the unintentional compliment.