It was well into fall when Amanda had to say goodbye to her new friends. By that time It had been weeks since she had taken the medicine. So it had completely slipped her mind why they had originally come to the city.

When her father broke the news to her it hit hard, there was yelling and complaints in the one sided argument. She even refused to eat dinner. However as morning came and her stomach made its own demands known, she was more willing to talk.

Her father convinced her to say a proper goodbye. In the end she was glad that he hadn’t let her leave without doing so. There were tears shed on both sides as Amanda Tia and Buni did their best to promise to see each other again.

All too soon Amanda and her father set out down the road north. This time Amanda could experience the trip for all it was worth, and it helped distract her from the pain of leaving behind her new found friends. Though that was somewhat hampered by the fact that it rained nearly every other day on their trip northward. Still seeing the lush forests around the road, and seeing all that she had missed on the way south had its own wonder to it. Even the gentle rain hammering away on her cloak couldn’t steal away the thrill of seeing something new entirely.

Arriving back in the village a little over a week later they were greeted by familiar faces. But more than anything life returned much to the way it had been before. Though Amanda’s magus training quickly slowed to the point that her father never asked her to practice.

“Why don't I practice aura sight anymore?” Amanda asked him one night after she had finished her writing practice.

“I don’t have any more to teach you about it. Beyond that you'll learn a bit more at Vanshimer once you attend. But Until then it's just going to require time, and you’ll naturally improve your limits. All that's really left is to explore it on your own, should you want too.” He offered.

That hadn’t been the answer that Amanda had wanted. Quite the opposite in fact. But it did raise another question, “If I’m done with aura sight then you should teach me something else?” It was half a question, and half a statement.

“True. You’re a bit young for somethings yet, but I can show you martial forms, and if I’m with you could practice the bow.” He offered.

That wasn’t what she wanted either, “You should teach me how to use the invisible hands.” She asserted, going straight for her goal.

Her father shook his head, “No, I’m afraid that will have to wait.” It was a direct refusal, something Amanda rarely got from her father. But if he said she had to wait, then she would wait. Surely it wouldn’t take that long.

A week before winter they went down to the village as they commonly did, though they had been keeping to themselves a bit since they returned. It was a good time for Amanda to take advantage of her new skills. So as the few kids chatted about what game they wanted to play Amanda waited for her chance to prove her abilities. They didn’t have too many games that all the kids could play at once, so hide and seek was usually a sure thing. Though the first game ended up being catch the babbit.

Amanda always disliked that game as the babbits were more scared of her then the kids in the village, so she never won. Her father said it was probably because they were used to the village smells. But Amanda was pretty sure that those babbits were scared of her, she didn’t dislike that idea, it was normal for prey to run after all. But when the game involved catching said prey, Amanda just couldn’t manage it.

So for a time the village was full of restless youths and “Bah-ing” from every angle as everyone tried their best to snatch up one of the half lazy critters. None of the adults would complaint because they were always mad that the babbits snuck into the garden and ruined them. Maybe the adults made this game up to try and scare them off.

But after the others had gotten their fill of chasing babbits around the village a few of the kids spoke up wanting to switch games. Amanda readily agreed, and she even offered to seek first. Most of the kids in the village liked to hide since a lot of time no one could find someone with a good hiding spot. Amanda heard that some of them even spent spare time thinking up new places to hide when they weren’t even playing.

It worked, and soon she sat hands on her eyes grinning to herself as she sensed the kids around her scattering to find places to hide. They quickly left her aura sight’s range, but that was alright. She waited patiently counting to thirty. Then shouted, “Better have a good spot! I’m gonna find you!”

Then the fun began, she started at a run, and not but a few moments later her first victim was in range, she pounced on a boy hiding behind barrels. It was so easy to catch them with how they shimmered in the aura, she just ran about until she found one, and she zipped towards them, ready to find her next target.

She next found one who had climbed up a tree to hide in the leaves, one was hiding inside the roosts where the pieons were trying to sleep. Pieons weren’t cute at all; they were bulbus lizards that laid too many eggs for their own good, but they were mostly harmless. But they were quite upset at the invader. Amanda probably would have found him pretty easily with all the noise of them snorting and honking anyway. When she leaned into the roosts to point him out he almost seemed relieved to have been found with the way that they were nipping at his clothing.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Continuing her escapade she found two more that had climbed into barrels and the last one she found hiding in a stack of hay.

The kids were shocked to say the least. No one had before managed to find all of them. And Amanda stood proud of her obvious accomplishment.

Until the boy that had been hiding in the hay spoke up, “How did you find me?”

“I knew you were in there.” Amanda noted.

“How?” He prodded again.

“Cause I sensed you inside.” She explained.

“You can smell us?” A girl asked, sniffing at her shirt.

“No… I can sense you, it's different.” Amanda tried to explain.

“Even if it's not smell, she's cheating!” The hay boy said.

“What?” Amanda asked, shocked by the sudden accusation.

A few of the kids around the group nodded in agreement.

“How is it cheating?” Amanda demanded.

“That's why you’re supposed to close your eyes dummy! If you just know where we are that's cheating!” The boy reiterated.

“But I know where you all are even if my eyes are closed!” Amanda shot back.

“It's because her daddy’s got those powers!” One of the girls said.

The kids all agreed, “Cheater, Cheater!” a few of the kids started up.

“It's not cheating! The only rule is that I have to not look with my eyes!” Amanda yelled back at them.

“Cause the rest of us only see with our eyes! Not with our noses!” A different boy said.

‘It's not my nose!“ Amanda shouted, getting even more upset.

“Is too!” he shouted back.

Amanda lept at him, and furious limbs flew on both sides. Not to be left out the other kids that felt cheated joined in, pushing, shoving, and soon there was yelling and pain. A minute later Joan showed up pulling kids off of Amanda. He was mostly a beard with a man hiding somewhere behind it, though he had a thick build from cutting and working most of the lumber in the small village, so he easily pulled Amanda free with one hand.

She was still swinging even as blood trickled from her nose. Dangling in the air as she was. A few of the others were a bit scratched up, the boy she had gone for first had a deep scratch on his face, but otherwise seemed no worse for wear. Amanda however was leaking tears though she sniffed them out rather than whaling.

The next time they visited the town one of the girls tried to invite her to join but she replied, “I don’t want to play with you idiots anymore!” Then stuck to her father while he talked with the traders, or old Annara.

Her father talked about what had happened, but her mind was made up, she wasn’t going to play with them anymore. It was fine anyway, not a week later snow started collecting and her father and her mostly stayed home for winter.

With no friends to distract her Amanda’s mind drifted down familiar thoughts, and she could wait no longer.

On a particularly cold morning as her father walked ahead of her. They were just stretching their legs from spending time inside. “When are you gonna teach me to use the invisible hands?” Amanda asked her voice carrying all the impatience of youth that had been denied for nearly a year.

Her father took a moment to reply, but when he did, it was a long sigh followed by, “You are still too young.”

“Am not.” Amanda shot back, her impatience evident in her tone.

“The fact that that is your best response is evidence enough.” Her father said.

“I’m almost a whole year older then when you started teaching me aura sight!” Amanda stated, ready to prove her own growth.

“This is true.” Her father agreed, “It was just a bit more into winter when we started.” Though it was clear he was simply agreeing that she had recalled accurately.

“So I should be old enough now.” She continued to show that it was obvious that she was old enough.

“One year isn’t enough.” Her father explained, “You’ll just have to wait until you attend Vanshimer.”

“You said that before, why am I going to Vanshimer?” She knew the name, Tia had mentioned it enough times.

“Because, I’ve decided that when you are ready. You’ll attend Vanshimer” Her father explained.

That wasn’t a very good explanation as far as explanations went. Amanda stared up at him, “What? Why?”

“Simple, I’m no teacher, my mistakes have shown me that. Besides it's better that you get a formal education from other more skilled magus, rather than a blunt education from me.” He said simply.

“But you’re the best!” Amanda said back, more shocked that anyone was better at being a magus then her father.

“Hardly.” Her father snorted.

Amanda pouted back at him, “The best I know of… Besides I don’t want to wait!” She said getting down to the heart of the matter.

“I realize, however if I were to continue your training now you might hurt yourself. Or others. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know how that whole argument between you and the other kids got started.” Her father said evenly.

“They are stupid.” Amanda said grumpily.

“No, they are ignorant, but that's beyond the point. It's my fault that you don’t fit in with them.” Her father replied.

“I don’t care about them! I’d rather be a magus.” Amanda replied firmly.

Her father shook his head, “No, I made my mind up back in Synovo. Nothing more until you are old enough to attend Vanshimer.”

“I don't want to wait!” Amanda demanded.

“You’ll wait, and that's that.” Her father said heavily, his words oozing finality.

Amanda turned and stomped her way back towards their house. She was practically seething as she threw herself into the once guest bed that was now hers.