“You’re barely qualified to teach others” I told Alaric, bluntly.

“Those two have talent,” he said, “Wouldn’t it be a shame to leave it at that?’ Alaric pointed at the distant Nix and a certain other girl.

Who was she?

“Is that perhaps Lea?” I said, remembering Adrian’s words, “The other girl besides Nix with talent?”

“You’ve already heard?” Alaric frowned, staring, “That’s right, she’s certainly a good prospect,” he answered.

Prospect… a familiar word. It was the elementary level, just before a novice of magic. It was a catch all for those uninitiated by magic force.

I put the maryseed to my lips, ignoring Alaric from then on.

“Nix…” Alaric pouted, “He might be right about that maryseed of yours,” he jabbed.

I made a couple of sudden movements, and Alaric took a step back.

He suspected that I was trying to light his clothes on fire again.

He expelled his magic force out of his body, prepared to drench himself in water to quickly quell any flame I could spark on him.

Fear was strong.

I didn’t intend to actually start a small fire--it wasn’t good practice--seeing his prepared form, I wanted to see how he would react to it.

I lit the tip of Alaric’s black hair, a place he must not have expected to suddenly catch on fire.

Before he did anything, he cried, “Evil! So evil!” he mouthed further curses, but the fire spread to his late reaction.

Water manifested from the magic force around his body.

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The magic force of a mage could be transformed into the element of a mage’s affinity.

Since Alaric’s magic force was around his whole body, he chose to simply manifest his water in the magic force above his head.

Though his feet were dry, Alaric’s head was suddenly drenched… and sullied by a large burn in the center of it.

Alaric, emotional and probably a little humiliated, turned his head all around, just after scrambling to wet himself. He turned his head every which way, finding me.

With an open palm, he tried to smack me in the face.

From behind him, I said simply, “I’m not there anymore,” I said.

Alaric attacked the ‘me’ before him, striking a formless illusion. Alaric fell forward, staring at the ground.

Maybe I overdid it. I was a little eager to use magic. It wasn’t often that I got to show off without worrying about other things.

I enjoyed magic… but not the troublesome things that had come with it.

Alaric turned around to where my voice had come from. I was nowhere to be seen.

Alaric’s nose perked up, searching for the stench of maryseed--where I would surely be.

Sharp.

He walked toward me, vaguely smelling it in my direction.

I kicked him backward in the gut before he could locate me, I wasn’t so nice as to let him figure everything out smoothly in this short exchange.

Alaric defeated, I dispelled all my tricks, exhaling the lush mist of the maryseed.

“Look at this pitiful sight,” I said, “Do you really think you’re qualified to teach others magic when you can only look up to me from the floor?”

Alaric clenched his fist, bringing it close to his chest… “As I thought,” Alaric mumbled, “You’re beyond anything I could hope to compare to…” Alaric smiled, and I shuddered. A reminder of a time long since past… flashed in my mind.

That’s not right.

He can’t be excited… from just this display of power… I think?

“It’s assuring,” Alaric said, confirming my fears, rather than challenging his will, I had reinforced them, “To have visible evidence of a level higher than mine. There’s still room for me to grow.”

Alaric layed completely down, allowing the vegetation and grass to envelop him, and he relaxed for a while.

I was uncomfortable, thinking about something.