Q stood across from Elara. Like many of his military instructors, she preferred to be called by her name, and not her title, when conducting training. Cedric and his grandparents stood against the far wall to watch her test Q’s current magical knowledge. According to her, the best way to do that was in a practice duel.

Knowing she was there to teach him how mind magic worked was the only hint he had about what gifts she could use. Q also felt off, knowing he would be using magic in front of someone other than his grandparents or Garrick for the first time since the battle where his Gift awakened.

Q held his breath while he waited for her to call the duel to a start.

“Begin!”

He shifted to the side immediately, expecting her to strike first. When nothing happened, he watched her in apprehension. Having only dueled his grandparents, he realized that knowing what magic they could cast had become a crutch, one he did not have in this instance.

Deciding to try to end the match quickly. He pushed magic into his legs and sprinted to the side. He conjured a fireball and threw it at Elara, still standing where they’d started the match. Q changed direction again, this time heading straight for his opponent. He watched his fireball get swatted out of the air as if by a giant, invisible hand. Telekinesis, he thought.

Q channeled his earth manipulation to lift the small dirt particles off the floor, and sent them at Elara with a burst of air. Intending to blind her so he could close the distance. He couldn’t see the barrier she’d created until after he burst out of the dust cloud.

Wham.

He didn’t see what struck him, but the impact spun him around, nearly throwing him off balance. He managed to keep his feet by windmilling his arms to steady himself before scrambling toward Elara.

A tingle of warning shot up his spine and set his hair on end. Q dove to the side and into a roll. Thud! Popping back to his feet, Q looked at where he’d been a moment before. He saw what looked like a small metal ball bounce off the floor and whiz out of sight. She’s controlling the ball mentally!

He realized that he needed to change his strategy. Q channeled his Elemental magic and combined fire and water, filling the room with steam.

Good luck hitting what you can’t see.

Q dropped into a squat and snuck towards where he’d last seen the baroness. He was more cautious this time. Being careful not to walk out into the open if she managed to contain the steam somehow. His slow hunt for the baroness was proving fruitless, and the steam was starting to thin out. Q did not want to waste his energy creating more if it would only turn their duel into a game of cat and mouse.

Mind racing to come up with a new plan. Q jumped in surprise when Elara spoke from above him. “This duel is over. Congratulations, you did better than I expected you to.”

Q looked up, shocked to see the baroness hovering in the air, eight feet off the ground. “How are you doing that?” He asked, the question bursting out of him.

Elara’s mouth spread in a cheshire’s grin as she slowly descended to the stone floor. “Practice, Q. Years and years of practice. Now don’t let what I’m doing distract from what’s going on around you.”

At her words, Q surveyed the chamber. Noticing for the first time, the half-dozen metal balls spinning around him in a tight circle.

She’s holding herself aloft while still controlling the metal spheres at the same time. I can’t wait to learn how she managed it.

When Q discovered his Elemental gift, one of the first questions he asked was if it meant he could learn to fly. Come to find out, several mages had developed various methods of traveling through the air, but few of them offered anything close to what he imagined as true flight. The methods that did, came with the high risk of death should something go wrong. He’d asked why Mind mages couldn’t simply lift themselves up with telekinesis. He was told that they could, but it created a sensation of wrongness that could make the mage physically sick if they tried to do so. Because of that, it was generally understood that telekinetic flight was a bad idea.

Elara was proving that statement wrong before Q’s very eyes.

“The Mind Witch doesn’t get to show off what she can do very often, and this is one of her favorites.” Cedric said, his voice coming from so close it made Q jump. He hadn’t noticed the young man approach, lost in his stupor.

“Is she actually using telekinesis to fly? I was told that wasn’t possible.”

Cedric nodded, a look of pride on his face, “It’s the only Gift she has. But if she can’t do it, it can’t be done with Mental magic.”

*****

An hour later, they were back in the private garden, seated around the outdoor table. Elara had tested a few of Q’s reactionary responses to different actions. Once satisfied, they had left the chamber to clean up and to take refreshments.

“You have a good grasp of physical augmentation and elemental manipulation. Your ability to cast both and the fact you can already combine elements speaks to your potential. If you continue to improve, you will be a hard fight for the average mage. With the addition of mind magic, that versatility will only increase.” Elara said, tapping her chin, “Your mother had Healing in the place of Physical. Those three gifts will all but guarantee you being trained as a battle mage.“

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“Four gifts," Ed interjected. “He can use Transmutation as well.”

Elara’s eyes widened in surprise and a smirk appearing on her face. “Not only did they birth a common-born, those two had to aim for the stars. Four gifts—You are going to be quite the catch when that fact gets out.” She turned to her son. “Maybe he can take a few of your admirers off your hands.”

Cedric, who had been quiet since praising his mother’s abilities, snapped out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry, mother. I missed what you said.”

“It’s nothing more of a joke than anything important. What has you so distracted?”

Cedric leaned back in his chair and asked, “If I was in your place for that duel, I would have lost, wouldn’t I?”

Elara nodded, saying, “Most likely, dear. You may have missed it, but Q can cast Transmutation magic as well. Maybe you two can put those thick heads together and come up with something other than turning your handsome face into that of a monster.”

Cedric tossed the napkin before him at his mother, shaking his head. Q assumed this was a frequent disagreement of theirs, but his interest was piqued. “Are you a shapeshifter, then?” In polite society, it would be considered rude to ask about another’s Gifts, but Cedric had already learned what Q could do and he felt sharing in kind to be fair.

“Yes, I can use Mental, Physical, and Transmutation. I do not have my mother’s ability for Mental magic. I have found that my talents lie in combining the latter.“

Q nodded, his excitement growing. He’d always wanted to see what a shifter could do , but it was not a magic either of his grandparents could do much more than change the color of their eyes. Thinking over his fight with Elara, Q asked, “Could you have blocked my fireball as the baroness did?”

Cedric sighed, “Yes, I could have, but you’ve already grasped where my difficulties in dueling begin. Not having access to Elemental magic, most of my focus is directed toward close-combat. I can use my mother’s trick wielding the metal spheres—”

His words were cut off by his mother clearing her throat.

“Yes, yes, I know how well you use them, but I can only manage two at a time. And that is if I’m not shifted.” Cedric stated, exasperated, “I would be hard pressed to overwhelm someone as you do with… how many are you up to now, Mother, 10, 12?

Definitely a common argument between these two, thought Q.

She waved him off, and he returned his attention to Q. “I mostly use my Mental gift for defense and use my shifted form for offense. Er… Well, that is what I plan to do. I’ve not had many opportunities to spar against other Gifted.”

Q’s grandfather clapped his hands together to grab their attention, “You will get plenty of practice against Q, If your mother chooses to stay and teach. I’d be happy to jump into the dueling ring with you myself from time to time.”

“We will be staying,” Elara stated. Looking between the two young men, that lupine-smile returned to her face. “If you want to fight up close and personal, I believe it is time you learned how to do it properly.”

*****

The next morning found a decidedly unhappy Cedric, squaring off against Q in the training yard. Elara had intended for Cedric to just join Q in his martial training, but Garrick had suggested Q be the one to instruct him. His skills had progressed to the point that he would benefit greatly from the experience of revisiting the basics and teaching someone else.

The count, countess, and baroness sat on the second-story veranda while enjoying a light breakfast. They watched with mild amusement as Q worked with Cedric on his basic stance, making corrections often.

“Did Q intend to follow in the Marquess’s footsteps and become the Lord Marshal?” Elara asked.

Ed and Nadine exchanged a look, and Ed answered for them both, “Not exactly, after what happened to his mother and father… I do not believe Q is interested in serving the realm in such a capacity.”

Elara nodded, taking a drink of her morning tea. The idea did not surprise her and if she were in his shoes, she would likely have felt the same. “The fact he’s Gifted, and with so much magical potential, a mindset like that could be dangerous.”

“We know,” admitted Nadine, “That’s one reason we want him to make friends and allies before he goes for training.”

“A common-born traitor’s son on the same level of power as the Archmage? I would say he is going to need more than that.”

Ed sighed. “We are working on that as well. I’ve been pushing it off for as long as I could, but the Archmage, with the backing of the King, is becoming forceful in her demands of the realm’s gifted men doing their duty to serve the kingdom and marrying. I spoke the truth when I said I’d only ever have one wife, but I have been offered a compromise. They will waive the requirement for me if I accept their offer to retake a position on the Council of Mages. I have refused based on principle after our daughter’s murder, but with the appearance of Q’s gift… it may be for the better to have someone on the inside.”

Elara fidgeted in her seat before confessing, “There have been—suggestions, made regarding both Cedric and I. There have always been requests to be considered for marriage coming in constantly for him, but these… do not carry the same tone. And I—I have also received subtle inquiries regarding my willingness to birth another child, even hinting that marriage may not be required.”

“Stars above,” breathed Nadine, “How bad must it be that society has fallen this far?”

Ed covered his wife’s hand with his own. “That tears it. I will send my acceptance immediately.” He looked at their guest, adding, “And you, my dear. Can stay here as long as you need. We remember the friendship you shared with our daughter and owe it to her memory to do as she would have done.”

Elara let out a deep breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Weeks of stress and anxiety leading up to this meeting were finally lifted from her shoulders. “Thank you, thank you both. I will repay your kindness. I will make sure Q is the best Mental mage to attend the Academy since my time as a student.”

The three of them traded a relieved smile before a snort escaped from Ed. Nadine smacked her husband on the shoulder as he tried and failed to stifle a laugh.

Elara stared at the two with raised eyebrows. “If there was a joke there, I believe I missed it.”

Shaking his head, Ed finally managed to get himself under control. “I am sorry, Elara. I am just happy to have someone else here to try to teach that boy. He ran through the lessons we expected to take years, in a matter of months. Now that you’re here, you’ll get to enjoy the experience of trying to stay ahead of what to teach him.”

The grin that appeared on Elara’s face was not the reaction either of Q’s grandparents would have expected. It made them a little nervous about what they’d signed Q up for.

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem…”