TO FIND A MAGE: PART THREE

I came across Rafael as he was discussing where we would stay. From what I caught at the tail end, we would be staying in a room numbered eight, which was the last one on the right side of the first of the halls.

“We are going to be here more than tonight, it turns out Yaoba is coming here, and she sent an advanced notice of her attendance in twelve days. We will be staying longer for you to learn. Make comfortable and, in the meantime, train with the others or make friends. The more hunters you know, the safer this world will be for you and them. I noticed you had an eye out for Faelyn, so do with that what you will.” Rafael told me while stepping through the door to our room.

“That’s good news. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

I went back out, not feeling tired yet, and decided I would find Faelyn, again. I found her in the same place we had talked, just moments prior, but this time she was at the stove making something. I saw a sleeping bag neatly placed on one of the tables. I let the door close behind me, which caught her attention. She looked at me and the tension in her shoulders went away.

“Do you need something?”

“I wanted to, at least, let you know that I will be here for a while longer to wait for Yaoba, but I also wanted to spend some of that time getting to know you better, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah, I guess, but why me?”

“Your yellow eyes hold stories and I want to know them. I am very intrigued to know anything you are willing to share.”

“Okay… Like what?” She looked at me, puzzled.

“Your full name, the story of when you got bit, family, where your homeland is, and what home means to you? Those kinds of things.”

“So, you came to hear personal things?”

“Yeah, I did, I guess.” I chuckled.

“I want the same of you, then.”

“For sure! I wouldn’t ask so much and then offer nothing at all.”

“Alright.” She paused and took a breath. “My name is Faelyn Nesa Omecan. I come from Netridel, a land close to Saradel. I ended up here because Yaoba took me in, after my parents were killed by wolven stalkers. The same stalker that bit me just before help camewas the one that killed my mother. This has been my home physically, but, to me, home would be where I am free to live my life without the fear of people seeing that I am tainted, and I would have family, again. Your turn.” She looked up at me, wanting to hear what I had to say.

“My name is Joelle Seiz Luroden. I have no idea if my parents are alive or not, I haven’t seen them since the night before I almost became umbra chow. I have been with Rafael almost six months since he saved me from the umbra. My life is now learning to be a skilled hunter and to save others, as I was saved. Home where I grew up was Tanasa, Just beyond Nobho, but my home as I see it is having a family to call my own and giving those I love and others the safety we all want, kinda like this bunker.” I paused with the weight of not knowing where my parents were or if they were even alive. “Thank you for sharing, Fae. If you ever want to talk about anything without being afraid, I am always here. I just have one more request.”

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“What is it?”

“Will you train with me for the time that I am here, and will you promise not to avoid me?”

“I can do that, but you can’t avoid me, either.”

“Never planned to.” I smiled at her. The blush on her face and her looking down when I smiled at her was an amazing feeling and I hope she will blush everytime I smile at her in the time to come. Hopefully she will smile back, too.

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of Rafael making coffee, and started to get out of bed, quickly.

“You’re up late, Joey.” Rafael said without even looking at me. “It was that girl, wasn’t it?”

I was way too flustered to give an adequate response, so I just kept getting ready for training with Faelyn and maybe the other two. That’s if they are cool, and not terrible.

I didn’t have to spend any time searching for Faelyn because, as soon as I stepped out, Faelyn was smiling and waving at me. She was wearing a dark coat of fur with a hood that covered most of her head and obscured her face, but the gesture was still endearing and didn’t help with being flustered.

“Hi! Did I come at a bad time?” Faelyn looked at me with concern.

“No no, you didn’t. I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

“Okay. Did you still want to train with me, today?”

“Yeah, I was just stepping out to go look for you, actually.”

“Well, here I am.” She signaled with her hand. “Come, follow me.”

I quietly followed her through the bunker, down another hall, and into a big room that had some weapons on one wall and some dummies next to the furthest wall. The floor was made of wooden boards and they were smooth to the touch, as I put my feet on them after taking my shoes off, as Faelyn just had.

“Here we are, this is the training room. It’s made in such a way that we are able to practice anything combat.”

“I haven’t ever trained in a room before, it makes me nervous that I will break something.”

“If you could, I would be impressed. So, what is your weakest skill?”

“I have never learned magic before, but I am also weak in hand-to-hand combat.”

“Lucky for you, that happens to be what I am best at. The other two won’t say so, but put them in a match with me and their stories change pretty quick.”

“Show me.” I quickly got into stance, as I had with Rafael. As quickly as I had gotten into stance, so had she.

She called the match and waited only a second to see if I would move first, then she came to me with enough speed that blocking took all of the focus I had. Just as her next flurry was starting, I caught an opening and punched her in the hip hard enough to push her back a couple paces, but it wasn’t enough to prevent her kicking me in the side and actually knocking me over. Before I was able to get up she already had sealed her victory with her hands ready to punch me in the throat.

“I think I can learn a lot from you.” I smiled up at her and noticed her look away while blushing, like she has every other time.

“Thank you. I am proud of my hand-to-hand skills.” She smiled back, softly.

“As you should be, you’re better than both me and the Muscle Wizard!”

“What do you mean? The Muscle Wizard?”

“That’s the person I was with, he has taught me everything that I know.”

“I think he was toning it down to teach because he is widely known as the best fighter in all of Obhtharion. It’s awesome to know that you’ll be trained by nhim and Yaoba. I want to see how skilled you are, if that’s only your weakest skill.”

“I can definitely hold my own. Well, maybe not against someone so adorable.” I made sure to smile before she looked down in embarrassment, again. “We should go see what’s for lunch, yeah?”

She nodded back silently. We then walked together towards the commons room.