The morning came far, far too early for Kyle's taste. And when it came it came, to Kyle's complete lack of surprise, to the sound of a loudly quacking duck.
“Get up get up get up!” Dr. Myrden bellowed, walking out to the cool and empty fire pit. Everyone had fallen asleep around the fire the night before, with a promise from Tanya that the fire was magically treated to take care of itself. Now they awoke to find her father standing over them, a glowing yellow duck on his head quacking like a maniac as he clapped his hands and shouted. “Arcane mastery won't be learned in a single day! Come on everybody, get up!”
“No!” Jenny mumbled, curling into a ball. There was a shimmer of purple light around her that turned into something not unlike a blanket.
“Showing off your newfound talents in minor conjuring changes nothing! Everyone get up, you've all got a new training regimen!”
“I've got this,” Kyle said. He leaned down and picked up Jenny, holding her over one shoulder like a bale of hay. “She either wakes up immediately or not at all, this could take a while.”
“We are all awake,” Betty said, rubbing her eyes. “You can stop the quacking.”
“Or I can kill your duck,” Evan suggested.
“Try it kiddo,” Dr. Myrden said. “But you've got a point. Juniper? You can stop quacking now.”
“Quack.”
“I know you like quacking, that's why I use you for this job. But I need to do some teaching now. Anyway! I'm talking to humans now, humans, so pay attention. And genie.”
“I am still asleep!” Jenny insisted from within the blankets.
“Today I will be giving each of you personal coaching on yout powers and the best way to hone them,” Dr. Myrden ignored her. “I will be with you all day, observing how you use your powers and determining ways for you to further improve. Now the first thing we're going to do is split into training groups.”
“Wait,” Goldie said. “How are you going to be with each of us the entire day when we're splitting into training groups?”
“Oh no dad,” Tanya groaned. “Not that.”
“Oh yes!” Her father said. “That! Juniper, you should probably head home.”
“Quack.”
Once the duck on his head had flown off, Dr. Myrden's entire body began to glow.
“Only those with great mastery of magic know this technique,” Dr. Myrden said, his voice echoing strangely from the light that burned within. “The power to divide oneself into many parts, so that different parts of you can complete different tasks. It is one of the most....”
“DUCKS!” Evan shouted, pointing an accusing finger. “You can't fool me, it's going to be ducks! It's going to be ducks somehow! Every single magical thing you do is absolutely covered in ducks! So go ahead! Go ahead and shows us the ducks! How does this power turn into ducks? I'm waiting for you! In fact I dare you! I double dog dare you! Whip out some more magic with more frigging ducks!”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The light around his body began to glow, brighter and brighter, until even with his enhanced abilities Kyle could barely stand to look at it. Then the light seemed to stretch to the sides, like someone had grabbed and pulled it out, further and further, until it snapped into three. When they light faded, three identical figures stood where Dr. Myrden had stood just moments before.
They were, indeed, ducks.
“I KNEW IT!” Evan screamed, jumping up and down and waving his fists. “I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it...”
“Enough of that!” The duck in the front said. The ducks had brown and black patterned feathers, with deep orange bills. They also had somehow retained Dr. Myrden's beard, hat, and cane. The cane was tucked under a wing, and the beard grew out from the bottom of their bill. “Maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to have a totem. Anyway, we're splitting into three groups. Tanya, Goldie, you'll be coming with me.”
“Why us?” Goldie asked, looking over at Tanya.
“Because the training for someone just starting to learn spellcasting and someone mastering spellcasting is actually very similar,” the bearded duck said. “No more complaining, this way.”
He waddled off, Tanya and Goldie following with him.
“Evan! Betty!” The second duck said. “You both need to learn mental disciplines to further control your powers. You three are a training group. With me.”
“I will not be with Trevor?” Betty said, adjusting her glasses.
“You and Trevor need completely different training. You and Evan need similar training. It makes sense.”
“What do I have plague now or something?” Evan asked,
“Not that I am aware of,” Betty said. “Your medical situation is unknown to me. Though I have frequently suspected pathological behavior...”
“Never mind,” Evan said grumpily. “Come on, Duck Daddy, show us where we're training.”
“Do not call me that,” the bearded duck said, leading them all off.
“Which leaves the four of you,” the final remaining duck waddled up to Kyle, Ammeline, Trevor, and Jenny. “The four of you need the most physical training. So we'll work in sparring teams.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Trevor said.
“Ahahahaha!” Ammeline said. “Is it really fair for me to duel unarmed combatants when I have a sword? Or do you intend to teach me unarmed combat?”
“It wouldn't hurt you to learn some but no,” the bearded duck said. “Fisticuffs I don't teach. What I teach is magic. All of you have magic related to your physical skills.”
“Even Jenny?” Kyle asked.
“She's literally stapled to your soul, so it's a package deal. Having you train separately at this stage would be pointless. I've worked out a plan that will help all four of you reach the heights of perfection.”
“And here I was thinking I was already there...” Ammeline said wistfully.
“Come along,” He said. “Your training grounds are this way.”
He waddled off, and they followed him into the trees until they reached a large pond. The water was crisp and clear, Kyle could see fish and frogs swimming around in the water.
“I'm not like Evan and his whole freaking out about the ducks thing,” Trevor said. “But are we actually going to be training in a duck pond?”
“It's just a regular pond!” the Dr. Myrden duck said. “I've been thinking of upgrading it to a duck pond, but it's just a regular pond. Well no, not actually, it's an incredibly magical pond. But it is an incredibly magical ordinary pond, not an incredibly magical duck pond.”
“Jenny you need to get down now,” Kyle sighed.
“No!” Jenny said.
“If you don't wake up I'm going to dump you in the pond.”
“You wouldn't.”
“Yes, I would absolutely pass up a chance to see my hot genie girlfriend in tight wet clothes. That is certainly something I would do, because I would not enjoy that in the slightest.”
“Okay okay,” Jenny sighed. Her conjured blanket shimmered and disappeared and she hopped off of Kyle's shoulder. “But only because it's magical and I'm afraid of what will happen if I splash into it.”
“Oh yeah,” Kyle said. “That's a good point.”
“It is a very good point,” Ammeline said suspiciously. “What exactly is so magical about this pond?”
“Well to start with...” Dr. Myrden waved his cane with his duck wing.
“How are you gripping that?” Kyle asked.
“Shh! I'm doing magic.”
In the pond, a series of rock platforms in a seemingly random pattern rose from the water, creating a mazelike collection of them above the surface.
“Alright!” Dr. Myrden clapped his wings together.
“And how did that make a clapping sound? The ends of your wings are all feathers...”
“Now that we're all set up,” Dr. Myrden ignored him, “who wants to go first?”