Eevie
After Elena's last class of the day, we had a couple hours before we would have to meet up with Noel. Elena decided she wanted to get some training in with me before we went. But we weren't going to do any physical training. She wanted to learn the spells I knew.
We spent the better part of two hours perfecting one of the particular spells I knew off hand. I had used it several times, so it was easier to remember, but there were a lot more spells I would need my book for. Spells were tricky with all of the different ingredients that were needed.
My book of spells is back home. Here, help me send a note to Alistair to bring it the next time he comes. I instructed her to tear out a piece of paper from one of her notebooks and scribble down a note asking Alistair to bring the book.
When she was done writing, she asked Now what do I need to do?
We just need something of Alistair's. You can use the coin I have of his. We switched so I could place the coin on the ground before us before switching back.
Picking up the coin, Elena examined both sides. One side had an angel on it, the other a demon. What kind of a coin is it?
It was one he had found. He told me it was the reminder of the balance in the world. Good versus evil. He told me that no matter how terrible things seem, good can come out of it, and vice versa. A situation is never just one thing. There is always two sides to everything. I knew I'd see Alistair in the next couple days when he came to train Elena some more, but I missed how things used to be between us.
Wise words.
From a wise man. I agreed.
Ok, now what?
I instructed her to repeat after me as she held the note and coin in the same hand. "Prend ce message ce au le centre se levant." The note burst into flames in her hand, but it didn't hurt her. There wasn't any heat emanating from it. When it stopped burning, the coin was the only thing left it her hand, and it looked as shiny as it had when I had given it to her.
Wow. That was awesome! Elena was grinning, but I doubted she couldn't help it. She had just performed her second spell!
Suddenly Elena's phone chimed. It was from Noel asking where she was. "Crap!" she hissed under her breath as she shoved the coin in her pocket, grabbed her bookbag and her phone and hurried to Noel and her meeting spot.
When we arrived, Elena profusely apologized! "Noel, I'm sorry I'm so late! Eevie and I were practicing and I completely lost track of time!"
Noel chuckled, "No worries! What were you practicing?"
With a grin, she replied, "I'll show you after we practice!"
"Then let's get started! I'm curious now!" Noel threw us a couple boffer swords, and Elena moved them around, getting a feel for them.
I want us to do some switches in the middle of practice. We've been doing it with Alistair, but I want to try it with Noel and Nori. You can bet they'll do it with us.
"I have to admit, Noel, I never looked up any of the styles on Youtube like we talked about! I kind of passed out last night," Elena admitted with a grimace.
He smiled at her. "I forgot to, so don't worry. We can just do what feels natural," he shrugged.
They started off crossing their boffer swords, and when Yun told them to start, Elena slashed the sword in right hand across, but Noel easily blocked the attack and when Elena tried a jab, Noel blocked with his right hand and hit her arm with his left hand.
Elena backed up, rocking back and forth on her feet. She tried another tactic of rushing in, but Noel was easily able to block and deflect.
Use both hands. I instructed her.
She tried a trick where she swiped with her right and as he blocked and was getting ready to tap her arm, she hit his leg with her left boffer sword as he had gotten used to her not using her left arm at all.
It feels unnatural to use my left hand she confessed.
You'll get used to it.
Elena tried a few more moves and tactics with Noel and Nori switching back and forth to their advantage. Noel definitely had more experience with boffer swords than Elena had.
When she went in for a low jab, I had her switch with me, and I was able to somehow swing my arm up and down across Noel's shoulder. Our switch caught him by surprise and stood up and walked backwards, and I had Elena switch and and she managed to get him in the arm again.
But Noel and Nori came back with a vengeance, and got in a few good hits. Elena was backing up and tripped up over her own feet, falling on her butt. Laughing good naturedly, she yielded.
"I surrender!" she was breathing heavily, out of breath. She did well for not having ever swung a boffer sword before, but I made a mental note to have Alistair train with a weapon of some sort. But Elena was getting good. She had so much potential she was finally tapping into.
Elena
"That was great!" I gushed at Noel. "Thanks for royally kicking my ass."
Noel came over and stuck out his hand to help me up, and I gladly accepted it. "You didn't do that bad, and that time you and Eevie switched really took me for a surprise. I thought she was having you do it all yourself!"
I laughed, "I think once she saw how terrible I actually was, that was her plan to get me practice, but I don't think she enjoyed losing very much."
"She does seem like a person who doesn't take losing very well," Noel admitted.
Who likes to lose? Eevie huffed, which made me laugh again.
"Good job," Yun came over and complimented the both of us.
"Are you ready to see what I learned today?" I asked Noel.
"I've waiting oh so patiently!" he smiled.
Grabbing his hand, I pulled him over to my bookbag and pulled him down to sit beside me. Yun followed behind and turned into his puffball form and sat on Noel's head. Grabbing my bag, I pulled out the container of salt I had borrowed from the cafeteria. I stood up and walked a few feet away from Noel and dumped out a line of salt in a circle around myself.
Standing in the center of the circle, I held my hands out and chanted the words Eevie had taught me. "Phasmatus Ignitium Dos Ex Salvo, Phasmatis Ignitium Dos On Salvo, Phasmatis Ignitium Dos On Salvo." I had to chant it three times before the salt exploded into fire around me. Because I had been focusing so much, the fire's intensity was a little bit more than I was used to, and a flame danced up and licked at my arm, burning me.
Say Suctus Incendia Eevie instructed me calmly enough.
I did, and the fire vanished. I winced at the small burn on my arm. I had hoped the showing would be a flawless one, but I clearly needed more practice. Noel was at my side quickly. "That was so neat, Elena!" he exclaimed, "But is your arm okay? I thought I saw the fire get you."
I hid my arm behind my back, waving off his concern with my other hand, "It's fine. It wasn't that bad. But how cool is that? I can start and extinguish a fire. And Eevie helped me send a note to Alistair in the demon realm earlier."
"What other spells does Eevie know?" Noel asked curiously.
"She talked about a cloaking spell and a spell that can link two people so that when one is hurt, so is the person they are linked to. There are locator spells and ton of other ones. One of Eevie's friends is going to be retrieving her book of spells for her. Apparently every spell has ingredients to be able to work."
"I can see you're really into the whole witchcraft part of Eevie's powers," Noel replied with a smile.
Maybe a little too much Eevie mused. She didn't sound mad, just like she was making an observation.
"It's just something I can actually do. You were able to use Nori's powers last night. Even if it was an accident. I have barely seen any progress with any of the training Eevie's been putting me through. But with this, I can see the results. It's something I can see myself being good at, you know?"
"You have been improving," Noel assured me. "And I'm not just saying that. You may have been a little awkward at first out there today, but do you think you would have done as well before the bonding?" he asked.
I thought about it for a moment, "No, I suppose not. Still, I wasn't good. I was just better than before. The bar wasn't set so high. It's not a pity party, I'm just saying it like it is. Eevie's the fighter, I'm more passive. Don't get me wrong, I'll still do all of the physical training because I want to be able to fight on my own, but I'm just more exciting about the spells."
"That's good, though, that you've found something you're passionate about. You'll have to show me some of the other spells you learn. It's really cool to watch," Noel told me.
"Thanks. I will," I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek without thinking about it and was immediately horrified at my actions. My face broke out all red, where had that boldness come from?
Smooth moves, Eevie chuckled.
Choosing to pretend it wasn't a big deal, I turned my back and walked over to my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Want to walk me back to the dorms?" I asked as nonchalantly as I could.
When I glanced behind me, I saw Noel's reddened cheeks even more ablaze than my own, and I smiled despite myself.
