Rumerra - The Journey Begins

Chapter 13 - The Elven Princess (Part I)

"Water Burst!" Velvet exclaimed and shot a stream of water at a target dummy, missing it by a whole meter and splashing the wall behind it instead. "Dang it! Missed again!"

"You're doing good!" Miss Pampleton clapped. "Don't be so hard on yourself! You've only had your mark of water for a few months, right? That's pretty good for someone who only just acquired her magic, I'd say."

"Not good enough," the girl shook her head and aimed again. "I know all these spells already. I just haven't been able to actually cast them yet. I need to practice more to get the hang of it."

"Always expecting so much from yourself," the elf smiled lovingly. "Argus was right when he told me you will do great things. He did it even before you graduated too! That man sure can see potential in someone. You know, technically, you are eligible to enter the Council."

"He said that, yes," Velvet replied absent-mindedly. "Water Burst!"

This time, she hit the dummy directly, and it wobbled side to side a bit from the impact before coming to a stop. "Very good," the teacher clapped again. "But you should adjust your posture a little. Raise your hand higher so the water curves down—it will hit the target with greater force!"

"Ah! Thanks for the tip!" the young witch exclaimed and went right back to casting.

"Did you hear what I said about the Council?" Priscilla repeated her question impatiently.

"I don't care about the Council," Velvet said casually. "Argus told me they are a bunch of stuck-up mages who think they're all high and mighty when most of them never even fought any serious battles. He said I should steer clear of them if at all possible. Water Burst!"

"Oh, did he now?" the elf smiled amusingly. "And did he say something about me?"

"Not much," the girl shrugged. "Just that you are a charming lady with great taste for men."

"That old bastard really knows what I want to hear," the scholar grinned and crossed her legs. She was sitting on the side, observing carefully as her prodigy student practiced.

"Anyways, I don't think I would accept a position on the Council of Mages even if I was offered one. I do need their approval to found my academy, however. Water Burst!"

"You want to start an academy of your own?" Miss Pampleton was surprised to hear this.
"Yes! Arianna and I will do it together. But we need more teachers first!"

"Well, you've certainly got my vote when you get that far," the elf chuckled. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to be a part of the Council, though? You could help shape the future of Rumerra's magic by voting on laws and making suggestions. I can give in a good word for you once someone retires."

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet. Our first goal is to fulfill all the requirements to open an academy. After we've done that, I will consider joining if you will have me. Water Burst!"

"Looks like you have it all figured out then," Priscilla smiled gently. "I wish you both the best of luck doing that!"

"Thanks!" she huffed. "Damn. It's exhausting to cast the same spell so many times in a row. Especially if you are not adept at using this type of magic. I'm beat!"

"You deserve a break," the teacher stood up and started walking back inside. "We can stop for today and continue with Water Nova tomorrow! Oh! There's someone here to see you!" Loretta skipped onto the training grounds and waved at the exhausted girl. "Hello, Velvet!"

"Ah, it's you!" Velvet wiped the sweat off her face. "You came just like you promised!"

"Of course!" she smiled delightfully. "You know what day it is today!"

"I know! It's the start of the festival! Let me just take a bath and put on some fresh clothes and I will meet you in your room when I'm ready!"

"That works," the elf nodded. "I'll walk you to your room."

It didn't take the energetic girl long to refresh herself—she was standing in front of Loretta's door and knocking furiously, faster than Loretta expected. "I'm all ready! Open up!"

"Just a moment!" she heard a voice from inside, followed by a crash and a startled scream.

There she goes being clumsy again, Velvet chuckled. She's funny.

The door flung open and the elf appeared in a flower dress and a giant hat—even larger than the pointy hat the other girl was wearing. Her hair was also nowhere to be seen, tied up neatly into a bun and hidden under it.

"Woah, that's a big hat!" Velvet exclaimed. "But... what did you do with your hair?"

"I'm sensitive to the sun," Loretta explained. "So is my hair. That's why I wear this hat when I go out for longer periods of time—it shields me from it."

"Ah, you never told me this before! That's a bummer not being able to go out in the sun."

"I know," the elf sighed. "But it's all right. Oh, I almost forgot! I got something for you!"

"For me?" Velvet asked. Wasn't taking her to the festival the gift itself? Loretta dragged Velvet into her room and closed the door shut. Then she walked over to a wardrobe and pulled something out of a drawer, handing it to the human.

"Here! Put these on!" In her hand, two pieces of skin-colored cloth were sewn together in a way that resembled an ear. An elven ear, to be precise.

"Is this what I think it is?" Velvet asked.

"Yes. I sewed them myself!" Loretta said proudly. "You don't want to be raising suspicion or drawing too much attention to yourself at the festival. So I made them for you!"

"Thanks!" Velvet exclaimed and put them over her human ears. "How do I look?"

"See for yourself," her elven friend gestured to the mirror on her wardrobe. The girl obliged.

"Hah! These look pretty good on me! I look like I'm a real elf!"

"You really do," the actual elf commented. "Let's not waste any more time now!"

Loretta grabbed her hand and guided her down the staircase and out of the academy onto the streets of Eldar that bustled with elves, young and old.