Stolen Love

Chapter Thirteen

Now, I probably should have turned down the man and stuck to my regular life.  The only thing is I wanted to learn about my past, my heritage, and I wanted to learn magic.  All I can say is that learning is harder than you'd think it'd be.  I mean, seems easy, right? Just saying a couple of spells and, viloa, you've got magic.  Well if you think that, you're way off! Magic is very complicated, so to my disappointment, I couldn't start off right away.

"Jen!" Gregory says agitatedly with a sigh, for the one hundreth time.  We are doing yoga in his dojo and he's trying to get me to concentrate to set a match on fire.  I thought I was being perfectly still that time, but apprently I was twitching.

"I'm sorry! I've always hated yoga, I can never sit still long!" I try to explain again, but he just shoos my answer away with his hand.

"Try again." He says, and sits him self down on a bench and watches me, waiting for me to start.

"He's so bossy, I've been trying to do this for two hours now, why can't I have a break. I think I deserve one." I grumble, still rambling on about how he's so bossy.  I mean, the least he could say was please.  But in the end, I've grown to like the old man. I've only know him for about a week, we practice every night after I get off work.  He's a bossy old man, but he's compassionate when I get upset because I mess up. He kinda like the father figure in my life.

I sit on the mat with my back straight Indian style with my eyes closed and try to concentrate.  Gregory said I should think about fire, heat, the sun, matches, and to envision the paper burning.  So that's what I do, I concentrate on going deep into my mind, to find the power that's been hidden away.  I make it to a room in the back of my mind and I walk in.  It's hard to explain what's inside this room, it's my magic room, so it has everything I know about magic, which isn't much.  I sit down in a chair, and concentrate more.  I think about fire until I can see the flame in my mind, growing brighter and hotter.  I look at the piece of paper in my mind, and try to place the flame on the paper.  I keep concentrating and then I see it, or imagine it. The paper lights up and starts burning.

I open my eyes to see a smiling Gregory.  I look at the piece of paper that was lying on the floor in front of me and all that was left of it was ashes. I looked back at Gregory, waiting for him to say congratulations or good job, but none came.

"Come back tomorrow, we'll take a break from magic because I'm sure that tired you out, and we'll get to work on teaching you some basic fighting moves.  We will start off easy and get harder as you learn the new moves.  These moves are dangerous and can seriously injure a normal person, so no practicing on them, ok?" Gregory said, and I was peeved that we were quitting magic for now, I really enjoyed it, but that really did tire me out. No doubt I'll be physically tired tomorrow after our lessons.  I'll probably have a bruise or two.

"Why am I so tired? Is it going to get easier to do that and make me less tired?" I asked him while I stood up and stretched, I'd been sitting in that same spot for three hours. 

"You are mentally tired because your mind is weak.  No, don't get mad," He said after seeing me about to deny that, "You are just now starting magic and this is the only way for your mind to get stronger, it's only logical that it is weak.  Yes, it will get easier and faster, and won't take as much energy out of you.  In fact, once you're good at it, it will just become a mere habit and you'll hardly notice your doing it."  He stated, and he smiled when he saw the relief wash through my body and sag my shoulders.

I started to head towards the door, I was ready to get home and get into bed.  As I was half way across the dojo, Gregory called out, "Don't wear jeans tomorrow! Wear something comfortable and stretchy!" 

Of course, stretchy.  What did he think I would have worn? A dress? I don't think so! I walked out the door with a happy heart and a tired mind.  Tomorrow we will add tired body to that list.