Inter Inimicōs

Shaming and Training

I was flabbergasted.

I had expected a small, perhaps sparsely furnished, room to be behind the doors, conspicuously placed in strong stone walls to shield it from the elements and other such entities that might erode the magic placed inside.

What I hadn't expected was to be greeted by the aroma of freshly cut grass, crisp and clear as it drifted along the breeze and accosted my nose. Seas of emerald glittered at our feet and cerulean skies waved with wispy fingers made of white while the muffled sounds of clashing and whirring and clanking and booming and smashing took to the air and bounced around in the damp stillness that pulled at it. Bright, fiery flags that adorned crimson and orange pavilions fluttered in a gentle breeze and called the eye to look at them as they danced idly high above. Soft birdsong could even be made out, if one listened closely.

Surely this couldn't be all in one small building?

I recounted Taka and Koshka after they had finally stopped arguing with each other (no matter how adorably) talking about where we should go. Since the Fold had been out of the question, we were forced to go elsewhere and the idea of visiting the training grounds had been raised with little opposition. Even Koshka seemed happy with this new plan, stating that she loved chasing everyone there and playing all sorts of fun games. I sort of felt sorry for everyone else.

To my surprise, it wasn't a long trek to reach our destination; it was just a few determined strides to a small, squat and seemingly unimportant building. What lay inside, however, was still blowing my mind as I watched the Taka disappear into a new world, being quickly overtaken by a cackling Koshka.

Even as I found myself in there, following the others and feeling the grass give way under my weight, I couldn't quite believe my senses. I looked back, and then all around, and then back again. How?

"Fox people and resurrection are fine, but apparently you can't comprehend some simple space manipulation."

I jumped. Miraculously, I hadn't managed to notice the death-like man dressed in dark robes that glowered at me with clouded eyes, despite his blatant wardrobe choices. Maybe the contrast of colours between black and green was so noticeable that it became the opposite: camouflaging the wearer with its obviousness. Either that or I wasn't paying enough attention. One of the two.

"Sorry what?" I asked, only just becoming aware that I had pretty much blanked the man and his question while I had been pondering not seeing him. Truth be told, I didn't even remember what he had said in the first place, I had been so startled.

"I said, you're fine with coming back from death but you can't even handle some low-level magic that increases a given space and makes the sun shine a bit. Pathetic."

He topped this off with a scoff and toss of his head.

Slightly embarrassed but also infuriated, I inspected him again and noticed that his outfit was even more ridiculous than I had originally thought. Various belts and buckles were strapped on and his hand was adorned with obscene numbers of rings and other trinkets, presumably magical and definitely not because he thought they looked cool. I was about to open my mouth and comment on this, or perhaps his faded brown waistcoat that was starting to look a bit threadbare but I was stopped by the timely realisation of Taka. As he intervened, I couldn't help feel both smug and relieved: smug because that guy did not look at all happy about this new development but relieved because I sure as hell didn't have anything to actually say in return. I had been saved from a chance for me to embarrass myself in front of that moody jerk and I couldn't be more thankful.

"Samuel! What a surprise to see you here," he started, cheerful tone disguising any hostility apart from perhaps a sliver of a hint that seeped through the pauses in his speech. "I see you also have met our good friend, E. Do you know it's her first time here? Anyways, we'd better be off - gotta show her around - but thanks for saying hi and I'm sure she'd love to hear about magic at some other time."