Blowing Embers

Chapter 8

            Kallai raced around the small garden set in the centre of the courtyard, her heart slamming against her chest. She turned sharply, racing to the end of the narrow gap that ran between the school’s original buildings and the boys’ dormitory. At the end of it, she shrank down against the wall, hoping to look like part of the stone or some kind of garbage. Anything but herself.

            The giggles of Sidra, Amali, and Takine echoed, just barely audible from where she hid. “Where’d the loser go?” Sidra asked. “I wanted to try that colour change spell on her. Can you imagine her being bright purple with lemon yellow hair?”

         “That’d be an improvement. She might even thank you,” Takine said, laughing.

            “Let’s-”

            The rest of what Amali said was lost to Kallai as winds suddenly roared into life around her. She gasped, feeling them spin faster and faster around her, tightening in so she felt like she was being squeezed out. She couldn’t move, couldn’t see, couldn’t even breathe.

            As suddenly as they’d appeared, the winds were gone. Kallai opened her eyes, seeing nothing but more of the grey stone that made up all the school’s buildings. Slowly, she lifted her head up, her gaze going immediately to the huge crenellation standing as a shadow against the black, silver-specked expanse of the sky.

            Movement from the other side of her had Kallai’s head snapping around. Shuu finished closing the distance between them, looming over her as she stared down. “Hello, Sparrow. You good at hiding not are.”

            She flushed, carefully moving out of her curled up position. She stood just as slowly, keeping one eye on Shuu, while she tried to surreptitiously glance around to find out where she was. Or rather, which roof she was on.

            When she said nothing, he frowned. “You me please answer. Even sparrows chirp.”

            Kallai ducked her head, hiding her face with her hair. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” she whispered.

            He shook his head. “What I want it not is. What you wish to say it is. No reason to fear me you have. Only information from you I want. Other students you target. Nothing better for their time to use. No great mages they become.”

            She glanced at him for that, but said nothing. Catching sight of that, Shuu rolled his eyes. “Never mind. More questions for you I have. Again, you I watched. Many things I learned. Many more things I not understand. You why target are? All other students you torment. All. Even those who younger are.”

            Kallai could feel herself turn scarlet. She hung her head, but still said “I’m not good at magic. I’ve never successfully performed a spell.”

            “Ah. Easy target you are. No retaliation they face. Everyone this knows, so target of all you become. Sense it makes. You, why them do it let? Why sparrow be?”

            She couldn’t help looking up at him them, her mouth sagging. “I can’t use magic! How can I protect myself if I can’t use magic? I don’t have a choice!”

            Shuu snorted. “In the face you them punch, they you not touch. Very easy solution.”

            Kallai shook her head, eyes wide. “I couldn’t do that!”

            “Hmph. You not yourself up for stand, for the rest of your life people all over you walk. They you advantage take, Sparrow.”

            “Umm…my name’s Kallai,” she whispered.

            He met her eyes, his chin up. “You something did say, Sparrow?”

            “I…no.”

            “As long you like that act, a sparrow you will remain. Hawk you should be! Your own sake for, you should fight! You no pride have?”

            Kallai bit her lip. “What should I have pride in? The only thing I can do is memorize textbooks. Not magic, only books.”

            Shuu snorted again, eyes still on her. After several seconds of silence, Kallai glanced at him. “I didn’t say it yet, but thank you for saving me,” she said, watching him through the curtain of her hair. “I think they’d have found me if you hadn’t brought me here.”

            He waved her words off with one hand. “No thanks me give. I you here brought only for questions to answer. No interest in sparrows I have. Before, this only magic school in country you say. All mages here learn?”

            Kallai nodded, eyes gone back to the stone beneath her.

            “I no elemental mages see. Only Magi. Few elemental mages you have?”

            She blinked, then shook her head. “No. I don’t know what an elemental mage is. There are only Magi here.”

            “No elemental mages? None at all? How this possible is?” Shuu demanded, taking a step closer.

            Kallai flinched at his tone, her shoulders hunching up further. “I don’t know. We’ve always just had Magi. At least that’s what I’ve learned in history class so far.”

            “No elemental mages. No wonder this place strange feels. Such a thing possible I never thought. Sad place this must be,” he said. “Hmmm…much to think on you me have given. No more questions tonight I have. Good bye.”

            Before she could move or even react, winds closed back around her, squeezing her tight. When they released her, Kallai found herself outside the door to her dormitory, only the tangles in her air evidence of what had just happened.