Strange Magic

The Droopy Plant

Night fell soon. Jenna was still wandering around when someone tapped her from behind. She turned around and saw a guy smiling down at her.

"Ready for some lessons?"

"What lesson?" Jenna asked.

"The priest thing of course," he grinned.

Jenna stared at the guy. He didn't look like a priest at all. He was wearing a black overcoat over baggy jeans. His hair was cropped close to the skull. He had a glittering stud in one ear. In fact, he looked like a celebrity.

"You're a priest?"

Jenna couldn't hide her surprise.

"At your service," he mock curtseyed.

"I thought priests were supposed to look all grim and orderly," Jenna said.

The guy chuckled.

"Well think again," he winked. "This is a place where we can be who we are no matter what our professions are."

They took a step forward and then the guy said after a thought.

"I thought I look orderly."

He led her towards a greenhouse.

"Jenna right? I'm Adrian Zara. And I'll be teaching you all that I know and trust me, I know plenty."

They stepped into the greenhouse. Several plants which Jenna had never seen before were being reared.

"Before we start, let me give you some starting hints," he said, rolling his sleeves. "Priests and priestesses are powerful beings. We sense and see things other people can't. You might think we are harmless as is seen in the modern priest context but don't get this wrong. We can be dangerous if we need to. We can heal and we can destroy. We don't have the speed or strength of the vampires nor the elemental abilities of the mages but we do have something rare which is the envy of all the others. The power of giving life."

Jenna cleared her throat. Surely no one can do that. Adrian gave her a quick glance before continuing.

"But there is just one setback-

There should be. No one can give life.

"-that is it drains the life out of you when you give life. It takes years to master that skill of giving life. Not many can do it. However that's not the point now."

Adrian paced the greenhouse raising his hands over the drooping leaves and magically making them fresh. Jenna gawked at the magic. She still couldn't believe it was happening.

"Priests can do both white and black magic. Conservative and destructive magic depending on the situation."

He suddenly balled his palm in a tight fist and a healthy cactus plant degraded till it turned to ashes.

"There is just one thing you need to do though," Adrian said, turning to Jenna. "You need your heart and soul for this matter. And focus. Just like the mages. If you can only work on your focus, then, my dear Jenna, you'll be unbeatable."

Adrian pushed a droopy big leafed plant towards Jenna and waited. Jenna stared at him in confusion. Surely he didn't plan her to do some magic.

"Go on," he said, nodding his head towards the plant. "Take a chance."

Jenna gave him a look of uncertainty as she knelt beside the plant. She held out her palm and focused at the droopy leaves.

"Clear your mind," Adrian advised. "Think of nothing except the healing force traveling from your body to the plants."

Jenna focused like never before. She imagined tiny white sparks moving from her palm to the leaves. But nothing happened. She only felt like a crazy person kneeling down and raising a hand upon a plant. Any sane person would have laughed at her awkward position. She started doubting again. She began to wonder if she had it in her at all.

"Focus Jenna," Adrian insisted. "You're not even trying."

I am fucking trying. But this shit isn't for me.

Jenna was losing her patience again. She tried and tried and was almost to the point of giving up again.

"You can't do anything else if you can't even get through this little stunt."

Little stunt? It was taking all of her might and her patience. Little stunt indeed.

Suddenly, Jenna felt her anger popping out from her frustration of not being able to pull off the little stunt as Adrian had described. The blobby leaves seemed to mock at her incompetence. She became even more angry as she glared madly at the dropping leaves. How dare it make fun of me?

She felt her palm tickle, heard a blast next and saw black smoke rising in front of her. She gave a yelp of surprise and stood up quickly. Then she saw a black charred plant withering away from where the drooping plant stood.

"Whoa!"

What just happened?

She turned to look at Adrian. He was shaking his head and frowning. Apparently, his demeanor told her that she failed.

"Jenna Jenna Jenna," he chanted, still shaking his head. "What happened back there?"

"I-I don't know," Jenna said, glancing at the burnt plant.

"That was my favorite plant," he said remorsefully. "You were supposed to heal it."

"But I don't know how it happened," Jenna protested. "I swear."

"Looks to me like your focus turned from sympathy to anger," he said. "From conservative to destructive. From what I see here, you are more consistent with the darker side of magic."

Jenna stared unbelievably at the plant. Did she really do that? Wicked cool. She didn't notice Adrian shaking his head in disapproval. She was suddenly immensely excited at what she had done. She didn't care if it was destructive, all that counted was that she did magic.

"You can't perform white magic until you purge all angry thoughts from your mind," she heard Adrian saying, but his voice seemed far away. Jenna was dancing mentally with pride and excitement. I can really do magic.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Jenna pranced around like a four year old who got a new doll. "Did you see that? Did you see me burning up that plant?"

Adrian arched an eyebrow at her and remained passive.

"Okay I get it, you're excited," he said. "But you weren't supposed to burn it down."

"Who cares," Jenna said excitedly. "It worked anyway."