The Licensed Mage

4 To Start

        Claire blinked as she looked puzzled at Midge, “Late for what?” 

        Midge suddenly started laughing as she clutched her side, “Oh dear I’m so sorry! That’s not till later.” 

        “So I’m going to be late for something later?” Claire raised an eyebrow as her skepticism grew, her lips twitching into a grin. 

        Midge only fumbled with her items on the table, shuffling things around as she mumbled to herself, “Yes yes well, that’s not till later like I said. But it’s something to happen as it should. Now what did I bring you here for?” 

        Claire laughed as she watched Midge, Crystal shuffling around tighter to her chest, “I have no idea Midge. You called me, only you know.” 

        Midge paused as her fingers touched the glowing orb before her. A crystal ball, yes it was. As cliché as it may be, it was still the most valuable tool for a clairvoyant. Her eyes begin to shine as the orb commanded her full attention, “Ah yes. Now I remember.” 

        Claire waited with apprehension as Midge closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, “Yes yes. That’s it yes.” 

        Claire leaned over the table as the tension builds. Her fingers scraped against the table as she leans closer to the orb. Midge’s breathing becomes ragged as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Finally with one major gasps of air Midge says, “You may wanna brush up on your fire spells tomorrow.” 

        Claire blinked as she threw her hand up puzzlement, “Are you joking?” 

        Whenever Midge calls for her, it’s usually about something dire, something important but this is the first time Midge called her for something so…minuscule, “Why no. That’s later.” 

        Midge broke out in laughter as she cracked over her own joke. Claire chuckled as she puzzled over what Midge said, tapping her finger against her chin, “Are you sure? For what purpose?” 

        Midge only smiled. Blinking with a blank stare as Claire smiled back and got up from the table, draped a blanket around her shoulders, and fixed a sandwich for her going out the door. In the hallway Claire crossed her arms as she continued to puzzle over what Midge said. As she headed up the stairs her shirt starts to wiggle and Crystal popped her head out of the collar. 

        “Well that was a waste of time.” 

        “I don’t think so.” 

        “Why not? She never told us anything useful.” 

        “Exactly. Usually Midge is full of information. She can answer any questions I had. But this time she couldn’t answer one. What do you think that could mean?” 

        Crystal puzzled over what Claire said and snapped her head around as they reached their door, “Whatever she’s seeing, it’s too much to divulge or something, right?” 

        Claire nodded her head as she locked the door behind her, “Right. That’s what I’m thinking.” 

        Claire made her way to the kitchen as Crystal flew to her perch on top of the pillar in the center of the loft. Claire grabbed some chips and munched on them as she made her way to the table with all manner of scrolls and books stacked everywhere. Chomping down on the chips Claire settled on a pillow and began grabbing one book after another flipping through the pages. 

        Crystal looked over, down from her perch as she heard Claire flipping through pages, “What are you doing?” 

        “Brushing up on my fire spells, just like she said.” 

        “You’re really gonna listen to what she said?” 

        Claire looked up from her books, “Wouldn’t you?” 

        Crystal was silent for a moment than shrugged her shoulders, “I guess. No skin off my nose.” 

        “Actually yes it is, I could use your help with something.” 

        Crystal was curling back up on her perch as Claire said that and looked back with a look on her face, “With what?” 

        Claire leaned on the table with her chin in her hand, “I need you to go by Benny’s.” 

        “What?! No!” Crystal clawed her perch and spread her wings in a stance of defiance. She flew down from her perch and landed on a stack of books in Claire’s face, hissing, “Why do I have to go to that nerd?! He tries to dissect me every time!” 

        Claire laughs as she goes back to her reading, “You’ll be fine. You gave him a pretty tough lesson last time.” 

        “Yeah that was last time.” 

        Claire looked up to see Crystal hugging her head low as she drew her tail around herself. Claire sighed and started petting Crystal with her hand, “You’ll be fine. I promise, ok?” 

        Crystal looked up and sighed as she caved in, “Fine. What do you want?” 

        “That’s my girl.” Claire gives Crystal a quick peck on the cheek and goes back to shuffling through her books, “I need his copy of Dragon’s Inferno.” 

        “So, not only do you want me to go to the creepy mad scientist but you also want me to get one of the books about my people?” 

        Claire looked up and perched her lips, “Pretty much yeah.” 

        Crystal laughs as Claire looks back down, “Fine. I’m going.”

        Claire yelled out a thanks as Crystal flew to the glass wall and made her way through the doggy door. The glint of Crystal’s body flickers in the fading sunlight as dusk approaches. Pretty soon the sparkling lights of her wings disappear as she goes into the horizon, leaving Claire with her books at her table. The light fades and twilight sprinkles into life as the night approaches. Sometime before midnight Crystal comes back with the book and a seething anger to match. Claire stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, going through book after book after book. She went over every fire spell, chant, curse, hex, and incantation she could think of. Nothing jumped out as a potential danger for the next day but Claire was diligent. When sleep finally took its stake in her, with her eyes tired and bruised from hours of reading scribble and fading writing, Claire stumbled into her bedroom and fell onto the bed with Crystal at her side. All through the night she tossed and turned as visions and dreams melded and welded into one. Images flooded her mind as she fell into a deep sleep and in the morning she would remember none of it. Perhaps that was for the best.

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