Mage

Prima

Howan rolled up the sleeves of her robe and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as her eyebrows scrunched together and her mouth formed a thin line. With an exhale she commanded the air above her hands, "Tabairt."

Suddenly a teacup-sized ball of water fabricated itself above my sister's hands, suspended easily in the air.

I gasped in excitement and, at the sound, Howan's eyes opened and she gazed at the sphere floating in front of her. A smile broke out on her face and she waved her hands, releasing the spell. The water splashed on her robe and I reached over to poke at her shoulder, repeatedly.

"Howan!" I sang, excited.

She flicked the water droplets onto my face and gave me a disapproving look, which seconds later dissolved into a smile.

"You're definitely going to get the job, they'd be stupid to deny you," I told her, using a quick spell to help her push the water back. It tricked into the small pool around the pedestal atop which the water tome sat.

"Be careful, Esca, you're going to jinx it," she said, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"As if," I said, "the job's got your name on it. Think about it, Howan! Both parents water mages on the High Council? And you've got fabrication down perfectly, you're a shoo-in," I told her.

She shrugged dismissively. My older sister is the picture of success and with her vivid modesty it's sometimes annoying to be constantly compared to her. I just hope when she interviews for the position she doesn't let her humility get in the way. As annoying as she can be she deserves the job.

Before I could respond, my little sister, Kyan, appeared in the doorway to the library, her short curly hair bouncing with energy, "Adrian and Rinn are making it snow all over my room!"

Howan and I shared a look and followed Kyan out of the library and down through the halls. As dignified as my older sister is, Kyan is sometimes the opposite, a fiery ball of energy. She isn't much of a mage like me, but her strength lies equal parts in alchemy and trouble-making. The later something my older brother Adrian is also well versed in.

We arrived outside Kyan's room to find it indeed full of snow. However, the culprits were nowhere to be seen.

Howan tapped her foot thoughtfully, "Any ideas Esca? If anyone knows those two it's you."

I sighed, dismayed "I can guess."

Adrian and I were the two siblings closest in age and were often lumped together as kids, and he often dragged me into his schemes. Until he got a best friend that is.

Rinn and Adrian were cut from the same cloth and they knew it. The two of them got up to plenty of trouble, and I somehow got roped into getting them out of it every time.

To put it lightly I knew them well, and knew exactly where else they may have gone on their prank spree.

After walking to the other side of the estate we rounded the corner to my room to find my brother magicking water from outside my window to hang over my bed, and my best friend was turning it into snow. There was already at least an inch covering my clean sheets.

Adrian spotted us first, "Uh oh," he said, cracking a smile.

Rinn turned to us, "Strakig!" he yelled, flinging the snow at us, but mostly me as I made the mistake to stand right in the doorway.

I turned to Kyan who burst out laughing.

"Who's side are you on Ky?" I asked, but before she could answer, Adrian and Rinn pushed passed me and started down the hallway.

I frantically brushed the snow from my face, which was starting to sting, as I tried to think of a spell.

"You're not getting away that easily little brother," Howan called, fabricating another ball of water and chucking it at them both, turning it to snow midair. My sister's talents never cease to amaze me.

The boys laughed and shared a look before Rinn gathered the snowball and tossed it back.

I dodged it well enough, but it hit Howan who then proceeded to make snowball after snowball, passing them to Kyan who began pelting them at the boys with varying degrees of accuracy.

"You're in for it now!" I smiled, charging at them as Adrian and Rinn tried to launch a counterattack with Kyan's unsuccessful ammunition.

"Come at me Dohvald!" Rinn said, bracing himself as I jumped to tackle him.

But before my shoulder could land a blow I stopped, suspended in midair. The boys looked past me as I was gently put back on the ground.

I turned around and sure enough, my parents stood there, my father's arms crossed and my mother doing a poor job containing a smile.

"What exactly is going on here?" asked the gruff voice of Griffen Dohvald.

"Uh," Adrian started.

"They made it snow in my room!" Kyan said, pointing to our brother and Rinn.

Father rose an eyebrow and Howan chimed in, "They also made it snow in Esca's room."

He nodded, looking down the corridor with a sigh, "And that warranted this mess?" he said gesturing to the snow littering the floor.

"Well, besides the fact that they started it, I felt some retribution was owed," I said.

He shook his head, "If you two gentlemen want to attend war meetings with the high council you need to start acting like adults, do you understand?" The boys next to me nodded meekly, "Much more of this behavior and I'll have to suspend you. That includes you, Rinn, don't think your parents won't catch wind of this."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, backs rigidly straight.

My father sighed and turned down the corridor to return to his study.

"Girls, you clean this hallway, and boys, clean Esca and Kyan's rooms," My mother said, to which we nodded as she followed my father.

As soon as they were out of earshot I clapped my hands, "Nice going with that one gentlemen," I said as they trudged to my room, "Oh, and enjoy cleaning Percival's cage!"

"Ugh, I hate that stupid bird," my brother said in his standard overdramatic whine, which could only make me smile.