A Raire Gift

Chapter 3

A few weeks after I pulled my Magik to the surface for the first time, I was called into Gabriel's office. When he opened the door I was relieved to see his usual calm exterior.

I sat down across from his desk and he started speaking.
"I've been told by your instructors that you've been rapidly improving these past few weeks. I think it's probably time to change your schedule."

That surprised me, right when I was starting to get a good grasp on things I was being thrown into something new?

He smiled.
"I know you weren't expecting this, but it's important that you learn to adapt. You'll have mostly the same classes, just more advanced. We'll add a few other classes as well so that you can expand on your current skills, and try new things."

It made sense, but I was a bit upset over it nonetheless.

I left the room with a new schedule and a package that held new practice weapons, these were dulled steel rather than wood. I'd noticed that a few members of my team had these as well.

After dropping them off at my dorm I went to breakfast. I'd had to wake up extra early that morning because of meeting with Gabriel and felt the strain of the day ahead weighing heavy on my shoulders. I'd gotten used to waking up before dawn, but with the stress of the new schedule, I was very tempted to go back to my room.

Absorbed in my thoughts I missed most of the conversation swirling around me.
"Audrey, how are you doing? You look like you did your first morning here."
As usual, Herl was cheerfully ignorant of the glare I shot him.

"I got a new schedule, of course, I'm grouchy."
He looked taken aback, then the smile returned to his face.
"That's not something to be upset over, it means you've improved to a point where you can take harder classes."
Herl said.

I thought about it for a minute, he was probably right but that didn't improve my mood much.
"So long as it's not any more packed than your previous one, that is." Lina added.

I handed it to her, and she stared with a look of intense focus. Either she was upset with what she saw, or she was trying to turn the parchment to stone.

"It's not as bad as it could be." I pointed out.

"Maybe, but it's still pretty bad. You barely had free time before, now you only have one decent break period each week and a single free day every month. It doesn't seem fair that you have so much to do."

Lina had a point of her own, but if I thought about it I knew I'd be upset. It was better to accept it than go looking for a solution.

"It's packed I'll admit, but as it is, she needs it."
Flette added.

I started to ask what he meant, but before I could Lina spoke again.
"I know that, but I don't have to be happy about it."

I suddenly realized what they meant, my Magik needed to be used frequently. That's why I had been given more practical Magik lessons. The others, the ones requiring physical weapons were probably thrown in to balance it out. That thought managed to quell my frustration more than anything. I suddenly felt relieved that it really was because I was getting better, and stronger.

I managed to find the first class on my new schedule, it was a more advanced version of the sword training I'd been doing before.

I brought my new practice sword, and as instructed stood across from my practice partner. I wasn't used to the weight of the steel in my hand, but after a while I fell into the familiar, and the not so familiar movements of practice.