Feathers And Flames

She stood before them, leaving Minato and the others confused.
Then, like a spark in the back of his mind, Minato recalled where he had seen her before the practical exam.

“Oh, I remember you now. Glad to see you’re doing well,” he said, his voice casual.

Her eyes sharpened as she fixed her gaze on him.
“So… you forgot me?”

The weight of her tone made both Minato and the nearby commoner flinch. The boy hurriedly excused himself and scurried off, leaving the two of them alone. She stepped closer, her presence almost predatory, before letting out a long sigh. Her hand came to rest lightly on Minato’s shoulder.

“As I said before, I would like to invest as much as possible into you, Minato. My instincts tell me you’re worth more than you let on.”

Minato looked puzzled, gently brushing her hand away.
“Eh… I don’t know much about that, but thanks, I guess. Oh, and thanks for helping out with Darian just now. If that’s all, then I’ll be on my way.”

He gave a casual wave as he walked off. She lingered, her sharp eyes following him, and a sly, leeching smile curved across her lips.

Back in class, Minato grabbed his things and found Rowan standing by the doorway.

“You heading off now, Rowan?” he asked.

“I was actually looking for you, Minato.” She fidgeted, clearly nervous. “I… um… I have an important question.”

Minato tilted his head, crossing his arms with an easy grin.
“No need to be so serious, you know. Go ahead.”

Rowan inhaled, then blurted out:
“You’re really strong, Minato. Your magic that day was incredible, so I was wondering if you could teach me. Or no, forget teaching, just fight me from time to time. You don’t even need to explain things; I’ll pick them up as we go. So please… help me get stronger, Minato.”

With that, she bowed deeply.

“Hey, hey get up, Rowan, this is embarrassing,” Minato stammered, his face heating.

She straightened quickly, watching him expectantly as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry to tell you, Rowan, but I doubt I’d be much of a teacher. My understanding is honestly still pretty basic. But… if it’s a sparring partner you need, then I wouldn’t mind one bit. It’d help me too, after all.”

Rowan’s face lit up. In her excitement, she threw an arm around him only to accidentally smack him on the head.

“Oops! My bad, Minato. Got too excited.”

“It’s… fine.” He rubbed his head with a wry smile.

The two of them left the classroom together before parting ways for the day.

That night, after Celis wished him goodnight, Minato lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. His thoughts spiralled back to what he had learned in class.

To the people of this world, dragons are the closest to gods. They’re the ones who won the battle for supremacy among the early races.

But another thought gnawed at him.
Still… how is it that there’s no mention of Caelestis anywhere? She’s the god of this world after all. How can her own people not know her? They don’t even recognize her name. Not a single person realized I used her name as my surname…

He clawed at his hair in frustration.
“So many freaking questions. My head hurts. If only I could talk to Caelestis. I wonder what she’s been doing ever since I reincarnated…”

A soft breeze drifted through his window, brushing his face. His eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted swiftly into sleep.

Somewhere far above, in a white expanse that stretched endlessly, Caelestis gazed down upon the world. She smiled softly at Minato’s resting form, her hand making a stroking motion. The wind caressed his head gently. The night closed with her silent watchfulness.

The next morning, the class gathered outside for field practice. Eirene stood at the front, her arms crossed.

“Alright, everyone. Today is a mostly free day. I won’t sugarcoat it. Just use your usual spells out here safely, of course. Use this chance to really familiarize yourselves with your magic. Learn its strengths, its weaknesses, and whether it can be improved. Now then, have at it.”

The students dispersed. Some worked alone, others formed groups. Spells began to spark and shimmer across the field.

Rowan summoned a serpent and struggled to direct its movements. Sweat dripped down her brow as she tried to make it coil around her more than once. Eventually, exhausted, she collapsed onto the grass with a groan.

Darian, surrounded by nobles, juggled fireballs as his sycophants clapped and praised him. His grin widened with each cheer, his pride swelling.

Minato watched quietly, fascinated. Each student had their own unique way of applying their Archana. Even the commoners, wielders of the modest Pragma Archana, experimented creatively. One boy tried to mimic the process of heating a kettle, channelling flame into his hand. He yelped when the pain grew unbearable, quickly dispelling the spell. He and the others scribbled their observations in notebooks.

Then Minato felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Eirene.

“I like the look in your eyes, Minato,” she said with a faint smile.

“Oh, teacher. Sorry it's just incredible seeing everyone’s magic. So many different ways. Even the commoners are thinking up crazy things. Magic is really fun, you know?”

Eirene chuckled at his enthusiasm but raised a brow.
“And yet, a certain someone hasn’t showcased their magic. I know quite a few students are looking forward to it.”

“Guess I can’t get away this time.” Minato grinned and stepped forward.

The chatter of the field stilled as everyone’s eyes turned to him. Closing his eyes, Minato pictured the wings of a bird. Shadows swirled around his back, weaving into a dark cocoon. With a sudden burst, the cocoon cracked open. A pair of sleek, black wings spread wide, scattering mana into the air like feathers.

Gasps rippled through the students. Eirene touched the wings with wonder.
“Incredible… they’re actually soft, like real feathers.”

“Teacher ask first, please! That’s embarrassing,” Minato protested, his face burning.

Her curiosity only deepened.
“Can you feel things with them?”

“No. They just follow my thoughts, that’s all. At best, I can sense when I’m low on mana and can’t refill my feathers.”

Eirene stretched one wing wide, her fingers brushing across its span. Minato laughed awkwardly as more students gathered to watch.

“During your exam, it was said you could harden them, shielding applicants and even flying to slash targets.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But once I harden them, I can’t fly freely anymore. At best I can drift left or right but going up or down is nearly impossible.”

To demonstrate, Minato hardened his wings. The feathers gleamed like sharpened steel. Eirene rapped her knuckles against them. The sound echoed like striking a blade.

“I have to hand it to you,” she said. “This spell is incredible. Versatile, too. Not many would think to use a bird’s wings like this. Nicely done. How’s your steering, though, when flying freely?”

Minato’s smile faltered. He turned his head away, embarrassed. Eirene placed a hand on his shoulder with an eerie grin, her teasing drawing laughter from the other students.

But not everyone was amused. Darian scowled, his fists clenched.

Why is that commoner getting so much praise? he thought bitterly. So what if he can make chicken wings? In the face of my fire, he’s nothing. Damn these rats… I’ll show them.

His eyes fell on a nearby commoner jotting notes in his journal. With a cruel smirk, Darian marched over.

While Minato continued explaining his spell, voices suddenly rose in argument. He turned in time to see Darian holding the boy’s journal aloft, threatening to burn it.

“Come on, beg louder! I can’t hear you,” Darian sneered.

The boy, already beaten by Darian’s cronies, struggled to speak. But before Darian could act further, another noble stepped forward, shoving him in the stomach. The journal tumbled to the ground.

“I have no issue with you personally, Darian,” the noble said firmly. “But I can’t stand to watch you bully your classmates. You come from a high-ranking family. You should show more class than this.”

Darian staggered, clutching his stomach. His fury flared.
“You freaking rat! I’ll”

A magic circle ignited in his palm. A fireball crackled to life as he prepared to hurl it at both the commoner and the noble.

But before he could, black feathers shot through the air, piercing his joints and locking his limbs in place. The fire sputtered out.

The crowd fell silent. Darian’s eyes widened in shock as they all turned to see Minato standing coldly, his wings half-spread.

“I believe that’s enough, Darian,” Minato said, his tone low and edged. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”