THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I sleep.  A truly deep sleep almost every night.

Tia remains on top of the ladder, watching Reiji sleep comfortably.  She lowers herself, descending the ladder.

Outside, under the stars with her staff in hand, she quietly jumps up to the high roof of the shed.  She sits, but reaches her hand to the other leather pocket of her black boot.  She pulls out a ring.  It has a crystal orb on it the size of a blueberry.  Slipping it on her left index finger, she whispers something to it.

"Septum-novem-tres."  The orb on her ring begins glowing, as if waking up.  She whispers to it again.  "Septum-sex-duo."  It slowly begins to glow a different color.

It suddenly glows twice as bright.  A sleepy and slightly-irritated voice speaks back to her from within the orb.  "Tia.  What possesses you to contact me in the middle of the night?"

"I'm just doing a job on a farm.  Thought I'd check in."

He lightly scoffs as he wakes up more.  "You never "check in", what do you need?  Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Quite the opposite, really.  In fact, I made a new friend recently.  I even took them on as my student."

"Student?!"  Tia comically uses her other hand to cover the noise of her ring.  "What kind of person would want you as their teacher?!  You're rude and still an amateur yourself!"

"Who's being rude now, Swithin?  I may be just a humble Medial for now, but I can see myself as a Crest Mage soon enough."  Tia removes a cigarette from inside her red mage's coat.

"Yeah-- good luck getting officially Crested as a woman in Galadwinn."

Tia holds a silence for a few moments as she lights her cigarette with a channel-stone.  Exhaling the first puff, she gets to the point of her conversation.  "Where is Ozeki?"

"Izzwud?  Last I heard from him, he was in Acteon.  Don't know what he's up to this time, though..."

Tia gives a large smile.  "Where exactly?"  Unfolding one of her wanted posters, she looks at it.  The hand-drawn face of a man who looks strikingly similar to Reiji's father in one of his younger photos.  "I just might send a little surprise his way."  The name on the poster reads WANTED IZZWUD OZEKI FOR THE CRIME OF TREASON.

~

I am one with the peaches.  One with the winds and the clouds that flow with them.

I am zen.

Sitting in the eighth day of the evening light for my magic training, I do as I was instructed.  I imagine lightning itself.  I imagine it as something I touch.  Something I can catch.  Something I can throw.  Like a heavenly pink ribbon that lights the darkness and splits the sky.  While the sky is our canvas, the wind is my goddess and her black clouds are within me.  All marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightning.  Another familiar quote.  Wait... where did I hear that one?

Tia walks behind me and flicks my head.  I am unfazed.  She slightly leans down to me.  "Alright.  Time for your first exam."

My eyes suddenly widen.  With a short flush of anxiety, I am reminded of school and the times I held off studying.

~

A scarecrow stands lopsided, with a crudely-drawn facial expression of anger, hence his thick downward eyebrows.

I stand beside Tia as I stare at it.  We are a little ways from the farm, in a clearing.  "Um, did you steal one of Mr. Rhoads' scarecrows?"

"I'm sure the crows won't mind.  In fact they might even like you if you pass this test."

I honestly couldn't tell if she was joking or not.  "Okay, fine.  What's the test?"

Tia dramatically points at the scarecrow.  "Attack that scarecrow... without moving your feet."

Oh, I see.  I expected my training to eventually get to this point, but... I've only seen harmless sparks from my hand a couple times throughout this past week.  Then again, I haven't actually tried yet.  I know people can die instantly from this.  I didn't just respect its power, I was afraid of it.  Can I really hit that scarecrow from here?  "Wait, Tia?  Electricity can't really be aimed, can it?  I always thought it just bolts to the nearest metal thing and goes into the ground."

"Jeez, Reiji, you haven't even tried it once.  Look, we're both wearing leather boots, it's not raining at all, and the scarecrow is a million kilometers away.  Now kill-- it humiliated your teacher."  Tia leans forward waiting and watching, her hands just above her knees.

"I'm not a kid, you don't have to give me fake motivation."  I raise my hand with my index and middle fingers pointed, thumb upward, and the other two fingers curled back.  Like a handgun.

Tia notices this and smiles.  "Oh?  What's this supposed to be?"

I don't close my eyes.  I concentrate on the target.  "Finger-gun.  Me and my dad did this when I was very young.  It's one of the earliest memories I have."  Now I'm thinking about my father, when I should be trying to concentrate on attacking.  How am I suppose to attack when I don't feel any malice?  I don't actually want to attack the scarecrow.  No, it's not that... I don't want to kill.

A bright pink light suddenly bursts from my two fingertips, and in a near-instant zig-zag bolt, it strikes the scarecrow's right arm, practically obliterating it.  The stump of a shoulder left black-burned and smoldering from a bit of ember.  I am surprised, but I am happy.  Showing a large smile, I feel I was successful.  "Wow!!  Tia-- did you see that?!"

Glancing to look at her reaction, I immediately see she is beyond surprised.  She is speechless with eyes wide.  This is the first time I seen her show an expression of slight fear.  She can't take her eyes off the scarecrow.  "I... didn't expect you to actually hit it."

She remains silent.  My cheerful success is cut short by the melancholic realization that if I am uncareful... I could be a monster.

"Listen to me, Reiji."  Tia is more serious than I've ever seen her.  She grips my full attention.  "Every mage in this world needs some kind of tool to wield magic.  Some use staffs like mine, and others use specially-made swords.  Only the Lords can use magic with their hands alone.  If you are not working for the Kingdom in some way... they see you as a great threat, and will brand you as a criminal."

She's telling me to not only be careful, but to hide this power.  "Well... can't I just get a staff or sword and-- I don't know, pretend I'm using it?"

"No, it doesn't work that way.  Mages have to use special crystals as the point of channeling, whereas Lords themselves are the point of channeling.  If you were to use a staff, it would likely shatter in your hands."

I flex my hand a bit, the tingly sensation finally wearing off.  "I see."

Tia hesitates at first to say something else.  "You don't... have to use your powers.  You could live a more simplistic life-- away from battles and politics of a world you're not from."

I don't know if it is my meditation training, or feeling like lightning is flowing through my body, but my mind feels a lot more clear than ever before.  More than just clear.  My thinking is logical and careful... and I've been thinking for a while now.  "Ya know..."  Tia gives me her full attention as I find the right words.  "In my previous life, I was so focused on getting through school, I never knew exactly what I wanted to pursue afterward.  When I was a kid I fought bullies, and not just my own.  I once saw a girl I was defending, but I ended up making her scared of me.  That was when I stopped fighting and started focusing on my studies."  I gently clench my fist with a calm control.  "But you said something when we first met that I still can't get out of my head."

Tia gives a slight look of almost flattery.

"Good people need saving from mean bastards."  I fully turn my body to face Tia, giving her my genuine smile.  I tell her my resolve.  "Helping good people is all I ever wanted to do."

Tia's memories spark in her mind for a moment.  A little girl.  Alone and bruised.  Endless pain and running away.  Teaching herself magic, still alone.  To now-- seeing the young man she wished she knew back then who would have saved her.

Tia begins to tear up.  She then gives a quick chuckle to cover it up, looking away from me.  "Well-- I suppose there's no talking you into a farmer's life after all.  Sounds like you already had your mind made up."  She gives a forced hearty laugh.  "My student makes their teacher proud!"

I can't help but give a humble laugh myself, being glad to see her express her pride.

Tia remembers the wanted poster she's been keeping hidden.  She then turns back to face me once more.  "I think it's about time... I tell you what you really deserve to know."