The Magic of Listening

Watching as Aesandoral and Rionriv chased each other around the track, I continued at a comfortable jog. All this talk of pushing past limits and striving to overachieve, meanwhile, I recognized the hypocrisy that I, myself, had dedicated an entire adult life to underachieving, also in spite of familial obligation. As this set in and my mood shifted, I determined that it was time to search for Sharzin, who had been suspiciously missing this entire time.

Eventually spotting her at the beginning of my final mile, I began to slow to a trot and approach. She had tucked herself into a grassy patch between the bleachers. I was able to barely make out her form between the angular bands of sunlight peeking past the bleached wooden boards, thanks to an early childhood of doing the same. Apparently, some things stayed the same regardless of which world you lived in.

Slowing my pace to a walk, I casually strolled up to the spot where she hid and plopped myself onto the seats—

Which were already scalding.

“HYAAAAAAAA—” I screamed as I jumped up, patting my butt.

These wooden benches shouldn’t have gotten that hot already. Damn you! You terrible sun!

Giggles erupted from under the stands.

“Dummy,” Sharzin whispered. “You need to use a cooling spell before you sit. Everyone knows that.”

“Yeah, right.” I sighed, looking between her and the seat. “Everyone knows that, but lil’ol’ me. May I sit with you?”

She shifted quietly to the side, making room in her shadows.

“Thanks,” I wriggled myself into the uncomfortably small space. “Not one for running?”

“Short legs. Distance runner, I am not.”

I watched as she extended her feet out and gave them a gentle kick against the ground.

With a nod, I rested back against the stands and looked at the sisters bickering over something in the distance.

“What if something bad happened? Those two can run away. Do you expect them to carry you?”

“I expect them to leave me behind.”

I felt my stomach drop.

Damn, that’s grim, kid.

“You don’t trust that they’d stay to help you?”

“I trust that they’d do everything they could to aid me, but ultimately, I could always just hide and wait for the threat to end. I’d just find them after.”

“You’re going to hide from a lava flow or acid rain?”

Sharzin thought, her face scrunching as she calculated what to say next. “I am fairly certain that Rionriv could use her magic to throw me.”

Bwuh?! What kind of answer is that? I mean, Rionriv could potentially have telekinesis. She’s already pretty adept in spellcasting for a Second Year.

“Okay, I think I understand,” I said with a sagely nod. “You believe that everyone should stick to their strengths. Running isn’t one of yours, so doing it wastes time you could spend being stealthy. What other strengths do you have?”

“Exactly. So, if you have stealth training exercises, I’m all for it.”

Are we just going to gloss over the second half of that statement? Am I really that rusty at talking with people?

“Well, let me investigate it. There’s bound to be some form of Stealth-Ninety-X training elective here. If I can find it, we’ll take it together. Wouldn’t mind learning to be stealthier myself if you’d teach—.”

“Don’t.”

“What?” I laughed awkwardly. “Do you not want to be in a workout program with me?”

“Not that. I like you getting punched. You’re much better at it than Aesandoral. She cries a lot. So, you’re not allowed to hide.”

Oh, great. So, I’m officially the group punching bag even though I’m not a tank. I’m technically the only healer. Sure, a bad one, but—anyways—

“Oh,” I laughed and rubbed at the back of my head. “Well, can’t have that, now, can we?”

“Can’t have what? Slackers.” Rionriv approached with Aesandoral in tow.

She is always coming in so hot. Maybe I need to match it with some cooool.

“Hey Rionriv,” I said casually. “I was just chatting with Sharzin here about individual strengths. What do you see as your strength?”

The distant rumble of thunder matched the unimpressed look on her face. Instinctively, I gulped down what I wanted to say next and jumped to my feet.

“My strength?” Rionriv grumbled. “My strength is not wearing this stupid outfit and pretending that running in circles will teach me anything! Meanwhile, you two are chittering away like a pair of young guirrets in heat over here.”

She turned with a huff and began to storm off, the sound of thunder intensifying even though not a single cloud hung in the sky.

“I’m leaving to practice spellcrafting.” She announced. “You know—that thing we’re supposed to use at a magical university. I’m done with this running stuff!”

I couldn’t let her leave. From the resigned looks on both Aesandoral's and Sharzin’s faces, this was normal. But, even from a loner’s perspective, we needed to stay together and train.

Racing forward, I reached out and took Rionriv by the wrist. Immediately, electricity surged through my body. It was as though I had grabbed hold of an electric fence as everything in me screamed to let go. But I kept gripping firmly.

“Let go.” She demanded, her voice rumbling with thunder as she remained turned away.

“No,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’re right—Rionriv. Sorry.”

The tingling of electricity ceased, and I released my grip with a shallow exhale.

Looking up at the sorceress, she had turned and stared back with a new expression. A curiosity of what I’d say next and something else. Maybe respect?

“Go on.” She crossed her arms, cocking an eyebrow.

“When I brought us all here today, I didn’t consider everyone’s strengths or preferences. Sharzin and Aesandoral taught me that. And you’re right. I promised you’d all graduate, and that means practicing magic. So, how about instead of hitting the gym together, we start our days by doing a little bit of monster hunting across campus?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, all those professors disguised as monsters and vermin traps set up to challenge students on their march to class. Why don’t we spend our free time training our magic and muscles on them?”

Rionriv smirked as what I had said seemed to have broken through to her.