In no time, the three arrived at the u-shaped apartment complex made of bricks dating back to colonial America. The building wasn't too big, with only two floors and a giant stable in the center, looking like a shaded parking lot for animals, vehicles, and dinosaurs roaming the town.
"It's not much, I'm sure, but it should be adequate." Sarah chimed in, trying to keep the mood light as they walked through a hallway with four doors on the bottom floor and what looked like a laundry room at the end. Side-by-side doors sat up the carpeted stairs with blank doors or welcome mats. Behind them, two more blank doors were there, and Dimitri's entrance was on the left-hand side.
Sarah curiously followed Dimitri inside and was not too disappointed with the results besides it being empty. The mini foyer, living room, and kitchen floors were wooden planks. She followed him into the bedroom to see an interesting mustard-yellow carpet. The bathroom floor was a lovely naturalistic brown shade of stones shaped into rectangles. All the walls were painted red with black baseboards, but she had to admit that the red and yellow colors were beginning to make her hungry for some reason. Dimitri sighed, throwing his bag down onto the floor. She didn't understand his frustration; she would have been glad about a thirty-day free trial with rent covered for her. Then again, she saw the small kitchen and slightly changed her mind. There was a little counter space with a few cupboards and a refrigerator tucked against a wall that jutted out to signify where the living room began. Another side wall was sticking on the other end, but a coat closet was there. Once she saw the counter color, she got attracted to it as the granite was stained deep red, unlike the typical black or white like the appliances.
"Are you two done looking at this place so we can go," Dimitri questioned, agitated, like they did something wrong.
"What's your problem?" Soyuvnik questioned from in front of the fireplace that he was studying.
"It's just reminding me that my old life is gone. All the emptiness is just making me see the emptiness in me now. So please, can we just go?" Dimitri pleaded. Sarah wished she understood what he was going through, and after looking around, it looked a bit empty. Perhaps she could help him find some furniture from the carpenter later. He rushed to the door with Soyuvnik and Sarah following behind.
"Wasn't Wyllow the name the Archmage mentioned earlier?" Dimitri asked while they flew, tethered to Soyuvnik.
"Yes, but that's not who will be training you. As I said, his partner is the strongest pyromancer in the battlemage fleet." Soyuvnik informed Dimitri as the town faded into the south side of the forests. She should have Andrew stop by earlier to announce their arrival. After some time, they finally reached the lake that their cabin sat in the middle of. A wooden bridge connected the small island to the rest of the forest with a gazebo attached on both sides. When she first met the two, Sarah remembered she stayed out there for hours watching the water. Wyllow didn't notice them until a few birds flew away from where he hid in some of the plants he was fretting over near the bank.
"Oh hey, guys." He shouted up at them. A small slab of rocks appeared on top of the water, which Soyuvnik placed the three of them on. Wyllow pulled his hand towards himself, making the slab move towards him.
"Is Drake here?" Soyuvnik asked while they hopped onto the island.
"Not yet. What's wrong?" Wyllow questioned, eyes moving right to Dimitri. Sarah knew that Wyllow had a perfect radar and could see the scan on his face. His hazel eyes flitted up and down, then side to side, covering every inch of Dimitri, trying to get an accurate read on him before asking any further questions. Poor Dimitri looked to Sarah in distress until Wyllow was done, "Who's this?" Wyllow added on.
"His name is Dimitri, A newcomer and technically a squint... For now." Sarah answered, "Dimitri, this is Wyllow. His boyfriend, Drake, will hopefully be the one to train you before our mission." Sarah introduced the two of them.
"Mission and training?" Wyllow asked with a raised brow.
"Archmage Rolan wanted us to investigate something about witches moving within the barrier. He also wanted us to train the new one." Sarah summarized quickly.
"That's a bold mission, but I can help with training before Drake arrives. I was just about to take a break from my own assignment from the Archmage, who seems to be busy today." Wyllow told them, then started packing his work area strung along the lake's edge. Dimitri noticed some bowls of liquid and, next to it, the bottle of pills the alchemist grabbed from the Archmage's desk.
"Have you figured out what was in those pills yet?" Dimitri questioned. Wylloow turned around to look at him briefly, then the light bulb clicked in his brain.
"Not completely yet." Wyllow answered slowly, sighing, "So far, it's a highly complicated mix of alchemical, synthetic, and natural components that managed to dull your magic. I cannot find the alchemical or synthetic, but the botanical, I have found some possibilities." Wyllow responded without specifically listing anything, which made Dimitri huff, "I'm not going to tell you anything until I am certain what the ingredients are. I'd rather not speak prematurely." Wyllow responded to the attitude received by Dimitri.
"Thank you for everything that you've done so far." Sarah appreciated it while they walked toward the middle of his lusciously green forest of a yard. She actually began to take off her coat while they walked closer to the house, where it became warmer. She even forgot that it was winter everywhere else, but this hot spring island created by the couple modeled after a few other hot springs in the area.
"How much experience do you have with magic?" Wyllow asked Dimtiri while he waved his hand in the air to make rocks, droplets of water, and leaves swirl around his body like an invisible waterspout that had traversed onto land, but everything dispersed into lights in shades of orange, blue, and green that he absorbed back into his body.
"He's a squint, remember," Soyuvnik responded instead.
"Alright, what the hell is a squint." Dimitri finally asked while Wyllow glared at Soyuvnik with intensely narrowed eyes.
Wyllow sighed before answering, "A mage child with no magical abilities. Lately, though, it's been a replacement term for people without talent." Wyllow answered, "But even though you were not raised as a mage, humans must have had some idea of fire magic." Wyllow continued on with the lesson, ignoring Soyuvnik's groans.
Sarah wouldn't have had a clue about human entertainment, but she could see the wheels in Dimitri's head spin and spin, looking for inspiration from his past.
If you like this chapter, please don't forget to vote! Comments and feedback are hugely appreciated too, I will always try to respond if I can.
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kindred Magic
Fantasy"He be a witch." After discovering the mage town of Diremoor, Dimitri learns the truth of his identity manipulated by his employers. Charged with teaching the newcomer the ways Diremoor, Sarah must also keep her town safe. Both have their hands pro...
