Blowing Embers

Chapter 7

            Her back against the stone of the roof’s wall, her cloth spread out in front of her with today’s lunch neatly laid out, Kallai sighed. She was never fond of the days they sent the soup out in the little metal flasks like the one sitting in the middle of her cloth. The other students might be able to reheat theirs with magic, but she couldn’t, and she hated cold soup. Still, she wasn’t about to waste food, especially not during the only meal she was ever really able to enjoy in peace.

            Sitting with her legs tucked under her and to the side, Kallai started with today’s rolls, the first stuffed with ham and cheese, one of her favourites. She was about to open her Transformation textbook, when winds suddenly began to swirl in front of her, tugging at her clothes and fluttering the pages of her books. Even as she stared, the whirlwind disappeared, leaving a figure in its wake.

           Taller than her and slender, the boy who stared down at her with blue eyes in a familiar face had her freezing. Seeing his loose shirt and pants in colour for the first time was startling, especially with the bright blue and pure black of them. But even more arresting was the dark red of his hair, a pure colour that seemed all the brighter for the contrast with his clothes. If she hadn’t already seen him once, the colours instead of the familiar plain white might have kept her from recognizing him, but as it was, she knew him instantly.

            He only stared at her for a moment before dropping down across from her, crossing his legs and snatching the other roll of her cloth. While Kallai’s mouth worked, her mind trying to process the reality of him sitting in front of her, he devoured the whole of the pastry before nodding at her.

            “You, I have watched,” Shuu said, licking a finger before grabbing a piece of cheese. “This place I too have watched. Strange it is. I would leave, but my home and this place distance I not know. Winds nothing me tell. Bring home I asked, back to same spot me brought. Local winds, my home not know. So, your answers to my questions I need.”

            Kallai stared at him as he popped the cheese into his mouth and chewed, her mind, usually so quick, feeling like it was pushing through molasses. “I…” she whispered. “I don’t understand. Why me?”

            “You why not? Your name known to me is. Simpler with no new introductions it is. Your speaking slow is. Quiet. Easy to understand. Too many here loudly chatter. Annoying. This school, what name is?”

            “Ummm…” Kallai bit her lip. “This is the National Magic Institute, where all mages study for their licenses.”

            “Heh,” Shuu replied, drawing the sound out as he sat backwards with no visible means of support. “Weird practice. Magi you must be. Elemental mages not so stupid are. This country’s name what is?”

            Blinking as she tried to understand both the odd way he spoke, and the term elemental mage, Kallai replied “Dravon.”

            “Dravon. Such a name I never before heard. Hmmm…farther away than I thought I was sent,” he said, before helping himself to another piece of cheese. “King you have?”

            She shook her head. “No, we have the High Council, representing the various districts of the country. The current Head is Lord Vya. Her term began last year.”

            “Council better than king is. Kings too often stupid are. Many kings around my home there are. Useless. The war they not stop. Too much bickering among themselves there is. Pointless debates had, too many words spoken.”

            After several seconds of silence, during which Shuu finished the rest of the cheese, Kallai, emboldened by the fact Shuu didn’t seem particularly interested in her as a person, asked “You were a statue?”

            “Hmmm? Oh, yes. Statue I was,” he said, before making a face. “The war coming is. I warrior am. Fight I will I said. My parents afraid were. Many arguments we had. My father finally me to fight agreed. But trick it was. To stone me he turned. Earth mage he is. My mother air mage is as I am. Home I will go. Nothing will me stop. In the war I will fight. My home I will defend! Child I not am!”

            Like he’d just remembered he had an audience, Shuu leaned forward again, his eyes focused back onto Kallai’s face, his fists slackening. She immediately dropped her gaze, making him frown. “You mage are, yes?” At her soft nod, he shook his head. “Sparrow you are. Timid and hiding, only fear know. Even Magi courage must have.”

            She flushed, eyes on her lap. “I’m not much of a Magi.”

            “Not much of a person you are.”

           Kallai flinched, but the clanging of the bells saved her from having to reply. She quickly tied her leftovers up, dumping them and her books back into her bag, leaving only the flask out to drink as she hurried to class. Shuu had distracted her from eating and she knew she’d need the energy.

            Ducking her head, she rose and said “I have to go to class now. Goodbye.”

            Shuu raised a hand in an idle wave, but didn’t move from his spot. His eyes followed Kallai as she darted across the roof to the door that led to the stairs.