A Heart in Flames #2 (Howl's Moving Castle fanfiction)

Chapter 5: How to Master the Art of Magic

Too many spells. Too many variations. Too many words to memorize. They ran in circles around his brain until his mind was a whirlpool. He would never be good enough if he couldn't keep up. Kenta already felt farther behind than the others in his class, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from reaching the top.

"And why would we use one of the Elven traditional spells in this case?" Wizard Mogno searched the room for an apprentice to answer, but was disappointed to see the girl with the crazy red pigtails offering a response - the only one to ever offer a response. Wizard Mogno rolled his eyes and waved her arm down. She slowly dropped her arm as she watched her classmates shake their heads in annoyance of the teacher's pet.

Wizard Mogno tapped his hands along the podium, one student catching his eye. He was searching in his textbook for the answer, flipping through pages and skimming lines to find the best answer for this situation. "Kenta Itō, is it?"

Kenta looked up from his book. His hands began to sweat. His mouth dried up like the desert. And he so desperately wanted to make a good impression this time. "Um, yes Wizard Mogno?"

"You are surrounded by an army. Whether they are magicians or not is up to your imagination. However, it is clear that you are outnumbered. There are only a few spells from the Elven traditionals that can help you in this situation, but which is the prime solution?"

Kenta swallowed hard. "Um... well, there is the one that grants you invisibility."

Wizard Mogno shook his head. "One of them would find you eventually. An army this large, you wouldn't make it two steps in the opposite direction."

Kenta licked his lips, trying to think of another answer. He knew more about the Kotodama spells than anything because of his family, yet Wizard Mogno never asked about Japanese magic - only Elven or Celtic. In fact, Kenta was one of two Japanese wizards in their apprenticeship. At times, he truly felt like he was on his own in a foreign world.

Everyone was staring at him now. Even the pretty girl with the red pigtails, though she humphed and turned around, whispering loudly to her black cat how she knew the answer. A couple classmates in the corner giggled, and Kenta's cheeks burned a rosy shade.

"Um..." He was speechless. His voice was lost in the thousands of spells and codes and inscriptions. His mind whirled in a never-ending hurricane from the embarrassment and lack of intelligence he felt in that moment.

"Howl Pendragon." Kenta looked up only to find that Wizard Mogno had moved on. He stood in front of Howl's table, though Howl hardly seemed ready for class. His book wasn't even opened to their chapter, his feet were on the table in his neighbor's space, and he looked about ready for a nap rather than class. "Can you name the Elven traditional I am looking for?"

Wizard Mogno waved his feet to the ground, the young wizard promptly disturbed by the change in position. Howl cleared his throat and searched the ceiling for the answer, snapping his fingers when he had it. "The one where everyone falls asleep."

Everyone in the class laughed, though the girl with the red pigtails sighed and groaned. Wizard Mogno turned to the class with a smile. "He is correct."

The class fell silent, watching Howl nod his head with triumph. Kenta seethed through his teeth, unable to bear that wretched wizard beat him at yet another skill. Their fight had been less than a month earlier, and he still felt that wicked sense of vengeance.

"Explain your reasoning."

Howl sat up straight and folded his hands on the table. "Well, if your enemies are asleep, they can't attack you. Therefore, you can go about your business and when they wake up, you're already gone."