Planets: Chapter Eight: Slowly but Surely

Chapter Eight: Slowly but Surely
“Kelsi, you have been behaving quite well for the past couple weeks, I think it’s time for us to progress further into your training.”
Kelsi’s smirk was self assured, not unlike the chilly smile of Mistress. She had worked hard the last two weeks and had gained confidence and assurance along with knowledge. She laughed at how afraid she had been before and scoffed at the notion that Mistress was “creepy.” Mistress was powerful, the picture of a well-meaning mentor. Kelsi could only dream of that she would someday be as intelligent and influential as Mistress.
“As you have learned, you are magical. As a mintis of royal blood, however small the percentage of royal blood may be, you are able to harness you magic to do more than household chores as the peasant mintis do.”
Kelsi’s eyes lit up and she almost exclaimed with joy but she resisted the impulse and composed herself.
“Magic is a very hard thing to control, it’s often flighty. It will take a lot of self-control to use your magic. One wrong move and it could destroy you.”
“I’m up to the challenge!” Kelsi stood up, her hair falling out of it’s up-do and into her face in her vigor.
“Really? I’m not quite so sure that you are,” Mistress’s questioning voice stung Kelsi. She quietly sat back down, her face burning as scarlet as the ribbons weaving through her hair.
“I know that you are confident in your ability, Kelsi, and I’m pleased to note that you’re assured. Unfortunately vim is not enough by itself. There are several things you still need to know. One especially important thing that is connected to magic is a familiar.
“Familiars are special creatures that every magical royal mintis has. These animals protect their mintis and help channel their magic. Most Familiars stay as one creature form their whole life but can change forms when their mintis goes through a drastic life changing experience. Not surprisingly Familiars can’t die until their mintis passes on.”
“Do you have a Familiar?” Kelsi asked Mistress, her even tone masking her eagerness to learn. Perkiness was something Mistress abhorred and Kelsi had been working hard on curbing her detestable emotions.
“Yes,” Mistress replied and Kelsi saw a black widow scurry from behind Mistress’s ear down across her neck to her arm where it placed itself on her finger, looking like a lethal ring. Mistress stroked it with one finger. “May I continue with my lecture?”
“Yes,” Kelsi looked down, shamefaced. How could she have been so rude? She knew that Mistress hated interruptions.
“You will get your own Familiar in time. Familiar’s come to mintis when they have reached a point in their magic where they need the Familiar’s protection. It should come soon for you. The more powerful the magic, the more protection is needed. Do you have any questions? You must understand this. It is vital to your training,” Mistress paused as Kelsi gathered her thoughts.
“It all makes sense but I don’t understand why I can’t already start to do magic now. You have taught me so much and you say that I have much potential. Why can’t I start right now, today?”
Mistress gave Kelsi a tight-lipped smile. “If you think you are ready than we will see what you can do.”
Kelsi felt like squealing with joy but simply smiled back at Mistress.
“Stand up,” Mistress ordered.
Kelsi obeyed and waited silently for instructions.
“We will need to go to a different room, it’s two crowded in here. The last thing we need is an unintentional injury to occur,” Mistress grasped Kelsi’s arm and they appeared in an empty room, devoid of any hangings, furnishings or decorations of any kind. Kelsi was shocked that such a room existed in Mistress’s lavish castle. The room was still made of high quality materials such as the onyx tiles that paved the floor but the extravagance that was common among the other rooms wasn’t found here.
There aren’t any doorways or windows. The thought slightly frightened Kelsi as she realized there was no way out. She was trapped.
“Here we are, this shall do nicely,” Mistress looked around the room approvingly, admiring the echo of her voice in the large empty room. “We shall begin your lesson now. Channel your emotions, namely anger, to create magic. I want you to start by crating a bird. Imagine the bird’s every detail, you don’t want to wind up with a half-formed bird,” Mistress finished instructing then looked at Kelsi expectantly.
Feeling rather self conscious, Kelsi breathed in deeply and focused on her anger. Why has it taken Mistress so long to teach me magic? She felt the self-righteous anger bubble up. Does she think I’m stupid? How dare she! Why won’t she just believe in me? Why does she have to be so condescending?
That’s enough, Kelsi,” Mistress interrupted Kelsi’s fuming thoughts.
Kelsi looked up, startled. Could Mistress read her mind?
“You have built up enough anger for this task, now focus your energy on creating the bird.”
She is so controlling. Kelsi thought one more angry notion than began to imagine a bird.
The bird was a sparrow, soft brow feathers speckled with charcoal covering it’s fragile body. It’s beak and small twig-like legs a golden brown and when it opened it’s minute beak the sweetest heart-breaking melody was released. Kelsi had watched many a sparrow back at the orphanage and knew exactly how the small bird should fly. Focusing the energy she had just built up, she pushed it towards the bird, willing the tiny bird to fly out of her mind and into the room. Within seconds the sparrow was there, gliding around the room. Kelsi gave a little sigh of relief then braced herself up against the wall, feeling drained. The bird may have been small but the amount of energy and concentration it had taken to create it had been unbelievable. She scrutinized the little creature, admiring her work. The sparrow had landed, and, shiny, beady eyes bright, had begun to scratch the tiled floor looking for bugs. It was perfect, except she hadn’t imagined the silver feathers at it’s temples. She frowned. Strange.
“Excellent,” Mistress’s expression was one of pure boredom. “Now kill it.”
Kelsi lifted her hand and without thinking twice, projected an electrical orb towards the innocent sparrow. A grievous cry came from the bird’s frail body on contact with the orb. It’s shiny eyes dulled and it’s winds became rigid. The little bird died.
Mistress looked more joyous about this accomplishment than the last. “Let us go now,” her eyes gleaming, she touched Kelsi’s shoulder and transported.
Kelsi sat down at her desk, unfazed that she just killed the bird she had crated. She reflected on the whole experience, coldly noting that it took more energy to create the bird than destroy it.
She sauntered out of the room without saying a word to Mistress who was already rummaging through parchments. Kelsi felt invigorated from her first magic lesson. Everything had gone perfectly and she thought proudly of her sparrow, it’s sweet music ecstatic. Even it’s death had been beautiful at the blue tinged energy hit it’s speckled body and it mournfully shrieked.
She smiled, unaware that her eyes were filled with a frightening hunger. Mistress may have though that she had appeased Kelsi’s want for magic power but she had only made it stronger. Now Kelsi was determined more than ever. She would be a powerful sorceress, even if it killed her. Kelsi was hit with a wave of determination. She was going to be the most powerful sorceress, second only to Mistress. Hopefully that day would come soon.