Of the Green--Chapter Two
The day before her birthday, Rhea woke up rather early. Despite the fact that it was still rather dim outside, she went through her customary morning routine. As she brushed her hair and tied it up, she glanced out the window and noticed that the aspens were rocking violently in a very strong wind that had just sprung up, seemingly out of nowhere.
Cocking her head in puzzlement, Rhea opened her window. She leaned out on the sill and cautiously stuck a hand out to test the wind. Sure enough, the current of air lashing at her fingers was quite real, and there was no magic in it to make it stronger--rather, it had the feel of a summoned wind, but why someone would call one up for no reason was beyond Rhea. Based on this information, she came to the conclusion that someone had just received the gift of air magic.
When a student came into their powers, an unconscious, powerful surge of raw magic that lasted anywhere from two days to a week would inform the whole school that a new apprentice was ready to be taught, always with a blatantly obvious sign. Fire apprentices in particular were taught to get a grip on their power at once.
Now, there would be no mercy from the wind for days until the burst subsided and the apprentice gained some control. It seemed she had been right to wake up early, Rhea thought as she closed the window tightly, making sure it didn’t rattle. She sighed, then unbound her hair and began to braid it neatly, using the mirror to help her. It would still be a slow job, but Rhea was relatively sure she’d finish in time for the lesson.
When Rhea was only half-finished, an eager knock surprised her and the door opened to reveal Tara, one of Kristen’s friends. Though like Kristen, she was very friendly, Tara had a habit of misreading people’s reactions and feelings.
"Rhea, did you hear? The wind is blowing so strongly plants and even trees are being uprooted--"
Rhea gasped, letting go of her hair. "No!" She ran to the window and hurriedly looked around the grounds. True to Tara’s word, one tree was already being ripped out of its place with a loud cracking sound. Before long, it was lying sadly on the ground.
Obviously mistaking the other girl’s horrified reaction as surprised excitement, Tara went on, "The Masters are giving us a free day because so many of them have to try to still the wind and fix up the grounds!"
"You go tell the others," Rhea said inattentively, biting her lip. "I have to finish braiding my hair." She picked up her hair tie and neatened the three sections of hair, then resumed her former job, working much faster than she had previously been. When she was done and Tara had left, she looked out the window to see what was happening.
To the east part of the grounds, there were several air Masters, including the High Master, in yellow, obviously trying hard to slacken the relentless air current while most of the green-robed Masters in the school were watching, worried and tense as another tree came crashing down, defeated by the wind.
None of those freak gusts of wind for me, Rhea thought, appalled at the damage wind could trigger. When I ask a High Master for my power, it’ll be green magic. The Masters of air were finally slowing the wind down to a less dangerous. After watching the Masters in green sigh in relief and begin working on the desolate grounds, she thought, They could certainly use some help...
A thought struck Rhea faster than lightning. Why was she thinking, 'When she could ask a Master' when she could see one right now and ask? Her age would not hinder her request; in fact, fourteen or fifteen was the age most students went to a Master to ask the gift of magic. Although Rhea was not quite fourteen yet, she had a feeling a few days wouldn't matter.
The only problem with this notion was that Rhea would probably have to ask again before she got her magic. Due to an oddity nobody was allowed to speak about, most of the students had to ask twice, waiting until the next day to request their magic once more. It was believed unlucky to ask the same Master twice in one day, or another one on the same day. With that considered, she might as well wait until she was properly fourteen till she went to a Master.
Rhea frowned and bit her lip again, thinking harder. She didn’t really mind asking something again, and there were a few students who got their magic on the first try, so that wasn’t a big problem. Now, there was one obstacle standing between her and her magic: Half the Masters in the school were working on the grounds. She couldn’t request her magic if there was nobody to ask.
Or was there? Rhea dragged her bag out from under her bed and flicked through the pages of a textbook. After several minutes, she came across the section on requesting magic. She crossed her legs on the floor, providing support for the book, and softly read the first paragraph out loud.
"In theory, it is possible to receive magic from any Master, High or no, but it will affect the strength of one’s magic. For example, one who wishes to be a Green apprentice will have a substantial amount of strength if requesting magic from a High Master or Mistress of the Green, and less from a lower Master, as is fitting.
If the student requests magic from a Master of Sky and Wind, the power will be less, and if the Master is of Water, it will be the same as if asking a Master of the Green. However, there is one peculiar characteristic of strength if the student asks a Master of Ash and Flame..."
As Rhea's voice trailed off and she read on silently, she agreed with the author that requesting green magic of a Master of Fire would certainly give odd results. According to the book, if you asked and received power from one, the power would at first be very weak, "like a seedling’s roots being smothered by ash."
But, if the student was patient and careful, his or her power would become stronger, "akin to a fully-fledged tree thriving on the very ash that once threatened to kill it, and surpassing the strength of magic received from even a High Master of the Green."
Rhea snapped her book shut and glanced out the window, quickly thinking over her choices. The High Masters of Earth and Air were outside and almost certainly didn’t want to be bothered, leaving her with two immediate choices. One would give her average power at once; the other would give her weak magic at first, then it would become stronger than anyone else.
To Rhea, the latter was very attractive indeed, but could she stand two years or more of being at the mercy of everyone else while she waited for her magic to strengthen? She scratched her head, thinking even harder. Then she smiled.
"Yes."
"High Mistress of Ash and Flame," Rhea declared confidently, standing a respectful distance away from the High Mistress’ seat. "I request the gift of green magic."
The aged old woman called Kimaru eyed Rhea both shrewdly and suspiciously, through narrowed eyes. Clever, this one, to ask her for the gift of green magic, and on a day where she could say the Green Master had not been available. She saw right through Rhea’s intentions and thoroughly approved. Coupled with strength, a clever Master of any magic--a woman in particular--was nearly unstoppable. As Kimaru herself had been, and still was.
But did Rhea really want green magic, or simply the strength that came with it? It was not the first time an overconfident student had asked her for green magic. Students were not allowed to know what a Master did to see if they really wanted a sort of magic.
"Come closer, girl." Kimaru beckoned with one long, gnarled finger and Rhea stepped forward a few steps, cautious but obedient. "No, keep going until I tell you to stop."
The girl nodded and began advancing again till she was about two feet away from the Master. "There. Now be still and relax."
Kimaru placed her hands on Rhea's shoulders and closed her own eyes, focusing intently. When she opened her eyes again, a green spark that only Kimaru could see flickered and ignited into a blaze, washing over Rhea. Yes, this girl wanted green magic.
The Mistress leaned back, satisfied. "You may have your magic. But you do know what happens when a green apprentice receives power from a Master of Fire."
It was a statement, not a question, but Rhea nodded anyway. "Yes. I’m willing to wait."
"Good." Kimaru held a hand up, then gestured towards the girl. Once more, green fire visible only to the Mistress raced towards Rhea, swirling around her in a vortex of light, circling closer and closer--until it simply vanished.
Rhea swallowed and closed her eyes, feeling an uncomfortable sensation like a thin blanket being wrapped tightly around her body. She was also slightly nauseated for some reason. When both feelings passed, she opened her eyes. What caught her gaze first were her robes.
They were not white anymore. They were green. She blinked several times, to make sure it wasn’t an afterimage. Sure enough, her robes were the green of an apprentice of Earth. She looked up at Kimaru.
"I trust you won't tell anybody what happened before," Kimaru told her.
"I won't," Rhea said. "But why did you put your hands on my shoulders?"
"I had to know if you were being truthful. No one is allowed to say anything about that because we want to separate the liars and the easily swayed from those who are honest and stand on their own. Now leave me, apprentice."
Apprentice. Rhea smiled a little at the title, then turned around and walked out of the room, not bothering to count the doors as she passed them by. When she reached her own, smaller quarters shortly after, the first thing she did was open her wardrobe.
It was full of bright green robes in exactly her size.
Go to Chapter Three.
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