Memory Bonds

Fleck had gone with Harmoni to meditate. Of course, he had. He wanted to make things easier for her, if he could. He liked spending time with her. And he liked being outside more than in.

(Part of it was that he couldn’t speak to anyone directly, yes. But the building was not built for dragons either. It was odd and alien, like any rider species trying to live in a dragon cave would be.)

He would’ve noticed her distress from anywhere, but being right next to her made it easier to act on.

Fleck put his front legs on her shoulder, sitting on his back legs and tail to keep most of his weight off her. He put just enough weight on her shoulder to ground her, hopefully. He tried to do so in other ways as well, radiating calm and sending her the sights and smells he could sense. Basically, trying to remind her of the real world.

He wasn’t alarmed by her magic essence. He sensed it all the time, after all.

The broadcasting sort of worked. Harmoni grew more aware of the scales on her shoulder, the claws that rested against her skin just lightly enough to avoid hurting her. She was aware of the bark against her palm and back, the bumps on the uneven ground below her. Her heart had hammered away, flooding her ears, but it was going back down. In fact, she was feeling a bit silly now. She’d clearly overreacted.

Fleck frowned. He didn’t think that was true. Necessarily. He’d take it badly too, if he felt a crack like that in his magic.

‘Right,’ she thought. “Right,” she repeated, out-loud. She stood up. “I think that’s enough meditation for today. Let’s get some lunch.”

~~~

Ava’s classroom had an unusual setup today. A lot of objects were up front on her desk. There were multiple staffs leaning against the desk, crystal balls on stands on the surface, and wands. There were also two daggers sitting on top of books, and a device or two that Harmoni wasn’t familiar with. There were no more than two of each object, with the more unusual ones only having one.

Then Ava herself swept in, flowing robes making it look a bit like she was floating. She turned to face the class, robes giving a silent swish. The movement and pale colors she'd chosen made Harmoni think of a ghost.

“Welcome class. Can anyone guess what we’ll be talking about today?”

Lona’s hand, predictably, went up. The student next to her even looked annoyed.

“We’ll be learning about enhancers today,” Lona answered. “And maybe even . . . picking one out?”

“We’ll see,” Ava said, expression cryptic. “Do you know why we have enhancers?”

Lona nodded, hands clasped together. “Harnessing raw magic is dangerous, like trying to harness raw electricity.”

“Just so. The enhancers are our protection.”

Another student, Harmoni didn't know his name, raised his hand. “Soo, it’s possible to do magic without one?”

Ava looked a bit uncomfortable. “Technically. That’s why they’re just called enhancers. However. Unless you would stretch out your hand to catch lightning during a storm, you don’t want to cast magic without one. And if I catch anyone trying, they will be kicked out of this school.” Ava’s normally soft, flowing voice got cold and sharp as she explained. Then she drew in a breath, and the hostility disappeared from her face and tone. “Are we clear?”

Various nods and murmurs came from the students.

“Good.” She moved to the side of her desk, providing a clear view of the items on it. “I’ve gotten a range of different enhancer types today. You should at least be able to narrow down which type works best for you.”

Harmoni had to admit, she was a little surprised they’d be looking at these already.

Wasn’t it the end of the second week? And this class was mostly about doing, training. So it wasn’t the surprising.

Maybe, but it seemed fast considering magic was peddled as being hard to learn. And it was especially fast for this elven school. The headmaster still hadn’t provided maps of the school, and the cafeteria still couldn’t do much for Rasha’s diet.

‘Fair.’

Ava continued her explanation. “To choose your enhancer, you want to feel the power of the universe. There will be some around the enhancers, and while you’re feeling it, you should be able to feel a connection. This will be even stronger if you sample various enhancers, by picking them up. You shouldn’t even need to cast a spell.”

So, students went up one at a time to test out enhancers. Ava continued to teach students how to get their own, as this happened.

Fleck was glad he’d come with Harmoni to class today. This seemed important.

“Today we’re mostly looking at the type of enhancer you might want, be it staff, wand, or something else. You could take one of these, if they call out to you, but I suggest looking at a larger sample size first. Both towns nearby sell magic enhancers. You could also try making your own, though that can be a long process. There’s also the option of asking someone to make a custom design for you, or modifying one you buy. The more comfortable you are with your enhancer, the easier it will be to use.”

‘Well duh.’

“Most times magic flows and collects through living things, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed,” Ava continued. “Enhancers are nonliving items that do similar. They still need input from someone to be wielded, the amount of magic they can store is usually slight, with the ability to channel your own stored magic through the item being more important. But both are important. Sometimes an enhancer is created without interference, through sometimes unknown mechanisms, such as an item being near a magic school.” Ava smiled, clearly aware of the irony. “All that exposure can cause magic to seep into the item, and make it better for channeling, more flexible. You can also, of course, make an item like that yourself.”

While Ava talked about how to make items malleable, various students tried out the enhancers. Daphon had luck with a dagger and a book combo, even getting a small flame to come out of the dagger. He briefly seemed surprised about that, but smiled smugly afterwards, like it was always the plan.

Rasha didn’t cast any spells, but was clearly fond of a purple wooden staff she swung around a few times. Ava had to remind her to put it down before she hit someone.

Lona didn’t pick up any enhancers, but she did hover by the crystal balls for a while.

Then it was Harmoni’s turn. She frowned as she focused on the items. They really did have more connection to magic than say, the desk, but none of them stood out to her. It might help if she knew what she was looking for. From what Ava had said, she would know it when she felt it. But the only one that seemed unique was a wand Fleck wrinkled his nose at. So that wasn’t going to work out.

And it was getting harder to focus on feeling magic. She was painfully aware of people watching her, the students still in line wanting their turn.

She turned back to Ava. “I can’t find what you’re looking for.”

“It’s not about what I’m looking for. It’s what you’re looking for,” Ava corrected. “Still. It’s possible none of these are a good fit for you. That happens sometimes.”

Figured. Just another way Harmoni’s connection to magic couldn’t be simple.

“Don’t be disheartened. We have plenty more time to find the right fit for you. It’s good to avoid rushing,” Ava assured her.

Harmoni nodded along.

“In the meantime, let’s let another student try.”

~~~

Fleck could smell Asplenium, out in the forest and getting closer. But he hadn't called out to Fleck yet. And he was being awfully quiet in general. For someone that big, that took work. So Fleck could guess what was happening here.

He saw a shadow in front of him. It moved like something going up in the air. Fleck tensed and jumped to the side, just as a green tail came crashing down.

Fleck spun around. He could now see Asplenium, the older dragon smiling.

"Good job Fleck," he said. "But we're not done yet."

Yes Fleck kind of figured. This wasn't the first time they'd practiced fighting.

Asplenium wasn't breathing fire in their fights yet, though he said he'd introduce that later. Something about leading by example, and also not burning the forest down. He lunged forward, jaw open.

Fleck moved to the side just slightly, at the last moment, feeling Asplenium's jaw snap shut beside him. He ran along his teacher, nipping at his shoulder, and then swinging a claw at his belly, where there'd be fewer protective scales. He couldn't do too much though, had to watch out for Asplenium's feet and tail.

'I see you'll be a bit busy for a while?'

Fleck ducked under Asplenium's swinging tail. He turned around again with his mouth open, more saliva in it than usual as he panted. He was vaguely aware of Harmoni thinking he shouldn't tire himself out too fast.

'A bit, yeah,' he agreed.