I woke up very early today… I couldn’t really sleep though, my mind was in great displeasure all thanks to *Terror* I had made up my mind not to run away from my destiny but become that powerful witch everyone is whispering about. I will make sure the next time I meet with *terror* I will show him what I can be and that he is the one that is of no match with me.
I got up from the bed and left my room heading for the training ground with so much agility and positivity.
I was practicing all the elements of magic that I have come to learn when Arkalis walked in.
“I see that you are here early.” He states staring at me curiously.
“Yes, I am. Besides you did say that you would be doubling my training time. And I’m prepared for that.” I said focusing my energy on making a more wider fireball.
“Yes I did say that and that’s why we can now advance to spells.” I stopped what I was doing immediately.
“Finally.” I replied showing off my white dentures.
“Come with me.” He beckons leaving the training ground and I followed.
He lead me all the way to what I thought would be his underground dungeon but is actually a place for his portions and anything related to magic.
“I would be teaching you how to make a portion and how to cast spells. But first we are staring with portions. Here is a book about portions and this a book about spells.” He hands me two different books, and because they were so heavy I had to keep them on a desk.
“I will be giving those books to you as a gift. Make sure you handle them with care. You can read those books even on your free time.”
“Yes master. Arkalis.” I replied gratefully.
“Good. First thing about making portions is that you have to be precise and focused. Just a little mistake, a mistake you feel is irrelevance could destroy the entire purpose of a portion. If it was meant to cure a deaf person, it could made make him cripple or better still, cure them and give them big ears.” He paused and raised an eyebrow.
” I am following sir.” I said.
“Good. So to sum it up, never overlook even a tiny mistake.” As he talked, he walks around the room gathering ingredients from different shelves.
“So you’re going to make your first portion today, under my guide.” He placed all the ingredients on a table.
“I’m sure that I do not need to tell you that as a witch, you have to make sure you do not run out of ingredients. Mostly important and rare ingredients. In the face of a crisis, you can’t be running around looking for a a particular ingredients you should have had, in the first place.” He lights the firewood, and then placed a big pot on it.
“You can never be too slow in cooking portions, neither can you be to fast. Remember to always be in between. And make sure to always follow the instructions on the spell book, as you cook.” He pours water into the pot.
“Now open the book to page three. That is the portion we are cooking for the day.” I turned the book to page three as he instructed, and read what was on the caption….. *How to make a plant grow really fast.”
“Yes, we are going for the easy one. Now all the ingredients that you see on the table is all that you would need for the cooking of that portion. Remember that you can’t be too fast with putting the ingredients, or cooking it… neither can you be too slow.”
He gave me the space to cook, and just sat down on a stool and watched me.
I followed the procedure and did my best to go accordingly with the timing. And just like Arkalis said, I wasn’t too fast neither was I too slow.
“And…. I’m done.” I yelled excitedly, clapping my hands together. Yes, I just made my first portions.
Arkalis placed a flower pot on the table, he had buried a flower seed in the soil and asked that I take a spoonful of the portion and pour on the flower pot, where the seed is.
I carefully scooped a spoonful of the portion and then poured on the flower pot, exactly on the spot where the seed was buried.
Arkalis asked that I watch and wait for the magic.
At first there was no reaction from the flower pot, and then slowly the seed grows into a really beautiful flower. I was so proud of myself for a making a portion so correctly on my first trail.
Then… it started growing again, and this time it didn’t stop. It grew more and more, and more bigger, till it hit the ceiling. The flower turned into a flower monster, that had a really wide mouth.
“I don’t understand, I did everything as the book said. Why.. why.. is the flower now… a monster.” I stuttered looking up at the plant confuse.
“That’s because you messed up the portion.” He replied, his voice so calm like he was expecting me to fail. Ugh!
The monster plants growls and was about attacking me, and without thinking I threw a fireball at the monster plant’s head and then it started burning.
The ceiling also started to burn and the fire was spreading rapidly. Arkalis quickly puts it off with water stopping the fire.
“Do you want to burn down my house.” He yelled staring at me with unbelief.
“What else was I supposed to do, the plant was about attacking me.” I replied with a frown.
“And did you think I would have let it hurt you.” I gulped as he said those words. He is right, I should have believed in my master and not try to burn his house down.
With a disappointed sigh he waved his hand at the plant and it disappears. “Wow, where did it go?” I asked with so much curiosity wondering if the plant didn’t just disappear anywhere it could continue with it’s nuisance.
“That is something I don’t know. You have to re-do the portion. And please get it right this time around. I don’t have enough ingredients to waste.” I rolled my eyes at what he said.
He changed the pot on the fire, and then placed a clean pot on the fire and poured some water in it.
I started the procedure again, trying my best not to make any mistake this time around. Along the line I found out what went wrong with the first portion I made.
I was asked to put a hand-full of soil in the portion and I ended up putting two handful of it. Is not my fault though, I thought I saw *2 handful of soil*
Once the portion was ready, I scooped a spoonful and poured it in the next flower pot, Arkalis made available.
I watched and waited for the Magic to happen, within some seconds… the flower started growing… I was afraid it was going to turn into a monster just like the other one but it didn’t.
Arkalis goes on to teach me more portions, he gave me a little break in the afternoon and then we continued with our different lessons.
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A WEEK LATER
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I sat down by the stream, allowing the flowing water cool down my nerves. For some reason I couldn’t just sleep and so I decided to stay out here for a while before heading back into my room.
“Finally, I get to see her after a week of waiting.” I heard Christian’s voice. I turned around only to see him standing behind me, “Hi.” He said sitting besides me on the cold grass.
“Hey.” I replied back. He wasn’t wrong about not seeing me for a week now. I have been to busy with training, even at my break time I am always too busy reading my spell and portion books. I have gotten really good at portions and now Arkalis is teaching me spells.
“What are you doing all by yourself? You should sleeping.” He said and I sighed.
I can’t sleep while my heart is troubled. Besides I’m so afraid of journeying into my dreamland, each time I sleep… I always have a nightmare. It’s been from one crazy dream to another, I wish I could find a spell that could keep me awake all through the night. All better still, chase my nightmares away.
“I just didn’t feel like sleeping yet.” I replied, throwing some stones into the water.
“I don’t think that’s just it. Anastasia, is there something going on? Is there something troubling you?” He stared at me worriedly and I wondered if I should tell him about the nightmares I have every night.
I sighed deciding against telling him, I shake my head sideways.. “No. There is nothing wrong.”
“I don’t think that’s true Anastasia. You have been restless for the past one week. I know you do love going to bed early. But for the past one week, I noticed you don’t sleep early anymore… I still see your lamp on.” He paused placed a hand underneath my chin and made me look at him… “You can always tell me anything Ana.”
His concerns were real, I could see it in his eyes. At that moment my heart skipped a beat, his emotions were so raw and true that I could already see myself falling in love with him.
“Uhm… I met the *one* who possessed Aria.” I said slowly looking away.
“What? How? When? How is it even possible, I thought Arkalis made sure it wouldn’t be possible.” Christians asked all at once shocked.
“He met me through my dream.” I answered, then I went on to narrate my dream to him and all the other nightmares.
“I have been so scared Christian, i just want to dip myself in my training and forget that the dream ever happened but I can’t. Is still so fresh in my memory.” I cried hysterical. I am in so much fear and I feel so better sharing this with Christian.
“Hey, is gonna be okay. I think we should tell Arkalis about the dream and the nightmares. He should be able to help.”
“I don’t think I would want to disturb Arkalis about this. He already helped me with spell he casted on the entire kingdom. There’s no need to bother him more. I just need to be really good and become the witch I am destined to be, that way I would never have to be scared of *Terror* anymore.” I smiled hopefully, that such day would come.
“Alright if you say so. But just know you always have me at your corner and I’m always here to be a shoulder for you to rest all your worries on.” He smiled at me genuinely, then placed a kiss on my forehead.
I can’t describe the feeling that came over me, or what could be responsible for the actions I made next. But when Christian kissed me on the forehead I felt so overwhelmed with emotions, and when he looked at me in the eyes with uttermost care and affection, I lost it.
Without thinking I leaned forward and kissed him.
This is my first kiss and so I was a bit inexperienced. I just went with the flow, nibbling on his bottom lips.. while my tongue explored the inner part of his mouth.
My heart rammed against my chest profusely, I refused to think… I refused to think of the consequences of my actions later on, instead I shut my eyes tighter, my hands shakily digging deep into his hair as the kiss gets more intense.
He was like fire. He spreads deeper into my soul. I should stop his fire from spreading more. I shouldn’t be kissing him. But I yearned to be burned by him, a yearning I claimed to know nothing about.
“Hmmmmm.” I moaned into his mouth, as his teeth sunk into my lower lip. I could taste my blood in it, and it only made me want more of him.
Then I snapped. I snapped back to my senses.
“Fuck.” I cussed covering my mouth with my palm.
“Ana….”
“No! Please don’t say a thing!” I shouted standing up from the ground.
“I am so sorry I kissed you Christian, I shouldn’t have. I don’t know what came over me. Please act like this never happened. Goodnight.” My words were rushed, my heart still wouldn’t stop beating.
Without waiting for his reply I dashed out of there….