Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 23

face. “Ok let’s try something else. Remember when in your life someone has made you angry. Why did you become angry, how did it make you feel? Did you feel hot or energized? Now think of a tiny flame like that on top of a candle. Imagine that flame in your hands.”

  Almost as soon as he said it, she remembered when a new girl in freshman year had come down the hall and shoved her into the lockers, as soon as the thought formed in her head Rica could feel the echo of the anger she had felt. She combined that feeling with the image of a flame in her mind. Her image came to life in her palms; Rica gasped jumped back trying to brush the fire off. It wouldn’t come off! She panicked at the sight of flame on her hand. She tried to smother the flames. Stop, drop, and roll had been drilled into her head since she was a child. She dropped to her knees and tried to smother the flames against the stone floor. That was all well and good but this was magical flame. The fire was fueled by her belief in it. And she believed it now! As soon as Rica touched the stone floor the flames spread into a wall of fire, shooting out in both directions with a force that was freighting to behold. Rica thought of the heat such a fire would generate and suddenly it was almost overwhelmingly hot in the room. She thought of fire destroying all it touched and the fire spread uncontrollably.

  Magi Locke was calm and spoke to Rica in a soft comforting voice.

  “You control the flame Rica, imagine the flames dyeing down and then going out.”

  Rica focused on the calm voice like a drowning victim clings to anything to stay afloat. She heard what he said and pictured it in her mind. As soon as she visualized his words the flames reacted. Rica looked around after the last flame popped out of being, the floor and wall were scorched from the heat of the fire. Rica felt relief wash over her that nothing had been hurt. She was thankful the room was stone and nothing in it was flammable except her and the Magi. Rica paled at the thought.

  Magi Locke laughed at the shock on Rica’s face.” I think that was an excellent start! I do enjoy teaching you.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”

  “I was in no danger Rica. I am a master of the Red affinity after all. You were in no danger either.” He said cheerfully.

  Rica liked this teacher. He was her favorite instructor here. He was so kind and patient. The other Magi selected to tutor Rica were not so patient or kind for that matter. The Director of Students and Director of Teachers had decided that because of Rica’s special affinity to the black and white crystals that she would be tutored on an individual bases, as well as attend regular classes. It was also up to her to search the library for literature on her affinities as they felt their time could be better spent elsewhere. Her other teachers seemed hell bent on embarrassing her in class and making her feel inadequate and inept whenever they could. Like cats playing with their prey.

  Once she started unlocking some of the potential it was like a floodgate of magical energy had been opened. Now, she had to constantly control her thoughts for fear she would accidently start a fire or douse someone in water. It seemed to Rica that her abilities were easier to control before she knew that she could use magic; however, now that the door had been opened there was no way to close it.

  Sighing heavily, Rica did have to admit that at least she enjoyed her evenings with Zos. He had a carefree attitude and he was patient and sympathetic with Rica. She would go to the studio with him and they would spare. Well to be truthful Rica would get a pretty good walloping and bruises to prove it. He would smile and laugh and say he was teaching her how to fight with the staffs, but Rica would always end up on her rear end on the mat. Petcher was a hard but fair instructor and would work the students in her studio hard, getting them in shape for life she would say. Rica liked the physical exertion; it helped to alleviate some of the frustration she was feeling; frustration at not being able to go home right away, at the other magi’s condescending attitudes, and mostly at the feeling of being helpless. She was stuck here and she had to go along with this training, in the hopes of finding a way home. Rica didn’t have a say in it. So she tried to keep busy. The days went by pretty fast with Rica so exhausted at the end of them she would pass out and sleep till morning only to do it all again.

  The birthday party they had held for her had touched her deeper than she cared to admit to anyone. She was starting to feel like she belonged and it was a struggle to separate her feelings for her new friends with her desire to leave them all behind to go back home. She liked that she didn’t have time to dwell on any of it.

  “Lost in thought?” Magi Locke was sitting on the bench looking at her. Had he asked her something? She had just been doing something she had thought she couldn’t do with her busy schedule. She had been dwelling.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t listening.”

  “I did notice that.” The magi said gently.” Come up to my office, I have received a letter from the western portal tower in Tabor Town. I think you will find it interesting.”

  Rica’s heart fluttered. She dared not hope, but she couldn’t help it.” Ok.”

  Magi Locke opened the classroom door and waited for her to follow him. They walked up to his office and he closed the door when they were inside.

  “Please do sit Rica. I left the letter here somewhere.” Magi Locke sorted threw the stack of mail on his desk and opened his drawers looking for the letter. He frowned and stood thinking then revelation crossed his face and he went to his satchel and opened it, pulling the letter out and unfolding it.

  “Here it is.” He handed Rica the letter. As Rica reached for it, the sleeve of her shirt pushed up to her elbows, her bracelet in plain sight. She didn’t think anything of it, she had forgotten she was wearing it or maybe it was wearing her.

  “The translation rune only translates common language, so the technical stuff is just gibberish to me when I look at it. Some of the words meanings still aren’t clear to me yet. I think I get the gist of what this says but I’m not sure.”

  “Oh right. Clumsy of me, my apologies for causing you discomfort.” Magi Locke was red in an embarrassed flush. He looked at her bracelet and his eyes widened slightly, surprise on his face.

  “No it’s not your fault. I am trying to learn its just there is so much to learn.” Rica shrugged not noticing her teacher’s reaction.

  Magi Locke recovered and took the letter back.” Well let me read it to you then. It says that there was a portal opened to your world, Earth. Several months ago and that Magi portal master Warren Ports has the details and would be happy to meet with you at your convenience.”

  “Will he be able to send me home?” Rica felt excited.

  “I don’t know, he only said he would meet with you. Though you do know by now that to go through a portal requires the person traveling to know the basic portal spells and focals. That will require you to finish your classes this semester at least. To insure success with travel on the portals that still work you would have to at least reach adept in the spells. All magi in training require learning these portal spells and that is what you are, a magus in training. Even though most of the portals don’t work anymore some still do and it is hoped the Portal Masters will find a way to repair what is wrong so they can open the defunct portals through out the world.” The more he talked the more Rica could feel her spirits fall.

  Magi Locke hesitated then said, “Um – May I ask you a personal question.” Had he said um? That got Rica’s attention.

  “Sure.” Rica had never seen her teacher so unsure of him-self, or was it something else. She only sensed intense interest, but not in her, in the bracelet.

  “Oh, I have been wearing it since the first day I stepped onto this world. I can’t take it off. The clasp disappeared right after I put it on!” Rica trusted Magi Locke so told him the whole story about the two men and the portal thing she had fallen through.

  Magi Locke frowned, but not in a negative way, as though he were even more interested now and was trying to figure something out. Rica held her left w
rist out for Magi Locke to see the mysterious bracelet better. He took her arm and looked at the bracelet, turning his head to the side to read the words around the large blue gem.

  “Do you know what it says?” Not that he would Rica told her self, after all her father had given it to her on Earth.

  “It is a family crest from the Southern Principality of Alastrina on this side and it looks like a high mage crest from the Eastern Lands on the other side of the warding gem.” Magi Locke looked closer at the Eastern Lands Crest. “Yes defiantly one of the twelve.” He said.

  “Twelve what? Bracelets?” Rica felt more confused than ever now.

  “No Crests. The Eastern Lands or Ahaya as the people of that land call their country, has Houses of Magi that take turns running the country. They mostly ignore the country in pursuit of their research though if you ask me.” He shook his head, anger and disgust was building in him. Rica didn’t like the turn of the conversation. “The people of Ahaya are ALL magi, there are no non magical people within the boarders.”

  “What happens if a child is born with out a gift of affinity?”

  “The Ahaya’s believe it isn’t a gift, it’s their exclusive birthright. Children born with out an affinity are considered to be less then desirable. Though they are