Chapter 135 – Student and Master
Everyone else is more than happy to take the party planning off of my and Mirzayael’s hands. Scarily eager, really. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re using this as a distraction to bury themselves in, or if they’re just exasperated we took this long to pick a day. Probably a little of column A, a little of column B.
“Are you sure you’re happy leaving everything up to others?” Mirzayael wonders as we head down the stairs of Broken Tower. Dizzi and I have been working on preparations for Sandro and Kanin’s findings. There’s much we need to wait on, but plenty set up in anticipation of the spell circle notes. Dizzi also has several other mages working on the project to quadruple check every rune and line.
“Very few Earth customs are likely to be incorporated without your involvement,” Mirzayael adds.
“That’s alright,” I assure her. “I’ve already had one Earth wedding; I’m more than happy for this to be as different as possible. Besides, I’m excited to be a part of more of your customs. It helps me feel…” I pause, searching for the words.
“...Like less of an Outsider?” she gently suggests. “You are already Fyrethain regardless of this ceremony.”
“I know.” I squeeze her hand. “But it means a lot to me, anyway.”
My thoughts drift to other Fyrethian customs. Despite our wedding being a public, large affair, Fyrethians generally seem to have a much more casual approach to weddings—and relationships in general. Individuals can part ways without much fanfare, and families can similarly merge just as casually. “It takes a village” is certainly a common and literal application of parenting methods in the Fortress. I originally suspected this was due to the limited resources the Fyrethians previously lived in, but I’ve since witnessed larger families and polyamorous relationships in the wider world as well. Perhaps due to how multiple partners can contribute to the formation of a soul? Or maybe I’ve just got cultural holdovers from Earth still coloring my expectations.
“Already considering more partners?” Mirzayael asks, catching some of these thoughts. “And we haven’t even finalized our partnership yet.”
“What?” I cry. “No! That’s not what…” I squint at her. “You’re teasing me.”
She smiles in her trademark, subtle way. “I’d never.”
“I was just wondering if… we’d be expected to take on more partners in the future?” I hesitantly venture.
“Do you want to?” she asks.
“No! I mean, I don’t think so,” I amend. “I’ve never really considered a relationship with more than one person.”
Mirzayael softly chuckles. “No, it is not expected. No kind of relationship is expected of anyone. Multiple partners, a single partner, no partner—it makes no difference, so long as you’re happy. But if your thoughts on the matter ever change in the future, we can discuss it.”
I nod, a little relieved. “I’m quite content with you.”
Her fingers tighten gently around mine. “I’m quite content with you as well.”
After we leave the Broken Tower, we make our way to the southwing plaza next. It’s where Ollie and many of the kids like to play around midday, because it gets the most sun. I try to make a point of checking in on the Earth kids as often as I’m able—which is never as often as I’d like, but still every day or two. Yuna and Zhiyong have latched onto Chidinma and started calling her Auntie Chi—some of the adults have started to call her that, too—though I suspect Chidinma is responsible for this title more than the children spontaneously coming up with it on her own. I’m grateful to have other older Travelers like her around; they seem to be adjusting to the world better than younger Travelers, and they provide something stable and familiar for the kids to return to. That said, I don’t want any of them staying too much inside an Earth bubble.
The square announces itself with the shrieks of happy children before it even comes within sight. Mirzayael winces, as if it’s already giving her a headache. To me, it’s as heartlifting as music.
When we arrive in the plaza, however, the kids aren’t playing their typical game of floatball. Instead, the area is covered with frozen crags, arches of ice, and a frozen rink like a winter lake. The cold air blows over us as children scramble and slide over the icy landscape.
Mirzayael hums appreciatively. “I’ve missed the snow.”
I make a mental note to look into altering the Fortress’s climate spell to simulate the seasons.
“What is going on here?” I ask, but even as the words leave my mouth, I figure out the cause of all this mirthful mayhem.
At the far end of the square is Ollie, blasting another Icebeam into the ground at his feet. He then sets a paw on it, grumbling with annoyance. Gardi is in front of him, gesturing and speaking in tones drowned out by the kids’ gleeful yells.
Mirayael and I make our way over. (Well, Mirzayael marches confidently over as she holds the back of my shirt like the scruff of a kitten to keep me from slipping and sliding across the ice.)
Gardi looks up as we reach them. “Ah, Lord Fyre. Lord Mirzayael.”
I glance around but don’t see Salvia nearby; they must be on shift on the wall or training at the barracks.
“Might I ask what the purpose of all this madness is?” I ask with a chuckle.
“GARDI IS TEACHING ME TO ATTUNE ICE,” Ollie excitedly tells me.
“Well, we’re working on it,” Gardi amends.
“I can see that,” I say.
Ollie grumbles, turning back to the ice and scratching at it with a claw. “I CAN’T GET IT TO WORK, THOUGH! IT’S STUPID.”
“Ollie,” I gently warn.
He huffs out a long, draconic sigh. “I MEAN, I DON’T LIKE IT.”
“He’s having a little bit of difficulty with the concentration part,” Gardi explains.
Mirzayael cast a look around the plaza of screaming kids. “You don’t say?”
The felis grins guiltily. “They weren’t here when we started. But with all the ice we were making, well. I didn’t want to just let it pile up, so I… spread it around, a bit.”
“Into a wintery themepark,” I say, amused.
They tip their head. “A what?”
“Oh, a play area.” I look up at Ollie. “I’m glad to see you’re so eager to learn how to Attune your element.”
“DUH,” Ollie says, and I give him a look. He quickly glances away. “OF COURSE I WANT TO DO MAGIC BETTER!”
“He wants to make hands like Kanin,” I explain to Mirzayael. “So he can sign and write. Though, made of ice, of course, instead of glass.” Ice will be a lot more temporary than glass, but maybe he’ll get good enough at it one day that he can find a way to sustain the ice. Then again, he has enough mana that he could probably just keep making and Attuning indefinitely. He’s working with a Mana pool of 1200, which is about twice as high as mine, and already a fifth as high as some of the champions and gods I’ve seen.
He’s going to be a menace when he grows up.
“NO!” Ollie shakes his head from side to side. “I WANT TO MAKE A GIANT ICE ROBOT SUIT!”
“Right,” I agree. “My mistake.”
“Robot?” Mirzayael asks me privately.
I summon a memory of an old TV show I once watched.
Mirzayael balks. “He wants to make one of those out of ice?”
“It never hurts to dream,” I think with a smile.
Mirzayael’s skepticism turns thoughtful. “That would be pretty useful as a city defense.”
At that, I can’t help but laugh. “So, Gardi,” I say, turning to them. “How do you feel about being a teacher?”
“To Ollie?” They look up at him. “Of course I’d love to help. And it’s fun—we’re just seeing what he can do at this point. Doesn’t feel much like teaching.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant,” I clarify. “I was actually wondering if you’d like to be a magic teacher for other students as well. Fyrethian kids, but also Travelers who don’t understand the basics yet. You’re a fairly accomplished mage; I think you’d do a great job helping others find their feet.”
Gardi blinks, eyes widening. “What?”
I don’t repeat myself—they just need a moment to process.
A wave of misgiving passes through Mirzayael, but she doesn’t say anything.
“Are you worried?” I privately ask her. “Did I overstep?”
“No, no.” Her mind is a swirl of conflicting feelings. “Sorry. My first thoughts were a knee-jerk reaction. But I think this is a good idea. They have abilities we could put to use for the good of our people. And I think they would like to feel useful.”
Not to mention, this might help them feel more at home. I can relate to still feeling like an outsider, no matter how much I’ve been welcomed.
Recognizing you have imposter syndrome does little to get the feeling to actually go away.
“You want me to be a teacher?” Gardi repeats, still clearly shaken.
“OOOH, YEAH!” Ollie says. “YOU SHOULD! THEN MERITIS AND ALIZ COULD JOIN! AND YUNA AND ZHIYONG!” He leans in, lowering his voice to a normal yell. “I think they’re shy.”
“You’ve been talking with Aliz?” I ask. The teen hasn’t interacted with me more than she can help—or many people, for that matter—but I’m glad to hear she at least might be finding a friend in Ollie. She’s almost twice his age, but I can’t really blame her for being fascinated by a talking dragon.
“OH, YEAH!” Ollie says. “WE PLAY COPS AND ROBBERS. I’M ALWAYS THE COP. SHE STEALS SOMETHING FROM MY HOARD AND THEN I CHASE HER DOWN. SHE’S REALLY GOOD AT HIDING, BUT I CAN SMELL HER!”
“Oh, is that how you keep finding me?” Aliz abruptly steps out from behind a boulder of ice. “Good to know. I’ll fix that next time.”
Well, at least she’s finding a productive way to address her Cat Burglar Role Requirement.
Aliz turns to Gardi. “You can teach us how to use our magic?”
“Um,” the felis says, clearly put on the spot. “Probably? My expertise is with ice, but the principles should be the same for all affinities.”
The girl nods. “Good. I want to learn more.”
“Er…” Gardi looks between her and myself helplessly.
“You don’t have to,” I clarify. “The choice is entirely yours. But we have been looking for more instructors as we get curriculums set up, and I think you’d be a valuable addition.”
“I… yes, of course,” Gardi says, glancing away to scratch at the corner of their eye. “I’d be honored, Lord Fyre.”
“Great!” Aliz nimbly jumps onto a nearby ice block and sits crosslegged, her tail swishing eagerly from side to side. “Where do we start?”
“When, more like,” I say as Gardi is starting to appear a little overwhelmed. “We can figure out something official over the coming weeks. There’s no rush.”
Aliz pouts, but Gardi gives me a nervous smile. “Right. Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity. And for…” They trail off with a helpless shrug, their gaze roaming over the city. I think I get the gist.
“GARDI,” Ollie begs, laying his head flat on the ground with a pathetic whine. “WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ICE MAGIC.”
“Right,” the felis laughs, slowly seeming to slip back into the casual mood we’d originally found them in. “Of course. Actually, the best way to learn something is to teach it. Why don’t you tell Aliz everything I’ve told you so far? I’d like to speak with Lord Fyre and Lord Mirzayael. It won’t take long.”
“MMMM, OKAY,” Ollie reluctantly agrees, turning to Aliz. “SO FIRST, YOU NEED TO SHOOT SOME ICE OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.”
“I don’t think that’s what they meant,” Aliz says as Gardi steps aside to speak with us.
The felis grins nervously as we move just outside of the square, where the shouts of the kids are a little less overwhelming.
“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” I tell them.
They shake their head. “No, it’s okay, you didn’t. I was just surprised. I wasn’t expecting such a display of… trust?”
Mirzayael snorts. “We wouldn’t allow you to stay in the city if we thought you were still a threat.”
“Which is her way of saying this is as much your home as it is ours,” I add, giving Mirzayael a flat look. Her mouth twitches with a concealed smile. “And we want you to feel at home. You haven’t had much to do outside of following Salvia around. But of course, if there’s anything else you’d rather do, anywhere you think you might be better suited, we’re happy to let you pursue that instead.”
They regard us quietly for a moment. “I don’t feel worthy of all the kindness you have shown me.”
“Oh, Gardi,” I start, but they hold up a hand, and I let them continue.
“I was starting to think everything I’d been taught was wrong,” they say. “That history had been warped by time, and Jorria was acting on misguided doctrine.” They lower their gaze. “Then the gods and their champions attacked, and my conviction crumbled. It was as if everything I’d been warned about as a child was coming true. The gods had forsaken these people. And there must be a good reason for that, right? They’re the gods.”
Mirzayael tenses, her anger distantly beginning to simmer.
“I was… conflicted,” Gardi continues, still avoiding our eyes. “And I still am, to some degree. It is difficult to sort through the dissonance between everything I’ve believed and everything I’ve seen.”
They finally risk a look up. “But I know I love Salvia. And I know you are kind and just leaders. I can’t say if the gods’ assault is a result of conflicting interests or just some misunderstanding, but whatever the cause, I know this city does not deserve to be treated this way. These people don’t deserve to be treated this way. I am ashamed of my doubts.”
I shake my head. “Having thoughts is not a crime, Gardi. It is normal to be working through all this; I would be surprised if you weren’t. Have you talked with Salvia about this?”
They hesitate, then shake their head. “I have been too ashamed. What would they think of me?”
Mirzayael sniffs. “If they love you, they will listen. And perhaps offer advice.”
“Or reassurance,” I add. “At least give them the opportunity.”
Gardi smiles weakly. “Thank you. I know this is sound advice. Courage to follow through is another matter. But I will try. I… I want to stay. I want to help.”
“Not out of guilt, I hope,” I tease.
Their ears go down. “No! Well, not just guilt. But I do want to give back. Teaching would be a great honor.”
“Good,” Mirzayael says, as blunt as ever. “Glad that’s settled.”
“And if there’s anything else you wish to get off your chest, please don’t hesitate to find us.” I exchange a look with Mirzayael. “Please don’t hesitate to find me.”
The felis chuckles, and a tension leaves their stance. “Of course, Lord Fyre. Thank you.”
We let them return to Ollie, who is still trying to tell Aliz how to shoot ice out of her mouth.
Mirzayael hums to herself. “You pick up the oddest strays.”
“I like to think of them as unique.” I playfully jostle her side with my shoulder.
She snorts. “I’d expect nothing less.”