“Lucina, care to tell me what on earth you were doing out there all night?” A stern voice matched the stern, collide eyes of Indigo and Lumara as they glared down at their daughter who sat at the table.

  Looking into their eyes, taking note of the bags under their eyes. The sound of chopping went ignored by them. ‘Were they up all night?’

  “Lucina, answer your father.” Lumara held a similar tone.

  “It’s not like I went anywhere dangerous; I was just at the stone pillars. Not like anything bad can happen there.”

  “That’s not the point. You come home with scraps, bruises and that cut on your arm. You were barely home half an hour before you left.” Indigo’s glare grew intense.

  Lucina sent one back, father and daughter staring down each other, her mother just watched disappointed.

  “Lucina dear, I understand trying to reach new highs, but to act this reckless after such an incident, I fear you could do more harm than good to yourself.”

  “Mom, I'm not a little kid. I can handle myself.” While her voice was still low, she couldn't stop her own tone from rising.

  “Don’t you raise your voice to your mother like that!” Father and daughter quickly locked eyes, trying to quickly think of what choice words they were about to speak.

  “How about instead of arguing, let's take a moment and eat.”

  But before a familial shouting match could begin, calm steps intervened by a voice that paralleled her steps. Three heads watched a bowl of chicken and rice, filled with diced carrots was placed before them and turned to the silver haired cook.

  “Hey, don’t look at me like that, eat.”

  The family unit looked at each other before sitting down and eating. They quickly found themselves quickly replacing bite after bite.

  “Good, full mouths are mouths that can’t argue.” Morgen with a proud grin took her seat. “I should be able to get a few thoughts of my own out now.”

  Rather than argue they just quietly ate, letting her talk.

  “First,” Her gaze joined the parents, sending a disappointed look at Lucina. “Your parents told me that you not only came home late, but were out all night. WhenI found you were bordering on the verge of drain. Even if you took time to rest, using magic like that is dangerous."

  The two flare that targeted her were reinforced.

  “But with that said, I would say I’m rather shocked your parents didn’t go join you.” There was a quiet slam from Indigo as his silverware hit the table. Just when he was about to speak, Morgen raised her hand and continued. “However, given the history of Phera’s family rather… Eccentric ways of practice, this wasn’t that much of a bother to me.”

  Both Lucina and Lumara were unaware that they both thought of the Riser family, just different individuals. Indigo was left confused.

  “And it seems our teacher, whether she meant to or not, has pasted down some of her habits onto my junior here. So, I’ll take some time off to direct them into a more positive avenue. ”

  There was a slight beam in Lucina’s eyes at the thought, rushing to finish her food. Slamming the bowl on the table, grabbing her blade, she took off running to the backyard.

  “Looks like I’ve fired her up again, my apologies.” Morgen laughed. “I hope you both don’t mind if we use your backyard for the day.”

  While Lumara gave a slow and confused nod, she spoke. “I don’t mind but when you say Lucina is your junior, what do you mean by that?”

  Indigo quick to follow. “If it’s not too much, who exactly are you? You don’t look like anyone else in Eden Village, let alone a magic instructor.”

  “Oh, that’s right, I didn’t properly introduce myself this morning.” With a quick spin, she turned to face them and bowed her head. One arm hung under her breasts, while the other was held straight out. “Morgen Harfall, pleased to meet your acquaintance. Meeting Lucina at the summit was quite the breath of fresh air and I do apologize deeply about what happened when my family hosted it.”

  If eyes could shatter, Lumara’s would have been glass plate smashing against a stone floor. The subtle ring of her spoon falling to the table went unchecked.

  However, Indigo just nodded. “I see, I didn’t know Lucina had a new magic instructor. I apologize if she’s caused trouble, maybe she’ll listen to a senior more than her parents.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m used to spending time with thick headed learners.” With a smile, Morgen bowed and took her leave.

  It was quiet for a moment. In that silence Indigo started to rub his chin. “Harfall… Harfall… where have I heard that name before?”

  “Hehe…” Until low laughter that slowly grew louder brought him out of his thoughts. “Hahaha!”

  “Dear?”

  “We just got lunch prepared for us by Silver’s daughter.”

  The connection was made, Indigo looked to the now empty bowl and towards the back door, getting lost in his wife’s quiet shocked laughter.

  ——

  Azure blue eyes watched with anticipation with the step Morgen took towards her. Eden’s Dawn shook in her hand out of pure excrement, ready to see what she had planned.

  Half way stuck between focus and lost in thought, she was just able to recognize that her blade was swiped from her grasp.

  “Hey!”

  “You won’t be needing it.” Before anything could happen, whether it be a hummingbird’s wingbeat or Lucina about to make a move to get her blade back. Eden’s Dawn was plunged into the ground.

  “No sword, we’ll be solely focusing on continuous magic.”

  Lucina could only give a slight pout at the action. “Ok, so when do we start?”

  “Shortly, but first, do you know the limitations of magic?”

  Lucina only gave Morgen a confused look. “Limitations?”

  “Yes, even magic has limitations… well to be more accurate people do.” Her palm spun of Eden’s pommel before looking back at the younger elf. “Tell me, how many spells do you think I or even Lyn know?”

  “I assume several dozen right? And Miss Lyndis, she has to know maybe a hundred.” Trying to think of the possible total the redhead knew, Lucina heard a small laugh come from Morgen.

  Confusion painted her face like a canvas as she watched the half-elf laugh.

  “I’m sure Lyn would be grateful for the high praise, I know I appreciate it.” Morgen wiped away a single tear that snuck past before she continued. “But we know far fewer spells than that. Lyn herself only uses say about five or seven spells regularly.”

  The shock hit her like a bullet, her eyes almost shot out of her head from the answer. “Wait that few?”

  A simple nod was given. “You see, there are two different categories of mage. First there are scholar mages who learn magic for academic purposes. They are driven to discover the origin of magic, the effect it has on both the human body and nature, how it can help improve our standing in life, both medical and technical.”

  “Technological?” A confused if not concerned look marked Lucina.

  “Now these mages tend to learn hundreds of spells over their lives.” Lucina watched her question go ignored. “Ranging from simple quick spells to long chants, attacking to healing, supporting and summoning, and so on. However they tend to never see any form of combat, so many of the spells they learn often go unused.”

  ‘That seems like a waste.’

  “Next are active mages, basically adventurers, guards, performers and the like. Now compared to their academic counterparts, they only learn a few spells. On average maybe ten spells at the most, and use even fewer than that.”

  The thought of having the opportunity to learn dozens of spells but barely using even half, just didn’t sound right. “But why is that? I thought the more you learned the better you’d be?”

  A nostalgic find took over Morgen as she spoke. “I thought the same when I was younger, but in fact it has the opposite effect. Most mages tend to learn a combination of a single quick spell along with a few chants, maybe a continuous one if they have the talent.”

  “I see. So how many do you know?”

  For a moment, Morgen just smiled and shook her head. Stepping towards Lucina, the half-elf flicked the blond elf’s forehead. Palming her head like a crystal ball, Lucina shot a glare at her senior. “Do you want to learn and improve, or would you rather play twenty questions all day?”

  Even the slight pain on her head didn't discourage her. “So, what do you have in mind?”

  First of all I’m going to make sure you aren't pulling an all nighter like you did the other night.”

  “And how are you going to do that?”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  No answer was given. Morgen just took of running into the open field beyond her home, leaving Lucina to panic before calling out and chasing after her. “Hey wait up!!”

  With staggered, surprised footsteps, Lucina took off after Morgen. Leaving Eden’s Dawn in the Starfall’s yard as they entered the plains that surrounded Eden Village.

  —

  The long grass danced in the wind under the noon sky as the two ran through.

  “Hey Morgen, would you slow down and tell me what this has to do with magic!?” Lucina cried out, trying to close the distance between them.

  Only to have Morgan turn her gaze back for a moment, smile and try to put more distance between them.

  ‘Why are we doing this? I thought she was gonna help me with Flare Storm, not my cardio.’

  “Would it be too much to ask for an answer for why we’re running!?”

  “What’s wrong, can’t keep up?”

  The competitive side of Lucina reacted to Morgen’s taunt, growling, she slammed her foot against the ground. Kicking it into a higher gear, she closed the gap between her and Morgen.

  “I’ll show you who can’t keep up!”

  “That’s the spirit, now let’s get that chant going.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me, chant while you run. Don’t you want to improve?”

  “With near-unlimited light from above…”

  Watching light start to form sound Morgen with each step she took, Lucina tried to copy her. Taking a deep breath, she blinked and felt a surge of warmth wash over her, feeling is spread with each step, she started chanting.

  “With flames as numerous…

  ‘This feels strange, running and trying to cast a spell. But Morgen was able to do it, so I should too.’

  …as stars in the night sky…

  “Come on Lucina, let's see what you can do.” Morgen slowly pulled ahead while Lucina’s speed started to decline.

  …I call on thee…

  Slowly a single flame started to form at her side.

  …to light the path to vic—

  With an attention split between trying to conjure a flame, maintain focus on the spell and keep pace with Morgen who was slowly putting distance between them. Azure blue eyes failed to notice the root that stuck up from the ground.

  Her foot got caught. Falling to the ground the spell came to an end, the flame went out as she rolled across the ground.

  Changing ground to sky, then back to the ground before coming to end and facing the sky once again.

  Laying still for a moment, watching the clouds moved along.

  “Ow… that hurt.”

  “Hehe, that was quite the tumble.” Lucina’s gaze turned to find Morgen jogging in place, looking over her. “Come on, get up and try again. You can pace yourself if you need to.”

  “That sucked. What's even the point of this?” She couldn’t help but groan and kicked her legs up, using the moment to leap back onto her feet. “What was the point of that?”

  Morgen just gave a light laugh, dusting some grass off the girl’s head. “What can’t figure it out?”

  She was met with an azure glare. “Well, if you must be told, although I did hope you would figure it out on your own, the point of this is to get you used to moving and chanting at the same time.”

  “So why running?”

  “It’s simple really, what’s easier running or fighting?”

  “Running I guess.”

  “Correct, running is the easiest way to get used to this. After all, when you’re running, you’re still exerting yourself and it gives you a similar feel to both chant and move.” Offering a helping hand up, the moment Lucina accepted, Morgen pulled her up.

  “So if I get the hang of this, I’ll get closer to mastering this spell?” Lucina questioned, a confident smirk grew.

  “Well that all depends on you, after all this is only the first step.” Morgen sent the same look back.

  A smirk that was quickly chargedLucina took off running putting distance between them. “Then I better get back to running.”

  A simple laugh came from Morgen as she watched her junior run off. “Now look at who's trying to take a cheap lead.”

  With a slight grin, Morgen took off running.

  —

  Underneath the high noon sun, blue flames slowly grew, few were launched at their golden blade counterparts as the elven pair trampled the grass below them.

  Even with the sun starting to set, the pair still kept on running.

  The further the sun descended, it didn’t take long for both the creation of blue flames and golden blades to come to an end. Her legs gave out and fell to the ground. A smile grew on the sliver haired half-elf as she took a moment to breathe.

  As the sun further set, just above the horizon, the half-elf started the track back to the Starfall home, with her junior on her back. Despite the newly added weight, Morgen still moved with ease. Simply enjoying the view of the land.

  “Humm… Morgen, I can walk on my own, I don’t need you to carry me.”

  With a slight toss to adjust her hold on Lucina, Morgen just ignored her complaint and kept walking. “This is nothing after all, this isn’t the first time I’ve carried you.”

  “You know that’s not what I mean.”

  “Don’t worry, you aren’t that heavy.”

  “Hey!”

  Her outburst gave Morgen a reason to laugh. “You know I’m only joking.”

  “Still, that was mean.”

  Another laugh slipped out. “On a serious note, good work today. Keep this up and you should get the hang of this aspect in maybe a week or two.”

  Her pouting stopped. “Really? You think I could learn it that quick? Wait, how long did it take you to master it then?

  “Close to a half a year if I recall.”

  Lucina felt her eyes almost bulge out of her head. “It took you that long?! Are you sure that’s a good guess?”

  “I’m quite sure of myself.” Her voice was bold and verbose in that statement. “After all, compared to me, you not only have more free time to practice and aren't forced to stay awake listening to every lecture from scholars from the origins of magic to public relations.”

  “Oh…”

  “It helps that you’re a few years older than I was, so you already have more control and understanding then I did.” Lucina watchedMorgen turned to side eye her. “Plus it helps having direct training with someone like Lyn for more than a week with no interruptions and not having dozens of different teachers lecture you on a daily basis.”

  “Yeah I guess it does…”

  Feeling Morgen walk through the grass, the wind blew through her hair, the warm decanting sun was still hitting her back. Slowly, she gave in, her arms fell down Morgen’s front and leaned in, resting on her back.

  The sudden shift in her weight made the half-elf. It was quiet, neither one spoke. Not that Morgen minded, simply letting the elven side of her blood just enjoy the feel of nature’s life.

  And of the two, she was the one enjoying it, while her junior was occupied with her own thoughts.

  ‘I don’t get why Morgen is so adamant about carrying me back. It’s not like I can’t walk back on my own, but…’

  Azure blue looked back at the bed of silver in front of her.

  ‘Was this what it’s like for Roy when Red carried him like this? Kinda reminds me of what it’s like to have an older sister.’ Slowly her hands grasped each other.

  “So Lucina, is it safe to assume you haven’t gone to see Red or Lyn since the summit?” That simple question pulled Lucina out of her thoughts. “I know Lyn gave your mother a travel ring, so distance shouldn’t be an issue.”

  Stuck between a mixture of shock and nervousness, Lucina couldn’t think through the first set of words she’d say. It took her a moment to calm down before speaking in a low tone.

  “No, I did spend some time with them after we got back, but…”

  “But?”

  Lucina let out a tired sigh. “But it changed when the others came over. Red was resting, so I spent that time with Roy. He was trying to show me around his room, but it was a cluttered mess.”

  A quiet laugh came from Morgen. “One day I’m sure he’ll learn to keep his room clean.”

  “Yeah, it was a mess, I have no idea how he gets around in there.” She joined her laughter for a moment, but it was only a moment. “Then, there was a knock on the door and Roy took off, dragging me with him to the front door.”

  “At first I didn’t think much about it, until I saw it was Hector and the others. At first I was excited to see them again, but when they mentioned Red, I felt my blood freeze and when they saw him, it only made me feel worse.”

  “They all tried to mask their worry in a different way but once Roy told them what happened, those looks faded.”

  “The looks that came over them, even if they didn’t say anything, made me feel even more at fault. So, after they left, that’s when I decided I should head home too.”

  Morgen was quiet for a moment; the only sound she made was the rustling of the grass beneath her and a few calm breaths.

  “When I got back, that night when I went to bed, I set a new goal for myself. To master Flare Storm, that way I’ll be stronger, strong enough to look them in the eyes.”

  “I see.”

  Lucina almost pushed herself off Morgen’s shoulders.

  “Really, I bare my thoughts to you and all I get is an “I see.” You’re mean.”

  Morgan simply laughed. “Well, I didn’t mean to come across that way. It’s a fine goal to have, but don’t let it blind you to what’s in front of you.”

  Lucina leaned back onto Morgen’s back as she kept walking.

  —

  The sun barely kept the sky lit after its descent, the pair returned to the Starfall home. Azure blue and hazel green eyes noticed on the front porch Indigo was tapping his foot against the floorboards, his finger tapping his arm. Lumara simply sat in a chair, stargazing and drinking tea, until she turned to see them arrive.

  Hopping off Morgen’s back, Lucina walked her way up to the door.

  “You’re late.” Lucina’s hand froze just a few mere inches away from the doorknob. “Here I thought after what happened during lunch you would have been home before dark.”

  “Indigo, she’s back, that’s what matters.”

  Indigo still glared at her, ignoring his wife’s words.

  “Look Pop—

  “Don’t Pop me young lady now get to bed; you won’t be going off on your own until I say so.” Indigo’s tone was rough and firm. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Lucina gave a low, tired sigh and gave a non-caring response. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll just be in the backyard; it’s not like I need a lot of room to practice.”

  “Practice? You think you’re going to practice? Until I give my approval, you aren’t even going to say a single syllable when it comes to magic.”

  “DAD!”

  “My house. My roof. My rules.”

  Neither one was willing to back down, their glares almost seemed to be looking through each other rather than at. Lumara just shook her head in disappointment.

  “If I may.” The two turned to see Morgen approach them. “You both seem to be at an impasse. How about I try to come up with a happy medium.”

  Looking away from her, father and daughter turned to each other, nodded and turned back to Morgen. “Lucina already told me why she’s been pushing herself lately and after hearing her out, I can confirm she isn’t doing it for thrills.”

  “And Indigo, would it be safe to assume something similar happened before that lead to a similar destructive work ethic?”

  The elven father gave a simple, confirming nod.

  “Ok. Then, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to take the role of a teacher for her until Lucina reaches the goal she set for herself. This way she can push herself as hard she wants and this way you have someone to both guide her and keep her out of trouble.”

  The offer made him take a step back to think. Weighing the pros and cons, her quietly turned to his wife.

  Lumara calmly spoke her piece. “I think it sounds like a good deal. I’m not very good at continuous magic, so if Lucina is going to learn to both do active and constant cast like Lyn, Morgen’s offer seems beneficial."

  “Ok then, we have a deal.” Morgen didn’t give anyone else a chance to speak and with the wave of her hand a portal opened. “I’ll go inform my father of our little deal, in the meantime Lucina. Go get some rest, you’ll need it for the “fun” you’re going to have.”

  With a simple bow of her head, Morgen said her goodbye and entered the portal home.

  Indigo and Lumara gave each other a lightly concerned looked. Lucina however, couldn’t hold on to her excitement.

  Her thoughts were so clearly painted on her face, her parents didn’t even need to ask, they knew what she was thinking. This would be perfect, the chance to get stronger, a chance to be able to look them in the eyes again.

  —

  That next morning, her bed never felt this soft. So soft, so warm, so cozy, that Lucina was unable to shake herself free from the comforting hold it had on her sleeping self.

  A hollow knock only stirred her slightly but failed to wake her. Another knock followed and failed just the same, her groan overcame it as she drifted back to sleep. It was quiet for some time, maybe another hour or two, until the smell of something warm made its way past the door and into Lucina's room. Rising from the floor, the smell invaded her nose.

  “Something… hah… smells good.” A yawn slipped through while she lifted herself out of bed.

  With tired, half-awake steps, Lucina made her way to the kitchen. Her slightly longer shoulder-length hair swayed with each step.

  “Morning Mom, Pop.” She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “What’s for breakfast?”

  When her eyes fully opened, she found her parents at the table. There was no food but the smell was still present.

  “Who’s cooking?”

  “Good morning, Lucina, it’s about time you woke up.” Her hair spun when she turned to find Morgen poking her head out of the kitchen. “Are you going for a different look this morning or did you forget to tie your hair again?”

  Left in a state of momentary shock, Lucina had to shake her head to snap out of it. “Why are you back already Morgen, I thought you had to go back last night?”

  “Oh, it's rather simple. My father gave me some time off. So I hope you’re ready to work because after breakfast, it’s going to be nothing but hard work. Think you can manage that?”

  Lucina gave a simple grin back.

  “Naw, I’ll be fine.”

  Confidence oozed from her; Morgen couldn’t help but smile. “Ok, now go sit with your parents. I’ll have breakfast ready in just a few.”

  With a simple nod, Lucina made her way to the table.

  But despite that confidence, she would find that keeping up with Morgen would be hard, much harder than she ever thought.