First Lesson, First Success

The beginning of what I feel is going to be a long week is upon me. The sun rises as my alarm clock tells me to get ready for the day. I wake up stretching and popping as I normally do turning the corner expecting Madam Odette to be there. She's nowhere to be seen and neither is Madam Delula. I look around and there is no one here for me this morning. Going off of what I was told by Madam Odette, Madam Delula is my caretaker right now, and according to Madam Delula, I am in charge of showing up.

The walk to the cabin feels like it did when I was going to take down trees. I have to remind myself that I'm not going to physically work. I'm going to learn. It's not a short walk but it seems shorter than it used to be. I knock on the door but there's no answer. I slowly open the door and it was left unlocked. I sneak in to find Madam Delula is still tucked into bed. She seems to not be a morning person like I am. I feel like I should wake her up but I see that there are papers scattered on the desk with three books laid out. I look over the papers quickly and they seem to be her lesson plan for today and a few days out. One of the book names matches the one that I can see for today so I pick it up.

The very first page is the introduction that lays out what the book is about and the goal it was written to accomplish. I skim through it and it seems that it's an elementary school-level magic textbook. I open the first page and it is designed for a small child. There are large diagrams with simple wording that have the very basics of basic elements, spells, and some seals. They're designed to be harmless even if they fail but looking through the book I begin to lose myself in the reading. The systematic idea of focal points controlling elements that are pulled from the environment around you and used to create something new before dissipating back into the area.

I turn page after page quickly devouring the information going on and on about simple tasks, ideas, and theories. Even though it's such low-level stuff I am fascinated by the idea of something completely new. I read and I read until there is a page that has a giant stop sign on it. "With the assistance of your teacher try to apply a simple water spell." I look at the diagram it has, the combination that it has, and the description of the spell is to create small raindrops above the paw that accumulate and drop onto the caster's paw. It's recommended to have a towel nearby because it is water.

I look over my shoulder and Madam Delula is still sleeping soundly. I think about it for a second and conclude that if it was designed for a small child I should be able to do it… right? I focus on the palm of my paw, bringing my focus to the soft spot between my pointer and thumb on my right paw. I concentrate on that while bringing focus from my forearm. Water focal points seem to be focused on the stomach and flesh so I imagine a small pin in my skin pointing to a spot and then focusing on that point. With my mind calm and on those two points I bring the energy to the point in my paw slowly releasing it but containing it to a small area. My eyes focus only on the space above my paw until I see it. I see a small distortion that becomes clearer and begins turning into liquid. It collects and one small drop falls onto my paw. It shakes me enough that I lose my focus and the spell disperses but there it is, the drop of water on my paw and wet to the touch.

I play with it until my skin absorbs it. I refocus and do it again. In my excitement, I'm able to do it faster getting another drop. I repeat it until I cannot lose my focus and it continues to sprinkle small droplets of water onto my paw. I give it more energy and the droplets become bigger and more often. My paw is soaked and started to overflow onto the floor but I keep going adding more and more where it rains faster and faster until I snap myself back realizing that it is no longer just on my paw but spread to where there is a small puddle on the wooden floor. "Oh shit!" I keep my voice down to a yelling whisper. I have to find something to clean up the mess. I find a small towel on the counter in the kitchen that I could use. It's pretty soaked from all the water but should dry out. I laugh a little that I can use magic. Even such basic-level stuff is just new to me.

I sit back down and continue reading. The book goes through the four basic elements, earth, wind, fire, and air, the next being air. The practice spell is a small push of air. Your small gust. I set up a small piece of paper on my desk moving everything else out of the way and trying to bring the air from my lungs out through the palm of my paw to push the paper. It takes some time because air is not as malleable as water is but with some trial and error I get the corner to flutter. Eventually, I get the paper to flow off the desk onto the floor. I can't control myself and giggle loud enough that Madam Delula wakes up. She rolls over and sees me covering my mouth trying to stop myself from making more noise.

She sits up trying to process what is happening. She looks around taking in her surroundings eventually remembering where she is. She must have had a long night. She's still in the same clothes she wore yesterday. I remember that when I sat down she had lesson plans ready. She must have been up late trying to get everything planned out to make up for the day we spent going over history. In her sleepy daze she takes out her phone groaning, "I was supposed to be up two hours ago. Red, I'm so sorry." I'm not sure how to react. I didn't wake her up, I read through her notes, and I started doing things on my own without her. I'm not even sure I'm doing it right but I'm able to. "No worries Madam Delula, I was just going over a few of the things you had on the desk and was reading this book." I held it up with my finger on the page I was on.

She stumbles over to look at it. She grabs it from where I am opening to the page I was on. She looks at the book and looks back at me, "You're onto earth already? Do you understand water and air?"

"I feel I have a good grasp."

"Ok, let's do the exercise for them."

"Madam Delula… I… already did."

"You did what?" She's dumbfounded.

"I was able to do the exercises. That's why I kept reading."

I'm pretty sure she doesn't believe me. Either that she is impressed. "I'm going to test you on it. Do the water one."

"Can we do it outside Madam Delula? I already had to clean up once."

Now I know for sure that she doesn't believe me. She and I step outside a few feet from the house. I put my paw out with my palm up and focus on the fleshy parts of my arm. In an attempt to keep myself as dry as possible instead of releasing the energy above my paw I tilt my wrist to focus out. Without being inside I can do what I wanted to do. It takes only seconds for the first few drops to form and fall and only a few seconds after that before it turns into a drizzle covering a fair area. Madam Delula looks on in awe. I see her face and then push myself to go further. The small drizzle turns into large drops and looks like there is a small storm. I stop and the last few drops fall. I leave the ground wet and I feel a sense of pride.

Madam Delula gets my attention again, "Air, do it." I'm not as familiar with it as I am with the water but I focus and release the energy forward in a small gust that rustles the grass a little bit with a slight blowback to the both of us. She steps out in front of me, "Do it again." I focus, pull my arm back, and push forward as I release the energy. The wind blows against her hitting her clothes and her hair causing them to move. Her face lights up from the breeze, "And you were able to do this from just reading?"

"Yes, Madam Delula."

"Screw the book, we're going to supercharge your lesson. Here's what you need to know about the earth element. It comes from the inside of your paw when your palms face towards you, the flat section. Other focal points include the inside of your arms, your shins from the front, and the ball, heel, and arch of your feet. It's steady, powerful, and focuses on movement mostly. What I want you to do is focus on the inside of your paws and see what you release."

"I think that reading might be better for me."

"This is the exercise from the book. I want to see if you can adapt to whatever happens."

Her enthusiasm toward this is refreshing but I'm still anxious about this. I was fine with reading and getting the information the way it was explained so simply but by her order. I focus on the inside of my paws, drawing energy from them and collecting it. "While focusing, bring our paws together in a cup then feel that energy fill that cup." I do as she says. I bring my paws together keeping the focus on the inside of my paws. When they connect I feel that something has changed but I can't tell what. As she instructed she said fill my paw with the energy. As it releases I see sand appear and begin falling between the holes in my paws. I panic a little bit stopping the sand but the rest that is still in my possession is very real. "See? That's different. You can pull the dirt from the air and refine it to your needs. This specific one just takes the earth from the air, dust, and brings it to you in the form of sand."

She grabs my paws knocking the rest of them out, "Red, have you never done magic before?"

"No Madam Delula, I haven't."

She smiles, "I think I see why Madam Odette picked you up as her student then. But I want to see if you can do one more thing. This one will require you to be very careful."

"Fire?"

"Yes, we are going to start as basic as it gets, though. Fire is focused on the joints in your body. Knuckles, elbows, knees, ankles, hips, and such. I want you to take your pointer finger." She holds up one finger. "I want you to focus on this joint right here. "She points to the joint just before the tip of her finger. "Focus on this point, and bring the energy up to the tip of your claw and create…" A small flame pops from her finger, "…flame. Just a small one though. No need to get anyone hurt."

She has me a bit nervous but it seems rather basic to me. I bring my focus to the joint and slowly start pushing it to the tip. There were a few small sparks but no flame. "You're hesitating, Red. I know I said be careful but it needs more than that." I take her advice and push more energy. There's a small pop and the flame ignites keeping steady near the end. I push a little more energy to bring the flame up just a little bit to give it more light. I see the smile on Madam Delula's face before I let it go. "There you go! You have a basic understanding of what magic is. From there you can use different focal points, mix with others, and manipulate them to do what you need. I want to do a quick test. This may strain you a bit but I think you might be able to do it."

She takes a deep breath and begins walking me through what she wants me to do, step by step, "Start with the air. Focus and release a small pocket four feet out from you. Next, earth, bring the dirt into the air and mix it within the air. Last, water, draw the moisture from around you and concentrate it with the earth and air. Let the air carry the earth, let the water mix with the earth, and watch as it should create…" I'm so deep in my focus trying to keep my mind on all the different focal points to where in my focus I tune her out. I'm watching as the physical portion of what I have created mixes together. The air is keeping the earth and water elevated. As they move I see that the water is starting to combine with the earth floating in midair. It's started to take the loose form of a cloud. It is creating a cloud. I begin to add more earth and water making the air move faster expanding it and making it more visible. I see Madam Delula out of my peripheral vision excited and congratulating me but I don't feel that I'm done. I add water. More water. More water! The cloud starts turning more and more solid turning darker and darker. The wind is still moving where the earth is colliding with one another and I see it. A small spark. I pick up the wind while adding more water finally getting the result that I want! There is a small spark of lightning that strikes from the cloud to the ground as the water that I collected begins a small storm raining in the area.

I let go and step back to take a look at the work I've done. It runs for a short while before it begins to disperse back into the environment. I begin to feel the draining effect on my body but I'm just slightly unstable. Madam Delula comes over as it looks like I'm about to fall, "Whoa, easy there. Take a deep breath then steady your breathing. Can't have you passing out on me. That looks bad." I laugh a little bit before I have to sit down eventually laying down on my back. Madam Delula hovers over me looking down, "On the bright side, you're three days ahead of where you should be." Three days ahead tells me that I can complete this early and move on to other things. I'm enjoying the lessons though. It's very different.