Tetra of The Fall

34 - Storm Clouds

"Teach me a magic, please!" All out at once, I voiced my desperate demand. Clenched at my sides, my fists jittered with exertion. This was my chance - my moment for betterment. This one decision could change my life forever, could help me with my passive and make me a competent fighter on the team.

Leaning forward, Tepia Draav brushed off her dressing table, sending a pile of books thumping to the floor with a thud. Ill maintained, her stool squealed as she sat - the gas lift lowering a tad too much for it's load. With a long, tired sigh, her elbow would rest on the desk - Tepia leaning forward to the mirror, plucking the ashes from her hair.

Moments passed as she did so - not an answer to be expressed. Stomach churning with nervous hopes, I couldn't help but slightly disappear. One minute had passed - my shoulders no longer square.

Why wasn't she answering?

Geralt adjusted, turning to me in earnest. Frowning, golden eyes flickering between Tepia and I, his fingers eased through his straw-blonde hair. What comfort his presence offered - not an elite nor a big talker - lay overridden by the silence besetting us. His shoulders then shrugged, palms held upright with a twist of the chin. My brows shuddered in response, chin tucking to the clavicle. Even Geralt didn't know what was going on.

"Oh, uhh... Miss Tepia?" He spoke with a one-fingered scratch to his chin.

"Shut it. I heard" Tepia burst her retort as she leaned forward, removing a blackened charcoal ball from the end of her eyelash. Staring at it blankly, she then added it to the growing pile of blackened dust - what would no doubt soon resemble an anthill.

"Haaa" She sighed, placing both hands to her desk. Then, turning away, she would finally prevail a response.

"No."

"No?" I whispered with lessened hope, visibility altering. Slowly, I began to make out the detail beneath my feet - pressing the threaded edge of the carpet deep unto the chestnut floorboards. The light from above passed through my shoe, bringing out the strings of refractive gold in the wood - a vivid lustrous shine. "C-can I ask... why?"

Tepia's arms crossed. "I would prefer that you didn't, to put it bluntly" she added, rotating upon her chair to face the room's corner.

Upon a triangular shelf, a plush black-shelled tortoise lay with all limbs stretched out - head facing the rest of the room. Black beaded eyes reflected those of the lightning prodigy, it's rounded mouth smiling plainly. Of all the things in the room, this soft toy was the cleanest and neatest kept by far. With it's high position, looking down upon all yet still able to match gazes, this little tortoise resembled a keeper - watcher of all happenings and guardian to this domain. And Tepia? She consulted with it in silent fashion. Even now with unspoken words, her little green friend consoled her, undoubtedly guiding her subconscious toward the better path.

"O-ok..." I whispered in deflated return. Was it something I said? Was I perhaps too bold in asking this favour?

The questions in my mind prodded, increasing in negativity the longer the torrent of assumptions pursued.

Or... was I perhaps just not good enough? Is the gap between me and magic so wide as to be untraversable?

My teeth gritted, the would-be inky blackness of my eyelids filled with splotches of colour and a force to make me blink. Surprised but uncaring, I watched as a teardrop fell to my shoe - the last of the black leather fading to a mere shade. A warm fuzziness clouding reason, my thoughts began to dissolve to nothing but this - the unveiled vivid hopes as spoken by my hero:

'I've been waiting all this time for something groundbreaking to be given to me - some uncommon knowledge or just something that would come into my world and magically fix my issues. Even though magic exists... I can't just depend on that chance.'