When sleep finally came, I was glad. When I woke, however, I let out an irritated little groan before stretching and getting up from my bed. My hair was a tangled mess, and my breath was worse. Not to mention that I needed new clothes, as I had been wearing the same clothes since my transformation that was helped along by Moone. Even worse? I had less than an hour.
Dashing into the bathroom, I found a brush and started running it through my hair, trying to avoid my sensitive lion ears. Then, I snatched up my toothbrush and toothpaste, washing the odorous breath away. Then, I just needed a new pair of clothes that I could use. But I was not going to take off the cloak; that fact was absolutely certain.
As I wandered through the house looking, I stumbled into Lillian.
"Sorry." I commented.
"It's alright," Lillian assured. "So, what's wrong?"
"I'm just looking for a new pair of clothes that can fit my, uh... Fit my tail."
"I'm pretty sure somebody came down yesterday with a new shipment of something. Who knows? Maybe they're clothes?"
"Maybe. I've noticed how Christina takes care of everybody."
"We're like a family. When somebody makes our lives miserable, you can bet that there's going to be at least one person willing to help you get revenge. When you're here at the camp with us, you're safe. We all protect each other, because that's what family does."
While Lillian was talking, she had pulled out a bin filled with clothes.
"Are those it?"
"Looks like it. It looks like they have the hole for your tail in the right place. Why don't you go into the bathroom and try them on?"
What did I have to lose? "Alright." I said, taking a pair of pants and a shirt into the bathroom. Surprisingly, they fit, but I still kept my cloak on. It gave me a small sort of comfort, and besides, it made me look menacing, which could be an advantage when I fought Moone.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I looked at the clock, and saw that I had about fifteen minutes before I needed to start walking towards the training area. Lillian and Isabelle didn't have to go to their training until after lunch, so their entire morning was free. I felt my stomach growl all of a sudden, and I remembered that I still had all of those energy bars. I quickly went over to my backpack and ate one, discarding the wrapper into my bag.
It was too late to start on a new book, so I just waited out the entire fifteen minutes - fine, I only waited ten - and then I started walking to the training area. What would Christina's reaction to the cloak be? I wasn't going to take off my cloak. And it seemed that all clothing just disappeared when I shifted anyways, so the cloak wouldn't be a problem in that aspect.
Christina was standing in the middle of the training area, waiting with a patient and calm look on her face. I came up to her, just waiting to see her reaction.
"Hello Adara," Christina greeted. "Where did you find that cloak?"
"Well, I was heading home from practice yesterday, and I saw it snagged on a branch. It wasn't ripped much, except for a tad at the bottom. It fits me well, though."
Christina gave a proud smile. "Indeed it does. Now, let's get on with our training. You did fairly well yesterday, and landed a few good blows on me. Maybe now we should begin working on your magic. You're definitely strong enough for it, and if you learn it, then Moone will not stand a chance against you. What do you say?"
"I say yes." I replied with almost no hesitation. I could feel the power thrumming through my veins at all times, just begging to be used. And I wanted to use it. I wanted to show Moone - and all of the others that had made my life heck - that I was more than just some thing that they could push around or mess with. I was powerful, and Moone would bow down to me and beg for his life before I delivered the final blow.
"Excellent. It will require much practice, but you are strong enough for it. We should begin with the four main elements. There are more, but it is always best to start with the basics. The power is inside of you. All you have to do is harness it. I want you to try and summon a few drops of water in your palm."
"But what about fire first? Shouldn't I learn how to use fire?"
"The time for fire will come, I assure you, but now you are learning how to summon water. Water is much more powerful that most acknowledge. Just think of all the natural disasters caused by water. Now summon water droplets, so we can get into the more complex stuff. It's simple. Just watch."
Christina held her palm out, and all of a sudden, three drops of water landed in her palm. "Now you try."
I held my hand out, trying to focus. I tried to imagine lakes and rivers, all containing far more than just a few mere drops. Then, I tried to imagine three drops hovering above my palm. I tried to imagine seeing them, as if that would make the water appear.
I focused for a good minute or so, wondering why it was so hard to make the stupid water appear. But my anger helped me, as a few seconds later, water appeared above my palm, landing with three small plops.
"Excellent. And do not be worried if it takes a while on your first few tries. Those are always the hardest. It gets easier, I promise. And you do want to take your revenge on Moone, right?"
I breathed in, then out. "Yes."
"Then let's continue."
