Teach Me Magic - Teach Me How To Fly

7th Tea part two

The storm had trapped our three travellers in the rocky terrain of Silver Mountains. Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei and Rosie hid inside a former silver ore mine one day ago and have been camping there ever since.

Rosie stayed at the mouth of the cave, impatiently watching the never-ending downpour. Sulking because she couldn't properly spread her wings in the enclosed space.

Deeper into the mine, in an area with a natural chimney-like tunnel in the roof, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei sat by a magically sustained campfire, cojured by Shen Wei. He also undid the protection barrier around Star Angelica and was tending to the flower carefully. Captain Zhao took out one of his enchanted talismans, whispered something, holding the yellowish paper in front of his lips and then threw it into the fire. The paper ignited itself with a yellowish green light and a small bird flew out of the flames, heading out into the storm.

"Notifying Capitol that we were delayed?" Shen Wei asked, watching the paper-made bird disappear from their sight.

"Yes, the 1st fleet is full of worrywarts," Zhao Yunlan smiled, "I myself don't think there is a big difference between 1 or 2 weeks but especially Lieutenant Zhu Hong might just tear my head off if I don't let them know."

Shen Wei frowned slightly but said nothing further.

After a while of poking into the campfire with a broken stick, Captain Zhao asked: "So... tell me something more about yourself, Shen Wei-ah. My childhood's story is well know accross the Capitol but you are also a rather famous figure in the Academy, yet, you seem to be keeping your private matters strictly to yourself."

Shen Wei sighed, so it seems, the Captain had tried to run a background check on him before. Raising his eyes to look at Captain Zhao, he was met with a wide grin as the other man most likely guessed his train of thoughts. "...Maybe it is because there is not much to tell..."

Zhao Yunlan kept staring at the young wizzard and as much as Shen Wei tried to avoid his gaze, insinuating, they should change the subject, the unwavering stare of those two dark, yet brightly lit-up onyx eyes had won in the end.

Shen Wei gulped, avoiding the intense gaze once more, focusing on his own two pale and delicate hands. "...Really... I... joined the Academy very young, I don't even remember my parrents or anyone before that but because of my core's purity, my sensitivity to magic had manifested very early on, apparently... so the Military came to find me so soon. And... at the beginning I had troubles controlling my powers so I wasn't allowed to leave the premises. And none of my family ever came to visit, so..."

Looking up, Shen Wei noticed the barely shown frown on Zhao Yunlan's face, so he decided to end the gloomy topic.

"...anyway, since then I had been studying. Master Aendall had taken me in, kindly and have helped me most generously."

"You have been a perfect student, so of course!" Captain exclaimed, almost as if he himself was proud of Shen Wei. "One thing, however, is a bit... You are a Teaching Assistant and an honours student of the Elemental Magic Class, am I right?"

"Y-yes..." Shen Wei changed his sitting position, slightly caving into himself defensively, bracing for the uncomfortable question that was bound to follow.

"Your thesis..." the Captain continued, "Master Aendall of the Enchantments' Class is your mentor, right? Your thesis isn't on Elemental Magic?"

"No... it isn't..." Shen Wei mumbled.

Finally seeing his discomfort, Zhao Yunlan hurried: "Well, look at you! A genius in all those fields! Not many wizzards are so dexterous as that. If our battlemages were as awesome as that..."