“And what do you think you’re doing here?” Tanya asked with arms crossed, shooting Vir a gaze that made him want to shrivel up and cry in some dark corner. The fully black leather pants and matching vest she wore served to amplify her terrifying presence.
“I…” All the confidence Vir mustered burned away, just like that.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to push through. The solution was simple—all he had to do was look away from Tanya’s predatory glare. “Just want to learn by watching you train Maiya. I won’t get in the way.”
“Absolutely not. I’ll not suffer a talentless prana scorned leeching off my student. What use does someone who can’t even use utility magic have of my lessons?”
“But—”
Tanya cut him off by threatening him with a transparent orb glowing with power.
Vir ground his teeth, his anger over her callousness overriding his initial instinct to shy away from her and he shot Tanya a look of pure hatred. He’d refrained from revealing Prana Vision for so long, but if it meant he could learn magic…
No, wait! There’s another way.
“C’mon, that’s not fair,” Maiya said.
“Young woman, you are in no position to talk back. I was promised someone with strength. It is clear to me you have neglected your physical training. Will you neglect your magic, too?” Tanya spat, eyeing Maiya up and down. “Strength is everything in this world. Weakness is a crime. You will do as I say, and you will not argue. Understood? If you wish to have my respect, earn it first.”
Maiya stared her instructor down. “I’m sorry. I want to learn magic, I really do. But if you won’t teach him, I refuse to—”
“It’s alright,” Vir said.
The last thing he wanted was for his friend to suffer on his account.
“But, Vir, this isn’t right!”
He cracked a smile. “You think this is gonna stop me?”
Comprehension dawned upon Maiya, and she mouthed an ‘O’ that only he could see.
He threw Tanya another glare packed with every ounce of hatred he could muster, then strode out of the living room.
If she was going to be a grakking chal, he’d be happy to return the favor. He doubted she possessed anything like Prana Vision, or any other way of detecting him if he was stealthy. And he had an idea about how to remain hidden—he’d picked up a few tricks on the Saran trip.
Vir walked far enough down the hall to put himself out of eyesight, but not so far that he couldn’t hear what they were saying. He took up a spot just inside the empty kitchen.
“Let us move to my room,” Tanya said. “It wouldn’t do for unwanted ears to eavesdrop upon us, now, would it?”
Grak. So much for that plan…
“Would it really be that bad if Vir listened in?” Maiya asked as they walked past his hiding spot.
The doors that sealed off the bedrooms were thick, solid wood. Vir had learned long ago that sounds did not easily pass through them.
But the kitchen wasn’t the only place he could snoop from. Vir waited for them to enter Tanya’s bedroom, then ran to his own room and donned a white sun hoodie before stepping outside into the midmorning sun. He doubled back up the sand dune, counting the windows until he found Tanya’s room.
None of the bedrooms had large windows. Instead, they all had small slits near the ceiling for ventilation. And since they were built mainly for ventilation, they were just small metal grates, only a handspan tall and a few handspans wide. The grate above Tanya’s room was almost completely invisible against the desert sand, but Vir found it soon enough.
He went prone, lying on his stomach, and stuck his ear right up to the metal grate.
“—introduce myself,” he overheard Tanya saying. Vir cracked a grin. Her voice came through loud and clear, almost as if he was in the room itself.
There was no chance of detection—even if she looked straight up at the window, it was far too small to see anything through it. So long as he remained quiet, he could listen all he wanted.
Of course, he did have to deal with the searing desert heat, but that was a small price to pay for mejai knowledge. If Tanya’s teachings were worthwhile, he’d reveal Prana Vision to her and force her to teach him.
Should’ve brought some water, he belatedly realized. Something to remember for next time.
Vir settled in and prepared himself to absorb every word the evil woman said.
“I do not know what Riyan has told you about me. Knowing him, likely little.”
“He hasn’t said much,” Maiya said.
“He is a man of few words. But when he speaks, people listen. Few are as wise in the art of combat as he, but I digress,” she coughed. “Suffice it to say that I have worked with the gen—with Riyan, several times over the years. The only information you need about me is that I carry the rank of Lesser Mejai of Ash. My Balar Rank is 130. Greater Ice and Lesser Water Affinities. Oh, and I have trained with the Altani.”
Vir’s eyes lit up. The Altani knew more about the inner workings of prana than anyone else, if the rumors were to be believed. If anyone knew about the affinities only he could see, it’d be them.
“Riyan tells me you have aptitude. Prove it.”
Vir heard Maiya yelp. Then came some shuffling sounds.
“Oho?” Tanya said. “So he wasn’t merely boasting. But that does not mean you will be able to realize your potential. This is done only through diligent training and proper instruction. I can provide the latter, but you must apply your body and soul to your training. Or else you’ll remain a lowly Pranik all your life.”
Vir could only guess at what happened. Tanya must have given Maiya a magic testing orb, as Riyan had done months ago.
“I wanna be a fire mejai! When can we check my affinity?”
“There is no test for it. Once you have learned to conduct prana, we will have to try orbs of various affinities to determine your affinity. I must warn you, however. Fire spells are difficult to wield. They may have the greatest range of all the offensive magic types, but Fire Affinity spells are slow and thus easily avoided. What’s more, they can burn the mejai and her allies if wielded improperly.”
“I don’t care! I’m sure I’ll be good at it.”
His friend was dead set on being a fire mejai. He couldn’t say it suited her, though.
“That remains to be seen,” Tanya said. “Beginning today, you will train in the mornings with me in the arts of magic. Riyan will continue training you in history and etiquette in the afternoons. And in your free time, you will hone your combat skills. Is this understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Maiya sounded meek, but Vir knew she must’ve been bursting with excitement inside.
“Now, for your first lesson,” Tanya said.
Vir edged closer to the metal grade, desperate not to miss a word.
“Magic hurts.”
“Magic… hurts?” Maiya said.
Vir had the exact same reaction. What’s she even talking about?
“Yes. Especially at the start of a mejai’s journey. Understand that prana is the energy of life itself. Orbs channel this energy into useful effects. As mejai, we manipulate prana to fill our orbs with sufficient energy and supply a tiny bit more to trip the activation inscription. This process is an unnatural one, and thus, can be painful. Not every Pranik has the… grit, to persevere. I expect you will also fail, coddled as you were in your childhood. Be grateful I am spending my precious time instructing you regardless.”
This was news to Vir. He’d never thought the official path to magic would be a painful one. Maybe his experiment yesterday hadn’t been as crazy as he’d initially thought?
“First,” Tanya continued, “mejai must learn to detect the prana that surrounds us. Here in the Hiranya Kingdom, prana is a scarce commodity, which makes this task somewhat more difficult. Then again, it is this very lack of prana that will further hone your sensitivity than a Pranik in a prana-rich region.”