You've Got Mail

“YOU HAVE TO BE FASTER THAN THAT! AGAIN!” Haruko shouted as he continued to send orbs of light one after another towards the girl who was feverishly trying to keep up by creating and dispelling a shield of photons, bringing her magical limits to the brink of empty. Her reflexes weren’t quick enough as an orb of light hits her directly in the shin, bringing her tired body crashing to the ground. The bearded man sighs as he walks over to fallen teen, offering a sturdy hand to lift up the dainty mage.

“Your transition time needs a lot of work…” Haruko says, his stone dressed face never giving way to a smile from the whole time Theia had been training with him. His stone cold gaze seemed to soften a bit as he pulls the girl up, evident by the loosening of the crinkles in the corner of his eyes from the constant furrow of his brows, despite his age is being that of a man only in his late forties. “…But the construct of your Photon Shield was… adequate.”

Theia winced in slight pain at the damage to her body, Haruko never being one to go easy in training. But her smile beamed with pride at one of the best “compliments” Haruko had given her so far. She began her usual walk, waving a quick goodbye to Haruko, and makes her way through the redwood trees that are veiled in the lightest of mists from the morning air; their trunks somber brown with sable cracks that gnarl the bark. On these woodland skyscrapers there are lichen thriving in their shade, resting there like powdered paint and making homes for the creatures that make up the mosaic of browns and greens along the path. She finds herself at the stream she has come to admire, stripping herself of her clothes to let the cool water revitalize her skin, submerging into the crystal clear oasis.

It had been about seven months since Theia was first dropped off on the cabin doorstep that was this former pupil’s of her father. A hardened man that only seldom showed Theia any sign of happiness; yet he was never callous or crass. Theia had learned the subtleties of her new mentor; how his hazel eyes cast away and his muscular body tenses when he pays her the slightest of compliments, how is onyx beard could be seen crinkling in the corners of his mouth when Haruko held back a smile, and how his aura seemed to glow a little bit warmer when Theia was able to master a spell or training technique they had been working on.

She hadn’t known what happened to her father, just knew that on the night of that third sunset, the night Zhulong had agreed to send Theia a signal into the air to signify he was alright; there was no light. No sign of hopeful return. And no relief of the worry plaguing Theia’s heart. She continued to stare out at the stars ever night in hopes that her father was just running late, as she clung to the repetitive thought that “Tonight is the night. Tonight I’ll see it for sure.” When not once in those two hundred and thirteen nights had seen the signal of her father, and the emptiness within her soul seems to grow further.

She decided to dive into her training with Haruko to try and distract herself from the pain, yet it somehow only made her miss Zhulong more. Every time Haruko helped her improve on her spells she wanted to show her dad how strong she had become. She someone to hug her for her accomplishments, and Haruko was not one to do that. But no matter how much she did miss him, she found her new sense of normal, and did her best to keep a smile on her face from sunrise to sunset; knowing that Zhulong was there alongside her heart.

She rings the water out of her hair and steps out of the stream feeling a bit more relaxed from her training. She sticks out her hands and concentrates as she molds her ethernano in her palms into infrared light, the light that is felt as heat from a flame, and she traces each curve along her body to evaporate the water that lies gently on her skin. She redresses and walks back to the cabin-like house she has come to call home, when she is stopped before she could even walk through the door.

“We need to go into town.” Haruko said, his voice deep and stern, complimenting his closed off demeanor that stood tall to block the doorway into the cabin she had come to call home. As if knowing the question Theia would ask, he spoke before the blonde haired girl could speak, “I received word that a rather urgent letter demands my attention. We are going to the post, and then going home. Nothing more. Got it?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing his apprentice liked to wander and talk with any and everyone; something Haruko would prefer to avoid himself.

Theia nods her head as her tired feet follow behind her teacher to the magic vehicle he has parked on the side of the cabin. What surprised her was that, despite his well refined garments and manner of speaking, Haruko owned a motorcycle of all things. Not a fancy car, with the plush seats and smooth lines, like the ones she had seen during her time in and out of towns; no. He had a sports bike. Theia laughed the first time she saw him get on it, asking if he was trying to be 25 again, to which she got a very stern scolding about respecting her elders and such. But Haruko’s reasons made sense in his own mind. In a past time he was a highly respected Rune Knight, traveling from city to city on the back of his trusted horse. When it had came time that the horse had passed on, Haruko didn’t want to have to go through such heartache again, and had settled on the next closest thing to a horse. He felt the mechanical whinny of a motorcycle was a cry of speed and agility; being able to take corners and off-road terrain as effortlessly as the real deal. Plus Haruko was one for speed when it came to getting from point A to point B, and a bike let him bypass all the traffic a normal car would take.

Pulling out this mechanical horse, and Haruko hooking up the SE plug to his arm to power the bike with his magic,Theia swings her leg over to straddle the leather seat and then loops her arms around the burly man commanding it. The two take off, swerving left and right down the dirt path of the mountain before they find themselves on the gravel road towards Shirotsume Town. Shirotsume is the closest major city to their hidden mountain home, yet small enough that any new face would be recognized in its city limits. Haruko said that “remembering faces and names is what can keep you safe and secure in the ever changing world”; Theia never really understood what he meant by that, but she always guessed it had something to do with building good relationships with people so you can ask for help when you need it. She wonder's what ever happened in his past that made him say that so frequently as they make there way to the mail waiting inside the city walls.