↢ Prodigy ↣

I shift in place, unsure of how I should be presenting myself. My eyes wander to where Karter sits just a few paces away from us, an unusually stern look in his eyes.

“Like this?” the small voice pulls me back.

Rosemary contorts her face while trying to match the gesture I had instructed her on. However, her efforts do little as there was no cast for any of her energy to latch onto.

“F-foc-cus on y-our h-hand,” I state before stretching out my own.

She nods rapidly before trying to follow along. Her brows furrowing upon her empty hand causing a subtle smile to form under my mask.

“R-re-peat th-e w-words…” I wait for her to agree before continuing, “N-n-evl T-T-Til S-id.”

“Nevl Til Sid…” She looks to me as a chill grows around her hand.

I watch as her face pales at the scene. “N-now, th-ink of w-what y-ou w-want to c-crea-ate…”

My etchings barely glow as I create the cast alongside her. The ice shivers as it collects within my palm, forming that of a rough-looking fox. With the lack of concentration, the sculpture became more misshapen than I’d wanted.

Without hesitation, she closes her eyes before grabbing her wrist. Then with a little crinkle of her brow, the frost grew across her fingers. Though to her dismay, it only rises ever so slightly. And she only gives a frown before closing her eyes again. A slight grimace forms before I put a hand on her shoulder; feeding her what power her body could hold.

However, it only gives a small rise to the spikes within the centre of her hand. And with a huff, she looks up to me.

“How do I get it like yours, miss?” her breaths come in faster than before, though not enough to hinder her speech.

“Pr-act-tice,” I give her another genuine smile.

“How much practice?” her eyes, although dim, beam at me.

A chuckle greets me as I pull free my grimoire. “I… h-ave l-learned each of th-ese…”

“You know a lot, miss!” her enthusiastic words force a little bounce from her while I put away the tome.

Although all I can give her is a nod, she seems more than satisfied with the answer. I wish I could teach you all of them… but we can’t stay here forever…

A sorrow-filled smile greets me as the thought passes.

Yet, it’s short-lived as the lady from days prior approached us. Arnold’s boss, right?

“‘Ow goes the trainin’?” her voice was stern, however, an high interest still lingered within it.

“Mama!” Rosemary leaps into a run towards the woman.

A grin crosses her face as she lowers herself to meet the little girl’s genuine smile shining upon her. And in one swift motion, Rosemary lifts up her hand before speaking.

“Look-look! Miss El taught me this!” Her raising an empty hand made her mother’s brow crease before she spoke the keywords, “Nevl Til Sid!”

Her excitement made me chuckle as frost began to coat her once empty palm. Though not much else happened, the small girl seemed happy with the result.

“Very good!” her mother exclaimed while giving exaggerated nods to Rosemary’s enjoyment.

A happy memory tugged at the back of my mind as the woman rubs the small girl’s head before rising to a stand. The gleam in her eyes still lingering as she turns to face me.

“Y’re quite the formidable caster,” the woman states before reaching out her hand, “to teach such a technique in a few days’ time, one must be very skilled.”

I give her a slight head bow in response before shaking her hand.

“The name’s Freya, if y’ ‘aven’t gleaned that from Arnold already.”

“E-El.”

“So then that must be… Karter, I presume?”

I can only nod in response before she gives another smile.

“No need to be so stiff. I’ve only come to collect Rose for–”

“But mama, I don’t wanna go! I’m not ready to go yet!” Rosemary cuts her off before trying to run and hide behind me.

“It’s not like y’ ain’t gonna see them tomorrow,” Freya tilts her head towards where the girl now stood.

A small chuckle escapes me before I turn to meet Rosemary’s gaze. Then, without second thought, I pull free a small sculpture from one of my many pouches. Her eyes light up before I even utter a single word.

“Use th-is t-to h-elp you pr-act-tice.” I lower myself to her height, however, before I can even hand her the gift, she leaps into me.

“Thank you, miss El! I shall practice every day!” Rosemary almost shouts into my ears before taking the small relic.

It almost shimmers through her fingers as it leaves my hands. And I can’t help but let out another large grin as she hops away from me. Freya almost mirrors me as Rosemary bounces to her side.

“Ready then?” her words left her before the bouncing child could think. And with only a beaming smile in response, Freya lifts her gaze to me. “We’ll return in the mid-morning to resume unless y’ ‘ave different plans?”

I shake my head, and she nods in kind.

“Good then, we’ll talk again,” she states before turning to grab Rosemary’s hand.

“Bye-bye, miss El! And Mr. knight!” the little girl shouts while waving her farewells.

I wave back in kind while a grin lingers on my face; watching them gradually dissipate into the crowded roadways. That’s when I release the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding.

“She has grown,” Karter’s words, though like a whisper, still make me jump as I instinctively whip around to face him.

With only a second’s thought, I agree.

Her energy might be mostly unstable, but in three days, she’s already started focusing it. If only her reservoir was a bit bigger.

“Sh-e sh-ows p-prom-mise.” I stare down the road where they’d disappeared. Although it doesn’t take long for my gaze to return to Karter.

His armour shifts and jingles as he rises to a stand. “Indeed she does.”

Though without another word he steps closer to me. A cautious feeling takes hold as he bends down slightly to look at me directly. “You are tired, are you not? We will get food before returning.”

And I can only agree before following him out of the semi courtyard.

↢ ⬦ ↣

The streets had almost become desolate by the time we’d made it back to the town’s square. All of the market stalls had already closed up for the night as we walk through. Though I pay them little mind.

My eyes were on the lanterns hanging from their posts, each slowly flickering to life as the gemstones within them began to brighten. Their orange hue matching that of the setting sun.

“We are here,” Karter’s statement pulls my gaze.

In front of us stood a seemingly glowing building, and through the windows, I could see the people inside. The commotion felt distant, yet it was just beyond a single set of double doors.

It only took a single nod for Karter to push and hold open the door. And although brief, the contrast in lighting almost blinded me.

The bustle of it all brought another small grin to my lips as I watch the staff hurry about giving and taking orders. The rush reminded me of older days, though I didn’t let the nostalgia take me too far.

“Welc’m! Welc’m!” floats over the noise as if a response to the chime from the door.

Karter only gives me another glace before going to speak. However, he’s cut off as a young waiter stands before us. His dull blue eyes caught on my own as a wave of curiosity and confusion fell upon him.

A laugh almost made its escape from me as I knew what he was thinking. A large knight and a masked figure walk into a…

“Two ‘en?” he asks while trying to shift his demeanour.

“Yes,” Karter states before I can nod to the boy.

“Ah ‘en, right ‘is way,” without a moment to lose, he spun on his heel before leading us through the clanking and chattering.

I try my best to refrain from staring at the plates of food, and the people sitting before them. From mercenaries to what looked like middle-class common folk, the place was filled with people far different from the cities I had been in the past.

“‘Ere we are. Is ‘is be y’r first visit?” he asks while pointing an arm over to our seats.

“It is,” Karter answers before either of us can take upon his gestures.

“Cool-cool,” he nods while fiddling with his apron, allowing us to sit before continuing, “well, today’s special is the yullerosa… if you’re interested in something sweet.”

My eyes almost light up at the realisation of what he’d meant, and yet I can only try to resist the temptation. Although before I could bite down on impulse, Karter had already caught me.

“What is this yullerosa?” I could tell there was a subtle smile behind his helm, which made a slight frown form upon my own lips. As I know I couldn’t fight him on this.

“It be a wrapped– ah, rolled vanilla sponge cake wit’ strawberry jam and bits of strawberries as fillin’. And ‘e outside frostin’ be, ah… be a whipped vanilla frostin’, wit’ chopped strawberries to make small flowe-roses.”

Karter just stares as the waiter finishes describing the dessert, although after a moment he turns to me. I could almost feel the half-grin lying under his helmet.

I just roll my eyes before nodding in agreement. As who would I be to resist the allure of sponge cake?

“A’ight, one yullerosa, anythin’ else f’r y’ tonight?”

“No,” Karter states making the waiter almost flinch before turning away from our table.

I almost chuckle at the scene causing Karter to give me a furrow of his brows. Before he can utter a word, I quickly shake my head. He only nods before the space between us falls quiet.

My eyes instinctually wander over the crowd of people filling the restaurant. There were so many faces, so many people crammed in one place, and yet still enough room for the staff to weave between tables and conversations.

A bigger smile grabs at me as I bask in the loud bustle of it all.

“K-Karter…” my words roll off my tongue like silk, “what i-if w-we j-just s-tayed h-ere?”

The question passes through me without any reflection, without any thought. And it is only until moments later that I’ve even realised I’d actually said it.

Karter just stares at me. His eyes were focused, calculating, weighing a response I couldn’t see.

“You know we cannot do that.” His gaze never falters.

I can only nod in response. What else was I expecting, I’d already known the answer before the words could ever leave me…

“We have to keep moving as to divert you from their gaze.”

Another nod is all I can give before a clatter takes my gaze. A woman slammed her hands on a table in front of what looked to be mercenaries. Putting a pause in the restaurant's movements.

Anger and resentment contort her face, however, tears still roll down her cheeks. Then without a moment of hesitation, her voice broke the sudden silence.

“Please… y’ve gotta find ‘er…” she states in an almost hushed whisper, “I’ll pay anythin’! Y’ just gotta-”

“Take ya’r pe’y reques’s up wi’ ‘em ci’y guard,” one of them cuts her off, “let ‘em take care o’ it.”

“B-but, y’r…”

“Nah my problem, lass,” they state while raising a tankard of ale to their lips.

And before another word can be said, the lady slams the tankard into the man’s face before storming out of the building!

Silence stretches on for a moment as everyone watches the man flick the alcohol from his clothes. Although it’s ultimately short-lived as with the confrontation over, the building returns to its usual buzz.

On impulse, I rise from my seat.

“Do not intervene.”

His words hit me with a bluntness to them. However, I know he’s right. It would be foolish of me to get myself into matters that are outside of my control…

A sigh leaves me before I slip back down into my seat. Karter eyes me for a moment, then he resumes his usual actions. Checking his carry pouch, then counting the money with his fingers, then staring off for a moment before redoing the same actions.

It was a sort of ritual I’d watched him do a million times over. I think he just doesn’t know how to respond…

A small snicker scratched at the back of my throat as the joke passes. Yet I refrain from letting it show on my face as to not make him question it.

Then without my notice, Karter’s head shifts as the young waiter re-approaches our table. He brings what appears like a snow-white log sitting alongside a few spare plates atop a metal platter.

“Will ‘at be all?” the waiter states, though my gaze is only on the frosted mound sat in front of me.

“Yes, that is all,” Karter answers for the both of us as I furrow my brows at the platter.

And as soon as the waiter leaves to tend to the other customers, he turns to me. I look up at him with questions still drawn across my face. A smile quickly took hold of him as he grabs a thin, dull knife.

“They forgot the strawberry flowers.”

His words almost pass over my head as he cuts a single slice from the log. And it takes me another second to grasp at the words that left him. Though, before I could respond, he was already handing me a small wooden plate with a slice of cake on it.

I stare at the contrasting red-pink within the off-white swirl. “I-it’s p-pretty.”

A small chuckle leaves Karter before he can even decide to respond, “indeed it is.”

And without another moment to lose, I lift my mask to take a bite.

The flavours explode as they seem to dance along with one another, a rhythm of tarty rich mixed with a light and fluffy sweetness. Even the icing helped to bridge the softness of the cake with the thicker texture of the jam filling. And with every few bites, there would be a chuck of strawberry still stuck within to bring a puff of pure fruitiness to it all.

Karter just sits and watches as my eyes brighten with every bite I take. “I am glad you enjoy it. Do you think you will finish it all though?”

I stop for a brief moment before the realisation sets in. “D-do y-you th-ink R-rosem-mary w-ould l-like s-ome?”

“Possibly,” is the only thing to leave him before he stares down at the cake.

“Wh-y n-not… h-ave s-ome?” I ask in between munches.

“I care little for sweets.”

My eyes widen a little, however, the answer felt somewhat justified. What else was he going to say?

I shake the thought from my head before finishing my plate. Then another, and another. And before I know it, I’d eaten half of the almost forearm length cake before I could stop myself.

“Done then?” he questions as I stare at my half-eaten slice still sitting in front of me.

It takes me a moment to accept it, but I nod anyway. I can always bag up the rest to have with Rosemary anyway.

And with a swift motion, Karter flags down one of the staff before asking for some carry paper. Then with only a moment's delay, I was outside the restaurant holding the small cake wrapped in soft parchment.

Karter's steps clack against the silence of the empty city street. The roadways felt almost listless as opposed to their chaotic daily selves. It made me feel almost lonely, and yet I was still grinning down at the small packaged dessert lying within my hands.

“T-ton-ight w-was… f-un,” I fight with the words, however, still get manage to get them out.

“Good,” Karter almost instinctually states before turning to me, “it is good to have days of rest.”

I tilt my head, wanting to question him but lacking the words.

“Life is more than work and achievements. Without rest, one will lose themselves to this world.”

I just roll my eyes as we’d already been over this for what felt like a hundred times. And yet, I still never disregard his words.

“I’ll try,” is all I can whisper in response.

↢ To be continued ↣