Preparation and Perspiration, It's Only The Beginning

All week I have been just a wreck of nerves and excitement. Madam Odette said she would finally train me in magic. With all my studies and everything I have done, I can only wonder what techniques she can teach me. I'll bet it's something that will be super useful. It has to be at this point.

I trained on my own to build a strong body.

I trained with Badger to refine that strength into useful power.

I trained with Madam Delula to learn and gain a foundation for magic.

I've been reading and studying on my own, creating my own spells and techniques.

And now, I have the opportunity to train with Madam Odette and she wants me to prep with survival techniques. I can't dwell on this too much. I have a deadline and I have a goal.

My week is spent heeding her warning. I raided her library for anything and everything that I could. It is a wealth of magical knowledge but there is a small section with some real-world information. A couple of cookbooks, general manuals, and what I'm looking for! A simple survival guide.

Using some magical application with some of the techniques that they bring up makes them so much easier. Starting a fire is cake. Building shelters is a good topic…

Before I know it the week is gone. I'm not sure if I really learned anything. I've been stuck in magic theory for so long that bringing myself back to what used to be considered the real world for me circa half a year ago. Now that I take a second to look back on how far I've come, it's been a journey. A painfully long, and mind-blowing journey.

But the day has come. Madam Odette's whole house seems to be a lot more active than normal. There is a lot of movement both inside and out front. I already saw one vehicle leave after Madam Odette spoke with someone. It was oddly early too. Way before anyone else gets up and becomes active.

I'm still sitting in my cabin watching everything going on around me. It's something to see what's going on. Madam Odette is talking to everyone. And I do mean everyone. Everyone she passes she stops and talks to them. They all give a nod in acknowledgment as though they know what they need to do.

As I watch the motions of the morning I see something that catches my attention. Madam Odette heads to her office taking a seat, alone. Her chair rotates to face my cabin directly as she waves one finger signaling to come closer. I think that is my sign that I am to come. I have figured out that she can sense my pulses and that if she so chooses, she can block them to where all I can see is a blur of space that does nothing.

I stop my pulses as I head to her. The winter coat that I purchased sure helps with the winds that seem to roll through the yard. As I walk up to the door I look at the stairs where the wound is still very fresh in my heart. I do what I can to shake it off as the badgers who guard the door allow me to pass.

The house is bustling more than usual. Everyone is doing something and the voices echo off the stone. It's almost magic how I've gotten to where I can avoid everyone as they move about their paths. They know where they are supposed to be and I can move faster, slower, or move slightly to not disrupt them. It's all like a well-oiled machine and I refuse to be the one to ruin it.

Madam Odette's office always has this distinct smell to it. I've never been able to peg down what it is. I've only ever been able to describe it as "business". There are only two smells that I can pick out in the room. Her chair, which is a comfortable leather that is well taken care of so it always smells fresh and new. The other has a more personal feeling about it. It's Madam Odette's perfume. It changes but it mixes with her natural scent and I can pick it out of a crowd by now.

She swivels her chair looking towards the seat across from her. That's my queue to sit down and listen. As I take my seat I hear the sternness of her voice. "Red, You know I don't like you scanning my home but I must admit that the rate you're able to do it is becoming impressive. I'd imagine it's almost as if you are watching a movie as opposed to the slideshow it was when you started."

She's very astute with that. It has been becoming smoother. I figure soon I won't need to refine it to where I send out more pulses but reduce the strain and cost on my body. "Yes, Madam Odette."

"While I like that you are perfecting your skills, I would rather you not do so as invasively as you have been. And I feel I've told you this before."

"You have, Madam Odette."

She's not as stern as she has been before. It's almost as if she's starting to give me some leeway. I'm not sure if that's some favoritism starting to show through or if she realizes that I am working on my skills daily.

"Red, are you ready for our training?"

"Yes, Madam Odette."

"I hope you're sure about that. This won't be like the others. This won't be controlled."

What does she mean by controlled? Does she mean at the home or with someone to train me? "I hope you studied up on what I asked, I'll be relying on you." I shift in my seat trying to get comfortable but something is not sitting right. "Madam Odette, I know what you asked but I don't know what we are doing."

A grin crawls across her face as her eyes seem to light up a bit. It's an oddly sadistic smile that I haven't seen in a long while. "You are going to learn how I learned. Make sure you have your thickest coat. It's going to be cold when we get there."

I was instructed to be out front in an hour. I was also told that I would know when it was time to leave. What she meant by that, I have no idea, but if it's Madam Odette telling me then there is no doubt that I will know when I am to be upfront and ready to go. Until that time I am given a bit more time to prepare.

Heeding her warning, I make sure every piece of clothing I have is the warmest that I own. Once I get myself as set as I can I put out the fire in my cabin and sit in the darkness waiting for an hour for my signal. The longer I wait the more nervous I get. It's to the point where I can feel my toes tingling. It's only been ten minutes!

I know I've been in a position where I've had to wait for Madam Odette before but this feels very different. This feels like everything I've been working toward is going to pay off in some way. I'm going to learn from the woman who I've been looking at as one of the most powerful women on the planet. She always seems to radiate power and I get to see it firsthand for the first time!

Between the fits of boredom and excitement, I keep checking the time until the hour passes. I don't know if my signal has come or not but the time has come. I stand up from my bed and brush myself off before grabbing my coat to head out to the front of the house where I'm supposed to meet Madam Odette.

She's waiting outside in her signature colors of red and white. Her coat looks thicker than normal. Since she told me to dress warm it makes sense that she would as well. With her paws in her pockets, she turns ever so slightly to look at me from the side of her eye. "Well Red, are you ready?"

"Yes, Madam Odette."

"Good, because once we land, training begins."

Once we land? I see that smile crawl across her face again. Her eyes move from looking at me to over my shoulder as an odd sound begins cutting through the air. I look back where she's looking to find an aircraft heading towards us. In the entire time I've lived here I have not seen anything fly over her home. Not a plane, and certainly not a helicopter. There is a first time for everything though and this first is landing in an open space in the driveway.