Meet and Greet Delula

The routine continues. The sun rises over the mountain and hits me in the face waking me up. Madam Odette is out the door as I come around the corner. She has the stern face that she had when I first arrived. Behind her is someone who I have not met before. The two approach me and Madam Odette addresses me in her formal fashion, "Red, this is Delula. Starting today she will be your beginner magic instructor. She is going to get you started on using your abilities and teaching you magic theory." This explains why she told me to mentally prepare myself. She meant that my mind would be stretched on this.

Delula is a dominant green with an orange mixed gecko who looks to be no older than Madam Odette. She's a lot shorter than I am but most Geckos are smaller than the average height of a fox. She's wearing an odd set of clothes though. I could almost say that it's like a fantasy robe a mage would wear but at the same time, it's more like wide bell bottom pants and a loose-fitting shirt. One shoulder is bare as it hangs around her left upper arm. Either it was too big when she bought it or it's intentional.

Madam Odette continues, "You will address her with respect as you would address me at all times. You will listen, you will learn, and when she believes you have met my standards that I have set she will have me test you. Do you understand so far?"

"Yes, Madam Odette."

"Do you have any questions?"

"One, what are the standards you have set?"

"Delula knows and will work with you to reach them. You will know when she thinks you are ready."

Ah yes, Madam Odette is back to her ways where she is vague, almost misleading, but still giving you information. I thought with how she and I have been that she would change but it seems that I was wrong on this one. I'm going to try to understand but continue to be at a loss as to what is happening while it happens. "Delula will greet you in the mornings and will dismiss you at the end of the day. Delula."

"Yes, Lady Odette?"

"He is in your care. Teach him well."

"Yes, Lady Odette." She turns to me, "Ok Red, follow me."

She motions for me to follow her while going past me. I watch as Madam Odette turns back to her house not paying me a second glance. "Madam Delula…"

"Please, just call me Delula."

"Going as Madam Odette ordered, Madam Delula, may I ask where we are going?"

"Wow, she has you trained. We are going to a small little room that she has set aside for us where you and I can work on what you need to. Have you ever dabbled in magic before?"

"I have not."

"Not once?"

"Until a little over a month ago I did not know that magic was a real thing."

She stopped in her tracks turning back to me, "That sounds like a real risk."

"Before I left my dad showed me a little of what he could do. My parents hoped that it would skip me but here I am and now I'm in your care Madam Delula."

"Ok, that makes more sense now. I was worried that you were just someone that was plucked up and had no knowledge at all to where they should not even be introduced to our world."

"Introduced?"

"I think our first lesson is going to be some history. We're going to flush out some of the useless and wrong information that you were given in school and correct and inform you of where what you're going to be doing comes from."

I'm a little excited about this. Something about the change is keeping me intrigued but I'm still wary of what's going to happen. I remember the path we're taking though. I walked it every day going to and from the tree line where Madam Odette had me clear the trees. As we go I look at the ground that looks like the path I took had something heavy dragged over it. The grass has been torn up to the dirt in a small line making a walking trail. I didn't see where it started but I now wonder how far it goes. We follow it and in the time that remember we are at the spot where I worked for three weeks tearing myself apart. The trees and stumps are gone but in their place is a small wood cabin that I have never seen before.

Madam Delula walks towards it opening the front door, "Come on Red, we have work to do." I follow her inside. Once inside the smell of the wood hits me. Everything still smells fresh. There is a small stove and microwave in what could be seen as a small kitchen in the far right corner of the door. There are cabinets hung up on the wall making everything complete. There is a corner of the room that is stoned leading up to a chimney where a fire can be started without the worry of burning the rest of the house. Inside and to my left, two bookshelves are lined with books that I can't make out right now. There is a small desk beyond that with papers and a book on top of it. Across from there in the far right corner from the door, there is a small bed with a nightstand.

As I look over the furniture it begins to look familiar. The cabinets, the stove, and the desk all strike a resemblance somehow. Then it hits me. Weeks ago, Madam Odette took me to the small city and handed me a stack of money. These are a few things that I picked out. Everything else is… I'm not sure. "Hey Red, are you there?" She snaps me back out of my thought, "Yes!" I'm still looking around trying to bring it all in. "Ok, good. Come have a seat, we have work to do."

I take a seat at the desk with the few papers and the book in front of me. Madam Delula walks around to grab the book and puts it on the shelf. "Ok, ok, let me think. Do we need this one? No, early history so this one." She grabs a red-bound book opening it and flips through a few pages. "Ok Red, today is going to be easy. I'm going to go over some history with you and let you get an idea of what we'll be doing so just turn around and listen for now. I may ask you questions and I hope you retained some of your history class." She smiles at me but I'm kind of nervous. I've never been in a one-on-one teaching environment. I'm just so used to a class setting that being the only one is unnerving.

She begins reading and her history begins with the Egyptians. More specifically the higher authorities to the kings and pharaohs who were their advisors. This is magic's first recorded step in history where simple incantations and practice began. It included small spells of the 4 basic elements to help shape and build the ancient cities. She continued into how it became used to try and bring the dead and influenced the Egyptian Gods that were worshiped and idolized. It got a little complicated for me when she tried to explain that the Nile River was the source of spring for their magical energy. She started rattling off a lot of Latin words that I tried to remember but some of the pronunciation was so off to me that it missed me completely. She continued though and I continued to listen as best I could. She moved into the advancement of Europe, to the dark ages, through the Renaissance, into and through wars, revolutions, industrialization, and the spread through the world up to about the early 1800s. I'm not 100% sure what I retained but she reassured me that while neat, not required for what she needs to teach me.

She continued to read through her book asking questions and keeping me engaged the entire time up to when I noticed that it had started turning red outside. I stood up stretching for a second to realize that the sun had started to set. The shadow from the mountain had taken over and quickly the room we were in was covered in its darkness. Madam Delula turned on a light so we could see but saw what time it was. We had missed lunch and almost dinner. "Oh wow, you listened to me ramble all day without falling asleep."

"It was really interesting. I would have never known most of that if you hadn't told me about it. I know the basic history but this is far more than what I expected."

"Well I am glad you liked it but history isn't what I'm here to teach. You're a day behind now so we'll have to catch up but I think we'll be able to do it. You seemed to grasp this pretty easily so I have high hopes for you." She smiles at me with beaming confidence, "Red, as your teacher and assigned caretaker, you are released for the day to do what you please. There should be dinner waiting for you. Tomorrow I expect you to wake up at your normal time and make it here by yourself. You're an adult, I trust you to take care of yourself. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Madam Delula."

I leave the cabin taking the trail back to the shed. It's the end of the day for me but there are still a few hours left for me to do things. I then remember that there is nothing for me to do. The staff is mostly gone for the day and those who are still around are still working. My routine consists of eating, waiting, then, when everything goes dark and cleaning myself up while keeping an eye out for the peeping Madam Odette. That in itself is a full-time job. I think for the first time I didn't feel anyone watching me. Either she's gotten better or I was able to keep myself hidden. It's easy to fall asleep tonight.