The Gifted Student

My day starts as is the usual, the sun comes up, hits my eyes, and blinds me awake. I stretch, pop, and try to wake up as quickly as I can because either Madam Odette or Madam Delula will come after me if I'm late. Unlike Madam Odette, Madam Delula likes to sleep way past when she should. Lucky for me that she leaves her notes out and books that I need. Today she's picked something that seems to focus on the Air element. It's more precise than the beginner one. It seems to focus more on control and flow almost like running it through an obstacle course. It's weird but I have a feeling that I may be able to get this.

I let Madam Delula sleep while I read at the desk. I have a feeling that this is going to be the new routine for us. I read for a couple of hours then go outside and practice on my own until she wakes up where she will then refine it and teach me something related and new. The theory behind this is rather simple. Use focal points to bring the energy out then focus it from point to point and move the energy that is already being expelled. It's a controlled wind, is what it breaks down to.

I head outside with the book giving it another skim over to get the focal points correct. It takes me a few tries to get a light breeze going but once I do I'm able to constantly do it. Next up is the control. I try and try to get it to change direction but I seem to be having an issue keeping the focal points and shifting it to another point after it is expelled. I take a seat on the grass looking over the chapter again looking for anything I may have missed and sure enough, I was able to find it. My problem is that I am releasing the energy straight away instead of keeping control of it the entire time. Now, this might be where I need help.

I go back inside not trying to be quiet but Madam Delula is still out. "She can't be that heavy of a sleeper." I move around to make some noise but she never woke up. "Well, whatever. I'll look at this more myself." I head back outside and get hit by a small gust of breeze. I hold onto the book to make sure that I don't lose my place when I have a realization. I've been trying to drag the breeze but in nature, something pushes the air from behind. Not a bad idea to try so I give it a shot.

I take my focus and push the energy keeping control. I'm able to get it to travel and take a slight turn to the right before it dissipates. I try again making it take a sharper turn this time to the left. I think I'm getting it. I'm going to try something and see if I can do it. If I can, then I am pretty sure I can quickly knock this off of my list. I release the energy to my right, have it take a hard left to go sideways to me, then continue holding and push for another left. I release my focus and let the soft breeze go across my face. I continue to play with it until I'm able to constantly keep it going where no matter how many turns I make, no matter how far it stretches, I am still in control of it. To make it more challenging I pick up and juggle a leaf around the grass keeping it low but off the ground.

I was so engrossed in my play that I didn't notice Madam Delula behind me until I turned to the cabin while walking this leaf. I see her standing there with her hand over her mouth and I lose my focus on what I'm doing. I can't tell if she's stunned or disappointed. "Red, you were able to go through all three of my lesson plans already?"

"Three? I only found the one with the controlled breeze."

"You… wait, only one? Only that one? What book are you reading?"

"Yes, Madam Delula. I was only able to find this one."

I hand her the book where her skepticism turns to disbelief, "Oh my god. Lady Odette, I just don't know what to do."

I'm slightly confused. Why is she talking to Madam Odette? She's not… "Delula, what's wrong?" I immediately jumped out of my fur, "Oh shit!"

Madam Odette was there. She was standing right next to me. I didn't see her come up. I didn't hear her. Nothing! She wasn't there and then she was. "Red, language." I stutter through the scare, "Y-you weren't there a-a-a-and then you were and… Oh my god, what is happening to me?" Slight panic attack from being scared. That's what that is. I forget that she seems to be everywhere at the same time watching everything. I step back a little to catch my breath keeping my ears open while the two of them talk about me. "Lady Odette, I can't teach him. I just can't." I'm confused. Madam Odette seems to be as well. "What's wrong, Delula?"

She burst out in a loud voice, "He's too smart for me! He mastered a level 4 lesson in two or three hours with no assistance. He didn't need assistance and figured out two lessons on his own."

"What do you mean? I'm not sure I get it."

Delula calmed herself, "I planned to start him with a level 2 air lesson, move to 3, and see how he did, but he mastered a level 4, skipping from 1 to 4, with no assistance. I can't keep up with him. I cannot plan for his type of advancement. His learning ability is just amazing."

Madam Odette looks over to me, "Red, show me what you did."

"Y-yes Madam Odette."

I feel nervous now. I pick up a leaf from the ground and twirl it trying to get my mind off of the pressure and onto the skill. With a deep breath, I clear my mind enough that I can repeat my process. I go to place the leaf on the ground but it never actually touches the ground. It floats on a small puff of air slowly bobbing around. With a quick change in the wind, I begin walking the leaf around the grass again. I go around the two of them keeping it close to them so they see. I keep it up until I make a full lap around the small area in front of the cabin. As the leaf touches the ground Madam Odette turns to Madam Delula, "I think I see your point."

"He's crazy smart. I spent 9 hours yesterday on a plan that should have at least taken until noon but as you saw he learned it in under three hours on his own. You wanted him to learn three months of university-level magic in three weeks and he's able to do it in three days."

"Do you have a lesson plan for tomorrow?"

"I had a rough idea but it's not polished."

"Do you think you can pull it together today?"

"I might be able to. I mean, if he can grasp something without assistance he should be ok."

"Ok, I'll leave him in your hands. Teach him what you can and release him when you are done. Red, keep up the good work. You've set a high standard for yourself. Don't let me down now."

Madam Odette leaves me in the care of Madam Delula once again. I look over and she is pacing back and forth mumbling to herself trying to piece together something to teach me. I stand there watching her waiting for something. She finally stops to look at me, "Ok, I'm going to take a shot in the dark on this one." She quickly disappeared inside to grab a book. She hands it to me, "Start reading from the third section." I question if she's lost her grip on the situation but do what I was told.

The third section of the book she handed me starts with a complex idea of taking water from the air, breaking it down to mist, then heating it to steam all in one go. I slowly read over it going over the information, the focal points, ratios of certain elements, and the reaction process to make it happen. I spend a good half hour looking it over sometimes jumping back a few pages to reread something I think I missed. After that half hour, I reach the end of the section leading. Before I can continue Madam Delula grabs the book from me, "Did you get it?"

"I believe so."

"Try it. Right here, right now."

She's putting an awful lot of pressure on me for some reason. She did seem rather interested in how quickly I've been able to process everything. Either way, she gave me an order. I take my focus and get the points mentioned for the elements I need. It's an odd mix of water, air, and fire to make the steam. The water mixes with the air making it easy to heat. The fire heats and turns it into steam. I focus as hard as I can mixing the water and air turning it into a thick vapor. I take the fire focus and slowly inject it into the mix I have created. I see it starting to swirl as it begins affecting it and sure enough in no time I have a small ball of steam. I add a bit more water making it thicker and easier to see. Madam Delula looks almost disappointed. I did however make one error. That was adding the extra water.

A little bit of real-world physics that I learned in school. When you heat water into steam the steam will expand to escape to a lower pressure zone or cooler air. But then you put a lid over the container and boil the water the pressure will increase inside the container until something gives, either the lid or the side. In my case, at this moment, the air casing that I contained it in is similar to what I can only guess as glass without the shards. I felt something weird before it happened. I can't describe it other than popping a joint before there was a loud hiss as Madam Delula and I were engulfed in steam.

It expanded fast enough that it quickly cooled down and dissipated but not before both of us had to feel it. I cough a little bit of the water that got into my lungs before I can speak again, "I'm sorry! I accidentally made a vapor bomb!" Madam Delula was far enough away that she didn't get any of it in her lungs. Just covered in a light mist. She sighs heavily while looking at me, "Well, there's all I have. That took what? 30 minutes? Good god Red, what are you?"

"Just a fox Madam Delula."

"I'm not sure if I'd be able to teach you anything that you couldn't learn on your own."

"Anything on combat application?"

"Combat? What does Lady Odette have you doing?"

"Nothing like that, just curious."

"Well since you asked, no. I don't do stuff like that. I only teach theory and practical application. For something like that you would need someone who's trained and knows how to train someone. I don't think I know anyone off the top of my head. I keep to scholars."

"Never hurts to ask."

"No, it doesn't." She looks around the area, "Well, I can't think of anything to teach you. Is there something you want to try and learn?"

I ponder for a second before I remember, "Actually there is."