Breakfast with a Demon

   As Mia and Sabrina arrived at Lucell's house, Lucell spotted Sabrina helping Mia get around. "What happened!?" He shouted. "What happened to Miss Mia?!" He repeated.

   "Calm down Lucy, she is only temporarily blind." Sabrina said, trying to calm Lucell down. "Her magic test went a bit better than expected."

   "So that bright light earlier was Miss Mia?" Lucell asked.

   "Yep, short stack here is going to be a mage!" Sabrina smiled. "The Queen herself has taken over her training, and she shall begin in the morning. So, make sure she rests up tonight Lucy." With that Sabrina guides the still blinded Mia into Lucell's arms. "She should regain sight in an hour or so." With that Sabrina left, leaving Lucell and Mia alone.

   "Let's go inside Miss Mia." Lucell said as he guided her inside his house.

   "Did you see the light Lucy?!" Mia asked smiling. "It was so bright!"

   "That it was." Lucell agreed. "We have never had the orb react that way to anyone before, you must have an extremely strong echo." With that Lucell spoon fed her some food and cleaned up her face afterwards. Changed her clothes and put her to bed. During the night Mia acted the same as she did the night before. Latching herself on to Lucell in her sleep and staying there until the morning. When Mia woke up, she was greeted with breakfast and fresh clothing just like she had been previously. She dressed herself, now able to see again, and headed into the dining area to eat with Lucell. When she arrived in the room, she saw not only Lucell but also Morain. She had arrived early in the morning eager to start Mia's training.

   "Good morning!" Mia said with a smile bowing her head to the Queen. "It is an honor to see you so early my Queen."

   "I told you to stop that formal stuff with me Miss Mia." Morain said. "Your training starts now!"

   "But my Queen, her breakfast." Lucell interjected.

   "She can eat while we train." Morain answered. "This part of the training is just information anyway." With that Mia sat down and started to eat. "So, Mia, tell me do you know why humans have never been able to use magic?"

   Mia finished chewing her food and swallowed before answering. "Jasper said it had to do with humans having weak echoes I think?" Mia was having a hard time remembering so she just made something up on the fly.

   "Not quite." Morain explained. "Magic requires you to work with it, as it is a part of you and everything around you. You have to see yourself as part of something larger than yourself and move within that thought towards using magic."

   "What?" Mia did not understand what the Queen was trying to say. "I really don't understand. I'm sorry my Queen!"

   "Hmm, let me try to make it even simpler." Morain began to explain again. "Humans try to control everything around them; they view themselves as greater than everything else. As it is there right to rule all of creation. It is that belief that makes them deaf to the song of magic around them."

   "I kind of understand that." Mia said. "So, you can't think of magic as something you control, but instead as something that is like a partner?"

   "Exactly!" Morain rejoiced. "Think of magic like the wind, it is all around you, you feel it when you are outside, and it flows around everything. Humans with their train of thought have locked themselves inside a building away from the wind. Humans should still be able to use magic if they can embrace the wind."

   "So, you think I can learn this?" Mia asked.

   "I know you can." Morain answered. "You are not like other humans; you don't view yourself superior to anyone or anything else. That is key to understanding and using magic. I want you to try an exercise for me. Close your eyes and try to empty your mind. Now I want you to feel everything around you. To sense the magic, to feel the magic."

   Mia focused, clearing her mind. After a time, she began to sense things around her. She could start to see Lucell in her head and the Queen as well. She did not just see them however she saw towering flaming auras around both. Lucell had a blazing red aura like he was wrapped in flame and the Queen had one of bright white light. "I see you both! You both have such bright colors!"

   "Wait you can see our auras?!" The queen asked. "That's exceptional news!"

   "Is that something good?" Mia asked. "I just did as you asked."

   "Yes, not even I can sense the magical aura of someone." Morain explained. "That's why we made those orbs, like the one we tested you with." Morain calmed herself. "Now Mia I want you to focus again and see if you can expand the area you sense outside the house."

   Mia closed her eyes again and tried to expand her focus outside of the house. At first, she did not experience anything; however, after a time she was about to sense the trees, the grass, the insects, she could see all the life around her, she could feel their presence. "I see it!" Mia shouted. "I can see everything. Sabrina is hiding in a tree next to the house looking in on us."

   "Oh, is she now?" Morain smiled. "Looks like you pass your first test." Morain was quite pleased. "I had her use her stealth magic and hide, I wanted to see if you would be able to sense her. What you just did is called magic sense and it is an ability that all mages need to know."

   "It seems really useful!" Mia shouted, unable to contain her excitement learning a spell.

   "It is also the foundation on which all your other magic will be placed." Morain explained. "What you are sensing is the magic of life around you. You will need to tap into that magic to cast spells. But we will focus on that later, for now just finish your breakfast. I will go and dismiss Sabrina."

   "I am proud of you Miss Mia." Lucell said. "You have managed to impress the Queen; this is not a feat easily achieved."

   "Thank you, Lucy!" Mia smiled. "I just hope I won't let her down. She has been so nice to me, just like you have. I don't want to disappoint either of you."

   With that Lucell walked over and gave Mia a hug. "I grow fonder of you every day Miss Mia. I doubt you are capable of disappointing me." Lucell looked down at Mia and noticed she was crying. "What's wrong Miss Mia?! Did I do something to offend you?!"

   "No, it's just that this is the first time in my life I have had people actually care about me." Mia said while wiping away her tears. "I am so glad I met all of you." She smiled looking up at Lucell.

   This touched Lucell deeply which caused him to tighten his hug on Mia. "I am glad that we met you as well." He said as he was beginning to squeeze the life out of Mia.

   Just then Morain walked back into the room to see Lucell hugging a Mia that was starting to turn blue. "LUCY!" Morain yelled. With that he quickly ended his hug and Mia collapsed on the floor. "Why were you squeezing the poor girl to death!"

   Lucell did not realize he was hurting Mia. "Oh, Goddess what have I done!" He shouted as he looked at the passed-out Mia on the floor.

   Morain ran over to check Mia's pulse. "She's still alive, just passed out." Morain explained. With that Morain picked Mia up and draped her over her shoulder. "I will be taking Mia now, as soon as she wakes up it will be time to train." Morain said as she exited the house with an unconscious Mia on her shoulder.