Pointing at Monica, her radiant smile illuminated her ample-bodied and heavy-set frame, adding an irresistible charm to her appearance. The vibrant hue of her pink hair complemented the warmth in her eyes, creating a captivating contrast. The generosity of her grin seemed to stretch across her face, creating a welcoming and attractive aura that captivated those around her. "There are two of them! This one surpassed all others during the events of her tychomancy evaluation, showing her mastery at a young age, while this young man," she pointed at Von, "not only achieved a similar feat in chronomancy, but was more capable in arithmancy than we are able to determine."
Brook returned to Monica who felt a rush of excitement at this news. "Where are your parents?"
Monica's eyes moved to her feet. "I don't know. They should be following the king right now toward Marsgate, but since we've moved in time, I don't know exactly when nor where they are. If we're back far enough, they are still in Milltown."
Brook's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she started twisting the end of her long blue hair between the fingers of her left hand. Her eyes widened slightly, and a subtle crease formed on her forehead, expressing her perplexed state. The usual calm and composed demeanor of an examiner gave way to a moment of uncertainty, and her lips may have slightly parted in a subtle expression of puzzlement. The overall impression was that of a woman caught off guard, searching for understanding in a moment of confusion. "Time travel? What do you mean, and where is Milltown?"
She looked at Brook and realized only four people know about the events discovered by Master Poralis. Looking to Oren who shook his head slightly, she attempted to salvage the situation and not cause worries to those who were unaware of the happenings, "Um, Von and I were shifted back about two weeks in time. So, we're not quite sure where anyone is at this moment."
"Oh, that makes sense," beamed Brook smiled in understanding. "Is Milltown far from here, or are you just here to attend the academy?"
"Milltown is a fair bit from the bog. It gets its name from the mills along Mill Creek which power them. We have two grist mills, a bark mill, a sawmill, and a fulling mill, so the town was named 'Milltown' and the creek, 'Mill Creek.' We travelled by carriage. So, between the time shift and the ride, I can't really say exactly how far it is."
"Well, I am certain your parents will be extremely proud of the results of your magical aptitude test. Tychomancers are among the rarest of all wizards, and we are happy to have discovered you. Did you know, most tychomancers end up lost due to a mishap occurring before they receive adequate training or warnings." Brook's brilliant smile toward Monica seemed to enhance the meaning of her words as though Monica was a valuable diamond or chest full of treasure she found before all the rest of the world knew it existed.
Monica's long, flowing dirty-blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders as she cast a questioning look at the blue-hair woman. She gently tilted her head causing strands of hair to sway gracefully, framing her face. The inquisitive glint in her eyes added depth to her expression, as if she were contemplating something intriguing. "What kind of mishap could happen to someone whose magic is being able to control luck?"
With a calming sigh and not wanting to alarm the young girl, Brook knelt down. "Well, imagine one of your chores is to fetch water from Mill Creek, okay?"
"I don't have to imagine. Fetching water is one of my chores. I do it every day," said the smaller girl.
"Well, what if you had a long walk and you really thought about how nice it would be for the creek to be beside your house instead of so far away? With strong enough luck magic, almost anything could happen. Perhaps a boulder rolls into the creek diverting the flow of the creek into the house and washes you downstream, or an earthquake takes place causing a fissure to open under re-routing the creek through it."
Monica tilted her head to the side. "I can swim pretty good, and I like talking walks, so I don't mind fetching the water."
With a sigh of mild exasperation, Brook tried another avenue. "Another example would be, if your grandmother's house was up on a hill, and you really, really, wanted her house to be closer to you, so you could visit her more often. It could rain really hard and wash your grandmother's house down off the hill and land on top of you or wishing you could fly so you can get there faster, only to discover too late, you don't know how to land. These things probably account for more undiscovered tychomancers than we know about. I hope this helps you understand the dangers of not getting properly trained."
As she pondered over what Brook told her, a sudden spark of realization flickered across her face. Her gaze intensified, and her features softened as if a puzzle had finally fallen into place. It was a moment of clarity, as if a new understanding had dawned upon her, revealing a previously unseen perspective. In that instance, Monica's youthful innocence merged with the wisdom of newfound comprehension, creating a poignant expression that hinted at the beauty of learning and growing. "I think I understand. You're saying if I use my magic, I can make things worse or hurt people I care about, even myself if I don't know what I'm doing and don't learn how to use it the right way."
Von stepped over to Monica and smiled at her before saying, "I think you already did once. When I was looking back through time while I was attuning to my hourglass, I saw us sparring in the yard behind the workshop. Every time I had a plan that might succeed or when my sword could have hit you, I was surrounded by something red in my visions. Sometimes it was just my foot, or my sword, then finally, my entire body was surrounded, and I ended up being hurt."
The fact he was able to notice the extension of her aura surprised all of the wizards there. The two children had to be close in order for it to be so pronounced. If they were of the same affinities, they might be able to perceive the auras of one another, as they willed the energy around, but to sense and understand the color was incredible for such a youth, particularly untrained. The group of examiners began looking at one another and back to the children as the two of them caused so many questions in the mind of the adults.
At this same time, Monica was completely engrossed in her memories of those events when her eyes widen in realization. Several times during their sparring, she practically begged not to be hit by his sword. A wave of panic swept across her face as the gravity of her actions set in. She had indeed put more energy into not being hit by his final blow. When he raised his sword, her only desire was to not let his hit her sword. A sudden knot tightened in her stomach, and her features contorted with worry. In that moment, her innocence was overshadowed by a sense of concern and guilt. It was her fault Von was paralyzed.
"I'm sorry Von. I didn't know what I was doing." Her eyes darted around the room, seeking confirmation or reassurance, but the weight of the realization lingered. The air became charged with an anxious energy as Monica grappled with the possibility that she might have unintentionally hurt her best friend. Her once carefree atmosphere transformed into a tense one, highlighting the vulnerability of youth when faced with the consequences of actions she might have caused harm to someone who was family to her. She started shaking uncontrollably as she looked for help. "Brook...."
Before she could finish this thought, Von stopped her. "When we fell into the hole in the swamp, I could see the red coming from you again. When we chose to follow the water, the red aura was coming off you again. So, your magic didn't just hurt me, it made me better than I was before all this. I can still be a knight, but because of you and your magic, I can be a knight-wizard!" He said triumphantly, "Knight-wizards are even better than just being a knight, so you don't need to feel bad. Even if you hurt me. You made it better already like you always do just by being you. Just because you didn't know what you were doing doesn't matter. You are still a great person who would never mean to hurt me, and I knew it."
The rest of the room looked on and this display of courage and emotion from such a young boy. Obviously the two held a special place for the other in their hearts. Wondering if his announcement to her would be enough to prevent something terrible from happening, they watched hesitantly as Monica's initial panic slowly gave way to a different emotion as she delved deeper into the situation. With a sense of trepidation, she sought more information, and as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, relief washed over her like a soothing wave. Her eyes, once filled with worry, softened with understanding.
Upon realizing that, despite the unintentional harm she had caused Von, things were improving for him, a weight lifted from Monica's shoulders. A subtle smile played on her lips as gratitude and reassurance replaced the earlier distress. In this moment of relief, Monica discovered the resilience of relationships and the power of positive change, transforming her initial anxiety into a newfound sense of hope.
Seeing her expression change, he wasn't sure what to do, but her mother would have hugged her, but since her mother wasn't there, he hugged her instead and whispered, "no matter what, you are still my best friend, Monica."