Raveer lived near Vasir and Tabatha's house with his uncle and aunt, who were far from kind. Ever since his parents had died, Raveer had been living under their roof, but not out of any goodwill on their part. His uncle and aunt had taken him in solely to lay claim to the house left to Raveer. Though they might have made him feel like a burden, he found solace in Vasir and Tabatha's home. Vasir and Raveer had been best friends from the time they were small, long before life became complicated. And Tabatha, ever warm and caring, adored Raveer, treating him as if he were another grandson. He spent most of his days there, helping Tabatha with her healing practice and playing and training with Vasir.
"Wash your hands too, Raveer. Let's eat," Tabatha instructed, her voice soft but firm.
Raveer barely had time to react before she stepped closer, her gaze scrutinizing his tousled hair. "Wait, just a moment," she said, reaching into her apron pocket and producing a comb. "Look at that raggedy hair of yours! I swear, you boys are a menace."
With gentle but insistent hands, Tabatha gripped his chin, taming his unruly hair into a neat, respectable style. "There," she said, giving him a satisfied nod. She kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Now, let's eat!"
Raveer grinned. Despite his lack of magical talent, he had a knack for physical feats that Vasir often joked made him a "meathead"—a title Raveer didn't mind. If anything, Tabatha adored this side of him.
The three of them settled around the table to enjoy Tabatha's cooking. She'd prepared a savory meat and vegetable soup, garnished with fresh cilantro and served with crusty bread. As they began to eat, Spike, their scrappy little dog, ran over and took his place by the table.
Raveer, true to his nature, dove in with gusto, tearing at the bread and slurping his soup loudly. "Slow down, Raveer," Tabatha chided gently. "You'll choke on the bread like you always do."
"Sure, Ammi, but it's just so delicious!" he exclaimed, not slowing a bit.
Vasir, observing with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, sighed, muttering, "Life must be blissful when you're as dense as Raveer."
"Hey, you should eat more, Vasir, or you won't have enough energy to train today!" Raveer replied, soup dripping down his chin.
Vasir gave him a pointed look. "Maybe you should consider eating less, so all that food won't clog up your brain."
The comment had Raveer in stitches, laughing with his mouth full, crumbs scattering as he choked out a laugh. Even Tabatha chuckled, reaching over to pat his head. "Excellent," Vasir muttered with mock frustration, watching the two.
Turning to Vasir, Tabatha's expression softened. "You know, you should try to be more like Raveer sometimes, Vasir. You take things too seriously. You're only 10, after all. There's plenty of time to find your talent, especially after your awakening ceremony. Right now, just focus on the basics—building your mana reserve and mastering your control."
"What happens at the awakening ceremony, anyway?" Raveer asked, sounding genuinely curious.
Vasir rolled his eyes. "Did you forget already? Ammi explained it a month ago. Multiple times, in fact."
Tabatha laughed. "It's alright, Vasir. When you're 13, you'll visit the nearby church and undergo the awakening ceremony with the priest. It will help you uncover your talents and guide your abilities. But it's probably best if I explain the details after you've been awakened," she said with a twinkle in her eye.
After a leisurely breakfast filled with laughter and banter, Tabatha announced, "Time for training!"
At the word "training," both boys straightened up, feeling a blend of excitement and dread. Though Tabatha was a kind-hearted healer, her training sessions were anything but gentle. Her rigorous program balanced magical and physical training. Vasir excelled in magic, while Raveer shone in close-range combat, making each boy uneasy about the other's strength.
"Let's start with magic," Tabatha instructed, leading them outside.
They each took their places, a pot of icy water suspended above them, tied to a rope. The other end of the rope was secured to a torch near the ceiling. The goal: use their magic to keep the rope wet, preventing it from burning and dumping the freezing water on their heads.
"Can't we use warm water?" Raveer asked, shivering slightly at the thought.
"Nope," Tabatha replied, smirking. "Then you wouldn't take it seriously."
Years ago, they had started this exercise with candles and thick ropes. Now, they faced full torches and ropes thin enough to snap in seconds if they weren't careful. Both boys had learned the basics of water conjuring, but the challenge here was maintaining a steady, precise stream of mana to keep the rope damp without exhausting their reserves.
As the torches flared to life, Raveer began sweating almost instantly. Vasir, calm and focused, released a steady trickle of water onto his rope. Raveer, however, expended too much mana too quickly. Within minutes, the rope above him snapped, and the pot dumped ice-cold water all over him.
"Arghhhh, Ammi! This is just plain rude!" he shouted, shivering as Vasir conjured a playful breeze to make him colder.
"Stoo...oop that!" Raveer's teeth chattered as he glared at his friend. Vasir just smirked, maintaining his control while Raveer started over.
Minutes turned into nearly an hour as they struggled to keep their ropes intact. Finally, as Vasir's rope burned through and soaked him as well, Tabatha returned, nodding approvingly. "Not bad, boys," she said—a high compliment by her standards.
After a short break, they moved on to strength training. Tabatha's backyard held a large herb garden, which needed to be watered. The boys' task: fetch water from the well using heavy, weighted buckets. A hundred trips later, Raveer finished his portion, grinning as Vasir lagged behind.
The last part of their training was combat. "Hand-to-hand, go all out!" Tabatha instructed with a mischievous smile. "I'll heal any bruises after."
Raveer's face lit up, mirroring Tabatha's grin. Vasir glanced between them, frowning. "Are you sure Raveer isn't somehow related to you, Ammi?" he wondered aloud, slightly concerned.
With a laugh, Tabatha signaled them to start.