Making friends with someone from another world is like finding a hidden treasure, except, instead of gold and jewels, you get a young girl your age. Not only does this check out the childhood friend trope, but it also holds potential for some charming antics down the line.
"So... What magic were you doing just now?" Feuer asked curiously, snapping me out of my internal monologue.
"Hmm? Ah, that was Zoltraak!" I answered, striking a dramatic pose with my magic staff. "It's supposed to be this cool offensive spell, but it fizzled out like a lame firecracker today."
Feuer giggled, clearly amused by my antics. "Firecracker, you say? Like this?"
She outstretched her finger and fired a tiny spark into the air, which exploded in a display of colorful small sparkles. My jaw dropped upon seeing it, and I stared at her in awe.
"Whoa! That was awesome! How did you do that, Feuer?" I exclaimed, bouncing on my feet with excitement.
"It's just a little trick I learned," she explained, shrugging nonchalantly. "My magic focuses on the fire element, so making a mere light show isn't too hard."
"That's so cool! Can you teach me?" I asked eagerly, my eyes shining with anticipation.
Feuer smiled warmly. "Sure, but in return, you have to teach me how to cast Zoltraak. Deal?"
"Deal!"
As the agreement was set, a friendship was forged in the fires of curiosity and exchanging magic. We found a nice spot by the creek, and she began teaching the concept of her spell.
"Okay, Siegfried, here's the process," Feuer began, her tone slightly unnerving. "Imagine the nature of a tiny but ferocious flame held within the tip of your finger, like holding a piece of a wildfire, waiting to explode."
"Damn, that's kind of intense," I remarked, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "But let's see what I can do about it."
With her guidance in mind, I concentrated the mana on my magic staff, imagining the fire she described. A small spark flickered to life, so I fired it, wavering slightly before bursting into a modest display of colorful sparkles.
"Yes! I did it!" I cheered, watching the light show dissipate into the air. "This is so awesome!"
"Nice job, Siegfried," Feuer praised with a grin. "Now it's your turn to teach me Zoltraak."
I nodded eagerly, excited to share my understanding of the magic spell with Feuer.
"So, Zoltraak is all about concentrating your mana into a singular point and then releasing it as a beam of piercing light," I explained, trying to sound as clever as possible.
Feuer raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "I see. Let me give it a try."
"Just remember to imagine the spell like a cool laser beam penetrating through everything in its path," I instructed, flailing my hands around for dramatic effect.
Nodding understandingly, Feuer took a deep breath, concentrating her mana. Slowly, a small ball of light was created at her fingertips, growing brighter and more powerful. She pointed at a nearby rock and released the spell with a word.
"Zoltraak."
Just then a huge beam of light fired out, annihilating the rock into nothingness. Not only that, but the spell's aftermath left a trail of singed grass and a faint smell of ozone in the air.
"Holy moly! Feuer, that was awesome!" I exclaimed, my jaw dropping with amazement. "You nailed it on your first try!"
"Thanks, Siegfried," she took my compliment, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Your instructions were quite helpful."
"Heh, looks like we're going to be an unbeatable duo!" I declared, striking another cool pose.
Feuer giggled, adjusting her comically large hat. "I guess so... Well, what else do you want to practice, Siegfried?"
Accordingly, I considered what to say next, but before I could respond, some footsteps could be heard from a distance. I turned around and saw my father sprinting towards me.
"Siegfried, are you alright? I just heard a loud explosion coming from here," he inquired while panting heavily.
Surprised by his sudden appearance, I addressed him carefully, "I'm alright, Dad. It's just the Zoltraak my friend blasted."
"Friend? What friend?" he asked, tilting his head confusedly.
Furrowing my brow, I clarified, "My friend, she's over— Huh? Feuer? Where'd you go?"
As I turned to my side, Feuer was nowhere to be found. The only trace of her existence was the lingering smell of singed grass and a few sparks fading into the air. I scratched my head, feeling perplexed.
-------------------------------------------
Moments later, my father and I strolled back home, with me recounting every single detail of my encounter with Feuer as vividly as possible.
"So, there I was, Dad, about to destroy this rock with my Zoltraak," I began, waving my magic staff dramatically. "And then, out of nowhere, this young girl, Feuer, shows up beside me."
"Really? What does she look like?" Father asked curiously, his eyebrows raised in interest.
Stroking my chin, I tried to remember her appearance. "Well, she had this relatively long, ash-blonde hair that looked like it was kissed by sunset, and those pinkish-blue eyes, damn they are so mesmerizing. Oh, and you wouldn't believe the size of her hat! It was like a mushroom and a flower garden had a baby!"
"Sounds like quite an interesting person," Father remarked as he laughed lightly.
We continued walking forward, the sunlight filtering through the trees, creating some spotted shadows on the path.
"Did you two have fun?" Father continued asking, seemingly invested.
"Oh, you bet we did! She taught me this cool firecracker spell!" I exclaimed, demonstrating to him a sneak peek of the magic Feuer taught me. I shot a tiny spark and it burst like a colorful light show in the sky. "Pretty cool, huh?"
Father's eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, that's impressive, Siegfried!"
"But wait, Dad, there's more," I added while making jazz hands. "Remember you told me that you heard an explosion earlier?"
"Yeah, you said it was your friend who did it, right?" he speculated, still sounding intrigued.
"Bingo! Feuer nailed Zoltraak on her first try!" I exclaimed, my hands flailing in wonder. "She obliterated a rock into oblivion and left this epic trail of singed grass behind!"
We passed by a meadow, the grass swaying gently in the breeze. I couldn't help but replay the scene of the event in my mind, feeling the thrill of witnessing such raw magical power.
"She sounds like a natural mage," Father chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "But are you sure it's not just an exaggeration?"
"Dad... I swear on this magic staff of mine, it is the real deal!" I insisted, holding up my staff as if I was making a sacred oath from the Gods.
With a knowing smile on his face, Father patted me on the shoulder. "Alright, I get it now. If she's that talented, I can't wait to meet her someday. Perhaps she can teach you a thing or two about magic."
As we walked, the evening sun cast long shadows on the ground, making everything appear just a bit more mystical. I couldn't help but feel that today was a turning point, not just in my magic training but in my life generally.
Once we reached home, Father and I settled down for dinner. The smell of burger steak filled the air, and the clinking of utensils against bowls formed a lovely rhythm. My mind, however, was still buzzing with thoughts of Feuer and her incredible magic.
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After dinner, I staggered to my room, feeling drained from the day's events. Collapsing onto my bed, I stared at the ceiling, replaying my meeting with Feuer and the things we did today.
Today was unexpectedly fun. Learning magic with her was a blast, though her Houdini act when Father showed up was a bit of a bummer. She didn't even give me a heads-up before pulling her disappearing act.
"Whatever, I'll grill her about it tomorrow," I mumbled to myself, letting the thought simmer.
Just as I was drifting into a well-deserved sleep, I heard a faint, almost harmonious whisper coming from outside my window.
"Siegfried..."
I bolted upright, heart pounding. Who—or what—could it be?
Turning to the window, I widened my eyes.
"Feuer?!"