Way of The Wand

Tomi upped her pace. After her brother she avoided any further confrontations, changing direction when she spotted someone or when she felt someone had spotted her.

This new plan worked, and she soon came into view of the forest’s south exit.

Her legs had gone heavy from fatigue, but the sight of the forest’s exit gave her the little boost of energy she needed.

She jubilated as she crossed the last line of trees, planting her feet firmly on the bank of the Red River.

She exhaled, pouring out a breath of relief.

“You’ve not won yet,” a calm voice called out to her.

Tomi’s shoulders dropped. That voice was unmistakably Jira’s, and when she lifted her face to look, Tomi was confronted with an imposing image— Jira hovering on a broom above a line drawn in the sand.

The rush of adrenaline in her veins as she waded through the forest had made her forget about the biggest threat she could face— Jira.

Tomi bit her lip. She ought to have foreseen this. Of course, Jira would be the last obstacle, the impossible obstacle to overcome, and just when she thought she’d claimed victory.

“Cross that line,” Jira said using a hand to point to the line below, “and you win.”

Tomi sighed.

The space between her and the line in the sand spanned a little over fifty meters. It seemed small, but with Jira on a broom, reaching it would prove incredibly difficult.

“What are you waiting for?” Jira shouted down from the air, “your classmates are still coming behind you. If they catch up, you lose.”

Tomi flexed her arms and legs. She’d come this far already and was not about to back down now.

She broke into a run, and as expected Jira swooped down towards her.

Tomi fired off a spell in Jira’s direction to ward her off, but her teacher merely leaned to one side to evade and pushed forward.

Tomi’s desperation made her blast out a round of spells without aiming. All she wanted to do was keep Jira away.

It failed, with Jira twisting, leaning and turning to dodge the lucky shots that came close.

With one hand wrapped tightly around her broom, Jira caught Tomi half-way to the line with her free hand, lifted the younger lady into the air and flew her all the way back to the edge of the forest before dropping her to the ground.

“Try again,” Jira said, lifting higher into the air and flying back to the line.

Tomi returned to her feet and dusted herself off. She tried again, putting more power into her run this time, but like a hawk sweeping down on a helpless chick, Jira caught her again and took her back to the starting point.

“Again!” Jira shouted as she returned to her position.

Tomi pounded the ground with her fists.

“Alright,” she whispered to herself. “I’m going to make it this time.”

She took to her heels yet again, and when Jira swooped down on her this time, Tomi dropped to the ground and rolled under Jira’s arm.

Jira grasped nothing but air and shrieked but quickly recovered. She made a U-turn on her broom and pressed after the escaping Tomi.

Tomi put in everything she had into this run, knowing Jira was racing behind her.

She passed the half mark, but just then Jira caught on and using the tail end of her broom, hit Tomi to the floor.

“Nice try,” Jira told Tomi as the latter scurried back to her feet, “but you’re going to need to think of something better than that.” She picked Tomi by her shirt and flew her back to the beginning point.

Tomi’s body crushed the soft soil on the river bank as Jira released her to the ground. She stayed down, having had enough. If she got up and ran again, the outcome would be the same. Jira would snatch her mid-race and throw her down here again. There was no point in punishing herself any further.

But then a voice nagged in her head, telling her to get up.

Tomi closed her eyes and tried to shut it out, but it only grew louder and louder, until it felt like all the witches in Edoh were chanting for her to rise.

If she continued to stay down, she would prove Leonaria right. Right that she was nothing but a naïve girl way in over her head.

The voice in her head was right. Get up.

Tomi rose from the ground with renewed resolution. She removed her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the sky, all the while focusing her eyes on the Red River.

What she planned to do was risky, but she was confident she could pull it off.

A chorus of voices broke out behind her, not far off into the cluster of trees. Her classmates were catching up to her and Jira was blocking her path ahead.

It was now or never.

“Fog!” Tomi said, her voice sounding like steel.

A fog covered the river bank, blotting out everything from view.

Even with the cover of the fog, there was no time to waste. Jira would probably clear it out in no time.

Tomi backed up to a tree and whispered “bend” while pointing her wand at it.

The masquerade tree bent over backwards, and Tomi stepped on the tip.

She felt the fog start to clear, which meant Jira had already cast a reverse spell. The chattering voices behind grew louder, which meant her classmates had almost reached her.

“Release,” Tomi said to the tree, vaulting into the air as the tree slingshot her into the sky, just as the fog cleared out.

Jira watched mouth open as Tomi surged over her.

It was terrifying yet breathtaking.

Tomi arced in the air and cannonballed into the river, splashing fits of water everywhere.

“Tomi!” Jira screamed and sped on her broom to Tomi’s rescue, but the younger lady’s head popped out an instant later.

“I’m good,” Tomi said smiling as she swam for the bank.

Applause rang out from the line of trees just fifty meters away.

Tomi waddled out of the water and looked up. Her classmates had seen her stunt, and they all looked thrilled.

Jira got down and dematerialized her broom, her face switching to an expression Tomi found hard to read.

“Tomi Afolabi,” Jira said, and the class went silent in anticipation. “You are ready.”

With the training exercise concluded, Jira took her students back home.