Way of The Wand

Jira wasn’t expecting another knock on her door so late in the night, evidenced by the sleeping gown and bonnet on her head. She slopped from her room to get the door, grumbling in the dim lights of her home’s lamps.

“Tomi.” Jira blinked away her sleep. What an unexpected guest. “Is everything okay? Come on in.”

Jira peeked around for Timi, since he was usually her chaperone.

“I’m alone,” Tomi said, inferencing from Jira’s stares into the darkness that she was looking for her brother.

“Oh,” Jira said, pulling her head back in.

She closed the door after Tomi and ushered the young lady a seat.

“Sorry to bother you this late at night,” Tomi apologised as she settled down.

“Your presence is always welcome here,” Jira responded, “any time of day.”

Jira went down on the raffia chair opposite Tomi, only to stand up again immediately as if she suddenly remembered something important.

“Can I get you anything?”

“No need Jira. I won’t be here long. It’s just, I couldn’t sleep.”

It made sense that she was having trouble sleeping. She had to face Daila in the morning. That would give anyone a sleepless night.

“If you can’t sleep, perhaps what you need is a good cup of tea.”

She hastened to the kitchen before Tomi could stop her, and then returned with a cup of tea which she placed on a stool by Tomi’s feet.

“My Dad used to make that for me as a kid whenever I had trouble sleeping.”

Tomi took a sip and groaned. “Hot,” she complained.

“Let it cool,” Jira suggested.

Tomi dropped the wooden cup and raised her face to Jira. “Your father, you almost never talk about him. Is he okay?”

Jira smiled. “He is fine, I’m sure, I think.”

“You don’t know where he is?”

“Not really. But as we speak, he probably doesn’t know where he is either.”

When Tomi squeezed her eyes in confusion Jira chuckled and explained.

“My Dad was a sailor before he met my Mum. He stopped while they were married, but when they got divorced, he took up his old job again. Said he needed to return to doing what he loved. I tried to convince him to stay, but I guess he just didn’t want to be anywhere near Mum. Now he’s out there on the seas where he’s happy, exploring the world.”

“Do you know when he’s coming back?” Tomi’s voice was laden with concern for her teacher.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him in a really, really, long time, but I did receive a letter from him last year. It sounded like he was happy, and that’s good enough for me. I of all people know how important it is do follow your heart.”

“Something tells me you’ll see him again soon,” Tomi said.

“I hope so. I miss him more than he knows.”

Tomi tried her tea again thinking it should have cooled enough already. It had, and she went all in, draining almost half the cup in one sip.

“I want to talk about Daila,” Tomi said,

Jira flinched at the sharp change in topic. “What about her?”

“You put me through the forest training exercise to teach me to lean into my strengths, to use my creativity, my environment, every tool available to me to win a fight. But I didn’t pass that test just because I used every tool in the box, I did because I knew my opponents, knew them well, their strengths, their quirks and their weaknesses. I got past Lila using her fear of bugs. I escaped Fola because I knew he had a penchant for talking too much.” Tomi paused, and the look on her face darkened. “I don’t know all that much about Daila and I’m sure she doesn’t know much about me either but, I don’t want to go in blind.”

The wisdom in Tomi’s words was undeniable. Preparing for a fight wasn’t all about practising new skills and spells. Opponent research was just as important, studying their strengths and analysing their skills.

“You’re wise beyond your years Tomi,” Jira said.

She sat up on her chair. “Daila is one of the strongest wizards in Edoh, but you knew that already. What you might not be aware of however is, her spell casting is limited. She doesn’t have the kind of range we witches have when it comes to spells. Wizards traded off that versatility for the ability to cast spells without wands. So, like most wizards, Daila relies most heavily on weapons manifestation and elemental control, and she uses telekinesis and flight to augment those abilities.”

“What about other wizard abilities like intangibility, invisibility and illusions?”

“As far as I know, Daila hasn’t mastered casting illusions yet. It’s what wizards learn in their final three years in Airad, and Daila is only in her tenth. As for intangibility and invisibility, I don’t think you have to worry about Daila using those abilities against you. She hates them, and for good reason. They are consequential abilities, but with equally consequential cut backs. Wizards are unable to breathe while intangible, just as they can’t see while invisible. But Daila’s dislike for those abilities goes beyond that. She believes they’re beneath her, that they’re abilities only cowards need. She’s not the type of person who’s afraid to take a hit, so she never bothers to make herself intangible. And as far as invisibility is concerned, she wants you to see her when she fights you. She doesn’t hide, never.”

Tomi drained her cup empty. “Sounds like she’s going to be hard to beat.”

“She’s not going to be a walk over that’s for sure,” Jira agreed, “but I saw you back there in the forest. You’re ready Tomi. You will beat her.”

“And I’m going to do it with style,” Tomi added, returning her cup to the stool and getting up.

“I should go now; I promised my parents I wouldn’t be long.”

Jira got up after her. “You need me to walk you?”

Tomi stopped at the door. “No, that won’t be necessary, it’s a ten-minute walk. And I have a feeling I’ve already kept you up too long.”

She hugged Jira goodbye and took her leave.