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[19:08:31] *ZapKat122 has signed on*

[19:08:32] ZapKat122: Anthony?

[19:08:36] sylver_drake290: Yes?

[19:08:38] ZapKat122: Hey! :D

[19:08:44] sylver_drake290: Hey. You on your way?

[19:08:49] ZapKat122: Yep. I'm just outside the apartment complex.

[19:08:53] sylver_drake290: Alright. I'm down in the training room.

[19:09:02] ZapKat122: Gotcha. Glad to see you got SIC installed without a problem. :b

[19:09:10] sylver_drake290: Same. I was lucky to have you there to help me out.

[19:09:14] ZapKat122: Anything for a friend, Anthony. :3

[19:09:17] ZapKat122: I'm heading in, alright? I should be down in a minute or two.

[19:09:20] sylver_drake290: Kay. I'll be waiting for you.

With a soft snap, I shut my phone, taking a deep breath of the thick night air. I could still smell the petrichor practically dripping from my surroundings, the cool breeze of the evening urging me to slip into the lobby.

I open the glass door with my free paw, looking to the desk behind which I expect Alfred to be standing. To my surprise, he wasn't.

"Good evening," sighs an unfamiliar voice, the young fox standing behind the counter seeming to direct his greeting at me.

"Good evening," I parrot as I step over to the small reception counter.

"Who are you here to see?" he queries, the gleam of his distinct green eyes striking a chord of unease in my chest.

"I'm one of Master Nightfang's students. I came by to use the practice room," I reply, shuffling in place nervously as his steely gaze bores into me.

"Ah, I see. David Everton?"

I nod.

"I've got you on file right here. Photo ID we have registered seems to match up with you, so you can go right through."

"Th-Thank you," I pause, scanning his uniform for a name tag, "Miilah."

A faint smile traces the fox's lips.

"Have good evening, David," he purrs, the distinct change of his tone sending a shiver down my spine.

I hastily scuttle to the elevator door and call it with rapid presses of the button labeled by a downward arrow.

Fortunately, it doesn't take too long to arrive at the ground floor, my finger instinctively pressing the button labeled "B7" as I slip into the confines of the metallic cylinder.

The doors shut promptly, whisking me down to the training room floor in a matter of moments.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes and allowing myself a moment of respite.

Don't be so nervous, Dave. Everything will be fine. Just remember to keep calm and let your aether flow. No point in getting all choked up risking something bad happening.

The quiet sigh of the opening elevator doors brings me back from my thoughts, the sleek black door to the training room looming ahead of me.

C'mon, Dave. You can do this. Nothing will go wrong. Just chill.

Hesitant steps carry me to the door, my stiff arm raising up and bringing my knuckles to the door, three hollow knocks resounding before I awkwardly slip my paws into my pockets.

The door quickly unlocks before being swung ajar.

"Hey! Glad to see you came," announces the drake standing in the door way, a broad smile painted onto his muzzle.

"Th-Thanks for inviting me to practice with you," I reply, trying to relax myself.

"We've both got some learning to do, so I figured why not help one another out? Besides, it's the least I could do for you having been so kind to me."

How kind I've been...?

"Alright, we should probably get started," he comments, stepping aside to let me in.

I walk into the training room, the same dim light as usual keeping the room steeped in a tone of calm.

I set my bag on my seat before hastily slipping out of my hoodie.

"Alright, I'm ready," I sigh, adjusting my shirts collar before pushing my glasses back into place.

"Good good. How about we start with where we left off in class?" he replies as he meanders to my side.

"Concentrating on the flow of aether?"

He nods.

"Yeah. You seemed to be pretty good at it," he compliments, nudging me gently.

"Th-Thanks," I stammer.

Anthony pauses, seeming to have picked up on my nervous disposition.

"You alright, Dave?"

I shuffle in place diffidently.

"Y-Yeah."

He furrows his brow and grimaces.

"I don't believe you."

I sigh nervously, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I'm just nervous about messing up. I know I haven't yet but now I'm practicing with you and I'm worried that I won't be able to do any of the stuff you can and that I'll just look like an idiot and-"

"Hey hey hey, listen to me," he interjects, moving in front of me.

"There's no reason to worry about messing up, okay? I saw how well you were casting the first time we were asked to demonstrate. You let it all out of you with a force that any drake would be proud of. Plus, you can already focus faster than me. Just cause I can do some other stuff you can't do yet doesn't mean you'll look like an idiot. We've all gotta start somewhere, right? No one is born knowing how to do any of these things. So take a deep breath for me and just relax, alright? We're here to help on another along, not make each other feel bad."

I wrap my arms around his waist and nuzzle into his chest.

"Thanks, Anthony."

We just stood there like that for a while, the warmth of his body enveloping my own as my worry melted away like.

"No worries, David... Besides, we're both still new to this; we'll walk this road together."

I can't help but smile as I step back and look up to him.

"Together," I parrot, giving a nod of affirmation.

"Shall we get started, then?"

"Y-Yeah. I've been wanting to see what you wanna get started on."

The drake claps his hands together and smiles.

"Remember how Master Nightfang could form an orb of fire in his hand?"

I nod.

"Are we going to do the same with our elements?"

"Indeed we are," he replies, strutting to our seats and readjusting them to face one another.

He motions for me to take a seat as he settles into his chair.

"So... how does this work, exactly? When I cast the first time it all just shot out of me from every direction," I query as I set aside my bag and flop down into my seat.

"Simple. When you concentrate your aether into a specific place, the magic you cast will only originate from the place where it is focused. If you can channel your aether well, casting with precision becomes considerably easier."

"Was that the weight I felt in the palm of my paw?"

"The weight...?"

I nod.

"I felt a weight forming in the palm of my paw when we were practicing earlier."

Anthony smiles.

"Looks like you've already started to figure it out," he chuckles.

"The weight is a more physical manifestation of your aether. Make sense?"

"Mhmm. So I'm on the right track?"

He smiles and nods.

"Indeed you are."

His whiskers give a distinct twitch as he looks into my eyes.

"Mind if I ask you a question, Dave?"

"Sure, what is it?"

He pauses thoughtfully, fidgeting restlessly in his seat.

"What made you want to study magic?"

I lean back and take a deep breath, the warm air of the training room filling my lungs.

"Y'know, Master Nightfang asked me the same question when I first showed up in his office," I chuckle.

"Really?"

I nod.

"Mhmm. So uh... I guess I should answer your question."

I pause for a moment, looking to the ground before I shift my gaze back to the drake.

"Ever since I was a kid, the world's been such a big mystery to me. I was always seeking to better understand the things around me, like why trees grow or the reason why rivers flow. But, when I started to mature, I realized that I hadn't really asked enough about myself or the people around me. While I might understand nature and why it works the way it does, I had little understanding of myself. I felt I should explore more of who I am, so I waited for an opportunity to really cut loose and find myself. Fortunately enough, the opportunity came at a great time. Lin, my roommate, was a good friend of mine when I was growing up. We had recently come back into contact, so I asked if I could move up with him. He was a bit hesitant at first, but he eventually agreed. It was around that time that I had started to study the history of magic, learning about the warriors of times past and even practicing with my element. Granted, I was very bad at it, but it was exhilarating to feel the burst of electricity leap out of me like an animal that'd been caged for so long. After a good week or two of prep, I was ready to move. I said my goodbyes to my parents and told them I'd keep in touch. The trip went over without a hitch and Lin took me in with open arms. Since I was going to be living with him, I figured I should help out and get a job. After a bit of hunting, I found the Café. I came in, submitted my resume, and got a reply two days later. Alyson was ecstatic, telling me I'd gotten the job and was gonna start work the next week. Of course, that was all well and good, but I was still itching to better understand who I am. One night at dinner, I brought up my interest in magic. Lin commented that his professor was good friends with a retired professor of the university, who happened to teach exactly what I was after. So, I got his email and asked if he was willing to teach me. After a bit of waiting, he replied with a solid agreement, telling me that he'd like me to come in next Wednesday. My idea was that if I could learn magic, I might learn more of myself. The art of the arckane was always described as a journey of self-discovery and... the idea just resonated with me. I wanted to understand myself and the people of this world; that's why I study magic."

The drake listens intently, leaning back as my monologue comes to close.

"I uh... S-Sorry for rambling," I stammer, rubbing the back of my neck bashfully.

"No no, I asked why and you told me. I'm glad you were so open with your answer," he replies calmly, a faint smile stitching onto his muzzle.

"I don't see why I wouldn't be; I trust you," I reply, smiling back at him.

The drake seems somewhat befuddled by my reply.

"You... trust me?"

"Of course I do. You seem honest, so I'll be honest in return. I trust and respect you because you show me trust and respect in return. For me, that's how it works. If I have no reason to distrust someone, I'll be open with them."

The drake gives a thoughtful nod.

"Quite an interesting way of looking at it," he chuckles.

"Interesting? How so?"

He gingerly looks about the room, a soft sigh parting his lips before he replies.

"I've just never met anyone who thinks like you do. In my culture, there are teachings of what you described, though few people still follow them. The Elders do, but few other even recall that our race is to be kind to those who surround us."

He takes a deep breath, his broad chest swelling and making his shirt stretch.

"It's refreshing to meet someone who thinks as I do."

I lean forward, my chin resting on the backs of my paws.

"Y'know, I wasn't expecting you to turn out the way you did."

He gives me a quizzical look as he tilts his head curiously.

"Really?"

I nod.

"I was thinking you'd avoid me and not talk to me; Master Nightfang made it sound like you had an aversion to people."

The drake allows himself a light chuckle before replying.

"I usually do, though. Most people kinda put me on edge so I generally won't talk. But you... you're different. You've got something about you that just... relaxes me. I don't feel tense or nervous around you. I can speak freely and... that really makes me happy."

The genuine tone of his voice and kind words make me blush, my ears tucking back slightly as I rub my arm embarrassedly.

"You... You do the same to me, Anthony. I never really had many friends but... I'm glad that I have you."

The drake giggles shyly.

"Th-Thanks, Dave," he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

A calm quiet settles between us as we just sit there, enjoying one another's presence.

"So... should we keep going?"

I nod and smile.

"Sure. Let's get started."

You're such a sweet guy, Anthony; I'm fortunate to call you my friend.

_ _

* * * * * * *

[20:44:02] ZapKat122: Thanks for the practice, Anthony. It really helped. ^w^

[20:44:06] sylver_drake290: Glad it did, Dave.

[20:44:11] sylver_drake290: I'm just happy you decided to join me.

[20:44:15] ZapKat122: And I'm happy you invited me. :b

[20:46:27] sylver_drake290: Hey, Dave?

[20:46:30] ZapKat122: Hmm?

[20:46:44] sylver_drake290: You wanna hang out at my apartment next Saturday? We can go to our lesson together the next day. I mean... I-If you want to, that is...

[20:46:47] ZapKat122: Sure! I'd love to hang out with you! ^__^

[20:46:51] sylver_drake290: Alright, awesome. Today just keeps getting better and better.

[20:47:02] ZapKat122: Haha, you can say that again. ^.^

[20:47:10] sylver_drake290: We can talk about it more tomorrow night if you want.

[20:47:13] ZapKat122: Sure. Sounds good to me.

[20:47:19] sylver_drake290: Okay. Talk to you tomorrow, Dave. Stay safe, alright?

[20:47:25] ZapKat122: You too, Anthony. Have a good night. :3