Four months have now passed since my return to Winterspring. I now spend my days studying under Arch Lord Aerolyso and writing my report for him. A week shy of two months ago, my arrangement with Katherine ended and she returned to her mother’s house. I haven’t seen her since she went home. Sidney likewise returned home, but every weekend she flies here in her dove form to visit her sister. Nadine still hasn’t forgiven me nor does she seem to want to acknowledge my existence. I can’t complain though. I’m lucky to be alive. Expecting to be forgiven is asking far too much. I’ve already received more than I planned for in life. From now on I just want to keep my head down and live the life of a simple scholar. I have no reason to complain about anything. I should be perfectly happy and content. Yet unfortunately, I am not.

I lean back in my chair and sigh. From the left side of the room, Silvia mockingly imitates my sigh. I’m too old to be in the normal classes and I don’t have the credentials to be in the university level classes, so Arch Lord Aerolyso just lumped another desk in Silvia’s office and called it my classroom.

Silvia struts over to my desk and hops up on its edge, crossing her legs and leaning over at me. Today she’s wearing a white and purple striped shirt, a purple miniskirt, a purple beret, and provocative red high heels. Additionally, she’s sporting purple eyeliner and dark violet lipstick. All in all she looks like the kind of teacher that is only supposed to exist in a schoolboy’s wildest fantasies. I hate to say it, but if I didn’t see her as merely a childhood friend, then even I’d be a little hot under the collar for her.

“Why are you always sighing?” she asks.

“Why are you always dressing like that? You look like less of a teacher and more of a floozy. Or are you just that desperate for popularity points with your students?”

She hops down from my desk and returns to her seat. “Don’t hate me ’cause I’m beautiful Soulbanana.”

I laugh at the sound of the old nickname that she had for me. Back when we were kids, I used to love banana bread. I’d always greedily munch it down everyday at lunch. Eventually Silvia noticed the trend and started calling me Soulbanana Bread, or just Soulbanana for short. It’s kind of weird to talk to someone who’s known me for years after all the time that I spent wondering the world, constantly surrounded by strangers. It’s a nice feeling, but it’s not enough. I still feel like I’m missing something. Or rather I should say, I still feel like I’m missing someone. I promptly forget my friend’s criticism, and sigh once more.

“You don’t seem to be working too hard on your report,” Arch Lord Aerolyso says.

I straighten up in my chair and grab my feather quill pen. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t even realize that he entered the room. I look down at my piece of parchment and see that the page is still blank. It will be hard to convince my teacher that I was actually doing my work when I’ve yet to write a single word. Unable to fake it, all I can do is apologize. “I’m sorry Master. I was just a bit distracted.”

He steps over to my desk, takes a look at my page, and then lowers his eyebrows at me. I feel a bit embarrassed knowing that I’m completely busted. Quickly, I dip my pen into ink and write my name at the top of the page. Then I look up at Arch Lord Aerolyso and smile innocently.

“You haven’t gotten much work done lately Souladonis. However, what you have written thus far has been quite fascinating. I was very touched by the way that Wilmette’s kindness inspired you to learn Illusion Magic.”

“Yes, Wilmette’s kindness made a great difference in my life. I will always be grateful to her.”

“Wilmette was fun to read about, but how much longer in the story until you get to the part when you meet Katherine?”

I sink into my chair and sigh. “Too long.”

“You know, I’ve been thinking Souladonis. We could really use someone like Katherine in our College of Life & Support Magic. With her unique background, I believe that she could excel as a student and ultimately become a great instructor of Life Magic here at Winterspring. We can’t remain the world’s top magic academy without the world’s top teachers. Do you think that she would be interested in studying here?”

I don’t even have to think to answer. “Becoming a great mage has always been her dream. Life and Support magic are her specialties in fact. But even though she has a great deal of natural talent, she was never formally taught the basics of magic. I’m not sure that she could keep up with the rigor of Winterspring academics.”

“Perhaps if she had a tutor to help her then she could. Someone who could take her on in a master/apprentice arrangement. But ahh…I just remembered that Katherine is from a low-income family. She could never afford private lessons. That is, unless some kind soul would be willing to tutor her for free.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll tutor her Master!”

“Great. That’s very generous of you Souladonis. I’ll also place you in charge of recruiting her.”

I spring up from my chair and make a break for the door. But as I put my hand on the doorknob, Master Aerolyso asks, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was going to Katherine’s house in Âme Kingdom.”

“The school day isn’t over young man. Sit down and do your work.”

“Yes Master Aerolyso.”

I flop back in my chair and begrudgingly take up my pen. Each sentence I put on the page takes entirely too long, and the hours tick away far too slowly. I anxiously tap my feet and check the clock repeatedly. Once or twice I’d swear that the minute hand actually moves backwards. I tough it out until finally the school day ends at 5 p.m. Then, I once more spring from my chair and dash for the door. “Bye Silvia!”

“Good luck Soul.”

Once I’m outside of the building, I do something in between a walk and a skip all the way back to the town of Winterspring. I stop by the flower store and buy a bouquet of pink roses, purple lisianthus, and a white tulip in the center. I then hastily sprint back to my house and wildly fling the door open. I storm inside the house yet immediately have to stop to greet my mother. She welcomes me home with a kiss on the cheek and tells me that dinner will be ready at six. I tell her not to bother cooking for me because I have other plans. Before she can ask me a million questions, I run full speed to my room and close the door behind me. Now that I steadily live under one roof, I no longer carry all of my inventory bags with me. I had to come all the way back to the house just to get my Portal book. As soon as I have it in my hands, I rip out a page and make a portal to Belle Forest.

The portal takes me to just in front of the mana plants bordering the entrance gate. I straighten my hair, fluff my purple cutaway coat, and walk gracefully into town. I strut up the stairs in front of Katherine’s house intending to play it cool, but wind up getting cold feet instead. Considering all the time that I spent with Katherine, my anxiety doesn’t make sense. Nonetheless, when I try to plot out exactly what I’m going to say, I feel overwhelmed with nervousness. I rushed here as fast as I could only to stand outside of her door too afraid to knock for fifteen minutes.

While I’m still trying to work up my courage, a voice frightens me from behind. “Hello Souladonis.”

I practically leap out of my skin and twist around. Right away I see a woman with white hair and large round glasses coming towards the house. “Oh. Hello Margaret. Is Katherine home?”

“She should be inside. Did you try knocking?”

“I was just about to,” I lie.

“Are those for me?” she asks, indicating my bouquet.

“Uhh…”

“I’m kidding Souladonis. Come in.”

I follow Margaret into her house. We head into the dining room with their main table and Margaret’s little box of potions and remedies. Katherine is inside her room with the door closed. Margaret peeks into the door and says, “Katherine you have a guest.”

“Who is it?” I hear from inside the room.

“It’s Souladonis.”

“Oh my gosh! Tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes. Don’t let him leave!”

Margaret closes the door and rolls her eyes. “You had better sit down.”

I take a seat at the table while Margaret finds a vase for my flowers. She and I have a long talk about the highs and lows of my adventures with Katherine. Margaret liked how I bought Katherine a nice wand, danced with her during the festival, fought for her honor against the Chief Inquisitor, and shielded Sidney Butterfly from rotten food. However, she didn’t care too much for our encounter with a Killer Clown, nor the way that Master Simon nearly killed Katherine, and definitely not the way that I had Katherine help me rescue Nadine from the gargoyle familiar Cornelius. In the end though, Margaret was surprisingly forgiving for all that I put her only child through.

Half an hour later, Katherine finally comes out of her room. I rise from my chair to greet her. Katherine has her long brown hair perfectly straightened and wears a stunning black dress decorated with a purple flower design. She looks absolutely beautiful. Even more so than usual. I stare at her in a mild daze until I catch myself drooling. “Hey Katherine. It’s been a while,” I say lamely.

“Yeah it has,” she says smiling.

I step backwards to pick up the flower vase, but nearly trip over my chair. In my mind I know that I’m looking really goofy in front of Katherine, but I have to play it off and be smooth. I pick up the flower vase and try to hide the fact that my hands are shaking. “I bought you some flowers. I know that you grow flowers, but I thought that…well, um…here.”

I move over to Katherine and hand her the vase. “Thank you,” she says.

She breathes in the flowers’ scent and then places the vase right back on the table in the same spot. I silently curse myself in my head for giving her the vase without thinking that she’d just have to put it back down again anyway. My series of stupid actions is only causing me to grow more nervous. To keep myself from doing anything else stupid, and to hide my shaking hands, I sit back down at the table. Katherine joins me and Margaret, sitting directly across from me.

“How have you been Master?”

“You don’t have to call me Master anymore Katherine. Your debt to me for saving your life has already been repaid. Besides you’ve saved me a few times too. In fact, I think at this point you’ve saved me more times than I’ve saved you. But who’s counting right?”

“Yeah,” Katherine says, chuckling sweetly.

It’s so good to hear her voice again. I start staring at her face completely absorbed by her beauty. I’m fully aware of the fact that I’ve lost myself to swooning in her all-consuming brown eyes, yet I’m powerless to stop myself. Helplessly, I fall into a deeper adoration of Katherine’s magnificence than the time we sat together at the café in Magali. Yet staring at Katherine’s face is akin to staring at the sun. No matter how bad you wish to do it, its sheer radiant sublimity can only be tolerated for so long.

My cheeks turn to coals and I have to break my stare. I try to consciously make the red of my blushing cheeks go away, but I think that I only manage to make it worse. To further add to my embarrassment, our conversation has already lulled into an awkward silence. I know that Katherine is looking at me, but I can’t think of anything to say: mostly on account of the fact that I’m too stupefied to remember how to use words at the moment.

Thankfully, Katherine’s mother saves me. “Well, it’s getting late. I should prepare supper. Souladonis would you care to stay for dinner?”

“Yes!” I blurt out.

“Darn it Soul. What are you doing to me?” I curse myself in my head.

“Good. Why don’t you kids go somewhere and catch up? I’ll have dinner ready when you get back.”

Katherine rises from the table and moves past me towards the front door. “I know a good place where we can talk. Follow me Souladonis.”

I get out of my chair and head for the door, but before I leave the house Margaret calls me over to herself. Katherine continues on, but I turn around to see what Margaret has to say.

She whispers to me, “You’re just as bashful as my Terranostra, aren’t you? You have to be confident Souladonis. Katherine likes you too. Trust me.”

“Right. Confident. Thanks.”

I hurry to catch up to Katherine. Outside of the house, I immediately notice that the evening sky is my favorite purple color. The sky was the same color on the day that I began my journey with Katherine. I relay the coincidence to Katherine and she smiles appreciatively. Then, after a brief moment of reminiscing, we leave the village through the front gate in the direction of a tall verdant hill. Along the way I point out to Katherine the exact spot where I came out of the woods when I first traveled to Belle Forest from Cammy Port. Within three short minutes, we reach the top of the hill. We sit down next to each other facing the setting sun. Katherine playfully nudges my shoulder with her shoulder and I return the gesture.

“What have you been up to these days Souladonis?”

“Not much. Just trying to catch up with my studies. And missing you.”

“Aww. I missed you too.”

“Speaking of which Katherine, Arch Lord Aerolyso knows that you’re the daughter of Shaman Terranostra. He said that he and your father were once friends. He also saw your unique healing ability when you saved me back at the Forbidden Tower. So basically he wants you to come study Life Magic at Winterspring Academy and ultimately to become a life mage teacher there. If you’re interested, that is.”

“Of course I’m interested! I’d love to!”

“Oh, but there is one problem. Because you’ve never formally studied magic before, you’ll need a tutor. You have to find someone who can take you on as an apprentice. But if you want, I’m willing to do it.”

Katherine merrily throws her arms around my shoulders. “Of course Soul! Thank you!”

Suddenly, she pulls away from me and covers her hand with her mouth. “Oops. I guess if I’m your apprentice, then I have to call you ‘Master’ again.”

“No, Katherine, you don’t. If you knew what you meant to me, then you wouldn’t worry about such little things as that.”

“Oh? What exactly do I mean to you?”

I rise to my feet and move in front of Katherine. I then offer her my hands and help raise her up to her feet. I keep a hold of her hands and look her firmly in the eyes. Then I gently take her right hand and place it around my left shoulder. “Katherine, to me you are my apprentice.”

I take her left hand and place it around my right shoulder. “You are my best friend.”

Next, I wrap my own arms around her waist and pull her close to me. Softly, she rests her head against my chest while I tilt my head forward to enjoy the lavender scent of her hair. Then, raising my right hand up enough to stroke through her hair, I whisper in her ear, “But more importantly Katherine.”

“You’re my hero.”

She reacts to my words by squeezing me tightly.

“You’re my hero too Souladonis.”

Thus, we stand there together on top of the verdant hill holding each other in a loving embrace until the sun completely sets and the purple sky fades to black.

That's it for the first Souladonis novel. Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this book, then please take a moment to help the author by posting a review on the book's Amazon page.