Once she left, Viera got up and headed to the shower. She had to wash and then soak in magic. I don’t know what’s in store for me, but if Flower Prancer doesn’t have a lesson planned, I still need to master bouncing a ball and having it move back in time. Gah! Why isn’t any of this easy? Magic is so cool, but the damn unicorn acts like it should all be intuitive, which it’s not.
Dressed, Viera made her way to the main room to find food. She knew that soon, the thirty-hour clock of the space station would start to mess with her, but for now, her watch told her it was seven in the morning, she’d just woken up, and she needed coffee.
Outside the room she shared with Thorn there was a kitchen/dining room combination and a living room. A door led to Scout’s room, and down a hall was a third. Last time she came to the station she’d stayed in that room.
Sitting at the small round table in the kitchen, Scout drank from a dark mug. “Aren’t you a bit young to be drinking coffee?” She knew chronologically the boy was close to her age, but by his species standards, he was the equivalent to an eight-year-old.
His face broke into a huge smile as three baby ven flew at Viera, landing on her shoulders and head. This made Scout laugh, almost tumbling from his chair. Once he caught his breath, his eyes continued to shine. “It’s juice. Do you want coffee here, or should we head to the promenade for breakfast? I’m guessing we can find Tiffany.” His brow scrunched. “Oh, and Betsy and maybe Horax, if he’s not already training.”
Viera debated if she was ready to face a gaggle of aliens before she’d had liquid reinforcement. After a moment of consideration, and a few stabs of ven talons in her skin, she sighed. “Yeah, let’s go. If Tiffany is leaving today, I’d like to say goodbye. I’m going to miss her.”
“Me, too.” Scout’s demeanor changed as his shoulders drooped, and his face fell. “I don’t know why her parents won’t let her continue to live on Earth, just for a bit longer. It’s all she’s known. She’s going to be scared without friends on her home planet.”
Walking over to stand next to Scout, Viera squatted down. “She needs to meet friends of her own species.” She ruffled his hair. “I know you’re going to miss her—we all are—but this really is the best thing for her.”
His face scrunched up. “Okay, fine, but let’s find her now and ask if she wants to have breakfast with us. She said she’d watch Horax’s training with me today.”
“Okay, let’s go. But first,” Viera reached up to scratch her riders, “have these three eaten?”
“Yeah, Mom told me to make sure I took care of them. Once we leave, they’ll calm down. They just miss Beaver, who’s off socializing.” Scout got up to help remove the ven from Viera before she stood up.
There weren’t many beings in the hallways this early in the morning, so Viera was shocked to discover the promenade filled with them. She stopped and took a second to let the sounds wash over her. The sight of so many different types of aliens of different sizes, colors, and types froze her in her tracks for a moment.
A scream cut through the sounds of the room. She knew the voice, she knew the scream, she knew the person. Tiffany is in trouble.
Heart pounding, hands trembling, mind focused on helping her former student, Viera ran. When she found the small girl, she squatted down, using Gandalf’s staff for balance, and put a hand on the young lady's shoulder. She followed Tiffany’s gaze up and saw a flock of phoenixes flying out of a tunnel leading from the roof. Their feathers were red and orange with highlights of yellow—they looked like flying fire.
Under Viera’s hand, her former student shook.
The last time Viera came to Torville Station Number Six, she didn’t notice there were hallways up above for the flying aliens, but as she watched the movement near the ceiling, she realized it made perfect sense.
“Tiffany, they’re phoenixes. You’re fine, sweetie.”
Tiffany breathed in shakily. “Ms. Kor, where did you come from?” With an effort, moving her face before her eyes, she stared at Viera. “I’m not scared, just startled. They looked like fireballs flying at me. But look at them, they’re mesmerizing.”
Gazing back up at the flying beauties, Viera watched as they perched on some of the areas built for them, socializing with a group of griffins and ven.
Shaking her head, Viera rubbed Tiffany’s back. “I ran up from the lift when I heard you yelp, dear. You were just focused on the phoenixes and didn’t see me approach.”
Huffing and puffing, Scout pounded up, his feet echoing on the floor. It occurred to Viera that it was odd she could hear his steps in the room that had been so loud moments before. Her body tense, Viera pushed up and gazed around her.
“Ms. Kor, that was amazing. I didn’t know you could teleport!” Scout’s voice reverberated through the now silent room.
His words hit her like a bucket of ice water. “What?” Turning again, she realized all the beings in the room were emanating shock and awe. Her hands trembled. “I … but I didn’t. I ran. I remember my feet hitting the floor, navigating around the others on my way over here.” Her heart pounded faster as she dropped her gaze to Scout. “You didn’t see me run?”
Scout’s face scrunched up. “You just disappeared, and then when I got here, you were here.” His brow furrowed more, and his head tilted. “With that walking stick. Did you have that before?”
Viera gaped at her hand. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn’t had it before. For fuck’s sake, walking stick, why did you appear? Why do I need you? How did I get here so fast?
Her body began to feel numb as the questions whirled in her mind. Tiffany and her parents joined in the mass of alien eyes boring into her, demanding answers. The problem was, she didn’t have any answers to give.
Where is Betsy? I’d even take Flower Prancer at this point.
A commotion to her left had her whipping around. Pushing past a large dark orange qynad, the size of a moving-truck, and a fing, Balzeno stomped out into the open area towards Viera. When he got close, his beard stretched in what Viera assumed was a smile. “Youngling, what mischief are you causing so early in the morning?”
She sighed. “I have no idea. I heard a yelp and ran, but no one saw it. They say I just appeared. I don’t know what happened. I feel like I never know what’s happening.” She knew by the end she sounded pitiful.
The dwarf’s eyes narrowed. “You need more training.”
She grunted. “Training is all I do.”
He chuckled. “You’ve only been in this world a short time, young wizard. Don’t be hasty. Frustration in the path won’t make you learn faster, it will only make the journey less pleasurable.”
The advice, though different from how she would’ve worded it, felt like a lesson she could’ve given her students. “Thank you. You’re right. I need to spend more time practicing. I wish there was a book explaining all of the different nuances and how everything combines.”
He nodded. “There are some common threads, but the magic is yours and how you mix what’s yours is always going to be a bit different than the next wizard.”
The words settled in her. “So, I need to practice.”
“Yes.” His low-pitched voice echoed through the room. As they spoke, the others went back to what they’d been doing, as if realizing there really was nothing to see.
“But there seems to be so much to learn. Every few days there’s something new.”
He reached out and rubbed her arm. “And that’s the best part. The adventure of something new around every turn. It will take time to figure it all out and even longer to master any of it. But the path should be fun.”
She smiled, remembering all the times she’d mocked books and movies where the people who had to do magic homework whined, and she rolled her eyes. She’d been jealous. Now here she was, in the same situation. “Thank you, Balzeno.”
She meant it. He’d given her a clarity she’d been missing since all of this began.
