All his motion stopped, and Viera could sense his shock. “No, Commander Firoza, that will be acceptable.”
Once their food came, and they’d each taken the edge off their hunger, Flower Prancer shifted his gaze to Viera. “So, Ms. Kor, have you been spending all your time lollygagging about, or have you been at all productive over the last few days?”
Swallowing her bite of sausage, Viera took a sip of coffee while she considered her answer. She wanted to be snarky. It’s my vacation, Elder. I found a beach and sat drinking Mai Tais and eating bonbons. Why? What did you expect? Biting the inside of her cheek, she took one more sip of coffee to calm herself. “I’ve spent most of my time practicing magic, if you really want to know.”
He made a low grumble in his chest. “Have you figured anything out, Earthling? Or are you still floundering in your studies?”
Viera sighed. “I’ve figured out how to move the bouncy ball back in time. I had a ven flying around the room and he flew during the magic, so I know the magic was contained.”
Another grunt. “Very well. We’ll practice on the way to Abritos.”
The news wasn’t nearly as exciting as the yonat seemed to think it was.
***
Viera sat on the bed of the room she shared with Thorn on the Ziner. Everyone else, all the important people, were on the bridge, getting the ship moving towards the planet.
As she sat debating what to do, a knock echoed in the room. How disappointed will the person … er, being, probably a chanzii, be, when they realize Thorn isn’t here? Grumbling, she opened the door and came face to face with Flower Prancer.
“Ms. Kor, it is time for your lesson. I sent you a message over the computer’s system, but you’ve ignored it. Follow me.” He turned and began walking away.
Confused and annoyed, she searched the room for answers before realizing she’d better catch up with the cantankerous yonat.
In the training room, the yonat went to the panel and ordered up a rubber ball: twenty-five centimeters across and purple.
“Ms. Kor, show me this skill you have mastered.”
A jittery sensation shivered down her spine. Why am I nervous? I practiced this for two days. I can do this in my sleep. Okay, not in my sleep, but I know what I’m doing. The magic is mine, it is a well of ability within me, reaching out like invisible tentacles for me to mold and utilize at my will. The mean old unicorn will not intimidate me. Despite her bravado, her hands trembled as she picked up the ball.
Okay, Viera, you can do this. Just toss the ball, and back it up in time. Nothing to fret about.
“Today, Ms. Kor. Neither of us are getting any younger.”
It took all her will not to roll her eyes. After taking a calming breath, she tossed the ball. It bounced off the wall with a satisfying thunk. When it was halfway to her, she pushed a bit of her power out to freeze it in time.
“Well, at least you can still do that. From what I can tell, you’ve isolated only the area around the ball. I’ll admit I’m surprised you managed that.”
Her ire grew as he spoke, and she used her magic to send the ball back in time. The ball didn’t move. She poured a bit more magic into the area. Still, nothing happened.
“Please continue, Ms. Kor. I feel the magic building up but am uncertain as to what you're doing.”
She mumbled under her breath. “For fuck’s sake.” One more push, and she felt her concentration break. There was a loud booming sound before a shock wave of energy slammed both her and Flower Prancer back. The ball, which had been held in stasis, shot forward too fast to see, a purple smudge in the air, and flattened itself on the wall, bits of rubber exploding in every direction.
Chapter 16 - Time Keeps On Slipping … Or Exploding
Viera
The blast of her spell had driven Viera from the center of the room and into one of the walls. She was thankful she hadn’t hit the table. All the air had been forced from her lungs. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. What now?
“Ms. Kor, now is not the time for a nap. You haven’t successfully shown me that you can move a ball back in time. We can get the panel to create a new ball. Then we can dissect what happened and figure out what you did wrong.”
Take a nap? What the hell is he thinking? There were times having an unfeeling teacher may not be the worst thing. She got up and wiped the nonexistent dust from her pants. With a slightly shaky voice she said, “Panel, green bouncy ball, ten inches, if you please.”
The ball appeared in the opening, and, trying not to tremble, Viera took it. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Then she turned and walked confidently to the center of the room. Again, she tossed the ball, waited for the satisfying thunk, and used her magic to stop it.
The ball froze. With a force of will, she ignored anything Flower Prancer had to say. Repeating the motions she’d done over and over in the small guest room in Torville Station Number Six, she pushed out her magic and watched as the ball retreated from her, moving to the wall in the exact arch it had been traveling as it flew towards her.
Once it reached the wall, bounced, and was halfway back to her, she released the magic and let it fly once again, hit the wall, and return to her hands.
“Thank God,” she muttered under her breath. Then she turned to her trainer with a smile. “Was that acceptable?”
“Do it again, Ms. Kor.” His tone was flat and unimpressed.
Body tense, Viera turned towards the wall and did it again. Everything went smoothly and again she didn’t cause a sonic shock wave.
“Again.”
The word didn’t surprise her this time. His critique of her form did. They spent the next two or so hours moving the ball back and forth in time with Flower Prancer trying to get her annoyed enough to cause a sonic boom, or at least, that’s what she assumed.
When the room started to spin, she put her hand on the table and groaned.
“Ms. Kor, have you had anything to eat beyond breakfast?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “When would I have eaten? You’ve been with me the whole time.”
He grumbled. “Off to the main cafeteria with you. We’ll pick this up later. Then we’ll discuss that first trick of yours and see if you can master it as well. Though we’ll need to get some stronger practice gear.”
She couldn’t stop the eye roll this time.
