Zeph Malston: The Aether Mage

Zeph woke up, floating in the lab. Rin noticed, and started purring. He petted her a little bit and then looked around. Bernard was at his desk writing something down. There was a picture of a gun on the monitor in front of him. Without turning to face his grandson, Bernard spoke.

"Feeling okay?"

Zeph thought for a second. "Well, my pride got hurt a little bit. Other than that, I'm fine."

"That's good."

"So how many views did it get?" Zeph tried to get up, but there was no friction and nothing to grab on to. He ended up spinning in the air.

"Views?" Bernard saw the boy spinning. "Hold on a second." He finally turned around to face Zeph. With a flick of his wrist, Zeph's body stopped spinning and stood upright. Then he let go of the spell, and the boy softly landed on his feet.

"Thanks for that." Zeph was hugging the kitten so she wouldn't fall. "I was talking about the views for the video. You said you'd post it if I lost."

"Oh, don't worry about that. In fact, you're lucky you managed to win."

"Wait, I won?"

"Well, Ronan and I are still arguing about that. Still, the only reason that little girl didn't pound you into the pavement is that of your body's natural advantages. I didn't expect it, but she's more powerful than you are right now. Ronan taught her well." Bernard walked up to Zeph and ruffled his hair. "But that's okay, you'll get better with practice."

"Ah quit it." The boy pushed Bernard's arm away.

"Your inexperience was pretty obvious. You barely attacked in that fight. I already said it was safe, but you held back anyway." Bernard stopped messing with the boy's hair.

Zeph started thinking about the duel. Bernard was right, he fought pretty badly. He held back because he never fought a person before. There was a feeling in the back of his mind that made him hesitate. Maybe it was fear. After all, he didn't want to hurt anyone. At first, he wanted to push Liliana out of the ring. When that didn't work, he tried to tire her out. He used a weak lightning shot to stun her. When she screamed, he got worried and held back even more. Even the last attack he used was meant to knock her back, and make her use up all her magic trying to defend. The only reason it exploded was that their spells clashed.

Bernard looked at Zeph's troubled face and put his arm on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry so much. People here are much tougher than you realize. I know you're reluctant to use your magic on others, but you need to overcome your hesitation. The most dangerous things in this world aren't the monsters. It's the people."

"I get that, but why make me fight a little girl." Zeph's tone became harsh.

"You're the same age. It wouldn't mean anything if you struggled in a fight against me or someone older. You'd just attribute your difficulties to a difference in age. You needed to gauge your strength against an opponent of the same level. That way you'll have a better understanding of your limitations." Bernard took his hand off of his grandson's shoulder. Zeph didn't respond. He stood there holding Rin, deep in thought.

The old man sighed. "I know you're upset, and I don't blame you. But, I hope you won't hold it against the girl. The two of you could use a friend."

________________________________________

Ronan was sitting in the kitchen eating a sandwich when Zeph walked in. The boy was surprised to see him. He walked to the fridge and got a soda. Then he sat down at the table across from Ronan. They sat in silence for a while. Ronan started feeling a bit awkward, but Zeph finally said something.

"How's your granddaughter?" The boy was looking down at his drink.

"Fine, she's still sleeping." Ronan waited for Zeph to respond, but the boy was quiet. He decided to move the conversation along. "You don't have much experience fighting do you?"

Zeph shook his head. "No, I just started practicing magic a month ago. Grandpa took me out to the woods and I fought some magic beasts. But, this was the first time I ever fought a person."

"Ah, I see." Ronan nodded. "That explains it. I was wondering why you were so defensive in that fight." He took a quick sip of his strawberry soda. "The first time fighting another mage is tough. Even I hesitated a bit when I started fighting other people."

That was surprising. Zeph looked up from the table for the first time since he sat down. "That's kinda hard to believe."

"Well, it's true. Just because I like fighting, doesn't mean I like hurting people. Some people are like that. Firing a spell at some random beast, and shooting one at another person are two different things entirely. I've even seen mages take on high ranking monsters, but lose to someone weaker. They couldn't bring themselves to attack another person." Ronan smiled at the young boy.

"How do I get over that?" There was a determined look in the boy's eyes.

"Simple, you practice. You look like you've got a strong body, and your talent is amazing. You're already a challenge for my granddaughter, and she's been using magic for years. I suggest you learn some martial arts. It'll help you get used to moving your body, and sparring will also help. If you can punch someone, then you can blast 'em. Bernie told me that you planned on becoming a valir when you grow up?" Ronan took a big bite out of his sandwich.

"Well, I was thinking about it. When grandpa told me how much potential I had with magic, I thought that I might be able to. I used to dream about becoming a hero when I was little and…well, it's kind of embarrassing." Zeph took a sip from his drink.

Ronan smiled as he chewed. What little boy didn't dream of being a hero, using magic to save the day? After swallowing, he started to speak. "That's a pretty common dream. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Bernard and I thought the same way when we were young, and even joined a special task force thinking we could make the world a better place."

Zeph perked up. "You were a spy too?"

Ronan smiled mischievously. "Sorry, classified information."

Zeph g.r.o.a.n.e.d. "Seriously?"

"Actually…yes it is." Ronan took another bite of his sandwich.

"Well do you at least have any good stories about grandpa?"

Ronan stopped chewing and nodded. He took a quick drink and swallowed his food. "I got tons, which ones do you want, funny stories, embarrassing stories, or funny embarrassing stories?"

____________________________________________________________

Liliana woke up in a large comfy bed. Her eyes blinked a few times in confusion before she remembered where she was. A big smile spread across her face as thought about the duel. Her new friend didn't really know how to fight, but he was already so strong. Her fist tightened as she remembered the feeling of punching with all her might.

Fighting was so addictive. She loved the adrenaline rush and the feeling of power that came along with it. None of her other friends understood. They would rather go shopping or attend parties. Even her parents didn't get it. Luckily, her grandfather understood her. He inherited the l.u.s.t for battle from their ancestor just like she did, but she also inherited more. The frost nymph blood in her veins made her more impulsive, and the two traits didn't mix well. Now that her fight was finished, she began thinking more calmly.

She knew she was being rude to Zeph. Making him duel her wasn't a good thing to do to her new friend, but she couldn't help herself. Liliana resolved herself to apologize and do whatever she needed to do and make it up to him. Hopefully, he would agree to continue sparring with her in the future. The girl stretched, before hopping out of bed. Her magic reserves were low, and she felt a little light headed. It took a moment to steady herself. Focusing on her magic sense, she located her grandfather. He was nearby.

When she got close to the kitchen, Liliana heard her grandfather laughing. It looked like he was having dinner. Zeph was there too, covering his face. Liquid seemed to be dripping from his chin. She walked into the kitchen and waved at them.

"Uhm…I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Her voice was a little quiet.

"No my dear, I just managed to surprise Zeph with a little joke" Ronan was still laughing.

Zeph grabbed a napkin off of the table and started whipping his face. "Ugh, it stings. Did you have to wait for me to start drinking before you finished your story?"

"Of course I did. How else would I make you shoot lime soda out your nose?" Ronan said with an innocent face.

Zeph blew his nose a couple of times and got a new napkin. "Man it really stings."

Liliana walked up to him. "Here let me help." She raised her hand up to his face, and a cool blue mist poured from her palm. As it made contact with his face, Zeph felt the pain fade away.

After a second of treatment, Zeph sniffed a couple of times. "Thanks, that's much better. What was that?"

"It was a basic first aid spell. My mother taught me." Liliana sat down by her grandfather. She looked tired.

"You didn't have to. I can tell that you're low on magic." Zeph looked at her with concern.

Liliana shrugged. "It's the least I can do for making you go along with my selfishness."

The boy got up and walked to the cabinet, pulling out a small wooden box. "So you're aware?" He turned on the tea maker and starting preparing a cup of crystal tea.

"Yes…uhm…I'm sorry." Her voice was meek, nothing like the confident person he saw in the ring.

"Don't worry about it. Your grandfather filled me in on your…circ.u.mstances." Zeph looked in the cabinet. "Do you like sugar with your tea?"

"Yes, thank you." After a moment, Liliana received a cup from Zeph, and a small sugar container was placed on the table next to a spoon. She mixed her tea and sugar, but paused before taking a drink. "Are you scared?"

"About your white-haired transformation?"

She nodded. "I can't really control it, so I might…" her voice trailed off as she started to look down.

"Nope, I'm not scared," Zeph reassured her. "Besides, I'm a little weird myself." He tapped the table to get her attention. "See?." He smiled at her.

Liliana looked up, and her mouth dropped. There were two big cat ears on top of Zeph's head. Ronan was surprised as well. It was his turn to shoot soda out of his nose. He coughed a few times before wiping his face with a napkin.

"You're a shifter?" Ronan said while wiping the table.

Zeph smiled and made the ears change into fox ears. He even grew a big bushy orange tail and wagged in front of them. "No, grandpa says my ancestor was a changeling."

At that moment Bernard walked into the kitchen. "Yes, I think it comes from his father's side of the family. I told you, Ronan, your girl's not the only one with a special constitution." He sat down next to Zeph. "By the way, I got a martial arts instructor for you."

Zeph was surprised. "How'd you know I'd want one?"

"You said you wanted to be a hero, so of course you'd want one." Bernard pulled out his tablet and showed Zeph a blueprint. It was the gun design he was working on. "What do you think? Would you like that as your spell focus?"

Zeph examined the schematic. "It does look pretty spiffy."

"Good, I'll get started on it in the morning." Bernard had a satisfied look on his face.

The sound of groceries hitting the floor startled everyone at the table. When they looked to see what caused the commotion, they saw Bianca staring at Zeph. He didn't know why she looked so shocked. Zeph didn't realize he still had fox ears and a tail.

___________________________________________________________________