Even from outside the room you can hear the sound of items being thrown. No one has seen it's occupant for days, but they've heard her ever since she returned from the desert. Something horrible must have happened, but the only thing anyone's sharing is rumors.
"I heard," Whispers Mara, who is studying how dark el effects magic users, "that she got seriously injured, lost a limb or something, while exploring some temple."
"This is what the university gets," Assistant Jason tells her in equally hushed tones. "sending a child to investigate things. I don't care if she's a prodigy, this was going to happen sooner or later and we all knew it."
No one officially says anyone, except later on to say that Aisha Bruje will be taking an indefinite leave of absence in order to do some research. The whole thing is rather vague, especially seeing how Aisha was one of the most talented magic users the university had ever had on staff.
The rumors never really die, but they do become less frequent. Occasionally, someone will speak of a sighting, where she's been seen with a red haired boy. It isn't all that odd though, a girl her age is bound to have friends.
Aisha throws yet another book against the wall. Nothing! Not even a hint about what was in the ring that stole all of her powers away, leaving her barely at the level of a first year student. She could still do easing things, a lightening bolt that hit some of the time, a fire ball that lasted for a couple yards and was hard to put out, but her precision? Gone.
She sat down once again and tried to focus on the candle. It wasn't a hard spell in itself; fire was one of the easiest elements. The complication lay in keeping the candle lit but with the flame weak enough it didn't melt in an instant. Before her little accident she could do it with a passing thought, but now . . .
Focus. She concentrated on the candle's wick, and began to cast a minor fire spell. She kept it small, and tried to focus on the power she wanted. She let it flow through her and towards the candle. It flickered on, and then shortly off. More power.
The carpet around her staff was beginning to catch flame, so she started to stamp it out. A water spell would be safer and quicker, but at this point it would probably end up ruining her library and drowning her too.
There was a knock on the door, and she hurriedly stopped the flames and put the candle up. The room was dark, and as soon as she opened the door light flooded in. Edsel hurried in and closed the door behind him, lighting up all the candles with a snap of his fingers.
Aisha harrumphed. She knew he wasn't trying to be obnoxious, but it still felt like he was showing off. He stared down at the several burnt spots on her carpet, and the various books and broken stoneware lying about near the walls.
"I think I might have a better thing for you to do then sitting around here in the dark breaking things and trying to light candles." He said cheerfully, and she glared at him.
"What, does your sister need a clown for a birthday party?" She asked sarcastically, sitting down in her chair and staring up at the ceiling. "I don't need some menial task to make me feel useful."
"How would you feel about tracking down a stolen shard of El in Ruben?" Edsel asked with a grin, and Aisha turned around quickly. "You were always better learning magic on the go, and a magician of your experience could be helpful, even if all you can do is throw a few fireballs."
"That does seem like a good idea," Aisha agreed, "But what is the university going to say? I don't want to quit this job, even though I can't do anything."
"I'll tell them you're taking a sabbatical to investigate El shards. Besides, maybe looking at a big one up close could help you figure out how you can get your magic back?" Aisha let herself grin. "You'd better get going kid."
"I'm not a kid," Aisha told him with a scowl. "Thank you for this. I'll make it up to you!"
"Don't worry, I'm fine just being the best magician in the university until you're back." He gave her a wave and left just as discreetly as he had entered.
Aisha quickly packed her small travel bag with a bit of food and a spellbook, grabbed her staff, and climbed out the window to avoid any of her coworkers delaying her with questions of her health. Now, first things first: where was Ruben?