Doctor Loki love: they were all good ideas. And may come in handy for filler as you say. :) I appreciate all feedback I get. I hope you continue to enjoy my fic.
Sorceress of the trees: I am slowly trying to bring Thor into it i am hoping to make bigger plans for him but we will see.
Poodle warriors: that chapter was a little sad. I wanted to try a different kind of Loki fic. Equal footing is a good way to describe this one. I like exploring different dynamics.
Next guest: I just got shit on by 50ish cm of snow and I did get a snow day. I did do lots of brainstorming and writing. :p enjoy!
Chapter 50: Progress
Cephera waited in the pavilion. The queen had not heard from Cally and no one had heard of her departure but no one had seen her either. Cephera showed up just in case.
It was five minutes passed the time class normally started. When she saw Cally approaching she felt almost relieved. When she entered she looked at Cephera with her head high. "I've decided I'm approaching this wrong. We will return to mental magic at a later time. I have collected a few books from the library, hence why I was late." She gave the books to Cephera. "Today we learn advanced magic. Watching you pass out and bleed, means nothing to me. Do not think I will take it easy on you. You have yet to die or stay unconscious for more then a half hour. I have it in my professional opinion that with vigorous training you will be able to preform any magic given time and practise."
Cephera didn't answer as Cally seemed to have more to say. "When I say jump, you jump. You will never say I can't, you will never refuse to preform any spells I provide. You will give me everything you are, everyday. Do you agree to these terms?"
"I do."
"You will be one of my best students. I will prove to everyone, who might have been doubtful of my abilities, that I am the best. Knocking you into shape will be my greatest conquest." Cally spoke with determination. "Now open that blue book to page eight. Today is a new day."
***
Loki dismissed Kat early. It wasn't often he did this but today he was feeling tired. He had a lot on his mind regarding Cephera and his future with her. He picked up Diana early and left Devian behind. Today he needed to spend some time trying to make sure his daughter stayed safe.
He carried her up to his tower instead of teleporting. He was afraid she might start to teleport more often if she saw him doing it. After all if her father did it that must mean it's ok? Wasn't that what kids thought. Both kids were bright for their meagre age of one. This made him happy.
He gently put down his daughter to sit on the top of his desk. She immediately grabbed the papers within her reach and began to play with them. He kept his eye on her as he began to look through books. He had come up with a general idea of what he could do to keep track of her even after she teleported.
The had been half tempted to seal her magic until she was older but he was afraid it would hinder her ability to develop natural use of the magic if he denied her the early knowledge. Children learned the most of there skills at a very early age.
Loki closed his eyes at the sound of paper tearing. He looked up to see Diana with a mouth full of paper. Sighing he reached out and carefully removed the paper and took all other things she might destroy away from her. She didn't cry. It was one thing she hardly ever did. She gave him a curious look and then turned her attention to Shiaji who just entered.
Shiaji leapt up onto the desktop and allowed Diana to grab his tail. Being a magical, mechanical cat made him a good pet. He flicked his tail from side to side keeping her distracted as Loki tracked down what he was looking for.
He pulled from his pocket a tiny ring meant to fit on her thumb. It would be snug but would allow anyone who spoke the right word to force her to teleport back to them. The spell he needed would be imbued within the ring and last only 24 hours before needing to be renewed.
Loki placed the ring down on top of the open pages and chanted. He concentrated hard. It was no easy spell even for him. Embedding a spell into an object was never easy and took a lot out of a person. For Diana he would do it. To keep her safe until she reached a better age, would make everyday he needed to use this kind of magic worth it.
He could see her big round violet eyes watching his movements. He watched the ring burn hot and then dim down. The words of the spells appeared and disappeared leaving behind the soft silver band. Etched in the top was two tiny flowers with their stems intertwined opposite of each other.
He picked up the ring and smiled upward. It took a moment to actually get the ring on her finger as she squirmed and attempted to grab the item from him. Once it was on, she pulled and sucked to get it off but it didn't budge. It took a few more moments before she gave up altogether.
Loki hasn't spent a whole lot of time alone with their children yet. Having Diana with him now was odd. No one expected him to pull out a stuffed toy and start playing with it using silly voices. At this age he just didn't know how to treat them.
Loki watched her for a moment and then flicked his hand and made bubbles appear. They floated around and she giggled and popped them as they came close. She crawled to the edge of the desk were Shiaji waited if she should fall.
But she didn't fall. Instead she grabbed the cat and yanked him across the desk hard and destroyed a large amount of bubbles using him as a makeshift bat. Shiaji mewled loudly and Loki only laughed.
Loki knew that the guardian could easily escape her but he chose not too. He allowed her to yank him around and when she finally let him go to slid off the side, he dug in his claws to stop from hitting the floor. The cat righted itself and sat calmly watching Diana once more.
Loki tried something a little different. He conjured small feathers and watched her try to catch them before they tickled her. He enjoyed her laughter. She laughed hard as he continued. He stopped when she had one in her tiny hand. He thought she might chew it like she did most everything but was caught off guard when she leaned up and tapped it across his nose. From his position leaning on his elbows on the desk, his face was an easy target.
Loki mused and smiled over the fact she got enough sense to try and tickle him back. She knew it was him moving those feathers. He felt a sense of pride stir inside him. He really needed to spend more time with them. Maybe he would take an early day from Kat every week for this.
***
Cephera groaned. "On your feet!" Cally snapped. Cephera did as she was told. Cally gave her the glass of water she had been holding and waited. "Again!" She said after Cephera finished the water.
Cephera took a deep breath and drew her mind to the air. She could feel it ruffling her hair and her clothes. It was blowing west. She began to conjure the spell for manipulating that air to propel it in the opposite direction. She had succeeded twice but Cally wasn't satisfied. She wanted Cephera to come to a point where she no longer passed out. Till she could hold onto it longer.
The conjuring was easy. It was the manipulation that made it hard. Once there was wind in her grasp and threw her arms outward making Cally's hair and dress flow the other way and Cephera fell into darkness again.
After sometime she woke and did it again. Her first day with the newly quite Cally was eventful but difficult. Every muscle in Cephera's body felt like she was beaten with a stick but she didn't object.
She saw the look of approval Cally tried to hide when Cephera first managed to actually preform the spell before she passed out. She was determined to get this right.
By the end of class she hadn't fully gotten it but it was a start. Cally said nothing but to remind her same time tomorrow. Tomorrow was a special day in Asgard. All weddings were. A noble lady close to the queen was getting married in the throne room and a banquet was to follow. All the royals needed to attend and Loki was insistent she go too.
So not only was she in for an ass kicking under Cally's instructions but she had to find enough energy between that and the kids, to party. Tomorrow night would be a long tiring night.
