Chapter 7

The Scout & The Letter

I was excused from my usual classes in the days that followed and instead, was instructed to help around the school to tutor students. The school was still trying to figure out what to do with me and where to place me.

I met with students of all ages, both my age and older than me. Some of them were even centuries older than me. Each day, I met with someone new to work with. Never in my life had I ever spoken with so many different people. Socializing had been difficult at first, but the reception I'd received from a lot of my peers had been positive. By now, everyone knew me at Milkweed Academy. And not to toot my own horn, but I was most definitely popular. They had offered me alternative classes to take that year with different courses, but still, I found those easy. Too easy.

On this particular morning, I was assigned to work with my roommate, Kyle. I was honestly looking forward to it. In the days after passing the sorcerer's exam, I hadn't seen him much. I'd been moved from place to place in the academy to meet with members of the administration. I attended meetings and honestly didn't get much of the chance to stay in my dorm room at all.

I went back to the room to meet Kyle there. He didn't welcome me when I walked in, but that was to be expected with him. He looked up from the floor and snarled at the smile I gave him as I sat beside him.

"Hallo, Kahl." Kyle crossed his arms in response over his purple, Milkweed sweater vest. Our first year had gone by quickly, but Kyle was still struggling.

"Look.." He started. "Don't come strolling in here like you're some kind of god! You may think you're all powerful and better than me, but you aren't."

"Ja, I am though." I giggled to myself, to the displeasure of Kyle. "Don't be upset, Kahl! I'm here to help you today."

"I didn't request your help!" He shouted, again, something I expected. "The mental headmaster assigned me help! I don't need you, so stop acting like I asked for you!"

I ignored his shouting and went into my bag for the textbook his level was working with. Kyle the "Conjurer" was struggling with just that, conjuring.

"Page fourty-eight, Kahl..." I sighed. He mumbled something under his breath, but did as I asked. As I read over the page, I heard Kyle clearing his throat to speak.

"...The Headmaster believes that my weakness lies in dark magic..." He admitted. "I'm destined to become a Necromancer, so this poses a bit of a problem for me."

"A Necromancer?" I asked. I wasn't sure what that was. Kyle nodded.

"Soon, I will possess the darkest form of magic any mystical being can bestow. A master necromancer is able to wake the dead and force spirits to do their bidding." My eyes grew. That form of magic was something I'd never heard of before and I didn't know other students would be able to study anything like that.

"Amazing..." I marveled. Kyle grinned.

"Yes. Yes I am."

"I wasn't speaking of you!"

"Yes you were, I just heard you call me amazing."

"I was speaking of the necromancer's and their kind. Not of you, Kahl!"

"Well, I am a necromancer!"

"No you aren't! You're trying and trying, but nothing is working for you. You're not a conjurer, y-you're a CONSTIPATOR!" I covered my mouth quickly when I spat out a laugh at my own joke. Kyle was far from amused.

"CONJURER!" He corrected. I couldn't even focus on tutoring him at that point. I laughed so hard, I cried. Kyle slammed his book down when he'd had enough of my taunting. "ARE YOU HELPING ME OR NOT? YOU CAN LEAVE IF YOU AREN'T HERE TO HELP!"

"Okay, okay. P-please stop shouting." The yelling only made me wanna laugh more. After a deep breath and a bit of face fanning, I got back to the lesson. "From what I'm gathering here, dark magic revolves around Earth's elements. So water, wind, fire and soil of the Earth."

"I know that already!"

"Okay, so all you have to do is figure out which element is causing you to struggle."

Kyle paused for a few minutes. I knew in my heart of hearts that he didn't want to admit to me where he was struggling. He wasn't trying to figure out where he was struggling, he was outweighing the pros and cons of giving me an honest answer.

"...well, maybe it could potentially be the element of fire..." He finally admitted. I smiled at his honesty.

"I'm best with that!" I told him.

Checking the index of the textbook, I used magic to flip the pages of both our books to the chapter on fire magic. Kyle's eyes grew at the sudden outburst of magic from me. His lips pouted and eyes narrowed as a question sprung his mind.

"Why don't you use a wand?"

"I wasn't trained that way. In fact, I had no clue what you were waving around when I first met you."

"Who trained you?"

"My father."

"Is your father a sorcerer too? Why haven't I heard about him before? Did he attend this academy too?" With a flick of my wrist, I conjured a ball of fire and held it in front of us both, bringing light to his freckled face. Kyle jumped.

"May I tutor you now?"

"Oh, um, yes. My apologies." Kyle blushed.

I went back into my bag and pulled a wand from it. No, I don't use a wand personally, but it helped me instruct the lesson for my peers who did. To be blatantly honest, Kyle wasn't very good. He struggled and he got frustrated easily when his efforts didn't work out. There was an effort, I'll admit to that, but it didn't help. The angrier he got, the more I wanted to laugh. I know I shouldn't have, but I teased him with the joke I made earlier.

"Constipator..." I mumbled. Kyle's head shot up from his textbook as my laughter erupted.

"Why do you insist on teasing me, Sigmund?"

"Because you're just trying so hard and getting nowhere. I can't help it!"

Kyle finally slammed his book closed when I fell over in laughter. He crossed his skinny arms and slowly, his face reddened. He stood up and kicked the book into the far corner of the room.

"I don't even know why I expected you to help me!" Plopping himself on his bed, he quickly faced the wall so his back was to me.

"W-wait!" I managed between giggles. "Let's just start over, I'm sorry!" Kyle ignored me. I walked over to his bedside and rested my hand on his shoulder, which he in turn, swatted away.

"Don't touch me." He mumbled. The dramatics, you could always count on them when it came to Kyle.

I pulled my coat off and tossed it over his head. He kicked and flailed his arms to get the coat off of him, but his body only became tangled in it the more he struggled. I held my stomach from laughing as hard as I was at the whole scene. When he finally collected the coat into his hands, he sat up, balled it up and tossed it to the other side of the room with the textbook. The look of fury on his face actually startled me. He couldn't manage to conjure flames, but in that moment, I swore I saw them flickering in his eyes.

"SIGMUND! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He had used all his might to yell at me this time. I had to cool it.

"Okay, okay. Fine...sorry..."

Kyle gathered his pajamas and slammed himself into the restroom to change. I guessed the lesson was over. I walked over to my wardrobe and changed for bed myself, magically of course. I didn't know when I'd have this much time with Kyle again, in our room, so I just had to get one more laugh in. It's the devil in me, I suppose.

I laid out on his bed, giggling and eagerly waiting for him to come out of the restroom. When he did, his expression couldn't have been any funnier.

"Your bed has enough room for two, doesn't it Kahl? Let's have a sleepover, for old time's sake!"

"GET OFF MY BED! NOW!"

—

A knock on our room door woke us both on an early Saturday morning. I sat up, rubbing my eyes as Kyle walked to the door and answered it.

"Hey there! Good morning! Is Sigmund here?" A man at the door asked. He sounded a little too cheerful at this time of day. Kyle crossed his arms.

"Who are you?" He asked flatly in his typical fashion. The man cleared his throat before he spoke.

"I'm one of the producers on the MagicTV1 channel. I'm sure you're familiar with it?"

Kyle gasped hearing the response. I wasn't much of a television person, in fact, I didn't have one at home growing up. Television was a luxury that many in my village couldn't afford, but we found other ways to spend our time, mainly with field work. Here in the academy, my peers loved to fry their brains in front of a television set. Especially on the weekends, when most of them would tune into that very channel. Alumni from our academy often graced the screen on MagicTV1 and became famous figures of not only Milkweed Academy, but the world.

"So why on Earth are you looking for Sigmund?"

"I'm here to strike a deal with him. I'm hoping to book him today!"

"Book him? HIM?" Before Kyle could embarrass me, I quickly hopped out of bed and ran to the door, pushing him out of my way.

"Hallo!" I greeted, holding my hand out to him. "I am Sigmund!" The tall producer smiled down at me and took my hand, giving it a firm shake. He was wearing a shirt and ball cap with the MagicTV1 logo on it.

"Hey there, Sigmund! Your headmaster allowed me to meet you today. We're going to have a little conversation in his office later about your future!"

"My future?"

"You're going places kid! Meet us down in the office in ten, alright?"

I nodded and shook his hand again before he headed off down the hall. Closing the door gently, I felt the excitement surge through me and I couldn't help but jump for joy. In a spin, I had changed out of my pajamas and into my day clothes. I had to dance a little, even though Kyle stared in disapproval.

"A talent scout? Here f-for YOU? I swear, the world is missing real talent. There's no real talent anymore."

"Awe, don't be upset, Kahl. Once you get that poop out, you'll have a scout looking for you too!"

Kyle's face quickly went red. I brushed my teeth and hair in the rest room, shaking out the fringe against my forehead with a nod before materializing to the headmaster's office. I entered the room with a bright smile on my face, as bright as the blast of magic I'd made upon entering. Appearing so suddenly and randomly had startled everyone in the room.

"Oh my—!" Headmaster Merlin proclaimed. "Look who's here!" The producer's eyes sparkled with delight.

"See that? That's what we need on MagicTV1!" I blushed, taking a seat at the desk alongside the producer. "Listen Sigmund, I'd love to offer you a deal to join us on the network over the summer." I liked the idea of a job. I didn't know much about television though, so I wasn't sure what I'd be doing exactly.

"What are you saying?" I asked him. "Do you need me to be a water boy? Or an intern?" The adults in the room laughed. I shrunk a little in confusion.

"Sigmund, I want you on our channel for your own daily program! We were thinking of starting you off on a children's magic show, or something that would appeal to kids your age." My stomach dropped.

"WHAT?"

"That's right! We heard about that exam you took last year and we've been talking about it for months. When we found out the details and heard that it was an eleven year old made an official sorcerer, we just HAD to have you." I covered my mouth.

"Me?"

"We just need permission from your parents and you'll be officially signed with us if they're okay with it."

"WOW! WOW! WOW!"

I hopped all around the office, which made the adults laugh. I couldn't contain my joy in the moment. I could only think of my parents and how proud they'd be. Just a family that owned a modest farm, we didn't even have a television ourselves, and we'd all hopefully be living lavishly soon if I worked hard enough. I wanted riches and fame I never knew I wanted before. The popularity I gained at Milkweed was just a start, now I'd gain the popularity of the world.

I was so excited that I had managed to materialize myself all the way from Milkweed Academy to the raspberry field on my family property. My parent's gasped when they saw me appear where they'd been working.

"SIGMUND?!" My mother called for me. I turned to her to greet her, but I clutched my head as my vision when loopy. The smile on my face quickly vanished as I tipped over. The stunt I'd just pulled was unthinkable. I had used too much energy to travel that far. So much, in fact, that I blacked out.

—

When I woke up, I was lying on my bed in my old bedroom. The air around me smelled of spiced soup. A dampened rag had been set across my forehead. I moved it away as I sat up slowly, wincing a little at the fatigue that fell over me. Everything hurt.

"Mother?" I called out. My mother rushed in, pulling me into a hug when she caught glimpse of me.

"Sigmund! Oh, Sigmund, you scared us all."

"I'm sorry."

"It's been so long, my son! We've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mother. Have you gotten my letters in the mail?" My mother kissed me before she responded.

"Yes, I've gotten all your letters." My mother beamed. "Your school sent us an urgent letter a short while ago. We know about the talent scout." I felt the excitement shoot up again, but I was too fatigued to do another round of dancing.

"Ja! I know, Mother! Isn't this great?"

"It's fantastic!" My father answered, entering my room. I sprang up from bed to hug him. Quickly, my father sat me down. "Sigmund, you need rest!"

"Father! Father, I've done it!" My father chuckled.

"Yes, Sigmund. You have."

"I kept my promise to you, Father!" The smile that graced my father's face a short while ago, faded. He shook his head.

"No, Sigmund. Not yet." Slowly, my own smile faded. I raised a brow to him.

"B-but Father..." Before I could protest, my mother hushed me and lead me carefully to the kitchen. She sat me down at the table and almost instantly, served me a bowl of soup.

"Eat, please." She asked of me.

I gave my mother a smile and a nod. She wiped a few tears from her face and rubbed my back as I ate. In letters my mother wrote to me, she's often tell me how lonely she was without not only me, but Isis at home. She'd tell me how she dreaded how quiet the farm was without seeing my father and I training endlessly in the fields. She was glad to have me home. I was glad to be home. She watched me complete my meal, every last drop of soup. And when I finished, she stood up and filled my bowl again and again. I was three bowls of broth down until I finally had the guts to say no more. She found it hilarious that I had taken so long to say so.

I went out for some air, deciding to take a visit to the daisy field at the far side of our farm. That's where my sister was. She'd been buried in her favorite spot to nap after finishing her daily chores. It was a peaceful area, shady and cool away from the heat of the sun. Daisies danced around her grave. A new patch of grass had grown over the uprooted soil I remembered. I sat in front of her headstone, touching it lightly.

"Hallo, Isis. I've come home."

The softest breeze passed my ears and lifted my shaggy fringe away from my forehead. I smiled softly.

"It's nice to see you too. I've missed our property. It's been two years already, Isis. Can you believe it?" Again, another breeze came as a response. "I actually have some news for you. I received an opportunity, sister. I'm doing just as you asked of me, well enough to make our family proud. I'll be on television soon."

There was always the most gentle of breezes when I spoke with Isis. When I told her about appearing on television, the strength of that breeze had grown ten fold. I couldn't help but laugh at how obvious she made herself, even in another world.

I spent the rest of that day with my sister, playing my recorder for her, telling her stories about my time in Milkweed. It was almost as though she was right beside me the entire time. I felt her laughter, her responses, her sass. Everything. My mother met me in the daisy field when the sun had started to set. I hadn't even realized how quickly the day had gone by. She bought with her, a bouquet of roses, a favorite of Isis.

"Hallo, Mother."

"Son. What are you doing over here?"

I smiled down at the headstone. Suddenly stepping out of conversation made me realize I had indeed, been speaking with nothing more than the stone. My spirits dropped for a moment, but my smile remained.

"I've been spending the day with her, Mother." I replied. "I think she's proud of me." I stood up from the grass and joined my mother at her side.

"I know she's proud of her brother." She nodded. "Isis had so much faith in you. She would always tell me how she thought you would have had so much more potential if you were ever able to leave home and she was right."

"I think she had magic after all." I added. "She always knew."

"Perhaps you're right ,Sigmund." My mother set the roses down at the base of the headstone. We said a prayer for Isis together before walking back to our cottage home.

—

"Sigmund! A letter has arrived!"

I woke up and walked into the kitchen as my mother tipped the mail carrier a few coins. She handed me my letter, sealed off with a deep red wax emblem. It was from Milkweed. Carefully, I took my time to open and unfold the letter and just as carefully, read over it.

"What does it say?" She asked me. I smiled down at the letter as I continued to read. I paused for a moment at the request and I'm sure my face was one of surprise.

"Oh, Mother!" I gasped. "They want me to be on the school board!"

"For the academy?"

"Ja!"

"Mein Gott! What an honor!" My mother stood over me at the kitchen table to look over the letter herself. "Your father should see this, Sigmund. This is wonderful news!"

My mother and I headed out into the fields with the letter. We were surprised to find my Father talking to what looked like my headmaster. In conversation, my father caught a glimpse of me and pointed me out to my headmaster, which turned his attention to me.

"There you are!" Headmaster Merlin chuckled. "You left yesterday without warning and never returned. I was worried!"

"I'm so sorry." I frowned in embarrassment. "I-It was just my excitement-"

"You don't need to be sorry, Sigmund. I understand completely. Things have been going well for you!"

"Yes, sir."

My mother welcomed the headmaster back to our home and ushered him into the kitchen to have a seat at the table. We all sat together as my mother hastily poured sweet tea and set biscuits out. Headmaster Merlin happily snacked on a few before he finally cleared his throat to speak.

"Oh! Did our urgent letter arrive?" He asked my parents. I answered for them, holding the paper up high.

"Here it is, sir!"

"Oh, wonderful." He smiled. "Have you made a decision?" As my father looked to me for an explanation, I handed him the letter. He read through it quickly and looked up, clearly concerned.

"Merlin.." He started. "Are you sure? Sigmund is only a minor. I know the realm has high expectations..."

"Is his twelfth birthday not in a few days?" Headmaster Merlin asked. My mother nodded.

"Ja, Sigmund will be twelve."

"That's old enough for me!" Merlin laughed robustly.

One thing struck me about Headmaster Merlin, he never took himself too seriously. Even as an administrator, his heart was always warm and inviting. He never belittled me, even as a child and he truly treated me the way he'd treat any adult around him. It was empowering.

"Sigmund has show a great effort in this academy. He's taken the time to tutor our wizards. Wizards of all skill levels, young and centuries old. I've been made aware, by the student's he's assisted, about how one session with Sigmund seemed to boost their performance and confidence ten fold! He's even challenged our educational system. Since he took that exam, we've changed our curriculum and we haven't changed it in centuries! He's cut out perfectly to be part of our school board and we welcome him, if he pleases, to teach our future generations of wizards, witches and ghouls."

I smiled at my Headmaster who spoke so kindly of me. My father smiled as well and gave me a pat on the back.

"It's fine with me then." He answered. "As long as my son wants to." I nodded.

"It would be a huge honor." Merlin shook my hand after my own response.

"Then Sigmund the Sorcerer, I welcome you to the board of education at Milkweed Academy."