Dawn slowly broke across the Isle of Boreas…The sun casting down it's golden rays upon the large waves of the ocean and the white sands of the Island's beaches…Making them twinkle like they were covered in millions of teensy rhinestones…
The icy, northern, maritime winds howled like a great beast of old, it's intensity akin to that of a great cannon constantly belching out it's contents…The shrill cries of the seagulls and other ocean-faring birds making the noise all the more extravagant in nature…
However, despite the raucous noise that was happening outside, inside the bedroom of Miles 'Tails' Prower, located within the upper levels of his Uncle's tower on the North Coast of Boreas…The only sounds that could possibly be heard was the very faint crackling of the small fireplace as well as the genteel snores of the nine year old apprentice.
However, despite the relative peace and silence of the cosy bedroom…It was stopped when the small boy began to gently stir in his bed…His small form began to shuffle slightly…The small boy letting out a very faint groan as he drifted back into consciousness…
He kept his eyes closed however…Letting out a very soft sigh as he pulled the tartan duvet closer to his teensy frame…Wanting to again bury himself within the nigh impossibly comfortable, toasty and soothing embrace of the bed…
However…He could feel himself slowly being coaxed out of his shell of warm cloth and memory foam when he felt an absolutely wonderful scent slowly waft into his nostrils…
The smell itself tugged at his more basal instincts, for it was rich, succulent and meaty in flavour…And Miles could feel his stomach begin to rumble like a distant earthquake as he smelt it…Nothing in the world could ever possibly smell better than bacon on a frying pan…
So…with a heavy heart and reluctance to leave the absolutely godlike comfort the bed provided…He slowly began to clamber out of bed, his fur uncombed and poofy, knotting in some areas, making him look dishevelled and unkempt…
Tails didn't mind however, he had dealt with it many times already and so…That left him with something more important to do before going downstairs…Getting dressed…He walked over to the large closet of the bedroom and slowly opened the doors to it…
He hadn't been expecting much when he had opened them, only really expecting to find his shoes, some socks and maybe a couple of pairs of shirts and trousers…But when instead he had been met with a menagerie of not only the aforementioned clothing items…But also a brilliant set of robes!
They were a faint, pastel blue in colour, beige highlights adorning the left shoulder and covering the hood…A beige sash also stretched across the chest, being clipped to the right shoulder with a brilliant silver buckle…A light grey undershirt was worn underneath the robes and made them nice and snug to put on, while on the accompanying trousers, they were equipped with beige puttees which wrapped around the boy's lower legs and kept them warm…
As well as the basic clothing, there were a few other accompanying pieces to help assist the boy…Firstly was a small brown satchel that wrapped around the boy's form in parallel to the sash of the robes, as well as a belt with pouches and space for tools…
Not hesitating, Miles immediately grew excited at the sight of the new clothes and practically threw them on…Rushing over to the mirror next to the closet, desperate to see how they looked on him,
"Woah…" Tails said, staring at his reflection.
He looked…Good! Like a whole new fox! Yes the robes were a tad baggy however he knew he'd grow into them…Besides, they were certainly very cosy to wear. Like he was walking around being wrapped up in a blanket! Something that'd certainly be extremely useful considering how utterly freezing the island was when he, Merlin and the others had arrived yesterday…
His great, bushy namesakes wagged merrily behind him as he slipped on his white pointed shoes and then hurried through the bedroom door and downstairs with great haste, not wanting to miss out on whatever delicious breakfast awaited him below…
…
Merlin Prower allowed himself to let out a small chuckle as he heard the pitter patter of Miles's small feet as he raced down the stairs, desperate to taste the bacon like a starved beast…
He hadn't even started to put the fox's bacon sandwich breakfast on his plate before he saw him zip through the door, standing in the frame, practically shivering with excitement…
Merlin analysed the boy and admired how the robes looked on the kid…Yeah, they were a tad too large for his spindly little body…But, he'd grow into them eventually; why else would he have tailored them that way?
"You look good little one, all nice and ready for your first day of arcane training." The older fox said, pride lacing his voice like rhinestones sown into an extravagant outfit.
Miles's cheeks went a rosy pink in sheen, his tails curling around his legs in embarrassment as he stuttered out,
"T-thanks Uncle Merlin, I really like them! And Bacon sandwiches for breakfast too? This day can't get any better!" Miles exclaimed merrily in response, his attitude similar to that of a young child on Christmas morning.
Merlin chuckled, seeing the fox race over to his seat at the dinner table and begin to utterly ravage the bacon sandwich, his glistening white fangs sinking into the utterly gorgeous mix of bacon, ketchup and bread…His animalistic nature temporarily taking over as he demolished the meal…Leaving only a few scattered crumbs left of the sandwich, something that both impressed and slightly disturbed the wizard.
"So…What kind of magic are we going to start learning first Uncle Merlin?" Tails asked curiously.
"Well Tails, I think it'd be important that we go over some of the basic safety rules and important factors that go into magic before we go diving head-first into the advanced stuff…Think of it like learning how to swim, you first have to go over the safety rules and the do's and don'ts of what you're doing before you jump right into it." Merlin explained, taking brief intervals to take bites from his own breakfast.
Tails hung onto every word, his eyes bright, alive and filled with childlike curiosity and longing for discovery and adventure and Merlin could see that…Clearly the hedgehog and Sally had left their mark on the boy, but then again…He was his brother's kid and honestly, he didn't know why he'd be expecting any different….He had been an adventurous soul too, something that had passed down onto Miles…And…Merlin liked that.
"Okay…Well, where are we going to practice the spells then? Once we've gone over all of the safety rules I mean…Surely the tower isn't spacious enough for me to learn how to practice magic spells in."
Merlin allowed himself to indulge in a wry smile as he chuckled out,
"You're right outside of the more mundane housework spells and reading…Something that you're going to be doing a lot of if you want to become a truly great wizard my boy."
Miles didn't even seem shifted at the fact he'd have to read…That was certainly very promising…As for Miles, he could feel himself grow excited at the possibility of being able to comb through numerous tomes worth of spells and arcane knowledge…But, as for the practical stuff…He still had one remaining question.
"But Uncle Merlin…If we can't practice magic in the tower, then where can we do it?"
…
"Come on Miles! Try to keep up!" Merlin called over the howling winds of Boreas's coastline…
Miles nodded in response, holding onto the railing for the staircase that slowly winded down onto the beach for dear life…He had nearly slipped up five times already from soaking cobbled stone…And so, he had been holding onto the heavily rusted railing, just to keep himself from a rather nasty fall…
Despite the harshness of the biting, freezing maritime winds of the North that seemed to whip at Tails even through his new robes…He couldn't deny that it was an absolutely gorgeous cliff walk, there was just something about it…The fresh sea air, the variety of Cliffside flowers that dotted the pockets of grass and of course, the view of the waves as they gently kissed the bottom of the towering basalt cliffs…As well as the pastel blue skies above dotted with fluffy white clouds…It was like something out of a painting.
Even the sound of the shingle under the fox's shoes felt…Atmospheric, like it was something out of some kind of fantasy book…But he was brought out of his train of thought as he heard merlin call out to him,
"Tails, it's time to begin your training, now get over here so I can tell you how to stay safe when practicing magic!"
His gaze turned to see his Uncle Merlin standing in the centre of the shingle beach, perched upon a large rock…The younger fox complied and made his way over to him, standing before Merlin with excitement bubbling within him like magma in a volcano.
"Right…Tails, the first thing you need to know about how to handle magic is that it takes a great deal of concentration to be able to cast spells effectively, because of that, it is crucial that you have a clear mind and plenty of focus when trying to cast anything…Otherwise the spell will either be less effective, or won't work at all…
Another thing that I recommend is that when you try and cast spells, you channel any form of positive emotion you can, that is outside of combat magic that is…This is because magic reflects the emotions of the caster, so if you were say, apoplectic with rage and trying to cast a spell that required a happy…It wouldn't exactly have the intended results you'd like for that particular enchantment…
Another thing you should be aware of my boy, is to never let the power we wield corrupt you…This is because, while magic can be used for so much good and be used to create absolute wonders…It can also be used to twist and destroy, there were others before us that did not heed that lesson…And they paid the price with their sanity and lives…"
Tails nodded his head as he listened on intently, wanting to practically absorb every single word that left the older fox's mouth…Like a sponge that instead of absorbing water, absorbed knowledge instead…
However, upon the final rule, the fox grew rather…Unsettled at the way Merlin's voice dropped in tone, making the delivery of the rule more serious and even sinister…
"And finally my boy, the most crucial rule for a magic user…Is to never use our power in front of the populace…The wicked deeds of our ancestors may have faded away into myth and legend…But they left their mark on the populace…If we were to say…Reveal our arcane powers to the world and show off everything we could do…People would despise us, fear us…View us as dangerous, hell we'd probably end up in one of G.U.N's labs as freakish experiments if they didn't try and kill us outright…
And because of that Tails, it is vital…For our very survival to lay low and to never…EVER reveal our true nature…Am I understood?"
Tails in response, slightly unnerved by his Uncle's shift in tone only nodded…However, he had to admit…He felt…No, never mind…it was best to push that thought to the back of his mind…It was time to begin his training…It didn't matter what he personally thought on a stupid rule…
Merlin's former, more jolly tone returned as he began to beam at his nephew,
"Right, good I made my point…Now, let's begin my Nephew!"
Tails's excitement returned almost instantaneously…His bushy, white tipped namesakes beginning to wag…He was so dam excited…What would he be learning how to do first? Cast charms? Telekinesis? Teleportation? The possibilities were quite literally endless!
…
"Keep your eyes closed…Deep breaths…Feel the magic flowing through the earth…The wind…Everything…Allow yourself to become a conduit for the power my boy…" Merlin said, standing in front of Miles who was sitting down, cross legged upon a rock…Eyes tightly squeezed shut and trying to follow his uncle's instructions.
It was certainly no easy feat…He had been sat perched upon that rock for well over an hour now…And all he had been able to feel so far were brief flickers and fluctuations of magical energy that would shoot through the boy…
The sensation of it would be electrifying, like being doused in freezing water as he could actively feel it flowing through his body like the blood in his veins…However, the feeling would dissipate as quickly as It appeared…The sudden shock of feeling the energy coursing through him causing him to lose focus…
And so…He had been sat on that uncomfortable lump of rock…For over an hour…With Merlin standing in front of him and drilling it into him to try and keep focus…Like it was some mundane, household chore…The fox absolutely adored his Uncle, but even he was beginning to find it a little bit annoying now…
He held his tongue though and tried his luck yet again…Sucking in another deep breath…His ears flattening against his skull as he slowly began to focus…The sounds of the outside world and his Uncle's voice slowly being drowned out…The only sounds that could be heard, being the fox's subconscious encouraging him…And the other being the dull thrum of magical energy…
A dull, prickling feeling began to build within his fingertips…A cold chill beginning to spread through his nervous system…First in his hands, but then spreading into his forearms…He fought the urge to lose focus and open his eyes as he could slowly feel his body enveloped by the utterly…Unique feeling of the magic coursing through every single inch of him…
Every vein, muscle, organ, bone…Hell, every single cell in his entire body felt like it was being exposed to a cold, mid-winter chill…The pure, raw, energy overcoming him and practically being channelled within him…
"Yes…Good…Keep at it Tails…" Merlin softly whispered, watching as the cross legged form of the boy slowly began to levitate a few inches in the air…Florescent , colourful sparks, slowly begin to crackle around the meditating form of the young fox…
However the young fox had a visible expression of discomfort plastered across his face…Almost as if he was in pain…
Although the fox wasn't in pain, he was certainly in a state of discomfort…He felt as if his body was on fire…not in a painful way, but the feeling of having so much…Power coursing through him made it extremely hard to focus…And he felt like he was slowly losing his grip…But he just had to stay focussed…Just a bit longer…
"YES!"
His concentration was shattered in an instant as he heard his Uncle call out merrily, practically yelling into the fox's ear…The sparks dissipated, the magic within him practically vanished and he fell from his floating state…Causing him to lose balance and sprawl out on the floor…
Tails silently cursed under his breath at what had happened…But he couldn't complain, not now at least…for he had at least been able to keep concentration for a few seconds…Which was at least something, he just hoped that the rest of the day's training would be smooth sailing…