Argis

The morning light streamed through an open window, shining directly into the face of a sleeping girl. She groaned and rolled over, trying to slip back into the dream she had just woken from. However, the sun was simply too bright for her to ignore its presence. She laid in bed a few minutes longer, then gave up on sleeping and peered out of her blankets to look at the clock sitting on her bedside table. Seeing the time, she gasped and threw off her covers. She was late - very late. The girl stood and tried to move swiftly to the chest across her room, but tripped several times on the short way there. Pieces of dirtied clothing from recent days tangled her feet, and the end of a spellbook caused her almost to fall before she righted herself on a chair standing in the middle of the mess.

She reached her chest without significant injury (like most days), and began to quickly dress in her normal attire. First, she pulled out a navy blue tunic that complimented her amber-colored hair. She wanted to wear her favorite pair of brown pants, too, but had to spend several precious seconds finding them on the floor. When she did, she stepped in and muttered to herself about the state of her bedroom. One day, she would clean up her mess. One day, when she had the time.

The girl reached for the cloak that wa lying on top of her chest, but looked down in surprise when it wasn't there. It had fallen into the narrow space against the wall when she had opened the chest's lid. With a grunt, she nimbly pulled it up with her long fingers and wrapped it around her body. The fabric of the garment was thinner than normal, and just perfect for the current weather - she could feel a slight chill through her open window, and knew she would shiver without the extra layer. However, she rather liked cooler weather because there was a faint bite to the air. It was refreshing. The girl also delighted in the many hidden pockets the woven fabric contained, as it could conceal several hexes and jinxes. To complete her outfit, she strapped a scabbard to her hip and let the cloak fall over it as she rushed down the hallway.

The girl ran down the stairs as swiftly as her balance permitted, flying through the kitchen door. She almost ran into Ethel, her guardian, as well as several pots suspended in the air while she rushed to the shelves in search of food. Ethel had been tending the pots, and quickly righted them with a burst of magic as Argis ran by.

“Argis! You’re finally awake!” Ethel exclaimed. “I'm glad you came down, since otherwise I would need to go wake you. I scheduled another training session for today, and would like you to go.”

Argis rolled her eyes. There was no way she was going to a training session. Ethel had tried many times to find a tutor suitable for Argis, but all had been rejected. They always wanted Argis to sit and practice spells she had long since mastered, or read some book filled with recondite information. Lessons were boring and impractical, and Argis thought a better use of time was to enjoy life while she was still young. Besides, she couldn't get into any trouble in her roamings; Ethel used an enchantment to confine Argis' travels to the boundaries of the city. And even the city itself was incredibly safe. There hadn't been crimes in the local newspapers for ages.

“Tell the instructor I’m not coming today,” said Argis over her shoulder. “I don’t even care who they are anymore. I have to go right now because I told Sabine I’d meet her this morning. You know, there’s a new cafe that just opened a few blocks away. We're going to try it out.”

Ethel sighed deeply and looked away, causing Argis to feel a twinge of guilt. She hated how Ethel always seemed to be disappointed in her. Her guardian had been nothing but loving and kind ever since a young, shy version of herself moved into the city, but Argis had recently been returning her kindness with only scorn and dismissal. It pained her, but she didn't change her ways.

Argis hadn't found anything particularly good to eat on the lower shelves by now, so she turned her attention toward the higher ones. When she saw the contents, she squealed with delight; the shelves were filled with a variety of fresh fruit. With a simple hand motion and a burst of energy, she called down a mango to a height where she could pluck it from the air, then brushed it off on her cloak as she walked toward the door. Ethel must have gone to the market yesterday - Argis would definitely have noticed if the mangoes had been present earlier. They did not often buy such luxuries, for the fruit was expensive and Ethel didn't quite enjoy the taste.

The front door squeaked as Argis opened it. “I’ll be back later today, Ethel,” Argis called. She didn’t wait for Ethel’s reply before she left.

“What a troublesome child,” said Ethel to herself. She watched Argis run down the busy street from the kitchen window, then resumed her dinner preparations when the girl disappeared around the corner.

“One day, she'll go to training!” Ethel said firmly. Then, she shook her head and sighed. “Ah, Argis reminds me so much of her mother. I could never make her do anything.”