I was weeding the garden when I heard footsteps approaching. "Aliki, I'm doing the job you wanted me to. No need to whack me with your staff, I'm already bruised from doing all this." I huffed.

"Well, someone needs to talk with Aliki if she's hurting you. Though I'm not sure she does it without good reason."

I recognized that voice. I stood up so fast that I hit my head on the thick vines on a low hanging willow branch. "Ow-" I hissed, rubbing my head.

"Oh! Sorry if I scared you, Yuka." Olivandrius said, resting his hand on my head. The pain quickly left, and I sighed. "No problem. I forgot you were visiting today, Olive." I said, smiling. Olivandrius returned my smile, then looked up at the willow tree. "It looks like this one is thriving. You've been taking good care of it. " he said, admiring it.

I flushed a light pink. "Yeah."

Olivandrius was a mage apprentice like me, but he had already finished learning all the spells he needed to. His master was the king's High Mage, Lucio Willins. Unlike my stubborn master Aliki, his was eager to teach Olive as much as he could. Olivandrius was now known as the fastest mage apprentice to learn all the spells in the Magus Index, a book about all magics that branched off of the Core Gems. He was smart, magically talented, and well-respected. Unlike me.

"Where is Aliki?" he asked, looking around. "Probably back at the main island. I can walk you there!" I said quickly, brushing myself off. "Alright!" Olive replied.

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"Aliki! Olive-- Olivandrius is here!" I called out. "You can call me that dumb nickname. I doubt Master Aliki would recognize my actual name." Olive replied, chuckling.

 It was true. When he visited, Aliki rarely called him by his normal name, so I had gotten used to using it as well.

"Come on. She probably put a noise cancelling spell on her room so she wouldn't hear those birds." I said, walking in and holding the door for Olive. 

We walked upstairs and I knocked on the door. Aliki answered, scowling. "I told you not to bother me-- Olive!" Her face brightened when she saw who stood beside me. 

It was my turn to scowl.

Aliki had always wanted Olivandrius as her apprentice, but his family had taken the better option for him. I had no such luck. The fact that Aliki wanted another apprentice was one that she did not hide from me. 

I calmed myself down. Even if I had been the High Mages' apprentice, my affinity for magic was horrible. I would never be on the same level as Olivandrius was. 

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Olive stayed for the next 6 hours, talking with Aliki and I, showing us some new magics he learned, and helping us with some chores (He mostly helped me, which I appreciated.) and finally left at 2 pm. I waved as he departed from the island, lowering my hand as he disappeared in the clouds. 

Aliki was back at home. I hesitated before sneaking a look down at the islands below ours. I had a glimpse of foliage and golden tinted waterfalls before both the clouds and willows trees obscured the view.

I sighed. It would never happen. I was never leaving this island, and maybe I was better off neve knowing about was lurked on the others. 

Walking back through the garden lifted my spirits a bit, but my mood darkened even more as I remembered why exactly I couldn't leave. 

It was common knowledge that dragons were incredibly rare, and highly valued. My aura matched one of the strongest dragon. 

I scratched my shoulder, where a patch of raised skin appeared as it so often did when I thought about it.

If I ever tried to leave this island, I would die. I wasn't sure to what, or who exactly, but it was a sure fact.