- Eeek!
- No, Annette! Get back!
- Phew! That was a close one! Good thing we had
[cdb]water nearby.
- My apologies. It was foolish for me to attempt that
[cdb]without prior experience.
- No, it was my fault for asking you to try and light it
[cdb]with magic.
- The fault is mine alone. You had no way of knowing
[cdb]that my aptitude for magic was so lacking.
- We were lucky it only resulted in a small explosion.
Had the flames spread, it easily may have proved
[cdb]disastrous.
- Aw, don't beat yourself up over it. We were able to
[cdb]put it out quickly, and that's all that matters!
- What a remarkably positive spin on the matter.
Still, I'm relieved you weren't hurt.
- I have always been abysmal at magic. My father and
[cdb]grandfather were the same, so perhaps I inherited it
[cdb]from them.
- Yeah, I guess you're better suited to fighting with
[cdb]something sharp and pointy.
- Actually, I had a fair amount of interest in becoming
[cdb]a mage when I was a boy.
- An old friend of mine would give magic
[cdb]demonstrations, and I always found myself
[cdb]terribly jealous of her abilities.
- Well, you know there's a school of sorcery in the
[cdb]capital, right? You definitely should have enrolled!
- Ah, but I knew they only accepted students who
[cdb]display at least a modicum of talent for the craft.
- Every time I glimpsed one of those students,
I found myself envious of their skill.
- I had no idea. But hey, if you're interested, how
[cdb]about I teach you a bit? We can start right now!
- You would do that?
- Sure! See, I've been helping out at the school ever
[cdb]since I came back to the capital.
- And after talking with everyone there, I've been
[cdb]thinking it would be fun to...you know.
Teach somebody!
- I'd like to help people get better at magic, even if
[cdb]they're really, really, really bad at it.
- A fine aspiration. If you'll have me, I would be
[cdb]honored to be your first pupil.
- Though I imagine your skills can be put to use
[cdb]helping many people besides just myself.
- I know I am not the first person—nor will I be
[cdb]the last—to accidentally conjure up an explosion.
- Come on, Dimitri. It's not like I'll be that
[cdb]much help...
- But regardless, I'm confident that becoming a teacher
[cdb]is the path for me.
- Right then, Your Majesty! Let's start by practicing
[cdb]some fire magic.
- You want me to cast the same spell again?
Well, if you think it best...
- Fire spells are the most basic magic of all. You just
[cdb]let the ol' power build up and then—boom, let loose!
- OK, so start by using your hands to focus
[cdb]your energy.
- Like this?
- Don't be so hesitant! We've got plenty of water here,
[cdb]so really lean into it.
- I wasn't intending to hold back. Perhaps I could
[cdb]charge it up a bit mo—?!
- Augh! Your Majesty! Are you all right?!
- Urgh... I fear we may have a long road ahead of us.