《EPINATURALS - Issue 001: The Halerie School For Epinaturals》


 Chapter 1

    The first day at a new school is always tough, especially when you were offered a full-ride scholarship only the day before. And the school is one you didn¡¯t even know existed until the day before. In fact, most of the natural world still doesn¡¯t know. I also embarrassed myself in front of several department heads the day before.


    ¡°Leyla? Come on in,¡± Phea, the guidance counsellor, said. Well, she introduced herself as ¡°like¡± a guidance counsellor. ¡°I hope you enjoyed breakfast. Please take a seat. How was your first night here?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Good! You don¡¯t need to hold back or lie to me, though. I want honest feedback about everything so I can assess how the program is going and how to move forward in the future.¡± I nodded. ¡°So as I explained yesterday, we¡¯re waiving your entrance exams for the year. What I would still like to do is a free-form assessment of your skills and learn about the magic history of your family. You can show me what spells you know and what knowledge you have. This way, I can help place you with the right teacher or area. Now, show me something that impressed you when you first learned it.¡± I took a second to think.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure where to start.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I know very much. I kind of already showed everything yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So you had a luck spell, which you said was a family heirloom. You performed an order spell, which you said you learned from my cousin. Lastly, you performed the blood drawing spell when you signed the school contract. How did you learn that one?¡±


    ¡°I saw you do it on Peter when he signed his contract.¡± Peter was the only other kid I knew here and his family were the only other magicians I knew - until now. ¡°It looked similar to a spell I use to move water.¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡± She gestured to the pitcher on her table. I swirled the water up in a ribbon.


    ¡°And how did you learn this one?¡±


    ¡°I discovered it while I was playing with water in the shower. I noticed the water would suspend with certain gestures and move when I added on others.¡± She beamed.


    ¡°What you discovered is actually called a Turgood water spell, part of the Turgood system of magic. An epin named Sylvester Turgood discovered and collected a series of basic gestures which could control the elements. This modification allows you to move one substance through another, like blood through your other tissues.¡± I performed the modification and pulled the ribbon of water through the glass of the pitcher. Phea nodded in approval. ¡°It¡¯s a very common spell for epin families to teach their kids but since you independently discovered it, you may have a natural connection to water,¡± she noted.


    ¡°How do I stop it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s mental.¡± I dropped the water back into the pitcher.


    ¡°I also can move really lightweight objects. Stuff like feathers and hairs.¡± I flicked a couple strands of hair up. ¡°I noticed that when I cast the luck spell, it would sometimes feel like a pull on the objects, so I thought maybe I could¡­ sort of isolate that effect. It¡¯s not super powerful or useful, though. And I can turn off the lights.¡±


    ¡°Did you turn off the lights in your room yesterday?¡± She asked. I nodded. ¡°That must have been the source of our brownout last night. All the lights went out in your dorm wing for two minutes.¡± My eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry about that! For some reason, my magic is kinda going berserk here.¡± She seemed amused.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. New environments tend to bring out nerves, but you¡¯ll likely adjust soon. How did you learn that spell?¡±


    ¡°It just came to me while I was lying in bed one night. I didn¡¯t want to get up to turn the light off. Is that possible? To just pull spells out of thin air?¡±


    ¡°Intuiting spells? Yes, of course. Magic can range from being extremely intuitive to insanely complex. Most of the first spells epins discovered were through simple intuiting. What other spells have you been able to come up with?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I think.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fantastic.¡± She was so positive and encouraging, it felt like she was babying me. ¡°Now what about your magic ancestry? How far back can you trace magic?¡±


    ¡°My maternal grandparents. They prayed for luck and received the luck spell.¡± She tilted her head. A shadow passed over her smile. Maybe that didn¡¯t count as magic?


    ¡°They prayed? To which god?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was a goddess.¡±


    ¡°How come you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really in touch with my grandparents. I¡¯ve only seen them a few times in my life and there¡¯s a language barrier. I wouldn¡¯t be able to ask them. I can¡¯t even think of the word for ¡®god¡¯ right now. And my mom never really clarified. But I think it was one of those general goddesses that lots of people prayed to for help. You know.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Do your parents practice magic?¡±


    ¡°Not really, other than the luck spell.¡±


    ¡°And what do they use the luck spell for?¡± I hesitated. Do I lie? She must have already heard my slip-up yesterday when I called it the casino spell. I couldn¡¯t think of anything fast enough.


    ¡°They use it at the slot machines at casinos.¡± She nodded. It didn¡¯t look like she was judging.


    ¡°And do they follow any gods or goddesses?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We do have a small shrine to one. It¡¯s just a porcelain statue¡­ ette. It¡¯s supposed to protect our house.¡±


    ¡°And what about you? How connected do you feel to these gods?¡±


    ¡°I guess my only connection to them is that shrine in my house.¡±


    ¡°Do you pray?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it works. And I¡¯m lucky enough not to need to.¡± She nods again.


    ¡°Before you were offered a scholarship here, what were your plans for this year?¡±


    ¡°I would have finished my senior year at my normal high school.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Probably university.¡±


    ¡°Why probably?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not sure what else I would do.¡±


    ¡°Do your parents want you to go?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t really talk about it. I think my mom wants me to go. That¡¯s where everyone else I know is going.¡±


    ¡°Are you good at school?¡±


    ¡°I would say so. I get good grades.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite subject?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have one. It¡¯s more about the specific class. And if there¡¯s an engaging teacher. Sorry, I have a question. Is Halerie like a high school that teaches non-magic courses too? If I don¡¯t make it in next year¡­ is that like losing a year of my real life? Would I need to transfer back to¡­ uh¡­ human school?¡± She paused, considering my question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I didn¡¯t consider that you would want to return to the natural world. Halerie isn¡¯t really your typical school. Students here don¡¯t come from the natural world, so they have no need to take typical ¡®non-magic¡¯ courses, but I now realize that it would be unfair for you if taking this scholarship means disrupting a potential option for your future. We can accommodate. We have connections to natural world institutions that you now have access to and they always have a place for epins.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so are ¡®natural¡¯ people allowed to know about magic? I¡¯ve always treated it a bit like a taboo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they know about our existence. They may not find it necessary to acknowledge it. As for your inner circle, nobody can stop you from telling a natural if you so choose but that choice should be a wise one. Do you have any other questions?¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡±


    ¡°All right. Last question. How do you see magic playing a role in your life if you were not here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would.¡± She nodded for the last time, something nagging slightly at her smile.


    ¡°Thank you for your candour. I really appreciate it.¡±