Chapter 8: Why Can’t I Get the Handle of This?!

This is a nice café to let down your stress.

Claude had allowed me to have a day-off from my training and I can venture into the city to have a hangout with Felix and Aisha.

We decided that we meet at a café in the afternoon. Since it was a hangout, I decided to wear clothes that are a bit more… fancy. I looked at the mirror, deciding which clothes would suit me the most…

I thought of covering up my blue hair by wearing a cool hat on my head. I planned to wear something that doesn’t look that royal-like. Why? I’m worried that the citizens would notice me as the prince and would want an ‘autograph’ or something.

It was almost time. I decided what I’m going to look like, I’m going to have a top hat, a pair of regular green jeans and a turquoise-blue shirt with a white jacket. And my appearance is, wow, awesome! This new look is definitely my new style.

Claude had told me to take the nearest subway station, which wasn’t that far than the one that we had taken to the Cave of Elements. It’s also because Claude was also a bit lost in the city. And there, I was alone for the first time. But, no worries, I’m not even scared of going alone, it would embarrass me in front of Felix and Aisha for bringing along some company.

After a few moments, the subway train had stopped at my destination. I hopped off, and walked towards the surface. Now, I would have to find a café named, ‘Retro’s Café: Let down your worries!’. Which is probably going to be difficult since there are a lot of cafes here… Well, I’ll just start searching now.

Good thing they have a map here.

Maps are technically easy to use to navigate to places you want to go, and it is definitely important that you must learn how to use one. Or, you’ll end up like me.

Being a prince doesn’t mean that you’ll be good at everything. I got confused multiple times just by looking at it. I first used the easiest method; to search for cafes, when I found the Retro’s Café, I turned to find the word in the map. Even though finding it was easy, navigating there is quite difficult. From my place, I would need at least 20 minutes to reach there, longer if I screw up…

Calm down. I told myself. I started to memorize the routes, and started following them. If only there was a position in the Ice Element that can teleport me from places to places… Don’t worry, with Claude’s help, I think I can master them all.

After a lot of twists and turns and some minor mess-ups, which involves ending up in backways, ending up in wrong cafes, and even getting back to the place that I had been before, I’ve finally made it.

The sign, ‘Retro’s Café: Let down your worries!’, was hanging above the café, and guess what? Aisha and Felix were standing at the entrance, waving at me. I smiled as I waved back, and rushed towards them. “It’s about time you know!” Felix called, “We were waiting for about almost half an hour!” “Sorry!” I replied, “I had some, miscalculations with the map.” Felix grinned playfully, “Not used to maps huh?” I nodded, and we headed inside the café.

It was quite cold inside, there must be lots of air conditioners. There were not many people here, with the maximum for each table were about three to four customers. We sat down at a table that is closest to the window, and a waiter came to us immediately after we sat down. “Hey kids! Anything from the menu?” He asked, and placed down three menus for the each of us.

We found our delicacies and returned the menu to the waiter. Felix had worn a purple buttoned shirt, along with an orange scarf. Aisha had an aqua coloured cloak, (which people don’t seem to notice) and a shirt that was emerald green. They must had prepared this before meeting me too.

I can’t wait to tell the two about my first training, they got interested as I kept on, and they giggled when I told them how cold I got when I got hit by the snowballs (Thanks, bro). Then, our meals had arrived. They were simple, like those regular things that you would order at a typical café.  Felix had ordered a cheesecake, Aisha had chosen a mushroom stew with some garlic bread, and I had selected a chocolate cake.

Felix and Aisha had told me about their first training too. Felix mentioned that he had used the first position of the Fairy Element to make a falling rock levitate. Well, that is more interesting than snowballs. “Element of Fairies, First position, Elusive Floating.” Felix had replied when I asked him what the position was called. Aisha continued that she had learned to make some pretty sick stuff with the first position of the Water Element. “I even made a usable rifle!”, Felix and I were awestruck when she said that. “And if you’re wondering, it’s called; Element of Water, First position, Aqua Craft.” Aisha said.

“So, how long do you guys think that you both will be ready for The Magician Games?” I asked them. Felix and Aisha looked at each other. “Well, in probably, three to four years.” Felix replied. “It also depends on our progress during our training.” Aisha added. “Alright.” I said, “When that time comes, let’s just hope that we’re ready to pass.” Both of them nodded, “Yup, it will be fun when it happens.” Felix agreed.

After a few more minutes of talking, we decided that it was time to leave. I gave both of them a fist bump and waved at them as we parted ways. And now, to go back…

The next trainings were insane.

I would have to do laps in the rainforest, and at first, I was wondering what could go wrong, I could just blast snowballs at anything that came to harm me, however… It doesn’t work out that way, it was revealed that Claude had set some traps in there, and I would easily fall into them. I remembered almost getting swiped away by an incoming log, then, a boulder came falling straight at me when I stepped on something.

I came back to Claude, panting and limping from my injuries. “Whoa, that’s something.” Claude said once he noticed my leg, he rushed towards me with a med-kit, it looks like he was expecting this to happen. “Bro, I have one question.” I said, “Which is?” “ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KILLED?!” “Bro,” Claude replied, “That’s how magic training works, you would need to go through insane trainings.” I groaned, wondering how many types of trainings I must do to learn magic.

The other positions were also more difficult to practice than the first one, I would need to fully concentrate, which involves ignoring any sound that would disrupt me, at one point a king cobra appeared from nowhere and came closer to check me out, I panicked from my concentration and scurried into the temple.

I still have to go to the library to learn about more facts about the history of magic, which involves even more books to read. And that is the most peaceful training that I had ever had!

I kept having snowball-fight-trainings with Claude, which involves me losing every time. I started to get the hang of the second and third positions, and by getting the hang, I mean more messed up incomplete forms. I still need to do laps in the rainforest, which I need to encounter more traps. Do I need to suffer even more? I wondered, but if it was for the sake of magic and avenging my parents, that will be worth it.

Almost the same training, happened every day, every week, and every month, even after a few years...