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It was a nice day outside and unfortunately for Robin, that meant training. The training for this day took place outside in the front yard. Robin and Willa were on a flat dirt platform just off the main path to the house; Sam, Aster, Alex and Andy were on some fallen trees just off to the side of the platform, eagerly watching.
"Are you just going to sit there and watch me?" Robin questioned.
"We're learning, just the same as you are," Aster pointed out.
"You can't even use magic."
The young teen shrugged. "Then it's free entertainment."
Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes and he turned to face his mentor. Willa clapped her hands together, signifying the lesson had begun.
"Today's lesson will focus on the different types of magic in our world."
The older wizard spun her staff around and twelve orbs appeared in the air. They were all different colours and had different symbols on them. Robin had seen these symbols before; they were on the walls of that trial room back in New York.
"There are many types of magics and sub-types but to many magical beings, there are only twelve."
Willa slowly waved her wand over each orb, naming them on the way. The red orb represented Fire; the orange orb represented Strength; the yellow orb represented Light; the green orb represented Nature; the teal orb represented Healing; the light blue orb represented Air; the dark blue orb represented Water; the purple orb represented Mind; the pink orb represented Spirit; the brown orb represented Earth; the gray orb represented Shadow and the rainbow orb represented Shifter.
Willa swirled her staff around the orbs began slowly moving in a circle.
"Each type of magic has its own quality and are each used in their own different ways."
The older wizard looked over at Robin with a piercing look. "Each type of magic can be used for good but they can also be used for evil. No magic is inherently good or bad, no matter what you think."
Robin wanted to argue why she was specifically looking at him when saying that but he knew arguing would get him nowhere.
"Moving on I believe it's time for a little demonstration," the older wizard's staff glowed with a green light and a tree grew beneath her feet, raising her into the sky. Robin scoffed; now she was showing off.
"Take my type for example; Nature. Now Nature does what you'd think it does, it grows plants and anything that can grow from the earth naturally," Willa explained, letting the tree sink back under the ground and stepping onto the platform.
"Like any type of magic, nature has weaknesses. It is weak to fire and air magic. This means beings who have those types of magic will deal more damage to nature users. It also means that when a nature being uses those types of magic spells those spells will be weaker."
"But enough about my type of magic, let's move onto yours."
Now that caught Robin's attention.
"Light magic is quite a powerful type, being one of the oldest types of magics other than the primal magics," Willa explained
The young wizard opened his mouth to ask something but Willa cut him off, "I'll explain primal magics another time."
Clearing her throat, Willa began again, "Light magic lets a being shape the light around them, often using it to mold light a physical thing."
She then looked over at Robin. "Give it a try. Make something small."
Robin thought about taking out his wand but opted to use his bare hands instead. He wanted to practice using magic wandless so this was as good a time as any other. Concentrating on his hands, Robin felt his magic flow and his hands began glowing with a yellow aura.
The aura eventually faded and a golden heart floated above his palms. It wasn't a realistic heart, it was one of those cartoon hearts you often saw. It glistened in the sunlight and bobbed up and down. He heard a collective 'aww' coming from his friends and he couldn't help but glare over at them from the corner of his eye.
Willa hummed in approval. "Small but effective"
She examined her staff which was glowing again. "While light is powerful, every magic has a weakness; except healing but we'll get to that another time."
Aiming her staff in Robin's direction, she shot out a small gray beam which sent him flying onto his back. While the beam didn't hurt that much, it did still sting and left him winded. He looked up to see Willa holding out a hand for him. He took the hand and was hoisted back to his feet.
The older wizard whispered into his ear. "Make sure you keep practicing your magic wandless. Just in case another incident happens."
Robin nodded in understanding, briefly glancing over at Sam. The older wizard walked over to the other side of the platform and faced Robin.
"Time for a small challenge. all I ask you to do is hit me with one of my weaknesses. Just a small touch and that's it. If you manage to do that then Sam will do all the chores today; if you lose you'll have to do all the chores today," she announced.
"Hey. I never agreed to this," Sam protested. Willa dismissed Sam's protests and focused on Robin.
"You may start when you're ready."
Not feeling too confident with his hands with other types of magic, he opted to use his wand this time.
Raising his wand into the air, the young wizard sent a strong current of wind in Willa's direction. The older wizard raised a wall of earth in front of her, blocking Robin's attack. Robin scowled and ran forward, tapping his wand to his shoes to activate his light steps. Stepping on the air, Robin leapt over the wall and landed on the other side. Willa was nowhere to be seen.
Before he could act, Robin felt something slam into his side, sending him flying. His back hits the earth wall which crumbles away, letting Robin fall to the ground. When his vision stopped spinning, Robin saw Willa standing over him, twirling her staff, looking unimpressed.
"Come on Robin, I know you're better than this. Where's your fighting spirit? Are you just going to give up already?" she commented, looking down at him with such disappointment.
Something inside Robin snapped and a growl emanated from his throat. The young wizard leapt to his feet and grabbed onto Willa's arm in a flash. Focusing his magic into his hands, Robin let his hands burn with a raging fireball. The spell didn't last long as Willa threw him away, the young wizard landing on the dirt. This time Robin didn't have the energy to get up, preferring to lay on the ground panting. He lay there for a while, trying to get back his breath and his magic.
Eventually Willa came into his line of sight. She had no injuries on her although there was a visible burned patch of her sleeve. She knelt down and helped him to stand, putting an arm around his waist.
"You did well. I admire your speed and your magic definitely packs a punch," she stated, giving him a proud smile. Robin couldn't help but blush.
The others came over as well, congratulating him on his win; even Sam who didn't seem that bothered about having to do chores. The young gargoyle took Robin, letting him lean against his side. Robin felt bad since he knew Sam didn't like physical touch but he was the one that volunteered so he must've been somewhat alright with it.
"How are you able to use magic without a wand? Every wizard I've met has always needed to use a wand," Sam questioned.
Robin shrugged. "I'm not too sure. It's only a recent thing as before the beginning of the year I always used my old wand but ever since just before my birthday things changed."
That had Willa humming in thought, fingers tapping against her staff. "That is unusual. Wizards and even witches can't use magic without their wands; if they do it slowly burns up their magic and if they use it too much they can lose their magic altogether. I can use magic without my staff but that's because I've been practicing for hundreds of years"
She glanced over at Robin with suspicion in her eyes, "Are you sure you're seventeen?"
"Uh yeah, I'm pretty sure. Maybe I'm just lucky," Robin stated with a shrug.
Willa kept staring at him but with a different expression. Robin didn't know exactly what that expression was but it felt like a knowing expression; like she knew something that he didn't. If she knew something then why didn't she tell him?
The older wizard clapped her hands together, looking over the group.
"Okay. That's the lesson over for today. Who wants ice-cream?"
Cheers were heard all around, especially Sam and Aster (those two had serious sweet tooth's).
Everyone headed inside and Sam slowly headed after them.
"You doing alright?" the young gargoyle asked.
Robin let out a grunt but nodded. "I'm fine. I think Willa was just a bit harsher than she should've been with a child."
Sam let out a small chuckle. Robin gave a small smile but couldn't help but glare in the direction Willa had gotten.
"What's wrong?" Sam inquired.
"There's something Willa's not telling me. It's in her eyes; she knows something," Robin explained, trying to not let his irritation take over.
"Willa's quite old, I'm sure she's learned many secrets over the years, some that we couldn't even begin to comprehend," Sam countered.
"Yeah I guess you're right. Well, let's head inside so you can get some ice-cream I know you're dying to have," Robin stated, giving Sam a sly smirk.
Sam spluttered and Robin couldn't help but laugh as they entered the house.