Humans Don't Make Good Familiars- Part 83

Suma’s POV

“So, Jake is training with the attack mages then?” Vindicta asked. We were practicing our healing spells on damaged fruits.

“Yes, he left to join them a while ago for evasion and shock training.” I told her as I cast a spell on my target. A cut, which had been gaping and letting the juice leak out, began to seal.

“How do you think he will do?”

“Fine I believe, but I do not know. I suppose it depend on how hard the instructor makes the train.” Vindicta nodded her head in agreement and the Neame in charge of our final healing qualifications exam landed on the perch next to us.

“I see your faring well as always Lady Suma.” She said.

“Indeed mam,” I replied.

“Lady Vindicta, you’re doing quite well also.”

“Thank you mam. Um, can I ask how Von-Pac is doing?” Vindicta asked. The instructor seemed to find her question funny.

“I’m afraid I am not allowed to give specifics about other candidates, but I can tell you he is doing fine.” Vindicta seemed pleased, her head feathers raised slightly and her besmears glowed just a bit brighter. “Anyway, be prepared, a group of combat cadets is coming from their training sessions, and they need to be healed I’m sure. We are expecting them soon.”

“Is it the squadron my familiar was assigned to?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know which one your speaking of, but it is squad three.” She answered.

“Oh, he was assigned to squad five.” I said disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to see him.

“If you’re worried, why not just talk to him through the private channel you told me about?” Vindicta said after the instructor flew away.

“I considered it, but I don’t want to distract him from his training.” I explained. With that, Vindicta and I refocused on our final qualification exams. It was hard to believe that we were so close to the end of our tenure at this camp and were almost fully fledged healing mages for the army.

“Suma… I have a question.” Vindicta said softly.

“You are as good a healer as I am Vindicta, if you do not know something it is unlikely I know it either.”

“No.. not that. Have you and Jake made your decisions about the Wyverns yet?”

“…Yes.”

“Will you..?”

“We will,” I said.

“Please be safe,” she sounded as if she were about to start singing, but didn’t.

“I will try.”

“Thank you.” After our conversation, however brief it was, we didn’t talk for the rest of the training; neither one of us could without fear of singing. Hours passed, and eventually Jake made contact and said that he was done with his attack training for the day. I summoned him to me, and we spent some time resting before we needed to go to familiar training together. While we waited, we talked.

“How was training?” I asked.

“I think it went pretty good. I learned a lot I think, but that shock training sure was loud.” He said smiling.

“What did you learn?” I wondered. He was already very strong, so I honestly didn’t believe there would be much for him to gain from the training.

“I learned how to cast my spells faster, and a new way to picture my spells.”

“That will be good to know,” I said.

“Oh, can I ask you a weird question?”

“Is it about Vindicta and Von-Pac?” I said jokingly.

“No, everyone already knows about them. I wanted to ask if having purple flames was unusual?”

“…Why?” I asked cautiously.

“Well, when my flames turned purplish blue during training, everyone seemed kinda freaked out by it.” He explained.

I held my feelings in for a moment and asked another question, “Jake, when you say purple, was it a bright purple or a dark purple?”

“It was more of a mix of dark blue and purple. Like a northwest purple, not an eminence purple.”

“I don’t know what that means..”

“More of a dark blue with purple mixed in.”

“Okay, and why did you make your flames that color?” I asked trying not to panic for his sake.

“Suma, you are starting to kinda freak me out now, what’s up?”

“It has nothing to do with you, but I can certainly understand why your squamates would have become uncomfortable.”

“Which is why?”

“Purple flames were common for the Vikings..”

“Oh… ooohhh!”