Chapter 14: Learning About the Others (part 2)
Madeleine, to Jack's immense shock and surprise, was actually the next oldest of the three, and older than Jack by several years. But when Jack expressed his shock at this, Simon just shook his head and explained.
"It's 'em Ember Sprites. 'Ey don't age th'same way we do, with us gettin' all bigger and older lookin'. 'Ey just stay the same size and appearance once 'em's fully grown affer five or six years. By Ember Sprite stannards, she'd prolly older 'an I am!" Simon said, laughing.
Jack looked over at Madeleine, who was still staring at him intently.
"Does she not like to talk? She hasn't said a single thing since we met." Jack said.
"Maddy's not much of a talker, I'm 'fraid. Barely says more than an 'ello or 'ow do you do to people she knows. For th'first coupla years, I thought she was a mute, that one." Simon said.
"Don't take it personally. Maddy's the type who doesn't speak unless she thinks something needs to be said. It's just how she is." Rose chimed in.
"I'm sure once she gets used to you, she won't be so shy around you, right, Maddy?" Eleanor joined in, turning to the Ember Sprite and smiling. Madeleine's eyes flicked back and forth between the three of them, as if sizing them up, and then slowly nodded her head. Jack smiled at her, but the girl offered no response, and only continued to stare at him with her same blank expression.
Eleanor was the youngest of the three, and apparently the equivalent of a human teenager. She did the most talking of everyone at the table, flitting excitedly from one topic to the next seemingly without any segue or provocation. She seemed to take an especially strong interest in Jack, and on more than one occasion he couldn't help but get the distinct impression she was either checking him out or sizing him up for dinner. The fact that it wasn't clear which simultaneously turned him on and creeped him out.
Eleanor was, as Simon was quick to keep drawing attention to, the most educated out of all of them, having studied for several years at the Coltriss Magic Academy to be a wizard. Simon said this with such pride and revererance that Jack got the sense that this was probably something he should be impressed by, despite having no context for it.
"She's th'most cleverest of the four of us. Gradua'ed three years early, 'at one. Couldn' be more proud o' her!" Simon beamed. "'ey said she was th'youngest wizard what gradua'ed in a generation!"
"That's right!" Eleanor said, smiling so hard her eyes seemed to disappear in her cheeks.
"Wow." Jack said, honestly impressed. "Do you think maybe you could teach me how to use my magic a little better? I have no idea what I'm doing with it."
He paused for a moment, and then added, "and I'm honestly afraid I'm going to accidentally blow myself up if I keep at it like this."
Eleanor's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, I'd love to! I haven't gotten to play with anyone who's Gifted in years!"
"Gifted?" Jack asked.
"She means someone who has the natural gift of magic. Most people don't have the Gift, and as a result can't learn to cast arcane spells." Rose said.
"Ah, that makes sense. I honestly figured in a world where magic exists, anyone could learn how to use it." Jack said.
Eleanor shook her head. "Nope. It's a special thing that only appears in certain people. It's more common in certain races, and less common in others. Elves tend to have a lot of Gifted children, while Dwarves tend to have far fewer. Humans are somewhere in the middle."
"And where do Fire Tieflings fall on that scale?" Jack asked.
"Oh, all of us are born Gifted." Eleanor said, seemingly surprised by the question.
"Really?" Jack asked. "Why?"
"Tieflings all have Infernal blood from their demonic ancestry. That's what makes them all Gifted." A small, child-like voice said from across the room.
Jack spun around and looked at Madeleine, startled. The girl's face was still mostly expressionless, but the faint edge of a smile at the corner of her mouth gave away the indication that she was amused by his reaction.
Weekly Power Status
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