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Speaker 1: Magic is like a toddler with glitter, never unsupervised, occasionally brilliant,

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and frequently sticky. Fernwood household notes. Henry always knew this

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day would come, the day Silver's training would require a

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second set of hands, preferably capable hands. Instead, Fate sent Colt.

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Not that Henry disliked Colt. He just deeply resented how

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competent Colt looked, while internally panicking. It set unrealistic expectations

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for humans. Silver's training had begun peacefully that morning, birds chirped,

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dew sparkled, and Silver hadn't caused property damage. Yet Henry

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took it as a sign of impending catastrophe. He was correct.

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The moment Colt arrived, unwilling participant edition, Silver was attempting

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grounding again, breathing very seriously at a rock like she

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expected it to breathe back. When the pendant around Colt's

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neck flared in the forest, Colt staggered to it, What

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not now? Oh? Come on? The magic yanked him forward

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like a determined toddler dragging a reluctant parent. Henry perked up,

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Oh good, the lumbering protector arrives. Silver spun just as

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Colt stumbled out of the trees, slightly breathless, slightly confused,

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and carrying an energy that hummed with quiet strength. Colt,

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she said, surprised, but smiling. You came no, Colt said, honestly,

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something dragged me. The pendant pulsed. Henry snorted, Yes, that

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would be destiny. It has no manners training exercise one

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grounding now with extra audience. All right, Henry announced, we

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review grounding both of you. Colt blinked both. Silver folded

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her arms. Because your magic wants to show up too,

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Colt went, pale, I don't have magic. The pendant glowed. Henry,

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you do, Silver, you absolutely do. Colt, I would like

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to go home now. The hollow hummed as if laughing.

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Silver demonstrated grounding, hands extended palms, low, breathing, steady. Colt

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tried to copy her. Henry watched with intense judgment. Silver's

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magic radiated outward, warm, expanding, while Colt's energy pulled inward, anchoring, steadying, protective.

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The two magics brushed. Silver froze, Colt froze. Henry's wings flared. Oh.

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Henry murmured, oh, that is interesting. Silver felt at first

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like strong arms wrapping around her magic, not restraining it,

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but safeguarding it. Colt felt it second, like stepping between

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her and danger. He couldn't instinctual and absolute. A pulse

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rippled across the garden. The earth brightened beneath their feet.

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Then the rock Silver was focusing on shots straight upward,

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like a startled pigeon. Colt lunged without thinking, hand snapping out,

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and a shimmering barrier of golden light irrupted around them.

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The rock bounced off harmlessly. Silver gasped. Colt stared at

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his glowing hand in horror. Henry cackled, protect her magic,

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Henry said, smugly, called it, Silver beamed. Colt looked faintly ill.

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Training exercise two levitating objects now with safety net Colt.

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Henry instructed, you will stand nearby with your shield thing.

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Is it supposed to just happen on command? Colt asked yes.

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Henry said no, Silver whispered. Colt sighed. Silk never raised

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her hands toward a carrot. She had not learned from

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last time. It lifted, hovered, glowed, dash dash. Henry tensed,

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it's going to explode. Colt predicted, it is not going

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to explode. Silver protested. It exploded. Colt's shield snapped into existence,

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catching carrot shrapnel mid air. Silver blinked at him. Wow,

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she breathed, that's really cool. Colt rubbed the back of

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his neck, embarrassed. I guess. Henry rolled his eyes. Congratulations,

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you're magical. Please do not faint. Training Exercise three, controlled

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fire or how Colt discovered he is basically a walking

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fire blanket. Silver pointed at a candle, just a spark.

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She said, that's what you said about the tea cup.

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Henry muttered, silver glare. She flicked her fingers. The candle

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lit beautifully. Henry relaxed. Then it lit the other candle,

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then the garden trellis. Colt moved instantly, stepping between Silver

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and the flames. A curved dome of golden light burst

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outward from his chest. Whoomph. Fire vanished everything and everyone

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was untouched. Silver stared Colt. You you just extinguished spontaneous fire,

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Henry finished, finally, someone useful. Colt looked at his hands again, dazed.

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I don't understand any of this. You don't have to,

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Silver said gently, you're doing wonderfully. Colt blushed. Henry pretended

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not to notice. Henry lore interlude why protectors exist? As

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Silver and Colt cleaned up charred trellis bits, Henry sat

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atop the fence, studying them. Every fernwood which he knew

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had two things, magic of their own and a protector.

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Sometimes it was a familiar, sometimes a spirit, sometimes rarely

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a person. But protector magic was old, older than rowan,

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older than fernwood, hollow, older even than Henry. It didn't

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choose randomly. It chose where devotion already lived. Henry sighed,

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Oh dear, he murmured to himself, this boy is doomed.

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Training exercise for stability spell. Now, with Colt acting as

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magical seat belt, Silver steadied the candle flame. Colt stood

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beside her shield at the ready, Henry prepared to leap dramatically.

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The flame held steady, steadier, perfect. Colt exhaled, Silver smiled.

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Then her magic surged. Colt reacted instantly, reaching for her hand.

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His shield didn't appear around them this time. It wrapped

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around her. A soft golden outline traced her shape, protective, warm, unyielding.

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The unstable magic pulse bent around the shield and dissipated

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harmlessly into the air. Silver opened her eyes. Colt, she whispered.

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He looked down at their hands, still touching, then quickly

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pulled away. Ears pink. I I didn't know it would

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do that, Henry huffed. Protect her magic reacts to danger,

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Henry said, or emotion. He studiously did not look at

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either of them. Silver swallowed, thank you. Colt nodded, unable

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to speak. A new problem emerges. The hollow shifted, the

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air trembled. Something unseen rustled through the pines. Silver felt

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the journal pulse at her hip. Colt's pendant glowed in answer.

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Henry's wings flared wide. Oh no, Henry whispered, it's waking

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faster than I thought. Silver's breath hitched. What is? Henry

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stared into the forest, eyes sharp with ancient memory the

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thing Rowan warned us about. Colt stepped closer to Silver,

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instinctively forming another shield. Silver grabbed his arm. Henry's wings tightened,

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and the hollow went quiet, too quiet, the calm before

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something very loud. Silver exhaled shakily, Henry, what do we do?

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Henry looked between his witch and her protector. Now, he said,

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Now we train harder, and soon his wings rustled. Silver

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and certain, you two will not be able to face

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this separately. Silver and Colt exchanged a glance neither of

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them fully understood, but felt deeply inevitable.