An Affinity for Burning by Alex Nonymous

Author:Alex Nonymous [Nonymous, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-10T05:00:00+00:00

Saffyr, Ages 12-13

“I’m going to train you!” I announced to Bea.

She frowned, looking up from the dandelion crowns she’d been weaving us. “Ms. Pume and Ms. Jekyl already are. And I don’t need to train. You’re the one who wants to win the trials, not me.”

I sighed. “Don’t you at least want a chance at it?”

“Nope.” She plucked out another flower to start weaving it in. “I don’t think marrying some stranger and having to rule an entire country is worth getting to keep an Affinity I barely use. I’m just going to wait for this all to be over, find someone to fall in love with for real, and then go live happily ever after in some little house somewhere.”

“Close by enough to come visit me all the time after I’m queen?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

“Well, you still need to train at least a bit. People can get hurt in the trials. You can’t just barely use your Affinity until then and expect to be able to protect yourself. If we go right to the edge of the protection wards, we won’t be able to do much, but at least we’ll be able to practice a bit.”

“I still practice during my training slots, just like everyone else. If that’s enough for them, it’ll be enough for me.”

“I know but you’re not…” I trail off.

Bea scowled. “I’m not as good as them,” she finished for me.

I winced even though it was what I was going to say. “Bea, that’s not- you’re good at different things.” I gesture to her lap. “You’re better at flower crowns.”

She scoffed. “Flower crowns? That’s the best you could come up with?”

I put a hand on her knee and looked her straight in the eye. “You’re the most perfect person I’ve ever met, Bea,” I promised her. “It just felt rude to say you’re better at existing than everyone else.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. “That’s better.”

“Please come practice with me?” I begged. “Just once a week. I just want you to be ready.”

“Fine,” she sighed.

I grinned. “Come on.”

Bea’s powers were even weaker at the edge of the wards than mine were, so we spent our first few sessions just trying to get them to work at all. She’d grow small vines or get flowers to bloom slightly faster while I worked on getting my balls of fire to grow as big as I could. After weeks turned into months and Bea still wasn’t getting any better though, I decided to change strategies.

“Maybe we should work on non-Affinity-based combat.”

She frowned. “A fist isn’t going to stop fire or lighting, Saffi. Let’s just give up. I hate training.”

I shook my head. “It might not stop affinities, but learning how to dodge them can keep you safe. Come on, stand up.”

Bea sighed. “I don’t want to, Saffi. I’m tired.”

“You can’t just decide you’re tired at the trial! Stand up.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Do it!”

She begrudgingly got to her feet.

“Okay, now dodge this!” I grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at her.

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