Daily Write - Balance on Windmill Hills - Part 1

The rolling hills seemed to serve as a border between the coastline of the western seaboard and the city of Cynosure, as if protecting the city from the white capped waves that crashed the sands of the beaches. The strong ocean breeze buffeted against the hills, turning the numerous windmills that dotted the landscape. They resembled manmade wooden flowers that spun in the gusty breeze. The sun had just risen; a pale disc in the azure horizon. The clouds were thin cottony wisps, floating lazily in the early morning sky.

On the cobblestone road that led from Cynosure to the hills, traveled two women. One was much older with dark blonde hair cut in a bob, holding a dark colored walking stick. She resembled a ball with legs due to being short and quite rotund. Her cheeks were flushed and small beads of sweat were starting to form on her forehead. Her robes were white with light blue trimming. On the back of her robes was the marking of a senior air wizard of the Collegium Arcanum. Next to her was a woman who was much younger. More of a girl than woman. She was tall and lean, much like the walking stick that the first woman held in her hand. Her robes were a dark chocolate brown, a stark contrast to the robes of white. There were no markings on the younger woman’s robes. Her long white hair fell down her back like a fountain of newly fallen powdered snow, further accenting how dark her robes were.

When the two finally reached the hills, the older woman took a deep breath, pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her damp forehead. A broad smile crossed her face as raised her arms outwards, the air catching the sleeves of her robes and waving them like ship sails.

“Can you feel that, Ariya,” the older woman said with her eyes closed, “Isn’t that the most wonderful feeling ever? Almost makes you want to be a bird, doesn’t it?”

Ariya stood next to the woman and closed her eyes as well. The strong breeze flowed over her, ruffling her robes against her body. It was a very freeing feeling. Aside from the Collegium, itself, the “Windmill Hills” was the favored spot of most air wizards to practice. Everything felt natural and serene here on most days. Ariya opened her eyes and turned to the chubby woman next to her.

“Well Professor Cohen. I’m sure that you didn’t bring me out here just to enjoy the scenery. What is it that you wish to talk to me about?”

The professor brought her arms down and rested both hands on her walking stick, planting it firmly in the ground in front of her. She slowly opened her golden yellow eyes, turning them toward Ariya.

“Some of the professors are concerned about you, Ariya," Professor Cohen started, “They say that you show a lack of interest in learning the basics of being a wizard. And yet the marks you receive during examinations prove that you are quite capable of learning how to be a very strong wizard. Especially in your air magic classes. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that you are one of my most outstanding students.”

Ariya pursed her lips and folded her arms loosely across her chest, “If I am making high marks and doing what is required of me, then what does it matter if I show interest or not? I obviously understand what is being taught in class and I’m learning how to use that material in a practice now. I don’t see why any of the professors should be concerned.”

Professor Cohen shifted the focus of her eyes back out to the ocean, watching the waves continue to crash on the shore, “You show a blatant disregard for The Balance and every professor you have ever had has struggled with you over it. It is a great concern to the Collegium when they are training a wizard who is as flippant about it as you are.”

Ariya rolled her violet hued eyes and pulled a few strands of her white hair out of her face. She knew it was going to come to this. It always came back to this. 

“I don’t feel like I’m disregarding it, per say," Ariya replied, "I just believe differently than the teachings at the Collegium. The Balance has its place. I just don’t think it is the place where the college puts it. But if I so much as breathe disagreement with the professors, then I’m some type of danger or threat or concern.”

Ariya shrugged her shoulders, “I’m done trying to explain my thought or have others try to answer my question of why my thinking is wrong. It only causes problems in the end. The Collegium wants strong students to become strong wizards and I will do just that. What does it matter if I daydream or fall asleep in class from time to time? If I receive the same marks as the student next to me, then they have to pass me, lack of interest or not.”

Professor Cohen nodded her head, her countenance falling slightly. Ariya’s head was thicker than rock. She had taken the label of deviant and delinquent and made it her personality. It was almost as if Ariya was now purposefully trying to obstinate about her beliefs about the place The Balance should have because of the all professors judging her. Professor Cohen turned to look at the pale skinned girl standing next to her. Ariya showed such potential. If put in the right situation, Professor Cohen knew that Ariya could excel. But right now, her stubbornness and obstinacy were getting in the way.
 
Ariya was causing a situation that the college wished to avoid. It was problem the Collegium Arcanium had seen before. A wizard that ignored The Balance would only cause harm and would become a danger. And that danger only increased exponentially when that wizard showed any type of talent for his or her craft. The last thing anyone from the college wanted was a rogue wizard on their hands. Professor Cohen tapped the end of her snub nose with her pointer finger several times. Ariya wanted the answer why things were taught the way they were. And answer “because they are” wasn’t going to be good enough. Not for someone like Ariya.

“Ariya, have you ever heard of a Tempest?”

Ariya shook her head, “No, I have never heard of that before. Is it a type of wizard?”

Professor Cohen’s grin returned to her face, “It is and there aren’t very many of them any more. What I want you to do is go and research them. I will give you one week and we will meet in this very spot to discuss it.”

Ariya turned and looked in the professor’s face. She was obviously up to something. Ariya could hear it her voice. It was the same tone Professor Cohen had in class when she was about to give a pop quiz. However, Ariya couldn’t figure out what the professor could possibly be planning.  Ariya nodded her agreement on this new assignment. Yes, Professor Cohen was like all the rest of the professors, but she was an air wizard. She was what Ariya aspired to be once she finished at the Collegium. So if Professor Cohen wanted her to research Tempest wizards, then that was exactly what she was going to do.