Seris stretched before scratching her belly.
"How long have I been asleep?" she muttered to herself as she rolled out of bed.
She picked up her cellphone that was laying on the nightstand next to her bed.
"Huh, I guess I was more tired than I thought after that battle."
The images of the intense fight instantly sprang to mind along with the guilt that she couldn't save Harborton from utter annihilation.
"Oh! You're finally up!"
Amelia's excited voice greeted her and Seris welcomed it with a grin.
"Yeah, I was pretty worn out. What did I miss?"
Amelia shrugged, "honestly not much. There's been a ton of social media and news coverage since the incident and Master Talos stopped by yesterday to check in on you."
Seris frowned at that revelation. The fact that he knew where she lived was not welcome news.
"How did he know where to find me?"
"Orion told him I think."
Of course he had. The loyal soldier indeed.
Seris got up and headed for the shower.
***
Twenty minutes later she was fully dressed and feeling like a brand new person. The soft scent of lavender wafted around her from the shampoo and conditioner that she had used.
As she stepped into the living room she saw Amelia sitting on the couch, eyes fixed on the T.V. screen. Amelia's knees were drawn up and her chin was resting lightly on top of them as her wide eyes took in every bit of information displayed.
Seris decided to join her, flopping down next to her before throwing an arm around her. Amelia had such a serious look on her face that Seris momentarily forgot that she was only a few years younger than she was.
"What's bothering you?" Seris asked gently as she too focused on the news being broadcast.
"I feel like we didn't win."
That made sense to Seris. She thought for a few moments in silence, trying to find the right words to say to her apprentice.
"That was your first major mission, not counting our side quest to Sapphire City. I think you did a great job."
Amelia quickly turned, her face turning red at the compliment.
"I didn't really do much though."
"Are you kidding me? Girl, you finally cast a massive spell! All of the training you've been doing to strengthen your skills is paying off. Because of you, Erin lived, don't forget that fact either."
A flicker of surprise floated across her features. That was something she couldn't deny and that fact alone had made her feel worthwhile. She actually managed to save another person from certain death.
"That's true, I did keep him safe from the demons."
Seris nodded, "yep and by the way, how did you pull that spell off? A barrier spell that large is no easy feat for any sorcerer."
Amelia gave a sheepish grin before replying, "I honestly have no idea. I remember getting attacked and then something happened. I guess I got angry? I'm not sure. I do remember clearly picturing a giant bubble of golden light in my mind though."
Seris grinned in delight, "see what I mean? Visualization exercises do work, you've proven that to yourself."
Amelia considered that. She had been constantly practicing her visualization skills for weeks now, getting better as time had progressed. The realization that she could clearly picture how she wanted her magic to manifest in her mind, was something that had escaped her attention with all of the excitement over the last couple of days.
"I guess you're right."
"Also, keep in mind that in our line of work, you can't save everyone. We try to save as many as we can but there will always be casualties."
The somber wisdom was hard for Amelia to accept. She was not the kind of person to just give up when others were in danger or needed help.
A knocking on the apartment door interrupted their moment as Seris growled in the direction of the disturbance.
"I literally just woke up."
Amelia sprang up, half jogging to the door. She opened it to find Orion standing outside of it.
"Is she up yet?"
Amelia nodded before stepping to the side, giving Orion a full view of Seris sitting on the couch. Seris had affixed an expression of annoyance on her face as she glowered at Orion.
Orion threw up his hands in a placating gesture before saying, "hang on, I'm not here to drag you into a mission or anything like that. Master Talos was hoping you would stop by the temple to give a report on what happened in Harborton."
The idea of going to the temple wasn't exactly a thrilling one. Seris decided she would rather lounge about the apartment, order some pizza, and maybe watch a movie. She had an incredibly long list of movies that Erin had put together for her.
"No thanks, I'm busy."
Amelia tried to hide her smile while Orion looked nervous. That caught Seris attention. What was making him anxious?
"I feel like you have an offer I can't refuse."
Orion chuckled before answering her, "well it's not my offer. Some of the other Temple Heads, the elders, are at the temple. They want to thank you in person for saving the strike team. I believe they have a buffet planned as well to show their appreciation."
Seris immediately perked up, her expression dead serious as she stared deep into Orion's eyes.
"They have a lot of food?"
"Yes, my understanding is that they have a feast fit for a king planned in your honor."
Seris sprang from the couch, making her way out of the apartment without so much as a backwards glance.
"Orion, why are you just standing there? The Elders have summoned us, let's go!"
Orion shook his head in exasperation while Amelia laughed. They both knew that the easiest way to get Seris to do anything was promise her delicious food. They followed Seris out who was threatening to leave them behind if they didn't pick up the pace.