(February 28, 2025)

Lii summoned a ball of fire into her palm. 

Well, less of a ball and more of a... weird-looking snowflake? How did that even—No, she wasn't going to ask.

With a groan of frustration, she let the fire dissipate and glared at the scroll in front of her. She would master this spell, dammit. After all the time and effort and ruined shawls, she wasn’t about to be bested by some ancient language and a few weird symbols she’d yet to interpret.

With a deep breath and hug on her confidence, she raised her hand to try again.

(March 28, 2025)

The unfamiliar words tumbled off her tongue, and the fire rose in her hand again, this time definitely more ball-shaped. Excellent! Step by step, she was mastering this whole magic thing.

“Okay, fireball, now to send you towards the target.”

With careful movements, she shifted her stance, terrified the fire would go out, extended her arm.

The dog barked, Lii dropped the fire, and she shrieked along with the barking dog as the toes of her shoes smoked.

“Basil!” she snapped.

The hound dropped his nose. “Sorry. I wanted to let you know the delivery came.”

Lii’s irritated faded. Finally!

(May 8, 2025)

Lii rushed to the door and jerked it open, staring out at the empty patio in confusion.

If Basil had lied about the delivery…

She dropped her gaze to the stoop, and there set the box. It was small, barely the size of her palm, but she could already tell it was exactly what she’d been waiting for.

With eagerness, she picked it up, slammed the door, and danced back into her studio.

“Get it?” Basil asked.

“Let’s find out.”

She tugged on the twine, ripped off the brown paper, flipped open the lid of the box, and grinned maniacally at what lay within.

“Oh, this is perfect.”

Basil jumped up and shoved his nose in her way. She huffed and shoved him to the side. “What is it?”

“This, my friend, is the Stone of Atwater. With this baby, that spell competition is mine.”

(May 29, 2025)

Spoilers: the spell competition was not hers.

Lii returned home feeling more than a little dejected. Basil sat waiting for her, his tail thumping against the floor, though it slowed when he saw her expression.

“Didn’t go as well as you hoped?”

“Not so much. The fireball still went wild. Burned down the entire tent.”

“Yikes.”

“No one was hurt.”

“That’s something at least.”

Lii hurled herself into her chair. “What am I going to do, Basil? I have all this magic, but every time I use it, my insurance premiums go through the roof.”

He blinked his large brown eyes at her. “You know what you need to do.”

Lii crossed her arms. “No. Nuh-uh. Not doing that. I swore I never would.”

“And when you burn down the house next?”

A loud groaned escaped her. “Fine. I’ll go talk to my grandmother.”