>>5826299>>5826004>>5825387>>5825322>>5825280>>5825256>>5825200“I… Don’t know about that.”
Attention shifted from Izzy to you, and you were suddenly on-the-spot to justify your objection. Izirina didn’t look mad, though. Rather, she looked equal parts curious and confused.
“Well… How does magic factor into it, though?” you asked. “When you or I or any of us learns a new spell, we become more powerful, and have more abilities-more freedoms, even. But… Who loses out as a result? Nobody LOSES their knowledge because we gain it.”
Izirina’s expression shifted. You couldn’t quite read it, which troubled you more than it should have.
“We used our power to break the rules,” she pointed out. “We brought Muffins somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. Nobody else could do that, and nobody without our power could stop us. And even fi we’d DECIDED not to… That option is ours to exercise or not. We can even stop other people, people WITHOUT our power or knowledge, from doing things we DON’T like… Like that man at the entrance would have done, if we hadn’t taken away HIS power to do so.”
“Yes, but ANYONE can learn magic!” you protested.
“Not anyone,” Zith-Zi muttered, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
“And some are worse at it,” Izirina pointed out, smiling sadly, “or at certain types. People aren’t born equal… And they don’t grow and mature in equal conditions. And for the powerful, who have the knowledge… It makes sense to keep things that way. That’s… That’s the world.”
A gloom fell over proceedings at that. And yet… You still couldn’t accept it.
“Then it’s our job to make things better, and fairer, and freer,” you said. “For EVERYONE. That’s what magic should be for.”
Izirina’s expression… You recognized it, then. The way she was looking at you… It was pity in her eyes. The pity of a weary old soul, unable to bring herself to shatter the dreams of a naïve youth. You felt yourself flush at that. It was one thing when Zith-Zi did that—she was probably even younger than Izirina, but at least a seasoned warrior from harsher climes. But Izzy… Izzy was your EQUAL, and had if anything LESS experience of the world than you! What right did she have to look at you like that?!
“I’m just saying—” you began, a bit of an edge entering your voice despite your best attempts at civility.
“I guess the theatre really DOES rouse passions and lead to strife like my grandfather always said,” joked Pearce, interrupting you, and placing a firm but gentle hand upon your shoulder. “Anyway, we should do this again sometime.”
Everyone agreed, the strangeness forgotten, and even Izirina, to our surprise, nodded. You looked to Pearce, who nodded knowingly, and squeezed your shoulder.
