Magic Practice

Montville was a rather small city, surronded by mountains and pine trees. Most sushidogs who lived there loved the fresh air of the altitude and enjoyed snowy days, snow falling for most of the year. Some soosh would travel from all around the world to see with their own eyes the ever lasting snow and the white pics, enjoying a sun bath in the cold weather with a hot chocolate.

Far from the warmth of the city, a soosh was said to be living on their own, somewhere deep in the pine tree forest. No one knew what they looked like appart from the fact that their pelt looked like it was made of stars. This story was told to younling, turning the lonely soosh into a witch to scare them and prevent them from getting lost in this dense forest.

One sushidog never entirely believed the stories about the witch in the woods. Hoya was a turbulent, hyperactive soosh who lived near the entrance of the forest, along with her parents and two brothers. The three siblings would always dare each other or fight. Hoya was way smaller than her brothers, her fur also being less long. She was often forced to stay inside due to the weather being too cold for her. This led to the young soosh reading a lot of books and spending most of her time with elders, helping them in the daily tasks. It's that way she learned about magic. She was really curious about it and couldn't help but ask more and more questions everytime she met the elders, who ended not helping her a lot. Remembering the witch of the old story, she thought that one day she could try to find her. Even if the lone sushidog wasn't a witch, maybe she would be able to help Hoya to train ?

Today was a rather dark day, the sky was screened with large greyish clouds. Hoya knew this kind of sky meant it was gonna snow heavily later, which mean she couldn't go out for long before she would have to rush inside to not get cold. Her dark brown face was resting on the window sill, dazing at the sky. Suddently, the door blasted open. Hoya's two brothers rushed inside the house, letting a trail of crushed snow behind them. The brown soosh shivered when she felt the cold breeze, she ran toward the door to close it. Turning around to face her brothers, she said :

- What has gone into you two ?! Why did you rush inside like that !

The first brother, Ange, who was the most different soosh of the litter of his light cream pelt, answered :

- Rooh come on Hoya ! Are you scared of a sweet breeze ? Haha !

- It's not that cold outside ! And since you like staying inside so much, you could clean up our mess !

Aaron, the second brother, was somewhat proudly showing with his paws the mess behind him. The snow had melted and turned into small puddles around the living room, the carpet was now full of dirt and soaked. The pile of wood next to the chimney had been knocked down and some log were rolling away into other rooms. The chairs and pillows of the couch were on the ground. Hoya sighted out of frustration. She couldn't let her brothers do everything they wanted only because she had to stay inside ! After all, she knew a trick or two that could help her. Smiling, she adressed her brothers :

- You know what, go back outside. I'll clean and come out to show you both that I'm not affraid of that small breeze !

The two brothers snickered and left quickly, a bit surprised of winning so quickly. Hoya decided to put some cloth on the ground to dry it, hoping the warmth of the hearth would make everything when she'll get back home. Staring at the logs, she purpusely let them on the ground. Her parents were supposed to be home in a couple of hours, at that moment she'll pretend to sleep and use her illusion magic to first hide and then make the logs appears in front of her brothers. Smiling at the thought of them being tell off, she ran outside.

The air was cold but there was almost no wind, which Hoya was thankful for. She spotted her two brothers playing at the fringe of the forest with some snowballs. Has Hoya was gonna join them, something caught her eye in the forest. A silhouette was standing among the pine trees, strangely staring at the siblings. The young soosh rushed next to her brothers.

- Hey ! Who are you ? What do you want ?

The silhouette seemed surprised that Hoya managed to see them and started walking switfly back in the woods. Hoya had her fur completely bristled. Her two brothers laughed at her look.

- What did you saw in the forest ? There was no one there, Hoya ! But look at your fur, you looks bigger like that. Maybe if you can bristle it more, you'll look as big as Aaron and I !

- You didn't saw the silhouette ?

Hoya was still staring at the spot the silhouette was standing on a couple of seconds ago.

- I'll follow it, I wanna know who that was. Stay here, I'll be back in a couple of minutes !

Without letting her brothers say anything, Hoya rushed into the forest following the silhouette's scent to find it back. After walking in the cold for minutes, the young soosh arrived at a small cabin. Strangely, there was no snow on it's roof. She walked silently toward the porch, jumping on the window the look inside. A deep purple and blue sushidog with a red hood bandana was sitting in the middle of the room, no expression on their face.

- What are you doing here ?

Hoya jumped out of terror. A sushidog similar to the one inside the cabin was standing right next to her, glancing at the brown soosh from above. Hoya could see the starry pattern on the stranger's face and tail.

- W-Who.. How are you both inside and outside ?

- Look again.

Looking quickly through the window, the first soosh disappeared in a mist like texture. Hoya realised what it was.

- That was an illusion ? Are the witch from the story ?

- Yes and no. I mean, I'm not an evil witch or anything ! My name's Nox and I practice illusion magic at my cabin. Lots of kids come here but I don't like company so I often scare them off.

- Illusion magic uh ? Why are you not scaring me off then ?

- I sensed something in you. You can use illusion magic too, right ?

Hoya blushed. She hadn't tell her familly about it yet.

- Yes ! I'm not the best at it yet, tho.

Nox nodded and opened her door, inviting Hoya inside.

- I can teach you and train you, young one.