Seris quickly got up from the floor, tossing piles of records to the side as she hurried across the room.
"I'm Seris, are you a descendant of Rhianon Tee?"
She was eager to know. This young woman, who was maybe sixteen years old at a glance, was the spitting image of Rhianon.
Her long, sleek black hair, shining green eyes, and slender frame made her look like a younger version of her long dead friend.
"Hang on, I have to check something."
The young woman pulled out a small locket, a golden heart ringed by emeralds. She opened it and raised it to eye level, comparing the picture inside to the woman standing before her.
There was a look of astonishment on her face followed by a squeal of delight.
"It is you!"
Erin carefully stepped forward.
"Can I see the picture too?"
The young lady handed Erin the locket which he took gently. It looked old, like a family heirloom so he was afraid of breaking it.
He studied the handpainted portrait with faded colors. Despite the amount of time that had passed since this had been painted, there was no mistaking who the subject of it was.
"Seris, you should see this."
Erin carefully handed her the locket.
Seris glanced at a picture of her own smiling face, white hair and all.
"I remember this. I had to sit still for hours while the guy painted this. It was almost impossible and he yelled at me a lot."
Seris carefully handed the locket back to the young lady.
"Our family passed down a story with this locket. The story goes that Rhianon saw Seris Ardentis as a sister. They were so close to each other, that Rhianon always carried a picture of her wherever she went."
Seris quickly rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Yeah, well, I only did that silly picture because she threatened to enchant my socks."
"Enchant your socks? To do what?" Erin asked, dumbfounded by this revelation.
"To endlessly tickle my feet until I agreed to sit for the painting."
Erin laughed while the young lady grinned, a slight spark of mischievousness in her eyes. The same spark that often lit up Rhianon's eyes before her and Seris got into trouble.
"What's your name?" Erin asked, trying to put aside the mental image of someone tickling Seris's feet. He shuddered to think what would happen if someone tried that and she accidentally kicked them.
"Oh, sorry, that was really rude of me. I'm Amelia Hoshizora."
"I'm Erin Densetsu, pleased to meet you!"
"Are you the real Seris? My family always said that Rhianon believed you would return one day. It's sort of become a family legend at this point."
"I'm the real deal."
Seris beamed at her as happiness filled her. This felt like a second chance and she didn't want to screw this up.
"It's hard to believe but from everything I've seen online and of course the fact that you match this picture, I can't logically think of another explanation," Amelia explained to them.
"I understand. Honestly, if I was in your shoes, I wouldn't believe me either."
"Hey, why don't you two have dinner? It'll give you a chance to connect."
"That would be fun!"
Seris saw Erin winking at her. She was thankful to him for his suggestion and implications.
"That's not a bad idea. Do you like pizza? I've just discovered it and it's life changing."
"I don't trust anyone who doesn't like pizza," Amelia responded with a serious tone.
Erin smiled as they walked off while he trailed behind. This was a good chance for Seris to find some peace and closure. Plus, he reasoned to himself, this young lady looked like an apprentice or whatever sorcerers called their lower ranks. Maybe she needed a mentor.
***
The two of them sat across from each other, munching on a pizza at a local place that Erin had introduced Seris to. It was now her favorite restaurant in the entire city.
"So how long have you been studying at the temple?" Seris asked in an effort to learn more about Amelia.
"For three years now. I studied a bit at home though, our clan is pretty gifted in magic so I kind of had an advantage coming in."
"Three years and you're still at novice rank?"
Amelia shuffled uncomfortably in her chair.
"Well, it's kind of embarrassing…"
Seris gave her a look of understanding.
"It's okay, I'm not going to judge you, I promise."
Amelia blushed as she said, "I'm not very good at it. I get too scared or anxious, then my spells fizzle out before they can do anything impressive."
Seris nodded, that wasn't unusual in her experience. Many sorcerers had similar issues in her own time. The pressure that some felt from their own clans or peers was often overwhelming.
"They won't let you into the field to help then, I take it?"
Amelia nodded while sipping on her water.
"It's okay I guess, I just kind of accepted that I'll never be strong enough to help out. So I spend most of my days cleaning up around the temple and studying."
Seris frowned at that. She could sense the hidden potential in Amelia, even if Amelia wasn't aware of it.
"Studying what?"
"Healing spells mostly. I hope to one day specialize in healing since I'm useless on the battlefield."
"Healers are just as important, you know?"
Amelia shrugged, "yeah I guess."
"It doesn't make you happy though."
It wasn't a question, it was an observation of fact.
Amelia nodded again while looking out of the large window. The spring season was still in full swing as brightly colored trees and flowers decorated the spaces outside of the restaurant.
Seris stared thoughtfully at her.
"I'll change that."
"What?" Amelia turned back to face her, startled at the sudden announcement.
"I'll make you stronger."
"Ho-how?" Amelia stuttered out, her eyes wide with surprise at the determination in Seris's voice.
"I'll teach you everything I know. You have the potential to be even stronger than me. You just need a good teacher, not one of those clowns from the temple."
Amelia didn't know what to say. The thought of Seris actually existing hadn't been something she believed in until a few hours ago when she had been confronted with the truth. Even less believable was the idea that Seris Ardentis, the strongest sorcerer in human history, was offering to train her personally.
"You might just be wasting your time. I've had a lot of teachers over the years. I never could grasp the basics outside of simple healing spells."
Seris shook her head.
"Looking at the state of things today, I'm not surprised. You need a proper mentor, trust me. We'll start small, work up to the big stuff. Give me enough time and I promise, you'll be more powerful than your peers."
Amelia weighed her offer carefully. It was tempting to say the least. After everything Seris had shared with her about her own past, including what really happened to her while they had eaten dinner, Amelia was positive that Seris was sincere.
"What do I need to do?"
"Leave the temple. You live with me, you train with me. Where I go, you go."
Amelia took a deep breath. Her family long ago had written her off as nothing more than a sorcerer doomed to be an average healer at best. Her friends had all been promoted, leaving her behind. She had no reason to say no to this offer.
"Okay, I accept."
Seris grinned widely. This was her atonement for abandoning Rhianon. The one thing she could do to make amends.
"Let's get your stuff."