Who: Enki and Kanaan DeVries
When: Early Monday morning
Where: Kanaan's house
What: Enki and Tully go for a morning stroll to visit the professor.




It was 6:52 and Kanaan DeVries was just stuck to his bed. His whole face felt stapled to the pillow. It was ridiculous to sleep eight minutes. Though the waking device was set five minutes before. But stubborness kept him trying to will the clock backwards. He lay in bed sort of anxious already.

Enki woke up early, like he did every day and looked over the sheets to see Tully curled up at the foot of his little cot. He smiled and pat Tully on the head. "Morning Tully," he said brightly.

"Breakfast?" Tully asked hopefully.

"We have to see if Master DeVries is awake yet, then we can help," Enki explained as he planted his feet on the floor.

Tully sighed. "Haven't any of you ever heard of instantaneous gratification?" he asked as he trotted after Enki.

Enki pat him on the head as they left the room. They walked through the deserted halls of the school living quarters. "Well, yeah, I'm sure I've heard it from somewhere," he said to Tully before pushing open the door and stepping outside. They made their way down the street together, skipping joyfully as they went. "I think this is it," he said stopping suddenly in front of a house. "Okay!" Tully agreed.

He walked into the house and made his way across the kitchen. He pushed open the door and his little feet patted lightly across the floor, he popped his head up over the end of the bed. Tully looked over the foot of the bed to see what Enki was looking for.

The man was a little absorbed in trying to make himself heavier so that it wouldn't at all be possible to get out of bed. His mental preparation was a bit self-indulgent.

Ikra was sleeping on the night robe in the hamper next to his bed with his name on it. Rousing as he heard intruders. The beast let out a fierce cry. Sharp enough to rattle the door. Kanaan turned over 'Alright I'm really awake." He muttered.

The creature puffed up afraid. Kanaan became aware of his surroundings and gasped.

"Good morning!" Enki beamed from the foot of the bed. "Do you want me to get breakfast started?"

Tully jumped up on the bed. "Yeah, we're good at making cereal!" he added.

The man darted out of bed. "Enki what are you doing in my room? How did you get out here, what time is it?" He was a flurry of questions as he inspected the boy from harm. "Didn't you wear shoes or a jacket? It's cold outside Who let you out."
The man questioned on and on as he lead the boy out of his room still dressed in his underwear.

Enki giggled. "We wanted company so we came over here, it wasn't that far. It's not so cold out and there was no one in my dorm to keep me there," he said simply as they walked out of the room. Enki had spent many cold nights without shoes or coats, so it didn't seem like a big deal to him. "So what do you want for breakfast?"

"What? What do you mean no one is there to keep you in?" He was a bit upset at that. Perhaps becoming a bit cross sounding "You must not leave the dorms without someone to care for you." He said "This will not be allowed Enki."

He was immediately going to report the grave lack of care. Children wandering around running from house to house. And how had he made it past magical defenses. Well perhaps he was too small to set off the alerts. "You must not."

Enki wanted to laugh again, as he spent the first few years of his life in a nomadic group of shifters, but he didn't want to disrespect Kanaan's wishes for his safety. He simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have a nanny or anything and we came straight here," he said patting Tully's head.

He rubbed his head trying not to express any anger or frustration at the child "You must promise me you will obey the rules." He said. It may have been too early for this. He still felt like rubbing his eyes.

"All right, but maybe next time we'll tell you before we want to come over for breakfast," Enki resigned. He felt like no thought kids could do anything by themselves.

"Breakfast." He was a bit thrown off by that word. He was too surprised. "Oh Breakfast."

"Yummy!" Enki squeaked.

"It's about time!" Tully jumped up on his hind legs and did a little dance.

He wasn't a breakfast eater exactly mornings were rushed. He looked around "Breakfast."
Of course little Ikra was not going to get up early and save his masters life before noon if he didn't get something. And he wasn't sure that these little ones weren't up to no good.
"Let's see what we have."

Ikra hopped up on the chair and got a long look at the boy making a very strange purring noise.

"What are you?" Enki asked the little creature staring at him.

Ikra was astonished that he wasn't known throughout the land. He let out an angry puff of his feathers and fur.

"That is my familiar Ikra. Ikra he doesn't have any candy." He called from the other room.

"That's a shame," Enki said, he meandered over to Kanaan. "Can we make pancakes?" he asked.

Ikra skitttered across the floor to make sure that the boy didn't get too close.
"Pancakes... I think so. I suppose you don't want wheat germ royal jelly smoothie." He said. Rifling through things in the cupboard.

"No sugar though. Lets see."

Ikra wondered why Kanaan was putting his head in the food hole. All the way in. There was nothing but Ikra food. Maybe the little child was a new familiar. He definitely was curious now. And stood on it's hind feet or paws and put his feet on the boy to knock him down and get a better look.

"A what? Hey I think your Ikra wants to be my friend," Enki said as he was knocked off balance.

"No he is just a sloppy mutt. He probably think you have candy in your pocket." He said He picked the familiar off the boy and stuck him on the stool. That was perilous to him. Oh how he hated that stool, so high up he was afraid to jump down. So he looked down over the edge. "Stay."

"He's just a little silly. Don't be afraid of him now."

"Tully jumps on people sometimes to show them that he likes them, but Tully talks," Enki said patting Tully on the head.

"To everyone?" He asked looking down at the puppy. It looked to be an ordinary sort of puppy.

"Yup," Enki nodded. "When he's not stuffing his face with food."

If puppy's could grin that was the sort of look that Tully gave to Enki. What Enki didn't realize that although Tully did talk to Enki a lot, Tully wasn't prone to talk to other mages.

"Oh no two talking familiars." He said "Well I'm sure if they aren't fighting now they wont hurt each other." Ikra doesn't talk to anyone else. But he does try to make me look mean."

Ikra in trying to get off the high stool started spinning around. He was smart but could never manage to climb down. How he hated the heights.

"We can get some of this together." He took out a genuine griddle

"Ikra's silly," Enki giggled as the little creature spun around.

Tully got excited at the sight of the griddle, he had seen a few of these before which meant breakfast was coming soon. He was so excited his tail couldn't help but wag.

Enki was just excited that someone was going to make breakfast with him. "I can stir when it's time!" he said with a big smile.

"So you are a chef as well. A man of all seasons." He smirked at the boy. "How wonderful."

Enki nodded. "I'm pretty good at cooking," he said proud of his few minor achievments in the kitchen. A few of the older students had given him tips about what to do in the kitchen.

"At least not everything is burned," Tully whispered to the boy.

He had broken the eggs and poured the milk so the rest was stirring. "Well then show me what you can do Enki?" He said. He took the familiar down.

"What does your familiar like to eat?"

"Pancakes!" Enki announced as he began stirring the batter like a pro. The stirring was the easy part, most of his struggles came from him not being able to reach the ingredients from high shelves.

"Well he looks a little bit hungry now." He said "I can tell." He said "Maybe I could give him something while us mages prepare the feast." he asked the boy. Probably too much food like that would make even the staunchest companion a little ill. Puppies liked to chew and he would have preferred not to have the little familiar start eating his furniture.

Tully's tail wagged even more at those words. "He does seem pretty hungry," Enki said. "I think your right," he said as he continued to stir the batter.

He got out one of Ikra's stash of pigs ears. They were chewy, But the familiars beak easily tore through them.

"Hello Tully. You can have this." He waved it under his nose "See doesn't that smell nice." He rubbed his head gently though his hand was a bit bigger "You are such a good dog."

"Many times people do not find their familiar until they are grown up. How did you find Tully?"

Tully thankfully took the treat very gently from Kaanan, thinking that he was very kind to share such yummy treats with puppies.

"I've always been friends with Tully. When I was three my dad found him, he had just been born and dad knew he would be the perfect familiar," Enki explained. "Dad brought him to me and as soon as I saw him we started talking and playing although he was still a baby."

"Now he is a big puppy." He grabbed one of his paws as if to shake. "And he'll be very big. Look at his big feet." He smiled.

Enki smiled as Tully shook Kaanan's hand back. "Everyone said he would be big," he said satisfied with the even stirring of the pancake batter.

He smiled. "Now everyone has washed their hands and paws. Its just about time to cook. I can't remember the last time I was home long enough for that. Its a bit of vacation.

"Tully and I make breakfast every morning," Enki said. He was surprised to hear that not everyone had a chance to cook breakfast in the morning.

"What do you and Tully eat every morning? nice things like pancakes?" He tried to get more informationat out of the child. There was something wrong going on in this school if a student was going to be ignored like this.

"Sometimes we eat pancakes, sometimes cereal, sometimes toast. We like to change up things sometimes," Enki explained as they started making little round pancakes on the griddle.

"You are a very big boy to do all those things by yourself." He tried to be deorous and not upset him. These children were there to learn and to be cared for and protected. Enki had been through so much in such a short time it broke his heart. He watched the cakes out of the corner of his eye and started making a green hued healthy shake. Pancakes were not something he had everyday.

Ikra was still a bit snackish so he stared right at Tully who was still trying to eat his chewy treat.

"Yes, ever since I had to take care of myself I've been able to cook and clean. I don't like depending on other people," he said thoughtfully. "Tully is always there for me though," he smiled as he pat the puppy on the head. "We take care of each other."

He looked down at the puppy. "Well he's a nice puppy, I mean a nice grown up dog." He wanted to praise it but it just made him a tiny bit sad.

Ikra could barely handle the suspense. "Puppy are you going to eat that whole thing?" he spoke to Tully.

Enki nodded in agreement. "He's very helpful," Enki said. A little part of Enki thought that his father saw his time running out and wanted to leave him knowing that he would be okay. Enki thought that Tully was his father's insurance that he would be okay.

Tully looked up at Ikra and quirked his head to the side. "I don't think I'll be able to eat the whole thing," he said innocently. "I can give you a little bit if you want."

"Sweet." The thing chirped and grabbed a huge chunk a fierce snapping beak cutting through the tough material. It made a large snap.

"Careful of Ikra. He is sweet but his bit is not good for you."

"Tully must have offered him some. He's very nice like that," Enki smiled looking proudly at his friend.

Ikra was never one to give up an advantage. The creature had no manners. "That was good. Lets go away and leave the mages to talk. I have to go to the bathroom." He whispered to the puppy. We are friends now. "We're friends now so I'll show you where I go."

"Exciting," Tully said. "I like having friends." Tully looked at Enki after finishing up his treat quickly. "I'll be back," he said to the boy before trotting after the little creature.

"Well those two will be getting into trouble soon he put aside his frothy mysterious green drink. It was cold.

"I think we are ready for the first batch out. What do you think?"

"They look pretty good," he said inspecting the pancakes. "And they smell delicious!" he added.

He looked at the sizzling gridle. And took a sip of his milky drink, leaving green slime on his lips. He started to flip them.

"What is in that drink of yours?" he asked, curiously eyeing the green drink that Kanaan was drinking.

"It is my macrobiotic, lucky, holistic morning energy drink. Mixed with milk. It's very exclusive. And very good for you."

"It looks... interesting," he said tilting his head. Then he smiled. "That's what people say to me when I make myself fruit sandwiches."

Enki had a theory; try everything once. So he took the glass. "Thanks," he said. He took the first sip and considered it for a second before deciding how he felt about the green mixture. "Not bad," he said finally. "I'm feeling lucky now," he added.

"Most people say the wheatgerm and onions make it taste sharp. But I gotten used to it. Just like I used to have when I was a boy. Only better for me."

"Wheatgerm? Interesting name," he said. "I thought I tasted onion," he said after taking another sip. "I've never had onion so early before."

He smiled. "Ah well maybe you're a little young. When we have a plate of pancakes here. "Do you need to call your Familiar?"
He didn't know how strong the bond was yet. He could call Ikra from long distances. All in his head.

"All I have to do is think about him and he comes running. Even when I think about food Tully comes," Enki said.

Ikra poked his beak through the door. "The puppy said there would be food!"
Kanaan smiled. and chuckled to himself.

Tully scurried past Ikra and sat down on the floor with his tail wagging, looking up hopefully at the plate.

"Well do they want dark brown ones or light brown ones."

"Tully likes them dark," Enki said. "Which is good because sometimes I forget that they're cooking." He smiled.

I like them dark too. Because sometimes they get crispy." he pouted "Well since tully in the guest." He gave a pancake on the floor infront of the puppy. Ikra had his bowl he dragged out. and set on the fllor. He did not know why Kanaan was doing his strange cooking thing so early in the day, but he was an adventurous sort.

"I like that Ikra brings out his own dish," Enki giggled as Tully hungrily ate the pancake in front of him.

Ikra smelled the white pancake and licked it. But he was a bit of a connisseur. He didn't like breads or cakes. He picked at it as the others ate. Finally Kanaan speared one.

"These are yummy," Enki said as he chewed the pancake. Better than usual, he thought to himself.

"Well they are a special recipe. Its the cottage cheese in the batter."

"Really?" Enki asked. "I love that stuff! Maybe we can try that next time Tully," he said to the puppy.

Tully nodded his head slightly to the boy.

Ikra done eating his offered food went to get pet. And get something tastier. Small humans were good at that thing and he looked full. He went up to the boy and rubbed against his legs.

Enki bent down and stroked the creature lightly. "You're a very nice little guy, aren't you?" he asked softly.

"Don't listen to him. He just wants your food." He smiled "Besides he hasn't had a bath all week." He continued eating.

Enki laughed. "I ate all of my panycakes!" he announced to the little creature still rubbing against his legs. "But I can pet you," he offered as he still ran his little hand down Ikra's back.

He stood on his legs to get up and see if he was telling the truth, and he was 'Got any lizards or baby rats?" he asked

Enki tilted his head to the side and giggled. "I think he wants pet food," he said still petting Ikra's head.

He liked the chubby fingers in his fur and delicate nails so soon his quest for food was forgotten as he let Enki scratch his belly

Kanaan washed his hands too much and gave him baths. Though after wards the made did give good massages

Enki had a knack for making everyone around him feel a little better. He patted the little belly with a smile on his face. "I like him," he announced.

The familiar let out a strange birdy coo. He liked being liked almost as much as sleeping.

"It's like when I'm scratching Ari's belly and he starts to purr," Enki said referring to one of the older students familiars who was a cat.

"Yes. I wish I knew what Ikra was."

"Ikra is Ikra." The little beast said. Shaking the boys smell off him. "Now Is there any good stuff in tthere?" The creature hopped towards the cupboard.

"Well it makes him even more special," Enki said about Ikra as he hopped across the floor. Enki turned his attention to Tully and pat him on the head with a bright smile.

"Although for some reason I don't think you have to tell him that he's special," Tully said to Enki.

"You should get TUlly some food too." the chatty familiar said "He looks like he's hungry." He talked with anyone who would here him

"I always look hungry!" Tully said happily. The puppy would eat whenever he was given food.

Kanaan smiled Okay we have some of the dried stuff in here. " He said. With unusual foods dried animals and other nameless things. He poured some on ikra's bowl. He too out a mug and sprinkled some in for the puppy too

"Thanks!" Tully said before running at the bowl and devouring everything that was in it within seconds.

"He eats a lot," Enki told Kanaan. "I feed him every time I eat so I don't know why, he just eats a lot."

"Well maybe he just needs puppy food. He is growing up too. Lots of meats and chicken and things like that."

"Sometimes Oz makes him food like that. Tully really likes it," Enki explained.

"Well if he like Ikra's food I will give you some to give him. He'll eat and become strong." He smiled. He knew that he had to take more of an interest in Enki's young life. The boy couldn't do it alone. He couldn't bear the thought of a child forced to work through such terrible things with no one to take up the burden.

"Thanks," he said. "Let me ask him. Hey Tully! Do you like this food?"

"Yep," Tully said simply.

"Good. Good." He pet the dog. You remind me of a dog I had once." He smiled. "Dogs are so cute and loyal." Kanaan scratched the puppy behind his ear as Tully licked his face clean.

"Enki! We should visit more often!" Tully said to Enki. Tully let Kanaan pet him some more before retiring to the floor, his belly full of food and feeling very comfortable.

"He likes you," Enki said. "He is very loyal," he added. "He's always been there."

He let the puppy roam away. "With the vacation there are not enough people around I suppose." Kanaan said. "I didn't remember how lonely it got when no one was around," he said. He shouldn't have admitted this. He was sort of used to the vacations, roaming the cavernous halls of Salem Academy and the grounds, enjoying the peace and not realizing that it was so empty. And maybe a young boy who just lost his whole life couldn't handle such expanses.

"Would you like to see my house." Having not much else to entertain a child, or anyone else for that matter.

"That would be nice," Enki said. "Can Tully come? He likes to explore too!" he added. Enki already knew the house, as soon as he had stepped into it that morning, he could sense where things were. He didn't have to look around, but it would be nice to do things properly for once.

He didn't keep many trinkets inside the house. There were some paintings of a geometric classy nature. Where most people would hang photos he had such abstract and nonobjective art. Nothing a child could identify.

There was a picture of a horse and a dog, done in an old fashioned style, that was beautifully rendered. A picture on a shelf of a woman with a hat. There was a teak box on top of the bookshelf, nearly seamless. There was no way to make a mess in here.

Enki found each piece interesting, although he was curious as to where the pictures of his family were. Enki carried around a small painting of his small family ever since he could remember. He wondered why there were so many strange paintings. "I like that horse and dog," he commented. He wondered why it didn't look like anyone lived there.

"That is my father's painting. It's kind of silly isn't it? But he loved it." He said. "They probably would have auctioned it off. It has an elf hiding behind a tree you know."

Enki looked closer at the painting, right at the tree. "I don't see it!"

He lifted the boy up. "He's playing it the back. In one of the layers of paint. " He said "The artist decided to paint something else so the little creature isn't that big." It was very fain and bluish pale in heavy brush strokes, thick enough to touch

Enki squinted his eyes and they suddenly widened when he saw the light reminder that an elf had once been painted there. "There he is!"

"Rather old piece of work and the composition is a bit off." He set Enki down and started discussing the finer merits of painting, being a bit of a bore.

Although any other seven year old would be bored to tears by Kanaan's words, Enki found it rather interesting. He loved learning, he liked to learn about anything. "I think I would like to try painting some time," Enki said.

"Well there are all kinds of things you can do at school. Especially now that no one is around." He said. "I think it's peaceful."

"It is peaceful," Enki said lightly. "But sometimes it just gets lonely with no one else around. There are only a few students who stay during vacations and none of them are ever awake this early," Enki explained.

"Hmm."

Enki continued looking around the room. His eyes caught sight of the few things that were in the room. He grabbed a hold of something that looked like a twig. "What is this?" he asked holding it up in front of him.

"Well that is my practice wand. I was using it so it should be warm. Wood like willow gets more powerful when you use it for magic. It's not a fully seasoned wand quite yet. He took it "But it has potential." he spun it around a bit. "Just needs a catalyst." He probably dropped into jargon again.

"I don't have a wand," Enki said. "I think it's because of this," he pointed to the bracelt dangling form his wrist.

He nodded touching the bracelet. "Well that shouldn't mean that you couldn't use a wand. A wand can be used to channel ones mental energies as well as magical power." He said. "All kinds of power can be controlled."

He looked down at the boy. "When I was very very very small. I had problems controlling my powers as well, you know."

"You did?" he asked excitedly. He couldn't imagine Master DeVries as a little boy like himself, but he knew it had to be true. "That's why I came to school you know? Hamlin found me with the shifters and he let me come to school because I wanted to learn how to control my magic," he explained. "How did you get control of your power?"

"Well I studied very hard. And I started using wands so that I could point to things. And I also learned many many spells." He said "There was no secret I am afraid. But I knew that I must one day live up to my father's expectation." He said.

"I wonder what my father's expectations were?" Enki wondered aloud. He had meant to keep his thought to himself, but sometimes his thoughts were like his magic; uncontrollable and out in the open. "I think I can do all that though. The studying and the remembering."

He put the wand down "One can never know with fathers." He said "Would you like to try this out?"

"Yes, I would!" he squeaked with excitement. "How do I use it?"

"Well since you won't be casting any spells it will be hard to feel the flow of the energy through the wand." He said. "Hold the wand." He grabbed his hand "Two handed at first to center yourself." he straightened the boys posture up "You must breath."

Enki took a deep breath and steadied himself. He was waiting to feel something, the same sort of chaos he always felt when he accidentally performed magic. He was afraid that he might break some of the nice things in Master DeVries house so he tried his very best to concentrate.

"Yu are not going to be allowed to do magic for some time. And even then it won't seem like anything at all." He said. "These are illusions." He said "Magic is mastery over the power. Nothing more." He said. When you can master the self magic will flow easily." He said. They were common words ordinary phrases you could hear many times, but it took a disciplined mind to listen. "Just breathe. Try to feel the flow in the wand. Try to feel the energy in the bark. The smoothness of the core the moisture in the leaves, as it dries and is evaporated into the air as the wand is divorced from the Earth and wood.

Enki concentrated on breathing and feeling, the wand still held out in front of him. He felt something in the wand, a little tingling under his fingers as he held the wand in his little hands. "I think I feel something," he said softly.

You are merely feeling the power flowing through the object. Soon the flow itself will come to you. when you start to use the power in anything, and to temper your own natural power. But that takes time."

"Time is one thing that I have," Enki said brightly. "And I have a lot of it!"

He smiled. He brushed back the boys hair "If you are willing to give everything of yourself the magic can come to you." He said "There has been nothing that has existed that couldn't be overcome."

He said though his words serious, and he tried to be stern, he couldn't help but feeling softened, with the desire to protect and serve his student. Magic was not easy and he couldn't make it anything it wasn't. But how he wished that the boy was protected and spared from trying to be a regular mage. He felt the familiar flare of paternal over protectiveness. Even though the boy was a Shifter.

He smiled brightly. Master DeVries was always saying something silly like that, Enki knew in time that everything would make sense. He knew that if he kept practicing he would eventually get it.

"Now I know other things to practice during the vacation," he said thinking he would raid the supply closet for a spare wand and some canvas and paint.

"Yes if you had a connection with this wand already perhaps you should continue working with it." He said. "I have many wands. And I usually make one every few years."

"You mean..." he looked at the wand and then back at the typically stern man. "That I can borrow this wand and practice with it?" he asked.

"Well I can lend you that object. It would not be a real wand until you find a catalyst and properly channel them," It was hard to explain.
"All that is right now is a very beautiful stick you see. How can I tell you that you cannot practice with a stick?"

His eyes got even wider. He had not been given much in his life and so even when someone trusted him enough to lend him something, it was a big occasion. Enki smiled brightly. "It's a pre-wand," he suggested.

"Yes. " He said "Exactly." He said "It would not be fair to hoard it in a box, especially when I can't find the right material components.
"All objects have power themselves and the ability to channel power. A wand is an object which when fused with a powerful component can focus and amplify great magic power.

Enki looked at it in wonder. It was an interesting instrument, something he had always been interested in. He had heard about these sort of things, but had never seen them used. The shifters he had lived with were not interested in wand magic though, they used their magic as they pleased without any powerful channeling source. But Enki was far too young and untrained to use his magic so freely without consequence. "Thanks for helping me understand this," he said finally after he had marveled at the magical object in front of him.