Two months had passed since Skye had come to Kamar-Taj. She called Feeney to tell him that school was about to start.
Before coming to Kamar-Taj, he had applied to Columbia University in New York. Thanks to his excellent grades, he had been accepted without a hitch, and now it was time to report to campus.
Besides, he had been away from home for two whole months, and his parents had been worried sick. If he hadn't kept in touch every few days, with Skye there to help reassure them, he should have gone back long ago.
The pace of life at Kamar-Taj made Feeney reluctant to leave. Most of all, he couldn't bear to part with the Experience Babies. The experience he'd gained during his month there was worth a whole year of what he'd accumulated before.
Feeney began considering taking a year off to focus on learning magic there.
But to his surprise, when he told the Ancient One about it, she rejected the idea without hesitation.
"Feeney, don't forget what I told you. Don't let power control you. You should have a life of your own. Go back. Kamar-Taj will always welcome you."
Feeney lowered his head and fell into thought. Then he suddenly realized the Ancient One was right. He'd been getting a little obsessed with gaining experience lately. If one day he discovered a more effective way to gain experience, would he do whatever it took to make it happen!?
Feeney let out a soft breath. The dangerous pressure made him desperate to grow stronger, but he couldn't neglect the people around him, either.
Once he'd figured that out, Feeney suddenly felt much lighter. If he had to put it in numbers, it was probably Mental Power +1. Of course, that still wasn't enough to open a portal.
Just how absurd was Doctor Strange's magical talent, anyway!?
"Thank you, Master!"
After thanking the Ancient One, Feeney decided to go back to school. But that didn't mean he was giving up on farming experience. With the New York Sanctum as a transit point, getting back to Kamar-Taj shouldn't be too difficult.
Besides, thanks to the time difference, when he came to Kamar-Taj at night, it would be morning there.
Most of the Kamar-Taj Sorcerers were sorry to see Feeney leave, because they'd miss the delicious Sumire's Fried Chicken Rolls. That included Mordo, whom he'd spent the most time with.
"By the way, where did you learn this spell?"
Watching Feeney casually conjure a Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll and hand it over, Mordo accepted it with mixed feelings. This junior fellow, who was young and not especially talented yet had somehow won the Master's favor, always seemed to have an air of mystery about him.
"It's an innate spell, you know? A skill you're born with. It's unique to me; nobody else can learn it. I'm not bragging, but even Teacher Ancient One couldn't learn this."
More than one person had asked about the Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll. If it was something he made with ingredients, he'd have been happy to teach them. But he couldn't teach them how to make it with a skill like he did.
It wasn't like Possessed by Evil Spirit, which had a vessel. The Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll was simply unreasonable in its own right. He'd once thought it was useless, but now it was the key to managing his relationships with people.
In these two months, who at Kamar-Taj hadn't tried Feeney's exclusive Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll? Even many of the people guarding the Sanctums made a point of coming back every day to ask for a few to take away. If they went a day without eating one, they felt awful.
He'd practically become the Kamar-Taj Sorcerers' pet.
"I'm heading out, Senior Brother. Though I'll probably be back before long. If anything comes up, you can find me in New York."
In the courtyard, Feeney said goodbye to Mordo. Since he couldn't open a portal himself, he'd asked someone else to open one for him, or he could use the transit portal in the library.
"Goodbye. Don't neglect your training."
Though they'd only spent two months together, Mordo felt a trace of reluctance as he watched Feeney prepare to leave.
Perhaps Feeney's arrival had brought a different atmosphere to the peaceful, tranquil sanctuary.
Watching Feeney wave with a grin before disappearing, Mordo thought to himself.
Although he'd supposedly gone on a trip, Feeney had brought nothing back with him.
He might be returning to Kamar-Taj in a few days, so there was no point in bringing anything. Skye had already brought back a batch of things from the nearby town as gifts, and he didn't want to buy a bunch of useless junk.
So when Feeney returned home empty-handed, his parents found it a little strange. If he hadn't really been gone for two months, and if his skin and body hadn't clearly gotten darker and stronger, they might have thought he'd only gone for a walk.
"Why didn't you let us know you were coming back?"
His mother found Feeney's travel-worn appearance a little odd, but she came over at once, fussing over him even as she complained. "Did anything happen while you were away? Why didn't you come back with your sister? You've gotten so tan."
Feeney chuckled a few times and didn't argue with his parents. The family happily ate dinner together. Just as he was about to go rest, Skye pulled him into her room.
"Well? Did you learn it after I left?" As soon as they were inside, Skye asked eagerly. She could watch other Sorcerers cast spells at Kamar-Taj, but they'd all been practicing for years. Watching Feeney learn and grow alongside her was much more interesting.
Feeney didn't answer. He simply formed his flickering Raggadorr's Ring around his right hand.
"You did it!?"
Skye's feelings were complicated. Part of her was delighted, as she'd expected, while another part felt disappointed that she couldn't learn it herself.
Seeing the look on Skye's face, Feeney dispelled the spell and tapped her lightly on the head with a finger, reassuring her. "Come on, I'm still nowhere near mastering it. I don't have enough talent. I'll probably only be able to painstakingly learn two spells in my whole life."
"You're saying that you don't have enough talent?" Skye felt even more dejected. Did that mean she had no talent at all!?
"I'm still nowhere near good enough!"
Feeney thought of Doctor Strange. Now that was talent. If his Mental Power hadn't improved earlier, he still wouldn't have been able to form Raggadorr's Ring.
For a moment, both of them felt down.
But Feeney quickly pulled himself together. He still had the system, so he didn't have to dedicate his future to the Sorcerer's path. And with Possessed by Evil Spirit alone, he was already stronger than most Sorcerers.
Still, seeing how dejected Skye looked, Feeney thought it over and offered a word of encouragement. "Actually, don't be too upset. Master once told me there might be another power inside you. It just hasn't been awakened yet."
The Ancient One had never said that, of course. But wasn't that what a Master was for—as an excuse? Just like with Possessed by Evil Spirit: once he said the Ancient One had given it to him, who besides the lemon Mordo would dare go ask her to confirm it?
"Really?"
Skye looked up in surprise, then grabbed Feeney's arm and pressed him for details. "What kind of power is it? How do I awaken it?"
"The time isn't right yet." Feeney shook his head, not saying much more. But after thinking it over, he added, "It might have something to do with vibrations?"
"Huh!?"
This wasn't the first time Feeney had mentioned vibration powers. He'd brought it up a few times before, but Skye hadn't paid much attention. Now she finally understood.
"Why would it be vibrations!?"
Skye asked, completely baffled.
"How should I know?" Feeney rolled his eyes, silently grumbling that she should be asking her Alien Gene.
"Anyway, when you have some free time, you can look into it. You might need that knowledge someday." After offering that last reminder, Feeney went back to his room to rest.
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