Chapter 7
–The Heartwood Farm–
We came out of Alisha’s room to present my new look to Alisha’s mom.
Reina was waiting for us at the table in the common room, sipping on a cup of tea, with her low-rimmed reading glasses on and a book open to the side. She looked up over her glasses at us when we entered the room.
“Well well, doesn’t Raithe look stylish!” Reina said as she clapped her hands together in delight, “But it’s a pity that the clothes don’t do it justice. Oh! I know just the thing. When we stop by the general store to get you some new clothing, I’ll let you pick out two new sets of clothing nice enough to match. What do you think?”
“Thank you, Miss Reina. I’ve never had nice clothing before,” I politely accepted the generous offer.
Woohoo! Score!
“And Alisha, your eye for style has become exceptional, I think perhaps it’s time you came with me on my next shopping trip in the capital,” Reina decided.
“Yippie! I wanna go!” Unlike the personality she had a few minutes ago, this Alisha, who was jumping up and down with excitement, looked entirely like an eight-year-old girl.
I guess I did say that we should take advantage of our gifts and enjoy our current lives, but… oh, well.
“Hahaha, well look forward to it. By the way, what do you think of your new sibling? Do you think you will be able to get along?” Reina asked with an amused expression.
I held my breath. Who knew what would come out of that loose cannon’s mouth. Alisha met my worried gaze, and I knew right away that she was going to use this opportunity to get back at me.
“Hmm… well… he’s a sneaky jerk! And I hate the way he’s a freakin’ natural at everything even though I have to work so hard all the time! But he is annoyingly easy on the eyes, and he’s sturdy enough not to die when I punch him (unlike Jake). And he’s good at magic, too. If I teach him well, we will definitely be able to show the other village kids who’s boss! Particularly, that stuck-up Millicent. Heh, heh, heh. So, good job, mom.” Alisha ended her ridiculous speech with an even more ridiculous thumbs-up pose.
“I see, I see. I am glad you are happy, Alisha, but don’t be too hard on the other children. I am sure they each have their own unique circumstances to deal with,” Reina said and held up her tea cup for Alisha to take. “Here, take care of this and my book for me, also don’t forget to do your meditation while we’re gone.”
“Fine. Fine,” Alisha said dejectedly as she was reminded of her punishment.
“Let’s work hard so we can both be strong,” I encouraged Alisha with a modest fist pump, and she stuck her tongue out at me and pulled down her lower eyelid with a, “Nyah.”
Reina got up from the table as Alisha took her cup into the kitchen, and ushering me toward the front door, she asked, “Shall we head out, Raithe?”
Before we went outside Reina picked up a frilly white parasol and a small grey hooded-cloak from the coat rack by the entrance. She handed me the cloak and told me to wear it with the hood up for now.
“It is unfortunate, but Jake didn’t have any spare shoes to lend you. Will you be alright barefoot?” Reina asked me as she opened the house’s entrance door.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be fine. I can use a mana-barrier to protect my feet as we walk.”
“I see. So, our little outing will double as training as well then. That’s splendid, Raithe,” she replied cheerfully.
As we stepped onto the covered porch that skirted the house, I draped myself with the cloak and pulled up the hood as was instructed. Once outside, Reina used the parasol to shield herself from the sun while we walked.
Getting to see the world outside for the first time, I hungrily took in the engaging scenery of a sleepy forest awakening from the grays of winter. The surrounding forest wasn’t yet a sea of springtime green, but many of the trees had already started flowering and were beginning to sprout new leaves to replace what was shed.
Ahead of us a lightly worn path trod through the grass and wildflowers of the glade that encircled the house and joined up with a wider dirt path that was lined periodically with stone pillars as it disappeared into the forest in either direction, right and left.
I craned my neck and looked back at Kyle and Reina’s house behind us. Now that we were a short distance away, I could see that it was indeed a two-story log-cabin house.
The area around the house had been mostly cleared of trees and underbrush, but in a few places tree stumps poked up out of the low-grass and ferns that had been left to sprout up willy-nilly.
To the side of the house was a fenced-in dirt area for archery and combat practice, and adjacent to that was a ridiculous-looking training area made of things that looked like pillar-mounted archery targets and tree-forts connected by rope bridges. Further on, behind the training areas, was a moderately-sized, one-story wood building that was likely Kyle’s woodworking workshop.
The garden that was mentioned during breakfast couldn’t be seen from this angle, so it must have been behind the house.
Looking over the trees behind the house, a distinctly imposing mountain rose into the sky not that far away and stretched into the distance past where I could see over the tree tops. Following around the clearing to the left, a second cluster of other more distant mountain peaks could be seen also reaching above the trees. I wasn’t certain if the mountains looked familiar or not, but regardless, like Shadow Veil, this village seemed to be a highland village.
While I was looking around we passed a large stonework sign which read, ‘Kyle’s Woodworking & Reina’s Artifice Workshop.’ Kyle’s side of the sign had flowering vines running up the edge of the sign, adding character to the mounted wooden statue of an archer aiming toward the sky. Reina’s side had an open-mouthed stone dragon mounted on top and bleak-looking twisted vines of dark metal running up her side of the sign.
“Wow, Miss Reina, I would’ve never guessed that your art-style would tend toward the darker side of things.”
“Haha, I admit I overdid that one just a tad, but there was a reason for it. See, those statues connect to the alchemy lab ventilation system. The dragon is the toxic air exhaust and the archer’s side is the clean air intake. There’s wire mesh to keep animals out and wards to keep insects and the like out. There is no need to refill the crystals, so it is quite convenient.
“By the way, I don’t recommend that you kids play around the dragon, particularly when steam is coming out of its mouth. You see, even though the toxins are purified by magic, magical change can be temporary. So, if you take the purified toxins into your body, they could cause problems later if they turn back.”
“I had no idea,” I replied, slightly shocked.
Reina, seeing that I had taken her warning to heart, nodded, and we continued on walking.
We headed left down the stone-pillar-lined forest path when we reached it. The path was wider than I expected and had slight wagon ruts in the packed dirt, making it more of a roadway than a simple path, though there was grass encroaching in places, indicating that the road saw limited use.
“So, my modest chest is right in your target zone, huh,” Reina said while gazing into the distance as we walked along the dirt roadway.
I nearly missed a step as I laughed nervously, “Ahahaha…”
Ah, this family is bad for the heart. I think my heart actually stopped there for a moment.
“Well, the door to Alisha’s room was open, you know? Still, I can’t help but feel that the word ‘modest’ is a creative man’s way of telling a woman that ‘she is small, but that is okay,’ don’t you think?” Reina said lightly.
Holy hell, how do I even reply to that? It’s clearly a trap. She’s totally messing with me. Or testing me—no, no, from what I’ve gleaned of her personality, I don’t think she really cares what I answer with as long as the answer is amusing, thoughtful, or witty.
She seemed to be enjoying putting me on the spot. So, awkward as the situation was, I decided to go bold and unleashed my wisdom, “Well… it’s just that if you think about it, something is surely better than nothing, and doesn’t too much just get in the way? But a nice shape is the most important thing. It’s all about balance, you see.”
Sometimes, when caught in a trap, the best option is to play the fool. However, the previous Raithe didn’t seem to have any such preferences, so why do I feel that way?
“Ah, I see, I see. Quite right,” she replied with the faintest of smiles.
Any case, seems that by allowing Reina her fun, I’ve weathered the immediate crisis somehow, I think. But I have a feeling that I gave up some embarrassing information about my preferences that will be used against me in the future.
“By the way, you handled the situation with Alisha reasonably well, kid,” Reina said and patted me on the head. After a meaningful pause, she chuckled and continued, “Though you did bring it on yourself, even if it was a joke. That said, if Alisha decides to choose you, I am fine with setting up the engagement, you know.”
“If that were to happen, I would do my best to make her happy,” I answered with firm resolve.
“Haha, good answer, good answer,” Reina chuckled approvingly.
It’s not like I hadn’t considered that if Reina and her husband were nobles as I was beginning to suspect, that I would be expected to marry into the family as part of being adopted. Though I was surprised that a horned demi-human like myself would even be considered as acceptable for such an honor. Surely it would be more reasonable for me to be hired as an attendant to their son or daughter.
As for my own feelings on the matter, even if Alisha did have a terrible personality, I didn’t dislike her, and I certainly wouldn’t want her to be sad. Besides, even just from today, I could tell that we got along well together. Not to mention the whole Reborn One thing…
After thinking about something for a moment, Reina continued, “Well, you kids still have some time to figure things out. With the exception of certain situations among noble heirs and their partners, the expected marriage age is sixteen or so. And I am sure a flashy and soon to be well-educated boy such as yourself will have acquired quite a few suitors by then.”
While I was still surprised speechless at Reina's evaluation of my future prospects, we came around a corner in the path, entering a cleared-out area with farms and orchards, and Reina started to tell me some brief details about the families that were our immediate neighbors. From there, she went on to teach me about the village’s founding.
Apparently, this village came about when the remaining members of an elite mercenary group made up of former knights joined together with Kyle’s renowned band of adventurers to create a place where they could retire and raise their children in safety away from the dangers of the world and the whims of the ruling nobility. Each family took on professions needed to sustain the village and a barrier was erected to hide the village from the outside world.
She explained that by treaty the village was technically part of the Kingdom of Andorel, but it was not under the jurisdiction of the regional duke or any of the counts and was instead self-governed via a council of elders headed by Lord Geof Silverhawk, who was raised to Baron status by the King and given responsibility over the surrounding land.
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As we were passing what Reina said was the Heartwood family’s farm, a woman who was grazing cattle in her fenced-off front field, caught sight of Reina and called out, waving as she came to meet us at the fence. Reina returned the wave and we also approached the fence.
I got a better view of the woman as we drew closer. She was sturdy-looking and sun-tanned with neck-length sun-bleached hair. Her durable-looking, olive-green cotton shirt worn under an oiled-canvass overall, her leather workboots, oiled-leather work gloves, and a straw hat all gave her the look of a skilled farmhand.
A light breeze blew a few loose strands of her hair over her face as she greeted us warmly, “Hey Reina! Is this the boy I hear you found? He must really be something special for you to get personally involved.”
“Sure is. And he is more than just special, this one... You know, I have to say it every time I see you, Lucy, but I am amazed at how well you have grabbed hold of this lifestyle and made it your own,” Reina replied cheerfully, answering the woman with a casual familiarity that surprised me.
“Haha, you’d never believe I was a lady’s maid in your family’s house if you hadn’t known me before. I’m still loving it out here—making our own way with our own two hands! There are times when it gets tough, but I’ve got my great kids and my husband, and we all work hard together. I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I just wish you weren’t so busy and would visit more often,” Lucy said with a bright smile.
The zest for life that Lucy radiated had an infectious quality that made me find her likable, even at just a first impression.
“Hmm… I’m sure Kyle would like that, and it would be good if the kids could spend more time together, so I will see what I can manage. Also, if you need help with the harvest or planting, let me know, and I’ll send my kids over,” Reina offered.
“We can't pay them much, but that’d be a huge help if they’re up for it,” Lucy accepted gratefully.
While they were talking, I was trying to absorb the impact of the new information. My thoughts before were just supposition, but Reina’s former maid had basically confirmed that Reina was indeed from a noble family. Whether Reina was a noble or was a fallen noble, and what that would mean for me still wasn’t clear. If I really was being adopted by a noble family, wasn’t that something extraordinary?
With a warm expression, the former lady’s maid, and now farm wife, bent down closer to my eye-level, using her hands on her knees for support as she addressed me.
“What’s your name, kid? I’m Lucille Heartwood, but everyone just calls me Lucy, and I like it better that way,” she greeted me with an engaging smile.
I glanced at Reina for guidance, and Reina discreetly motioned for me to remove the hood.
“Hello, Miss Lucy. My name is Raithe. I’m currently an apprentice hunter, but I have recently started learning magic with Miss Reina, so I don’t know what I want be in the future yet.” I lowered my hood while I was introducing myself and gave Miss Lucy a slight bow as I finished.
“Oooh, what a polite introduction, and he’s got really pretty looks, too! Reina, is he the offspring of a wayward noble and a greater forest faerie?!” Lucy asked excitedly.
“No, I do not think that is the case. Raithe and I have not really talked about his parentage much, so I don’t know the exact details. I found him as the sole survivor of the demon raid on nearby Shadow Veil village. From what I could tell, his mother was a human—and of common birth. Is that correct, Raithe?” Reina asked me.
“Yes, that is correct. My mother was a human villager. I never met my father and was never told about him, so I don’t know the details surrounding my birth, but recent events seem to have confirmed that I’m part faerie and I do have an innate affinity for Nature-magic.” I was careful not to lie, but of course there was one glaring and purposeful omission.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Raithe. That was insensitive of me to ask…” Lucy apologized looking downcast as she realized that I’d only recently lost my family.
“It’s not your fault, Miss Lucy. I’m thankful I was found by Miss Reina, or I would have become food for the beasts of the mountain even with my mother’s sacrifice having saved me from the demons. For Miss Reina to take me into her family is more that I could have hoped for, considering my background and status,” I said, trying to express my appreciation for my current situation.
“Aww. You’re such a strong boy, Raithe. Don’t worry, Reina here will make sure you are properly taken care of,” Lucy said trying to encourage me.
“Lu~cy, what’re you doing over there?” Called a voice from all the way over by the farm house.
“Ah, that’s Karla, she dropped by with her kids to deliver honey and apple cider. They even brought apple pie. Do you want to come in and visit?” Lucy asked cordially.
“No, I’m sorry, Lucy, but we’re already well behind schedule today. If you want to call Karla over to the entrance so I can introduce Raithe, that would be fine,” Reina held up a hand in front of her, politely declining Lucy’s invitation.
“Oh, I’ve got an idea. While you and Raithe are talking to Karla, I’ll run and get the kids,” Lucy said as she waved over Karla and ran off to find the kids.
“Come Raithe, shall we move further down toward the farm’s entrance, so that they don’t bother the cows or accidentally step in anything?” Reina suggested as she guided me over toward the farm’s main gate. With the organic smell that had been assailing us for a while now, I had a good idea what she didn’t want them to step in.
It seemed that Karla was of a similar mind as she waved while using the path from the house to the gate to approach. The farm was really large and with Karla still a good distance away, I looked around to take in the farm’s vastness.
From what I could see walking along the outside of the fence, the layout of the farm was a large two-story farmhouse surrounded by three large red barns and a multitude of fields extending a fair ways into the distance. Several of the fields were fenced-in and setup for grazing. Other fields were bare or had rows of various vegetables and such beginning to sprout. Just looking at it all and thinking about how much work was involved made my back hurt.
Karla drew close enough for conversation and called out to us, "Lady Reina, it's been a while! How are you doing lately?"
"I am doing well. Though helping out at the Adventurer’s Guild and working on projects have been keeping me busy. How is Fenton?" Reina responded pleasantly.
"He's doing well, but keeping up with the orchard and the honey bees is taking up almost all of his time these days. It's a good business, but it'll be nice if the kids can help out more as they get older." Karla replied.
"I agree. Though I do have the kids already helping out a fair amount at my place, I think helping out with Artificer work might be a bit difficult for children, unfortunately,” Reina said, commiserating with her neighbor.
All of this catching-up talk was sort of boring for me, but I made a neutral face and observed Miss Karla as she approached us.
Karla was slightly taller than Reina and less heavyset than Lucy. Certainly not as pretty as Reina, and not approachably pretty like Alisha either, but I wouldn't say she was ugly. Karla had stylishly curly dark hair that was cut with short bangs and shaped to frame her face. The combed-out ringlets hung down on either side in a curtain that made a semi-circle around the back of her head, slightly longer in the front than the back.
She was wearing an apron-skirt woven of coarse unbleached thread over a simple red heavy-cotton dress, accompanied by neatly laced black leather boots, and gave off a serious impression that suggested, perhaps, that she was the one who often kept others focused on whatever task was currently at hand. She didn't seem bossy, rather just that she was skilled in prudence and common sense.
"And so, I'm assuming the reason Lucy waved me over is this well-behaved demi-human boy that you are escorting? He certainly has a dramatic appearance and poise that far exceeds his modest clothing and lack of footwear, so I'm guessing that his circumstances are complicated.” Once the pleasantries were completed Karla got straight to the point.
"You are quite perceptive as usual, Karla. He will be joining my family, so I'm headed to get him an identification plaque at the temple and meet with Adrian to have him added to the village register,” Reina explained.
"I see," she said, and then turned to me, "If Lady Reina is taking you in herself, then I'm sure the visit to the village clerk will likely be nothing more than a formality. In that case, welcome to our humble village, I am Karla Dansby. My husband, Fenton, and I operate an orchard just down the main road here."
She didn't do any of the bending-down-to-talk-at-my-height thing. Karla was certainly true to what I imagined of her character and didn't see the point in stooping to talk to children. I appreciated the sentiment, but on the other hand, I was short and all of this talking with adults might actually give me a crick in the neck. I gave her the same polite introduction that I gave Lucy and she nodded in response.
"Well met, young Raithe. Rest assured that if the 'S'-ranked adventurer Lady Reina of noble house Lucaine has taken an interest in you, then she clearly intends for you to become a powerful mage in the future. Probably an [Archmage], if you have the talent. Or am I wrong?" Karla looked to Reina as if daring her to contradict the obvious.
"Well, no. I wouldn't say that you are wrong, and I would be happy if Raithe chose the path of the [Archmage], but I'll support the boy on whichever direction he chooses for his training.” Reina gave her answer in a way that seemed more directed at me, than addressing Karla’s assertion.
I appreciated Reina indicating to me that I was still welcome in her house even if I didn't become her apprentice. There was also some interesting information that had come out in the details of what Karla had said.
Well to be honest, I was rather shocked at my good fortune and the extent of Reina’s identity. Karla had just indicated that Reina was not a fallen noble, but a current noble of what sounded like a prestigious house. I was not sure what being adopted into a prestigious human noble family entailed, but I had my doubts that it would go well considering that I was a demi-human. Amazingly, Reina must have really felt that I had exceptional talent if she was intending to go through that sort of trouble.
Another interesting item was Reina's adventurer rank of 'S'. Unfortunately, I didn’t know anything about the guild rankings, but from the way Karla said it, that must be a high rank. Of course, I already knew that Reina was powerful to an extent that was hard to imagine—enough so that the Adventurer Guild sent her alone to deal with the demon raid that wiped out the previous Raithe’s home village. And, Alisha did say that her mom was a top adventurer in the guild.
That just left one thing I was rather curious about.
"Miss Reina, what's an [Archmage]?” I asked.
"An [Archmage] is a mage that has learned and reached a certain level of proficiency with the 6 elemental pillars of magic—rank 5 in each, to be exact. Reaching that stage allows one to stand at the feet of the Ancients and to begin to unlock the knowledge needed to learn their legendary lost magics," Reina explained like a master answering her apprentice's question.
"Miss Reina, are you an [Archmage]?" My face and voice formed a picture of innocence, as I tilted my head slightly to the side and asked curiously.
Reina nodded. "Yes, I am." She seemed proud and drew herself up straighter as she looked down from under her white parasol. It was not an unexpected answer considering the variety of crystals in the house and the basement, and I couldn't help but feel that ‘time-stop’ magic was one of the magics of the Ancients.
My face still a mask of innocence, I asked, "But Alisha said that Miss Reina is terrible at Earth-magic…OWW!"
An Earth-flick to the head, apparently—and it punched clean through my barrier!
"Maybe I was mistaken in entrusting the task of watching over Alisha to you. I'm beginning to think that the two of you are way too much alike. But with that minor lesson, I'm sure you have gained some understanding of the truth of the matter,” Reina reprimanded me.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied obediently while rubbing my forehead.
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“It is true that mages have elemental affinities, but you would do well not to underestimate someone because of those affinities. When a mage reaches a certain level of power and competence, it becomes important to overcome one's limits and weaknesses in order to advance further. Though, perhaps I really should entrust the next part of your training to Earth Master Gerrick Dragonhammer also known as ‘The Mountain Crusher’ for collapsing a mountainside with a single punch. Then you will truly understand the depth of the difference between skill and talent," Reina said softly while smiling a gentle smile at me, but her eyes told me that she was laughing one of those evil villain laughs inside her head the whole time!
"Don't go too hard on him, Lady Reina. He seems like a cute kid," Karla chuckled softly at our comedy skit.
Heh, I guess Karla's not a totally serious person all the time, I thought.
As I continued rubbing mana into my smarting forehead, Miss Lucy came jogging back with a group of kids in tow and a toddler in her arms. Some were taller than me, and the others were closer to Alisha's size. The boys were dressed in clothes similar to mine, while the girls had simple cotton dresses. All had leather footwear or sandals. There were seven children in all, and all were gazing at me in curiosity as they gathered around.
"Hey, he's got horns!" One of the older boys said while they were approaching.
"No, those look more like antlers," replied the more serious looking of the two older boys.
"Who cares about the horns, is that pink hair?" Asked one of the girls who was about my height.
"Are those pink eyes? And is there something weird with his pupils?" Asked the other girl who was a little taller than Alisha.
"Elf-ears too," chipped in a boy slightly taller than me as he drew even with the rest of the group while leading a small girl by the hand. The small girl was holding an apple against her chest with the other hand.
"You guys are being rude!" Chastised Lucy.
Wow, being treated like a freak was way more embarrassing than I'd imagined—and these kids weren't exactly being mean about it. Even with Raithe's memories, I couldn’t imagine how terrible it was to feel that sense of isolation in person. I screwed up my courage and stepped forward to introduce myself.
"Hello. I'm Raithe. My race is faerie-kin, and I'm a hunter. I'm 9 years old. It's nice to meet all of you," I said with a clear voice, then bowed slightly. My serious greeting and adult-like manners left them all momentarily speechless.
"Ahem, go on then. Tell him your names," prompted Karla looking sternly at the children.
The boy who looked to be the oldest and most mature of the bunch stepped forward and introduced himself.
"I'm Larsen Dansby. I'm 10 and learning orchard tending and groundskeeping from my father. My mother is from a noble family, so I'm also studying writing and such at the temple with the goal of being able to attend the Royal Academy. Nice to meet you."
I met the eyes of Larsen as he returned my greeting with a serious one of his own. His curly black hair was cut short in the back and along the sides, but he left it long enough in the front and top to give himself a bit of style. His ringlet bangs were combed back to give a nice hairline, and when taken together with his fair skin, dark eyebrows, and his dependable-looking features, it was a nice look.
He reminded me a lot of his no-nonsense mom, Karla, but more handsome, and might be more formidable than I first thought. I nodded my respect, and he returned my nod.
Next, I turned my attention to the excitable boy who pointed out my ‘horns’ as he was beginning to speak.
"Hi, I'm Harlan! Harlan Heartwood. I'm also 10. Never mind mister stuffy over there, he's pretty smart, but when it comes to any kind of hard work, I leave him in the dust! Hahaha! My dad is from a noble family too, but I'm gonna stay here and help my mom and dad with the farm, so I'm learning to be a farmer just like them! Nice to meet you, Raithe!" He said and pounded his chest with a fist, as Larsen looked on somewhat incredulously.
Harlan also had his hair cut short, but that was where the similarities ended. He looked sturdy for a 10-year-old, and his tanned skin attested to his time spent working out in the sun. His features were ordinary, but he had an open and honest face with not even the pretense of guile. I couldn’t help but grin at his ridiculous introduction.
"Haha, I'll keep that in mind," I answered genially, and the next boy started.
"I'm Cody Heartwood. I'm 9. Since Harlan is helping out with the farm, like Larsen I'm also studying at the temple because I want to go to the capital and attend the Royal Academy. I haven't decided what I want to study there yet though."
Cody's skin was fairer than Harlan's—probably because he spent more time indoors studying—and he looked skinnier too. His sandy-blonde hair was worn longer than his brother’s and was parted it in the middle. Like his simple hairstyle, he didn't stand out much, so I just nodded an acknowledgement of his greeting.
"I'm Emma Dansby. I'm 9, just like you and Cody. I'm studying at the temple, but I'm also studying with Lady Plumbutton to become a proper lady so that I can attend the Royal Academy and not embarrass my family. Maybe we'll be taking lessons together," she said shyly and ended looking down at her sandals.
Though Emma apparently lacked confidence and was slightly plain when only her facial features were taken into consideration, she was a pretty enough girl and certainly way prettier than her mom, for sure. In particular, I thought the noticeably vivid red of her natural lip color and the strong impact of her long, wavy black hair contrasted well against the pale skin of her plain face, and really gave her a kind of potential that she was most likely not aware of.
I was also a fan of the way she had drawn back her bangs with a wooden hairband to just behind her ears, causing the entirety of her wavy hair to flare outward dramatically as it flowed down the sides and back of her head into ringlets. Honestly, the look was close to stunning, and whether intentionally or not, she was also careful to avoid a severe impression by not drawing her bangs back tightly, instead letting them puff up with a bit of volume. The hairstyle seemed easy to maintain, too.
"It's nice to meet you, Emma. I don't think it's likely we will see each other at the temple classes since I plan to study history, math and the like with Miss Reina and Alisha, but there was talk of my taking lessons with Lady Plumbutton. Now, while I probably can't study to become a proper lady, I might see you in class," I said teasingly, and seeing that she had looked up while I was talking, I winked as I make my joke. Emma blushed, and everyone was looking back and forth between Emma and me with surprised eyes.
I continued with a big grin, "Oh yeah, and it's not really pink you know… my hair. It's more of a smoky lavender with champagne highlights, but as a guy I would've preferred a more masculine color, haha. And my eyes, they glow in the dark, too. I've always called these things sticking out of my head as ‘horns’ but I think I might like the sound of 'antlers' better. And aren't elf ears cool?" I looked at each one of the offenders in turn as I addressed their comment. The boys grinned back sheepishly and shrugged.
"He heard us…," whispered Emma, who had turned beet red from embarrassment.
"Of course, he heard us! He has elf ears after all," The girl around Alisha's size winked back at me, then she continued, "Hi Raithe, I'm Ellise Heartwood! I'm 8 just like Alisha. I really look up to Alisha and want to become a mage too, so it would be great if we could get together more." Ellise looked over at Reina.
"If your mom doesn't mind, I don't have any problems with you joining Alisha and Raithe's afternoon studies," Reina said.
"Yay!!!" A happy Ellise jumped up with her hands in the air. Even though Ellise couldn’t compete with Emma in terms of visual impact, she was supper cute with a dusting of freckles, a slightly upturned nose, and the kind of smile that makes you want to cheer for her. Her engaging personality was obviously way better than Alisha's, so I was also happy that the upbeat-seeming Ellise would be joining our lessons.
"Good for you, Ellise," Larsen congratulated her.
"Are you sure she won't get in the way, Reina?" Lucy asked.
"No, it'll be fine. I will have to start with the basics for Raithe anyway. It is good timing, you could say. And besides, Alisha hates to lose, so she will be more motivated if she has rivals," Reina said.
“If you’re fine with it, Reina, then I would certainly be appreciative,” Lucy said, gratefully.
"I'll probably be busy tomorrow helping Raithe get situated, but Water Day should be fine. Ellise, come by around one in the afternoon, and don’t be late.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Elise was so excited, I wondered if she would be able to sleep tomorrow night.
Next it was the turn for the girl with the apple, but with the adults talking, she didn’t get a chance. So, I stepped closer and bent down on one knee, getting nearer to her eye level. When I started to move closer, she tried to hide, but Cody who had been holding her hand stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder, and Emma placed a hand on her other shoulder, blocking her escape.
She was a pretty little girl with long dark curly hair worn with a simple center-parting. The flowing bangs split to either side of her face and turned into ringlets as they passed in front of her shoulders. She had really expressive, moody eyes, and I thought that this girl was probably going be incredibly beautiful when she grew up. The girl was clearly a Dansby, so it was interesting that Cody seemed to be taking responsibility for her.
“Hello, miss, what is your name?” I asked her invitingly.
She looked up at Cody and Emma, who gave her nods, and Ellise who was next to Emma, gave her a thumbs up.
“Ria. I’m 5, and I want to do magic too!” Ria said and then looked over at her mom—Miss Dansby.
“Ian! 3! Farmer, like daddy!” Ian who had grown tired of waiting, spoke up while wriggling in Lucy’s arms and stuck out a hand showing three fingers raised.
“Haha, hello there Ian, I’m Raithe. I’m sure you’ll grow up to be a great farmer just like your dad,” I said to Ian and encouraged him with a thumbs-up.
“How come, you no shoes, when outside?” Ian asked, and Lucy looked at me apologetically.
“It’s part of my training, of course! I have to practice walking outside without hurting my feet, or even letting them get dirty, see?” I said with a wink to Lucy and held up one of my feet for Ian to see. The bottom of my foot was totally clean since I had been shielding it with a mana-barrier.
Seeing that my foot was clean, there were some collective “Oooh” sounds that came from the older kids, and Harlan asked me, “Wow! It’s not dirty at all! How’d you manage that?!”
“Trade secret,” I replied with a smirk.
“Aw, c’mon. That’s not fair,” Harlan complained.
I laughed.
I turned my attention back to Ria. The apple she was holding kept drawing my interest. I wondered if I could use the apple to do a bit of magic for the girl.
“Ria, is that an apple you are holding there?” I asked.
“…Yes,” she answered hesitantly.
“Will you hand it to me so that I can look at it?” I tried asking.
“No! It’s my apple!” Ria said and looked at me distrustfully.
“Ah, that’s a pity. I was going to show you something really cool,” I leaned closer conspiratorially with my hand shielding my mouth and whispered, “something with magic…”
Ellise overheard what I whispered, and her eyes got round with surprise. Everyone else seemed to be wondering what I was up to, and why I would be so interested in Ria’s apple.
When Ria realized what I had said, she looked shocked and thrust out the apple for me to take.
“Thank you, Ria. I’ll return your apple, but you’re going to have to trust me, okay?” I said as I accepted the apple.
Ria’s dark brows were still knitted together in worry that I was going to trick her, but she nodded. She really wanted to see some magic even more than she wanted the apple.
I took a few steps backward and sat on the ground cross-legged with the apple carefully held in both my hands.
“I’m going to try to do something, and I’ll need to concentrate, so please allow me some space while I work,” I announced.
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I caught Reina’s eyes as I scanned the crowd of three adults and seven children gathered around. Fortunately, Reina didn’t seem annoyed, just curious like everyone else.
Closing my eyes, I began meditating using the Wind meditation technique. The ground here was used for farming, so I wanted to avoid drawing mana out of the ground with the Earth mediation. I drew in the mana carefully to avoid hurting the two small children nearby.
Expanding my senses and looked for Nature-mana to also draw in along with the Wind-mana, I began to notice the mana-characteristics of those around me. Most obvious was Reina who felt like a clear, still lake of bottomless depths, and next was Lucy who was surprisingly strong and had an affinity for Earth-mana. To a much lesser extent, I felt a similar sense of Earth-mana from Harlan. After that were Ellise and, surprisingly, Ria.
I confirmed Ria’s current strength and affinity first since Ellise’s contained something I was unfamiliar with. Ria’s mana-pathways seemed surprisingly well-defined for such an early age, and her affinity worryingly was probably Fire. I felt that for me to even be able to discern her mana-pathways at this distance was really incredible. I wondered if maybe she was naturally releasing a fair amount of excess mana and whether it would be dangerous if the first magic she learned was Fire…
Ellise wasn't as strong as Ria, but she seemed to have multiple affinities. The obvious one was Water since it was like Reina, but Ellise's Water-affinity felt more like a sparkling clear meadow stream. The second attribute reminded me of… ah, it’s Light. At the realization, I wondered if that was a rare attribute in humans.
“Wonder what he’s doing?” Cody whispered.
“Maybe he fell asleep,” Larsen suggested.
“Shh, he’s concentrating. Besides, if you two had any talent at all, you should be able to feel the mana-currents being generated,” whispered Lucy.
I had successfully gathered a fair amount of the free-flowing mana nearby, so it was now time to try my idea. This was where it would get hard.
Using the mana from my core, I started creating Nature-mana and proceeded to fill the apple to capacity. Once the apple was saturated with Nature-mana, I created a pathway from one of the seeds inside, then upward to the stem sticking out from the top, and finally down the remaining side branch where a leaf was still attached. The leaf and its stem were the key.
Ready for the next stage, I gently invited the leaf’s stem to convert the mana into nutrients and grow. The growth was slow at first, but as I figured out how to encourage the plant’s natural processes, the speed increased. I tried adding mana guides to control the direction and type of growth and was finally able to get the lengthening stem to start branching side branches and to bud new leaves along the new branches.
“Woah, the apple stem is growing new branches!” Whispered Harlan.
To which, an excited Ian replied, “I wanna see! I wanna see!”
“I wonder why he’s making it grow like that?” Asked Emma.
As the nutrients and material from the first seed inside the apple were used up, I began to use the other seeds. I carefully grew three main branches, each about two hand lengths long and each with its own leaves. While doing this, I held the thickening apple stem so that the increasing weight wouldn’t damage Ria’s apple. Once the three branches were ready, I encouraged flower buds to form on the leaf stems, and then to bloom.
“Oooh, the apple is blooming!” Ellise whispered to the others excitedly.
The hard work was done, the next step was to separate the branches from the apple. I could just snap them off, but that just didn’t seem right after all this careful work. After some trial and error, I was able to get the branches to segment off from the original stem and separate from it. Then, while holding the newly separated branches in my hand, I grew roots at the base of each one.
With the task completed, I opened my eyes and looked at my work. My left hand held the original apple, unharmed, but the color had become a rich red, and the skin gleamed with a faint magical sheen. In my right hand, were three apple saplings shaped to look like bouquets of white flowers with subtle hints of pink mixed in.
I walked back over to Ria and knelt down to her height again. She was watching me intently as I handed her back her apple, “Here’s your apple back. Thank you for trusting me and being patient. I’ve turned your apple into a magic apple, so it should taste even more delicious, and you may want to share it with Ellise.” Ria looked at the apple then back at me. “And for Ria, I made these flowers,” I said and presented one of the saplings to her.
Everyone started clapping as Ria took her flowering apple sapling.
“So, was the magic interesting?” I asked Ria, and she nodded. “I’m glad. Now, that branch with the flowers is a sapling. If you plant it in the ground, it will turn into a magic apple tree. Promise me you’ll plant it when you get home, okay?”
“I promise,” Ria said, as she stared at the flowers which glittered ever so slightly in the afternoon light.
I stood up and faced Emma and Ellise. The two of them were a study in opposites. The dark-haired Emma was quietly nervous and the light-haired Ellise was practically bouncing on her heals with excitement as I handed the two their saplings.
“And I made flowers for you two beautiful girls as well,” I said with a wink. Harlan laughed and made a gagging motion after I said my cheesy line.
“Thanks, Raithe!” Ellise excitedly thanked me and ran off to show it to her mom, promptly debating where to plant it.
“Thank you, Raithe,” Emma managed, but her cheeks were turning red again.
“Hey, Raithe, that was some really cool magic, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before,” said Harlan.
“…um, Raithe, didn’t you say you were a hunter?” Asked Larsen.
As expected, not much gets past this guy.
But I brushed him off with, “If I’m part faerie, isn’t this much to be expected?” I said it with an expression indicating that it was the most obvious thing in the world and flashed them a grin.
“Ah, of course…” said Cody as if he just realized it, and the others nodded sagely.
Don’t accept it just like that!, I complained in my head.
Reina cleared her throat, and started talking, “Okay children, I think that is enough. Raithe and I must be on our way now, so say your goodbyes.”
“Aww. But we finally got to see something cool,” complained Harlan.
“Bye Raithe, see you Water Day afternoon,” said Ellise as she waved.
“Bye-bye!” Called out Ian.
“See you,” said Larsen.
“Bye,” said Cody.
“Come over anytime,” said Miss Lucy.
“Yeah! Come over and play next time, Raithe!” Harlan said excitedly.
Ria was still staring at me, her eyes following my every move, the apple and the apple blossom sapling grasped in her hands.
Emma waved bye to me shyly, and acknowledging their farewells, I said, “It was nice meeting everyone!”
“Come, Raithe, shall we go? Put your hood back up. We really should hurry,” Reina called back to me as she had already resumed walking down the road.
I pulled up my hood and jogged to catch up with Reina, then I turned and waved at everyone, “I’ll definitely come by to visit! See you ‘round!”
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