(Have you calmed down now?)
"Yes!"
I wiped off my remaining tears while he dries his fur from my tears using heat magic.
"Oh~? This is magic...?"
(Yes, Mimin. What I'm using right now is, indeed, my magic.)
It's really pretty... There's particles around Papa fox's fur where my tears were, glowing in a faint red light. The particles radiate heat, and dries up his fur within minutes.
(What you're seeing now is a result of magic. The particles you're seeing is my magic. I'm controlling my magic and altering the properties of it. In this case, I'm raising the temperature of my magic.)
"It's pretty! Will I be able to use that?"
I'm even more excited to learn magic now! After Papa fox teaches me, I'll practice my magic all the time and master everything!
(You will be able to, after learning what I'm about to teach you today. But before that, I want you to use telepathy to communicate instead of talking.)
"Eh?"
(I want you to use telepathy instead of talking.)
I heard you loud and clear! I wasn't asking you to repeat what you said. I was just wondering if there's anything wrong with me talking...
(But, why?)
(So that only the both of us can hear what we're saying to each other. If you make any noise, you may attract nearby Beasts to attack us. I have no doubt that you can handle the usual Beasts by yourself, but it still interrupts your magic practice.)
Eh? I can manage on my own against Beasts now? Can I really? With my current powers?
I'm still unsure of whether I can really take down Beasts with my current powers, but Papa fox just said that I am able to. I have no experience fighting other Beasts, so I'm not confident in myself...
(Yes... I understand, it makes sense to keep quiet. But, my ears are always ticklish when I use telepathy! Even if it's a little bit, it's still annoying...)
(You will have to get used to it, then. You have been listening to us through telepathy for your past four years. I'm sure you can handle it, Mimin.)
(...)
Papa fox is really confident in my capabilities. Even I, a four year old, can tell that he believes in me. In that case, I must make sure that I live up to his expectations...!
(Yes! I will do my best!)
I naturally smiled at him when I heard that. I feel warm inside, knowing that he cares for me.
It's the same kind of warmth as when I'm being praised by others. It feels good.
----------
(...So, from what I just taught you, feel the magic you have within you, and control it as an extension of your body.)
Well, long story short, I just gotta have a strong imagination of the existence of my magic as a part of me, right?
(Yes! I'll try it now.)
I concentrate on myself and... Wait, what does my magic feel like, exactly? I can't concentrate on something I don't understand...
(Um, what does magic feel like?)
(Ah, right. I suppose it is better to start with that. Here, put both of your hands on my head for a moment.)
I did as instructed and waited for Papa fox to do something.
Oh! Something is happening! Something cold is circulating inside my body now!
It's flowing starting from my right hand, to my chest, and spreads out towards my head and legs at the same time. After a while, it joins back in my chest again and exits from my left hand, back into Papa fox.
(The feeling you're getting now, which is similar to cold water, is what my magic feels like. Try searching for something similar flowing inside your body.)
(Yes!)
This time, I concentrate on myself and try to feel something cold like what I just felt. And...
(I can feel it!)
Although it's not the feeling of cold water, but more like cold air, it's definitely magic! It's my magic!
(So this is what my magic feels like... Amazing...)
Unlike earlier, the cold feeling flows from my left hand back towards my chest again, instead of leaving my left hand, and it continuously circulates around my body.
My cold air feels insignificant compared to Papa fox's cold water. Just how much magic does he possess? And how long did he need to practice to get to this extent?
(Now try controlling your magic to leave your body, and maintain your control when it happens.)
Hmm... What's the best thing to imagine my magic as? Maybe string?
I reach out my hands, and try to focus my magic into the tip of my fingers in a thin line like string. Then, I slowly pushed out the thin magic from my fingers.
This feels really weird! I feel like I'm losing something inside of me, and the magic leaving through my fingers feels like my fingernails growing longer. Except the fingernails are really soft.
(I need to focus...)
I try to join my magic and form a small ball in my hands. Once the ball is formed, I cut off my magic and returned the excess back into my fingers. The cold air continues to flow through my body again.
But I feel like I suddenly lost my grown fingernails, and I've grown a round ball which is not attached to myself.
My hands are feeling the cold of the round ball, and I also feel like I'm being held by something warm. But I'm not even at the spot where the warm feeling is.
(This feels really, really weird! Ah...)
Right as I started complaining, my hands lost the cold feeling, and I no longer feel warmth holding 'me' up. The ball of magic dissipates into the surroundings.
(You lost control of your magic there. You were too distracted.)
(I-I'm sorry! I failed!)
(It's okay, Mimin. I know it's not easy to get used to feeling multiple things at once, at different locations. You did well for your first try.)
Hearing him say that, I feel relieved.
(Yeah... I managed to control my magic, even if it's only for a short while.)
I shouldn't expect myself to succeed on the first try. Failures like this is bound to happen, of course.
(We have a few more hours before they should be done with the hunt. You will continue with your magic practice for now. I will observe you and assist you if I can. That's why I'm here, after all.)
(Yes! I will do my best!)
I can't let Papa fox down. He believes in me, after all!