I arrived at my Hotspring after running for nearly 30 hours.
The Sun was a bit more to the east then when I started to run. Does this mean a Day in this World is around thirty hours?
I should keep an eye on that when I have more time to waste.
Actually every time is somewhat wasted by me…
No not this moment.
I'm on a Mission!
Right; I saw how to do magic and now it's my turn to do it.
I walked to the Hotspring.
Because the "drawing" for fire that I remember is simpler I want to try that one out first and for that it would be better to be near water I guess.
Okay…
Let's get serious.
I take a deep breath…
Concentrate…
…
That's it!
Completely in sync with what someone in my memories did, the rational me drew something into the Air. I could praise myself for this perfect form.
…
…
…...nothing….
Huh?
Did I do it wrong?
I do it again.
Recreating the little, three dimensional drawing perfectly… still nothing.
Maybe the other Hand?
I try it…
But even with my other Hand nothing seems to happen.
Something else?
I grabbed my Tail out of pure reflex but let go off it again immediately.
That was a strange feeling.
Now that I think about it, just what is it?
I can move it like a normal limb and as far as I know it's just a part of my body.
But why can I move it and why do I even need it?
A bit curious I moved the tip of my tail in front of me to observe it.
The tail is a bit thinner than my already slim arms and its way more flexible. It is a bit longer than I am tall, has the same grey colour like the rest of my body and somewhat reminds me of a snake.
Just the tip is a bit odd as it has a small heart shape that is about the size of my palm. Actually with my tail ending in this form it is more like a spade-symbol than a heart.
…
Wait!
I waited…
Hmpf, stupid me. I already told me that I don't need to wait in this situation.
And I already decided that I don't want to waste time.
I have something to aim for; becoming an evil forest Witch.
Uhmm… evil?
Since when is there evil?
But the Witch in my Book was evil so I assume becoming a Witch will make me evil.
…
Or something like that.
Who cares.
I know that the person that I banished from my memories didn't have a Tail and did the thing with their Hand but I will try every option.
I draw it with the tip of my tail.
And nothing.
...figured as much…
Umuuu…
This is not good.
What if I can't do it?
No, I won't give up that easily.
I am just not suited to be a fire Witch, that's it!
Then it's obvious what to do now.
Okay again;
Concentrate…
Huuuuu~ deeply breathing in…
As before I perfectly copied the movements but this time the ones for the water bubble.
This feels right!
…
Or not…
Nothing again.
Ah fuck!
Language, silly me!
Oh I'm sorry, rational me.
That wasn't really ladylike.
Hold up!
I am all alone and as far as I know not really a lady so I should be allowed to swear as much as I want for fifteens sake!
Whoa, language, rational me.
Hehe~
…
Am I dumb?
No I am just out of options so I try to distract myself from that.
Does that mean I have given up already?
No… right?
I don't want to give up yet.
But what am I supposed to do?
There is clearly something missing and without that I won't be able to do magic.
Maybe just some blessed Individuals can use magic?
That would be bad…
Hmmm~
But if that would be the case then people wouldn't use it so casually, right?
And those people would be high standing members of society, I assume. So the woman at the forest clearing should have better options than being a woodcutter if she is blessed with magic.
Or is woodcutter a highly valuable job in this world?
That could be a possibility…
Maybe she isn't even one and was just there to guard the men or something. Who knows.
I for one don't.
Ahhh~!
I grab my head with my hands.
There are too many unknown elements in this.
I need more information.
…
And there is only one way to get those…
A way that I really don't like.
To get more Information I need to go back and observe those humans.
Aw man…
This sucks…
Yo, stupid brain can't you come up with something better and more realistic?
No?
Shit.
I sighed as loud as I could.
…
Well then…
I turned eastwards and corrected myself to the north a bit so that I would aim for the man-made forest clearing directly. Then I started to run again.
Running at full speed once more cheered me up a bit.
…
…
The clearing came into my field of perception after exactly 28 hours and 46 minutes.
A day really seems to last for about 30 hours.
I slowed down immediately and only got further at a normal walking speed.
One…
Two…
Where is the oth- ah, found him!
All three are still there.
Or are they back?
It seems to be the latter because they have slightly different clothes and their car with the now nearly empty trailer is parked in a different spot too.
That means that they only come out here to collect enough wood for a day and then go back to some sort of base I guess.
If I am correct, then I should wait near their car so that I can follow them when the time comes.
I just hope it isn't too fast for me…
Carefully and still about eight meters away from the edge of the clearing I moved to a point that was nicely hidden but close enough to the car so that I could follow it at a moments notice.
Oh.
They really use that pincer things to cut down the trees.
The pincer grabs the trunk, a red light flashes and then the tree falls down onto the clearing.
Then the blonde man and the woman who use this tool walk around the fallen down tree and cut it into smaller parts in the same way. When there are leaves the seemingly turn them into dust or ash with a ball at the other side of that tools handle.
When they are done and go to the next tree the dark hared man picks up the logs with some kind of remote controlled, hovering disc that has a gripping claw attached to it and stacks them on the trailer.
That's nice and all and they work together in a near perfect rhythm but that's not what I'm here for.
Show me some magic please!
...No?
Okay I'll wait…
…
And wait…
I waited for 6893 seconds – or nearly 2 hours if you are boring – and finally something happened.
But not something I expected.
From above something tiny entered my field of perception. There were uncountable of those small things and it felt somewhat prickling.
Nothing extraordinary but I never experienced it like this;
it started to rain.
At first it was just a bit and the humans ignored it, but after a few minutes it changed into a waterfall like downpour.
They quickly fled to the car, stored their tools in the back and then took shelter on the three frontseats of the car.
Good for you.
...or not.
I'm somewhat pissed.
They get to sit in that comfortable looking place and can chat with each other and I have to get soaked out here.
Hmpf!
All I could do was wait more.
More hours of boring old waiting… Who had this stupid idea again?
Oh yeah… me.
Ah well.
I like rain and I don't mind getting wet – even the prickling sensation in my field of perception is actually very pleasant once I got used to it – but I can't stand that they got it better than me.
I can hear some music coming from the car and even louder I can hear the three of them chatting and laughing. They even got something to eat in there and enjoyed some nice looking sandwiches a while ago...
Please stop having a good time and just drive home.
It's already getting darker and the rain seemingly won't stop soon so you can't do anything here anymore.
…
Oh?
As if they had heard my thoughts the conversation got an a bit more serious tone and after a few minutes the car started moving.
That's right; piss off.
…
No, don't!
At least not without me!
I somewhat had forgotten what the goal in my observation was so I didn't follow the car as it hovered away quickly.
As fast as possible I started to follow them while staying hidden in the forest.
To my surprise I could catch up to the cars starting speed and even when it reached it's assumed max speed I still was able to keep up.
But I couldn't really enjoy my run this time.
I had to focus on the car and couldn't afford to crash against an obstacle this time or I would loose them.
This was exhausting.
After an hour and a half of running like this I felt mentally tired like never before and gladly slowed down as the car did it too.
I only ran for a few more hundred meters and then stopped completely because the forest area just stopped.
Well, I could afford this because I wouldn't loose the humans anymore.
Far out of my field of perception but clearly visible for my eyes was a small village. Or it was more like a settlement made out of about 40 mobile homes.
The car seemed to aim for this place and even if it doesn't; this would be my new target.
So I stopped concentrating on the car and slowly made my way to get at least near the settlement. Always hiding in the tall grass or behind some bushes I got there slowly.
...Just be careful and go there calculating each step perfectly.
Not a single sound should be heard and even if someone was standing watch they shouldn't have seen the slightest glimpse of me.
It took me more time than the running part but now I lie on my belly below a sturdy bush where it should be impossible to see me. Well as long as no one gets too close.
A few meters away from my position was a small rivulet drawing a line of security for me. If someone wants to charge at me they have to go to the little bridge far to the east first.
I can see the whole settlement from my position, and I need to do that because I can only reach about a quarter of the houses with my field of perception.
There was no trace of the red car but I could find the big, blonde man.
He and some others are lining up ten of those trailers loaded with logs and seem to connect them. At the front of this line was a very bulky, grey car and as soon as the trailers seemed ready it started to move and took them with it.
The humans who stayed back exchanged a few words and gestures of parting before they all vanished into some of the houses.
I suppose they don't want to be in the rain or it is too late for anything and they just want to go to bed.
Hmm~
Bed huh?
…
As far as I know I once was human too, so I should have slept as well.
Unnn~
No, can't remember how sleeping should feel.
Maybe it's as relaxing as sitting in the hotspring?
I want to try sleeping once I get back. Wonder if it works.
…
After a few hours of boredom in which I drew calculations in the mud in front of me with the tip of my tail the rain got lighter and stopped eventually.
The settlement is completely silent.
It should be past midnight now so I suppose everyone is asleep.
Well except me of course.
...I'm bored.
I hate being bored…
But there isn't much to do.
I rolled over without making a noise and pulled my arms into the jacket. Then I moved my tail out from one of the holes were the sleeves should be and gently pushed away some twigs and leaves with it so that I could watch the sky.
Having a tail is weird but I actually like it. It's convenient.
Thinking about nothing and just calculating in the back of my head as always I watched the masses of clouds slowly become thinner until the sky was cleared up revealing the glittering stars.
I don't know how constellations work so I made my own pictures – well; numbers – that I tried to see in the stars until the sky slowly became brighter and I couldn't the tiny lights anymore.
Still I stared up until it was completely bright so the Sun should be up.
Yosh, let's get started.
I pulled my tail into the clothing too and rolled back on my belly again while fixating my point of view at the settlement.
Still idle…
Get up already!
…
No?
…Unn~ you are too lazy.
It took a few more hours until something happened.
There seemed to be activity in most of the houses and eventually some people came outside. The three I already knew are within those.
Greetings, some chatting and preparing a bunch of those red cars all of them got ready to gather more wood I assume.
After a while all of those cars had left in different directions but I didn't follow them.
There was no guaranty that I could learn about magic-stuff when I followed them. If that was the case I could have just waited at the forest clearing.
Magic doesn't seem necessary for their work so here was a higher chance to see something… I hope.