"Grandpa, grandpa-pa-pa!" "Sup?" "Stone!" "Aye, gal. Beautiful amethyst colour. Fetches a pretty bread."
"Taksies?" I could literally smell the old stonekin's uneasiness as he glanced upon the sizable valuable Larissa clutched in her hands.
She was so happy, so inexplicably carefree as she enjoyed her walk outside he probably didn't want to rain on her parade.
"Take," he affirmed eventually, his fingers grinding even more against the palm of his hands. In his position, those of the so-called Bleeders might have suffered from their namesake already.
And no, I wasn't going to stick my nose into things that didn't concern me one bit. I had enough on my plate.
While we were slowly rumbling through the forest, the stonekin exhibiting carefulness in their own, very unique way, I enjoyed the short moment of respite this got me.
Without the youth, the bug exposing me to bloody torture evermore, I could take it easy for the time being, focusing all my senses on a speedy recovery.
As for how something so little had this much impact on my daily affairs... I had no answer ready. It was a mystery I had a hunch I would eventually be forced to explore to the very end.
A very miserable hunch, by the way. "Ye got more there, lad?" Hanf, the older stonekin, asked me as we were trekking through an extensive meadow so squishy and wet he was leaking murderous intent.
Stonekin and wetness... that sure was as compatible as a lesser vampire was with the radiant noon. But they didn't take a detour, for some odd reason.
"Yer deaf, lad?" "No, I'm not," waking up to reality, I couldn't help but mutter a silent curse at my rash action the other hour.
Yet if the youth let go of a similar tantrum, I'd probably end up doing the same foolish thing. "It depends on what you seek."
Contrary to my hesitant answer, Hanf showed much more enthusiasm. His grey stone didn't look nearly as bad submerged in all this wetness as earlier.
If talking to me had such wondrous effects... why hadn't I found out about that sooner? I sighed bitterly, owing up to my blunder.
"There are some shiny stones in my inventory." Mana Cores capable of powering up entire realms if used correctly. "Kettles, spoons, and various other everyday paraphernalia."
Interesting gadgets I'd gathered in my free time that weren't up to standard for my collection back home.
"Some are undoubtedly shiny." Like a rocket stump of unholy proportions that had once upon a time terminated an entire wanna-be genius civilisation.
"Others might be useful as a pastime." Like a collection of scribbles worthy of the delirious fools exploring the most insane limits of magic and the braindead theories they came up with.
"Some items might serve as dummy weaponry for training." Like a sword shouldering the curse of three generations of gods murdered in cold blood...
Sad, though, I couldn't use any of them. My essence would disperse everywhere and nowhere if exposed to such strong undulations the items set free passively.
It was like sitting on a heap of gold, yet having no place at all to spend the fortune. "Stones?" Hanf asked, interested, ignoring the rest.
But then his enthusiasm calmed down quickly, leaving only a tired expression on his face. "Grandpa had many stones. We all had thiiiiiiis many!
Then bad guys came, breaking my friends for the Shiny." At some time, Larissa had crept up on us from behind, butting in on our conversation.
"Magic flickered through the sky! But mom didn't like it there. She took Larissa, leaving dad." As the young stonekin was prattling on, her mood was sometimes sunny, sometimes gloomy.
It was comparable to the flaps of a bird in slow motion, I found. "But dad looks after the stones! I love my dad! He's sooo kind, sooo strong, soooo—"
I sighed, shaking my head at Hanf who just barely suppressed his urge to smash every single stalk we came by into sludge.
A part of me watched this show rather detachedly. But the other part didn't. Not after my recent experience.
The blatant disregard I felt towards the Races... wasn't so blatant any more. Strange, but true. "Larissa isn't strong like dad. Larissa isn't nimble like mom.
Therefore, Larissa wants to learn magic! Looks fun!" The naiveté of her hopes and dreams felt horrible. My heart... it was thumping even though I tried to keep it under control.
The energy expenditure would only rise this way. But there was nothing I could do, for strange urges kept being born in my head before getting squashed by reason.
"Magic... eh?" I muttered, addressing myself rather than the curious stonekin discharging me repeatedly.
"Mister... you use magic?" I grinned mischievously, engaging her with a productive question instead of an answer. "But would you rather like a flimsy firework of short duration or lasting impressions?"
Larissa was thinking for longer than I'd expected of her. "Lasting!" She eventually replied, her smile bright and infectious enough to force the youth into another giggling fit.
"So others can admire magic just like me!" "What should your magic look like? Bending air, churning water, growing trees, discharging lightning—" "Growing stones!"
She didn't let me finish, leaving me quite stumped. I'd have liked her view to be a bit broader than that. But... the light in her eyes made me shut up. After all, magic came from the soul...
"Lasting and growing stones. Steady to reduce consumption, sentient enough for creation..." I hear myself laugh. Maybe I too wasn't immune to her bright demeanour.
Or I just didn't laugh enough these days. "Then it's settled," my charged claws extend minutely, tapping away at her body the colour of smoky quartz in a hypnotising rhythm.
Larissa ended up following my movements with her hands, though it was more of an instinctive reaction to me stimulating her pressure points than conscious action.
"Remember the feeling?" She nodded. "Repeat this often," in front of me appeared a tall tree, reminding my galloping mind that their company had come to an end.
I nodded at Hanf, grateful for him pointing the way and going to all this trouble to lead me here, who was glancing at me strangely in return.
Looking at the youth and recalling some very relaxing hours, I felt bad. Our exchange wasn't equal at all.
So I leaned down, whispering some words in the Language of Old as my booklet shone mildly, suppressed by my weakened state.
The older stonekin startled. Unsure if he should intervene or not, he opened and closed his mouth without voicing out a word.
Since this didn't take long, he wasn't given unnecessary time to stumble upon stupid thoughts. It was hight time for me to leave.
"Thank you, Larissa and Hanf of the stonekin. May cracks lead your way." Surprised, Hanf ended up completing our farewell, muttering,
"may earth steady your footing." Taking the youth in my arms, I started my arduous ascent up the tree, never looking back once.
I did the right thing... right?! The Great Consciousness didn't answer. ...either way, it was too late for regrets or changes of mood. This much pride, I had still!