Her voice is dyed with a tinge of annoyance, so I decide to respond before she escalates.
"I used to be really depressed for about ten years," I say as I turn to face the guild master. Her eyes seem brighter today. "It varied drastically from feeling widely emotional to aching emptiness. Sometimes, I would even think about ending my own life. The one thing that remained constant over the whole experience was how disconnected I felt. It was as if I stayed in the same spot for years and had to watch the whole world pass me by."
"Aren't you only ten?" she asks, but I ignore her very reasonable question and finish my thought.
"It's nice to feel attached. It still hurts sometimes, but it's nice to feel connected to people." She frowns.
'Smack!'
My head falls to the side as she slaps my other cheek.
"Honestly, I don't feel like I deserved that one." Both sides of my face burn from the force of her hand.
"I'm getting real sick of you making shit up." She grabs me by the scruff of my neck and pulls me to my feet. A fire I haven't seen before is burning in her eyes. I'm too tired to explain myself, so I deflect with a question.
"Did something happen recently?"
"What are you talking about now?" Her eyes narrow as she pulls me closer.
"Your eyes are brighter than normal. Did something good happen?" She pushes me back slightly and smiles before slamming me to the ground.
'Whomp!'
"Ow! Okay, I'm hurt now," I complain about the indentation Jezabel has made in the dirt using my body.
"You're one weird son of a bitch."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my mom like that."
"You know what, I am having a good day. I'm excited about that monster in the forest, things are picking up in this shit hole of a town, and I get to kick your ass. There have even been rumors that the nobles are going to make a move against me. So yeah, I feel great."
"Glad I could help."
"I'd prefer it if you weren't such a punk all the time."
"I'm sorry."
'Tch'
She clicks her tongue and makes for the exit.
"Clean yourself up. You're late for class."
"Okay, have a nice day." I chuckle to myself as she walks into the guild building.
[It's nice to see that she's doing better. Her eyes have always looked so dull.]
I take a second to figure out which body parts are still working. I feel my fingers and toes responding, so I'm probably fine. My battered muscles groan as I slowly get to my feet. I limp to the door and go inside.
The first thing I notice when I step inside is how busy it feels. The hall is by no means full, but there are certainly more people than normal. The lively voices of the guild staff and adventurers make the whole room feel brighter.
"Nick! Are you okay?" Shelly runs up and wipes the dirt off my clothes.
"I'll be fine. I've got to get to class. I'll see you later." I smile lightly to show that I'm not lying and make my way to the classroom. I step in the door and take my seat next to Josh. Travis notices my arrival and looks toward me.
"Did you lose a fight on the way here?"
"Something like that. Jezabel kept me after for some one-on-one training."
"Ha!" Travis smiles broadly, which accentuates the contrast between his bright white teeth and his dark skin. "I'm surprised you're still alive."
"Fortunately, she was in a good mood." I hear some people giggling at the back of the class, namely Kyle and Tyrion, but I ignore them.
"We're actually just wrapping up. Do you have any questions about the basics of the magic system?" On the chalkboard is a circle with the seven magic attributes written around it. Each attribute is divided into its own section, which are Temperature Fluctuation, Kinesis, Monism, Spacetime, Electromagnetism, Spirit, and Soul. The attributes are then broken down into Natures and Focuses, which each allow for specific spells to be learned. I grab the paper in front of Josh, where the Notes are perfectly transcribed.
"No."
"Very well. In conclusion, having access to magic can turn the tides of any battle, but how you go about getting it will permanently affect your abilities. The only way to access the spells available within the system is by consuming a pure mana stone while having a seal. The larger the magic stone, the larger your starting magic capacity, so don't go buying the first stone you see. Waiting until you can afford a larger stone will dramatically increase your effectiveness in combat."
Despite my efforts, I slowly lose the ability to pay attention to our teacher. The fatigue is kicking in, and I can barely keep my eyes open. Before I know it, I'm face-down on the table, fast asleep.
"Nick!" Sakura roughly shakes me awake.
[Why is everyone shouting at me all the time?]
I groggily raise my head and see the other students shuffling out the door.
"What happened after we left?" Sakura asks. She seems somewhere between surprise and concern, which is certainly an improvement in our relationship.
"I ran a lot more. I think I had about one hundred pounds of weights strapped to me. Then, she kicked my ass. I'm not exactly sure why but I probably deserved it." On their way out the door, Kyle and Tyrion stop to antagonize me.
"So much for being the rising star. This is what happens when you step out of line," Kyle says with a smug grin.
"I'd like to say I'm sorry for you, but we both know I'd be lying." Tyrion twists the knife with his words. I chuckle to bring the tension down before responding.
"Yeah, you're probably right," I reply with a shrug. "I tend to rub people the wrong way."
"That's putting it lightly." Kyle gets the last word in before he and Tyrion leave the room. A question occurs to me, so I turn to Sakura.
"Why does Tyrion always follow Kyle around?"
"Tyrion's father is friends with Kyle's father."
"Doesn't that mean Tyrion should be in charge or at least equal with Kyle?"
"I don't know. Anyway, what are we doing today?" Perhaps Sakura is giving me the opportunity to take a day off, but it's surprising to see her ask me for direction.
"I'm not really sure. I have a few ideas, but I'd like to discuss them in the forest."
"Okay."
"Sounds good to me." Both kids give their consent, and we make our way to the den.
"You're back!" Shinobu jumps out of her bed and runs up to us before noticing what terrible shape I'm in. "Nick, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I brush her off as she tries to get a closer look at my injuries. Shinobu still looks worried, but I change the subject. "Actually, we wanted to talk about what to do today."
No one tries to cut in, so I continue. "I was thinking we could try dungeon crawling for a bit, then come back and get a workout in."
Everyone looks at each other quizzically. Shinobu takes the initiative and brings up her concerns.
"I don't think that's a good idea. Most parties that work in dungeons have a few people that can use magic and at least one person who can heal." There are several kinds of healing magic, but the most common type is from Monism users. Monism is magic that involves the body, either of yourself or another. The Attribute is divided into mind and body magic, the latter of which is much more common. The two natures are then further divided into the buff and debuff focuses. The body buff focus not only allows for the use of healing magic but can also increase stats like strength and speed. The wide application of Monism magic makes it very popular among adventurers.
"I know. I was thinking we could get some pure mana stones and pick an attribute." Sakura's eyes light up at my suggestion, so I take it that she's for my idea. Josh furrows his brow and nods, which leaves Shinobu against three people.
"I mean, if everyone else is okay with it, then I don't see a problem." Shinobu averts her eyes as she responds. I get the feeling she isn't used to others casually disagreeing with her like this.
"Perfect! We'll head to town real quick and pick up some magic stones."
"Okay."