A little while after we woke up and had breakfast, I was told to go do my training. "Um, is Yuki going to join me in my training?" I asked. "Not today, I have a different type of training for her today, she will be able to accompany you some other time." "I see, well then I'm off." Yuki and my master waved me off as I ran out of the cave and down the pathway.
"Now then Yuki, I know you have a fear of talking due to your magic. But feel free to talk when it's just you and me. Hopefully, after today you can speak with Kazuma too."
…
"Yuki? Please say something, otherwise, I can't help you get over your fear."
"I-is.. it.. R-really ok?"
"See no issue, and you didn't even use magic that time."
"B-but, what if I do?"
"You have poor magic control, and you have an interesting magic since you only have a one-step activation, that being through your voice. But you see, as long as you don't use magic while speaking then there will be no casualties. And even if you use it against me, it won't work. So talk normally around me okay?"
"Umm, why won't it work on you?"
"You have soul manipulation magic, so when you speak with magic empowered in your words, that thing's soul gets manipulated. However, in my case, to explain it simply, my soul is all out of wack so your magic will just get lost before reaching me. Only when you and your magic grow in a few years will it ever have an effect on me."
"That sounds really complicated, and I don't even get how my magic works."
"Normally a five-year-old can't use magic yet, let alone get the complexities of it. So let me give you a brief rundown. Magic for every being except Gods has two requirements needed for use. The first is a thought, an idea of what you want your magic to do. The second is a motion of some kind, a wave of the hand, a stomp on the ground, or in your case a word to be spoken. Here let me show a visual representation." I held out my hand but flicked my wrist and thought of a flame, and a ball of fire appeared. "See?"
"You're a really bad teacher."
"Ack. That hurts, but I cannot disagree, here instead of thinking about what your words can do, think about the words themselves. Therefore they have no empowered meaning."
"Huh?"
"If I say the word, flame, but no flame appears in my hand, that is because I thought of the word instead of a ball of fire. Words don't have meaning unless a powerful thought is backing up the word spoken. For example, the word sleep has no real meaning to it, unless I say, I want you to go to sleep then the word sleep has a meaning behind why I am saying it."
"I see, just think of the word."
"Exactly." I said smiling that I finally taught something useful. "It will take some practice though but we have a few years to work on that."
"I just have one last question for you."
"Yes, what is it, Yuki?"
"Aren't you a God? So do you not have to use motions?"
"So your mother told you huh? My situation is complicated, but yes technically I am the race of God, but I use motions and thoughts all the same, It helps control my magic better."
"I, see. Thank you, master."
"Shall we practice for a while as Kazuma finishes up his run?"
"Yes."
After a few hours of practicing speech with and without magic, she seemed to get the basics down. That was faster than expected, I wonder what that mother of hers taught her before having me train her.
*At the same time as their conversation started*
I ran down the path like normal, but right before the path of trees end and where the sun starts to shine bright, there was a boy sitting down he was sitting on the hillside between the pathway and lake. I saw him on my first run both ways but thought nothing of it. On my second run he didn't seem to move an inch, just sitting there staring. So on my way back from the third run, I stopped by him to take a break. "Hello there, my name is Kazuma, what's yours?" I said to the strange boy. He turned in my direction, getting a close look at him he had red hair that pointed up like a flame, small black horns atop his head, pale white skin like ash, and deep red eyes. He was wearing strange clothes it was like a half cloak, it was black and it had sleeves but was cut down to his waist, he had a red shirt and black pants on. In short, he looked different and mean, but he didn't seem much older than me.
"What do you want twerp?"
"What?? I am trying to talk to you and that's the first thing you say?"
"Well, I don't feel like talking to a dame human from that horrible village."
"Huh?! I am not from that village and what does me being human have to do with anything?!" As I said that, he looked at me with furry in his eyes. That was not the first time I saw eyes that wished me dead.
"Did you just say you're not from that village? That means you are far from home kid right? Meaning I can kill you and not get caught you wretched human!" He yelled that as he jumped from sitting down and in a swift motion punched me in the face. Knocking me to the floor.
"Now get out of here dammed human!"
I sat there, stunned by what had just happened. His skin was hard and hurt a lot, I wanted to cry, I wanted an explanation as to why he hated me, and I for the first time in my life, felt genuine anger. So I got up and punched him in the face as well. He however did not fall just turned his head and touched the side I hit with his hand. The knuckles on my right hand were bleeding from when I hit him, his skin really was hard.
"Oh, you're dead!" I was punched and I hit him back.
"Why do you hate humans!? I don't get why everyone hates humans."
"It's all your fault, it's those humans' fault that the war started, why I am alone, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."
I still didn't get it, I was confused. But there was a part of me that wanted to be strong like my master said he wanted for me. So this horned boy and I fought, and blood was spilled from both of us. The fight lasted for what felt like hours. He won, I was tired and couldn't move, he was on top of me, tired but still able to move. He hit me again across my face. When I looked back up at him his nose was bleeding, a human hurt a non-human, I was exhilarated by our childish fight that I ended up smiling at him. "Don't look at me like that! Don't give me sympathy!" Again he struck my face. I was too tired to speak, to move, but I was happy. Then I heard the voice of a girl, it was soft-spoken and cute like an angel coming to get me. "Get off of Kazuma." From my lying down position, I saw my master smiling and Yuki running towards me. "Shit," the horned boy said as he got up and tried to run. Yuki came to look at me and see if I was alright, now that the reality of the situation settled in I had a feeling of fear run over me. Yuki hugged me telling me "it's alright now." My master went to the boy. They were close enough to hear what they were saying.
"Hey, there kid, you don't see demons much around here much, want to explain what your up to and why you're hitting my son?"
"I don't have to say anything to you." The boy had an annoyed look on his face, he was basically growling at master.
"I am going to take a wild guess and say that you are an orphan from the war and that you tried to get food from the village but you were shunned by them. And was left as an outcast. Sound about right?"
"And what if I am, you gonna kill me for being a monster?"
"I feel bad that murder and death is the first thing that comes to your mind, but-"
"Don't pity me! Don't give me sympathy you dame old hag." The boy interjected my master.
"Haha, I like your spunk kid. Follow us to our place and stay a while."
"I am not a child! I am seven years old and I have seen war! So don't call me a kid."
"You have not seen war" I whispered under my breath before offering the child another chance. "Look you have four options before you, go to that village again and again and maybe get scraps for meals, you move on to the next town and try that same strategy, you sit here and die slowly, or lastly you come stay with us for the time being. That choice is yours though."
"Or the fifth option, I beat you and take your stuff." As he said that, the boy kicked up dirt from the pathway and in one swift motion jumped into the air and spin-kicked my master, aiming for his head. However, the boy did not even hit my master before my master hit him in the head with his staff. The boy froze in the air for a second before falling down. He was knocked out instantly.
"Oh dear, I just wanted to make him fall down, I didn't think that would make him pass out." My master said as he poked the boy twice with his staff. "Oh well, let's get going." My master picked up the boy with wind magic and all four of us walked back to our home. Yuki helped me walk.
When we got home the boy was placed near the back wall. I sat next to him. Yuki sat next to me, and master sat in front of all of us. There was still some light out lighting up the cave. "So tell me what happened Kazuma." My master asked. "Well, he made fun of my race, and was mad at the village, and he punched me first. So I wanted to be strong like you said so I hit him back and we ended up like how you saw us."
"Sigh, what did I tell you? That if anything happens come yell for me. You made a poor judgment and got injured and you made Yuki worried. What if he had used magic against you? Actions have consequences Kazuma. I will teach that kid there some manners when he wakes up, and you and him will learn to get along."
"Yes, master." I said pouting.
"Good, now I am going to grab food and supplies from the village, I will be back in an hour, you two watch over things. If they boy wakes up do try and get along and calm him down a bit." He walked out of the cave and flew off using wind magic.
"Yuki, you can talk now, that's amazing."
"Uh, I.. can.. Kind.. of.. Do it." Yuki sounded so strained and anxious when saying that.
"Kind of?" I asked
"I, have, to, focus, really, heard, on, my, words." It sounds so broken, like a small pause between every word.
"I see, I don't get it, but I am happy that we can talk normally." She nodded in agreement.
"So your master is a wind user, no wonder I lost." Me and Yuki looked over to demon boy who had apparently woken up.
"You got two things wrong. My master beat you without magic, and second he is more than just a wind user, he can use all kinds of magic." I explained.
"What was that" he said annoyed. "What was the last thing you just said."
"That he can use more than just wind magic?" I said.
"Ha, impossible, you really do know nothing do you human." He sounded so smug.
"He uses fire magic to light the campfire, he uses water magic to wash us down, and wind magic to fly to the village and carry things."
"Lighting a fire is not fire magic, and grabbing water from the lake is not water magic idiot."
"No he really can use more than one type of magic." I said annoyed at his insult towards my master.
"I am telling you he cant dumb ass." He said again.
We both stood up and started fighting again, we grabbed one another shoulders and were locked in place. He was bigger and stronger than I so he tossed me against the wall. Still injured from before, I coughed in pain. Yuki screamed "STOP." And the demon and I were frozen in place, it felt like a our muscles became so tight neither of us could move an inch. There was a certain pressure on our bodies that faded after a minute or two.
"What was that!" The demon boy ran over to Yuki going to grab her. I ran over I stepped in between her and him as to protect her. "Made it." I said. "Out of my way human!" "no I wont let you touch her!" Once again him and I were locked in place. He pushed me out of the way and went to grab Yuki again, the last thing I remember hearing is "SLEEP."
"These boys will never learn will they. Why must they fight?"
"Hello, I am back you three. That was faster than expec-ted. What happened here?"
"Oh welcome back, uh, they got into an argument, again, Kazuma protected me, but I got scarred and told them to sleep."
"HAHAHA, well done Yuki, that's one way to do it. You will be the designated negotiator between those two. Do me a favor and wake them up for dinner."
"I have a question before I do."
"What's that?"
"Why cant they get along? I know they are demon and human but still…"
"There is three reasons for it. One they are both children, two they are demon and human two races that have never seen eye to eye. But it really stems from their magic types."
"How so?"
"Ones magic impacts there personality. The demon boy is a fire user and Kazuma has affinity for ice magic. Polar opposites from one another."
"Kazuma is human, he cant use magic right?"
"Magic is in all things. Living, nonliving, an object, the air we breath, the ground we walk on, magic is everywhere. Kazuma cant manipulate magic but he does it within him to a small degree."
"I see, but how do you know his magic type?"
"It's a passive thing for me, due to my magic I can just kind of see that type of thing."
"Once again, I am lost."
"Don't worry about it and wake them up."
"WAKE UP"
"Morning you two." I heard my master say. I was tired, and confused, but I figured it was magic. I looked over to see my master and Yuki around the fire staring at us. The demon boy and I were waking up from where we fought.
"Pro tip demon boy -"
"Raze, my name is Raze."
"Ok then, Raze, don't go attacking or grabbing Yuki, not unless you really do have a death wish. And get along with Kazuma will you?" My master said with a straight and serious face.
"Well it's not like I am staying here. So I'll be leaving now." Raze said.
"You're free to do as you wish, but please stay here. I will train you, give you food and shelter, a family. This is the best place for you." My master offered one last time.
"And if I take you up on your offer just so I can be strong enough to kill you? What do you say to that?"
"Again all you know is death isn't it." My master walked over to him and placed his hand on Razes head. "There is more to life than death, see here, there is also food." My master said this with a smile handing Raze a bowel of beef over rice. He looked like he was shaking but took a bite. "It's good." Raze said awkwardly. "I'm glad feel free to eat your fill. You too Kazuma common." That night we all had a blanket to sleep under.