All of us were sitting on the grass after we fed the Piris buckets of food. Ethora had started to pull things out of a crate. One of the things she pulled out was a metal plate with orange rings on it. She also pulled out a pan. "Do all of you like fried vegetables?"
"I don't have a problem with it."
"Me neither."
"I'll pass."
Enora was the only one to deny the vegetables. Actually, she hadn't eaten anything except for my blood, but I guess that was okay. She looked healthy. Back on earth she was more pale, and her body was cold. Here her skin had seemed healthier. Plus her touch now felt warm. Ethora touched the crystal attached to the plate, and the orange rings started to light up. I could feel it heating up from where I sat. "Is that also an enchanted thingy?"
"This little thing is enchanted with a fire circuit. They are a bit expensive, but the price is worth it. You really don't know much do you?" I could only scratch my cheek at Ethora's question. "She was sheltered."
"A prominent family then?" I shook my head at Ethora. "It's complicated…More importantly Enora! Magic time!"
"Yes, yes I know you are dying to learn, dork." It was true. I really wanted to learn magic and shed my own uselessness. Nychibi actually sat up and stared at Enora intently. "M-mind if I listen?"
"Maybe if you promise to be nicer to Melle…" The green bird's voice went quiet. "I promise…"
"You promise what?"
"I promise I will be nicer to Melle! There!" Nychibi got loud as her face went red. "Then I guess it is fine, so just sit there quietly."
"Ugh…"
"With that out of the way I will start from the top. Every living being on this planet has mana…" Even Ethora had started listening while she poured oil into the pan. "For the creatures and people of Yazel mana flows through them as it does in the environment, and every creature will have an affinity or propensity to at least one element…"
"E-even me?"
"Even you, Nychibi…" Nychibi grinned, her mean eyes becoming just a little bit softer. "The key to being able to learn magic is to learn to sense mana. Sure you can use spells without being able to sense ambient mana, but it isn't recommended."
"Why is that?" This time I asked a question. "That is a simple answer, young padawan…" She seemed to be getting into it. The only thing she was missing were teacher glasses and a long stick. She would probably look cute in glasses. "Pay attention, dork!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Now then, the reason you shouldn't use mana if you aren't able to sense it is due to the fact that it is dangerous. To use an analogy you might understand, it would be like trying to use nuclear energy without knowing anything about radiation. For you Nychibi… It would be like trying to fly without knowing the air. Or something. Basically, you can't protect yourself from harmful magic without sensing it."
"Oh! I see, Master Jedi!"
"I get that part, but how do you sense mana in the first place?" Nychibi was surprisingly paying close attention. Ethora had started placing purple mushrooms (bushrooms) in the pan as well as other vegetables. Many of them I had never seen before. My attention snapped back to my lover as she answered Nychibi.
"That one is harder to explain. Mana flows through the environment, but for me sensing it came naturally. I have heard that some people have to spend quite a while trying to sense it. Once you are able to sense mana, using the own flow of mana in your body becomes easier. There is a way to sense mana easier for people who struggle, or to jumpstart the process. But it isn't…"
"What is that!?" Nychibi jumped up as she asked. "Like I was saying, it isn't really recommended."
"Why? If there is a way I don't care if it is dangerous! I need it." Nychibi became desperate as she pleaded with Enora. "Haah, I knew it would be like this. I know Melle would be fine, but the feeling will be similar to having a lake poured on your head all at once. You won't die, but you are very likely to collapse. Many people experience trauma afterwards."
"I don't care! I will do anything so please! Please… I need…to be stronger at all costs." Nychibi's desperation had only grown, and Enora's words wouldn't convince her. "Why are you so desperate?"
"There is something I have to do. I have to…please." She had actually prostrated herself. She had completely abandoned all of her stubborn pride. "Dinner is done. Whatever you are planning I don't want any part of it, so if you are going to do it please do it away from me." Ethora said as she pulled the pan off the plate and began to pour servings into empty bowls.
"We will continue this after you two eat…"
"But!"
"No buts. I have already decided to do it, but you have to eat first. It is best to prepare yourself."
"What about me?" I asked, pointing at myself. "I know you will be fine. You have as much magic power as me. Plus you are a stubborn dork."
"I am not! What part of me is stubborn?"
"So you don't deny being a dork?"
"M-maybe…" Nychibi had already started to scarf down her food. I looked into my own bowl. The scent wafting into my nose was earthy, but it was a good smell. Still I was reluctant about eating purple mushrooms. I looked from the bowl at Ethora, her own lips turning upwards into a faint grin. I would feel bad if I didn't eat it. I closed my eyes as I grabbed the wooden spoon and shoved a spoonful of the bowl into my mouth.
The first thing I noticed was the oily taste. It was exactly like olive oil. The stringy asparagus plant tasted sort of like green beans. I chewed on the purple mushroom next. To my pleasant surprise the texture was good. It wasn't too chewy, and the taste was actually sort of meaty. It was weird eating a purple mushroom that tasted like a grilled burger, but still I could get used to it. Lastly, the other ingredient was basically an onion. All together it was good. It was good that I wasn't a picky eater, and Nychibi also enjoyed it. Hers was already down, and she was reaching her bowl out for seconds. Ethora obliged the silent request, pouring her another bowl.
"Thank you for the food, Ethora." I said as I held my tummy. With the meal complete I was feeling great. As I stretched my arms above my head, Enora stared at my chest. "Hey! It's time for you to do what you said!"
"Fine. Ethora, it would be better for you to wait in the carriage."
"Right, I will carry the crate back. You should hurry though. We don't want to delay too much."
"Don't worry it won't take too long. You two can follow me." We all got up. Nychibi and I followed Enora further away from the carriage while Ethora headed back. Forest surrounded the grasslands that we were currently in from all sides. To the east where we were heading, there were trees further away. My guess was that they had cut down the surrounding trees for buildings inside the domed city of Fallicri. Either way we followed her quite a distance from the carriage. "This should be far enough. Are you both ready?"
""Yes!""
"Prepare yourselves." I didn't know what I was preparing for; instead I just gulped. For a bit nothing happened as Enora closed her eyes. A gentle wind blew across the grassland dancing on my skin. Then it happened. Black mist surrounded Enora's whole body, and the air surrounding us became heavier in a flash. It felt like the very sky was trying to push me down. It was as if I had entered Jupiter's atmosphere as it became hard to stand on my own two feet. I couldn't move anything, my whole body became heavy. Nychibi wasn't as fortunate. She had actually collapsed to the ground, her body splayed out. My head started to feel dizzy. I felt like I would vomit, but soon the intense feeling, stronger than any g-force I had felt, vanished. My legs became wobbly, and I almost fell before Enora caught me with her shoulder. A prickly sensation had started to spread its way throughout my body.
"So itchy!" I had never felt this itchy before in my life. My entire body was tingly. "You will have to bear with it. If you itch yourself, I will put a cone on your head."
"Am I a dog now!?" My gaze shot to Nychibi who was struggling to keep her eyes open as she laid on the grass. "Is she going to be okay?"
"I think the chibi will be fine…"
"It's Nai…chi…" The harpy's eyes closed as she passed out. "Looks like we will have to carry her back."
"I can do it!" I said as I wobbled over towards Nychibi. "Are you sure?"
Eventually, I became steady on my feet. "I feel better now." I picked up Nychibi, and put her on my back. She was actually lighter than I expected. I figured she wasn't going to be very heavy, but it was more like carrying a child. "Why am I so itchy?"
"That is the feeling of mana. Your body has been opened to it. The itchy feeling will fade eventually. I basically just pressed really dense mana onto your body. If your pores could open it would be like opening them to a waterfall, and now you can sense water."
I beamed at Enora. I would jump and hug her if I wasn't carrying this harpy; instead, Enora kissed my cheek before we made our way back to the carriage. The pricklies attacked me from all over, but I was happy. I was taking my first steps towards using magic.