Greg's adventure with Abby had begun. On their journey, Greg was able to see beautiful things: towering mountains, crystal-clear rivers winding through valleys, tranquil lakes reflecting the stars, and even a majestic white dragon with green eyes soaring through the night sky. It was magnificent... It seemed they were getting closer to the kingdom of Leymun...
One night, as they rested under the starry sky, they began telling stories.
"Hey, Abby, are you awake?" —Greg asked, looking up at the stars.
"Oh, yes, Greg. Tell me, what's going on?" —she replied, adjusting herself on her blanket.
"In these three days of travel, I've been wondering… why are your eyes like that?" —he asked, a little shy—. "It's not that they're bad, actually, I think they're beautiful. I really like them."
Abby smiled faintly, her gaze softening.
"Thank you, Greg. I like your white hair too." —she said, glancing at Greg's hair that gleamed in the moonlight.
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"My eyes… my father gave them to me when I was little. I was born with vision problems, and my family didn't have much money, so I wasn't supposed to live long… But my father made a pact with a dark elf. He gave his life for these eyes."
Greg fell silent, surprised. He didn't know dark elves existed, let alone magical eyes...
"You see, my eyes are made of dark magic. I can't undo the spell. My left eye, the purple one, with this, I can see through you." —Abby explained in a calm voice.
"Can you see through objects, like knowing what's behind a box or something?" —Greg asked, curious.
Abby let out a light laugh.
"Ha, ha… No, Greg. I can see through you. I can tell if any bone is weak and break it, if your heart stops, or if an organ stops working. What do you think?"
Greg was left speechless, a shiver running down his spine. Though his tone was intrigued, there was also a hint of fear in his words.
"Wow, what an incredible power… though I'm not sure I'd see it that way, considering your father's life…"
Abby looked at him intently, a sad smile on her face.
"No, Greg. My father knew what he was doing, and I'm grateful. He gave me these eyes, so I still feel him close to me."
"I understand…" —Greg replied, feeling a mix of respect and sympathy.
"So, tell me, what does the orange eye do?" —Greg asked, changing the subject, but still looking intently at Abby.
Greg leaned in, intrigued by the mystery of Abby's eyes.
"My right eye… is more practical. I can see the mana of every living being, even trees."
"Oh, that's incredible!" —Greg replied excitedly—. "And what's my mana like? Is it strong or weak?"
Abby focused, and her right eye began to glow softly. She closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to peer into the darkness surrounding Greg. But something was wrong. Instead of seeing the flow of mana, all she saw was impenetrable darkness, as though something was protecting Greg.
However, she didn't want to alarm him.
"Hmmm, sorry, it seems I can't see it clearly… But yes, your mana is strong. I can see that you've trained in strengthening it." —She lied, trying to hide her confusion.
Greg smiled, satisfied, though unaware of what had just transpired.
"Yesss, I knew it! See, I've been practicing magic since I was a child. I guess that's why."
"Probably." —Abby responded, but still worried about what she couldn't see in Greg.
"Hey, Greg, get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll give you a little magic lesson, like Noa said. You need to study, don't forget that."
"Yes, Abby, whatever you say. I'll pay close attention to your lessons tomorrow."
The next day, Abby woke Greg up with the sun already high, ready to begin a new day.
"Alright, Greg, let's start. Tell me, what do you know about magic?"
"Well, magic depends on the mana we possess. There are 4 elements: earth, water, fire, and air. With magic, I can control them. I know how to use fire and earth magic, the others I can't control yet."
"Is that all you know?" —Abby asked, smiling knowingly—. "Your master focused on combat, didn't he?"
"Yes… that's what they taught me." —Greg replied, a little embarrassed—. "But I'm still learning."
"I see, your master was trying to protect you. That's good. How about we start with the basics?"
"Yes, Miss Abby, teach me everything you know, please. I'll pay close attention."
"Let's begin, then. Magic is divided into several branches. First, we have Elemental Magic, which is what you use. Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. It's divided into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and master levels. From what I see, you're at an intermediate level, or maybe a bit higher."
"That's interesting! And if I only use elemental magic, what else can I learn?" —Greg seemed very excited.
"Alright, let's continue. Another part of magic is healing magic. This one is used to heal wounds, burns, fractures… It's very useful. I recommend you learn it so you can help your teammates."
"I see, my master used a bit of that. It's quite useful, though I'm not sure where I could find a teacher for it right now."
"Well, when we get to Leymun, we'll look for one." —Abby replied confidently—. "But let's keep going, there's more."
"Another branch is dark magic, but this is rare. Only dark elves use it. It's powerful but unstable. If you can't control it, you could destroy everything in your path… But like I said, it's not something you see often."
When Greg heard about dark magic, he remembered the day his village was destroyed. An uncomfortable feeling took over him, but he preferred not to talk about it.
"Hey, Abby, how would I identify it?"
"Good question, Greg. You see, dark magic tends to change the original element. If you use dark magic to create a stone lance, it might turn into fire, water, or even wind. The most noticeable thing is when it's fire because it tends to change colors due to its instability."
Greg thought about it, convinced that he had used dark magic that night. But he didn't want to dwell on it… not for now.
"Abby, do you think I could learn to control it someday?"
"Of course, though only the most powerful mages can do it. But with a good teacher and a lot of practice, I'm sure you'll make it." —Abby said with a confident smile.
"Alright. And lastly… there's Divine Magic. This one is a bit harder to find. Only divine beings or those who have been touched by a god can use it. It's said that Okron, the demon god of the last war, and Milents, the goddess of magic, are the ones who created the magic we use today. But those powers are almost unreachable for mortals."
Greg listened intently, fascinated by the tales.
"Just imagine facing a god…" —Abby said, her eyes gleaming.
"That would be incredible!" —Greg exclaimed, excited.
"And that's all for today. What did you think of today's lesson?" —Abby asked.
"It was incredible! Although I still have a lot of questions, I'll do some research on my own." —Greg replied, full of enthusiasm.
As they continued their journey, the kingdom of Leymun appeared on the horizon. It was an imposing place, full of magic and secrets to discover.
"Look, Abby, the kingdom! We've made it!" —Greg shouted, pointing to the castle with blue accents that stood tall in the center.
"Yes, we're here." —Abby replied, her gaze full of concern.
As they approached the grand entrance gate, Greg noticed blue dragons flying in the sky, but Abby seemed somewhat puzzled. Something wasn't right, but Greg didn't notice. He had reached his destination, and the future promised great things.
"Where do you want to go first?" —Abby asked, looking at her companion.
Greg looked around, taking a deep breath.
"First... I want to learn more about magic."