Now I was the one who stared blankly at them not believing that the epitomes of all fantasy novels on my former world didn't know what a fucking fireball was. I knew that this world was pretty young and all races didn't have much time to develop intricate magical knowledge but what did they do with their mana all their time? I mean there has to have been someone who used magic in new ways advancing to more than just using his affinity with some special kind of magic and hurling a flamethrower at an enemy, right?

My surprise and complete disbelief obvious I answered the question, “A fireball is a contained ball of fire magic that you throw some distance before it explodes violently burning and smashing everything in its radius away. I thought that something like that would be a standard spell here with all the mages and mana using civilians around.”

Galen and Kalla looked at each other and then let their shoulders sink, looking somewhat ashamed and discouraged Galen met my eyes saying, “I'm sorry to disappoint you but because of our inability to guide mana exactly the way we want it to, such spells as you call them are hopelessly beyond our reach,” His eyes lit up with excitement now, ”but now that you teach us your skill we could perhaps learn to create such things like a fireball and anything else you have seen in your old home. Although that brings us back to our former topic namely our rise to city guardians.”

Oh yeah, there was that thing, I almost forgot about it with this shocking revelation of their primitive magic research. But I will not let them off the hook so easily.

“Alright, but you have to show me now what you did with all this mana that you have amassed. I mean there has to be more than just the equivalent to a magical cudgel and hoping that your enemy does not have a bigger one at his disposal, am I right?”

Galen drooped, confirming my biggest fears when he said, “That's more or less the way it's been as long as I can remember. We train to get access to more affinities to widen our repertoire but although I tried to form my mana in different ways I always failed hurting myself in the process. After some time I just surrendered and concentrated on building up my mana pool to be the guy with the biggest cudgel as you so eloquently phrased it.”

Poor Galen, I hit right into the guts. If this whole planet was so bad with magic I will have to invent most of the spells I always wanted to cast. That's absolutely bullshit, I want to be transferred to a more sophisticated world, right away, goddess express now please!

After my inner rage monologue I again watched the miserable old elf in front of me and pitied him more than ever. He might have two wonderful and enchanting wives but his people was hunted down and killed because they didn't have powerful magic to defend against an enemy that could propagate much faster than the elves. Quantity had its own quality as someone on earth had said, I think.

My work would not only help them to survive, it would also give them the ability to express all their potential hopefully.

I gathered my thoughts again and gestured the three elves to come with to the enchantment circle where I hoped to get some help from the runes to find the connection and use it for my magic. I took Nala's and Kitara's hands and they took Galen's forming a circle in the enchantment circle. Then I sent a little bit of my mana into Nala and Kitara and watched its distribution in their bodies, hoping that a little bit of it went to Galen somehow. Knowing that Galen's mana pool wasn't completely full there should flow a bit to him as well and by following the traces I was quite sure that I could find the connection Alvera created when the three took their vows.

After some seconds I recognized a little bit of my mana flowing to Nala's heart and then to her left arm down to her hand where it stopped shortly as if it hit a resistance and then going on to Galen's hand. I focused harder to see where exactly it connected with the old elf but unfortunately I couldn't find it, which only meant that I had to repeat it until I got it right.

For the next hour I constantly send mana to both women but I wasn't able to find the connection, frustration building in me and some curses escaping me when suddenly Kalla said, “Marcus, perhaps you have to look at Nala and Kitara simultaneously?”

This girl surprised me again and again, what a shame that I couldn't turn her into a city guardian without angering Alvera and disregarding that Kalla didn't seem to be willing anymore after she heard about the disadvantages of being a city guardian.

Summoning one of my subminds which just looked like a smaller version of myself floating a hand above the ground, I focused again on the project.

My mana went again to both women but this time I could watch them simultaneously and then I sensed for the first time the flow between all three of them and it was an epiphany to me. There was an enchantment I could watch, weak and easily overlooked but the runes creating a magical string connecting all three of them and binding them. The runes made no sense for me but as I was just a noob at enchanting that wasn't really surprising.

Now that I could see the magic I could try to use it for my goals. I ignored the possible wrath of an elven goddess for hijacking her work and grabbed at it with all my mana trying to convert the three elves into my guardians. The magic resisted me and tried to shake me off but I persisted and fought for control with my whole being, my subminds returning to me and helping in the fight.

Golden light enveloped Galen,Kitara and Nala blinding me temporary and I suddenly felt them connecting with my consciousness the same way like Chara when I became a heavy hit against my head as if someone hit me over with a baseball bat.

“You little imbecile! I just look away for a moment and you cause a major fallout with Alvera! You really pulled some prank here that I will erase at once,” Tiria stood above me and had her fist upraised with energy crackling around it, the elves cowering back from her trying to find a place to hide, but right when I felt that she would release the magic to smash me into the ground a new person appeared next to the angry goddess.

I had already seen Alvera but back then she was cheerful and had an aura of benevolence and happiness around her. This time I felt like I was squashed by her power and my thoughts all stopped from pure fear.

“Please wait dear sister, I want to speak with your underling for a moment and if he gives me a good explanation for this incident I won't demand satisfaction for it, “Gazing at me and giving of the feeling of a predator watching its prey she smirked and said, “Now my little Marcus, let's have a talk. You have been a naughty boy for hijacking my holy magic and you will now answer me for your transgression.”