Maylia and I went back to our room and we went through some of the lessons I had already taught her. Since she was using mana exclusively, the techniques had to be adapted to work with the different type of energy. Some techniques required Presence, or at least a healthy working knowledge of it, and it was something that Maylia had no basis for. It wasn't that she didn't have Presence, since all things did, it was that her mind had learned for all the time she was alive that it dealt with mana, and even then she said it had taken her ten years to learn the basics for that.

It was a very close parallel to The Order's training in that respect. It wasn't until you knew a lot about it that they taught you what you could potentially do with Presence. Depending on how adept you were, you were shuffled into different categories and those aspects were trained up to their full potential. My own experience had been odd because I was so proficient with it and I didn't have a specialization.

We practised for several hours with Maylia doing the exercises with mana and myself doing them with Presence and mana added. At first I tried to mix them in equal measure and the techniques worked just as well as they normally did. When I cut back on the Presence and used more mana, they worked that much better.

It must be the rules of this world. I thought as I levitated off of the floor several inches. I used Presence to guide the technique like I normally would and used mana to power it. Instead of the usual invisible force that lifted me, it was a greenish see-through mana fog that buoyed me up into the air.

“How are you doing that?!?” Maylia exclaimed. “You're floating!”

“Levitating, actually.” I said and stopped using mana and the glow faded. “I can do it with just Presence, since that's how I learned it.”

“Levitation is a mid-tier spell and uses a lot of mana.” Maylia said and her voice had an odd tone. “Even the elders can only do it for a couple of minutes.”

I had counted the time in my head. “I'm at about twenty minutes now.”

Maylia shook her head in disbelief, even though she was looking right at me. I held a hand out to her and she shook her head again.

“Come and float with me.” I said and changed the technique to use mostly mana instead. She looked at the green fog and then at my face.

“Will I float, or are you pulling me onto your lap?” Maylia asked.

I smiled crookedly. “Ladies choice.”

Maylia opened her mouth and closed it. Did it again, then took a deep breath. “Both.”

I chuckled and told her to sit like me, then she took my hand. I poured my energy over her and she felt what it was like. I didn't say anything and just let her feel the flow of energy, then levitated her up from the floor. Maylia caught her breath at the movement and her muscles tensed up.

“You need to relax.” I whispered. “Let the energy hold you.”

Maylia closed her eyes and used a mental technique to calm down.

“That's it.” I said proudly. “Now pull yourself over to me.”

“Y-you do it.” Maylia said and opened her eyes. I smiled at her and eased her from beside me to in front of me, then I gently pulled her into my lap. She stared at my face as she settled and unfolded her legs and the levitating force I was using on her joined with mine and we raised up twice as high. She held onto me tightly and looked down at the floor.

“You run thirty and forty feet high up on tree branches. Why does a foot high make you nervous?” I asked, amused.

“There is supposed to be something underneath us to hold us up.” Maylia said.

“There is, and since I trained you, you can see it.” I said and hugged her back. “We should get to bed.”

“You're not tired, are you?” Maylia asked as I easily floated us over to the bed.

“I can sleep.” I said and stopped levitating us and we landed on the bed.

“That's not what I asked.” Maylia said, and I chuckled.

“I sleep when I can. It doesn't matter if I'm actually tired or not.” I said. “We've got a big day of exploring to do tomorrow, so we should rest.”

“Is that all we are doing tomorrow?”

“We could start on that list; but, like the captain of the guard said, we should relax.” I said and tucked us under the warm blankets.

“Even knowing Kara and the others will be coming back here?” Maylia asked, concern in her voice.

“I'm not sure why I don't feel any urgency about that.” I said. “There's no way they know what you can do to the horses, so they probably think it will take us more than a week to get here.” I smiled. “Since it only took us three days, we're probably four days ahead of their estimation. At least.”

“We really are going to take the captain's advice?”

I hugged her close and kissed her. “Are you going to formally object?”

“Would it matter if I did?”

“Always.” I said, and she smiled.

“Then no. I think we should take a day off from... whatever it is we are doing.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. “From all of it?” I asked, teasingly.

“Remember what I said in the bath earlier.” Maylia said in a serious tone and her eyes locked onto mine. “Don't make me kill you.”

That made me laugh, so I rubbed my hands over her arms to make sure I touched a lot of her bare skin with my hands and then I kissed her. She relaxed after that reassurance and we cuddled together before we went to sleep.

The next morning, we got up early and went downstairs for breakfast. The tables were back to their normal positions and we sat down to eat. The woman that ran the inn saw us and quickly served us breakfast, since no one else was there. She stood there with her arms crossed and waited. I glanced Maylia and then at her.

“Care to join us for breakfast?” I asked the innkeeper.

She opened her mouth to refuse, then she left and came back with a plate of food for herself. I smiled and took her hand and Maylia's, who took hers in turn to make a circle, then I thanked god for the food we were about to eat. Another pulse of Presence and mana came out between us and the woman shivered.

“You were telling the truth.” The innkeeper said and looked at our clasped hands. “That wasn't from either of you.”

I nodded. “You should have seen what happened when I said a formal prayer at a farmer's table the first time. It was...”

“No preaching.” The woman said and cut me off.

I chuckled. “I was only going to tell the story; but, I guess that could count as preaching. I'm sorry.”

The woman nodded and we ate breakfast together. Maylia and I went back upstairs and dressed in our adventuring outfits, just in case, and we left the inn to check everything out. We started at one end of the city and worked our way across it and looked at everything. Maylia had seen a lot of it the day before in passing, so today with no pressing business, she wanted to investigate everything up close.

I didn't object at all, since I wanted to do the same and could gauge the actual standard of living, so we took our time and looked at everything and stopped at every business. We asked questions and examined everything we saw. Some took us for idiots and tried to sell us garbage at high prices, so we moved on from them quickly. Others saw our curiosity and offered more information than we asked for.

We made sure to buy something valuable from the people that encouraged us to ask more questions, that way it justified their time and made them believe they hadn't wasted it by answering our questions. The first thing I kept asking people after our general questions were answered, was if there was something to stop an area effect from affecting me. No one had an answer for that until we reached a small shop near the other end of town, just before suppertime. When I described the sensations I had felt, the little old lady nodded her head several times.

“Yes, yes.” The old lady said. “Some creatures have a confusion effect to stun their prey and some even have a suppression effect to stop you from running away.”

“That's almost exactly what happened.” I said. “I knew I had to get away, and yet I couldn't make myself do it.”

“Yes, dangerous creatures they are that can ensnare their prey and make them want to stay.” The old woman said. “I can have something made in a few days... if an adventurer like yourself can stick around that long.” She said with a wrinkly smile.

“How much?” I asked.

“Ooo, it's expensive.” The old lady said. “A personal item would be good to use; but, it's not necessary. Do you have a preference for the size, the shape, or where the jewel will be worn on the body?” She asked. “Before you answer, it has to be worn next to the skin to be effective.”

I looked down at myself and the only jewellery I wore was my mother's necklace, and I wasn't letting that out of my sight. “Can you wear gloves with a ring?” I asked and she looked at my gloved hands.

“Hmm. I think... wait right here.” The old woman said and quickly disappeared from behind the counter.

“I didn't see her move.” Maylia said.

“Me, either.” I said with a smile.

“It could be a Teleport spell.” Maylia pondered. “Or maybe she has an innate ability to...”

“All of my family can cast the teleport spell instantly and we don't leave that burned ring in the floor when we do.” The old lady said as she appeared back behind the counter and cackled a short laugh. “How about this?” She asked and put a thin ring that had a curved front on it the size of a quarter. I looked at it and slipped off my glove, then looked at the old woman.

“It's not already enchanted, is it?” I asked, and she cackled a laugh again.

“You really are smart.” The old lady said and waved her hand over it. It glowed for a moment and then the glow disappeared. “It only shows mana traces when worn.”

“What was it?” I asked and picked it up.

“It was charmed to make you see every deal was a good deal.” The old lady said with a crooked smile.

I slipped it on my index finger and it fit perfectly. I put my glove on and it didn't interfere with it in the least. I nodded and took the glove off and handed her the ring back.

“Will it give me general protection or specifically for what I described?” I asked.

“I can make it more general if you want.” The old lady said. “It might take a bit more time for me to gather the mana needed.”

“Is that the cause for the few days I need to wait to get it?” I asked, and she nodded. “Can you share mana?”

“Are you propositioning me, young man?” The old woman asked and cackled another laugh.

“Excuse me?”

“It normally takes an intimate act to share mana between people.” She said. “Would you willingly kiss this wrinkled old face, among other things?”

I smiled and held my bare hand out to her. She looked at my face and then at my hand.

“You really are propositioning me?” The old lady asked, surprise clear on her face, then it flushed red.

I waggled my fingers at her and she thought about it for a few moments, then she took my hand. I used a little bit of Presence to make the connection between us, then let my mana flow out and into her hand. Her bony hand gripped mine like a vise and she gasped. I felt something inside of her open and my mana flowed right into it. The more I poured out, the more she absorbed, and in less than a minute, that little space was full and my mana had nowhere else to go. I stopped sharing and she didn't let my hand go.

“What are you?” The old lady asked in a whisper.

“I honestly don't know.” I said. “Do you have any insights?”

She shook her head, looked at our clasped hands, and let my hand go. “I can look into it if you wish.”

“We won't be staying in town very long, so don't trouble yourself.” I said. “How long to make the ring now?”

“I'll have it ready by tomorrow.” The old lady said.

“And the price?”

“We can discuss it tomorrow when you pick it up.” She said with a smile.

“As long as it's not a kiss.” I said and put my glove back on. “Those I give to Maylia.”

“I know.” The old lady said and cackled again.

I took Maylia's hand and we left the shop and went back to the inn. We arrived just in time to have supper. It was steaks this time and we were still at separate tables like breakfast. The two women from the couples waved at us when we sat down and I waved back. I noticed one of the single men was gone and when I asked, the innkeeper told me that he had left.

She stepped away to serve another table about ten feet away and I said a little prayer. She turned to me when she heard me speak and she didn't feel anything. I didn't tell her that it was because the little pulse of mana and Presence didn't reached that far. Maylia and I finished eating and went upstairs to practice more techniques, then we changed and went to bed. We slept for the rest of the night to relax and get ready for the morning. There were only a few buildings left to explore and then we were going to start on the captain of the guard's list.

Taking one day off was enough for the both of us.

We got up early the next morning and ate breakfast, ran across the city to look at the last few buildings, then we went to the stable to get our horses. Of course, the ten year old girl was there and she was brushing the horses. She was also completely oblivious to her surroundings and we walked right up to her and she didn't notice.

“I'm sorry to interrupt your fun.” I said and she jumped about a foot in the air. “We need the horses.”

“What for?” The girl asked to try and hide her embarrassment for being startled.

“Well, the captain of the guard told us there was a monster or two that needed to be handled.”

“What ones?” She asked, genuinely curious.

I took out the list and read the first line on it. “It's a garglemacer near the Karmack Mountains.”

“NO!” The girl yelled. “You... you can't...”

“What is it?” I asked. “Do you know what it is?”

The girl nodded. “You don't want to take the horses, sir.” She said, her tone subdued. “It'll eat them, and you, if you're riding them.”

“Really?” I asked and she nodded again. “Can you describe the creature for me?”

The girl wiggled her finger in a come here gesture, so I knelt down on one knee and she stepped close to whisper in my ear. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked at my cloak, so I pulled the hood down for her. She barely looked at my blast shield as she put her lips by my ear and told me what it looked like. I was both surprised and not surprised by her words.

“It's about the size of eight horses combined, and the wings are ten times that.” The girl breathed and shook slightly. “It opens its mouth and covers everything in fire.” She said. “It swallows animals whole and no one that has gone looking for it has ever come back.” She slid her hands around my neck and hugged me. “Don't go, sir.” She pleaded, tears in her eyes. “I don't want you to die like my parents.”

I put my hands on her back and held her as she cried for a couple of minutes. She hiccuped and shook as her sobs escaped, probably for the first time, and I didn't move or say anything until she was done. She took several deep breaths and calmed down, then she let me go and stepped back.

“We only just met and you care that much about me already?” I asked, and she looked at me with wide eyes. “Thank you.”

Her face went red as she blushed and ducked her head.

“You don't have to worry, though.” I said and stood. “Apparently, I'm a great adventurer and my trusty companion won't let anything happen to me, now that she wants to keep me.”

Maylia swatted my arm and I chuckled.

“Are... are you going to take the horses?” The girl asked. “The trails are... they are dangerous and... and the crags are steep and the bluffs are rocky and the cliffs crumble at the softest touch!”

I held a hand up to her to stop her before she continued and started to shout. “All right, we'll leave the horses in your care.”

The girl nodded. “Thank you.”

“We'll be back later to show you that we're fine.”

The girl nodded again and looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Hold up your finger.” I said, and she did. I gathered Presence and mana to my fingertip to make it glow. “I swear to god that I'll be back to see you again.” I said and touched her fingertip with mine. She gasped as the energy transferred to her. She stared at her finger as it held the glow for a few seconds. “Now do you believe me?”

The girl blinked her eyes and nodded again, this time her eyes were clear and she had a slight smile. Maylia and I left the stable and I took out the scroll and asked it for the Karmack Mountains. A line appeared and showed us what side of the city to leave from and an arrow pointed off the scroll in that direction. Maylia pointed to the street we needed to take and I put the scroll away. I took it out again when we reached the edge of the city and the line extended out into the wilderness.

“Are you ready to help me fight a dragon, my trusty companion?” I asked and held a hand out to her. I knew with her excellent hearing that she would have heard the girl's description easily.

“I am by your side, am I not?” Maylia said and took my hand. “Do you see me running away and screaming?”

“I didn't even see you twitch.” I said with a smile and she smiled back. We activated Mana Presence Run and let the energy flow over us, then we took off at a jog towards the Karmack Mountains. We didn't want to exhaust ourselves before we got there.