Sun in the sky, this was, finally, a good morning.

I had gotten tired of just being there, existing, being carried around.

Considering yesterday’s words, the audience, the Court… The first thing I did was look for Mizuen. I should have just waited for him to come, but I thought it was more proper this way. My quest didn’t last long, though. I found him in the hallway as soon as I left the room.

- ”Ah! Mizuen, here you are.”

- “Mister-”

- “Just Von is fine.”

- “Yes…Von. What is it? It… It is a new thing, for you to look for me…”

- “W-Well… I was thinking! That I still don’t know what to do to help... And I don’t want to stay sulking another day-. So… I got curious. Uh... People here can do magic, right?” – I started fiddling around with my fingers, trying not to smile.

- “Yes… We can do magic, pretty much all creatures can… Huh… So you want to see some mage training?”

- “I want to. I can’t lift a sword to save my life but… Maybe I could give that a try instead? I would like to watch, at least.”

- “I know I told you about Master Io but… Von, magic is not like you think it is- It takes years of training. We can go and see, but do not… Get your expect… Expectancy? Expectations up.” – There was a high note that bothered me. Something about his voice that wasn’t quite right.

- “I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m also useless at that, don’t worry. But it would be a waste to come to a new world and not try what it has to offer-!”

- “…You are pretty eager when you come out of your shell.”

Did I blush? Did I? I probably did, since Mizuen just… Giggled in that soft, comforting tone of his. I couldn’t get mad at that.

- “Maybe… Maybe I am! Just like you, talking about your master- You went on for hours and hours, and didn’t even notice.”

- “Well I- I… Uh… Let’s… Go for breakfast.”

On he went, changing the topic again. Not that I minded.

Daien joined us for breakfast, both the queen and the second princess absent. And Arsamira? He got there late; his shining posture maintained despite how it clearly looked like he needed a nap.

- “Hello.” – Daien greeted me in English, offering me some boiled eggs. That was all she said, but at this point I was just…happy, that she had talked to me.

- “Good morning. How are you?” - I was trying my best to follow through and speak Ilarin. Even though Mizuen and I would keep chatting in English for the fun - and helpfulness - of it, I didn’t want Arsamira, who clearly wanted to join in, to feel left out.

- “I see you are getting better at talking!” - So said Arsamira. – “I mean- Our language… Uh… Good morning.”

- “Good morning, Prince.” – I bowed a little bit; I’m sure he laughed. But it was true - with hard study, immersion, and Mizuen’s help, I was doing really good already. Ilarin was…strangely close to Spanish, so it was easier to learn than I expected; it wasn’t the first time I learned a new language either, so that’s a plus.

A nice chat, prayers done, food served; like that, the morning went away in the routine. I could get used to this… I thought.

- “No, no… I need to go back home…”

The careless sentence earned me a painful look from Mizuen as we were leaving the castle. Daien didn’t let go of my sleeve the whole trip, either. I guess she noticed my tone. I’m not surprised, I don’t hide my gloominess well.

This time, since we were heading to the barracks, I got to see more of the city. Morning’s light entering the open stores, the bakeries, the market’s tents, the central plaza buzzing with energy. The carriage wasn’t as flashy as the previous one I had been in, so as we traversed the streets, I was finally able to look out of the window. With the hooded cloak on, of course.

My attention was grabbed by the various fruits and decorations; people carrying bags of what looked like fresh seaweed and transparent, chewy pearls; children stealing sweets made of hojaldre. There were apples that looked like closed flowers - kinda similar to artichokes - or lucumas with interiors that seemed to be made of tofu. All sorts of fruits and vegetables that were strange, but not too strange to be beyond reality. It was a fun time. Daien told me the names of the stores as we passed by. Her voice was as refreshing as the morning to me.

I got caught up in the colors of the tents; the architecture of the houses, some of which were merged with the nearby trees; paths of flowers guiding the road… The clear fountains, the smell of grass, the wind of the valley, and the sound of the city. I was starting to appreciate the liveliness of a simpler world.

Outside the walls that circled the city, I spotted the barracks. Clear past the waterfall of gardens, the training grounds for mages and soldiers alike were grand enough, like a villa. Alongside it was the academy, sitting high and mighty with a dedicated glare of serenity, contrasting with the audible commands heard from the barracks as one approached. Students and soldiers alike stopped in their tracks once the carriage arrived at the back entrance, all of them rushing to stand in rows as the coachman came to open the doors.

The coachman this time… was a tall, hairy animal-person. I hadn’t noticed when we first got in, but now it was hard to miss. He had paws, animal ears, a tail, and fur all over his body - especially his chest. He must have noticed my shocked face when I held his paw to get off the carriage; I couldn’t, actually, stop looking at him.

- “Does my presence bother sir Von?” – Or well, something along those lines was said. I shook my head, finally letting go of his hand…paw.

- “Ah, this is Kiochery.” – Mizuen introduced us formally, even if the fluffy guy already knew who I was. – “He was Arsamira’s contain-…retainer, but…he is on stand-by now.”

- “That’s not really the thing that I’m-… He’s a fu- I mean… an animal person?”

- “… Oh! You have never meet someone of the Niwe-kin before, is it? …I mean, Treasurer Sheqipi is also of the Niwe… But you were not really paying attention there, so… I remember Master Io told me they were not a common thing in other worlds, is it the same for yours?”

- “Niwe-kin… Huh… Nice to meet you.” – I bowed to Kiochery, still amazed. But while all that took place, the trainees were still in line waiting for the prince’s greeting, so we moved along quickly.

Arsamira talked with a solemn dignity, the soldiers fired up with his- no, our presence. Some rushed to talk to Kiochery and Daien after the dismissal, while Mizuen stayed right next to his sister, protective as ever. We three weren’t good with crowds, apparently.

Before I noticed, all I was doing was… just following Arsamira around, fingers fiddling under the cloak I was given when we departed from the castle.

- “I’m looking for the Captain.” – That’s as much as I was able to understand.

Called in by a soldier, the Captain didn’t take long to arrive, greeting the prince by ruffling his hair. A short-haired, scrubby-looking man, who seemed to be around 35 or 40 years old. At least he had brown hair - the familiarity in his looks was strangely comforting. Arsamira introduced us, something along the lines of “this is Captain Eizan Hae,” and how he was in charge of the soldiers. I shook his hand when offered, strangely calm. There was something in his confident smile and laid-back vibe that was relaxing and home-like, despite his trained body making it noticeable how, if desired, he could drop-kick me straight to hell. I shrugged while he pulled me in for a hug, laughing. Those heavy pats on the back shook me enough to see stars.

I listened to Arsamira speak on and on for a while. He was a chatterbox, a bit too expressive, a bit too extroverted. Too shiny. I could get a hold of how he was talking about me and how I wanted to try magic. I got pointed at, maybe laughed at too, I don’t really know… Luckily Mizuen soon came, as always, to my side, Daien and Kiochery with him. My relief must have been noticeable.

- “Then, we will head to an empty place. To do not disturb the students.” – He whispered to me, smiling.

Said barracks were pretty much as one would expect from such a country, lined with gardens, eternal halls, an amusing number of doors; the dormant picture of communal liveliness. At the center of the internal patio was the main building - the heart of the villa, a sort of antique dorm with a clock tower, imposing its time over us. There was a high, open corridor crossing the gardens that connected with the academy. Flowers and ivies climbed the pillars, and a giant tree covered the entrance of the neighboring building. Its yellow leaves reminded me of a gingko; but, there was a... strange feeling about it. The land around it was bare, and no one approached its shadow.

We eventually got to the back lots of the barracks, pretty empty and far from the noise. A few mages were sparring, yet seemingly not casting any spells. They seemed around my age, but… the difference was striking. Muscular bodies, stoic expressions, heavily trained and precise movements. I finally understood what mages of this world were, and why the captain laughed at me.

- “What is it, Von? You look…Perplex…Conflicted?”

- “These are martial artists, Mizuen. I… I don’t think I can try magic like that.”

- “Is okay, is okay. Magic is not what you think. It is a natural mov…Flow of energy in us. Our… vitality! That’s the word. We just direct it around. Not all who do it are mages, nor all mages do it the same way.” – A pat on the back. - “Meditation by training is a very powerful method, and it is also a way to train understanding… Uh… Self-aware soldiers. You see, we are not made for war, but for self-growth. Cultivation of the mind and body.”

- “…So, martial arts... Please don’t tell me I’ll have to fight them.”

- “Don’t be silly. Put these on, I’ll go look for a staff I can borrow.” – He handed me a pair of gloves, and only then I noticed. Daien also used a pair, and so did the mages that were holding staves. What a curious little detail. Daien touched my shoulder.

- “It’s oki-doki. I don’t do well with athletics… But they say I have a big imagination. I try to feel the world and connect to it, I like to imagine I’m part of the elements. Maybe that will help you. You will be too, oki-doki.” – She talked slowly, as to give me time to understand her words, beyond the fact it was another language. I nodded, reflecting on her words. Then, I started to put the gloves on, taking my time, calmly looking around-

- “Catch!”

Yeah right- No. I got a wooden staff right to the face, my glasses falling onto the dirt.

Sigh.

- “Ah- Sorry. I did not-”

- “My glasses-”

- “Here you go. Sorry, they got dirty.”

- “Aeh… It’s fine I guess. I’m not that blind, anyways.”

- “Well, let’s give this a try!”

I was getting nervous over how excited Mizuen was. Staff held with both hands, I got pushed into the middle of the training grounds.

The soldiers stared at me as one would to a lost child. I sighed again.

‘Breathe slowly, focus. Focus so you only hear yourself. Direct the focus…,’ or so he said.

‘Guide your intentions along the way, let them flow away from the tip of your fingers. Add power to them. Shout your might.’

Yeah, I don’t think I had any idea how to do that.

However, I did know one thing. And Daien’s words helped.

I took deep breaths, relaxing my body, focusing on the feeling of the gloves, the slight wind that brushed my cheeks, the weight of the staff in my hands. Grounding had always been helpful to me. To think of life and beyond gets you closer to its core.

What was magic supposed to look like? Feel like? Mizuen had said I could make a flame appear if I wanted. That it was one of the easiest exercises without athletic skills. A flame.

Fire. Yes, let’s light it up.

I moved my left arm forward as I was told. Nothing happened.

To ‘try again,’ he said. That it was okay, it would probably be days til’ it worked.

So again I tried.

To become one with the world, with the elements. To become one with the flow of energy. The many lives that wandered across the dimensions were one and the same, and so it was for this world, as well - an absolute truth. I held the right to exist here, too. A shiver down my spine made me picture the river of possibilities.

Focus on the earth below you, the sun above you. On the breeze around. The breeze… Slight, like the one that took me away from home.

The breeze.

A gust of wind pushed me back, voices of panic crashing while I watched the soldiers fall. The ruffling of leaves and dust disoriented me; the recoil of the hurricane was so intense that I didn’t even notice I was also on the floor. My hand burned, painful amounts of heat concentrated in the tips of my fingers, despite my whole body feeling incredibly cold. Stars danced around the midday sky as I felt palpitations in the back of my head.

I heard the clinking of armor and heavy footsteps, albeit muffled by the dirt near my head. The softness of a warm coat covered me while I tried to process what happened. A laugh, more steps, a hand holding mine.

I was so tired… So sleepy…

Out of nowhere, everything was so heavy…that I didn’t feel a thing.

I woke up in my room, back at the castle. It was nighttime already, but I wasn’t alone.

There they were, Arsamira and co., plus Kiochery; all of them sitting next to my bed, apparently playing some sort of card game. I sat up - Daien was the first to notice.

- “Von.” – She said, pointing at me. – “You okay?” – As little as she spoke, her English was getting better. The rest of them suddenly just- kind of jumped over me.

- “I… You are all too close, aren’t you?” – Shoo, go away. Moreover, having a 1.90 meter long furry next to you was highly unsettling after… just waking up…? – “Wait. What happened?” – I asked Mizuen. – “We were there and trying magic and- ”

- “You fainted. Remember what I told you? Magic is energy. Vitality shaped into other things. You could not make a little fire, but you made a big… Windy thing. Huh, I forgot the word. Eh- So…! We were worried- A bit more and you could have been in mortal danger!”

- “Is that so…? I guess… I’m glad my hands aren’t burnt...”

- “Yes! To start, how do you even get that much flowing? How do you! Even Daien wasn’t able to move that much! Also the soldiers-” – He actually kept talking, but he was so agitated I couldn’t understand a thing, and halfway thru his rant I noticed he was actually talking in Ilarin. Kiochery patted his back, and he took a pause. – “Ah… Well. You were amazing. Everyone was talking about it, even if you passed out, it was incredible. That reminds me! We… Never did a check-up on you. I forgot that. I apologize.”

- “…I’m fine tho. Don’t worry about it… I’m sorry I made you have to carry me back.”

- “Say that to Kiochery here. He is the one who rushed to see if you were okay.”

So I looked at him and bowed slightly. I think I felt the blood rush to my head.

- “T…Thank you.”

- “I’m glad you are safe.” – I understood! But then something else hit me in the gut! The soft, warm coat… His fur! His fur was so soft! And cozy! How on Earth was he so soft!? A 1.90 meter long walking fur coat!?

I wanted to hug him so bad.

- “And since he’s on stand-by, we’ve decided to assign him as your retainer!” – Said Arsamira. It took me a few seconds to understand with my broken Ilarin. – “I wouldn’t be able to relax if I didn’t know you had someone to take care of you! It feels like you might faint at any second. Tito Hae laughed so much after you passed out too, he was like ‘Oh, so it wasn’t all talk! The shrimp can do something if he tries!’”

- “Waiwaiwait. Yar talking too fast-” – I tried to say while laughing. – “But… Yeah. I guess I can do magic.”

It felt warm at first. I felt happy. Content. There was something I could do…

“… No… I can’t do magic.”

I whispered to myself. If this was a power fantasy, I would be in the spotlight. The sheer pressure of that idea made me feel sick; revolting, terrifying, a paralyzing fear crawling out from a past long gone. Scratch that option - if I had a normal disposition for this magic, it would be fine! But no! It had to go and be extra!

At least I won’t die without a fight while I’m here, looking at the bright side. But dare to stand on the frontlines, I would never. I’m still too much of a coward for this.

The tension grew; as always, I ruined the mood, and made them worry. But then, as if to break the silence, as if to lift the burden, Arsamira took my hand and smiled.

- “What’s wrong?” – It felt like he had waited so long to talk to me, that he was taking any chance he saw. I smiled back at him.

- “Nothing, I’m just… still a little weak. Thank you.”