The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 214: Teaching

Chapter 214: Teaching

"Aegis!"

A golden aura sprung up around me, glittering with the light of a thousand stars. I passed a hand through it, and the magic reacted like water, trailing my fingers in golden swirls and eddies. Mesmerized, I almost failed to notice the excited clapping and cheers from my small audience.

"What kind of spell is that?" Sari asked, her eyes shining.

Ror nodded. "Yeah, does it kill monsters?"

We sat in the clearing in a small circle, the stump at our center. A week had passed since my awakening, and now, I rarely ever spent time in the inn. But I had succeeded in growing used to people, and could now walk down the street without jumping at every shout and laugh. It was overwhelming when the children swarmed me, speaking in words I couldn’t understand, but Ror and Sari were there to translate, or even chase them away. The wound on my leg was mending as well, and my step was reduced to only a slight limp.

"It’s a protective spell. I’ve relied a lot on it in the past," I explained softly, letting my hand fall back to my lap. "It’s called Aegis."

I wiped my forehead, surprised to find gathered beads of sweat. It may have been the first first-circle spell I’d cast, but I hadn’t expected it to be so exhausting. Aegis was a spell that came as naturally as breathing to me and wasn’t something I was supposed to have to think about to cast.

Ror reached down and picked up a rock, hefting its weight in his hand. "Can I?"

At my nod, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating his strength in the rock. Although barely eleven, he was halfway to the first level, a combination of the occasional adventurer’s teaching and his own natural talent and efforts.

His hand blurred, and the rock streaked toward my chest. It held enough strength to dent steel, but I sat there calmly, without so much as flinching. The Aegis caught it easily, diffusing the force in a swirl of golden light, and the rock plopped to the ground. Sari reached forward, pressing his hand against the barrier, wonder in his eyes.

"It’s so warm!" she said, giggling. "I want to do it too!"

"Are you sure? Magic isn’t something you can learn in a day. It takes lots of hard work and commitment."

She nodded emphatically, her tail sweeping back and forth atop the grass. "Tana said I had lots of mana. I’m going to be a great mage someday!"

Deep in thought, I raised a hand and rubbed my horn, eventually letting out a long breath. "Alright. But you have to promise to listen to what I say. Otherwise, you could get hurt. Magic is wonderful, but it can be very dangerous to yourself and others."

"That’s right," Ror said, waggling his finger. "And Mom’d kill me if I let anything happen to you."

She giggled. "Don’t worry, I promise I’ll listen."

Taking the word of a ten-year-old at face value, I settled back, searching through my mind for the things Selena had taught me so very long ago. "Right. Then the first thing to do is understand what magic is. Magic is the manipulation of..."

Before I knew it, hours passed. The sky darkened, deepened with reds, oranges, and vibrant streaks of purple. A few clouds drifted overhead like dancing flames, lit by the sunset. I sat on the stump, knees to the side and resting my cheek on my hand. Ror had wandered off to the other side of the clearing, practicing his sword forms with a newly acquired stick. Sari sat cross-legged before me, eyes squeezed shut in concentration. A few beads of sweat trickled down her face, and her lips moved in slow, deliberate enunciations.

Sari already had experience feeling her mana, making her leaps and bounds ahead of where I had been where I started. She even knew a bit of the theory, gleaned from Tara or other mage adventurers passing through.

As the chant came to a close, I found myself holding my breath, my tail twitching in anticipation. The last syllable sounded, and Sari opened her eyes, holding her hands out before her.

But the moment the magic circles appeared, I knew she had failed. The runes sparked and collided with each other, quickly churning into a chaotic swarm before dissipating in a splash of light. Looking at the Foxkin’s dejected face, I yearned for the power to see the mana, to tell her what she did wrong and encourage her to try again. But even with my mastery of the Eyes of Fate, it would require at least second-level to activate.

I took a deep breath, stroking my horn nervously. Failure was often discouraging, and I hoped she’d have enough emotional resiliency in her childish heart to persevere. "It’s alright. I’m told even powerful mages took many tries to cast their first try. Even simple chants take lots of practice to get right, so just keep on trying and you’re sure to get it."

She raised her head, curiosity replacing disappointment. "Really? How many times did it take you?"

My hand froze mid-stroke and my tail stiffened. Heat spread across my face until I turned away, not daring to meet her eyes. "M-maybe you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Just progress at the rate that’s right for you."

"Aww, come on, just tell us!" Ror said, drawn in by my reaction.

"Yeah, I won’t get mad. I promise!" his sister added.

Sneaking a peek at their wide, excited eyes, I couldn’t help but sigh. "I...didn’t really cast a spell my first time. To be honest, I didn’t even know chants existed."

"Then how did you use magic?"

"Like this." I raised my hand and called my mana, spinning the runes through sheer mastery and control.

The two gasped as a glowing ball of light materialized, floating in the palm of my hand. Mesmerized by the light, their eyes bobbed up and down, tracing its gentle undulations.

"It’s called chantless casting," I explained softly, "And most people won’t ever be able to do it. But you’re special, Sari. With lots of practice, and that special ability of yours, something like this will be easy. Just don’t get discouraged and give up, and persevere no matter how hard it gets."

"You mean I can do that too?" Her mouth made an adorable little "o."

Ror threw back his head and laughed. "I’m going to have the best sister! I guess that means I have to train twice as hard, too. We’re going to be the strongest adventurers."

They collapsed into giggles, and I looked up, finding the first star shining brightly right above me. Was she up there, somewhere, watching? Was this what she felt like watching me learn and grow?

As though responding to my silent question, several more stars appeared, faint amid the fading purple firmament. Stars...it was night!

I threw my hand out, tossing the light into the air. A magic circle appeared around my wrist, and it rapidly enlarged, shedding its radiance over the forest clearing. We weren’t far from the village, perhaps a half-mile or so, but the forest was no place to be at night. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see shapes moving through the shadows and the faint glimmer of red eyes. But whenever I turned to look, they vanished into my imagination.

"Ror, Sari," I called, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.

They looked at me, the mirth fading from their faces. "I-is everything alright?" Ror asked, clutching his stick tightly.

"It’s just getting a little dark. Why don’t we head home together? Your parents are going to be worried."

"Oh, it’s alright. We get home late all the time, and-"

He stopped as Sari tugged his sleeve, pointing in the darkness behind me. Her ears lay flat on her head and her eyes were filled with terror.

"M-m-monster!" she whimpered.

A chill raced down my spine, and I turned, summoning staff to hand. A shadow loomed out of the forest, towering almost ten feet tall. Even with my demonkin eyes, I failed to see more of its figure beyond its glowing red eyes. A limp, bloody deer hung from its claws, which were curved like scythes and as long as my arm.

It threw back its head and roared, filling the air with a hellish scream. Gathering the children behind me, I back away, keeping my staff between it and myself. The two were stiff with fright, but bravely held back tears, listening carefully to my whispered commands.

"Wait until it attacks, and then run. Whatever you do, don’t look back."

"But what about you?" Ror asked.

"I’ll be fine," I lied. "Just get back to the village. I think some adventurers were staying at the inn tonight. You can send them to help."

Sari shook her head, clenching her small hands into fists. "No! I won’t leave you!"

"Ror. Protect your sister."

Without looking back, I strode forward, away from the children. The deer fell from the monster’s hands with a thump, and it took a step forward. Its claws twitched eagerly, gleaming in the starlight, and it roared again. I could hear two steps of footsteps fading into the forest, but it wouldn’t take long for a creature of this strength to catch up. Judging its power was difficult without the Eyes of Fate, but its aura was at least third.

As it stepped out of the cover of the trees, I got a better look at it. It was vaguely humanoid and was covered in thick, black hair. Its maw was a bloody mess of teeth and tongue, and its eyes shone with cunning, if feral, instinct. There was no hunger in its gaze, only the pleasure of blood and the kill. It was unlike any monster I’d ever heard of, even in the bestiaries at the Divine Throne, its very presence feeling wrong.

There were no adventurers at the inn. Tana and Sorrin would only be returning with their party tomorrow, and by that time, it would be far too late to help. I was alone.