CHAPTER 33: Road to Orfia

  Varne and Almyria continued along the stone road heading east. Traveling such a route had many benefits, such as fewer bandits, monsters, and the presence of villages or inns within a day's journey. The downside was the numerous guard posts, but with Almyria they were not much of a concern. They should reach Orfia within a week.

  Almyria stumbled over her own feet and fell.

  “Al, this is the third time. Are you tired?”

  She got up, dusting off her trousers. “Sorry. It's just the Mana fatigue. I used too much of it yesterday.”

  “Then let's rest over there,” Varne said, pointing towards a maple tree which was ablaze with orange-red leaves, rising in the middle of the meadow. The grass had turned more yellow than when he first set foot in Renfru.

  “I’m fine. If we rest now, we won't reach the next village before sunset.”

  The end of autumn was drawing near, and the light would vanish in a few hours. However, they had no choice since her weariness was what prevented them from reaching the next village. Moreover, he needed to protect her, as a fatigued Mana Decima would only be a burden in battle.

  “I'm tired too,” he said, walking towards the tree. His steps crunched on the dried grass.

  “Sorry, I know you can't possibly be tired. I thought I was prepared for this journey.”

  Almyria lay down in the shadow, resting a hand on her forehead.

  “You've rested all night. Hasn't your Mana recovered?” Varne opened a bag of provisions.

  “Mana regeneration is slower than Prana. As a matter of fact, do you realize that your Prana regeneration is exceptionally fast, Varn?”

  “My father and uncle mentioned it, but I'm not sure.” He ate some dry toast and shared a handful of almonds with Almyria.

  “Thank you.” She sat leaning against the tree.

  “Al, why do you always prick me when you perform a Heal?”

  “Hmm... have you ever wondered why an enemy Mana Decima doesn't just create a storm in your lungs or freeze all your blood?”

  “Is that even possible? They can't because their Mana arms are blocked by my Prana veil, right?”

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  “Yes, that's right. Every living being has Prana and therefore they have a Prana veil, regardless of their mastery of it. That's why my Heal is blocked and I have to prick you so my Mana can reach inside your body and repair it. And remember, I can't prick while you activate Prana Armor.”

  “Wait, so when you prick me you could... I mean, if you had ill intentions...”

  “Yes, Varn, I could harm you. That's why Heal requires mutual trust.”

  “Remind me not to get on your bad side,” Varne said. “But then, Heal can only be done at close range. That greatly reduces its usefulness in battle. And, can you heal any injury?”

  “Heal is not a miracle. It is a collection of spells needed to repair your body. Think of Heal as a knife, scissors, needle, and other tools to stop bleeding, close wounds, and so forth. Of course, it can also influence your body to heal faster, replenish lost blood, and more.

  “To use these tools, I must know the parts and workings of the human body. Then identify the nature of the injury and design the right spell, as each injury is unique. That's why I don't always know how to heal you.”

  As far as Varne understood, the Heal procedure was not as simple as accelerating natural recovery like Prana, even though healing by Mana was more potent.

  “Because Heal can only be cast after I understand your injury, it can't be prepared in advance. This makes Heal not readily available. I also need more than one Focus when casting a Heal, and that will slow down my casting of other spells.”

  “Focus. You mentioned that before. What’s that?”

  “Simply put, Focus is how many Mana arms you can extend. For instance, five Foci means you have five Mana arms to arrange elemental shards. With five Foci, you can cast five spells simultaneously or concentrate all on one spell to cast it faster. It can also be other combinations, like casting two spells with two and three Mana arms each.”

  “So Ashtrel was strong?”

  Almyria chuckled. “And I haven't even talked about his spell mastery. Casting spells is sometimes likened to cooking. The more you cook a dish, the better it becomes with the same ingredients. The more you cast a spell, the stronger it becomes without needing to add more Mana.”

  Dorian once taught that. Spells strengthen with mastery, whereas Prana techniques, once mastered, do not increase further in power. Prana techniques take a percentage of the maximum Prana capacity, so they become stronger as the maximum capacity increases.

  “How many Foci do you have?”

  “I have six. Sorry, not to boast, but that's quite high.”

  “How did Ashtrel have eleven Foci? Maybe you’re wrong?”

  “Knowing an opponent’s Focus is crucial in a duel between Mana Decimae. We are specially trained to estimate an opponent's Focus by recognizing the spells they cast.”

  As they conversed, the sun began to set and the air temperature plummeted. Varne decided to camp for the night. “I'll make a fire. I’ll keep watch all night so you can rest.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, I can’t let you perform a Heal on me while experiencing Mana fatigue, can I?”

  “Ha ha ha, you learn fast, Varn,” Almyria said as she lay down.

  As he climbed a tree to keep watch, she suddenly remarked, “Oh, that's a unique necklaces. That’s pumice, right? A swordsman carrying pumices, it’s so… I don’t know, dedicated?”

  “It’s just a coincidence. I didn’t make it myself. My friend did,” he said, finishing his climb.

  “Oh, my! How attentive! Is she your sweetheart? The beloved daughter of your master, and you two are forbidden to be together, and your master gave you a difficult task, and you're on a journey to complete it, and you'll return to propose to her?”

  Varne turned, mouth agape. “I don't know where you got that story. My friend’s a guy, and physical appeal is not his strong point. It took me quite a while to see his face without feeling an unexplainable urge to punch him.”

  “That's…. disappointing. But you two seem close. Where is he now?”

  He gazed at the necklaces before tucking them into his clothes. “Dead.”