--Luci--

  I had just met this strange man called Anyu, and already, he somehow ended up holding my lover in a princess carry. I decided not to mention it, however, as this was how he was going to help me get her back to the vilge.

  “Lucindell. I am going to use magic now. Are you familiar with… the spell called Speed?”

  “I am. That's one Mira uses often after all.”

  “I see. This will be simir. Please wait a moment.”

  When he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and presumably started concentrating to cast his spell. Shortly after, he was enveloped in the purple mana of Mind magic, and as I noticed that the same began happening to myself. I could feel myself absorb the mana as the purple glows dissapeared.

  He wasn't finished, though. He stayed in the same position for a few more moments, but this time the mana spread out around us like a bubble before dissapearing. The most spectacur part though, was that he never said a single word throughout the whole process.

  He opened his eyes and addressed me once he was done.

  “It is finished. We should get moving now, so try to keep up.”

  Before I could respond, he took of in a run. Not quite a full sprint, but still raster than a casual jog. Of course, I followed him, and I felt the effects of the spell he said was simir to Speed take effect. I ran up beside him as we reached the edge of the crater.

  “Hey, um, Anyu. What spell did you use? You didn't chant or anything, and it even looked like you used to spells, so what's that about?”

  “Hm?” He looked confused for a moment, before seemingly realizing something. “I did not cast any spells. I said my magic was… simir to Speed. I simply used Mind magic on its own.”

  ‘On its own’ he says… Like that's even possible. “You say that, but magic can not be used on its own. In order to use magic, you must either cast a spell or use hereditary magic, which is the only exception.”

  “Ah…” He seemed deep in thought. “So that is the belief these days… No. Magic can be used without spells. Magic was around a very long time before spells.”

  Surely he realizes I have access to the historical records of both the elves and the Adventurers’ Guild, right? I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about.

  “I guess I'm not getting a real answer for that… Anyway, you mentioned ‘your people’ before. Who are they? I don't believe I've heard of anyone living in this area before.”

  “We are still a distance away from here. However, I feel it may not be in the best interest of the Kornii to reveal who we are and where we reside. I will make an offer to you, though. Once we reach this… vilge of yours, I will give you what you thought to be a potion. If you and this woman are in dire need of help, return to where we met. Have her drink it, and I shall come to meet you. Do not have her drink it otherwise.”

  At some point, we had sped up by quite a bit. We were probably moving at about two or three times the speed any normal person can run. We had already left the ashen wastend behind us and were in the usual forest again. At this rate, we could probably reach the vilge within a half hour.

  Back to the main topic though, I still had a few more questions to ask Anyu.

  “So… I imagine you won't tell me what that liquid is, but why can't Mira drink it outside of that specific situation? And why doesn't it effect me?”

  “You are right. I can not tell you what that is. I will not say why it does not work with you either. However, I will answer your other question. It has a healing effect, like what I used it for earlier, but that's not all it does. It acts as a sort of… beacon for me. If the girl… Mira drinks it, I will know exactly where she is at. However, I can not go too far from my home. Even this trip is stretching it. To answer the question, I am not the only one who gains information from Mira drinking it. It will attract unwanted attention from one who is not tied down to his people.”

  “I see… Thank you.”

  “It is no problem. The… elvish people have help me much in the past, I will gdly answer any questions you have. Within reason of course.”

  Shouldn't asking about his race or a potion be within reason? Well, I guess that's not all there is to adress.

  “In that case, back to your magic. Why were you lying to me and saying that magic can be used without a spell acting as the basis?”

  “I was not lying to you, Lucindell.” He shook his head in what looked to be dissapointment. “It seems the elves are not as wise as they used to be… In a way… spells are a basis for magic, but not the basis. Think of a spell as a… set of instructions. Follow those instructions, and you will have an easy time with using magic, but a house can be built without instructions if one is skilled and knows what to do.”

  He really seems serious…

  “You do make a good point, really, but if that was the case, why doesn't anybody use magic on its own then? Going by your analogy of houses, when there are people who can build them without instructions, there are people who do just that. However, everybody I've seen and heard of before uses spells, and it's been that way for as long as history has been recorded. That's a pretty big hole in your argument there.”

  “Hmm… I see the elves are no less stubborn than in the past. As long as you refuse to see the truth, I shall refuse to continue this topic. Is there anything else you wish to ask?”

  As soon as he starts losing, he quits…

  “While there are some things I probably should ask, I can't seem to think of any.”

  “Very well. This vilge is near, correct? We shall reach it soon.”

  “Yes, we should only be a few more minutes away by now. Actually…” I recognize a few of the trees around here. “I think we may even be closer than that…”

  Sure enough, I saw the wall a minute ter. The gate was open, and I saw Setsuna facing away from us, towards a group of armed soldiers headed by Shimo and Inazuma. Shimo had a greatsword nearly as big as herself on her back, and Ina had a pair of stiletto daggers on her hips. They looked ready for war…

  We came to a stop not too far from the group, where I took over carrying Mira, as well as taking one of the ‘potions’ Anyu had. He held another in is hand as he addressed me again.

  “This is where we part ways, Lucindell. I hope to meet again, though, perhaps not, seeing the circumstances that will bring such a meeting.”

  “I see. If I may be blunt, you're weird. Probably more than Mira, but I guess it was nice to meet you. We will meet again, you can count on that.”

  Probably not the best goodbye I've ever made, but I guess I didn't lie about anything… Like he said though, I hope that if we meet again it won't be because we need help. After seeing him do this without asking for a reward - aside from visiting him again - I'd probably feel a little guilty asking for more help.

  Hearing my response, he nodded his head and brought the blood-red liquid to his lips, as soon as he did that, he completely vanished, and moments ter there was a rumbling sound accompanied by fast winds from the direction he stood in before everything was silent again. Well… almost everything.

  “Luci?!”

  I guess I have some expining to do now.