Rejuvenation. For her entire life, Suna had never felt so clean. As if her pores, still clogged deep down with that sad ash, were finally freed, finally able to breathe the fresh air of a whole new world.
It's not as if she didn't bathe upon coming here. There were streams in the forest which she used, not only to clean herself, but her pack and clothes also. She wanted to remedy their dry, cracked states, and, well, she didn't want to see any more ash.
She was especially sensitive to her smell. She knew that if she smelled like her world's ash, it wouldn't be difficult for certain animals to pick up her scent out of a several mile radius, it would be akin to walking around with a blinking beam of light that traveled up into the sky. So she desperately did her best to wash herself thoroughly of the peculiar scent upon reaching this new land, and once she did, she covered herself in dirt to mask her scent. It appeared that these people didn't feel a need to do the same, however…
Anyway, all that to say that this wasn't a normal stream. The way it bubbled, its pervading and soothing warmth, its fragrance that seemed to envelope her, she was starting to lose herself in it.
"It feels nice, doesn't it?"
"Um, yes…"
"You're wondering what it is, right?"
How did she know? That same, mind reading ability?
"Why do you look so surprised? I can see you examining it, with all that rigor and suspicion, yet even you seem unable to resist it, huh? I don't blame you." The lady giggled. "It's a neat spell, isn't it? Angie knows a lot of others, too. The kind that don't really seem to have a purpose, but don't get it wrong! Having this and not having it is everything! This bliss! Out here, in the wilds! Oh, it's amazing!"
Cyra moved her arms through the water, letting it caress her, a blissful expression on her face.
"...Huh."
Suna simply figured that some streams have this property. After all, she had never seen a river before coming to this world. To be able to experience this everywhere, at any time? She had to admit, this was an almost obscene level of luxury.
"...Well, I think I've had about my fill. Do you want to stay here? You're old clothes and belongings are right over there, on that rock, but I mean, I'd really prefer you'd just take Angie's old robe, if I'm gonna be honest…"
"Um…"
Suna had a lot to say, and a lot of questions. But, before worrying about any of that, she had to say something.
"Um, I, Thank you!"
She bowed her head, the water dancing and prickling her nose.
"Pfft, it's not a big deal. I'm happy to share this experience with anyone as cute as you." Suna couldn't help but blush, dipping back beneath the water.
The lady exited the water. Suna, for the first time, had a chance to get a good look at her. She was lightly dressed in some clothing, or wrappings, which confused her. Why get into the water with your clothes? The steam emanating from the water stopped her from observing every detail, but not even the steam could obscure her figure. Smooth. Thin. Elegant. She could tell. That her body was explicitly trained and shaped, forged. She looked strong, but not like a brute. Like a well-composed structure, engineered close to perfection, able to withstand great forces. One doesn't look at a sturdy rod of rebar and think it weak, even if it is physically thin.
But maybe she was looking too deep into it. She couldn't bear just staring at an unclothed body for so long, so she looked away, but not before realizing one particular trait.
"Um, Cyra… Your ears…"
"Hm? My ears…? Oh, you must not have seen them before. Wow, I guess you really must not be from around here to think my ears look strange. I'm an elf. You're human, right? We're different, but not that different."
Cyra gave a teasing smirk, before resuming her dressing.
"An elf? What's an elf?"
"Well… I guess we're just like humans, except we live longer, and we have pointy ears. There's lots of different kinds of elves, just like there's lots of different kinds of humans, so there's really not much point grouping them all up and calling it a day. But, I mean, I guess we do have certain tendencies, and traditions too… I dunno, I never really thought about it that hard. Haha, I guess I should ask you what a human is? I bet you're answer wouldn't be that different."
Elves. The concept was foreign to her. Another kind of human… Cyra was probably simplifying it a good amount, but the subject didn't seem important to her… This place is definitely more different than I thought…
Suna, easing a hint of sorrow, exited the warm comfort of the stream, and moved towards her clothes. She moved to pick up them up, but… the faint, lingering smell of that otherworldly ash couldn't escape her now renewed sense of smell. She left them on the ground, and looked at the set of clothes that were picked out just for her.
A robe? It's so heavy… how am I supposed to run in this?
At some point, Cyra, who had finished changing, walked over to her.
"Don't like it? Unfortunately, Angie's the only one who's your size, unless you want to wear my stuff. I don't really think it would suit you, though."
"Um. How would one run in this?"
"Oh, that? I guess it seems pretty heavy, doesn't it?"
The fabric was thick, thicker than most blankets she had seen. It was nothing like Angie's robe, hers seemed much lighter. I guess, it's some spare fabric they've fashioned from a really thick blanket? I don't get it… For a second, Suna debated returning to her old, almost nightmarish old clothes, but she gave up on that thought, pushing her body through the heavy, blanket-like wrapping.
It really was as heavy as it looked.
"Alright, now sit still for me, okay?
Avesh
Avaarem
Cincra
There."
With just a few words, the blanket that weighed down on her, threatening to crush her, had all of a sudden become light, so light that she wondered if it had disappeared. Looking down, she saw the robe unfold, opening up, shifting into a different form. It glowed with power as it shrunk to fit the small frame of the girl.
"Wh-Whoaa…"
Suna was surprised at how comfortable it was. It felt as if she was wearing a light dress, but it didn't look like it. The thickest part of the robe stopped at her mid thigh, with thinner parts extending to the middle of her shins.
The robe was also quite cool, as if air was circulated throughout it. She had figured it would be quite stifling under all the fabric she was wearing.
"Wow, you're really impressed by every little thing, aren't you? You seriously haven't seen these basic enchantments before?"
She was a bit in wonder. She remembered the mystical way in which they manipulated plant-life, or the way they glided along the ground. Part of her wanted to know what it was like to do the same things too.
"Alright, let's get going, Suna."
The two walked, joined shortly by the girl she recognized as Angie. It was a bit awkward. She didn't know how to interact with these people. They probably didn't know how to interact with her either.
"Um! I'm, I'm sorry for startling you guys, in the middle of the night like this…"
With that outburst, their faces seemed to relax slightly, subtle smiles appearing on their faces.
—
"So. Are you going to tell us where you came from?"
James, muscular and sturdy, yet not burly or towering, questioned Suna, who sat on her knees on the ground, her back ramrod straight. His eyes showed signs of sleep deprivation. She remembered how he refused to let her sleep in her own tent or remove her restrictions, that he would keep watch throughout the night. The other members didn't stop him from maintaining his caution.
"I, um…"
James gave a sharp look of inquisition, squinting his eyes, as if trying to stare through the small girl.
"I'm not from around here."
"Yeah. That really narrows it down."
"Look, James, does it really matter? She's obviously not a Geth, nor is she working with them, you know how heartless they are, yet you expect me to believe this girl who cried herself to sleep last night is colluding with them?"
Suna couldn't help but look down and away at the ground, her face reddening. She struggled against the urge to cover her face with her hands.
"Well, if she's so pure and innocent, how hard would it be to just give us a location? Something, anything?"
James redirected his attention back at the girl.
"...Well?"
Suna seriously considered just lying. Making up some story, something so that the group would be less suspicious of her. But, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. It felt wrong. But neither did she want to talk of her previous world, how it died, covered in ash, sparing none. She was in a rough spot.
"Look, why are you pressuring her? We're just strangers, why would she open up about her past? Give her some time at the very least, you can't just force it out of her."
"Come on, guys, I think we should get a move on, it's been quite awhile already, you know. What if we miss an empty wagon?"
Krax, once again, wedged himself between the two, causing them to take a step back.
"Alright, fine. We'll get to town first, and then we'll decide what we do with her."
"What we do with her? What, are you actually serious about handing her over to the authorities, for who knows what to happen to her?"
"No, Cyra, I mean, you know, to let her go, or if there's an orphanage somewhere or something, that's what I'm talking about."
"Oh."
With the two opposing forces reaching a compromise, a sigh of relief from their mediator, and the last member looking up from a book they were engrossed in, the group was ready to set off.
"Oh yeah, we should probably take those bindings off of you. Angie, do you mind?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Gotcha. Suna, no sudden movements, okay?"
She nodded, displaying obedience, and a willingness to cooperate. And so, with a word from the other robed girl in the group, she felt her hands free from her back, and her legs, which felt weighed down by some invisible force, were finally able to be lifted off the ground. She was relieved and ecstatic, glad that she now at least had a chance at escaping if the need arose, but she kept these surging emotions from surfacing. As promised, she remained calm and still. And so, the entourage set forth.
"Alright, that's that. Now, some rules while you're with us, at least until we get to town. One, no sudden movements. Two, you do as any of us say. That's it."
The group walked slowly down the road, carrying bags of stuff, some which seemed to carry their belongings, while others seemed to carry some sort of material. Of course, Suna wasn't spared from carrying her fair share. As she was being lectured, she made sure to be extra attentive and cooperative. She didn't want to let off that she was secretly looking for the means and opportunity to escape from the capable group.
"Alright. Do those two things and none of us will have any problems. Obviously, we're not going to ask you to do weird things or risk your life. It's just that, say, if a situation were to occur, for your safety, you have to do what we ask, alright?"
Nod.
"Good. That's all."
The swordsman turned his attention back to a piece of paper he was holding.
"We should probably be able to make it here by… Maybe, if we…"
James and Krax hovered around what seemed to be a sort of map, discussing the route they were taking. Cyra walked leisurely, as if the bulging bags on her back and in her hands were filled with feathers. Angie…
"Hey."
Suna directed her attention towards the voice aimed at her.
"Is it true? That you want to join us?"
"Huh? Um…"
Looking back, it was a foolish request, one born out of a desperate hope that she was actively fighting against in her heart. Given how on guard James and Krax seemed to be towards her, she figured any chance of them treating her like a normal person were long gone. I was foolish…
"Hey, why the long face? Do you not want to join anymore? We are a pretty rough bunch, aren't we? I get that."
"Oh, no! Um, I mean… um, yes… yes, I'd like to join you guys. But I don't think someone like me could be a part of your group."
"Huh? Why not? Oh, is it 'cause of the way they're treating you? They're just being careful, you kind of need to be when you travel and meet all sorts of people, like they do. But I think it's all just a big misunderstanding. They're kinda dumb. For not realizing that you're just a normal girl. They treat you like some secret monster in disguise, just 'cause you're a bit fast and a bit good at hiding. Bleeeh!"
She playfully stuck her tongue out at the unknowing figures that had since moved a ways ahead of them.
"Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot," She stuck her hand out, "but I'm Angie. Nice to meet you!"
Her smile was beaming. But Suna didn't really understand what she was doing, tilting her head in confusion.
"Huh? Oh, wait, do you not know what a handshake is?"
A memory. She remembered Ei reaching his hand out before as well. For some reason, although it hadn't been that long, it felt like an event in the distant past. Her previous struggles in the wastelands, it all just seemed so far away.
"Haha, you're silly, you know that? Look, give me your hand."
Angie grasped Suna's right hand with her other hand, and brought it and her outstretched hand together.
"Here. Hand shake." She shook her hand and Suna's hand, with a bit of exaggeration. "There you go. Got it?"
Suna was befuddled.
"Uh, um, yeah?"
"Good." She smiled, in satisfaction.
She released her hand from hers, leaving a faint warmth in her palm. The two continued walking. Silence, between the two of them. But despite that, Angie seemed content. She bobbed up and down as she walked, her smile still lingering on her lips. She looked up and forward, at the path, or maybe past the path. Suna couldn't help but glance back and forth between the ground and the girl beside her, trying to gauge her mannerisms and reactions, trying to understand what the person before her could be thinking or feeling.
"So. Do you… have a home?"
Ash.
"I, um, no…"
"What? You don't have like a mom and dad?"
Ash, covering a lifeless body.
"Oh… you lost them… I'm sorry…"
Angie's face lost all of it's glimmer, sadness creeping onto it.
"I… I did, too…"
"Huh?"
"Haha, yeah… to… to the Geth…"
How could she be so happy? Is it a facade?
"You seem surprised."
"...How can you be so joyful…?"
"Joyful? I guess that's what it looks like, haha, I dunno, I don't really try to be, or anything… I guess, I guess I'm just glad that I'm talking to someone my age…" She looked, somberly, at the figures walking ahead of her. "...I'm just glad I have a new family, now."
"...Family?"
Angie looked back at Suna, as if emerging from sweet emotions. "Yeah. Family."
"...How can you have another family?"
Angie rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, not actual family, no, just…" She paused.
"...Just people that appreciate me, I guess…" Angie's pace slowed, in contemplation. Suna matched her pace. But, quickly, Angie sped back up to her original speed.
"What's with all the dark talk? What's gotten into me? So what, people die, but am I going to just be gloomy about it, in self-pity? That's just like losing to it, isn't it?" Another smile found its way onto the girl's face. "Come on. Let's catch up to the others."
It was straightforward, traveling with the group. Carrying their luggage, the group engaging in the occasional banter, rest for the night, repeat. It was very straightforward. But Suna had never felt happier.
"Hey, Suna, check this out!"
Angie would show her random things she owned, she'd point out things she saw on the road. Suna found it especially funny when Angie pointed out a dumb looking cloud, or when she was mesmerized by a bug by the side of the road. She seemed easily entertained, her mind shifting from one thing to the next.
"What is it?" Suna looked at the girl who seemed to be carrying something, covering it up. Angie had a giddy smile on her face.
"It's my most valuable possession… Look!"
Angie opened her arms to reveal what she was hiding.
"A book?"
"Not just any book. A speeeell boooook~"
Suna didn't know why she had said it like that, but she found herself amused anyway.
"Hahaha, so what does a spell book do?"
"What, you don't know? Well, I shouldn't really be surprised by that anymore… Look, let me show you!"
She flipped to a certain page of the book with impressive speed, skillfully landing exactly on a certain page. She sat down beside Suna, who happened to be in the middle of finishing her dinner for the night in front of a crackling campfire.
"I'm probably not going to get it right, so don't blame me, but here goes…!
Avidus Expedium
Floren Haval!"
The girl pointed her small hand towards the fire, with bombastic gusto, as if commanding it to leap into the air. And it did.
"Whoaa…"
Suna couldn't help but let a voice of awe leak from her agape mouth. It was brilliant, it was wonderful, she didn't know how to describe it. The light of the fire glowed as it danced, twisting, springing to life as it leapt into the air. Lights intertwined, they merged, they made movements that seemed so fantastical to Suna. She was used to fire, but this was so much more than just fire.
Angie, a beaming smile on her face, waved her hands to and fro, as if conducting the fire. Left, right, up, everywhere, she concentrated wholeheartedly on her performance, but her joy bubbled over and onto Suna, who was enthralled, captured by the sight of the flame, like a kid seeing fireworks for the first time. Well, I suppose quite literally.
As the flames died down, their life spent, darkness returned to the camp. The adults around them, also witnesses to the spectacle, couldn't bring themselves to rebuke the girl for reducing their fire to ash, especially not after seeing the pure wonder left on Suna's face.
I want that. I want to be able to do that.
An emotion burst forth from the shut gates of Suna's heart. A longing, to be brighter. She wanted to emanate pure joy, like Angie, to be able to transmit that to those around her. She was sick of her boring, rational mind, that constantly told her what to do, she wanted to embrace this new, free feeling. Put simply, she was inspired.
"...How do I do that? How do I do that?"
Suna grasped Angie's hands, shaking them up and down, as if she needed to do so to capture her attention. Angie was loving it, her laughter filling the whole camp and then some, a smile as wide as her face stuck on and going nowhere. She also shook Suna's hands, the two engaging in some sort of strange motion.
"Hahahaha, calm down, calm down! You're going to push me over, hahahaha!"
But, ignoring the girl's advice, the two lost balance on the log they were sitting on, Plat! The two hit the ground, but even that couldn't stop their laughter.
After a good minute had passed, and the breath started to return to the two girls, they sat up, leaving each other's embrace.
"Haah, haaah… Whew, wow, you sure liked my show, didn't you? Hehehe…"
"Ahem, I mean, um, obviously! Now quick, tell me, how can I do that? Whatever that was, tell me how to do it!"
"Alright, alright, I'm not going anywhere, you don't need to keep gripping me so hard, alright?"
Suna, part of her senses returned to her, retracted her arms that seemed to have a mind of their own.
"Okay, see here? This is the incantation." Angie showed her the book, that, through all the roughhousing, never saw so much as a speck of dirt touch its pages. "And this part is the study. It's, well, it's basically the explanation for the meaning behind each word. You invoke the meaning of each word, chant it, and bam! You're doing magic!" Angie's wide, excited smile softened a bit, as she continued her explanation. "Of course, it's not that easy… it's hard to describe, you have to get a feel for the magic, for each word. You start with simple ones, and then to more complicated ones. You combine them to achieve more than just simple effects. Here, look." Angie closed her eyes, a calmness taking over her.
"Ashaarem."
From her cupped hands, water mysteriously welled up from nothing but thin air. She drank it.
"Pretty cool, huh? Wanna try?"
Suna paid attention to each word, unable to help but imagine and ponder the depths of her seemingly simple words, of the seemingly simple system that was Magic. Shortly, she nodded energetically, eagerly accepting Angie's invitation.
"Here, let's see… something that suits you…" Angie flipped through the pages, her head tilting left and right as she debated internally over several choices.
"Ah. Here, this should do."
She thrust the book towards her, displaying its contents.
"Avaarekh… Darkness Magic?"
"Yeah. You're pretty gloomy sometimes, and you're always overthinking things… I'm not judging you or anything, okay? It's just that the book says certain traits result in some magic being better suited to others… Here, read this."
Suna saw the page, a detailed diagram placed on the side of a wall of text. What it meant, how could she know?
"I can't read this."
"Oh, really? My bad, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, sorry about that. Here, I'll read for you…"
Angie read, presumably word for word, the long and detailed passage which detailed the concept of darkness. It described it, with long words she didn't know the meaning of. It illustrated its interactions with other elements and forces. It humanized it, giving it traits that seemed to be a bit of a stretch in Suna's opinion.
Suna knew darkness. She knew what it meant to embrace it. Its comfort, as well as its depths that needed to be respected. She long lost her fear of the dark, especially when it was the darkness that kept her safe from the threats of her world. She knew what it was like to lose her mind in the darkness, to become one with it…
Suna pondered darkness, half-listening to the wordy explanation that the book bestowed upon her.
"Does that make sense? Well, I guess it's quicker to just try and see for yourself, we gotta start somewhere, after all. Once you try, we can see what parts don't make sense for you. Here. Those are the words. Oh, I guess I should say them aloud for you.
Avaarekh. Achreth. Varum. Storeth. Dypsum." She slowly read off the words, enunciating each syllable.
"There's a selection of them, you can see which one you like the most as you try to resonate with them more and more. Whenever you're ready, go ahead and say them, their images in your mind."
Angie's words and eyes were pure as she sought to share her love for magic with Suna, as if beckoning her closer and closer to the world she knew and loved. She wanted to share her vision, her love for magic, with another like her. For she never had that chance until this moment. All the other people her age that she met, they didn't seem to get it, they had their own interests. And those older than her, like the group she traveled with, well, they were of course much more skilled and affluent in the usage of this ancient, sacred language. But, they simply saw it as a tool. A tool you use to survive, to get by in this world. No one ever said it, and she never pointed it out. But she knew. That they didn't love it. So, of course Angie knew immediately, as soon as she saw the glimmer, deep within Suna's eyes. The way her body moved, bobbing up and down, back and forth, with every movement of her lightshow, capturing, etching every moment into her eyes, her very being. She felt the exact same way about magic, for she loved it, too. With so much love for magic, she figured that Suna would have no trouble at all sniffing out every little detail that magic kept hidden, and she knew that sharing with such a person every single detail she knew would bring her so much joy, that she'd finally get to share her love for magic with someone. She had tried her best to speak calmly and concisely during her brief explanation, but right under that surface was a roaring sea of anticipation. Pure, child-like, bubbly giddiness.
Suna had similar emotions. Anticipation. But also, a slight anxiety. Slight suspicions. Am I really capable of such amazing things? Just like that? Say a word, and what wasn't will be, from nothingness? Really? But such doubts could do nothing in the face of her hope and anticipation. Her longing, to become more than she was. A desperate longing.
So, without hesitation, she closed her eyes, and prepared her mind.
Suna took the image, the concept of darkness, and recalled the words in the book. Sacred words that would help her manifest darkness from nothingness.
She could see them, imagine them, visualize them, understand them, different flavors of darkness. I know this. She was no stranger to these things. To darkness.
So she reached her hand out. It wasn't easy to move in this unconventional way, for it was more than mere imagination. But she struggled, and struggled, nothing would stop her as she approached closer and closer to darkness.
The word was soon in her grasp. Then, she would utter it, and manifest darkness itself.
Don't.
…Huh?
Suna knew. She recognized that voice. She knew what he was telling her. But. But she so desperately hoped she had somehow misheard. That it was a mistake.
Why. Why? Why! Why not!? Why!!
…
No response. Anger. She wanted so badly to say 'To hell with it!' and cast off his advice, plunging into the wondrous new sensation. She was seriously considering it, visualizing herself doing just that, how bad could it be? But a deep feeling within her, her gut instinct, knew that she couldn't. She didn't know why, but she shouldn't indulge herself. It was not okay to do that. She can't.
Suna's clenched fists had finally released themselves. Angie sat in anticipation, waiting, wondering what kind of darkness Suna would release. They would laugh together as she congratulated her, Suna likely jumping for joy in ecstatic celebration. Or, maybe, unlike what she thought, Suna might struggle. That would also be okay. She would reassure her, comfort her that it was normal, that when she started, she spent weeks shouting magic words at the top of her lungs when she was a kid, only for nothing to happen.
Either way, Angie was prepared. But not prepared enough to see Suna, who slowly opened her eyes, and turned her head down and away from her. A dark, indecipherable expression on her face.