“How do you think Marin’s training is going?” Lia asked me during one of our morning meditations. “It must have been at least a month by now, right? Do you think she’s, erm, on track?”
“On track compared to what, exactly?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “She’s been slower than you were with picking up mana manipulation and using magic, but she’s certainly progressing. In terms of combat ability, she’s already way beyond anything a regular soldier could do, even without enhancements.”
She nodded. “I’d say that magic comes differently to different people, but I think she’d be a lot further along if she could just sit still and concentrate for longer than a minute at a time.” Despite the fact that Marin was away with Marten on a day long business trip, Lia still scanned around the room with an amused look to see if she had overheard the assessment. “Apart from that, I think she’s doing really well.”
“I agree. She must have a good teacher.”
Lia giggled quietly and swayed side to side in her meditative stance. “So...do you think it’s time?”
“Time for what?”
“Our adventure!” she exclaimed loudly. “That’s the reason we asked Marin to train with us in the first place, remember?”
“Of course I remember,” I said with an amused chuckle. In truth, the initial reasoning had been overshadowed in my mind by the passion Marin had shown when confronted with the idea of seeing her sister again. “Have you decided where you’d like to go?”
“I’d like to see the capital,” she answered. “If we’re going to be living here, we should get to know the country a little better, and there’s no better way to do that than visiting its biggest city! Plus, if we’re going that direction anyway, we could visit all of the southern port cities that make Lybesa so famous.”
“A sightseeing tour, then,” I mused. “That sounds nice. Exploring a new city without the entire guard force after you isn’t an experience I’ve had in a long time.” I looked around the room and let out a small sigh. “Though I have to admit, I think I’ll miss this place. I’ve grown pretty comfortable here, and the thought of leaving feels...weird.”
“I know what you mean,” she said. “Having this little piece of the world all to ourselves seems too good to be true.” She rocked up onto her knees and sat down beside me. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t leave every once in a while, though. Our house will still be here when we get back.”
“You’re right,” I admitted. “If we’re going to see the world, I guess we have to leave the house at some point.”
“Exactly!” she laughed as she leaned back to rest her head in my lap. “Just think of all the things we’ll see in the capital. I’ve heard stories that Ellawynn has the largest garden in the world, and that the main spire of their Unity Cathedral is made of solid crystal! Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
“It does,” I agreed, reaching out to play with a loose strand of her hair. “So, if we already know our destination, when are we leaving?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll have to talk to Marin and my parents about it.” She laid quietly in my lap for a few moments, serenely rocking her head from side to side until she suddenly perked up. “We should have a special dinner tonight! We can talk about it then and have a nice meal together before we leave.” She hopped to her feet with instant enthusiasm. “I was going to head over to get us some lunch anyway, so I’ll get everything planned then.”
“That’ll be nice,” I said, climbing to my feet as well. “Ask your mother if she’d like a few rabbits for dinner. I’ve been craving some fresh game lately.”
“Can do!” she called out as she jogged through the door.
My stomach growled in anticipation of our upcoming meal, and I set out to make it a reality. A small pulse of Detection revealed multiple candidates for our feast and, after a quick assessment of each rabbit, locked in on a plump specimen a few hundred yards into the eastern forest. I threw my cloak around my shoulders and made my way outside, keeping my footfalls quiet as I stalked towards my prey. The stealth was an unnecessary gesture as I instantly snapped the rabbit’s neck from afar, but it felt unsporting to do so without going through the motions of hunting in some small way.
She says two rabbits would be nice, but I think she really wants three, Lia said at the back of my mind. My father should be home with Marin by sundown, so we should head over to help make dinner before then.
Can do, I echoed back to her as I retrieved my quarry from its resting place in a nearby bush. One down, two to go. My eyes scanned the surrounding landscape for any clues of additional movement, but I unsurprisingly came up empty. I sent another wave of mana forward into the forest, reaching farther than I had before in search of meatier targets. Alright, rabbits, where are—
A bright spot of mana appeared at the edge of my Detection, floating through the forest about a mile away. My subconscious recognized the source before I did, and it threw my heart into my throat as a chill ran down my spine. No. The mental image resolved into a humanoid shape, glowing with a dim purple light behind a radiant, shimmering disk of rainbow energy. She can’t be here.
My dread rushed out along my extended mana, and I heard Lia’s voice a moment later, full of concern. Lux, what’s wrong?
Val. The name rang out like a curse as I watched her slowly pick her way through the forest, her eyes squinted with steeled focus. She’s here.
I’ll be right there, give me—
No, I cut her off. Stay with your mother. She needs you now more than I do; we don’t know if Val’s alone
