The Fire Spirit (II)

The crackling of the fire blended with the gentle murmur of the nearby river, while the heat of the flames helped dry a shivering girl with waist-long red hair, adorned with two small side braids, who sat close to it.

"I'm surprised the water didn’t put you out," said a young man with long silver hair and golden gaze as he approached.

Now seeing him up close and calmly for the first time, everything about him radiated a mysterious, awe-inspiring presence. His appearance had nothing to envy from the ancient heroes depicted on the ancestral murals the girl had seen. In fact, she could almost swear he looked familiar.

But no! She wouldn’t let herself be swayed! Her pride wouldn’t allow it!

"Hmph! What do you think I am? A lesser spirit? I look like this for a reason… For your information!" The girl frowned and looked away, though after a few seconds, her voice took on a lighter tone. "I bathe just fine with Coletto. Water just weakens me a bit, but it’s not like I end up as weak as a human. It’s just that the sanctuary’s rivers are special."

The young man simply smiled and stepped forward to return the two swords he had been carrying in his hands.

"…Thank you. These two are special to me. We forged them with the metal I found on my first expedition… Lady Lirilien and the Comet Stella were really impressed and proud when I found mithril. Even Coletto’s spear came from that batch."

"Mithril? Now that’s what I call a fantasy world... I have no idea what my weapons are made of, but I do know the armor the dwarves gave me is made of orichalcum. The inscription even explained the meaning behind each relief they carved into it..."

"An orichalcum armor?! Made by dwarves?! Those drunken, bearded creatures that can turn even the most useless metal into a masterpiece?!"

"And trust me, if their inscriptions are anything to go by, they’ll remind you of that at every chance they get..."

"Well, maybe orichalcum is tougher, but mithril’s better for weapons," the girl declared, hugging her now-sheathed swords. "Are you really okay with giving them back?"

"As long as you keep your word not to lunge at me again..."

"I'm not an animal! I wouldn’t just attack someone who saved me from the river!... As long as it's true that Coletto is okay."

"You two seem close. I don't know if I have something like that..."

"Not at all. She’s full of herself! It’s just that… when she’s not around, it’s not the same. But only a little!"

The young man let out a soft laugh at the girl's words, which made her feel like he was mocking her, so she frowned again and looked away in protest.

"First of all, why did you save me?" the girl muttered with a pout. "You even gave me back my weapons..."

"I already told your friend too. It would be a shame to end something so beautiful."

The girl was still looking away from him, so no one could see how her face turned red like a tomato.

"What kind of nonsense are you even saying?!" she snapped.

And it wasn’t my intention to start a conflict. That’s why I didn’t want to cause a casualty here.

"That part is the truth! Stop with the awful jokes!" she grumbled.

"No no, the first reason was the main one. Not causing trouble was just a bonus."

At this point, the girl looked like she was about to start steaming from the ears. The young man wondered if that might actually be a trait of fire spirits.

"I can't talk to you!" she exclaimed, visibly red. But after a sigh, she turned around and looked straight at him. "I can't talk to you… but there's something I need to ask."

"Sure, if it's something I can answer."

"Why can you use primordial magic?... In the sanctuary, we have a few spells from the Primordial Era, but no one’s ever managed to decipher them… And I don’t mean understanding the language. The language of the Spirit Realm hasn’t changed much through the eras. I mean something more basic… how to explain it?"

"I think I get what you’re saying. But that’s where we hit a problem..."

"Is it a secret? Is that why you can’t tell me?"

"No... your friend… Coletto, she also mentioned that kind of magic. But to me, until just a little while ago, magic was just magic."

"What?"

"I’ve noticed that the magic I use is different from the kind you all use in your skills. It feels closer to the crystals in the cavern… The thing is, it’s the only magic I know, so I wouldn’t know how to explain the difference... at least not yet."

"Not yet?"

"My memory’s a bit... scrambled."

"Once I can sort out my thoughts, I might be able to analyze the differences between types of magic more clearly."

"I’m not really sure I understand what you're saying…" replied the girl, tilting her head.

"Let’s just say I have a type of amnesia..."

"Oh… I’m sorry..."

"Don’t worry. I’ve gotten pretty used to it by now."

"Mmmm… mumumu… You're not just using that as an excuse to avoid answering my questions, are you?!" the girl asked, frowning again.

"No, I promise!" the young man said quickly with an awkward smile. "If I really didn’t want to say anything, I’d just admit it. It’s not an excuse..."

"I'll believe you… for now!"

***

With Merite’s clothes finally dry (mine had somehow not gotten wet in the river, which drew the curiosity—and a few grumpy remarks—from the fire spirit), we prepared to leave the place. All we had left to do was put out the fire, which Merite did with a flick of her fingers.

The plan was to follow the river upstream until we reached the spot where we had left Coletto…

But as soon as we rounded the rock pillar marking the entrance to a larger cavern, we came face to face with what looked like an entire regiment of soldiers (or possibly a beauty pageant, considering the tight uniforms and armor worn by the overwhelmingly female spirits).

"Merite!"
"Coletto!"

Merite ran to her friend, who had stepped out from among the ranks of the soldiers. But just as they got close enough, she got smacked hard on the head.

"Why do you never listen to me?!"
"Ugh... I'm against violence!"
"Oh, the nerve!"

I was quietly enjoying their exchange when I noticed a graceful figure walking toward me. She was a young woman, with delicate features and a beauty that could only be compared to a natural landscape.

Only her cherry-colored hair broke the mystical aura and made me think of one of those cosplayers...

She seemed to be the leader of all these soldiers, so I prepared to greet her with the proper respect… But before I could do anything, she had already knelt in front of me, leaving everyone present stunned (especially me. ESPECIALLY me).