Book 1, Verse 26

“So, what was it that you forgot at home?” Elisa asked as the four of us walked down the path leading through the forest. She looked human, leading me to believe that she consumed whatever potion it was that hid her faunid features every morning.

The trees had begun to thin out and become taller, and Niels explained that we were reaching a portion of the forest that had been enchanted by fairies a long time ago.

“I forgot my holy writ at the monastery.” I said nonchalantly. “I can’t preach without it.”

“I guess not.” Elisa said plainly, then turned to Niels. “And why are you going?”

“Looking to become a wizard’s apprentice.”

“Really?” Elisa mused. “Hmm. How would you feel about becoming an alchemist’s apprentice?” She said with a smirk. “I could use an elf’s help. You guys are great at detecting minute changes in magical objects and tinctures, right?”

Niels smiled awkwardly.

“Yes, but that’s not what I’m interested in. I’ve spent the last ten years of my life messing with alchemical drinks. I’ve had my fill of them for now.”

I looked over my shoulder, mildly surprised.

“Wait, how old are you Niels?”

Everyone else looked at me.

“Wait, did you think he was the same age as you? Elves age differently from humans and faunids.” Elisa said mockingly.

I blushed.

“Hey, go easy on him. He was raised in a monastery; part of the reason he’s traveling with us is so that he can learn about these kinds of things.” Vivian said politely.

“Fine.” Elisa replied casually.

Niels cleared his throat as we all kept going down the forest path.

“For your information Shinko, I’m actually forty seven years old.” He said calmly. “Elves stop aging physically after becoming roughly twenty five years old.”

“Oh. H-how long do elves live?” I prodded.

Elisa snorted slightly. Vivian glanced at her, a little upset.

“What? I asked a reasonable question!” I said defensively.

Vivian looked down at me a little awkwardly.

“Well, see Shinko, it’s just… I’ve never heard anyone ask that before, that’s all.” She looked at Elisa, who seemed pleased with herself. “And I guess Elisa hasn’t ever heard anyone ask it either.”

“New question to my ears too.” Niels chimed in. “But I’ll answer it; elves live for the same amount of time as humans and faunids.”

My dad would definitely be surprised by that; he’d always told me elves in fiction lived practically forever.

“Really?” I sounded very curious.

“Yes? Why do you sound suspicious, did someone tell you something different?”

“Elisa said that elves aged differently just now.”

“I meant age as in they get older differently; it’s not like they live for a different amount of time.” Elisa rolled her eyes dismissively as she interrupted. “That would be weird.”

Niels walked a little bit faster so that he was now by my side instead of behind me. The girls were now shoulder to shoulder as me and him talked.

“So you just look really good until the day you die? How do elves die, then?” I asked bluntly. “Wait, that sounds really morbid.”

“Not to mention stupid.” Elisa chimed in.

“Would you shut up?!” Vivian said harshly, directing her attention at Elisa. “He was raised in a monastery!”

“That doesn’t give him an excuse to be a complete fool!”

“He’s not a fool; he’s a great priest!”

“And a greater moron!”

The argument only escalated from there.

Niels waved his hand in my face, signaling for me to give him my attention. I cautiously decided to look away from the fighting women and redirect my attention to the current conversation.

“No, it’s a fine question.” Niels said. “Honestly, I haven’t heard anyone ask me these kinds of questions before. It’s a little refreshing.” He sighed. “Elves don’t die the same way humans and faunid do. While all three of us leave behind bodies, elven bodies don’t rot. Instead, they vanish, like a rainbow after a heavy storm.”

“What? How does that work?”

“Elves are more in touch with mirra than the humans or faunid; it is said that our bodies become mirra when they disappear.”

I nodded along.

“But that still doesn’t explain why it happens.” I pointed out.

Niels looked a little surprised that I had said that. He looked to the side and huffed.

“What do you mean? Of course it does. Our bodies turn into mirra, and since mirra is invisible to the naked eye, it seems like our bodies disappear.” He replied after a moment’s hesitation.

“I understand what you’re saying, but why do they turn into mirra in the first place?” I inquired.

Niels bit his lip.

The girls behind us continued arguing, though I think the subject had changed to Vivian being stupid for following me.

“I-I’m not sure.” He confessed. “In all my studies, I never found anything talking about that. Maybe it was discussed in one of the older texts? Something I glossed over or forgot?” He said unsurely.

“How much do you want to bet that no one knows?” I asked.

Niels looked shocked.

“What do you mean? Of course someone has to know; the study of magic is founded upon the knowledge of those who came before us.”

I smiled playfully as the sunlight shone through the trees above us.

“You say that, but I think, the idea that elves' bodies turn into mirra when they die is an unfounded claim.” I smiled. “There are a lot of those in–”

I stopped myself from talking.

“In what, Shinko?” Niels asked curiously.

“I lost track of what I was saying.”

I had nearly said ‘religion.’

“Oh. I was interested in what you were going to compare it to.” He confessed. “Anyway, even if the idea of elves’ bodies turning into mirra turns out to be false, it’s not important to the actual study of magic; it’s a little side issue that is fun to contemplate.”

He smiled and we continued to travel.

Eventually, the girls stopped fighting and quieted down, but I couldn’t tell if they had stopped fighting because they’d come to an agreement or because they’d exhausted each other.

The trees had become much taller while we’d been talking, and much less densely packed.

In the distance, I heard the sounds of insects and birds chirping. I even saw squirrels a few times, though they were always far away from the path or near the tops of trees.

The light was gentle and shimmered through the canopy as if it were green glass. As I let my eyes roam over the beauty of the forest, I noticed that Niels really seemed to be enjoying himself; sometimes he even started humming a little tune that I hadn’t heard before.

I tried listening closer to it to see if I could try and learn the main melody.

“So you’re a priest, Shinko?” Elisa asked, breaking the peaceful silence.

I sighed and looked at Elisa as we walked.

“Yes; I am a priest. I thought you already knew this.” I said calmly.

Elisa smirked.

“I did; I only wanted to make sure that it was true before I tried to ask you a question that’s always bothered me.” She said nonchalantly.

I tilted my head at her.

“What’s your question?”

Elisa smiled, and even though her faunid fangs were hidden at the moment, she still looked dangerous.

“Are you an idiot?” She said smugly.