Aggie

As I muttered to myself, Agnar just watched quietly, giving me a strange look. I’m sure he could catch some of the words I said every now and then, but he let me ramble unabated until I was done formulating the perfect plan. Yes, it was the perfect plan. I was so freaking tired of people trying to push me around. I was going to do this my own way.

I straightened up and swung one leg up onto the slab so I could face Agnar directly. I held up a finger and wagged it in his face.

“So, I have my own ideas as to how to do this. How about you train me?”

The look on his face was priceless. It was like his brain fried, the gears turning in an effort to catch up with what he just heard. It was a pretty crazy idea, but based on everything he told me, it made the most sense. Humans didn’t know how to control magic, but demons did. So why should humans teach me when I had a perfectly good demon right here?

Agnar managed to calm himself down, but the incredulous look didn’t leave his face. “Yo, are ya crazy? We are supposed to fight each other! Why the hell would I train ya?”

“Who says we have to fight?” I shrugged.

This legend was so stupid. I just get transported to some other world and they expect me to battle with some random demon with my life forfeit? Screw that! I may have been trying to die when I ended up here, but it was by my own power. I definitely didn’t want to die in some unknown place, by some stranger’s hand.

Now it was Agnar’s time to mutter to himself. I watched with amusement, adlibbing his ramblings with words of my own. He was probably calling me names, calling me crazy and maybe others things not as “nice.” Did demons use the same insults as humans? Or maybe they had their own.

Agnar finally stopped and turned back towards me. “Okay, okay, but then what are ya planning on doing? Ya were summoned here to fight me, right? If ya don’t, don’tcha think you’ll just get sent right back?”

I actually had considered that. Of course, if I went back…there really wasn’t anything for me to go back to. If I had successfully killed myself, it would just end up in emptiness or something. I would probably just fizzle out with no knowledge or recollection of what happened. There were also the cliches of being in a coma in the original world, but that seemed like a worse option. I’d rather disappear than suffer anymore. There were larger question that hung over my head though that made me confident that wouldn’t happen.

“Who summoned me?” I just stared at him.

He seemed flustered. “W-what? What do you mean? The humans just summon a Mage from another world every few centuries-”

“But who exactly? Is there someone specifically enacting this ritual?”

Agnar paused, his finger bent against his chin. It was something so simple but easily overlooked. The first time, the Mage was summoned by the humans after one of their own fell. But after that…why did the legend keep continuing? Someone or something kept it recurring, cycling over and over again. I doubt that beating the Demon Lord would end it (if that was even possible). From what he said, he was basically immortal, so sealing him was the most any could hope to do. So that brought me back to the question ‘why?’

He sighed, slumping over and staring at his own feet. “I…don’t know. I always just assumed it was some weird magic that humans set up. Ya got a point though- why does this keep happening? Someone usually hasta be the one doing the summoning actively, but I haven’t heard anything about that. Did ya see anyone when ya woke up?”

I shook my head. “No, there was no one around. It was just dumb luck that I found this shrine while wandering.”

“Nah, ya were probably drawn here, even if ya didn’t realize it. It’s that pull of magic, that tug between the two of us.” He beckoned with a finger, as if he was trying to pull me closer. I just leaned further back.

“Okay, even if there is that, there was nothing else guiding me, no one there telling me to do this. Are you seriously telling me that all these other girls just popped out and found the village and did their bidding?”

“Hm, I think so. Some of them probably had villagers to guide them, especially in the beginning, but ya see how they are about Mages now.”

“Ugh.” It was my turn to slump forward. It wasn’t anything helpful, though it gave my speculation more credibility. This was seriously deranged. The legend itself seemed rather lackluster. Why did the Mage have to defeat the Demon Lord? The most I could figure is I would get the whole troupe of “he’s an evil that threatens the land” without specifics if I were to ask anyone in the village.

But, damn, there were some morons here before me. Agnar might have been an idiot, but he at least would talk to me unlike the villagers. He could be rude, but that didn’t make him my enemy. Although I do suppose since he wanted to kill me, he technically should be. I just was changing that part a little bit.

Also, I was getting tired of the name ‘Agnar.’ Even saying it in my head over and over again was getting on my nerves. The name didn’t suit him anyway. Obviously, he needed a nickname.

“So, Aggie, what do you think? Will you train me?”

His jaw dropped and he squinted at me. “What did you just call me?”

“Agnar is too hard to say all the time,” I huffed while leaning back, “so Aggie is easier. I think it suits you better, too.”

He stuck his tongue out. “Sounds silly, childish. Do ya think I’m some brat?”

“Well, you do act like one, but no, you don’t look the part.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “If it makes you feel better, you can call me by a nickname that’s easier for you to remember, too.”

“Oh, so like babe?”

The words were barely out of his mouth before the flames licked up my fingers. He waved his hands in front of his face and laughed. “Just kidding!”

“I think I’ll stick with Akari, works fine for me. I think that name suits a hot head like you.” He gave me a wink. I just rolled my eyes at him.

“Whatever, that’s fine for now. But you didn’t answer my question. Will you teach me how to control my magic?”

Aggie jumped off the slab with a playful leap and hummed as he walked towards the edge of the room. He peered out a crack, the light from the sun acting as a spotlight on half of his face. Okay, he was kind of good looking, but he was also insane. I didn’t need anymore crazy in my life. Just needed him to teach me how to control my magic and maybe I could figure out a way out of this mess.

“I see smoke,” he commented calmly.

I got off the slab myself and walked over to stand beside him. He stepped back to allow me to peek out the crack. I could see the smoke curling up into the sky, a wispy trail of gray. It was thin, not like what you would expect to see from a large fire or such. In any case, I had nothing to do with it. I hadn’t lit anything on fire yet.

“What does it mean?” I glanced back at him.

“It’s a smoke signal. Probably from yer friends back at the village. I guess they are ready to talk to ya now.” He snickered. Great, and just when I started to make some good progress with Aggie.

I signed and fiddled with my hair. “Guess I should head back there then.”

He just scoffed at me. “In those clothes?”

I glared at him. “Yes, what else would I do? I’m not going to go back to them naked! This is all I have since they took my other clothing.”

Not that my clothing would have really mattered. They were rather dirty and tattered by the time I got to town. I wasn’t particularly attached to them either.

“No, no.” He shook his finger and his head at me. “Ya are the Mage. Ya gotta make an entrance! Ya can’t go there looking like that! It’s just like some random commoner.”

“I can’t help that I look like some NPC, but it’s not like there’s some magical wardrobe that I can just pick out of. Gotta work with what I got.”

“And it’s time for yer first lesson!”

With a quick flick of his fingers, his magic came to life. The air wavered around me and I felt its touch. It was nothing like my own, a biting contrast to my scorching flames that stung like ice. It flowed over me, engulfing my entire body and sending chills down my spine. I felt goosebumps creep over my skin and I shivered from the icy touch. It washed over me as quickly as it came. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I let it go.

“Ta da! Ya can use magic to create yer own wardrobe!” He threw his arms up in the air, shaking them in excitement. It took me a second to realize what he meant. The cold brush of a breeze against my belly was enough to make me look down.

Gone was the simple tunic the villagers had given me to wear. In its place was a sleek black leather bodice that barely covered more than my chest. The bottom was even worse- a tiny leather bikini and thigh high lace-up boots. Only the cape draped across my shoulders and covering my back kept me from murdering him in a blaze of flames.

I felt the heat rising up from the pit of my stomach. “What the hell is this!?”

He waggled his finger at me. “More appropriate garb for such a powerful Mage as yerself. It’s a common look among the most powerful of my people.”

“Well, I prefer wearing more clothing, thank you very much.” I gritted my teeth. I felt my nails biting into the palms of my hands from how tightly curled my fist were. I could feel the heat building as the fire starting to lick at my skin. I took a deep breath and brought it back inside of me. I still needed his help; I couldn’t kill him yet.

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue at me. “Fine, fine, then ya can make it something more to yer taste. It’s a pretty concept.”

He closed the distance between the two of us until there was less than a foot between us. He gently touched my wrist and ran his fingers up my arm to my shoulder. I wanted to smack his hand away, but instead I just stiffened and waited for his dumb lesson to be over. I mean, I supposed being able to magically change my clothing could come in handy, but that wasn’t the magic I had in mind when I mentioned him mentoring me.

“Ya just envision whatcha wanna wear in yer head. Not just the visual, but think about the feeling of it, too. The fabric, the weight, the texture…all parts of it that will come into play. Even the smell of it can help, too. Start at yer feet and let yer magic move up through yer body until its completely coated you head to toe. Hold it for a short bit while ya bring yer vision to life then let it go quickly. That’s all there is to it.”

He gave me a grin and took a step back. Okay, great, that meant nothing to me. For me, my magic felt like a burning rage deep inside my belly. How was I supposed to get it down to my feet? And if I let it go, did that mean I would be burning myself alive? It seemed pretty risky, though he did it was such ease.

Aggie suddenly shook his head. “No, no, don’t overthink it. Magic isn’t about yer intellect but about yer emotions, yer feelings. Just feel it and it will react the way ya want it to. However yer magic feels to ya, cling to that and use it to move it about.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. At least that made a bit more sense. To me, my magic was hot, even burning at times. It was the anger and pain tucked inside of me, the hatred that I couldn’t break free from. I reached for that warmth, snatching it up and shoving it downward. It answered quickly, racing down towards my toes.

As I pictured that warmth seeping through me, I started to imagine an outfit better suited to me than some skimpy garments. Dark and strong, full of reds and coppers. Armor across my chest to protect me from harm. A cape turned upward by my face to guard me in my weakest moments. Comfortable yet sturdy boots to my knees, trousers tucked into them. Gaps in the cloth at my shoulders and the sides of my waist, to show I was not afraid of what would come at me. Long gloves that offered easy grip, open on the palm sides of my hands. I borrowed from the images of fantasy works I had seen decorating books and tapestries. This was how I should be: strong and ready to take on the world.

The fire washed over me. I felt the fabric and material that Aggie gave me shift around on my skin. I imagined what each of the fabric textures should feel like, its breathability and softness against my skin. The curve of my boots and armor, the flexibility of my gloves, even the weight of my cape. Nothing too hard to move in. I wanted it to flow around me when I brought my magic to life, as if I was creating a powerful storm of fire. Fabric that reflected the fiery light in shimmers. I could see it all in my mind as clearly as if I was already wearing it.

I let the magic go and felt it escape quickly. The roaring flames collapsed on themselves, curling up into a fiery ball as they slid down and up back towards my belly. As it settled back down, I slowly opened my eyes. I took a quick glance at myself. Yes, I was quite satisfied with the job I had done. This was much more appealing.

Aggie let out a low whistle. “Okay, damn, the leather was hot, but this is pretty hot, too. Not bad, Mage, not bad at all.”

I rolled my eyes and flicked my hair over my shoulder, careful not to catch it on my cape.

“I think I’m ready to go see them now.”