Chapter 3: At the Mana Source

About twenty minutes after Syl run away, we had a diner. For diner we had rabbit stew with herbs and other gifts of nature. Most surprising was a apple like fruit with taste of potato. As I learned later it had quite a funny name, Appato.

"So... sorry for running away like that."

"It's okay, I should be sorry for making you remember something painful."

"No, it's okay, it's not your fault. Anyway, let's get eating. Tomorrow will be your first day of learning magic so you should head to bed fir... crap!" Syl suddenly realizied something important enough for her to drop her wooden spoon.

"What is it?"

"This house only have one bedroom... could you sleep in living room today? I promise to do my best to repurpose one of the rooms as fast as I can."

"That's what you worry about? Hahahaah! It's fine, it's fine! I honestly thought that my first night in other world would be between roots of trees so I can do with a sofa just fine!" I gave her a big smile as I took a big bite of large piece of Appato.

"Hmm... this could still use some seasoning..."

"Maybe some pepper would do, but I guess you couldn't find it in this forest."

"Pepper?"

"Small fruits growing on vines that when dried and crushed have really spicy taste."

"Hmm, I belive I've seen some vines with red clusters of small fruits, but I've never seen any animal get close to them so I thought that they are poisonous. Could you recognize pepper?"

"My grandpa was growing it in his garden so I belive so," I nodded to her.

"Great. Let's go look for it tomorrow, then. I'm quite interrested in your spices. But magic training first. Without that, it could be dangerous," Sylnitta's face turned serious midway through as she pointed her spoon at me.

"Yes, I will give it my all," I nodded to her words and finished my soup.

The night came shortly and I fell on the sofa looking into the darkness around me. Only light here came from three moons in the sky and stars around them. Of course, the light was greatly diminished by the tree's foliage.

"I'm really in another world, huh? Wonder how people in class are doing... we had that big project before us after all... I really hope... sis is doing okay over there..."

I doze of thinking about stupid things.

***

The next morning we went right away to the forest.

"Um, thanks for the clothes, but are you sure I can have them?"

Currently, I was dressed in some kind of green shirt which felt like cotton, but for some reason I could not belive it was that, the feeling to the touch was slightly different. The pants I had were made from simmilar material, but were reinforced with leather from outside. Simmilarly, I wore a vest over the shirt which was made from reinforced leather, making for quite good armor in emergencies.

"It's fine. It would only collect dust here anyways."

"But where did you get male clothes? Especially here in the forest?"

"Um, well..." Sylnitta stopped for a second, "I took them from a Manhunter I hunted here in the forest."

"You hunted a Manhunter? What even is a Manhunter?"

"Manhunters are bandits specializing in hunting adventurers. If you defeat adventurer, most of the merchant caravans became so fragile that they snap instantly. That's why they are also called Guard hunters."

"I see, that's certainly a scary thing to think about. I really do hope we won't meet any."

"Well, if you are lucky they kill you instantly. But if you are unlucky, they torture you until you beg for death. You are a male after all."

"Urgh..."

"Don't make that face, not all beings in this world value their lives. Royals send soldiers on battlefield for nothing more then few meters of soil. Church burns down villages calling their inhabitants heretics and devil worshippers... Witches... well, those usually hide in their covens so they only rarely use humans for their experiments."

"Have you seen some?"

"Yes. Even did one," Sylnitta's eyes darkened, "But it was not worth it. Not the result, not the aftertaste it left in me."

"So you regret it?"

"I guess... and to think I once thought of humans as lesser creatures."

"And you don't now? You tried to kick off my head instead of welcome," I snickered.

"Hahah! Good point! But... I'm not sure why, but it's easy to talk with you."

"That pleases me. Please do talk with me more in the future. Without the kicks of course."

"You little," Sylnitta laughed softly.

We continued our walk past the pond from yesterday, deeper into the forest while bickering like this.

Longer we were walking, the more the trees started to separate away from each other and were getting bigger and bigger. Still, the top of the trees was making giant carpet of green. The birds were chirping above our heads. From time to time I could see those weird four eyed squirels jumping from tree to tree as well as some of those singing birds. Sadly only few feathers at most as they were incredibly fast.

"How far are we going?"

"Just a little. There is mana source of the forest. If you manage to connect to it, you should be able to cast magic."

"Isn't there a little too much steps for using magic?"

"Well you are a human so it can't be helped. Unlike elves who just get tired after using too much magic, humans tend to drop dead on the spot when their magic reserves drop to zero."

"They die?!"

"Well of course. Human body is not suited for magic. Only ones who use magic in the human kingdom I passed through are descendants of mixed races. You can take this as strenghtening your Magic source and making it on par with the elvish. Though you have Spirit sight so anything can happen," Syl shrugged as she walked through the shadows of trees, giving her mysteriously hallowed look. It's kinda enchanting.

"If it's that amazing, why don't you use it on yourself? You should be able to make it so your magic source restores no?"

"In theory yes, but I've already tried that and it didn't work."

"I see, sorry."

"Anyway, we are here! Let's get started with something simple. Let's feel the magic. Well, I tried that yesterday but given how rude you were, let's just hold hands."

"Okay, okay I understand, no need to look so intently at me, I won't make any joke here."

"I hope you won't 'cause if you do, I'll throw you out."

"Fiiine, here. One set of freshly cleaned hands," I said after dripping some disinfectant on my hands and rubbing it in my skin.

"What is it, it stinks."

"It's alcohol based disinfectant. It's used in our world to keep our hands cleen if we can't use water and soap."

"Hmph... it seems the smell went away rather quickly, let's sit first, then."

Following her rather brusque order I did as she said and sit with my legs crossed. Placing my hands on the knees with palms facing upwards I closed my eyes.

This time Sylnitta was sitting before me so I could see her brows knit as she was preparing before closing my eyes. She's really serious, I better be too, then.

Her soft fingers taped lightly on my palms before the entire weight of her hands rest upon mine. This is... somehow her hands feel heavier then they should be.

"Now focus on your breathing. Deep breaths. In. Hold it in. And out. In. Hold it in. And out. Good. I will now send some of my magic into your hands. Once you get the feel for it, try to push some of it back to me okay?"

"Okay... I will try."

He's serious about it... Sylnitta smiled as she looked at the boy before her.

Somehow her hands felt like warmth was radiating from them. And not just that bodily warmth, there was something else mixed in.

My head slumped down and if my eyes were opened, I would probably just see my hands and Sylnitta's on top of them. Huh?

Somehow, as my eyes stared at the darkness with yellow, red and white clouds flying around, two faint blue clouds started to form in place where I thought my hands were.

Alright, I can feel this... somewhat warm, simmilar to water in the shower but inside my body. Like blood? Hmm... if I imagine this like blood vessels...

In that moment the blue shades got brighter and spread over the entire darkness, swallowing it whole.

"I guess... I have it?"

"That fast?!"

"Um. It feels like water flowing through my body... I should try to push it to you now right?"

"Yes. Try if you can," Synitta's voice shook a little with excitement.

Okay, but how should I go at it? Alright Tarumi you need to concentrate now. Concentrate...

As I was concentrating as hard as I could, the blue light started to die out. Forming once again into the hand shapes from before, though, I could now sence tiny streaks of dim blue light coursing through my hands.

Alright, if I imagine my heart as engine that pushes the energy to my arms...

In accordance with my thought, the streaks became wider and almost seemed to be pulsating.

"Ah! Good. Very good Tarumi... you are doing great now let's do some circulation. Send magic through your left hand only and I will do the same."

"Okay... I will try..."

For next hour and half we trained magic circulation and next half an hour I tried circulating the magic by myself.

"Great work. As a reward I will go hunt us some game for today's diner!" Synitta smiled as she stood up, helping me up afterwards.

"Thanks, Sylnitta."

"Just Syl."

"Alright, Syl. I'll be in your care."

"Heheh! Of course! I want to see your magic in action!"

"So it's my magic you want, that makes me sad…"

"N-no that's not what I meant!"

"Heheh, I know, I'm just messing with you, Syl. Let's get going shall we?"

"You go nowhere! You will wait here and connect to the Mana source. Go on! Enter that pond."

"Geez, learn how to take a joke, will ya?" I smiled, not bothered by her cute reply and started doing some straches before taking of my clothes.

Hm? Syl turned around, but I can see the tips of her ears being as red as a beetroot. She's really cute when she's like that.

Once I was only in my trunks I entered the pond. As I walked in, I noticed the water being warmer then it should be. It's almost like a hot spring.

Sand I stepped on sink deeper under my weight and the surrounding sand covered my feet from the other side. Weird nothing lives in here… wait.

As I walked deeper into the water and the level was now directly at my belly button, I noticed ripples on the surface little to the side from where I was. Under these ripples however was nothing.

Is it a spirit? I focused my eyes and felt as if that something under the ripples started to get shape.

"Is that… a mermaid?!"

"Yop! That's the spirit guardian of the Mana source, it's deciding if she should let you make contract or not! So try befriend her!"

As Syl yelled that at me, I lost focus and as I looked back at her with dumbfounded expression I had to ask, "and what if she decides I'm not worthy?!"

"She'll throw you out."

A curt reply! That helps! My inner voice started to get a little bit sarcastic.

Getting worried after hearing those words, however, made me instantly look for the mermaid once again. But now, I could not find her. Feeling chills I looked bellow.

And there was a face dirrectly next to my belly button.

In the next moment the watter surface broke and the mermaid jumped up with a big grin. Her light blue hairs and skin shone like stars in the sky as she spread her hands wide and hugged me.

""What?!"" Both me and Syl on the shore let out surprised yelps, but at the same time I lost ballance and fell into the water.

Crap I forgot to breath in…

As I watched the surface disappearing above me. Somehow, the mermaid was still holding me.

Is she trying to make me drown?!

"…No…"

Somehow I heard a voice as I was getting farther and farther from the surface. Looking down, I found myself staring at giant golden ball shining at the bottom of the lake. And the mermaid was taking me to it.

As we got close to the ball, I could feel something like a barrier around it. I put my hand forward and felt as if I got through surface of water.

I quickly moved through the barrier and after checking that no boubles were comming from my mouth I took a deep breath.

"Fuuaaaaaah! I thought I was a gonner!"

"You… okay?"

When I turned around to the surprising voice, I found the mermaid looking at me with quizzical look.

"You can talk? What was that about?"

"The mana source… asked for you…"

"Asked for me? And why that?"

"Don't know… touch it."

Well, I came to make contract anyway… so does this mean I passed the test?

I extended my hand towards the golden shine and felt as if the shining orb tried to reach me too. Somehow it felt as if a warm and friendly creature appeared behind me smiling.

"Call me crazy, but I ain't leaving without a contract!" I pushed myself towards the Mana source and grabed it.

"Welcome back, my knight…" a sweet voice called me inside my head, "Now save your friend."

I opened my eyes, the golden shine of the Mana source was gone, the mermaid shrunk and in her place was a snake around one meter long.

"What happened to you?"

"I… don't know?" the mermaid, now snake spoke to me like before, while tilting it's head.

"The barrier is shrinking, let's get our of here."

"Ssssure."

Why are you now acting as a snake too?

I turned around my body as I dived into the water and headed for the real surface where I could see sun reaching the pond through the foliage of the forest.

"Puhaaaaah! I'm back! Huh? Did Syl go to hunt something?" I got little confused as I made my way to the shore.

"Now save your friend."

For some reason those words I heard at the Mana source revibrated in my mind.

I exited the water short after that, but what I found send chills to my bones. There were arrows stuck to the ground and at several places I could see puddles of blood.

"Don't tell me… Syl fought with someone?!"