The next few days would consist of me eating breakfast, training on doing shrine maiden duties and after noon I would be practicing manipulating magic outside the shrine, next to a calm lake.

 

Remember what Yuri said about releasing magic from inside the body

 

‘To release magic from within your body, you need to find where the source is located first. For me it’s right here’ Yuri explained and fistbumped the left side of her chest, indicating where her source of magic was.

 

‘Then you need to feel around a little, there is a thin barrier on your body that prevents the magic from going out or going out from your body, knowing how to open up holes is key to magic manipulation.’

 

I felt around a little, and found my internal magic source pretty quickly. It was next to my heart, and I could feel that there was a lot of it in there too. I played around with it a little, bringing magic to all corners of my body and figured out roughly where the barrier was. ‘All magic is based on willpower and imagination. If you don’t properly make an exit for magic then it will result in a possible explosion.’

 

I imagined the barrier opening up on the palm of my hand, it felt like cold wind entered my hand through the hole. The sensation was exciting, I was one step closer to using divine energy! But unlike my magic which had a definitive source, the divine energy inside of me was flowing around. More like blood than like in a reservoir. 

 

I tried manipulating my magic to flow outside my body. The bluish flow drifted outside, and stopped above my palm just where I wanted it. I imagined it turning into water, which it did.

 

Happy with my success, I called it a day and went back to the shrine. I was careful to not ruin my new clothes, as they were a gift from Yuri.

 

“I’m back!”

 

“Welcome back!”

 

I gave Yuri a big hug, and told her of my new success.

 

“I managed to summon magic outside my body!”

 

“That’s amazing! It took me more than a year to do the same.”

 

“Ehehe…” I gave her a proud smile, I was proud of myself.

 

Yuri patted me on the head, while congratulating me, and asked what I wanted for dinner today.

 

“Mmm. Chicken sounds nice.”

 

“Then it’s settled. Grilled chicken it is!”

 

The grilled chicken was fabulous, with all the juicy and tasty bits perfectly cooked.

 

After having dinner, it was bath time. I used magic to make warm water, and put it in a wooden tub. Yuri bathed with me and helped me scrub down my tail and keep it fluffy, since it was her pillow.

 

I took a few minutes everyday after bath to learn how to manipulate divine energy, since it was similar to using normal magic it wasn’t too hard. Although since Yuri couldn’t use it I was on my own, experimenting.

 

After bathing and drying my hair it was time to sleep. I got comfortable in Yuri’s embrace and snuggled up with her, before falling asleep. Yuri stroked my head the entire time, making me very drowsy.

 

Her brown hair shined in the moonlight, and partly covered her face. I looked at her once more, before finally falling asleep.

 

-o-

 

Years later.

 

I had finally mastered controlling magic and using it to do different tasks, even mastering the art of the katana and bow. I had also grown closer to Yuri during this time. We slept, bathed and sometimes even did the same chores. 

 

Maybe I’ll become the new god of this shrine?

 

Along with that, the few times I visited the village it looked better and better, less people looked meager or undernourished and the buildings looked better kept. I’m not sure, but maybe it was because of me residing here?

 

But because of it, the shrine has been receiving a few more visitors than what we usually get. Most of the people who come here think that I am the new god of the shrine, maybe I am? 

 

One thing was for sure, and that was that the people living down in the village were slowly having it better.

 

I had also learnt to use divine energy during this time span, using what I had learnt with normal magic I had applied it to use of divine energy. I could now summon my own special power called “Fox fire”, which was a spell that summoned fire that I had complete control over. Temperature? I could make it freezing cold or blazing hot. Shape? Any shape I wanted. Color? Any color of the rainbow is possible.

 

But one day early into the evening when I was tending to the plants that grew in and around the shrine, I heard a loud thud coming from the hut.

 

I rushed into her room, originally we both slept in the same room but I got my own one as I got older. She was sweeping the floor of her room when she had collapsed. I immediately sprung to action and performed several healing spells using my divine energy. 

 

This was the third time it had happened.

 

The first time I was not ready, and almost panicked before calming down and performing the healing spell. After She recovered I bawled my eyes out, And the weather that followed was rain for an entire week.

 

The second time I was a bit more prepared. Since I knew it already happened once. We visited the village doctor after it happened, that was when I learned of a tragic story. Yuri suffered from a chronic illness, where after a few years it would lead to random collapses and maybe death.

 

That night we slept together, I hugged her tightly and embraced her chest. That night I cried myself to sleep, knowing that the next time she collapsed could be her last time.

 

-o-