The result of Jake’s practice session was a room that looked a mess. The walls of the room were cratered, the floor was torn apart, and the ceiling bowed and crumbled. There were no targets left and the regeneration of the room was taking a significant amount of time. The barriers generated to protect the walls and the Library itself had all crumbled away, shattered beneath the pressure of the spells. Jake pushed them to their absolute limits and ultimately caused them to fall apart. It wasn’t intentional but the boy found himself holding back after a certain point. He decided against that and continued to increase the strength of his spells as there would be no holding back against the Maedra. The scene before him was the result. A practice room that looked more like a war zone.
The boy let out a huff, pouring mana into the floor to assist in the process of fixing what he’d ruined. He didn’t assist in the creation process of the stone material but his mana helped accelerate the process at least. It took several minutes before everything was back to normal and the barriers regenerated over the smooth rock.
Finished and satisfied, Jake left the practice room and headed for the Library. He had wasted enough time and was comfortable with the progress he had made. The new mana in him was overwhelming. The volume of spells he could cast was significant and he was certain that with more practice, cultivation, and studying, he would find how to not only increase the volume but expand his ability across newer spells. All he needed was to sit down and read those books.
As Jake reached the railing, he placed a hand on it and looked up. Yir was waiting for him, or so she had said. Whenever he saw her it was typically on the upper levels of the Library. She was usually a distant yellow dot or just unseen entirely. The other fairies always had to go get her for him. If he wanted to speak to her directly of his own accord, he would have needed to ascend dozens of floors. That would take time and would be tiring. Most mages found ways to lift themselves to the higher floors or asked the fairies for assistance.
With more control and enough mana to sustain what he was thinking, Jake figured it was about time he advance on his little experiment from before. He had been able to soften his fall from the top bunk. Following the same idea, with enough push, Jake figured he could go up as well. The only problem? He would have to figure it out on the fly and if he messed up, he’d fall dozens of floors and crash into the ground. He wasn’t keen on figuring out whether or not death in the Library meant death in the Overworld.
“Well, time to figure it out.” Jake huffed and quickly gathered the mana into his feet. Not giving himself any opportunity to second guess his choice, the boy hurdled the railing. Immediately, he triggered two powerful wind cones at the bottom of his feet and pushed the air straight down. He stopped his fall and pushed enough mana into the gusts of air to support his weight. He’d dropped half the distance, down two floors, and floated in the air above the center of the room.
Jake’s stomach tensed up and he extended his arms out to keep his balance. With each wiggle or wobble, it caused him to drift. By leaning and changing the angle of his feet, it would cause the wind beneath him to shift its direction slightly. He caught on and applied mana to his hands. Only a slight amount but it helped him stabilize. Instead of wiggling and trying to use his stomach to balance him completely, Jake used his hands like support to keep himself upright. To get away from the floor and not bother anyone who might enter, Jake applied more mana to his feet and ascended back to be even with the fourth floor. There, he started a few quick tests to get himself comfortable with the spell.
He first checked how much mana was being burned. By just floating, the cost was minimal. The air around his feet was taking very little to sustain the gust supporting him. The slight corrections being made by his hands were taking even less and Jake didn’t need to expend any additional mana if he tilted his feet to make himself turn or spin. It was only when he tried to accelerate that he burned a significant amount. He did so, adding a slight amount to slowly push himself up towards the ceiling. A slight adjustment cost little but if he wanted to accelerate quickly, the burn was exponentially higher. Yet, the cost leveled out once the speed was achieved.
“Interesting…” Jake muttered, now hovering dozens of floors off the ground and in the middle of the atrium. A few fairies stuck their heads out to look at him, muttering to themselves or a nearby fairy as he continued with a few other tests. He could move his feet independently, giving himself a little more control over his movement and he could move more dynamically as well. It would take practice, as did everything under the veil of magic, but it wasn’t too bad. The vertigo in his stomach would be the hardest thing to get used to.
“Having fun?” The fairy who came to greet Jake wasn’t Yir. Alba.
Jake looked over his shoulder to look at her first before carefully rotating to face her. It was still a little awkward to move in place. “Kind of. Figured this would be the best place to try fly-” Jake caught himself as he began to tilt. “-ing.”
Alba raised an eyebrow. A sly smile crossed her face as she extended a finger towards his foot.
“Don’t-!” He felt a slight disturbance and the fairy began to cackle.
“Your spell is too easy to mess with. It’s weakly made and any mage could disrupt it with a little bit of their own magic.” Alba swirled her finger, doing just as she said by slightly messing with the air current beneath his right foot. Jake’s eyes opened as he struggled to keep himself upright.
“I won’t be using it in combat!” He shouted, still wobbling as she continued to mess with him.
Alba continued to grin and laugh as she messed with him. Eventually, though, she stopped her meddling and placed her hands on her hips. “Well, that’s a smart choice at least. Maybe if you found a way to grow wings then things would be different!”
Jake huffed and let out a sigh as he finally stabilized himself. “No, no I think I’m okay with fighting on the ground.” He fixed his stance and straightened out again.
Alba shrugged. “Fine, be boring. You, Humans, are always so stale.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed and he stretched his right hand out to her. She raised an eyebrow just as a wall of water dumped on her head. Jake took that moment to accelerate upwards, darting for the top of the atrium.
“HEY!” She shouted at him. Jake laughed and glanced down at the fairy. She was coming up after him, and she was closing the distance. Jake adjusted his feet, narrowing the distance, and created one massive cyclone beneath him to propel him upwards. The wind pulled at his face, his hair flapped behind him. It was exhilarating.
Just as he reached the top floor, he felt the cyclone beneath him give out. The boy’s eyes widened and he snatched the railing, his fingers clutching it to keep him from falling. Alba appeared in front of him, landing just beside his hand. The boy swung his other hand up to better his grip as the fairy started to kick one.
“You little shit-!” She spat, her tiny heel digging into his right hand. It didn’t quite hurt but it felt like he was being stung. Rather than wait for her to use something more intense and actually threaten him, Jake pulled up and over the railing. Alba moved when she saw him coming.
“Ah-!” When Jake landed, he was smacked in the face with a book and stumbled back against the railing again.
“Yea, how’s that?!” Alba cackled. Jake snatched the book and chucked it at her. The fairy easily dodged it. “Oh? Is that all you’ve got?” She raised an eyebrow and extended a hand, ready to cast another annoyance at Jake.
Jake held up his hands. “I’m done, she’s not.”
“Huh?” Alba blinked and then turned to see the book Jake had thrown now floating right in front of her. It twisted and slapped the fairy out of the air.
Yir stood on top of a small circular table. The room was large and Jake could tell that his view had been restricted. There was a large veil that blocked much of his view of the top floor. He could see through it slightly if he focused but the space beyond was largely indistinguishable. All he could make out were several large portraits, the circles on the floor that mimicked the sigil at the entrance, and several bookshelves oriented in a different way than typical. This area was a meeting space it seemed or a resting area. Though, why Yir had chosen to block the view of things, Jake wasn’t quite sure.
The head librarian wasn’t exactly happy with their entrance. Alongside her sat a young man. Well, he looked young but the pointy ears beside his head told Jake that age might work differently for him.
“Alba. Go away.” Yir didn’t address their entrance and simply dismissed Alba. The red fairy quickly bowed at the waist and then excused herself, flipping backward over the railing before dropping out of sight. “Jake. This is Alvaro. He is an Apostle, like you.”
Though the introduction seemed a bit exciting, Alvaro was dressed far less so. He wore a simple brown cloak, dull-colored green robes beneath it, and a pair of comfortable traveling shoes. His hair was tied into a neat ponytail, carefully collected behind his long ears. His bright blue eyes were the starkest detail. They shimmered with magical power and Jake felt his spine tingle beneath his piercing gaze.
“It is a pleasure to meet another Apostle.” Alvaro stood up from the table and stepped around it. Jake stared at the elf for a moment, then he looked over at Yir.
“What is this?” Uncertain of what to do and how to deal with the guest, Jake hoped Yir would share more information that he might be able to work with.
She didn’t.
“I came across the practice area on the fourth floor. It was an interesting sight. Though you were not in there at the time, I asked the fairies who was utilizing the space. You see, it is very rare for young fledgling mages to be here. I assume you are an Apostle of Lady Ferynith?” Alvaro approached Jake and extended a hand as if offering to help him to his feet. Jake stared at the hand and then up at Alvaro’s odd smile. The boy sighed and stood up on his own. Alvaro retracted his hand without much change in his expression.
“Something like that. What’s it to you?” Jake walked around the elf and over to the table. A fairy floated off to the side, her hands folded neatly in front of her long and frilly dress. She was wearing a uniform of some kind. The table had cups of tea set out, what looked to be cookies or biscuits, and a kettle. When Jake sat down, the fairy off to the side shifted. Alvaro held up a hand as he grabbed the tea kettle. He poured Jake a full cup of the golden brown liquid. It smelled sweet.
“I am an Apostle of Faurus, the Elven God of the Spirits. Like you, I was chosen to carry out the mission of my deity within the Lower Realm. I am currently traveling the world, guiding lost spirits, collecting lost Elven knowledge and magic, and I am also working closely with the Elven Kings in hopes of developing deeper connections with the surrounding lands.” Alvaro paused to take a sip of his tea, raising the cup elegantly to his lips and drinking it quietly. Jake leaned back into his chair and folded his hands in his lap. He glanced towards Yir. She met his eyes but said nothing.
“I am here only to chat. I have met several other Apostles of the other deities but I have never met one of Lady Ferynith.” Alvaro set down his cup and smiled at Jake. “She is very picky, I hear.”
Jake shrugged. “Not sure what to say.” While he didn’t plan on being combative or cold towards the Elf, Jake didn’t quite like the idea of speaking openly towards someone he didn’t know. Especially under such conditions. Plus, what was there to talk about?
Alvaro stared at him for a few moments, humming softly for a few seconds. “Ah, well. Would you mind if I ask a few questions?” He gave Jake another soft smile as he set down his tea cup.
“Depends on the question.”
“Of course. You are welcome to abstain from answering. I’m just curious is all.” Alvaro folded his hands on the table as he leaned forward slightly against it. “When you were chosen to be her apostle, how did it happen?”
It was a rather direct question, and Jake glanced over towards Yir. The fairy nodded, giving him the go-ahead to speak. Jake wasn’t quite sure what was okay and what wasn’t so he made sure to choose his details lightly. Especially those about Chul and the Gate of Judgement.
“I found a magic circle underground. A large one. I applied mana to it to activate it and found myself in a large white space. In it, I spoke to the Gods.”
Alvaro blinked. “Gods? Multiple?” He seemed shocked. Was that not normal?
“Yes,” Jake affirmed and nodded. Alvaro placed a finger to his chin as he thought over something. Jake shot another look to Yir but she was eyeing Alvaro, watching the gears of his mind turn.
“Interesting…” Alvaro hummed again. “For us, it is a direct summoning. We either are chosen by the council to meet Lord Faurus or he sends his decision through one of our oracles. When we speak with him, it is one on one. I have heard that it is the same as the others. The methods vary, of course. But for them to be all there at once? That is certainly new.”
Again, Jake shrugged. “Not sure what is right and wrong but that’s what happened.”
“Oh, I believe you. The Gods do work in odd ways.” Alvaro smiled and let out a soft laugh. “We do not always understand them but we do our best to listen and perform our duties as Apostles.”
Alvaro smiled at Yir for a moment. He paused as if to allow Jake to speak. When Jake didn’t, he asked another question. “When you met the Gods, what happened? How did Lady Ferynith choose you? It surprises me to see that not your own Patron picked you.”
Jake sighed and scratched at the back of his head. “Yea, it was weird. They all stood around me and said some weird reason as to why I couldn’t be picked. When it was between the Dwarf God and the Human God, the Dwarf asked me what I wanted in life.”
Alvaro hummed again and tilted his head. “Lord Thaedrun expressed interest? Now that is something to be proud of. I hear he hasn’t had an Apostle for almost as long as Lady Ferynith.”
“Well, he was interested but when I gave him my goal he just laughed and asked Lady Ferynith. She originally said no but gave me a riddle to solve. I solved it and she must have liked what I said.” Jake then swept his hands over himself and out into the air beside his shoulders. “Now here I am.”
“I see,” Alvaro said with a soft laugh. “I have heard of her reaching out to individuals before, only for them to fail whatever test she presented them. As I said, she is very picky. She tests not just your intelligence but your compatibility with magic. She must have seen quite a bit of talent within you for it.”
“Magic talent?” Jake furrowed his brow and looked at Yir. Her lips curled into a broad smile.
“Mister Alvaro. You are looking at one of the very many humans in this age that was born with zero magical ability. Source-less.” Yir spoke with an energetic tone as if mocking Jake a bit with it. Alvaro’s eyes widened with doubt.
“Impossible.” He spat. “A Source-less? As an Apostle for Lady Ferynith, the Goddess of Wisdom and Magic?!” His voice raised as he stared at Jake. His eyes changed colors as he attempted to look at Jake’s mana. The instant he did so, all color left his face and he immediately recoiled from the table. “A m-monster?!”
Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Is this what I’m going to have to deal with from now on, Yir?” The fairy sighed.
“This must be some kind of joke? What? Are you a dragonkin?” Alvaro’s eyes returned to their normal blue but he maintained his distance. Jake shook his head.
“No. I’m human and I was born without magic in me. Lady Ferynith gifted me a magic source. What you see is the result of lots of hard work.” Jake once again avoided mentioning Chul. Alvaro seemed skeptical and the color still didn’t return to his face.
The elf cleared his throat to try and collect himself, but he was clearly shaken up. “W-Well. I can see why she chose you. You turned nothing into something amazing.” The elf smoothed out his clothes as he retook his seat. He cleared his throat again and took another sip of tea. “And your task? W-What has she given you?”
“Nothing,” Jake said plainly. Alvaro stiffened.
“What?” As if not hearing what Jake said, the elf stared at him.
“She didn’t tell me anything. She gave me her gift, told me about the Library, and I was sent on my way.” Once again, not knowing quite what was right or wrong in the world, Jake spoke bluntly about what he had experienced. Alvaro, on the other hand, stared in absolute disbelief.
“Gift?” He mumbled. “Oh, the magic. She gifted you just your magic.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Jake chuckled. “No, there was more.”
“M-More?!” Alvaro recoiled again, his hands slapping the table.
Jake sighed and slowly pushed off the table. He finally grabbed the handle of his cup and raised it to his lips. He drained the drink, barely savoring the thick and sweet tea. It had a creamy milk chocolate taste to it, oddly enough. Maybe it wasn’t tea and just warmed milk instead.
He returned to cup to the plate and met Yir’s eyes. “He came to see me but it seems he doesn’t have anything I can learn. I’ve got stuff to do in the Ravine. I’m leaving.”
Alvaro shot to his feet. “Wait! Please! I have so much to ask! You said the Ravine?!”
“Yes. I’m currently working to subjugate the Maedra inside of it. Trying to, at least.” Jake huffed and pushed in his chair. “Thanks for the tea, or the milk? But I’m leaving.”
“Wait! Does the Ravine not have a Guardian assigned to it?! And the Maedra! Those foul beasts. Are you fighting them alone? That’s suicide!” Alvaro’s voice raised and he seemed so lost. He didn’t seem to know who to look at and as Jake walked away, he grew more desperate.
Jake stopped at the railing, his hand gripping it as he was reminded once more that Chul was gone. But this time, he controlled his emotions. He took in a slow breath, calming himself. “Goodbye, Elf.” Without another word, Jake hurdled the railing and plunged towards the distant bottom floor.
A forgettable conversation with a person Jake found even less interesting. The Elf was an Apostle, sure. However, the presence of the individual was lackluster. Jake felt nothing scary from him. He saw nothing extravagant and learned nothing worthwhile. All he learned was that his meeting with the Gods was unordinary, as was everything else that Jake was currently experiencing. Something Jake had already grown comfortable with. But, seeing those reactions made Jake wary of other Apostles going forward. He would make sure to avoid them if he could.
As Jake neared the bottom floor, he triggered wind magic around his feet and blasted air beneath him, slowing his fall but not enough to stop completely. He landed firmly, stumbling a bit as he took a few steps to alleviate the pain of a stiff impact. The boy sighed and brushed off his shirt and smoothed out his skirt.
He needed pants.
Jake returned to the Ravine and found himself a bit warmer than when he’d left. It was due to both the fire and a blanket he now found draped over his shoulders. The heat of the fire rune splashed over his face as he opened his eyes, filling his airways with hot air. He frowned as his fingers brushed the blanket. He triggered his Sensory spell and checked his surroundings. He was alone.
He peeled the blanket off his back and neatly folded it into a square he could carry. He broke down the hut, returned the materials to the floor, and destroyed the fire rune. He draped the blanket over his left shoulder and began making his way back to the village. It was fairly quiet and the lights were dimmed so he assumed it was nighttime. After spending so much time in Library with no tracking of time, it was hard to tell how long he had been gone.
When he returned to the housing tower, Jake triggered his Sensory magic once again. Everyone in the surrounding homes was asleep except for one or two outliers. However, in the home he was concerned about there was one person still sitting at the table. Jake could tell who it was just by their shape and their mana outline. Jake sighed and quickly made his ascent to the home. He stepped off the ladder onto the flat overhang and then very quietly eased the door open.
Light pierced the darkness for only a brief moment before Jake eased the door closed behind him. He did his best to reduce the amount of noise he was making but it was hard when the next object he grabbed was a hunk of wood. He set the door brace onto its hinges and then placed his hand on the door itself. Triggering rock magic, he sealed it shut. He also made sure to perform each action as slowly as he could. He still wasn’t ready to turn around.
When he did, his eyes settled on Yae. She was sitting at the table, her eye closed as she held onto a small cup with her tiny hands. Her breathing was steady and her chest rose and fell in a calm rhythm. As Jake approached the table, she didn’t budge. He looked down at the table and saw a set of three dishes set out where his seat was. He frowned at the sight. It seemed she had been waiting for him and had fallen asleep while doing so. The other two had long gone to sleep, as they were tucked into their beds and snoring away.
Very gently, Jake draped the blanket that had been put around his shoulders onto Yae’s. He then plucked the cup from her hands and set it down to the side. She began to tilt sideways, and Jake carefully eased her into his arms. He snatched up his seat cushion and flipped it over. He lay it down beside her and then eased her down onto it. She grumbled and fidgeted a bit as he settled her in, but her eye never opened.
Not wanting the food to go to waste, Jake sat down in his spot and began to quietly poke at it. A meat and potato soup, sliced vegetables, and a few slices of meat with a thin glaze of some kind of sauce over the top. It seemed that the other two had received some money recently as the dinner selection was getting better and better. Or, Yae’s cooking was improving now that she had fewer worries on her mind. Compared to before, their housing situation had improved, Tul and Xul were better fighters with better equipment and Jake had been able to cover much of their basic needs with magic.
He glanced over his shoulder towards the two sleeping in their beds and then towards their weapons. They looked damaged and Xul’s was chipped in the middle. Likely from a recent Maedra fight. Jake would need to mend those. Thankfully, the spears were made of rock so repairs would be easy enough. The runes he would make sure to adjust as well.
First, his food. Using a bit of fire in his fingertips, Jake doused his food with a bit of heat to warm it up and then proceeded to fill his empty, hungry stomach. There was never enough food to truly fill his gurgling stomach. But, the taste and care Yae put into their dinner meals were enough to satisfy the growling. He always made sure to eat plenty during breakfast and lunch to make up for the light last meal. The only issue was that today had been different. He had expended quite a bit of energy so he was very, very hungry. He gobbled up the food and carefully cleaned out the bowls of their contents. As he finished, he let out a light sigh.
“Was it not good enough?”
Jake flinched when Yae’s voice pierced his ears. He looked over to see her laying there, staring up at him. She was good at faking her sleep it seemed.
“It was good,” he whispered. She frowned and sat up, easing herself onto her cushion properly. She noticed the blanket and then glanced at Jake.
“Sorry about earlier,” he muttered.
“No, I’m sorry.” Yae pulled the blanket around herself tighter and buried her face partially beneath it as she curled into a ball. Her knees tucked against her chest and her heels squeezed the cushion. “You’re trying your best and I yelled at you for it.” Her voice was barely audible through the blanket but Jake could hear the apology just fine. He grabbed his cushion to place beneath him and relaxed into it.
“You weren’t wrong though, Yae. I don’t belong here. We both know that,” Jake muttered as he carefully collected the dishes in front of him into an organized stack. “But while I am here, I want to make the best memories I can. With you guys,” he whispered. His lips curled into a smile as he looked over to Yae. She was staring at the cup in front of her.
They sat in silence for a bit, and Jake eventually turned his eyes down to his dishes as he thought of what to say next. When Yae didn’t speak up, he decided to do it first.
“Hey.” He looked over to her and leaned in a bit closer to the table. “Tomorrow, how about we hang out? Just the three of us?” He asked. Yae finally looked over at him, but her eyes drifted away. She didn’t answer right away. Jake didn’t prod her for an answer and waited until she glanced over at him again.
“I guess…” She grumbled, pulling the blanket over her head more. Jake reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shivered at the touch. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling away.
He lifted his dishes from the table and carried them to the kitchen area. He placed them all into the small basin in the middle to be cleaned. With Tul and Xul sleeping, he used water magic rather than turning on the pipe. He materialized a water ball over the basin and then cut a small line at its bottom with mana, splitting the ball to allow the water to leak out. He rinsed the dishes first with clear water and then used a slab of soap to clean out the rest. A final rinse and the dishes were clean. He set the bowls to the side to let them air dry. Then, he used wind to carefully clean his hands.
Before he could move away from the counter, he felt something bump into him. Yae nudged him from behind and leaned against him.
“It’s scary, you know… Being the only one who never leaves,” she whispered. Jake frowned and grabbed onto the counter. “I never know when they will come back. I never know if they will come back. When they do, I never know whether to smile or cry.”
Yae paused, her body shuddering and shaking against him. Jake gripped the counter and closed his eyes, listening to her faint sobs as she tried to keep herself upright. He knew that feeling very well. He knew how much it hurt to wait for someone to come back. He knew the fear of never seeing that person again. He knew the confusion whenever they did return.
“I don’t want you to disappear too, Jake…” She muttered. Jake clenched his teeth and then slowly eased off the counter.
“I can’t promise that, Yae, but I can promise at least that I won’t forget and that I’ll come back when I can.” Jake didn’t quite know what kind of answer Yae was looking for or what she wanted, but he knew what he couldn’t promise. Jake would leave this village eventually. Staying here wasn’t the answer to his life. Not when the world called for him.
…Maybe this was how his father felt every time he returned to see Jake.
“Promise?” She whimpered. Jake smiled and nodded.
“Promise,” he answered. The weight on his back lifted and he heard the faint sound of footsteps fade as she walked away. He closed his eyes and remained still, listening as Yae crawled into her bed. She rustled around a bit until finally settling in. Jake took in a long breath and then he decided to do the same.
Jake made his way to his bed and paused beside Yae. He looked down at her for a long time as he burned the image of her calm face into his mind. After probably standing a little too long, he climbed up the ladder and crawled into his own bed. Even though the cushion was stiff, even though the blanket was thin, it felt amazing to finally settle into something comfortable and close his eyes. In seconds, he was asleep.
He was too tired to even trigger the Library, so he found himself dreaming for the first time in a while.
