“Practice multiple affinities?” Fiena repeated my question. “Why…I don’t know. I don’t see why not. You would be able to double your efficiency. Well maybe not double, but certainly improve. If you can keep your focus then I would say go for it.”

With Fiena’s blessing I began to train my physical and light affinities that afternoon. Moving through the physical movements Alea had shown me that morning while also trying to focus on the sun and pulling in the mana shining down from it.

The only real problem was that my mind kept getting distracted. Veering off to pose questions about magic and mana. Trying to reason through how they worked given the knowledge from my world. Eventually I came back to Ulla’s warning that some things just worked differently on Praecantio. Perhaps I needed to adjust my sense of logic. I was, after all, standing there next to a person of a fantasy race, absorbing mana to gain magical skills. Yeah I definitely needed to readjust my sense of logic.

While sitting in front of Perceval I decided to try the same. Adjusting the mana flowing through my body while I tried to use the magical tool. The result was a fading and brightening of the word “Interpretation” illuminated in the crystal ball.

I figured if training like this were dangerous Perceval would notice my mana glowing and tell me to stop. I took his silence as affirmation that my training was acceptable.

“How do you feel after all that affinity training?” Fiena asked me later that night.

“I feel fine,” I said. “I haven’t really noticed any difference in my mana though.”

“Hmm…I see,” she said nodding her head. “You have only just begun…maybe you need to try and put more mana into your training. You know pour everything you’ve got into it.”

That’s what I was trying to do. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much mana to work with. But I didn’t tell her that. Not because I didn’t trust her. It was that I cared what she thought of me. I didn’t want her to find out I wasn’t a hero. That all the effort she put into helping me might be for nothing. Well she could see the results of my training anyway. There really was no hiding the mana glow when you begin using magic.

‘It really is a significant detriment to using magic,’ I thought, wondering how people compensated for the obviousness its use produced. Perhaps I would ask Perceval…no he probably wouldn’t tell me. Maybe I could ask Bella if she’s learned anything about disguising that mana glow.

“For now,” I said, “Let’s read some more.”

“I was thinking about that,” Fiena smiled taking out a scroll. “I got this from the library today. It’s a tome of mana manipulation. It has spells which can be used to increase mana absorption. I thought we could read it together.”

Wow. There was such a thing as that in the library? Why didn’t Perceval tell me about it? Actually he knows I can’t read the language. Perhaps it’s his way of being kind…although I’d rather he be like Fiena and just teach me to read.

“Let’s see,” she continued opening the scroll. “This part isn’t important…um let’s start here. It’s a list of ingredients necessary.”

Fiena began to read off a list of ingredients which I heard in two distinct languages. It never ceased to amaze me hearing two languages come from the same mouth at the same time. It was really strange. Especially watching her mouth move. It was almost as if there was a blur as my eyes saw the motions for both languages at the same time.

I wondered if [Interpretation] impacted just my perception or if it acted on a more spatial level. Did it alter the sound waves or just my brain’s interpretation? Likewise could I understand sign languages or other non-verbal communication? I couldn’t understand the written language so maybe not. But what if…

“Fiena,” I interrupted. “You know that I have the ability [Interpretation]. I was wondering, is there any way to train an ability? You know to make it better.”

“Train…an ability?” she said, taken aback. “You mean improve on something divinely given? I …I honestly don’t know… that would be extraordinary if you could…I’ll have to look into that.”

She returned to describing the spell. After the ingredients she identified the image of a magic circle which reminded me of the one which had appeared beneath Bella when we were transported to Praecantio. Finally she read to me an invocation which should activate the spell.

“Why are there so many steps?” I asked. “Not all magic skills take this much preparation.”

“Well this is a spell not a skill,” she corrected. “Spells require ingredients, magic circles and invocations to activate, but they can also be more powerful than skills as they pull on natural mana from the world around you. You can also combine the two to greater effect. Like the spell which brought you and the other hero to Praecantio. That required a special skill to activate. Well probably an ability and a skill.”

It sounded complicated. And Incredibly specific. Is that why there aren’t more heroes?

“That’s interesting. And where do spells and skills come from? Are they given by gods like Ulla or do people have to figure them out?”

“Well that depends on the skills and spells,” Fiena explained. “Some come from the gods, but others are determined by mortals who study for years and years to work out the intricacies of magic and determine how to develop new spells and skills.”

Then it’s not something I could learn. At least not quickly.

“What about this spell. Will I be able to use it?” I asked.

That is without any affinities.

“I think so,” she smiled. “It doesn’t say anything about requiring specific affinities to activate the spell, just that some of the target affinity is already in the person undertaking the spell. I can try and get these ingredients for you. Although it might take a few days. Then we can try it out together.”

That sounds fantastic. Fiena really was a god send. Perhaps even literally. I don’t know what I would be doing without her help. I wouldn’t be reading or training for light magic affinity that’s for sure. And now I would be getting a boost to my training because she thought to check out a scroll from the library. Just so she could help me.

I was definitely glad I had Fiena as a friend. With her help I may be able to catch back up to Bella. Maybe.