There was an awkward silence in the air, Aellisia simply stared at Eahlswith, a half-formed frown on her brow and her eyes widened slightly in shock. Zilia looked nervous and her gaze kept flickering back and forth between the pair, as though trying to discern exactly what was going on. After another minute had passed Aellisia finally spoke again, out loud for Zilia's benefit.
"I'm sorry Eahl, but could you repeat that again?"
The massive wolf seemed as though she shrugged for a moment, as they all ignored the cooling corpse of the boar at her feet.
'I said that I believe there may be a way for the human female to understand the words that I say.'
The statement she repeated left Aellisia gaping slightly, her head tilted to the side as it often did when she was confused.
"No no, I heard you the first time, but can you please explain what you mean? And how that's even possible?"
Eahlswith let out a long low huff of irritation, and for a moment Aellisia could swear that she was trying to roll her eyes in irritation.
'The words that you speak with her, the words are the same as those you use to speak with me. I know not how we have bonded but since you have awoken with that mark upon your head, I can somewhat feel it more tangibly. I must speak with this Woman with my own words for there are things I must say to her, and I believe that you can help me with this.'
For a moment Aellisia remained silent, of all the things she expected Eahlswith to say when she returned to them, this was not it. Tentatively she reached out, brushing their bond with her mind, and although the pain and grief were still there throbbing like a wound below the surface, her anger had cooled considerably.
"How can I help with that Eahl? I'll do whatever you need me to do."
Aellisia did not press her friend on how she was holding up, she knew her too well for that, and Eahlswith despite how she might feel when she was upset, was a master at controlling her emotions, especially when she was focused on something else.
'I have thought long on our bond, since the first moment we spoke it fascinated me. And the words you used when we first communicated were for the first time that I understood a creature that was not my own species. When you said those words to me, I felt a sense of something, a power that filled them that is similar to the power I feel that you are now emitting since that mark appeared.'
Zilia had remained silent during this exchange, aware that they were speaking but only hearing one side of the conversation.
"I never knew that was the case, then are you saying that this power you sense is the key to what you need?"
Aellissia glanced across to Zilia and gestured towards the boar whilst her and Eahlswith spoke. Nodding, the human slowly approached and drew a knife whilst Eahlswith stepped out of the way.
'Yes, I believe that if you tried to guide that power to the Human Woman, whilst she spoke the words that you spoke, then it may be possible that she could understand me when I speak.'
Aellisia didn't hesitate to agree, if there was anything that she could do to help her friend, and to help Zilia understand one another she was more than willing to do it.
"Of course Eahl, but I don't know what I need to do, to make that happen. I'm more than willing obviously, but what you want... Seems difficult, and I cannot guarantee that it will be quick or even possible."
Eahlswith fixed her golden eyes on Aellisia and bowed her head briefly in acknowledgment.
'I understand this, and I will help you in this endeavour as best as I am able. However, I believe that it is important. I do not blame her for the actions of her kind, but I must see the memories she has of anything related to my kin, no matter how painful they might be. And truthfully I can see that you have grown quite close to her. If you trust her as I suspect you do, then I am willing to put forth the effort to understand her better as well.'
Aellisia sighed but found that she could not refute her friend's words. She did not understand when it had happened, but at some point in their travels together she had started to trust the woman, and given how she had defended her and cared for her when she collapsed it seemed that the trust that they had shared had borne fruit.
"May I tell her your words? She has felt incredible guilt since last night, and I think hearing that you don't hate her might help her somewhat."
Eahlswith moved closer to their campfire and slumped down, crossing her front legs over one another.
'Of course you may, and please tell her that I wish to speak to her when she is able if you do not mind translating my words for her.'
Aellisia nodded her consent and as her friend lay down by their fire she went to help dress their dinner and relay what Eahlswith had said. At first, Zilia seemed confused when Aellisia spoke to her, and informed her of what Eahlswith had said, the guilt she was feeling was not so easily washed away. But after a short time and after Aellisia explained that they wanted to try and share the connection that she and her friend had with her her mood did finally improve.
"I don't understand why you would want to do this for me?"
Zilia's face was marred by a frown of confusion as she spoke.
"It was Eahlswith's idea, and like I said to her I don't know how to form this connection yet so it may take some time for us to do it, but she's my closest friend so when she asked this of me, there was no way I could refuse her."
Aellisia's tone was calm but had a tint of sadness to it as she recalled the grief that was still echoing through her bond with Eahlswith. Her melancholic thoughts were swept away however with Zilia's next words.
"I'll try and help as I can, but you do know that I don't know how to use Magic right?"
As they cooked dinner together Zilia explained to Aellisia that based on how she described the power that Eahlswith and she felt, and the steps that Aellisia recounted doing to unveil her marking, that what she had performed was Magic. She further explained that while many in the Kingdom could cast magic, she was unfortunately not one of them. Zilia had of course been tested when she came of age, but it had found that her mana pool was woefully small. It had never been something that had bothered her overmuch as a child as she had always desired to follow in her mother's footsteps as a Herbalist. But she knew the basics from a few friends of hers who had been found to have a small degree of talent in their town and had been taken on by older guild members who were at the rank of Magus. Aellisia listened with a voracious look in her eyes as she absorbed every piece of knowledge that Zilia was imparting.
"Firstly you must understand that everything I'm saying is only the knowledge that my friends have told me, and what little I have read myself."
Aellisia nodded and passed the first pieces of cooked meat over to Eahlswith who had long since moved over to join them by the fire.
"Now then! Most magic is something that falls under three major categories. Summoning Magic, Elemental Magic, and Enhancement Magic. Each of these is fairly self-explanatory but I'll break them down for you, Summoning Magic relates to the Summoning of Spirits and Souls, using your mana as a payment and giving them a physical form and letting them manifest in our world with a physical construct. Elemental Magic allows you to use the elements of the world around you to affect mana for a variety of purposes, for example, lightning magic would summon it into being by infusing mana with lightning elements and then casting it with your will, perhaps as a ball of lightning or even a barrier."
Zilia paused as she took a swig of water and passed a cooked skewer over to Aellisia who immediately began to blow on it to cool it before she took a tentative bite.
"And finally there is Enhancement magic, most Knights of the kingdom use this, as well as most everyone who has a small mana pool and are either warriors or workers such as Lumberjacks etcetera. With this magic type, you infuse your body with mana and use it to enhance things such as speed or strength. Of course, I've heard that your people and the Dwarves use different magic from humans and beastkin, but I don't really know anything about that."
Aellisia nodded as she ate quietly, her Silver eyes shining as they regarded Zilia causing the Human woman to blush slightly from her rapt attention.
As she cooked some more of the meat on skewers Zilia coughed and tried to get rid of the rush of heat to her cheeks at the gaze of Aellisia whose eyes had not wavered for a moment.
"A-Anyway, as I was saying those are the three major types of magic, although my friends said that there are many lesser types of magic out in the world as well. There also used to be another school of Magic known as Divine magic that was utilised by the churches of the Pantheon, but after the War in the Heavens and the fall of the old Empire they restricted their followers from its usage when the Gods stopped descending to our world."
Aellisia frowned at the term Zilia used, as her last statement had left her with many questions. Zilia smiled as she saw the questions that Aellisia wanted to ask bubble up in her expressions, so she held up a hand to forestall her.
"I'll explain anything you want to know about anything I've said when I've finished explaining Magic if you want?"
Swallowing the mouthful of food that she had been eating Aellisia nodded and reached for another skewer of meat, passing over some more of the larger cooked pieces to Eahlswith.
"Thank you Zilia, I have many questions but they can wait."
Pausing for a moment she met the Human woman's eyes and in a more serious tone spoke.
"And thank you for explaining all of this to me, I appreciate it more than you can know."
Upon hearing Aellisia's words Zilia flushed again, the redness reaching her ear tips this time and the human smiled at her.
"Of Course! I'm always happy to help you! Anytime you need it just ask!"
Her voice hitched slightly upwards as she spoke and she looked away in embarrassment for a few moments as she turned some of the many skewers of meat and the huge slab that Zilia had wrapped in herbs and leaves and was now cooking on the spit that had been in the collection of supplies from the failed expedition.
"Now! Many people have a Mana Pool, as I understand it, it's like a pool inside your soul, where mana gathers and magicians tap into this pool of mana to cast spells and perform summonings and the like. My friends explained that through practice and effort, magicians can learn to expand their pool through meditation at places of power, where the wild mana of the world gathers in one place."
Stopping for a few moments Zilia took the opportunity to begin eating a skewer herself and watched as Aellisia tore into another one herself, for some reason, Zilia couldn't explain she found her eyes drawn to watching Aellisia's lips as she placed them around the meat and bit into it with gusto. Heat flooded her face as she did so and she forced herself to look away as she concentrated on eating her own food, only for Aellisia's sing-song tone to enter her ears a moment later.
"Is something wrong Zilia? You seem uncomfortable?"
Happy new year to you as well and thank you for the chapter