"One can create supernatural phenomena through the manipulation of a unique energy called Arcana. Magic is the resultant effect of manipulating Arcana," Sharone said. They were walking back into the city.
"There are different types of magic," she continued. "Everyone is born with Arcana flowing through his body. One, however, has to train in order to express it as magic. This doesn't apply to everyone, as some people are incapable of using magic no matter how hard they try."
(Fair enough)
"Most magic users are able to use a specific kind of magic, but that's not the limit. You'll recall that the mage in the forest could use gravity aside from his lightning."
Kojo remembered the pressure.
"Aside from your main element, you can learn a few incantations from other kinds of magic in order to maximize your chances in any event that may arise."
"Wait, so here you use incantations and chants?" Kojo asked. Sharone nodded.
"Just great. What everyone from my world hates is a long-ass chant that doesn't do anything impressive," he thought.
"Don't incantations waste time? I mean, you could just imagine what you want done."
"Not at all, incantations make casting a lot easier."
"Hmm?"
"Okay, try and make a spell," Sharone said. Kojo looked at her. They had just passed through the city gates.
"Don't be shy."
Kojo stopped walking.
"Okay then," he sighed. "Time to impress this chick." He raised his hand into the air.
"Sacred Bolt of lightning, I summon thee four—"
Sharone burst into laughter.
"You're really funny."
"Huh?"
"That's not how you do an incantation."
Kojo pouted.
"Well I—"
(You're nothing. You spoiled your chances.)
"Shut up," he mumbled. Sharone looked at him.
"Sorry, not you."
"No, I should be apologizing. I shouldn't have made fun of your efforts." Kojo's face turned red.
"Anyway, it's not your fault. You aren't from here, so don't be hard on yourself. In fact, you were able to use basic elements without them." She opened her hand, and a magic circle appeared.
"This is an incantation. It's all based on a three-way formula. First, gather Arcana."
She opened her other hand, and it began to glow red. "Then visualize what you want done." A magic circle appeared. "Then you release." A blast of red energy shot upward and exploded above them, showering them with red flower petals.
"Woah," said Kojo, amazed. The people around looked at them due to the spell Sharone cast.
"Now, you try," she said with a smile.
Kojo turned and saw a tree nearby.
(The excess energy you absorbed is quite an amount, aside from the fact that there's Arcana in your cells, making you more powerful than your average mage. You need to control this energy.)
"I got this," Kojo said, aiming at the tree. A magic circle appeared in his palm.
(Your body hasn't fully adapted to the energy. One misfire, and you might tear yourself apart, taking everything within a 12-mile radius with you.)
"What!" He raised his hand and fired, sending a fireball over the walls. There was a loud explosion as a pillar of fire was sent into the air. Everyone around looked mortified.
(And just like that, my advice goes to the dogs.)
Kojo quickly grabbed Sharone's hand and made a run for it while everyone was still distracted.
"You're stronger than I anticipated," Sharone said the next day as they walked towards the Raiders Bureau. The explosion had caused the city guards to look for the perpetrator, so Kojo and Sharone had to hide out in their room for the rest of the day. During this time, Kojo learned from Sharone that there were three forbidden magic arts:
Blood magic, which was exclusive to the vampire royal family,
Curse magic, which was the sacrifice of one's being to get power, one of the vilest out there,
And Soul magic, a power exclusive only to the Demon Lords.
Speaking of Demon Lords, Sharone mentioned that there were seven of them, each being opposed by seven deities or gods who were their polar opposites.
(To maintain the balance.)
"I suppose so," Kojo thought as they entered the building.
They came out later with their licenses and a job.
"I thought they would test our magic power or something?" Kojo commented.
"Nah. After you confessed to using that high-grade fire spell, they were convinced that you could do it," Sharone replied. Kojo wondered why she called it a high-grade spell when it was actually what he used to turn on the lanterns the previous evening.
"I'm surprised you made it through too."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Kojo said quickly.
(She hypnotized the registrar. You better beware of those eyes.)
"So we're needed at Yert village, a day's journey from here. Says they've been attacked by a beast which has been destroying their crops," Kojo said, reading the parchment.
"Then we better prepare," Sharone said.
They went through town buying supplies for their job. On their way home, they came across a smith shop with the name Black Metal.
"Sounds cool, let's go in," Sharone said, moving toward the building.
"But we already have supplies," Kojo whined.
"True, but we're lacking when it comes to armor and weaponry," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside.
The moment they entered the shop, a voice greeted them, "Welcome to my shop. How can I assist you?"
They looked around the shop before looking down to see a topless dwarf holding a hammer.
"Eh?"
"My name's Glenn, nice to meet you," he said, ignoring their reaction and shaking their hands. There were many weapons on display. Kojo eyed the sword display.
"You like them?" he asked.
"All the weapons here were made by the best blacksmith in the land, so you shouldn't hesitate to make a purchase." Then, as if realizing something, "Silly me, I was so carried away I forgot to ask for your names."
"Okay. My name's Atari Kojo, but you can call me Kojo."
"Atari?" Glenn repeated, stroking his beard. "What an exotic name and befitting of such a handsome fellow. I can see you're not from around these parts."
(A true salesman, always trying to get sales through flattery.)
"And you, milady?"
"This is my companion, Sharone. Sharone Grymrae," Kojo answered.
"Grymrae? You don't happen to be..."
Sharone flashed him a look, and he fell silent.
"Right," he continued. "So what can I offer the both of you?"
"Well, we're going on a mission, and we need gear," Sharone said.
"Say no more," Glenn said, signaling them toward a wall. "I have the best weapons and armor in the entire province, and I daresay the entire kingdom."
Kojo shook his head. "That's great, but could you make something to meet our specifications?"
"Why, of course," Glenn said, stroking his beard. He walked up to them and opened his palm. There was a flash of light, and a magic circle appeared under them. It floated upward, scanning them with beams of light. They then faded.
"There, all done," Glenn said. "Now I have all the specifications I need to make your gear."
"How'd you do that?" Kojo asked.
"I simply used magic to read the dynamics of your bodies by using the earth you're standing on," Glenn explained.
"Um, Mr. Blacksmith," Sharone called.
"Call me Glenn."
"Okay. What materials will you use?"
"Well, that depends on your pockets," Glenn said with a laugh.
"What about if we brought our own materials?" Kojo asked.
"Well, that would reduce the cost."
"Good, 'cause we want high-grade gear," Kojo said. "Do you by any chance use the parts from beasts?"
"I do. They're durable and make fine materials," Glenn answered.
"Cool," Kojo said. A portal opened in front of Glenn, and a ten-foot-long armored viper fell out. Glenn gave a yell and stepped back in surprise.
"I hope this will be enough for both of us," Kojo said.
"Where did you get this, boy?" Glenn asked.
"I killed some beasts in the forest," he replied.
"You can't mean you're the reason there was a mass migration of beasts from the forest?" Glenn said in surprise.
Kojo raised an eyebrow.
"Well, we need to prepare for our mission. When will the equipment be ready?" Sharone asked. Glenn regained his composure and cleared his throat.
"In three days," he replied.
" Ok then we're taking our leave" Sharone said as she and Kojo walked out.
" Oh and you might need some metals " The portal reopened and more beast corpses and crystals formed a pile Infront of Glenn.
" I included some more corpses just in case. See you in three days " Kojo said before walking out.
Glenn looked at the closed door.
" Well I'll be damned."
*******
"The countryside's so beautiful," Sharone said, taking in the scenery of fields as they walked by. Kojo remembered that he'd destroyed three of them with a single hit and the scolding he'd received from the farmers. He'd had to pay them off. He and Sharone had been on the road for a day, heading towards the farming village to complete their mission: slay the beasts terrorizing the inhabitants.
Kojo grunted. He was tired because he was the one carrying their luggage.
"So, Kojo, I've been meaning to ask, where do you come from?"
Kojo was about to respond, but Sysia stopped him.
(Don't you dare. I know you like this girl, and we've been together for a while now, but we can't just give out info like that when we're not entirely sure what to make of this place.)
"I'm from a place that's very far away, beyond the sea."
"Hmm," she replied thoughtfully.
"Why? Is anything the matter?" he asked.
"No, you're just strong, that's all."
They continued in silence until they got to a stream.
"You must be tired, let's rest for a bit," Sharone suggested. She had barely finished when Kojo dropped the bags and collapsed on the ground. He closed his eyes.
"Sysia," he called in his head.
(Hmm?)
"Oh, you're still there."
(Where else would I be?)
"I wanted to know your thoughts on this world."
(Hmm, based on my analysis...) An interface with tabulated information popped up inside Kojo's mind.
(This world shares some similarities with Earth, but it's totally different, being governed by different laws, making it a complex matrix of data. I'm not even done processing the physics behind this Arcana.)
"Yeah, it's strange how things work here," he thought, taking in the landscape and the animals that were scuttling about around them.
(I wouldn't worry. It is such complexity that makes every new discovery more fulfilling and, what's the word you humans use? Yes, fun.)
"Yeah, you're right."
(You should be grateful you have me.)
"Yeah, thanks, Sysia."
(Awww, that's so sweet.)
"And she ruins the moment."
(Keep this up, and you'll be able to woo little miss Dracula over there.)
Kojo raised his head and eyed Sharone, who squatted beside the stream, feeling the water with her hand. He got up.
"I'm gonna get us some food," he said.
"Okay," Sharone responded. "Don't take too long."
He waved at her as he made his way into the forest. The moment he entered, he spotted a deer.
STEALTH.
He tried to slowly creep toward it, claws extended, but somehow it noticed him and ran away.
"Hey, get back here!" Kojo yelled, chasing after it. His mouth watered as he chased it, thinking of all the delicacies he could make.
"Okay, I can't use fire magic here since it might light the place up."
(But you're well versed with the abilities of those beasts you copied.)
"Yeah, but that wouldn't be fun." The deer suddenly turned left. Kojo tried to follow but slammed into a tree.
"Damn you. Okay, let's try that incantation thing Sharone was talking about."
He lifted the earth in front of the deer, barring its way. But it turned right to avoid. Kojo was still in pursuit. He fired ice spikes at it but didn't land a hit.
"Playing hard to get, huh?"
CLOUD.
He floated upward and made an ice spear. He then jumped at the deer from above, throwing the spear in front of it. He then made to grab the startled animal, but it ducked, and he went over it, hitting a tree with his back. The deer ran away.
"Ow," Kojo said, sitting up and rubbing his back.
"Well, there goes lunch." He got to his feet, then something dropped to the ground.
"Huh?" It dropped again. It's then that he noticed a buzzing sound and looked up.
Above him was the biggest beehive he'd ever seen.
"What the...?" He studied the hive and saw another drop of honey about to fall. This time he caught some in his palm.
"Yummy," he said, licking it. He then made an ice spear in his left hand and moved toward the hive. He was about to throw it, but Sysia stopped him.
(You're forgetting it's a beehive. Not hive minus bee. I don't think they'll be happy with someone poking holes in their nest.)
Kojo paused, thinking of a way to get the honey without attracting the bees. The bees themselves were huge, each being as big as a wine bottle, and their stingers shone in the light.
"How about I freeze the hive?"
(And the honey?)
"Could use fire."
(That would melt the ice and make you an even bigger target.)
"Okay, I could—"
(Stop making stupid assumptions and come up with something.)
"Ouch, that's harsh," he said, hitting the hive with a fireball.
(And he refused to listen.)
The blast caused all the bees in the hive to swarm in defense. They spotted Kojo and descended on him. He then used wind magic to blow them away from the hive and encased them in a giant glacier.
"See, that wasn't so hard."
(Meh.)
"C'mon, that was a good plan."
(Your success rate was 9.27%. You're lucky they came at you from one side. Otherwise, you'd have been so screwed.)
"You can be such a pain sometimes."
CLOUD.
He floated up and collected some honey into a bag he was carrying. He then made a massive hole and began to drain large quantities into his dimensional pocket. It was then that he felt vapor and realized there was a buzzing sound. The buzzing was growing louder. He turned to see the glacier was vibrating, slowly melting. It began to crack.
"Oh crap."
The glacier burst, and the bees swarmed up at him. He quickly flew through the forest, crisscrossing through the trees, but the bees were still hot on his tail.
"The hell did they break out?"
(Seems they caused tension within the ice by vibrating their wings simultaneously, causing the ice to crack.)
"How do I shake 'em off?"
(You're asking me? I told you no funny ideas.)
Kojo groaned. He turned and released a stream of fire at the bees, burning some of them, but they broke into three separate swarms.
"You've got to be kidding me."
One swarm pursued him from behind, while the other two closed in from either side. Kojo saw the end of the treeline and propelled himself forward with fire. Suddenly, a fourth swarm appeared in front of him.
"Shit."
Sharone was wondering why Kojo was taking so long. "It's been a while, and he hasn't come back yet," she said, looking at the forest. She considered going to look for him but decided against it.
"I'm sure he's fine," she reassured herself. She looked at the stream.
"Why don't I take this time to cool off?" she said, squatting and fetching water in her palms. She heard a buzzing sound in the distance.
"Huh?"
She turned to the forest. There was another flash of light and another blast. She looked on amazed as Kojo appeared over the treetop, being closely followed by bees. He was falling toward her.
"Kojo!" she yelled.
"Sorry about this," he said, knocking her into the water. The bees halted at the edge of the stream.
Kojo sat up. "Hah! You can't come near water," he said, splashing some at them. The bees went back a little.
"Okay then," he stood up and spread his arms. A magic circle appeared under him. Sharone's eyes widened.
"But it was just yesterday that I explained the concept. How did he pick it up so fast?" she wondered, looking up at him.
The water began to swirl under him before shooting upward. The drops then froze, becoming droplet-sized bullets.
RAINDANCE.
The bullets sprayed the bees, tearing through them. The bees retreated, moving back into the forest. They lingered at the edge, faced Kojo for a moment, before disappearing inside.
(I don't think this is over.)
Kojo got out of the water and picked up one of the dead bees.
"Hey Sharone, sorry I'm late, but look, I brought us some luuuuu—"
He turned. The water had caused Sharone's clothes to cling to her skin. He noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. His face turned red.
Sharone realized it and covered her chest and splashed water on him.
"Do you want to start a water war?" he chuckled, making a water ball over his index finger.
She looked over at him, then straightened, turning to face him.
Kojo's nose began to bleed.
"You're on."