Land of Mirriam

Finally, Jedilyn could understand why the old man warned her. Not only that the step she was taking was uneven… the damp weather and the summer heat were making her sweat. The forest just north of the Creek Village is thick, she can’t even tell where the sun is.

The old man and Simon were fine though.

“Sir… why would you travel through the jungle? Not that I’m complaining,” she suddenly asked, the last part of her sentence was to make sure that she didn't get berated, stressing the point that she was not complaining.

The old man smirked as he was leading the group up front, it seemed that the girl was starting to open up.

“Simon… how about you answer that,” the old man probed on the boy.

“The monster knows that humans travel through the paved roads, they learn,” that was the answer of Simon.

Jedi was a bit shocked, monsters learning?

“We sometimes encounter monsters in the forest but it's much more on a lower rate than on the paved roads, have you been on the central before?” the old man asked.

“No, -Kya!!!-”, she almost slipped but Simon grabbed her shoulder “-Thank you Simon… sorry” she apologized.

“It's okay!! Old man, she slipped too so is she also an idiot?” Simon asked innocently.

“A bit on your level I think” the old man with his teeth showing.

Jedi didn’t like that, she was actually a noble’s child and had received education from tutors. “Humph,” she just shrugs it off though.

They strolled on the tropical lush green, and the leaves and branches would sound each time they stepped on. As they sweat they slowly acclimate to the temperature of the forest. It was not immediate but they found an open space with not that many trees and bushes, there were also good stones to be sat too.

“Oh… this is a good spot, Simon look around we will be camping here for a while,” the old man said.

“Okay!!!” Simon answered, after the dungeon dive in the Tugak’s Dungeon it had been Simon’s duty to check around. Looking for a good spot; the boy put down his bag.

“Drop your things near the boy’s things-” the old man said as he dropped his things near Simon’s “-That spot is a safe spot against insects,” the old man said.

Jedi stopped for a moment to analyze what the old man said, wasn’t that too convenient “How could Simon know that?” the red-haired haired wondered.

“I don’t know but I noticed it while we were traveling, insect less likely to appear where that boy lands his things… trust me,” the old man said, he stood up and started shaving off some of the foliage putting it on one side, it will be their bed for awhile.

The old man was placing it near the spot where Simon landed his things. The girl followed the advice and placed her things near the same spot too. She began unpacking the things she would need.

“It seems you have tried camping before,” the old man commented as he saw the girl quickly taking out her things, it must have been organized.

“Of course!!! Can we make a small place to cook?” she asks the old man. The old man nodded.

<--->

Using stones as the placement and the stone slab Jedilyn started cooking, she has been camping since she was little, and her family are mostly hunters. She just had to remove the meat from the bottle and place another one inside, she took out 3 cuts and placed it on the stone slab.

“Meat!! Meat!!!” Simon said it like he was part of a cult. The boy of all the simplest things he could conclude, Jedi was good at cooking food.

“We are going to eat some vegetables and fruits too!!!” she said and she took out some berries and started cutting them.

…

In a few moments the food was ready and done, by using the wooden plates she brought she gave Simon and the old man their share.

“Oh this smells good… good job little girl!!” the old man praised Jedi.

Simon happily took the plate with a smile “Thank you!!!” he said in deep gratitude.

“Then let us eat!!!” Jedilyn said so with gusto.

It was only a few minutes until the sunset and after a few minutes of rest after eating the 2 started their evening training.

Jedilyn with her 1000 thrust and Simon as the dishwasher.

“Okay!! I’ll make sure it's sparkling clean!!” he said as he took the plates, he had to conserve water since they could only refill it every now and then. Using a cloth the boy began cleaning.

As the girl took her wooden spear, she watched the boy who was happily cleaning the dishes.

“Old man… why won’t you teach Simon any weapons?” Jedilyn asked as she started doing thrust.

“He cannot control his strength yet,” the old man answered. He was forming up the bed that they would be using to sleep.

“Do you know any kind of magic?” the old man asked changing the topic.

“Oh… magic… unfortunately I can only use some 'body enchantments' and some daily life magic,” she said.

“What magic?” the old man asked her to be more elaborate.

“Strengthen… see in the dark and clean... whew,” she said without stopping her spear thrusting but she gasped for air.

“That’s why even though you looked ragged you don’t smell that bad,” the old man said recollecting the first time she saw her drooling in the window of the adventurer’s guild.

“... I don’t smell…” Jedi said… it was with conviction.

The old man just nodded. “Of course, you don’t” he agreed immediately.

“I’m finished what are we going to do tonight?” Simon ran, he was finished with his task.

“We are going to talk about magic,” the old man said smiling fiercely.

“That’s… boring,” Simon said and he was met with a smack on the head.

“If you don’t remember anything that I’m going to talk about… we will eat your portion… right Jedi?” the old man coerced Jedi to say: “Yes… sorry Simon” Jedi smiled apologetically… and Simon; with 'losing his world' face.

“No…”

<--->

There is magic in about anything. It's everywhere and it's nowhere too. There are 4 applications of magic.

“The most common is Spells and Enhancements,” the old man was explaining to the children, Jedi just finished her 1000 thrust and Simon had been there fighting with his all just to stay awake.

“The other 2 are Rituals and Oaths which are dangerous and you won’t need them unless you must fight an uphill battle, magic can be as high as one's visualization in the first place,” the old man continued.

The basic rules and laws of magic:

Magic would always have an element. Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth are the 4 basic accepted elements while light and dark magic are the Void elements, and among all others that weren’t with the 4 basic elements are considered as a void element.

2.“There is no correct verse in casting spells… words are there to help the caster visualize his magic… so if I say light” a small orb floats on the old man’s hands and floats up and disappears. “It’s the same as when I say glow ball” and the same orb floats again. “Or if I say nothing at all” and the 3rd orb floats and disappears again.

“Do you get it? Simon!!! Stay awake!!!” the old man scolded Simon who was starting to doze off.

“I understand… magic is everything, everywhere and whenever,” clearly the boy was listening.

“Hmm…” and Jedi’s body lightens up and fades quickly. It seems that she casts her strengthening magic without her usual chant.

“Seems that you understood quickly… unlike this idiot who is half awake,” the old man said really impressed with the girl.

“Oh! It came off” she said, the strengthen magic disappeared.

The old man wanted to proceed “Okay… to continue on”

Magic spells have 3 steps before it would manifest.

Visualization - includes the understanding of the spell or magic one was about to use. Imagination was a key part too. Studying and meditation help one to increase this.

Control - the ability to control magic before it disperse. By firing the basic elements or just being on enhancement longer, control increases.

Capacity - how much one can expend magic to activate a spell or achieve the spell. Using stronger spells has a conjunction with control.

Recovery - how fast can one replenish magic… totally different from Capacity. To increase recovery one must expend magic until it's gone.

“Gulp” Jedi gulped as she heard the ways of how to increase magic.

“Oh… it seems you totally get it… so before you go to sleep… you have to expend your magic… totally all of it,” the old man said.

“Isn’t it bad to do that?” Jedilyn asked with a doubt.

“It is bad yes… but at least it's not deadly and doesn’t have detrimental effects… you continue casting strengthening until you fall asleep girl… Simon wake up!!!” and a bash on Simon’s head.

“Ouch!!!” Simon said regaining his consciousness.

“For you, you little shit, you will have to learn the hard way, you have to thank Jedi, I was planning on teaching you magic at least when you become 10 years old,” the old man said.

Then Simon smiled at Jedi “Thank you!!!” it seemed that the boy didn't understand anything.

“Wait... you are younger?!” Jedi reacted.

…

Since Simon didn’t know any spell his first training was called ‘Flow’ it’s a simple release of magic at its maximum and then slowly decreasing its output. The problem is that the old man needed to teach Simon how to even feel magic around him.

“So… it's like the small vibrations,” the boy said after listening to the old man’s explanation.

“Vibrations? Oh, Jedi’s out… you can sleep now,” the old man said as Jedi’s head started aching, she was holding her head.

“Don’t worry girl… you will get used to the magic starvation, have a good night’s rest,” the old man smiled.

Jedi just nodded and she unsteadily went to the spot where their things were, now she understood why the old man prepared the bed already.

“I’m going to show it to you now… do it after me!!” the old man said. The 2 were already sitting in an Indian pose.

The old man immediately released his magic out of his body in a maximum output, a bit of floating rocks and a dim shine were all around the old man, the old man was strong, and starting mages would only release something that was compared to a fart.

“Whew… now… you,” the old man smiled fiercely.

Simon smiled back and followed the instructions.

The boy’s body started to dim a bit… but the area of the magic he was releasing was larger…

“The fuck,” the old man said…

It seemed that the boy had a much larger magic capacity than him… and finally, the boy breathed out.

“Whew!” slowly controlling the release of magic and turning it down.

“That’s nice… I envy you Simon… now do it until you can’t do it!!!” the old man said vindicating his envy.

<--->

The three kept on traveling northwest while maintaining their daily training. It seemed that Simon was getting the hang of it. Fainting after the training was the norm to him now but Jedi now that she was a bit accustomed to the spear as per the old man’s word was awarded to add 1000 more thrust each day.

Now after the 2000 thrust, she still needed to expend her magic at night.

After 2 more days, she was getting the hang of it, and the next day, the 2 were dancing to a nonsensical tune as they went around, it seemed that the 2 were starting to hit off. Well, Jedi’s food was taking over both of their hearts… but she was a female. The old man understood the problems rooting from the opposite sex and he despised it. (That’s why he was single now)

After another day of traveling, training, and eating, Jedi, the small girl was experimenting with food flavors especially when Simon asked her if a mushroom, berries, or a plant he found was edible.

The 2 would dance around like the children that they were if the food was edible and would vomit when not, additionally the old man would chop their heads when the two vomited, they were in for the pain.

And just like that, it was already a week that had passed when they left the Creek Village.

Then one day, Simon heard something, they were getting closer to the main roads, it seemed that the old man’s direction was getting dull but that’s when they found something strange on the main roads.