A stifling silence filled the room. I could tell there was trauma that all of them had suffered related to the cult Bali mentioned. I couldn’t bring myself to ask anything though.
Veran stared at me. The darkness in his stare made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I could tell he wasn’t really seeing me though.
“If it really is that cult,” Veran said darkly, “you’re lucky to have escaped.”
“They’re a cult who raised mages and when they reached a certain strength, they were sacrificed so those in the higher levels could absorb their power to get stronger and extend their lives.” Tyr explained to me. “It was 60 years ago that a group of children realized what awaited them and rebelled. We contacted outside groups for assistance and worked with them to wipe out the cult. It took ten years to kill them all.”
I felt my eyes go wide when what he was saying sunk in.
“You guys were the group of children that rebelled 60 years ago?” I asked hesitantly. “None of you look like you could possibly be that old.”
That got me a few weird looks. It also dispersed part of the dark mood hanging around them.
“How old do you think we are then?” Ari asked.
“Early to mid 20s, no more than about 30 though,” I said.
They looked shocked for a moment before bursting out laughing. Even the serious Tyr was smiling.
“I’m the youngest of us and I’m 55,” Felix said. “I wasn’t part of the group that rebelled, but my older brother was. He died in the fighting. It was through him that I met Bali and the rest. Tyr is the oldest of us at 153. He’s got dragon blood, though, so he’ll live to be about 5,000. The rest of us will only live to be 500-600 years old. Those who aren’t mages only live to be about 200 years old.”
I felt my mouth gaping in shock.
“This must be part of what you’ve forgotten,” Tyr said. “Most humans also have a certain amount of the bloodline of a mythic beast. The more they have, the stronger their magic and the longer their lives. Some, like me, have enough to be able to shapeshift. I was born as a dragon. When I was 90 I was able to shapeshift into a human form of a teen of age to learn magic. I was traveling to visit my human grandparents when I was kidnapped by that cult. They used a memory spell on those of us who were kidnapped so we wouldn’t remember our past or families. The spell didn’t work well on me, so it only lasted two years before I recovered my memories.”
“That particular spell had a weakness for those with a strong will. Once the one it was cast on had doubts about their memories, it would start breaking down.” Ari continued the story. “When Tyr started talking to us about his memories, we started getting our own back. It was then that we also realized that people who had been with us were missing. They were the ones with the strongest powers. If the cult had realized Tyr had dragon blood, it’s likely they would have sacrificed him immediately.”
“Those who can shapeshift tend to grow slower as children,” Tyr continued. “They will generally be in their original form for their first 50-100 years, depending on their race. Once they can shift, it will normally be to a young adult form. I shifted early for those of dragon blood, so my human form looked younger. My magic is stronger than most, but due to being of a dragon bloodline, it’s also a little different from the magic of others. Dragons are a race who are born of magic and the Elements. We can use magic from a young age, regardless of what form we’re in. It’s instinctive, but as we grow, we learn to use it consciously.”
Listening to their explanations, it started to make sense why I was in such a young body. If my 35 years didn’t pass the same as theirs, adding in the magic abilities I seem to have, I would be the equivalent of a young child here. It’s still a bit disorienting though. Having the mental maturity of an adult but the physical form of a child is also very frustrating.
My magic also made me wonder if this body I inherited was able to shapeshift due to a strong bloodline. And if so, was there a family out there looking for him or was he really abandoned in the forest? Or was there something else going on? My questions seemed to be increasing. I could only take it one step at a time. I suddenly had a thought.
“If that cult resurfaced, or if someone decided to make a copy of it, do you think it’s possible they instigated the magic beast attacks in order to acquire orphans without having to resort to a memory spell that could be problematic?” I asked.
Their faces distorted a bit at my question.
“While I hate to think of any of the original group having survived the purge,” Bali said. “There is that possibility. However, I hadn’t thought of the possibility of someone reading the records and deciding to recreate it. It does make sense though. As does your thought on the possible reason for the increase in attacks.”
“If they can steal the magic and vitality of gifted children, maybe they also came up with a way to do the same with magic beasts.” I shared my other thoughts. “That could also be a reason for the attacks. Most creatures are protective of their young. If they are taken or killed, it wouldn’t be surprising for the parents or family groups to go after those they think are responsible. And the more conflicts there are with human settlements due to others unknowingly protecting the offenders, the more those beasts are likely to develop a hatred for all humans.”
The intensity of their stares made me a bit uncomfortable.
“Are you sure you’re a child?” Felix asked. “How did you think of that?”
I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could while ignoring the first question. “It just seemed like a logical possibility to me.”
I hoped that I wasn’t making them suspicious of me. There was no telling how people would react if they found out I wasn’t from this world and had taken over someone else’s body. The fact that I had no idea how it happened and no choice in the matter probably wouldn’t matter. Even though I have good feelings about them, I just couldn’t bring myself to put that much trust in them yet.
“Your ideas and information are a great help,” Tyr said. “It gives us a new path to investigate that we hadn’t thought of and possible clues that we wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. If your theory is correct, this could be bigger than just being attacks by magic beasts. It may be something that will require entire nations to get involved. We’ll investigate the orphanage tonight. If there is even a hint of a cult like the previous one there, we’ll pass it on to those who can better deal with it. Since it involves both the church and possibly nobles, it will be tricky to deal with. You’ll stay here where it’s safe while we go. It would be best if you don’t bring yourself to their attention since they have forgotten about you.”
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“Okay,” I said. I had no reason to object. And with them checking it out, it made me feel a bit better about the other childrens’ situation. This was more than I thought I’d be able to do for them. “Be careful.” I added.
Tyr smiled and Veran ruffled my hair.
“Don’t worry,” Ari said with a smile. “We’ll be fine. We have experience and strength on our side.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot earlier. Here’s a magic bag for you. You’ll need one at some point since you’ll be with us.” Felix said as he tossed me a bag the same as the others had. “The merchant at the inn just happened to have one for sale. We wouldn’t have been able to find one in this place otherwise.”
“Thank you!” I said with glee. I was so excited. I’d been wanting to study one since I first saw Ari using his. Looking at the glowing lines on it that were different from the ones on Ari’s bag, I hesitated before deciding to ask a question. “Can others also see Elements and magic?”
I shivered under the sharp stares I was suddenly subjected to.
“Elements and magic?” Felix asked.
I hesitated for a moment, biting my lip. “I think that’s what it is anyway.”
“I’ve heard of those who can see elemental energy, but never magic.” Felix confirmed.
“Even in the Royal Dragon Library, which has journals from ancient mythic beasts, I’ve never seen any mentions of being able to see magic,” Tyr said softly, like he was trying not to scare me. “Can you tell us what you see?”
I held up the bag I was just given and pointed to the lines I saw.
“There are glowing lines similar to the plants Ari said are used for potions and such, but the ones on here are more organized. The ones on this bag are slightly different from the ones on Ari’s bag. I thought since they are both the same type of bag, they would have the same lines. I also noticed when Ari used his bag that the lines would glow slightly brighter.”
Tyr recovered from his shock before the others and made a slight hum before handing me his magic bag.
“Everyone take out your bags. Do they all look different?” he asked once they were all laid out.
“This one has the most intricate pattern of lines,” I said pointing at Tyr’s bag. “This one and the one I just got are almost the same, except the lines on mine are brighter.” I pointed at Bali’s bag. “It also looks like a few of the lines on it are about to fade away.” I pointed to Ari’s next. “This one has a complex pattern, though not as much as Tyr’s, and the lines on it aren’t as bright.” Felix’s and Veran’s were next. “These two are almost the same patterns, but there are a few touches of different color on each one. The brightness of the lines are about the same as the ones on my bag. All of them have areas within the lines that look the same, but the rest of the lines are different except the ones I mentioned being overall similar.”
“Interesting,” Veran hummed as they looked at the bags. “Mine and Felix’s were made by the same person. Tyr’s bag was handed down from his grandfather.”
“Mine was found in a ruin when I was younger,” Ari said.
“I got mine from a traveling merchant a long time ago,” said Bali. “So I don’t know much about its origin.”
“There are currently very few mages who are able to craft magic bags,” Tyr said thoughtfully. “Most of them have had to learn for themselves how to make them rather than being able to learn from a Master. From what you’ve described it’s possible that each creator uses a different spell to create the same or similar effects. Veran’s and Felix’s bags are also made of different materials. It’s possible the age of the bag and both the skill and power of the mage will have an effect. I’ve never heard of one losing its magic over time, but it is possible since magic arrays and talismans will weaken over time.”
“The different colors might be magic that is inherent in the materials, just like some plants contain different magic properties,” I said thoughtfully. “I wonder if using materials that have the same properties as the magic used to create the spell would give it different properties or just make it easier to apply the spell?”
“Different properties?” Felix asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Like being able to store living things rather than just nonliving. Or expanding the amount it will hold. Does it depend on the materials or the pattern of the magic formula in the spell? Or could it be related to a combination of different magics working in harmony to create the desired effects? Or does it take a combination of all of it? How does the complexity of the pattern affect the properties of it?”
Tyr’s laugh pulled me out of my contemplation. I noticed all of them were smiling at me with different levels of doting.
“It sounds like you want to experiment with crafting them,” Tyr said. “Since you can see the magic, it’s possible you might be able to do it. However, it may depend on whether or not you have the affinity for space/time magic. We’ll have to wait until we get back to have you tested. You’re younger than most who get tested, but with your current abilities it’s likely you have a strong bloodline. Are you able to shapeshift?”
“Tyr?” Ari exclaimed in surprise.
Tyr shook his head with a gentle smile. “It’s possible,” he said while staring at me with a gentle expression.
“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “I have no memories of being able to and I don’t know how I would try to test it either.”
Ari looked at me with a complicated look. I tilted my head in confusion at him.
“You don’t smell like anything other than a human,” Ari explained. “Everyone I’ve met who can shapeshift has had a scent unique to their other form. Even some human mages will carry the scent of their magic.”
Another thought occurred to me as he said that.
“Are mages able to learn magic different from what they have an innate affinity with?” I asked curiously.
Felix shook his head.
“You can’t,” he said, then he shook his head again with a frown. “Or at least there are no records of it. I don’t know if anyone has ever tried though. Either way, I don’t think it would be possible. To use magic, you have to be able to draw elemental energy to you. If you don’t have an affinity for it you can’t do that.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Everyone except Tyr looked at me in bafflement. Tyr had a slight smile on his face and his eyes glowed with curiosity.
“What makes you ask that?” Tyr asked me.
I tilted my head in thought. I couldn’t say anything about my previous life or the different philosophies from there. How could I explain my thought process and not expose myself?
“I can see everything absorbing and releasing various energies. Certain areas have more of specific elemental energies, so they are more likely to be absorbed in those areas, but all are still present. I think affinities are just the ones that are easiest to unconsciously absorb for that person, plant, animal, or place. Or maybe just the easiest to absorb at that point in time. If a person is consciously focusing on drawing those energies to them and absorbing them, rather than just absorbing what they move through, why can’t they learn to use those energies? Or maybe use them by repelling energies that oppose their affinity from their environment in a specific manner? Like using fire magic to absorb or lower the heat in the area in order to create ice, just like what happens during winter. As the temperature drops, the water cools until it becomes snow or ice. Or using air to repel one’s feet away from the earth to create an air cushion for silent and trackless movement.”
As I came out of my thoughts I saw this group of handsome guys staring at me in shock. Bali even had his mouth open. I thought about asking if he was catching flies, but decided that might be a bit too mean.
Obviously no one here had ever thought of such things before. I wondered why. Maybe it was just because they were stuck in a cycle of “that’s just the way it’s always been” so it never occurred to anyone that there might be another way. If it wasn’t for it being too much, I’d almost consider my purpose for being brought here to be to shake up the status quo and show them there are other possibilities. Looking at them, another thought popped into my mind.
“Do people not observe nature for knowledge on how to use their elemental abilities more effectively or in new ways?” I asked, cocking my head in confusion.