After hunting until the waters got darker but we still had a bit of daylight left, we got back to the rock, bringing with us another red snake, a few more black crawlers, a fat pale gray-green herbivore fish that had been slower than us, and lastly a few meters-long strands of green and red algaes.

I handed them the food, getting thanked only by the ginger, the noble blonde and an old lady. That last one came back after a few moment and added " Dear, come help me butcher them please. I'll teach you how to do it properly." I obliged, happy to learn a skill that would serve me well until we got back home. That is, if we got back home.

I passed her my knife, and after she showed me the basics, we started chatting while she prepared the big green as I held it in place. " Anything new ? "

" Well the caves looked scary, but there was only green moss down there, the only one who got hurt was Jeremy. He fell on his ass. I swear he's as clumsy as my husband. " She chuckled and sighed. " After putting a patch of moss far away, a few tiny fishs came and nibbled on it, so we'll try it out too this evening. " I could perhaps use it as bait if the big ones here were herbivores.

After she cursed a bit while cleanly and professionally mauling this evening's dinner, she continued." I feared we'd die of cold, I'm not as spry as you young'uns. Thankfully, one of us is a fire mage. Erik, if I recall correctly." She snickered. " He's too full of himself that one. You'll have to see the look on his face next time we ask the "" Great Fire Spellweaver, Scholarly Prodigy of the Third Tower "" to act as a glorified bath warmer. " I grinned. I liked her more and more.

" See dear, you can actually eat all of the fish's organs just fine. They don't serve them much in restaurants because the techniques required to cook them are different from the ones' for the filet. That, and because they taste ... extra-fishy. In times like these though, it's food we can't pass up. " She sighed again, though there was a glint of sadness and worry in her eyes this time.

" You know, they're not holding up too well, the others. I'm fine because I've lived a lot. Been through a lot. I don't really care how or when I die, it's not far off anyway. But them, they're scared. I'm worried that they'll do something stupid because they lose hope. Let themselves die or hurt the others. " She turned to me smiling.

" It's no use brooding, trust me. Though that little red-head, Dan, he's got it right. He's full of hope and trying to do his best. Would it be too much to ask you to take care of him a bit when I'm gone ? Not much, but see if the kid needs help. "

" I can't promise anything. And you have good chances of outliving me. All it takes is one hunt gone wrong. But I'll look into it, try to see if I can do something ."

It felt wrong that she was so trusting. How could you just have faith someone was "good" ? It was non-sense. People changed and would ultimately favor themselves over others. You'd think she'd have learned that if she had lived so long. I decided I would still help if I could and if it didn't bother me too much, she had just done me a very useful favor, teaching me how to prepare a fish. And if Dan was as naive as she said, I could probably turn him into a loyal and reliable ally.

"Thanks, that's all I can ask for. And thanks for listening me rambling too. " She smiled, gratitude plain to see on her face. " Could you go get Erik now dear ? Sunlight's fading and we need to cook the fish."

Not knowing where to look or who Erik was, and as I went for the biggest group, and asked around until I found someone with blonde hair, his chin up, and an air of being slightly miffled at everything. " Sir, are you the renowned Great Fire Spellweaver, Scholarly Prodigy of the Third Tower, Erik ? ". He deigned lay his eyes on my humble person, though not turning his head, and slightly recoiled at my face " Yes, that is indeed me. Why do you require my august person, boor ? "

Oh this was going to be fun.

" Great Mage Sir, we need your honed arcane talents for a vital task no other can accomplish. It is of the highest importance. "

He quirked an eyebrow " Do tell. "

" We need to bake fish, Great Sir. " Grandma was right, the look on his face was priceless. It did wonders for my mood at least.

He just stood there in stunned silence, mouth gaping, baffled and offended at the audacity this measly, ugly, commoner had to ask of him such a crude task. Him ! He who could weave flames and brazing infernos without breaking a sweat ! Him, the son of Eldrad the third ! Mage of great renown and might ! He was asked to ... to be used as a makeshift oven ! The gall ! The stain on his honor ! The indignity !

I opposed to that my best impression of an earnest and hopeful expression. It wouldn't be good to anger a powerful mage, and the only guy that could cook our food. Learn from one of my old mistakes, never anger the cook. But that did not mean I couldn't get a kick out of it. After a few seconds of barely containing my grin and laughter, I finally broke the stand-off and said " Listen, Great Mage Sir. It truly is vital. We all need to eat before the night completely falls. It's already dark. Will you please lend us your great powers to our humble cause ? "

It's probably his own hunger that convinced him to grudgingly come, and I led him to Granny while he whispered and brooded about how doing menial and brainless tasks was under him.

She had a slight smirk on her face " Thanks. What's your name again honey ?"

" Gael. "

She nodded. " Well go tell the others dinner is ready. "

After everybody thanked the cook, we all ate in silence while the night fell, people not wanting to launch into a conversation because of discomfort or self-centeredness. I liked the silence. It was comfortable to me, and a good companion when eating this ... very fish-tasting fish. As darkness rose to swallow the last spot of blue light we had above, a girl started to sob. The one that peed herself, if I remembered right. She disturbed the silence, her voice cracking " We're not getting back home alive ever, are we ? "

So that's what Grandma was talking about. Being stranded and unsafe, with little to no chance of returning to their family friends and comfort in one piece took a toll on them. I shut the noise out as people started either trying to desperately comfort her, perhaps telling things they themselves wanted to hear. I did not have these problems, and I did not need to listen to them complaining and dragging me down. Jake spoke up once again, making promises, vows and taking control, trying to get the morale back up. A true politician this one. He had the charisma and intelligence to be succesful if he tried, at least.

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When the people finally calmed down, there was no more food to be had, and we couldn't see anything. The water was now ink black, and we held hands or arms trying to lead everyone down the moss covered inside of the hole. As we laid down I understood something. Even grouped we were not safe and could never be in this hole. We lacked the material and tools to make a door or block in any way the entrance of the cave, which led to 13 tasty snacks for whatever we couldn't kill with a knife. Even if we could make fire, the aquatic animals did not fear it like the earthly ones did. No, it would only draw them closer. These things were drawn to light. We were cold, naked, not prepared in any way to fight what lurked here or deeper. In one word, vulnerable.

Grandma suddenly shouted " Erik, please warm us up ! My old bones will be frozen dead by tomorrow ! " After some indistinct grumbling, he obliged. She did put a smile on my face, that fearless old woman.

Well, now we were only weak and naked.

I had a feeling our blessing was the solution to both of those problems. But how to use it ? Questions would be asked to the mages. Tomorrow.

I woke up to the cold light piercing, fighting against the darkness, reconquering her ground. Day 2, huh ? I rubbed my eyes only to find that they were actually covered by a membrane I had not noticed till now. Useful. I was tired. I slept very, very lightly, and several people had snores that would scare an Earthbear.

Looking around, I was apparently the first to get up. I used that time to go and bury the bones left from yesterday's meal near an inconspicuous pillar, taking a dagger with me.

I had to hunt and maybe scout, but going alone would be foolish. So would be trying to play with the power inside of me. I'd only heard a few stories about magical experiments gone wrong, but they were plenty enough to calm my curiosity.

Well then, I'd have to wake up someone. Erik ? no. Sofia ? why not, but I wanted to learn magic. If today's hunt went wrong, it would not hurt to have another tool I could use. Looking at the sleepy crowd, I noticed the blonde cultist on the edge. I went to shake her up.

She jolted awake, putting her hands up in a fighting stance, but quickly relaxing, seeing me put a finger on my mouth. Yeah, waking to an ugly naked man in an unfamiliar place probably didn't do wonders for my first impression. We exited the cave and I asked " Could you teach me magic ? How to use what we've been granted ? " She looked blankly at me for a few seconds and yawned " Of course. Let me get ready first. "

After she'd braided her hair and whatnot, we sat down at the top of the rock " I ask of you, in exchange of this, a favor. "

" Alright. " I answered almost instantly. She's not stupid, and thinks I may be useful. Great.

After a few seconds of awkward silence she cleared her throat and began in a different, lecturing voice " Magic allows us to shape the world how we see fit, using different types of energy, mana. Some basics between the different types of spellweaving are the same, but no two mana are the same. Different elements will have different aspects." I listened intently, mages usually hoarded all knowledge regarding their craft.

" Take care, for a lesser-known fact, is that as you shape the magic, the magic shapes you. For example, Clay practitionners may become more creative, or more sedentary. Each magic has many aspects, and though it may not be clear how it affects you, it does. Even if only by the smallest amount. " This was not public knowledge and ... shocking, to say the least.

" In addition to this, your personality and how much you are aligned with the aspects of the magic you are studying, will impact your talent at weaving it and how you can and will use it. Taking Clay again as an example again, some will instinctively have finer control, sculpting it to the smallest details, obtaining greater precision and dexterity. Wherehas if the individual has a desire for power and large-scale change, he will be better at creating and manipulating large quantities of earth, not being able to focus on the smaller, finer control. "

" Trying to suppress and impede the changes in personality, or the augmenting of an already existing facet, will in turn render some sides of the channelling harder. Though again, it may allow for added versatility and uncommon combinations. A Clay Templar unwilling to change and become more creative may gain an unparalleled ease in creating and wielding stone or metals. One could refuse to become sedentary. What then would his powers become ? One's magic and affinities are always somewhat unique, as is their personality. "

She took a short pause, leaving me lost in thoughts. I had so, so many questions.

" Do mind that no magic or personality is better than the others, whatever some arrogant Flame mage may say. " She smirked " Things simply are as they are. Different tools are better suited for different purposes, just as we are better suited to use some tools rateher than others. And yes, one can use multiple types of magic, though they often use different resources, different manas. "

" Are the aspects of the Abyss ... survival and change ? "

" Some of them. From the core aspects come the subsidiaries : those are numerous and are where most variance between people is found. It is as if they flowed from the encounter between core and personality. The core may try to change the mind, but the subsidiaries can only reinforce positive dispositions of the mind, towards which they align with the core aspects. "

" However do not believe core and subsidiaries are set in stone and identical for everyone. You should view it as more of a gradient between a concept ( for which we may not have a word, thus we usually give it the name we give its mana ) and the absence of that concept. "

I stared blankly at her " You lost me."

" This means that to you, the core aspect, closest to the prime concept of what we have been gifted, may be survival, but to another it may be life, strength or adaptation. It depends on how you perceive it. "

" But ... does the core aspect not change you towards it ? How can the destination change between persons, if the destination is supposed to pull them to the same place ?"

She grinned once again " This, is part of the beauty of magic to me. It is, in a sense, going towards where you look. Even if two people go towards the same palace, one might see the grand entrance while the other only the decorated walls, because they came from different places. This issue has been discussed extensively by people far smarter than you and I, so there are a myriad of different explanations out there. You could probably even make your own if you wanted to. But I digress. What I meant to say is that each person's core aspect is a side of the prime concept, and some are closer, some are farther. The closer you are to a part of the prime concept, the better you will wield that specific shard and all the related sides of the prime magic."

I sighed " That's a lot to take in. "

" Indeed. Now that you have some basic understanding, would you like to practice ? "

Yes. Yes I do.