The week went by in a breeze as Emmer and Ludo returned to that small hill away from the hamlet to train and spar. It had already been eight days since Ludo arrived at the hamlet and Ludo had gotten better little by little. As he waited while eating his small breakfast, he saw a rather pensive Emmer lingering a fair distance away.

“Is there anything wrong?” Ludo asked.

“No. Trying to decide if you were ready.”

“For what?”

Without saying anything more, Emmer handed Ludo a sword made with steel. He took it and observed it carefully, it was heavier than the wooden ones but not by much. A feeling of dread invaded his body now that he had the real weapon in his hands, as if he had come into possession of something terribly dangerous.

Ludo looked up and before and saw Emmer sprinting towards him at great speed. Barely able to react in time, he heard a loud clanking sound and the vibration of his swords as it clashed with Emmer’s.

“Good.” Emmer added and backed away.

Now that there was some distance between them, Ludo was able to see his sword better. With a round pummel sporting a red ruby, he realized it was the very same sword that Emmer had used the day he had arrived at the hamlet and unlike his own sword’s drab steel, Emmer’s shined brightly with the morning light as if it were made of glass or quartz. Ludo imagined how awe-inspiring it would be to see Emmer in the middle of a battlefield wielding it to its full glory.

“You will do what I taught you this past few days with a proper sword.” Emmer said.

Their conversation was cut short as the two of them sparred. Ludo was more comfortable than what he had expected as the two swords clashed. As he concentrated, Ben kept cheering him on and giving advice wherever needed. As the training continued, Ludo caught glimpses of the same thing that had been appearing ever since that day. A sort of miasma that surrounded Emmer. Throughout the last few days, Ludo had seen it for a few seconds not only in Emmer but in others as well as in himself. He had asked Ben about it, but the voice always replied that he was no encyclopedia, but a conscience.

Ludo, however, had tried his hardest to pay attention to both the physical and ethereal at the same time. Yet, he was at a disadvantage, for it did not matter how hard he tried, his split attention gave Emmer the advantage and initiative he needed to beat him every time. Yet Ludo refused to give up, trying his damnedest to beat Emmer with little results to show by the time noon arrived.

“You did well for how little time we have had,” Emmer said. “but you over focus.”

“I don’t follow.” Ludo said.

“You look at me as if you are trying to not see something.”

“You’ve noticed?”

“Since a few days ago when I hit you in the face. How is your nose now?”

“A bit crooked but fine,” Ludo said, remembering the day that Emmer had hit him right in the face by accident.

“So, what is it?”

Ludo did not answer. Instead, he resorted to Ben for advice.

Should I tell him?

“You absolutely should. He seems to know everything around these parts.”

Ludo looked at Emmer, who was patiently waiting for his answer.

“I—I can see things that I don’t think others can.”

“Ghosts and spirits? Psychics aren’t my specialty, but I know—”

“I’m not speaking about spirits.” Ludo said, somehow more amazed by the fact those existed than his condition.

“You should definitely ask him more about ghosts existing!” Ben said enthusiastically.

Shut up, Ben.

“I’m taking about some sort of aura—or energy, I guess—around people. Every time I see someone they have it, even myself.”

Emmer did not reply, but Ludo could see the worry on his face. It was as if the stoic and calm person Ludo had gotten to know these past days had vanished for a few seconds before returning back to its collected self.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“You mustn’t tell anyone about that,” Emmer said. “What you are looking at is most likely the magical aura of people.”

“Magic!?”

“Yes Ludo, magic. The thing that bounds all the world around us together. What you are describing is an ability I have never heard of before in my long life, and I have traveled far and wide.”

At that point Emmer grabbed Ludo’s shoulders and whispered in his ear.

“There are people, dangerous ones at that, that covet such unique and interesting abilities. You made a massive mistake telling me this.”

Ludo backed away, raising his sword at Emmer.

“And are you one of those people?”

Emmer smirked and looked away. “In my youth I was. Now, I only care about the wellbeing of my village and its people.”

The conversation unnerved Ludo quite a lot and he was quick to voice his grievance to Ben. The voice in his head, however, seemed rather impressed by the recent development.

“All of this is very interesting…” Ben said.

How so?

“You heard Emmer. You’re in possession of something unique even in this interesting world…”

“You sound like you have been to other places,” Ludo thought humorously.

“Not really, just the inside of your brain.”

“And there you go off again,” Emmer said suddenly, snapping Ludo out of his conversation. “You do that quite a lot.”

“It isn’t that bad… right?”

“You better stop acting that way, or people will assume you are insane.”

They returned back to the hamlet at a steady pace. But their way back was not silent, as Ludo wondered about magic and his ability.

“You said magic exists here,” he said.

“Yes, I believe I did.”

“And I can see it?”

“Never said that,” Emmer said coldly. “You can see a person’s aura.”

“Could you ask Emmer what an aura is?” Ben asked.

“What is an aura? You have been mentioning it a lot.”

“Mmph. It is difficult to explain. Think of it like the natural capabilities of a person.”

“In magic?”

“Of their will, which yes, includes magic.”

Ludo was very much puzzled by his explanation. He stopped for a moment to look at Emmer a few steps ahead, surrounded by a large orb of greens and blues. It was not difficult to understand what Emmer meant with that.

“So those with a greater aura around them—”

“—are destined to do great things?” Emmer finished the sentence. Ludo nodded.

“I don’t think it’s fair to judge people like that,” Emmer said. “Judge a lion by its ability to fly and you will expect failure.”

Emmer and Ludo pushed aside the encroaching branches and before them, laid the hamlet for them to see. Like always, the hamlet was enveloped by what Ludo could best describe as its own spirit of peacefulness and bliss. Such serenity was short lived as the inhabitants had grouped outside yet again. Before he and Emmer could get close to the crowd, two men, one clad in armor and another in a cloak, broke through and, upon seeing Emmer, marched right up to the both of them.

Ludo took a few steps back upon seeing the armored men coming his way. He looked at where Emmer had packed his own sword and was about to grab it when Emmer’s gaze fell upon him.

“Calm down, boy,” he said as the two men stopped right in front of them.

Now that they were right up to their faces, Ludo realized that they looked different from him and Emmer. The one clad in armor was built small and stocky, with a puffy and swollen face and a short forked beard split by his own sharp chin. But what made him stand out more were his peculiar features, two horns protruding from the top of his head and his odd shaped ears that to Ludo looked more like if the man had stuck two handkerchiefs to the sides of head. The other fellow that accompanied him was covered head to toe in a long cloak and refused to make eye contact with either Emmer or Ludo. His hands, however, revealed a pink-like, almost reddish skin.

“Good day, Emmer,” the stocky one said. “Seems like everything’s fine in these areas.”

“Indeed. What brings you here, Lares?”

“Balessia wanted to check in on her surrounding settlements. That is all.” Lares said. “So they sent us both.” He gestured at his reclusive companion.

“Balessia?” Ludo said out loud.

“Yeah, the city. What about it?” Lares said.

“Nothing,” Emmer said, followed by an uneasy silence.

“That being said, the reason we were sent here to scout was due to a recent sighting.”

Ludo saw Emmer do a slight shudder.

“Monsters?”

“We wish. A marauding horde of… reports have been conflicting and full of fear mongering. We have heard rumors of ghouls, orcs, and goblins.”

“That doesn’t make sense, all of these are at war with each other us peoples,” Emmer said.

“Which is why we have been sent to scout. We have not found them yet. So you and your little town be safe, okay?” Lares then whispered something to his companion and both took off shortly after.

Emmer still was visibly troubled by the reports and Ludo was too. He had no clue what on Earth a ghoul or orc was, but based on the seriousness of the three people before, he hoped he would never encounter one of those. His curioisty, however, was too much and he finally asked Emmer.

“What is a ghoul?”

Emmer seemed to snap back from wherever he was and looked at Ludo with a somber face.

“Inhuman things with an insatiable attraction to our flesh. But they aren’t what worries me.”

“The orcs?”

“No, those primitive brutes can be paid off. What worries me is that—” Emmer’s voice trailed off. "—ghouls are dangerous because they are nothing more than bloodhounds to a much more vicious master… those… predatory… things.”

Ludo felt the atmosphere around him grow heavy and uncomfortable. Even the morning sun seemed to have lost some of its warmth at Emmer’s comment. Emmer himself looked pale and frightened.

“Are they that dangerous?”

“Very… I fear that if ghouls have been found scouting these areas, we must be ready to kill them all.” Emmer then walked steadily towards one of the houses and hastily knocked on its door. A few seconds later, a man with a scar on his right eye answered.

“Emmer…”

“No time for formalities Henry. Are you still up for a hunt?”

“Aye.”

“Then tell the others that ghouls have been sighted near.”

Henry’s eyes widened at the mention of ghouls but he agreed and then closed the door.

Emmer then quickly turned to Ludo. “I think it’s about time you learn how to ride a horse again.”