Damnit!

I sat there thinking about what I had just heard. I had hoped that I would be able to do something… I don’t actually know what I would have wanted but combat wasn’t really among my first choices. Not that I was a pacifist or something stupid like that, I firmly believe that you should hit back when someone hits you, but I also don’t like to go out and seek conflict or trouble in general.

With my choices as restricted as they are, it seems unlikely that I’ll be able to to live a peaceful life. Actually, scratch that, she just said that things aren’t peaceful. Still, a mostly conflict-free life would have been nice. What to do…?

“So you’re saying that my only real choice would be to contract a combat mage? I don’t have any experience or knowledge with or about magic. Combat as well for that matter. I don’t think I’d make a good partner for a combat-oriented mage.” I finally said after having organised my thoughts.

Having said that, the thought of having to contract someone and then spend either most of my time or nearly all of my time with that person is kinda… I wouldn’t say that I am inherently against it, it’s just that back in my old world (it still feels weird to say that) I was pretty much a loner. Not because I didn’t have friends. I had a few and most of them I could have hung out with in my free time, but I just don’t like being around people all that much. I dislike it to the point that during family gatherings I start developing headaches from having to interact with other people so much. So being more or less forced to stay around someone is guaranteed to be a not quite so enjoyable experience for me.

That reminds me “Oh, by the way, what would this contract look like. Like what would I have to do, what would be my restrictions, stuff like that.”

She tilted her head in thought. “Since it’s more important at the moment, let's get the contract out of the way first. First of all, while it’s called a contract it is more like a simple agreement between an elemental and a mage that manifests in the form of a bond. This bond is what allows elementals to stay somewhere without impacting the local mana-balance. Normally elementals naturally absorb mana to keep their physical bodies intact and then release a small amount of this mana. However, this mana has, by then, been changed to the element of the elemental. This results in a rising concentration of a single attribute and has many effects on their surroundings, most of them harmful to normal people. However, when this bond between a mage and an elemental has been established, all mana that the elemental would normally release into the air instead goes to the mage. You see, when a mage uses mana that is more aligned with the element of the spell that they are using then the amount of mana that is needed to cast said spell is less than what it normally is. The higher the rank of the elemental the purer the element of the converted mana and thus the lower the cost of spells of the same element. It’s because of these benefits that many combat mages try to get as strong of an elemental as possible.”

That, that actually makes sense. That would actually be a very good reason for mages to want elementals. It also explains why the amount of mana that feels like darkness, which I guess is mana that’s aligned with darkness, is quite a bit higher than yesterday. But she didn’t mean what this ‘agreement’ entails.

“What about this ‘agreement’? I’d like to know what I would have to do before I decide anything. Is there something like a ‘standard’ contract?”

She shook her head. “Not really, no. Many contracts have similarities, but nearly each is somewhat unique. Though there is the so-called ‘Cooperation agreement’ that nearly all equal contracts have. Essentially, what this ‘Cooperation agreement says, is that an elemental will help the mage with their chosen profession, will not attack anyone who has given them no legitimate reason to do so or is not, thanks to the profession of the mage, an enemy and the elemental will stay close to the mage in case the mage ever needs something. In return the mage will treat the elemental like an equal, will honour their wishes, within reason of course, and, if the elemental has stated so in the contract, help accomplish the goal that the elemental may have. Everything else is usually decided between the two parties.“

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I nodded in understanding. Aside from the ‘will stay close to the mage’ I don’t mind the rest. Maybe I’ll be able to see if I can get the mage to loosen that a little. Though ‘close’ is a rather vague, maybe I’ll simply be able to make it so that ‘close’ means within 20 metres or so. Then I could have a room for myself. Maybe.

With that my decision was actually already made. Even though it would seem like I wouldn’t be able to live a calm or peaceful life, or at least not a truly calm or peaceful life, it would at least be a proper life.

“What about the other thing. I have nothing to offer to a combat mage, nothing aside from the mana that I, apparently, naturally convert.” This was actually quite a big problem, at least in my opinion. Even if contracting me would lower the cost of all their spells, if I can do nothing else I don’t think that many mages would be very interested in contracting me.

She, however, didn’t seem to share my worries. “You don’t have to worry about that. We already expected that you won’t be an accomplished combat mage. We had planned on having you learn the basics of your magic while you're here and then, if you want, to enter a contract with a mage, contract a mage in training. Most likely it would still be a mage from a military school or academy, but you would not have to enter any real combat situations any time soon and could learn your magic alongside you contracted partner.” She finished with a smile.

I nodded to show her that I understood and then turned my attention to my thoughts. Thanks to what I had just heard, I had already decided that I would enter a contract with a mage. It is not only the only choice that would allow me to stay in human society and not force me to live like a hermit or essentially giving up my life, but it also came with the added bonus of allowing me to learn more about my magic. Mmh, it is decided.

Deciding to tell her my decision (who else was I supposed to tell it after all) I tried to not look too sheepish. “Then, then I guess- I guess that I’ll enter a contract with a mage.” It didn’t really work.

In return, she gave me a sincere smile before standing up. “If that is what you want then I’m happy for you. I’ll go now, I have to tell the commander. We’ll see each other during your training.” She moved towards the door. Only when she was already halfway outside did I remember one important detail.

“Wait a moment! You never told me your name.” She turned around. “Ah, I guess I forgot. My name is Erica, Erica Miles.” For a moment her eyes looked at me, filled with sorrow. “And what about you? What is your name?”

Ah right. with all that has been going on, I never got around to introduce myself, not that anyone has asked me so far.

“I forgot as well huh. Well, a lot has been going on since I arrived so it is somewhat to be expected, I guess. My name is… erm, eh what was it. This is strange. Why can’t I remember?” In my sudden onset of panic, I didn’t notice that I was starting to raise my voice. “Why can’t I remember my name?! What is going on! Why can’t I remember!”. In the end, I was practically screaming at her. I couldn’t remember my name. My own name! I could remember all the times that people called me by it. I could remember the moments where people made fun of it. But instead of my name, there was only a void where it was supposed to be. I couldn’t understand this. It made no sense. How could I forget my own name?

I looked at Erica with desperate eyes. Did she know something? Did she have to do something with it?

“Why can’t I remember my own name?!” While I was practically screaming my soul out, she only looked at me with eyes filled with sorrow but also in a way that I couldn’t really describe, but it told me that she was expecting this.

In the end, she only said one sentence. “So it has come to this.”

That sentence alone caused my thoughts to go haywire. I barely even registered her sudden look of alarm, I didn’t notice that the room was suddenly a lot darker than before, that the shadows stretched further and that they were deeper than before. I didn’t notice any of that as I screamed at her, demanding answers but not actually forming any words.

I didn’t notice how the shadows rose from the ground, how they lashed out. I only saw black, and then…

something hit me and I blacked out.