Chapter 7

With the moon above and the air growing cold, we reached the lake I heard about. It was a wide lake that arched like the crescent moon with the land between the mountain and the forest on the other side.

“This seems like a safe place to camp.” I chose the space near the the middle of the lake for safety and started setting up our tent.

“I’ll gather some firewood then,” proposed Blue.

“Alright, but don’t stray too far. Sentry bats patrol these woods at night.”

Blue nodded to my warning and left the camp to gather the necessary firewood.

Now that I was alone and had time to think, I took out my map and studied the path we have to take. According to what I have learned, the abandoned mines should be on the other side, giving us no choice but to go on a slight detour.

I lost myself thinking about tomorrow’s troublesome pest — those hounds. There was no doubt in my mind that they would not stop pursuing us until they had made us their meal. Then again, a Blade hound’s saber like fangs and snow white pelt should sell for a hefty price. If the fool decided to confront me, then I would have no choice but to turn him into profit.

As I was waiting for Blue to return, a small orb of light flew past me. My eyes followed its bluish trail, which led to me gazing at the blue lake. Like it was urging for me to follow, the blue light danced around me and directed my gaze to the side. I stood up from my position and adhered its advice. Over there, fishes that glittered like an expensive gem were ripe for my taking. The orb of light moved up and down, as if it was nodding and giving me permission to take this blessing, so I dip my hand into the water and extracted two.

“Fat Kalupa fishes… Blue would love these.”

Kalupa fishes are especially nutritious after the rainy season but they usually hide in those times to avoid getting caught. Those orbs of light must be the Undine spirits guarding this lake. To give them my thanks, I move mana to my fingertips just enough for it to draw a small light. The orbs of light that had guided me to these fishes swarmed around my fingertips like fireflies drawn to a strong light. After sating the spirits, I felt a quick peck on my right cheek — it must be their way of saying thanks. After that, I waved a hand at the spirits before they disappeared into the night.  

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Few minutes later, Blue returned carrying the appropriate amount of wood to last us for the whole night.

“Welcome back.” I helped Blue set them down and started the fire myself by lighting a single fire script from my rucksack.

“Magic sure is convenient,” Blue said, sitting on top of a rock behind me.

“It is. It takes time to prepare though.”

“You mean drawing those magic formations?”

“Yes. Depending on the size and the quality of the magic involved, the more complex it gets.”

“Sounds troublesome.”

“How about you? Have you always been that strong?” I began to grill the Kalupa fishes while waiting for her reply. There were plenty of things I was curious about Blue; one of those things was the history behind her strength.

“Not really. As far I could remember, before all of this began, I was more on the athletic side but, not to the point where I could do acrobatics at ease. I think… I think it’s this body. Her instincts, her strength, her agility — everything else remained for my own convenience.”

“Interesting.” For a while there, what she said circled in my mind. It felt like I have heard a similar story before, yet I couldn’t remember no matter how much I pondered.

Eventually, my musings stopped when I heard the splash of water. I turned to the direction of the noise and saw Blue smiling. She raised her black tube top, just enough to expose her belly, then completely took it overhead. I barely managed to gulp with my suddenly dry throat and even more so when her shorts dropped down after that, revealing everything for me to appreciate.

After testing the water’s temperature with her toes, Blue jumped into the lake.

“The water’s cold, but it’s good!” Blue said while swimming in the lake, even urging for me to follow. It was a weird feeling, but only at those times that I felt like Blue is really a boy inside. The one and only thing I didn’t want to believe.

“I’ll go after you, Blue. Our dinner’s cooking right now and I don’t want to burn it.”

I pressed my gaze into the Kalupa fishes. They better be delicious alright.

***

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