"Alright, Nin, give it another go. Do it like last time!" Liada told me in encouragement as I took the time I had to try some things. One thing that has stuck with me as of late is my lack of an arcane arsenal. I have just been punching and charging things. Salahma for example made it clear my spells were rusted stiff.

It was a necessary task for me to get stronger by making my spells better. So, per Liadanann's input, we have been testing spells out on the environment away from the village. For the most part, I have just be whacking or spearing things from a distance. But, what I did before meeting Liadanann had stuck with me.

How my magic was seemingly so much stronger in the magicless lands. I was devastating mountains and demolishing the countryside! So, I was trying to also see how I could make my spells work with it. And, just now, I think I had it figured out as I saw bluish-purple fire!

"There's the thing, though, Liada, I don't know what I did last time!" I exclaimed to her rather joyously. As, while I have not been able to get it right, it has been fun trying. Mostly because my anger was immediately flushing out into the rock or tree I just broke.

"How can you not know!? It's your magic!" she says in frustration as she seems to choke me with her hands.

"Magic is a lot harder than it looks, Ms Free Spell." I dismissively say back to her while waving her down. But, as a result of jabbing at the gift of her god, she used it on me.

"Hold your tongue in that regard." she snorted out after I had paced about into that pale green barrier of her. It was quite strong for a spell from someone with little magic. But, its divine nature explained why. This was a tool given to someone directly from a god, it wasn't from a shop shelf.

Yet, oddly enough, once I had finished rubbing my sore face after it smashed into that barrier. I found myself entranced by a sight in the distance. It wasn't anything spectacular or eye-catching under normal means. Yet, it got my eyes stuck on them anyway.

It was a hollow log that showed signs of having been turned into a nest. After that, I looked at my hand and summoned my overly fancy magic plank of wood. And I inflated its size while breathing funny, it helped for some reason. My results could not be seen from the outside, but, I could feel it.

The space I had just created felt funny, and I did not know how to describe it. I knew the space was hollow, but, it also felt delicate. Or maybe I was just too focused on making my magic double-sided. Yet, I was going to try it out anyway.

"Just in case." I reminded Liada as I carefully moved away from her. Waiting until she had created a blast shield in acknowledgement before carrying on.

"The tools say the mountain is still the best spot." she informs.

"This is too fragile to really bother with that. I'll jus-" I began to say as I made a quick jab at a nearby tree. Only to have the spell violently explode in my face as the vacuum I had created exposed itself. It was nowhere near as violent as prior cases had been, but, it was something.

"Easily a few bodies worth of distance." she comments without her usual professionalism as she moves on over. She mostly focused on what my spell had done to the grass and trees. But there was also some showing off in regards to her body. Something I ended up encouraging when I tapped her round bottom as I moved next to her.

"Going to need to practise this one." I say as I stare at my free claw as she gets up properly. Leaning back into the claw grasping her in the process.

"That was not the intended reaction?" she inquired as she leaned back in a manner that more openly displayed her cleavage.

"It was, it was just such a strange sensation. I made me break the spell prematurely."

"Are you able to draw what your container looks like?" she asks me after she catches on to the unspoken details.

"Don't think I need to, it's just really a cylinder with an open bottom." I tell her as I use the spell normally again. Yet, I found myself trying to make that spell again despite the danger Liada was put in by it.

"Would you be able to change its shape?"

"Yeah."

"Would you be able to maintain its form against a firmer target?" she asks with a smile as she regrettably leaves my grip.

"Sure, if I can find someone to spar with. This isn't really something I can practise on rocks. It would generate bad habits." I point out as I watch her go behind the barrier again.

"Well, fire off that spell and..." she begins to say before she looks up at the sky as it starts to rumble.

"HELLO!" I call out as I wave the hand that had my spell in it. Bringing in another explosion into a brief existence as my concentration slipped. Which, left me laughing as if such a casual greeting messed with the spell... It would be useless in a fight, utterly useless!

"What's going on!?" a tired-looking Einervaene asked me as she stepped forward with worry. The other two were right behind her on the floor dying as well.

"Magic practise." I laconically inform her as she calms down before smiling.

"We did it, we sorted out Vadei's problem to some extent!" she then cheerfully tells me as she stands tall with pride. And, it does seem that Vadei had brought something with her.

"I thought you left to get me new clothes?" I then ask her as I notice the lack of it. They had been gone for a few days so I was expecting them to be hauling a lot. Like, maybe they had also gotten supplies for the village too! But, nope, not at all.

But, it was fun as usual watching Einervaene break down into blushes and stutters. And I made sure she knew I was enjoying every moment of it. All the way up until she started to hit me with clenched fists. Not lightning or sparks, though, which was odd as that was how she always hit back at me.

"So how come you guys took so long if you weren't hauling lots of things?" I asked as I gave Einervaene some space and peace from the playful mockery.

"I was going about a few days ago looking for a town with Larishazza's stated bank and I had nearly exhausted myself looking for it and getting back, but after I came back, I spoke to Vadei and Larishazza and we ended up going back there with a new plan, but complications with it led to even more changes and Larishazza ended up giving away all of her magic and I was left with no means to reliably refuel on our way out of the town we had just antagonized so we ended up camping at various points until we now made it back!" Einervaene lets out in one big go before she violently recovers from it.

"Larishazza gave away her magic?" I asked with a raised brow while also looking away from Einervaene. And, I was left completely confused because I could sense her magic quite well. I could see it too but not her.

"Boo!" the girl in question let out as she hugged my arm while giggling in a half-asleep state. And, now that she was here, I could see that it did indeed happen. She had drained herself dry and was now swinging about like a drunkard.

"So what did you do?" I asked Vadei specifically as I effortlessly picked up the weakened Larishazza. Smiling widely as she snuggled against my body for a reason I twisted in my head. She was probably trying to absorb my aura, but, I wanted to think of it in a different way.

"I got Dad a present." she tells me with a sweet smile as she delicately holds a flower up. She was also struggling to hold it up so it came down shortly after. Either way, I was smiling as I felt my heart go funny. A very sweet gesture to see, one that anybody could likely sympathise with.

"And here I have just been practising magic." I tell her specifically, but all three of them by intention.

"Oh, is that why there was that strange disturbance in the air?" Einervaene asked me as she looked down at her boots. Or rather, she was looking at the results of my spell trials. The more recent three, in fact.

But, before I answered her, I looked over at Liada, "Can you note that down? Put something down along the lines of 'can be easily sensed' or something!" I tell my very helpful assistant who got right on it. I don't know how much she has written and how much of it I'll be able to read, but, notes were helpful. It gave me an idea of what to look out for while not also using the spell. Very useful should these get too dangerous...

"Hello!?" Einervaene says as she stomps into view, clearly bothered by that. If it was purely jealously or the thing she had going on with Liada, though, I did not know.

"Uh, yeah, the disturbance was me using a new spell. Or, well, the makings of one. Or the alterings of one, I still haven't quite figured it out." I tell her while scratching my chin with a lone claw.

"Oh? What sort of spell is it?" she asks me as a childlike curiosity settled in.

"I've been trying to replicate the effects of zero magic places coming into contact with magic." I tell them.

"How would you even do that...?" Vadei asks as she sets the flower down. It even made a very small dust cloud as a result! Something which gave an idea as to how Larishazza's magic had changed it. And, I was thinking of a certain small statue again.

"I've been hollowing out my normal extension spell."

"But, wouldn't that just leave you with the magic in the air?" Einervaene asks as she steps forward. Her mind clearly had trouble wrapping itself around it.

"I'm going to say no as the results say otherwise." was all I could say while shrugging.

"No, he's emptying his own magic. So, there is no magic air to fill it." Larishazza adds as she rubs her eyes.

"That's right, you make a lot of bubbles, don't you?" I comment and rhetorically ask as I breathe out a laugh.

"Yeah, they're fun to play with. But, as they are made hollow, they don't do the booms. But, I wouldn't be able to make the booms anyway as my magic is too in tune with the world to do something like that." the crush in my arms explains while drifting between sleep and being awake.

"It's quite impressive, though, Nin! I've never heard of someone using magic like that!" Einervaene exclaims with awe as she approaches me like an embarrassed schoolgirl. It seems even she likes to show off some things about those she spends time with.

But, I was more focused on her words, "Really? I'm just hollowing out another spell." I point out in order to get across the simplicity.

"No one's done it before to my knowledge!" she exclaims with more pride.

"It probably has something to do with where you're from..." Vadei points out with growing worry as she says it. It wasn't difficult to figure out why. I had been enforcing a strict no talk policy on... A certain topic.

But, this time, I did not react, "That might be the case, actually. Good thinking." I tell her as I nod along with it.

She smiles at that, "So what else have you been doing? Or has your remodelling of the mountain been it?" she jokes with a quiet laugh. Something that gets the other two smiling like crazy.

"I briefly had to put up with your mum chewing my ear off." I tell her as my mouth straightens out. That was not a fun experience unlike what I was doing now. And all because Vadei wasn't home for dinner...

"Did something happen?" the tailed woman asks as she stands up with her flower.

"Your mum is worried about you, so go back home and declare your return before I have to hear another series of shouts." I rumble out of my throat as my annoyance makes itself known.

"Okay, and, Nin." Vadei said as she walked by before she suddenly hugged me.

"There, there?" I said in some confusion as I wasn't expecting the sudden hug.

"Thank you for the help you have given me other the past year." she quietly says against my chest as her tail curls up around us. She didn't even react to my hand gently touching the soft fur. And, I was annoyed by my body once again. Because the carapace that covered my appendages blocked most of the soft fur.

"Don't worry about it, Vadei. Friends are meant to be there for each other." I tell her while trying to figure out what to do with Larishazza. She was squished right between us two right now.

"Keep still, it's soft." she orders with a relaxed sigh as she moves away from me and towards the tail. But, Vadei quickly brought it away from her and swung it around to my other side.

"My tail." I teased to the friend in my arm while the other arm held the tail. Larishazza pouted while Vadei blushed and smiled.

"But, yeah, I best get going. Is there a path I can walk down?" Vadei spoke as she began to move away. But, first, I put Larishazza down and beckoned her towards Vadei.

"Yeah, it's not hidden or anything but it might be a bit stoney."

"That's fine, see you later." Vadei said with a cheerful wave as she disappeared from our sight with Larishazza slowly limping after her.

"See ya," I wave back before turning to Einervaene, "she's certainly in a better mood." I comment as I properly take in the way Vadei had acted. She was no longer crying, sad, or foul of mood. Well, she might still be bothered, but, it was showing a lot less now.

"She has been since we got that flower." Einervaene explains as she walks up to me and takes my arm. A blissful sigh comes from her as she likely does something to annoy Liada. How did I know this? She was growling.

"So she is coming to terms with what has happened? Gotten all of her despair out and all that?" I ask my friend who gives me a peculiar look before she looks down.

She then looks back up quickly, "It appears so. But, even if it hasn't and this is only a temporary thing... I promise her that I will be there for her every step of the way. Which is a little hyperbolic, I know..." she sweetly says before she ruins it with pedanticism.

"Shh, I get it." I chuckle as my closest thumb claw covers her soft lips. Something she kisses as a strange joke. A joke she kept on giggling at before I shook my head as I looked away.

"Would you like to keep practising your magic, then? Maybe I can help as I can actually use it." Einervaene offers before she speaks loudly on the finishing details.

"You're not as unique as you think you are, Human!" Liada points out angrily as she storms out with her talisman glowing.

"A toy?" Einervaene scoffs with a giggle as the taller, bustier woman finally towers over her.

"Damn you Motrtha..." I laugh out quietly as I looked at my left wrist. Yet, I was forced to also keep an eye on these two to make sure nothing came of this. But, it seemed that Liada's bodily size intimidated Einervaene out of her prior behaviour. After that, Liada backed down too, happy with what she had achieved.

But, my efforts to heal her have led to the gap between her and the other one going down. No longer were her breasts so gigantic in comparison to Einervaene's. However, that did not mean they were matched. It was clear who still had the larger body.

"So how badly did your travels exhaust you?" I then asked Einervaene as I calmly snatched a breast into my grip. Something that shocked her red, gave me a tingling feeling and got Liada stern gazed. But, I wasn't doing this for perverted reasons, oh no! Liada had actually taught me something with her body and healing process.

Magic pooled naturally into a woman's chest for one reason or another. So, it was like if I wanted to check an arcane pulse. Just put a claw onto their breasts and you can get an idea. And in the currently assailed woman's case, she was running low.

"A l-little warning next time..." Einervaene complained as she lingered a hand near the touched boob.

"Warning? Ha, you were begging for that kind of attention back on the airship."

"That was in the privacy of a bedroom!" she contested

"It was on an overcrowded piece of metal." I pointed out.

"Be quiet..." she then mumbled as she struggled between being a well-raised lady or a swooning girl.

"So, anyway, magic. As you're running low, I take it we'll just be looking at mine?" I ask as the claw I have been using moved about.

"I can still discuss what I want to try and do with my magic." Einervaene clarified as she sat down on a rock I hadn't destroyed. Or maybe I did and it was just a finer shaped chunk of stone?

"Let's discuss it, then." I say as I drop down onto the floor with a loud thud. Quickly leaning back onto my claws once I had landed on the ground.

"W-Well... Um... We... I don't know where to start." she stuttered nervously before she started to laugh it out.

"Okay... Your lightning bolt spell, any ideas with that?" I ask her, starting with the first spell she ever showed us. And, frankly, the more I thought about it, the funnier it was. Her entrance back in Tryhpeltzweig was not indicative of a lady at all. But, maybe all that muck she had on her made her forget!

"Well, I've been thinking about it a lot, my fight with Salahma and... No, just Salahma." she starts to say before she loses track of it. Had she fought someone other than Salahma? Must've been a while ago, then.

"You went into her mouth, yes." I pointed out with a smile as I remembered it quite vividly. Both because I was happy to see that vile monster die, but, also, it was quite a way to die. Einervaene was forcing herself down her throat using that sulphuric smoke breath of hers... It was a gruesome way to die, regardless of what she was.

"I was thinking more so about the moments of the fight that kept us outside." she clarified for me even though I felt like it was clear it was a jokish answer.

"You'll have to explain then, I was inside." I joked.

"Well, before she brought the fight back inside, I kept changing into a bolt and back to normal. And, I've been thinking about..."

"How to keep the process going without turning back to normal?"

"No, I was thinking how I could keep the spell going while staying me, if that makes sense." she said rather confusingly. That spell required her to become a lightning bolt, no? How would she do anything like it if she stayed herself? That seems to be a rather drastic change to the spell.

Actually, it was its own spell altogether, "I'm not following."

"Alright, let me see if I can explain this..." Einervaene began to say as her fingers drummed along the frame of her outfit.

"Perhaps what you are looking for is a means to keep some of yourself away from the rest of yourself so you can bounce between two points?" Liada offered up in a rather calm tone given who she was speaking to.

"I don't think it is possible to have myself in two places at once."

"Well, that is what that suit of yours does, no? Keep yourself in two spots?" Liada asked, making it clear where she was coming from.

"No, the frame in this outfit just allows me to contain my magic into this form." Einervaene clarified verbally before she gave a physical demonstration of the spell it let her do.

And, that got me curious, "Have you ever tried that spell without the frame?" I then asked her.

"No, because originally, it was just a means to stop myself from being pulled apart above the cloudline." Einervaene told me as she gave the clouds above a relaxing smile.

"So is there no way for this frame of yours to be adapted into a more useful piece of equipment? It was clearly made rather hastily." Liada says as she lingers her gaze on the various pieces of copper.

"I probably could change it if I went to the maker of it, but, I would need to then figure out what I want it to do. I made this outfit with the mountain problem in mind. The spell came about as a happy accident."

"Oh, what about if you only turned part of yourself into lightning, like, keep some of your clothes around?" I suddenly asked as I started thinking of her boots being left around.

"How would that help?" the wearer of said boots questioned in confusion.

"Well, it anchors you to a stop to go up and down on?"

"That's stupid." Einervaene dismissively says to me before she suddenly gets worried when she realises the tone she used.

"No, he might have a point, just not in that context." Liada suddenly adds as she uses her talisman. As such, we had two barriers appear. One on the ground and one somewhat in the sky. Regardless, she had an area set out for her upcoming demonstration.

"If you have the means to focus your magic on one spot, you could leave it there and go into the sky and then go back to it continuously." Liada explains as she has her fingers touch the higher one at different spots. All while always going to the centre of the bottom one.

"So I would say, plant a staff into the earth and treat it as a lightning rod?"

"If a fight is what you are speaking about, perhaps something smaller?" Liada pointed out as her hand went to her chin. And, I could see why, I couldn't think of anything that could be used like that either. A staff seemed like the only viable option unless Einervaene wanted to do something else?

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"It would need to be an exceptionally strong material, then, something small won't handle the magic well. It's why staves are the standard for witches globally if they are casting complex spells. It lets them slide some of the burden off of their body and into another item."

"Heh." I suddenly let out as I remembered my first use of magic with Rose. Trying to sort out a staff of my own from those many, many branches I snapped off.

"Then, perhaps find a way to only transform part of yourself into lightning? Let yourself be the anchor alongside a staff."

"Or... I could focus myself through one with additions in it that allow me to control how far I let myself go through it!" Einervaene lets out all of a sudden as she jumps to her feet.

"So, what, stick a chain on a stick?" I ask with a bemused huff as I watched Einervaene get excited by her revelation.

"I'm sure the boys at Mechanical House can figure it out better." she says with a shrug.

"Okay, then. That's one spell, what about the other one?" I ask as I wanted to see a little more of this Einervaene. She was bemusing to be around as well.

"I think that's enough idea think ups, for now. If I overwhelm myself with ideas, I won't ever get a new spell to take shape."

"That's fair, before I started to use magic, I noticed I spent more time thinking on it a lot of the time."

"You're doing quite well despite the handicap!" she then compliments me with as she smiles.

"I've... Had a lot of encouragement." I let out in a way that was likely to be misunderstood. She might take it as that she has been there for me and helped. But, rather, I was talking more so about the various conditions I have been subjected to. Everytime I get into a near-death, or, in one case, a post-death occasion...

I want to try and make this new power of mine work. And while it has been more than a year since my time on the mountain. I still felt odd whenever I actively thought about it. I've spent so long just imagining magic being a thing rather than experiencing it.

People like Larishazza, Einervaene, Rose, Vadei, Vapooliar. Anyone I've met, really who uses magic. It's always been a thing for them. And, with Vadei's recent words, it becomes clearer how out of place I am.

Even if she is wrong, that my former life as just a simple low-skill artisan had no part in this. That my recent developments in magic were not a result of it. But, rather, something else I just can't quite figure out... I still did not belong here.

Yet, now I knew for certain that I had to make myself a place in this land. Thankfully, as well, the hard parts of my current body were over. My friends were fully aware of what I was and they chose to ignore it. I had people I could walk side-by-side with as I found myself a new place.

"So, anyway, Nin." Einervaene began to say.

"Hm?"

"Given that we... Failed in our task, would now be a good chance to ask for some details on how you want your new outfit to be?" she finished as the heel of one of her boots went into the dirt. And as she fidgeted, I watched her shoes dig up the earth below.

"I haven't really thought about it. I don't think I'd have any ideas to offer, anyway. Last time I wore something that wasn't bandages and that cloak Liada is now wearing, I was in prisoners attire." I joked as I thought back to an uncomfortable time. Yet, it was the day it ended I was able to focus on more now. Or, maybe that was just my brain getting sick of horrible thoughts.

"Well, I assume you'd want something like that anyway." she says as her head tilts to the side.

"Oddly enough, I like the bandages to some extent. But, they can be a frustrating thing to deal with. So maybe a top or shirt of some kind for my middle at the least?" I put forth as Liada sits down between us. Her crimson hair was soon around my claws as I moved to stroke it.

"Okay, thank you. I'll see what I can do." she says as she moves closer as well to get my other claw occupied. And, despite how easy it was to crush both their skulls. They still bickered down below.

"On the topic of clothes, however. How are yours holding up?" I said before looking down at my red-skinned friend.

"They're sufficient for the moment." Liada answers with a rather unimpressed tone as she delicately clutched my old hat.

"Does this mean I can have it back?" I asked teasingly as I slipped two claw tips on the hat to pinch it away. Smiling alongside Einervaene's giggles as Liada hopped up to protect the hat.

"No... It's mine..." she says aggressively before settling back down.

"Well, that's enough lounging about here. We should be going." I tell the pair as I begin to move towards the path Vadei and Larishazza took. Leaving them both disappointed as it meant I was no longer soothing their scalps with affection.

"What are we going to do, then? We went out here because there was nothing back there." Liada reminds me as she crosses her arms and raises a brow. And I turn and raise an arm while making a noise.

"Well, I'll probably be smoothing design details out with Einervaene as my new outfit is sort of a priority here. You, however... I'll get back to you on that." I explain before I lose track of my thoughts at the end.

"I've no complaints." Einervaene comments as she smiles during her catch-up skip.

"I'm not standing around as the human makes clothes." Liada complains as she follows us.

"I don't think I said you have to stand around." I tell her as I walk backwards. And I quickly decided not to as my feet were not flexible.

"Well, what else am I going to do? You were very insistent on us at least trying to get the grieving one to come along. So that means I can't familiarise myself with the technology on the airship."

"I did, however, say, not to fly it. I don't see how that means you can't do anything else."

"Because everything else works in tandem with its core purpose, small brain!" Liada barks in frustration as she walks ahead. Yet, the way her tail rubbed on me as she did so indicated other things.

"Why not help Vadei's village get back in shape, then? You like to do practical labour. There's a source of practical labour."

"Fine..." she lets out in disappointment.

"That's that sorted, then. So, Nin, how would you like to do this?" Einervaene asks as she leans in closer.

.

.

.

"Feels weird having only my limbs wrapped up." Nin comments as he moves his arms and fingers about. And while I was happy to see him dressed up again, I was also extremely tired. I didn't even wait for my magic to revitalise itself before I went out shopping with Larishazza...

"You're the one who wanted it like that!" I complained as I smashed my fists onto the table. Knocking over some of my new supplies in the process. And, as such, I moved about to pick it all up while complaining about it.

"I know, and, again, thank you." he said as his hand gently patted my back. And I found myself giggling as my cheeks turned slightly red.

"Maybe we should make sure your outfits are destroyed more often!" Larishazza comments as she looks at my face. She was faring much better than I, but that was because she had been spending the last few days snoring away.

"So, what is the plan to avoid suspicion?" Vadei asked quietly from her spot at the edge of the room.

"Suspicion?" Nin repeats.

"Y-Yeah, if you just come off the airship, the people who've seen the real you will spill the details to the rest of the village. It will be a nightmare to sort it out!" she elaborates for us as she starts to stand.

"So, what, we pretend he's a friend from out of town and he is here to make sure the osibindah are all gone?" Larishazza puts forth as her head sways from one end to the other.

"That could work. We could even just have it being that I know none of you and I am just a traveller." Nin adds on to the prior statement.

"What kind of lonely traveller has your kind of power?" I asked as I held my aching head in my hands. Yet, none of them answered, they just looked at me and stared. And it was during that I collapsed and tried to hide my face.

"Rela-" one of them began to say.

"SHUT UP!" I moaned as I tried to hide my embarrassment. I always seemed to do this. Walk straight into the things that got me teased.

"Don't worry, Einervaene, but, I might need your help with this one." Nin tells me as he rubs my back. Something which eventually eases my still pink face out into the open.

"Why?" I asked as I stared at his masked face.

"You can get me a good distance from town. It will let me walk with a more convincing stride, I think. Because I'd be sick of walking by the time I get back." he explains before cracking a bad joke at the end.

"I see... Okay... Let's go." I sigh out tiredly as I get up. Only to fall on him as I had been ignoring how tired I truly was for a while now.

"Easy there, don't worry, I got you." he tells me as he begins to guide me out of my workshop. And, as he did so, a small smile appeared on my face.

"Have you found it yet?" I ask him once we are on our own.

"The little bit of magic you've left in the clothes?" he answers as if the thing I was alluding to was never hidden at all.

"Yeah." I say with a smile as I sense the minute piece of lightning magic dance across him. Any metal pieces on his clothes had been used to wipe up any blood I intentionally drew. Liada's work on the airship had inspired me to do that. Now I could sense him to some extent.

In a way, it would help prevent another situation like where Salahma stole him. I needed Vadei to find him, and I did not want to risk lives needlessly should it happen again. So, with that bit of magic in him, I could reach out and see if I felt a tug. A very slight arcane gesture telling me where he is.

"I hope it helps keep me safe, then. More magic there is in something, the stronger it is." he then comments. And, I never actually considered that when I did it. I was just focused on being able to find him. But, he was right, that magic I put there had more purposes.

So long as its vessel was not destroyed or damaged too much, that is. Thankfully, it was not a single piece of metal I did it to. I did it to all the buttons, hooks, staples and bands this outfit had. It was like staring at a rough outline of a person made of my magic.

Yet, that made me sad, as even like this, when I concentrated it so finely for someone I loved. It still looked blue, my lightning was not even transitioning into a white colour. It was still the lowliest colour for lightning out there. A vile, disgusting blue.

"Why the sudden foul mood?" the one I wanted to admit to so badly asked me as we made it outside. And, under the light of a full moon, I huddled up next to him. Unsure of myself as other things began to weigh on my mind. Was my magic ever going to become pure?

It's been months since I learned to stop sacrificing bodily control for spell use. It's been months since I proved myself capable enough to be enrolled into a high-end academy for magic. I've slain a wyvern that those stronger than me could not. Yet it was still blue.

"It's, nothing..." I say in an effort to slip his attention off of it. And my eyes began to water slightly as I held onto him.

"I know it's not that, Einervaene. Come on, open up. You know you can tell me."

I sigh before saying another word, "I know I can... There's nothing I could hold from you, even if I wanted... I just..."

"Are too tired to really think of how to say it?" he asks, completely wrong about it. But, it offered an opportunity.

"I'd think that would be obvious, I've been flying about the skies days-on-end." laughing out this lie just so I could avoid talking about it. I did not want Nin to see me as weak, especially after I've proven myself capable of defending him. I don't think I could take it if we ended up like before. Where I abandoned him to the beasts at Suhurlodst.

Thankfully, however, he seems to have forgiven me for it. Just like how I forgave him for his abrupt disappearance in the wastes below the Anvil-Peak. At least, I felt like I had forgiven him. So much happened in so short a time after Vadei picked us up.

We found out that her people needed saving, chiefly among them, her family. We eventually found out that Nin was desperate to go home. But, I could see right now the results of that failure. And I did not want to lose his confidence...

Even if I was worrying over my weakness right now, I know for a fact I will stay weak without him. I just can't go back to the way it was before where I was alone in my travels. I want to have special moments with Nin, I wanted to be annoyed by his teasing. And, of course, I wanted to have fun with my friends.

"Alright, when you've had a moment to sleep well, we'll be talking about this when we can." Nin assures me as he pulls me into a tight hug. And it was in that hug that I realised that I had been crying silent tears while I was in my head. I had become so oblivious to how I was acting as I was just too focused on other things.

"I wish that moment would come soon then." I told him with a sniffle as I returned the hug before sighing. But, this hug had another purpose, he was feeding some magic into me with it. And once we had spent enough time hugging, I felt confident to use my magic. We could go and enact this plan of ours the moment he gave the word.

"Would you like to come meet us then, Stranger?" I joked with a slight smile as I looked up at his head. Taking in the difference in our sizes while I waited for an answer.

"Drop me off somewhere nice, at least?" he requested with his own smile. It was something I laughed quietly at before sparks started to come off of me. Then, in but a moment, we were both entirely made of them. And we were soaring high into the sky before we went the great distance.

And with a crash and boom, we came back into being, "Oh." I let out with some surprise as I realise where I landed us. I had caught something shining down below, so I thought that would be nice. Turns out, it was someone's terrace farm. And the farmer or farmers down below had caught sight of it.

"HEY!" they shouted up at us before I was left laughing just before I left.

"HEY!" I barely heard Nin shout after me as he quickly caught on to what I had just done.

.

.

.

"When I get my hands on you, woman!" I cursed as I trudged through the forest by the road. Even though I was dressed, it still felt safer to be in some form of shadow. It was also amusing to spook those who were cautiously watching me. Especially the many oxfuinei travelling the road as they always tried to sniff me out.

Even now, I couldn't help but snicker at the many bits of fun I have had. It also made me thankful that Larishazza had shown me various ways to have fun. I was never a people person, that was always the case. But, I very much enjoy taking a little something out of everyone.

It made boring treks like this one tolerable as I had something to do. It also made me realise how much I hated being on my own while on the move. Up until now, I have always had a companion. Even in my worst states, there was someone there.

But here there was no one but the short-lived friends I made along the way. Thankfully, the village did not seem to be too far as I was now catching sight of some landmarks. Namely, the mountain range that ended right ahead of the village. How I knew it was that mountain, however, was a mystery.

"BECAUSE THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!" I suddenly screamed at the gargantuan stone objects. Mountains were just baked into this land like an overly fruity biscuit. You could not escape them unless you went towards the canyon. But, was a canyon just not the incline to a land-sized mountain!?

Complaints about mountains, aside, however, I was finally able to see the village. All the way atop the hill the road went up. But, I held my ground and I crossed my arms. And I was content to just look at the village from a distance.

"So very different to life in the city..." I quietly uttered as I began to lower myself down a tree. Keeping my oddly-shaped osibindah back against it while flexing my legs about. And when I was done positioning myself, I just carried on taking in the view. I then smiled as I caught a glimpse of people outside.

I may have not liked being involved in why it was like this. But the fragile peace I helped give this small village made me happy. I was able to save someone's home from a danger that would engorge itself upon it. I had help, sure, but my part in it was clear.

Perhaps now as well, I could apologize for any foul actions I did to those I saved. Or maybe me saving them was enough and I could just drop it? I did not really know. I guess I would just have to let the gods decide for me on this one.

They would have to let it all flow out for me and I would go along with it. Just like how I went along with the paths their distant battles had created. Legends often spoke of shockwaves so vast and so distinct that they carved the earth. Were these lands perhaps where most of that occurred?

Jherikra did mean Greatest Land, after all. Was it referred to as such because of its association with the gods? It probably was, so much stuff of note was near this land. The Anvil-Peak, the now empty but still great canyon that once cooled thunderous metal.

Perhaps, I could be, as I have heard it be said, perhaps I could be Jhrerikra one day. Great man of the land. Perhaps I could be that, someone who became great through their courage and strength. Someone who confronted the evils that scarred them and saved others from their fate.

Or, maybe I could think small like the village Vadei was from. Just live life as easily as one could, stepping up only occasionally to keep it safe. It would certainly make a change to all the adventuring I have pretty much been doing. From simple wall-engraver to witch-in-training at what seems to be the main magic school place.

Yet, oddly enough, I was warded away from that idea by the boredom of it. I have fought my way out of monster hives with magic insects. Bested the best of a sex maniacal, nomadic people and stole the heart of their most beautiful without trying. I won something from a great man from the prior generation who had a sacred gift he needed protecting. I was able to triumph even when the world wanted me to fail.

"If I keep on going, there's no telling where I might end up!" I cheered as I got up, yet, I also dreaded those words. For with all these stories came something I was the expert one. The only expert in the world, in fact. I knew what it was like to die and to lose oneself to a corrupting monster.

Maybe there were others out there like me, cursed individuals who have tasted divine love. Or, perhaps I was alone in that experience. I could either assume it or seek out the potential answer that proved me wrong. And I would both enjoy it and hate it with every bit of passion in me. However, I was thinking too far ahead now.

A village needed help from a strong man and one was right here. So I started to move towards the village again. Not partaking in any revelry or conversation on the way down. However, I did meet the wandering gazes of curious farmers as I made my way into the village.

"Hey! Stranger! Take my advice, get out of here. This place will bring nothing good." a bitter man told me as he held onto a rosary detailing its allegiance to Undwote. So, I could only assume he was one of many we had failed. Be it our slowness or ineptitude, it did not matter.

"How come?" I asked as I approached him, somewhat spooking him with my size. But, I was intent on keeping the agreed-upon act up. I was a stranger from out of town, so I just had to, unfortunately, avoid the others for a bit. Who knows what kind of slip-ups our familiarity would cause.

"Vile osibindah have recently gutted our village for all it was worth. Not that it was that valuable to begin with. Not one official from the Lord who's meant to be looking after us after the slavers came... This village is cursed, that is all that you need to know."

"This village has been around for a few generations, what do you mean?" I asked him which got me a scoff as the initial response.

"You don't know a damn thing about this place. Now, if you value your life, get going. There's no telling when the bugs will be back."

"I know enough about this place to know that isn't true." I tell him as I lean on the fence keeping me out of his garden.

"And what do you know?" he asked with a sneer as he approached me with a growl as well.

"I know that there are two very powerful witches here. As well as some kind of aid from a mountain-state."

"No, it's just those two witches, unfortunately." he admitted with a sigh as he backed down.

"So you need help?" I then asked him which surprised him to some extent.

"I... I have nothing to offer for your help. Besides, there's nothing to help."

"There are farmers with verdant fields and children playing, seems like you got plenty of things that need help."

He scoffs again, "Well, if you're so insistent on wasting your life here, go speak to one of the bigshots on the far end. Give them some help with the lifting or something, I don't care. Just leave me be."

"Alright, enjoy your day." I say to him as I give him a brief wave on my way further into the village. I also let out a groan in my mouth as pretending like this felt off.

"Yeah, you too..." he said to me rather quietly before I heard him go back to his prior business. Which, going by how active the small temple they had was, was likely religious. But, I knew that already as I was aware of the series of funerals that had been going on. Yet, somehow, the priests at the temple kept the will to keep doing it.

To keep exposing themselves to despair and the suffering that came with loss. Over and over again until the temple closed its doors for the night. I also knew that, that was the worst time of day here. Those who still wanted their loved ones buried got into frequent arguments.

"Now, to keep it up." I then muttered as I turned towards the reconstruction work. Steadily moving closer and closer until I found myself nearly running into someone.

"Excuse me." Einervaene sweetly asked with a knowing smile as she held up a large piece of wood.

"Sorry, need any help? Man back down the road says this place needs some labourers." I ask her as a smile comes to my own face. I may have wanted to keep up a facade to build up believability. But, speaking to someone I knew made it a fun endeavour. It almost made me want to joke about it with her.

"I'm sure someone can guide you to a house that needs fixing up." she tells me as she casually swings an arm behind her. The other one was occupied with the effortless load in her grip. And, it felt odd, mostly because the heavy lifting was usually left to me. But, granted, that was probably as light as a feather to both of us.

"So how's the reconstruction been going?" I asked, this time, however, it was not related to my act. I just wanted to know how it has been going from the perspective of someone who had been doing it.

"We're focusing on the most damaged buildings at the moment. Thankfully, we don't need heavy equipment as me and my friend are here to take care of it."

"Einervaene! Get moving!" Liada barks as she comes on stomping over with a pile of papers in your hand.

"Yes, sir." Einervaene muttered snarkily under her breath as she walked off. And, when she had moved enough, I was being shoved to the nearest wall.

"And you, pick up some planks or step aside, you're in the way!" Liada demanded of me like an angry foreman. But, then, her expression shifted and she gave me a grin and brush of the tail as she went elsewhere.

"You take work too seriously." I comment as she walks off, huffing as she stops and looks back at me.

"And you're not working at all." she chastises as her fingers gesture at the damage.

"Alright, alright." I quietly laugh out as I move to a pile of lumber. Waving to Larishazza from under my new cloak as she hummed away sawing a tree apart. What she was using, however, I had no idea as it looked more like she was just being her. But, upon closer inspection, it became clear that she was using a hair of hers.

"Saw, saw, saw, saaaaaw!" she sang each time she twisted one way. And, when a chunk of unwanted wood fell off, a child would collect it and put it on a pile. A pile which was in turn added to a cart and taken to what seemed to be a public kitchen. It wasn't even a fresh-looking one, so it must have been part of the village anyway.

"Redskin in charge said to find some lumber?" I recalled to Larishazza once I had caught her attention. But, as she was easily excitable, she briefly forgot the act we were putting up.

"HELLO!" she screamed into my ear as she latched onto me all of a sudden. Thankfully, however, her choice of greeting did not give away the plan. Only her absurdly out of place reaction did.

"I want a hug!" one child suddenly demanded before all of them began to demand it. And Larishazza was only more than happy to hand them out. She even teased some of the shyer boys with quick kisses on the cheeks. And when she put them down, they all had red faces and twitching hands.

"Go ahead and take whatever you need! There's plenty more trees for me to work with." Larishazza quickly tells me before she gets back to playing with the children.

"Got it, thank you." I say before I pick up a bundle she had bound together with more of her hair. In fact, she had pulled out a few strands and kept them in a box as if they were tools... Well, I have to praise the thinking, but, it was so weird to look at. A small box of hair strands was helping to rebuild a village.

At least Einervaene was likely just applying some magic to fuse metal together. And Liada was probably bringing tools off of the airship! But, then we had Larishazza using hair... And I could only repeat prior thoughts in my head.

Now, I had other things I should focus on, like what to do with this lumber. So I held it above my head and walked about until I found Liada again. And I had to wait for a bit as she was currently doing something on that paper of hers. I could get her attention, but I also wanted to see what she was doing.

They were construction plans by the looks of it. Heavily edited and crossed out ones, however. And, if I went by the way she sighed and fidgeted, she was dealing with material problems. I can't imagine it's a case of not enough, we mostly needed wood.

But, her drawings, on closer inspection, seemed to be too complex for what we had. So, I think it was fair to presume she had gotten ahead of herself. She let out as much as she could and now she was constantly remaking it. I can't say I understand the feeling, I was never the making type.

Despite my old job...

"Something troubling you?" I asked her as I put the lumber down and sat on it. Staring at her as I leaned forward on my open legs.

"I'm not used to working without some kind of machinery. Everything back home was mechanised to make up for our population deficit..." she admitted with a frustrated sigh. And when she said it, I dropped the continuation of the act just to see if I could help. I would rather not see her stressed out because of something like this.

"Larishazza and Einervaene fit in for most of that, do they not?" I ask her while I gently fiddled with the tight hair chain the former made.

"Using her hair was my idea, but that's not what I'm on about. I'm on about actual machinery. Forges, factories! But, this is a backwards village without even a rudimentary blacksmith." she let out as she threw the paper down. So, I then leaned further down to pick it up. Maybe I should compliment her on it? It looked pretty good, but, I was no architect or engineer.

"Why not start over but just build it around what you do have access to?" I proposed, assuming a brief moment to step back from it all would help.

"I'm not starting over! I put too much work into it already!" she replied loudly, but, I felt like she was exaggerating. There was a bit of time invested here, sure. But it was both a small drawing and the notes were a line or two here and there. It would not cause many issues if she had to restart.

Besides, the villagers seemed to know how they wanted their houses and businesses done. Some even seemed to be taking advantage of the damage in order to get the girls to build more. And I only picked up on that I was familiar with the idea of renovating. It was part of my old job after all. You go in, clear an area, and build it back up, something we often did in communal areas.

"Food!" a woman then called out from the tidier part of the village. And when she did, some walked, but many ran as if they'd not get any.

"Smells good, perhaps something to eat will calm your mind?" I offer as I got up. Holding out a claw to help her to her feet-claws before nudging the lumber to the side. If I was not going to be doing anything with it, there was no point in leaving it on the road. However, when we got to the food, I declined a portion.

That would mean taking off my mask and that defeated the point of having it. So I just moved on into the shade and let the girls gather up around me. Looking at Vadei in particular as she walked about in a simple dress handing out bread. A fresh dose of cheer even came to her lips when she saw me.

"You came just in time!" she told me as she handed me a bread roll despite my protests. But, as I felt its warmth in my hand, I found it hard to decline. It even had the letter 'N' on it to denote it was my one. At least, it looked like an 'N,' it was Vadei's language after all, not Wind-Speak.

"I'd be fine coming later." I say with a hidden smirk as she flattened her dress and sat down before us.

"Conquei, over here!" Vadei then called out in a notably duller tone. And soon, we had a girl who looked similar to Vadei, but with much shorter hair. She was dress similarly, too, but, she did not seem to be used to it. Vadei had to sort her clothes out before she sat down.

"Thank you, Vadei." her sister quietly said as she took a bread roll apart and mixed it into her food.

I seemed to make her uncomfortable, as well, "Something wrong?" I asked her simply before I watched her twitch.

"N-No, nothing." she tells me before diving into her bowl to occupy herself. But, she burnt her mouth as a result and Larishazza had to intervene. She was a lot calmer around her, though. In fact, her issues seemed to lie with me. Did she...?

"I hope you don't mind me finding somewhere quieter." I then said all of a sudden as I got up and moved away from the group. Leaving my bread roll behind so I could ponder alone on a fence. Vadei, however, followed me with my roll in hand.

"It's not your secret that bothers her." Vadei tells me as she puts the roll in my hand again.

"You are really insistent with this, you know?" I exclaim as I shake the piece of cooked flour about.

"Because I made it for you." she tells me as her ears dip slightly.

"Well, as we're further away and around a corner." I say before cautiously exposing my mouth. However, I did not nibble to roll, I just slotted it into my maw. Chewing only once I got the mask back on. And while I could feel the steam its heat caused, it did not bother me at all.

"Well?" she asks as she leans in a little closer.

"Meaty inside was a nice touch." was all I really had to say as it was just a bread roll outside of that.

"Thank you, I caught the bird myself." Vadei tells me with a small smile as she grips her dress.

"Vadei? I need your help with something." her mother suddenly said as she abruptly got between us.

"What is it, Mom?" Vadei asked as her expression lost its joy. Something which seemed to make said mother angry.

"Don't think that just because you are wearing that, that I don't know it's you!" she sneered at me as her tail wrapped around Vadei protectively.

"Mom, there's no need for..." Vadei began to say before she shirked away when her mother glared at her.

"Listen carefully, Bug, stay away from my family. And when you can, get away from my home." she growls to me before she takes Vadei away.

"Well, that ruined the moment..." I quietly let out as I started to focus on what she had called me. Sometimes I could ignore it, other times it just bothered me a lot...