Chapter 31.5: Magic Part 2

“Imagination. Imagine some sort of power is running in your blood veins, and imagine that power traveling to your fingertips.”

Emily closed her eyes in quiet stillness, her left index finger started to glow a pale blue light. Then her finger moved to her right palm, as if drawing something in invisible ink. Soon the traces of her finger illuminated a small magic circle that circled her wrist.

“The size of the magic circle determines its strength,” she explained as she opened her eyes.

“Oh.”

“Watch.”

Just after she proclaimed those words in confidence, her palm released a ball of water, bigger than a basketball, and shot it at my face. Since it traveled faster than I could follow, I was unable to save myself from getting wet.

Dammit. I stripped my shirt off and wiped my face dry with it. When I shifted my eyes back to Emily, she flashed me an evil, playful grin. Not an ounce of regret in her golden brown eyes.

“You’re lucky you’re doing me a favor, or else I would’ve done your mouth wonders already,” I said, trying to rein the hot pulse that pounded in my blood.

For the first time since yesterday, I was afraid all hell would break loose again.

“Do you now, Sir Reimuz?”

Emily smiled sweetly, stifling herself to laugh. Oh, this damn woman wetting her lips in front of me. Goodness. A sudden urge to take her across that tree stump surfaced inside my head. Oh damn no. Not at this time, I thought to myself, swiftly dismissing the idea with a shake of my head.

“Well, let’s not get off topic here. What about the spell’s element? How do you determine that?”

“Did you not see the words written around my magic circle?” Emily asked, and I noticed the circle disappeared from her wrist. So it was a one-time use only?

I mused about the possibility. If it was, then her words from before would make sense.

“No, what about it?” I returned another curious question.

Upon hearing me, Emily started to draw another circle on her palm, and the same circle from before wrapped around her wrist again. I walked closer and examined the words. It was something familiar, but obviously different to the general language I learned from Celes.

“What language is this?”

“Spirit language. This is why I told you most spell casters wouldn't want to use this method. It’s very complex and precise."

“I see, is there an easier method?”

“Hmm, there’s those born with natural talent who could freely manipulate purified energy, but the exact method is a mystery to me.”

“Okay, you lost me. What do you mean by freely?”

Emily sighed. “Look closely. Since this is very exhausting, I can only show you this method once.”

I nodded. Emily turned still, her face turning pale by the second.

My hair stood on end, and my senses perceived an unnaturally ominous energy gathering around us. A shudder raked my spine and my instincts told me to run, however I couldn’t. No matter the danger I wanted to see how this would turn out. Little by little the surrounding dirt, grasses, leaves - everything started to gather around her - and all the while I could see sparks forming in the air.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud roar, and I instinctively covered my ears from the ear-shattering noise. A second later, one giant blade of light blasted from above, toasting a nearby tree to cinders.

“Holy.” I couldn’t express my astonishment. I stood there, eyes wide open, conjuring the same image in my head. When the smoke thinned, an area of at least twelve meters in diameter was burned into ashes. It turned charcoal black.

“So, what do you think? Impressed?” Emily’s voice shifted my focus back to her.

Emily closed her eyes and wiped her face with one hand. Her knees trembled, and at that one instant I had a feeling she’ll fall, I lunged myself to her right away. She fell into my embrace, meekly, like a warm lump of exhausted feminine flesh. Her whole face blotted in sweat reminded me of something kinky.

“Good gosh, remind me not to anger you, okay?” I smiled and cradled her up.

Emily raised two fingers. “It’s my second time manipulating that much purified energy, and I still can’t get used to its drawbacks.”

“Well, I’m not surprised you can’t. Just look at the disaster you brought,” I point my chin to her area of attack, and she laughed at the sight of it. However, after such an innocent laugh, her expression darkened to something gloomy.

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“Hey, Reimuz, you don’t think I’m weird, do you?”

“Why would I think you’re weird?”

“Because I can caused something unnatural like this with a mere flick of my fingers.”

“Emily, I’m not entirely sure what happened to you in the mines, but you’re still you. If ever you’re more like an asset, and I’m glad to have someone reliable like you traveling with us,” I babbled whatever words that came to my mind.

At the moment we were both silent, and her silence had me wondering what type of thoughts were running in her head. All I had to do was to remember how stimulating it was to have her mouth on mine, and my mind would slide down onto an immediate catastrophe.

Celes flooded my head, and she was a thought that overpowered everything else. After all this time I had not fully realized how much damage she had done to me, but the scar remained strong in my heart, reminding me of those instances when our relationship was nothing like a recent dream.

I was able to fool myself once, but I wasn’t strong enough to do it for the second time. While carrying Emily in the security of my arms, I trudged my boots back to camp, hoping that she wouldn’t be able to take notice of the tear that slipped its way out of my gentle facade.

When we returned, I saw August and Lepust calming the frightened horses. It must had something to do with the spell Emily used. I mean, even now, a chill was still raking my spine.

Nodding my confirmation to August’s gaze, I trudged past them both and headed straight for our wagon. There wasn’t enough space for her to lie down, but it was still better than sleeping on the ground or setting her fragile back against a tree.

“Take a rest,” I murmured, laying her beside our belongings. I then turned to leave, to practice the idea of using magic somewhere else, but she tugged on my arm and persisted.

“Stay here with me,” she requested weakly, leaving me no choice but to accept.

It wasn’t something I needed to think about. I sighed, loud enough for her to hear, and sat on the free space beside her. I told myself to stay until she had fallen asleep, but the second I sat there, she silently placed her head on my chest.

I held her, in an attempt to make her feel comfortable, and stroked her purple hair that lost its beauty in this darkness. The soft tune of her breath put me into a comfortable mood.

About an hour of cuddling, Emily was fast asleep. I slipped my arms out and rested her head on top of her own luggage. Good. After freeing myself, I tiptoed my way to our campfire. It was still lit, to my surprise, and Lepust was lost staring in its warm light. In silent solitude.

I sat in front of the fire myself, drying my shirt with me, and recalled what Emily had taught me just now. If magic meant imagination, then I have plenty of that on my own. So I decided to mimic Emily’s action from before. Although it was easier said than done, I still closed my eyes and imagined the power running in my blood veins. I looked for that connection deep inside me.

It felt warm, there was a warm feeling that started in my heart, and with a single pump, it moved. Directing that energy I traced, I guided it into my hand, then to my index finger. Blinking my eyes open, a warm light, not the same pale blue that gathered on Emily’s, but rather it was a light that was almost invisible for my eyes to see.

Spirit language might just have been a variation of its own. If magic really is the manipulation of purified energy then what is limiting others from using this power freely? I get the idea behind magic circles, but what about this pure energy on its own?

In my head I imagined a gun. I stood up and clasped my hands together, extending my index finger perpendicular to it acting as the barrel. I pointed my makeshift gun to a tree branch at least seven meters away. The moment I released my imagination, that light traveled and shaved my target spot on.

“So this… is magic?” I said, shaking in excitement.

“Master, are you okay?” Lepust asked, probably bewildered at my behavior.

“I guess I am… Hahahaha…”

That night, for the first time since I came in this world, I realized the real meaning of my job class, and why it was named, Manipulator.