Agis looked at me with a soft smile. “I can say it again if you want. You’re cute.”
I felt a gentle heat rise up in my face. It felt good, hearing him say it again. Somehow I felt calm. My body was at ease. All I could do was smile back, taking in his enchanting appearance again. ‘I’m really back.’
“I may have been teasing you, but that didn’t mean I was lying you know. I would never do something deceitful like that.”
Before I realised it I was covering my mouth with a hand, failing to hold back a small laugh. ‘Who talks like that?’
Without another word, he gestured to the seat across from him, and I began to walk over.
When it came to jokes, games, or even school, I rarely lost. So When he said he got me, making a bold statement as if he had defeated me somehow it made me feel an entire host of emotions I thought I had forgotten.
It sparked my competitive side for certain, but it also filled me with a silly sense of joy, feeling like I was a little girl again, playing with a deer friend.
As I sat down the marble bench turned into a luxurious sofa, complete with the softest cushions. I almost melted, my whole body curling up like a cat as I lay down. “This is amazing…”
He cleared his throat, looking to the side for a moment. “As I said last time I can bring you any book you want. I can also do virtually anything here, so if you want anything just name it. I can give your mind a rest at least.
I couldn't help but giggle as he tugged on his hair still shyly looking away with a shade of pink on his otherwise pale face. ‘I guess… I got you too.’ I smiled.
“There it is…” A wide grin crossed his face. “Getting your smile back already? My you do bounce back fast.”
I covered my mouth with my hands, my face only seeming to get hotter. ‘I should… change the subject…’
Without time to think I just blurted out whatever random thing popped into my head. “T-there’s something I wanted to ask! You said I was a Bear with golden fur last time I was here. What exactly did you mean by that?”
He jumped out of his seat with a mischievous laugh. “Come with me!” he yelled, running around the table to my side and grabbing my hand.
‘How did we get here all of a sudden!’ We rushed out into the field before he slowed down. As we walked, the grass slowly turned to flowers of all colors until we were completely surrounded.
“What is this all the sudden?”
“Girls like flowers don't they? When I found you it was the greatest moment of my life. Your existence, even the thought that you might help me, that was the first hope I have had in hundreds of years. When I felt that flicker of hope I couldn't take my eyes off you. Of course, I wasn’t lying when I said you were cute, but what I really admire about you is your mind.”
I suddenly became conscious of his hand in my own, starting to feel shy and uncomfortable. “Can you get to the point please…”
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He snapped his fingers, and like magic a great giant bear with golden fur appeared, shaking out its long beautiful hair like a dog.
“Legend has it that long ago, even before my time, there was a bear with golden fur. It was stronger than any creature on the planet, but it refused to use that power. Unlike other bears that were dangerous and ferocious, this bear held the power to heal.”
I was in awe of the beast, but no matter how interesting his story, my mind kept being drawn back to his hand. It wasn't anything like my father's hands. It was smaller, fitting perfectly in my own, and it was soft and smooth. Somehow though, I could still feel immense power lurking within his fingers.
He paused, taking his hand away before continuing, trying not to draw attention to the fact that he held it for so long.
“It… eh… Could even bring back the dead!” He cleared his throat, slightly shaken by the realization that he hadn't let go sooner.
I gently laid my other hand over it, resting them both in front of me as I continued to listen. As uncomfortable as it was, a part of me was sad he let go.
He made a fist with the hand that had been holding mine, placing it behind his back as he continued. “I adopted it as my tribe's symbol, but over the years the people forgot the important pieces of the story, so now it only represents strength…”
I shook my head. ‘Of course, thats how it turned out…’
“You are like this bear. You brought my spirit back to life, giving me hope. You're incredibly strong, but instead of aiming to destroy this land, you're trying to heal it. Even if it might not deserve that.”
I stepped closer. The bear looked at me with almost familiar eyes. “Do I… know you?” It closed its eyes and pushed its long nose against my hand. After a moment it pulled back and stepped closer, rubbing against me like a cat.
Agis chuckled. “Looks like you two will get along.”
The bear's Fur was the softest thing I had ever touched. It felt like just by being near it I was healing, even though I wasn't hurt since I wasn't in my physical body.
After a short moment of rubbing my hand through its fur, It knelt down and gestured for me to get on. ‘This feels familiar somehow.’
With one big leap, I climbed onto its back. “What is his name?” I asked, looking down at Agis
“She is called Flicker. The bear god-beast and she has never acted like this before. I wonder what’s gotten into her?”
“Jealous?” I asked with a smirk.
“Yes, but I'm trying to be happy for you since your smile has gotten so big now.”
I rolled my eyes. “These lines of yours are starting to sound kind of cheesy Agis, get on already.” I reached down my hand and he hesitantly took it. Getting onto the great bear. “Where should we go?” I asked
He thought for a moment. “What do you want to see?”
‘Well, we're on top of a mountain, and I doubt this bear can fly…’ “I… have no idea. That's why I asked you.”
He sighed. “Ok, if I'm in charge you have to give me the reins. Scoot up so I can grab her scruff.” He pushed me forward and reached around me. Even though I was effectively in my old 16-year-old body, he was still tall enough to see right over my head making me feel small.
I always hated how tiny I felt around my brothers and my father, it only further exaggerated how weak I was compared to them. When it came to him though I somehow didn’t mind. ‘He looks so young… But he’s still this tall?’
“First, let's go back in time a bit, back to when I was king.”
“When you were King?” I mumbled slowly, trying not to sound surprised.
The bear took off in a full sprint causing me to lean back against him. In the blink of an eye, we were in the middle of a giant city. “Siya, welcome to Kasesh, before the war with the 3rd demon lord.”
“You say that like it's a good measurement of time for me…”
“Right… Sorry, You know that academy you're going to right?”
I nodded.
“This is Kasesh. The academy city. Only this is what it looked like 600 years ago. In this time it was known not as a training ground, but as a place of learning.”
“So it was originally more for classical education?”
“Yes, everything from learning the finest smithing techniques to the most powerful magic. This was the center of all education on the northern half of the continent. I should know, I helped design and build it.”
“You said magic?”
“Yea… that's right… magic wasn't always banned. It was once embraced. No one would admit it now, but all magic, even dark magic, was originally created for the betterment of people's lives in one way or another.”
‘The betterment of people's lives…’