Lexi bounced into the library. “Good Morning, Sister Lena!”

“Morning, Lexi. You’re here early?” Lena sat at the librarian desk with a book in hand and a pile to the side. Today, she was on duty.

Lexi beamed. “Well, I need to prepare for a trip tomorrow.”

“Trip?”

“Sister Frida said she’ll take Saxa and me to the city!” Lexi nodded. Her eyes were round with excitement. Last week, Sister Frida agreed to take them to the city. Three years had passed since she started staying at the church, and this was Lexi’s first time going to Creta. She had heard stories from the other children: the bustling city, the beautiful buildings, the various stores, and the crowded streets. Now that she had a chance, she wanted to be extra prepared.

“Have fun then.” A small smile graced Lena’s face. “There are travel guides near the history section.”

“Thank you.”

Lexi walked towards the non-fiction section. She waved to the few townspeople sitting at a table.

“Hi, Lexi!” A voice shouted from the children’s section. It was a young half-orc, Anto.

“Morning.” He lived in the nearby town and was an apprentice carpenter. Anto often came to look at the intricate structure of the building and furniture. They grew closer when she helped him find carpentry books.

Lexi later learned that he also enjoyed stories and fairytales. From there, they started talking about stories and sharing recommendations. Anto introduced her to her favorite fairytale: The Dragon and the Mirror. Apparently, it’s based on an old Lucinic legend about a mirrored world.

After a few minutes of searching, Lexi found some travel guides. She briefly skimmed sections about Creta before closing the book. Although the travel guide would inform her about landmarks and festivals, Lexi was more interested in knowing about the atmosphere. So she decided to ask someone who had already visited.

She stood up and walked towards the tables. “Anto. You’ve been to Creta, right? Can you tell me about it?”

He looked up from his book. “Yeah? Oh, sure. What did you wanna know?”

“Umm…” Lexi opened the travel guide, flipping through a few pages. Then, she pointed towards the town square. “How was the town square?”

“Let’s see. I went with my dad on market day. It was the middle of the day, so the square was crowded, and there were many stands.” Anto started gesturing circles with his hands. “Someone was making and selling pink clouds.”

“Clouds?”

“Yeah! A spinning machine turned sugar into clouds. There were also performers playing music.”

Lexi watched with awe. “How about the buildings?”

“They were so cool. Look, this one uses beams and pillars like the church,” Anton took the travel guide and turned to the city hall, “so it’s huge. There are large statues guarding the place. The other buildings also use intricate designs.”

“What about the types of buildings?”

“Types?”

“Uh, like what they sell and stuff.”

“Oh.” He turned to a photo of the street. “Well, we went to the local artisan guild. There were also some herb shops and eateries.”

“And? How was it?”

Anto flipped through a few pages. “They were okay. Some of the places were pretty full, but people were smiling.”

“Lexi, Anto. What are you guys doing?” interrupted Saxa.

Anto grinned, “I’m telling Lexi about Creta.”

“Oh yeah! This’ll be your first time going.”

“Mhm. What’s your favorite?”

She pondered for a second. “I guess the blacksmith and weapon shops.”

“Really? Why?” asked Anto.

“Because they have the best knives,” Saxa smirked, pulling a dagger from her belt. The blade was slightly blackened, and the handle worn out. She swung it around, cleanly cutting through the air. “Sister Frida bought me this one from there, and the edge is still sharp. It also feels pretty comfortable.”

A voice echoed across the room. “Saxa! No swinging weapons in the library.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Sorry.” Saxa jumped before quickly sheathing the dagger. Then, she turned back. “But yeah, they have quality weapons and probably some tools too.”

Anto stared at the sheath. “Oh, that’s interesting. Maybe I’ll try one in the future.”

“Anyways. Lexi, did you wanna know anything else?”

Lexi shook her head. “Nope. I think I’m good for now.”

“Great, then we should get going. It’s almost time for lunch.” Saxa glanced at Anto. “Are you joining us?”

He looked out the window and towards town. “Nah. My dad’s expecting me, so I need to head home soon.”

“Got it. Then see you around.”

“Bye.”

Saxa and Lexi headed towards the dining hall. After grabbing their lunch, they found a bench. While Saxa gobbled down the meal, Lexi nibbled on her food and read the travel guide.

Afterward, they talked about the trip. Or Saxa described her experience while Lexi enthusiastically listened. Then, the pair separated to attend their afternoon lessons. Saxa headed towards her advanced self-defense class, and Lexi towards her archery class.

------

Lessons had ended. Lexi searched the church for June, wanting to ask about her experience. Eventually, she found her by the field. When Lexi ran over, she saw June with her hair in a bun and a stick in hand.

“June!” she yelled, “What’s the best thing in the city?”

She looked up and glanced at Lexi with a puzzled expression. “Best thing?”

Lexi gasped. “Yeah, I’m going tomorrow.”

“Oh. Then you should check out the charms shop.” She turned towards the circle on the ground and stared.

“Charms shop?”

“Uh huh, the charms shop. It sells charms engraved with general spells.” After a moment of pondering, June added a few symbols to the circle.

“Got it.” Lexi made a mental note. “By the way, what are you doing?”

“Practicing.”

She stared at June, befuddled. “Practicing… ?”

“Magic circles.” June briefly paused. “You’re interested in wind elemental magic, right? This one should make a wind vortex.”

“Oh.” Lexi’s eyes started to sparkle. “Oh! Then, can I watch?”

“Sure, go over there and don’t come close. It should be ready in a few minutes.”

Lexi glanced around the field, looking for a place to sit. She found a bench a little distance away and sat down. When she turned back towards June, Lexi saw her drawing a few more symbols.

June took a step back and placed a hand in the middle of the circle. The wind gathered, blowing her bangs around. Then, June and the circle began glowing a faint white color. Strips of wind light combined with the wind, whirling around June. They started slow before picking up speed.

Eventually, a large vortex of white wind encircled June. Entranced, Lexi watched as the magic came to life. The wind brushed the treetops, plucking leaves from their branches. The trees rustled violently, shaking as the vortex forced its way around.

Blades of grass twirled whenever the wind passed, obeying its will. The wind slashed through, slicing a few and carrying them along. The scent of freshly cut grass infused with the air and swirled around.

The vortex drew paths in the dirt, pushing everything that stood in its path. It viciously slashed into the ground, throwing dust into the air.

The moment felt eternal, but it probably lasted a few moments. The vortex started to die down, the magic dissipating into the air. Lexi reached out towards a fading stripe of white. It was sharp and cut her hand, drawing a few drops of blood. The shock startled Lexi, pulling her out of a trance. She twisted around, observing the aftermath.

Nearby trees had deep slashes in their trunks and missing leaves thrown around. The wind had hacked grass patches, trimming them short. The ground was carved in a circular pattern, the vortex’s path.

“Great, that’s a success,” exclaimed June. Her bangs and bun were loose, strands of chestnut hair messily hanging. her clothes were ruffled and disheveled, unlike her usually tidy appearance. But, she was grinning from eye to eye.

Lexi stared at June with wonder and admiration,

June surveyed the area. She placed a hand on the ground, traced the slashes, and noted the cuts. She mumbled, “Hmm. That should be powerful enough for a level two spell.”

Lexi rose from the bench and dashed towards June. “What was that!”

“It was a level two wind vortex.”

“When I start learning magic, I can cast spells like that, right?”

“Well yeah. Level one to three spells are pretty common.” She patted Lexi’s head. “Since you’re a harpy, common wind spells should be easy for you.”

Lexi beamed. She couldn’t wait.

“But you’ll have to wait until you’re thirteen.”

“Oh right.” Children couldn’t take magic classes until they were at least thirteen. If they were too young, mana could run rampant and endanger lives.

“By the way, why were you looking for me?”

Lexi took out her journal and quill. “I wanted to know if you had any recommendations for places to visit in Creta.”

“Ah. I think I remember that.” June placed her hand under her chin and started thinking. “Umm… the charms shop, herb shop, potion shop, city library, and Riolar church library.”

“Got it.” She jotted down the places. “And what’s your favorite place?”

“Me? Probably the magic shop. They have many magic-related books, including pre-made spellbooks.”

Lexi looked up. “What’s a spellbook?”

June walked towards a bag on the ground and opened it. She grabbed two books and showed them to Lexi. “This is a magic book. It has general magic concepts and symbols.”

Lexi flipped through a few of the pages. There were some completed magic circles, but the book was mostly full of concepts and descriptions. It detailed the classification of symbols, different concepts, and translations. She only skimmed a few pages before closing it.

“This is a spellbook. It contains pre-drawn magic circles and spells, so you don’t need to memorize them.” She handed over the other book.

“That’s amazing…” The magic circles were drawn in detail and filled countless pages. Under each circle was a series of symbols and translations. I guess these are spells.

“Yeah, I’m currently practicing their structure.” June took the books back and packed them away, “Spellbooks are helpful, but it’s good to memorize a few spells.”

Lexi and June continued to talk about the nature of magic circles and spells. Lexi would ask questions, and June tried to answer them.