The next day we went back to the labyrinth. We are currently resting in a challenge room on the seventh floor that we found after two hours of searching. The room has a wooded atmosphere and the challenge was to defeat a giant wild boar. He was easily six feet tall, but he was incredibly fast and agile for his size so we had a hard time beating him. When we finally defeated it, Ragnar asked us to rest as we were out of breath after the fight, and we were delighted to accept the idea.
Currently, Ragnar is taking a nap leaning against a tree. Agustín is listening with a bored face to Joseph's excited account of his performance during the fight, while Sabrina is teaching me how to perform the magic bullets that she uses. However, it does not seem to be something easy to learn because although the explanation seems simple, carrying it out is not. It has been five times that I have tried to do what she asks of me without success and I am starting to get frustrated.
"Let's try one more time... imagine a ball over your hand and compress it as much as you can. Focus on containing the flames in a sphere at the beginning, once you have the sphere formed you can try to compress it" she says while Azur next to her creates a perfect sphere on the tip of his nose trying to convey to me how it is done.
For some reason Azur was able to make the sphere on the first try, but I only managed to get a flame to come out of my hand, which goes out instantly when I try to shape it.
"agh" I cry out in frustration as the flame goes out for the sixth time in my hand.
"I don't understand why you fight so much to learn magic. You're very good with a sword, isn't that enough for you?" Agustín says with a mocking smile, while approaching us with Joseph due to my shout.
"Hmt, it's normal that you don't understand it, since you only know how to give up or get angry when things don't go the way you want..." Sabrina says looking at him coldly "I think you should follow his example. You could go back to serious work at the smithy, so you wouldn't stick your nose where people don't call you."
Agustín's face darkens at the comment and he murmurs "I'm going... I'm going to see if there is anything of value in this room other than the challenge. The wood seems to be good..." he walks away, and we lose sight of him among the trees.
"That was a low blow" says Joseph, looking at her with a frown. It seems that he was about to say something else, but after a moment he shakes his head and walks away in the direction of his cousin.
After a moment of awkward silence, I say "hmm, I have the excuse that I can't mold my magic to justify my temper, what is yours?"
"I'm not upset!! It's just that Agustín takes the expression 'having friends' too literally and seems to think that we are his property. On the way to the labyrinth we quarreled because he didn't like the idea of me going out with you yesterday" she says downplaying it "but that doesn't matter, let's get back to practice "
I tried to create the sphere with my magic in the palm of my hand, but when it was about to take shape, it disappeared again. "I don't understand why Azur can do it so easily, while I have such a hard time doing it" I say puzzled.
"I don't know much about invocations, as it's a rare thing in magic. You should ask my aunt this weekend, but if you want my opinion... I think it's because Azur is very linked to mana. His body is basically made up of it, and that's why it's easier for him to shape it" says Sabrina enthusiastically.
"hm, ok" I say while I try again and fail "you seem to like magic a lot, it shows on your face when you talk about it" I say with a smile.
"Yes" she says with a shy smile "My parents have a bookstore and I was always surrounded by books. As a child I have always loved magic books. I suppose that I resemble Agustín, since he loves the blacksmith profession. His family is dedicated to that, which is why metal and fire are something he has known since he was a child." she says looking in the direction he went.
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"But, from what you said a moment ago, I understood that he had left it, if he likes it so much, why did he leave it?" I ask, puzzled.
"he had not left it, he just gave up on getting better... His younger sister, who is four years younger, has a special talent for blacksmithing. Agustín gets discouraged every time he sees her overcome him, despite all his effort and years of experience he has with it... He is happy for her, of course, but little by little he left the smithy as his passion. He continues to practice it, but only as one more job "she says, irascible.
"I suppose it is normal to be discouraged or doubted, if someone much younger and with fewer years of experience easily surpasses you in what you love." I say.
"Are you sure? So, should I give up on magic? After all, I recently discovered that there is a brat six years younger than me that has more mana than me" she says looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a tight smile.
I laugh and say "ok ok, you're right. Likewise, it doesn't seem to be much use having so much mana, considering how much it is costing me to make a simple ball of mana"
"It takes a lot of practice and study to use magic. That you can emit mana through your hands so easily is something incredible, it took me months to achieve it, and a few more to be able to shape the mana. So, you have no right to be frustrated by a few attempts. Magic is not something that is learned overnight, it requires dedication "she says with icy seriousness.
"It is also not the same situation. You always have the option of stop meeting me and forget about me when we finish with Ragnar's guide, but if it is as you say, Agustín has to constantly live with his sister seeing again and again how his effort is in vain "I say stubborn because it seems to me that she is being unfair to her friend.
"hm, maybe... I think we've been resting for a long time." she says and his fury seems to deflate, looking in the direction they went sadly " I'm going to call them, meanwhile wake up that one" she says pointing to Ragnar.
******
We continued exploring for a few more hours and when we managed to find a safe room we went out. Azur, in his dragon form, sometimes helped me during combat with his magic, but he couldn't do much without recharging mana constantly, for what he need to be in contact with me, since he has a very little mana pool. At first, he could only launch a very weak jet of fire, which didn't really do much but, after learning how to fire magic bullets from Sabrina, he was able to do some damage to enemies.
Ragnar went home first. We are currently lining up to sell the loot. While we wait, Sabrina and Agustín are a little apart, talking in low voices. Joseph, on the other hand, continues with his usual enthusiasm, recalling aloud the ways in which he overcame, in some special way, some of the enemies that we have faced.
"...And when I pierced that skeleton's magic attack and at the same time hit its head with a single arrow, it was incredible!!"
"Yes, it was, I didn't know you could break magic like that" I say, remembering it.
"Me neither, but I thought there was nothing to lose by trying, and it worked!" he says, clapping his hands.
"Yes, you wouldn't have lost anything ... the magic would only have hit you if it hadn't worked" I say laughing.
"Nah, Agustín is always there to cover me."
A clear proof of how distracted Agustín and Sabrina were by their conversation is that the former did not intervene at the mention of his name and the latter did not seem to notice the mention of magic.
When we got to the counter we sold the loot of the day and I took the opportunity to buy six mana potions, since my mana reserves are almost empty. They cost me 6 gold coins, which is almost half the money I have, but I'm determined to keep trying to form the magic bullets some more time when I get home.
We say goodbye and go home. When I have been walking for about a minute, I hear Joseph's cry behind me and I see him running towards me, so I stop to wait for him.
"Hey! Xelean wait" he reaches me and after catching his breath continues "I forgot to ask you… tomorrow I am going to see an arcane enchanter to order something, would you like to come with me? You can see the magic enhancers and buy one. Since, if you intend to use magic to fight is something you will need"
"Well, okay... I think you should have started by explaining to me first what those 'enhancers' are, but it doesn't matter. We'll talk tomorrow." I say laughing at how harebrained and impulsive Joseph is.
"Ugh it's true, I'm sorry. Well... I'm going" he says laughing, and runs back from where he had come. As I stare at him dumbfounded, he turns around and yells "SEE YOU TOMORROW!"
That night in my room, after eating, I practiced until I was finally able to form a magic bullet the size of my thumb. I had to use 5 of the 6 mana potions and I ended up with a terrible headache. When I saw the notification I passed out, exhausted but happy, with a smile on my face.