My head is throbbing, my joints are stiff and I can’t breathe, just sitting on the bed hurts and my eyes are so sensitive I’ve closed them to avoid blinding myself.

“Anna, what the fuck did you do to me?”

“I forced you to absorb my mana so we could talk properly. I’m sorry I’m sure it hurts but I didn’t know what else to do.”

She responded, wait, she understood me?”

“How are we speaking right now, is it the magic?”

“Yes, because I used my mana it linked you to me, it’s more like we’re sharing thoughts than talking though, anyone else would still be speaking a different language.”

“So why are we doing this?”

The bed shifts as she moves from the desk chair to a spot beside me, she’s pleasantly warm.

“My father is going to send me away to college on my next birthday.”

“Oh, congratulations, I’m not sure how I fit in but I’m happy for you regardless.”

She takes a deep breath.

“He’s going to send you with me.”

“What.”

“He wants me to train you in magic even if you can’t use it in your state so that if I refuse to go sending you would force me to.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t think he’d do that sort of thing, I could always leave, try my luck in a city or something.”

She starts giggling, it’s cute if a bit mocking.

“You don’t have to do that, I want to go and I want to train you, it’s just, I thought I should let you know and get your thoughts on the whole thing.”

“Yeah I don’t mind your dad started training me to use a sword this morning and I doubt he’s doing it out of the kindness of his heart.”

“Yeah.”

I can open my eyes now, she’s a lot closer than I thought she was her arm practically nestled against mine. We sit in silence for a while only soft breathing filling the room.

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“Tomorrow I will do this again and try to explain what I can of our language. I'm sorry but it’s going to hurt again.

Good night.”

And like that, she’s gone.

Morning comes slowly.

Am I growing attached to her? I’m not going to deny that she’s attractive but for my entire time here I’ve not seen her as anything but a younger sister. . . Oh.

The hair color aside she looks like what my sister should’ve looked like when she grew up a bit. Part of me hates that I’ve made that connection but the other is overjoyed that I can still feel anything besides disinterest. Since the accident, I’ve shut down pushing those who would comfort me away all so I could wallow in my depression a little longer, all to remember what I could of them. I had friends in college, real friends I’d known my whole life but when shit hit the fan I didn’t even try to get better, it took years for me to accept the loss and by then I was alone.

I don’t think they hate me, I was an asshole definitely but I’m sure if I ever saw them again they’d be glad to see me.

Dawn peaks through a window rising me from the bed, today starts a new routine I plan on working towards until I sweat blood.

—{}{}{}{}{}—

Arvi.

The last harvest has finished and with it comes the rainy season, a time of mud, sickness, famine, and celebration. The work of the year is done in the village and aside from a few household tasks to keep things running smoothly nothing is important besides the feasts. The harvest feast is first for obvious reasons, followed by the first rainfall feast though that one has to be done indoors. Next, is the feast of the moon, where we watch in awe as the sky’s clear, the stars dim and the moon lights up the world bathing us in a pale blue light. And lastly is the winter celebration, not so much a feast though. It marks the time when at last temperatures drop and we can see snow if we get really lucky.

We have two weeks before the harvest feast is ready and by then I want Xavier to score at least one hit on me, no holding back on my part.

He’s on the ground coughing at the moment, I’m certain I pulled the punch but he could just be weaker than I thought. He pulls together after a few minutes and stands with the training sword held tight. I destroy his attempts and force him to exercise after about two minutes. He’s eager I’ll give him that but it’s a long way away if he wants to match even Oliver’s old ass.

Speaking of the walking corpse, Oliver seems more than willing to put him to work, whether it’s carrying cargo or stoking his forge. Been years since the old bastard had an assistant I was starting to worry he’d ask me to do it. Xavier’s not the type I expected none of the moping or depression you’d normally see from a man I’m certain was near death expectantly.

It makes me wonder about his reasoning, I won’t pry but I’m curious, few would do anything close to what he did and yet here he is as if nothing happened. On a whim, I try looking at him again, but nothing, off to the side Emma is playing with a few other kids and I look at them. As one they stop and look around for the disturbance, the small amount of mana within them telling that something has just happened, Emma smiles and waves at me, I stop looking and wave back.

He doesn’t have little mana, he has no mana, nothing, even plants have some, the only thing I know that doesn’t by nature sends a shiver down my spine as I try to forget the memory of my comrades being ripped to shreds.

I rub my shoulder, the tattoo under my sleeve hurts.