Chapter 3B: The Legend Never Ends.

When Yuelei’s eyes opened, what she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling from which various plants were being hung to dry. Shadows danced along the wall, and she felt that her body ached all over as she tried to get up.

“Stay down and don’t move.” A voice called from from her right. When she turned her head, she both saw the cabin which Lin dwelled, as well as the man himself. Dark turquoise eyes met with eyes of amber.

Feeling pangs of pain, Yuelei winced, and pulled back the blanket to find her naked body covered with bandages. One of them started to have red dots form, staining the pure white cloth.

“You’ve opened up the wound.” Lin sighed as he walked over to a strange cabinet with many, many small drawers in it. Opening several of the drawers and pulling out strange herbs and tubers, he tossed them into a small stone bowl. Working quickly, he started to grind the items into a yellow paste-like pulp, occasionally adding water that he seemed to create out of midair.

“Lie down.” he spoke in a tone that demanded absolute obedience. Yuelei grimaced in pain as another wound opened up again as she listened to his instructions. Goosebumps ran along her naked flesh as the man removed the blood-soaked bandage and applied the foul-smelling paste onto the wounds. Yuelei wanted to check her wounds, but she was still wary of the man and did not let her eyes off him. Out of the corner of her eye she scanned the cabin, trying to find the woman that had come to her aid.

“The poison from the claws run deep.” Lin offered a brief explanation as he started to lather the paste onto the wounds. “Most of it has been removed, but the little bit left should be taken of with this.”Yuelei made to open her mouth to speak but Lin placed a plant stem with small white flowers into her mouth when she did.

“Suck on that, and chew if you must, but do not swallow.” Lin said before returning to the strange cabinet.

The acrid, bitter taste made Yuelei tear up. I must look like a vase, with these flowers sticking out of me… she thought to herself. She tried to tilt her head to look at what Lin was doing, but all she could see was his back. She returned to staring at the strange plants that was hung from the ceiling.

“Good. Drink this.” Lin removed the herb and carefully propped Yuelei’s head up, holding a small bowl filled with a red liquid to her mouth.

Compared to that disgusting herb, this is rather sweet, Yuelei thought, downing the liquid. As Lin carefully placed her head back onto the pillow, Yuelei felt herself drifting in a painless and peaceful sleep.

After checking Yuelei once over, Lin quietly gathered the bowls. As he left the cabin, Liur floated down from the roof onto the ground.

How is she?

“Fine. Her body has finally built an immunity to the poison. All that is left is for her to rest.” Lin replied as he washed out the bowls from the small lake next to his cabin.

Is there anything I can do to help? Liur offered.

Lin pondered her question for a moment.

“Why don’t you try and catch something for dinner ? I’m sure the girl would be hungry after not eating for three days.”

When Yuelei woke again, it was well into the night. For the first time in months she felt warm, it was an unnatural feeling and she it was almost uncomfortable. She carefully used her arms to reach over and touched where bandages would have been, surprised they were gone. What truly baffled her was where there should have been several gashes or at least scars, nothing was left. Her skin was smooth and unbroken.

“I figured you would be awake by now...” Lin mumbled from the fireplace without turning around. “Dinner is about ready, so why don’t you go outside and wash your hands? Your clothing is on the stool by the bed.”

Yuelei gingerly picked herself up, expecting jabs of pain, but there was none to come. She glanced around the well-stocked cabin. There was a large barrel, a wooden table with several stools, some stairs, and a fireplace with several comfortable-looking armchairs. Various plants and edibles hanged from the ceiling. Her eyes finally wandered to the small stool next to her where her clothes laid. They have been cleaned as well as patched up and looked like proper clothing compared to the rags and furs she had worn before.

“Your coat is by the door.” Lin’s voice told her when she finished dressing.

How can he tell without looking over here? Yuelei wondered as she carefully walked over to the door in a daze. Hanging next to the door was her Sheive Cloak, when she looked closer the inner side had been lined with a silvery-blue fabric. When she put it on, instead of feeling the unrelenting heat from the fur, the inner lining seemed to keep the heat at bay.

Shaking her head in amazement and reminding herself to thank her savior later, she pushed open the door to be greeted the sight of a beautiful frozen lake. She carefully climbed down the wooden steps and onto the frost covered ground.

“Brr…it’s cold.” Yuelei mumbled as she picked up some snow to wipe her hands.

What is? A voice called out, and a familiar weight settled itself on Yuelei’s shoulders.

Yuelei turned and got a good look at Liur. “Liur, are you all right now?”

Yes. I was merely knocked out, she said quietly. The silence went unbroken for a while as they stood there, merely drinking in the others presence. Liur at last broke the silence.

So you managed to hold off not one, but two Glimstalkers on your own…

“It was thanks to the element of surprise. But in the end I never managed to kill one.” Yuelei shook her head sadly.

That was one fight we lost, and lost badly.

Yuelei nodded again, despite her achievement it did not change the fact that if not were for Lin, she would have been a Glimstalker’s meal.

I am sorry, Yuli.

“No.” Yuelei whispered quietly. “It was nobody’s fault.”

Liur looked at Yuelei and gently rubbed herself against her. They took a few moments to catch up, before Liur took flight. Yuelei stood still for a few minutes as she watched her go off into the distance, into the growing dusk.

“Sit. I won’t bite.” Lin gestured to Yuelei when she finally returned inside, as the sun had finally sunk into the horizon. The table was set for two, and Lin was putting the final touches on the food. As he turned around carrying the small cauldron, he found Yuelei on her knees, head bowed down.

“Thank you for saving us.” Yuelei mumbled with as much gratitude as she could muster. “And thank you for your care.”

“You are welcome. Now stop groveling on the ground and sit down.” Lin sighed as he picked up the soup and ladled it into the bowls. As he set the bowls on the table, Yuelei hesitated before taking the seat in front of him.

“Go ahead, help yourself.” Lin picked up her spoon and held it out to her. “Your body is still weak, so I made something easy for you to down.”

“Thank you for the meal.” Yuelei mumbled as she started to dig into the strange meal of soup over what appeared to be yellow rice. She hadn’t felt such hunger nor the taste of spiced food in a long, long time, and she easily polished off two bowls before starting on her third.

“...Young girl, what is your name?” Lin asked as she finished, handing over a warm cloth to wipe herself with. “Gallienoir never told me your name.”

“Yuelei, Yuelei Casteya.” Yuelei replied as she carefully wiped away the trace remains on her cheeks. “May I ask for my savior-”

“Lin. Lin Merylis. And I am no savior.” he replied. “Merely a man who wants to keep his promises.”

Yuelei bowed her head in acknowledgment.”How would I address you as?”

“Lin is fine. You may call me Mentor if you wish when I am in the processes of teaching you.”

“Mentor...?”

Lin turned away from the chess board he was staring at and looked into Yuelei’s eyes. “Gallienoir asked me to guide you for a year and paid a hefty price, but if you do not wish to, you can simply stay here for that time.”

Yuelei bowed down her head, remembering the eyes of the Glimstalkers as they had broken through the ice barrier. “Please teach me.”

Lin nodded. “Your companion has told you, she was going to train on her own, yes?”

“Yes.” she replied. Liur had mentioned it to her outside.

“Good, we start tomorrow. The bed is yours, get some sleep.”

“Then where will you-” Yuelei stopped as Lin sat down cross legged in front of the fire on the ground and closed his eyes. Yuelei quietly returned to the bed so as to not disturb Lin’s meditation.

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“Stand over there.” Lin gestured twenty meters out in front of him. They were standing on top of the frozen lake.

“Lin- erm, Mentor. What are we doing out here?” Yuelei asked as she carefully walked over using her Snow Steps anklet. She wasn’t confident in her balance enough to be able to walk casually on the ice like Lin did.

“Practice.” Lin replied. “Now. Attack me without holding back.”

“...Are you sure?”

Lin didn’t reply, instead he held his arm out and a beautiful blue sabre flew from beneath the lake and into his hands, passing through the thick ice like water. The clear crystal blade pointed itself at Yuelei, and she was momentarily stunned by the beauty and familiarity of the weapon.

“Come.” Lin gestured with his other hand, sweeping the sabre to point towards the ground which caused the lake ice to splinter and crack. “The victory is yours if you can land a hit.”

“You’d best not underestimate me, mentor.” Yuelei cautioned back. She placed her palm onto the frozen lake surface and several Ice Bolts formed and shot towards Lin.

“Useless.” Lin mumbled, holding a hand out towards the incoming projectiles, stopping them mid-flight.

“How did...” Yuelei started to say before the Ice Bolts flew back towards her. She quickly raised an Ice Wall to block them. “...you do that?”

Lin smiled and gestured for her to come at him again, not saying a word.

This time Yuelei got a little more serious. After sending the Ice Wall charging towards Lin like a wave, she followed up with several Primal Ice Bolts.

“Better.” Lin applauded. “But not even close.” He slid his hands down the flat of the sabre, bringing forth a raging red glow. Yuelei barely managed to make out the flames dancing within the crystalline blade, and Lin easily split the Ice Wall in half, and then sent several Fire Bolts that crashed into the Primal Ice Bolts, leaving behind a cloud of steam.

That was when Yuelei realized Lin clearly outclassed her. She took a few steps backward and started preparing the procedure for the Winter Moon spell.

Lin patiently waited as the spell formed, staring at the spinning ball of ice above Yuelei’s head. He used the sword to poke three holes into the lake’s surface, the sword slipping through the ice like butter. Beckoning with a hand, water from the lake pooled up and formed into three floating orbs above Lin.

Yuelei stared incredulously at the hovering orbs of water, each the size of three grown men. Making up her mind, she sent the Winter Moon spinning towards Lin. As if waiting for her sign, one of the orbs of water flew towards and tried to encapsulate the sphere of ice, but failed as the hard icent sphere splattered the water all over the place. Lin smiled in appreciation, and sent the other two orbs, this time succeeding in capturing the sphere.

Yuelei watched as her Winter Moon was stopped, and triggered the explosion. As bits of ice and water showered down around her, she dashed towards Lin, her Frost Edge condensing. Sounds of blades clashing can be heard as Lin fended off her attacks without returning any of his own. After a few more of these one-sided exchanges, he nodded as if satisfied, and with a deft twist of the blade, flipped the dagger hilt out of Yuelei’s hands.

“I concede.” Yuelei mumbled. She had expected this after seeing Lin’s sword play, but she was embarrassed at how easily he had made it seem.

“That spell you cast with the sphere of ice was impressive for someone your age.” Lin applauded. “Your footwork is also quite reminiscent of some of the fighters in the past. If you were up against a beast you should have a decent chance, but against humans, you wouldn’t fare as well.”

Lin’s criticism bit deep into Yuelei, but she endured the words and listened closely. “Your spells could be refined a bit better, your sword-work relies quite heavily on slashes with the frost blade, whereas you should be using thrusts to make use of the serrated edge. You are forgetting that your Frost Edge is more akin to a magical blade, and you should play to its strengths.”

Lin continued for a bit longer before stopping. When he finished, he told Yuelei to wait and returned with what appeared to be a fishing rod and a mat. He gestured for her to follow him and they went around to the lake onto a wooden bridge.

“Watch,” he instructed. He started with a series of thrusts and back-steps, a fluid style of combat where he both attacked with both magic and weapon, casting spells effortlessly and executing complex weapon arts at the same time. His last flourish caused the ice to crack and water to splash up as he swung towards the side of the bridge, even though his demonstration never even close to the water.

“Now practice.” he gestured towards Yuelei. “A mage that must stop to cast magic or the mage will die to an arrow. You must learn to cast spells while following the flow of battle.”

“Erm… how do I do that?” Yuelei asked, not quite sure how to practice.

“Follow the movements.” Lin waved his hands casting a complex Water Image. It’s watery body took on a vague feminine humanoid shape. Lin handed it the crystal sabre, which turned into a deep brilliant azure color as soon as it touched the image. Then the Water Image gestured for Yuelei to follow her and started to demonstrate mixing magic with combat.

As Yuelei learned from the Water Image by imitating its movements, Lin walked down to the end of the bridge and dropped down a hook. Occasionally without turning around, he would correct Yuelei’s movements. When dusk finally fell, Lin called for Yuelei to stop, and they returned to the cabin.

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“Lin. How old are you?” Yuelei asked as they started their dinner of fried fish. The man seemed to be in his late twenties, but she couldn’t tell for sure. His eyes were those of someone that had lived for a long time.

“I don’t know.” Lin replied, methodically taking apart the fish and removing the bones, “I have lost track a long time ago.”

“You… haven’t aged?” Yuelei repeated, not sure she heard correctly.

“Not at all.” Lin responded. “Byproducts of my contract and being an alchemist I suppose.”

Contract? Like me and Liur? Yuelei thought to herself. “You are an alchemist? Don’t alchemists have a long robe that they wear that signifies their rank?”

“I am not familiar with customs of this land.” he shrugged.

“So... you’re an unregistered alchemist?”

“Finish your meal and I’ll show you.” Lin said, finishing up by tearing the meat off the fish.

“...I was also wondering why you didn’t use magic to catch the fish.“ Yuelei asked, curious of Lin’s behaviors. Gallienoir had taught her that when hunting, one must secure the kill first and worry about retrieving it later. She had not felt the least bit of magic when Lin was capturing their meal.

“Magic isn’t a remedy to everything, girl.” Lin replied curtly. “One must not grow dependent on it, otherwise they will start to fail to see what truly matters.” His tone made it clear that they were to continue eating quietly.

“Don’t touch anything,” Lin instructed Yuelei as he opened a hatch on the ground. The wooden door creaked as it opened, revealing a staircase down into the cellar. He descended first and motioned for Yuelei to follow.

“So this is an alchemist’s workshop...” Yuelei whispered to herself as Lin lit a lamp. Bottles and bottles filled with liquids adorned the shelves on the right. As she placed her hand onto the wall on her left, she realized that hundreds of small drawers were built into the wall, each of them had a name carved into the wood. In the center of the room was a squared shaped table, with a small cauldron placed in a hole in the center. Various tools and utensils were neatly arranged on one corner of the table.

“I don’t know how alchemists of this era operate, but I doubt any of them are skilled as I am.” Lin asserted quietly.

That’s some confidence… Yuelei thought he was being a bit arrogant, and Lin must have seen her face, so he continued to explain.

“I once managed to create a divine potion that allowed one to bring back the dead… but only for a few moments.”

“Is such a thing even possible…?” Yuelei mumbled. “...Isn’t that necromancy?”

“No… it was true life. But the price paid for such a potion may as well be necromancy in nature.” Lin replied. “Now, enough of that. Since we’re down here, I suppose I can demonstrate brewing and distilling a potion.”

“Then, I’ll wait outside...” Yuelei made to leave as not to bother Lin, but he caught her by the arm.

“Stay. You will assist me.” he commanded. “I had agreed with Gallienoir to train you both in combat, as well as alchemy. The world of beasts may run on power, but the world of men run on money.” He let go of Yuelei’s arm and started cleaning some of the tools, gesturing for him to watch.

“Behind you, top right corner, get me two branches of Monk’s Lily.” he instructed. Yuelei searched behind her for the labeled drawer before finally finding the mentioned one. As she opened the drawer, Lin lectured from behind her. “It has coagulating properties and also works as an energy tonic. Water element.”

“To your right, third from the lower left quadrant, third column. One large Taw Berry. Good for warmth and joint aches. Fire element.”

“Behind me, top left, One clump of Winter Blossom. For a dreamless sleep. No element.”

“To your right now, One vial of sap from the Oaklor Tree. Helps with sores and muscle pain. Hybrid nature element.”

Lin patiently worked ground each item as Yuelei searched for the next. The Monk’s Lily and the Winter Blossom were grounded into a fine powder, while the Taw Berry and Oaklor Sap was mixed together into a sticky paste.

After everything was prepared, he sent Yuelei outside to collect some lake water for the cauldron. With a snap of his fingers, flames burst forth and quickly it brought the water to a boil.

After pouring in the fine powder, he covered it with a lid, and started answering Yuelei’s questions.

“You may think that alchemy consists of following a recipe. But rather, that is not true. Many follow a recipe because if something goes awry, what you have is not a potion, but a poison.”

“...But if you don’t follow a recipe, how-”

“There is a delicate balance of elements within a potion. One that calls themselves an alchemist but does not know this is a mere fraud. Hold out your hands.”

Yuelei did as he asked, and he rummaged around drawer before placing a blue petrified flower into her hands. As soon as it touched her fingers, Yuelei felt the ice element emanating from the flower.

“Woah...” Yuelei exclaimed. She could almost see a faint blue aura coming from the flower.

“With enough practice, you can easily distinguish which herb corresponds to whichever element. The key is to combine the properties of the herbs while maintaining a balance.” Lin lectured as he opened the lid and poured in the Oaklor Sap and Taw Berry juice into the cauldron.

“That’s the basics of alchemy.” Lin murmured as the contents of the cauldron turned into a dull red color. He poured some of the liquid into a small glass cup and handed it to Yuelei.

“Drink.”

Yuelei stared at the ruby colored liquid for a moment before downing it in one go. She thought it tasted a bit like condensed Taw Berries, but with a coppery aftertaste.

Lin nodded and took the cup from her when she finished. He opened the cauldron and used a bit of water magic to cause the ruby potion to levitate into an orb in the air.

“There is a way to condense potions into a more easily carried form. You should be familiar with the concept as it is quite similar to your Winter Moon spell.” Lin waved his hands and the liquid started condensing into a tiny ball, and when it finished, the ruby colored pill dropped into his hands. He handed it to Yuelei.

“While a potion’s effects are much more potent and faster acting while in a potion form, you can keep the pill in your mouth to gain a bit of its effect over time. Of course, to coagulate liquid into a pill while maintaining its effects by itself is a skill that takes decades of experience before you should even attempt to do so.”

“A few changes to this recipe would have different effects.“ Lin said as he extinguished the flames and cleaned out the cauldron. “This one is designed to help recover energy as one sleeps as well as soothe the muscles. That concludes our first lesson on brewing a potion.”

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“Why… is there… no animal tracks around here?” Yuelei asked slowly, careful not to break her concentration. Lin have given her two large sacks, and told her to keep it up in the air with wind magic as practice while they slowly made their way away from his cabin. She had dropped it a few times, and Lin had waited for her to reassemble the bundle and float it in the air above her.

“They dare not come near the cabin.” Lin replied. “Especially the lake.”

“Is there… something in the lake?” Yuelei asked quietly.

“I suppose you can say that.” Lin answered vaguely. The cliff face slowly approached them, revealing a cave entrance. “We’re here, so you can leave the bundles behind.”

With a sigh of relief, Yuelei slowly dropped the levitating weights onto the soft snow.

“Follow my steps closely.” Lin warned. “It would be counter productive if we end up crushing what we came for.” Yuelei followed in Lin’s larger footprints. The snow slowly receded and was replaced by wet dirt.

“Here we are.” Lin mumbled, as Yuelei saw what they had come for. She made out the silhouettes of plant sprouts in the dim light. Lin tested the dirt for a moment, before reaching and pulling up a large potato.

“Seems to have grown well.” Lin nodded approvingly. “Harvest these potatoes and yams, but leave the small ones.” he directed Yuelei. “I’m going to sow the next batch of plants, and catch us our meal. When you are finished, meet me where the bundles were located.”

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Yuelei nodded, and just as she was about to start, Lin’s shouted from the entrance. “Use magic to do the task. Do try not to ruin the plants, but if you do, put the bits in the bucket nearby. We can use them for something.”

Yuelei got the hint right away. She sat down onto the dirt and started to use wind magic to lightly tug and pluck the plants out. Compared to using her hands, it was very hard to control and she would occasionally cut off bits of the plant when she used a bit too much magic force.

After a grueling three hours of work which would have been one if she had used her hands, she started walking towards the entrance, carrying a large sack of mostly-whole potatoes, and a pail filled to the brim with the ruined ones. However, right before she left the cave, she heard Lin’s voice.

“I don’t think I’m being too rough with the girl, Eir. She seems to have talent, as well as a very determined attitude. I know the human world better than you do, and this will help her.”

Lin’s voice paused for a moment.

“Eir, it doesn’t matter what the girl’s origins are or what the Snow Princess thinks. Gallienoir had entrusted her to me. She even went as far as deliver me her body for alchemy ingredients, that is a debt I will repay.”

Another pause.

“I know, Eir. I know. Even if we get drawn into something because of our involvement…. It is time I see with my own eyes, what the world has turned into. You are curious too, aren’t you, Eir?”

Who is Eir? Yuelei thought. She had thought Lin was a strange person, but only know did she recall Gallienoir’s words about his eccentricity. Making her mind up to ask him later, she stepped out of the cave and towards Lin, who was squatting down next to a fire, his sword in his hands, and the corpse of a snake-like magical beast on the ground next to him.

“Ah. Yuelei, you are done?” Lin asked as he heard the sound of crunching snow.

“Yes, I messed up a bit.” Yuelei apologized as she shamefully handed over the metal pail and potato/yam sack. “It’s a bit harder than I thought...”

“Training is never easy...” Lin smiled. He poured the contents of the pail slowly onto the ground. “Hmm… not too bad.” The pieces that were sliced off were only the size of a few fingers, but Yuelei fully understood the importance of food. “A shame to waste it though.”

Lin brought filled the metal pail with snow and left it to melt on the fire. He took out a small knife and started to skin the potatoes and yams.

“Why don’t you skin the Wieel Snake?” Lin tilted his head. “You’re familiar with them, no? Cut off the head and bury it first.”

Yuelei drew her dagger and sat down next to the Wieel Snake corpse. Her Sheive Fur cloak kept her bottom warm, despite sitting on snow. As she proceeded to make the first cut, Lin interrupted her.

“With magic, of course.”

Yuelei stared incredulously at Lin. How was she supposed to gut and skin the creature using magic? Lin saw the look in her eyes and gave her a hint.

“Think Yuelei. Your Winter Moon spell seems extremely complex, but if you break it down into small steps, it isn’t as hard, right?”

“Right….” Yuelei pondered the task for a moment. With a sharp blade of wind, she removed the head, as well as carve a deep cut along the snake. She gathered a bit of water element, and poured it into the cut before solidifying it into an icicle and that was how she managed to remove the guts and organs. What truly baffled her was she was going to manage to remove the skin.

“Stuck are we? Would you like another hint?” Lin had already finished peeling the potatoes and yams, and was now watching Yuelei work through the puzzle.

“...I don’t see a way that I can do it without destroying the meat in the process.”

“Good. That is the correct answer.” Lin nodded in satisfaction. He took the Wieel Snake and used his knife to remove the connective tissue from the skin, before peeling the skin off like a sticker.

“Magic is a great tool, but it doesn’t always have an efficient solution to your problems.”

“….So you were trying to trick me?” Yuelei accused.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Lin grinned. “Why don’t you make a shelter with your ice magic while I prepare dinner?”

“Why don’t we just take refuge in the cave? Wouldn’t that be easier-”

Lin raised his eyebrows, and Yuelei got the message again. This was also part of the training. She placed her hands on the ground and formed several Ice Walls, encompassing them into a square. She stared at the missing ceiling for a moment, before forming another Ice Wall that curved and functioned as a ceiling. It was shabby, and the corners had holes which the cold air seeped in.

“Could be better, we’ll have to work on your spell intergration later.” Lin murmured, opening one of the bags and pouring its contents of twigs and firewood onto the ground. He tossed a few of the smaller branches into the fire, and started to grill the meat, potatoes and yams by the fire. Reaching inside his cloak, he took out a few brittle leaves and tossed them into the boiling water. Lin gestured for Yuelei to make herself comfortable, before returning to cook. Time slowly passed by as Yuelei’s mouth watered at the scent, and finally, Lin declared that the meal was ready.

“This…is tea?” Yuelei commented as she took a sip out of the cup Lin handed her. “And it seems to be a rather rare one too...”

“Oh? I did not quite expected a thirteen year old to know much about tea.” Lin exclaimed as he handed over a skewer. “That has to be most surprising thing yet.”

“My former teacher was a rather passionate fan of tea.” Yuelei explained, thinking back to the times Jourmind would brew a batch of tea during a break between lessons.

“It seems like your former teacher and I would get along very, very well. What is he like?”

“He’s pretty old… and he knows a lot of things. Airen and me together could barely spar on par with him if he doesn’t use any magic or weapon arts.”

“Airen… is he your sparring partner?” Lin asked, but he could guess the answer.

“No… he is my brother.” Yuelei quietly replied a few minutes later. Yuelei took a deep breath, and slowly started to relay the events that led up to her life thus far. Her storytelling went unbroken, except for when Lin had to rekindle the fire with more wood. Two hours later, she finally finished her tale, and Lin handed her a cup of tea.

“It’s a tale I’ve heard before, but the difference is that you were lucky.” Lin responded, his face was blank. “A word of warning to you, girl. Be wary of telling your tale to strangers. A word, a whisper in the wrong ear, and you may find daggers at your throat at night.”

Lin poked at the fire with a stick, turning over the hot coals. “The hearts of depraved men are motivated by dark urges. One of them is wealth and fame. If you were to be discovered to be alive, a bounty would surely be placed on your head. Even if you survive, someone would want to use you for a political purpose. You may call it a war for succession… but this war will never end.”

“Then… what are you suggesting?”

“Become stronger, my disciple. Become so strong that none will dare to stand in your way when the time comes. That is what I tell you as your teacher, and it is what I’m sure Gallienoir would say too. But as an alchemist, I tell you this. Strength is not always the remedy, only a deterrent at best, and a postponement at worse.”

“… Are you speaking based on your own experience?”

“I suppose I am.” Lin replied.

“I’ve been wondering this for a while… but who is Eir?” Yuelei blurted out.

“Ah… I suppose you would find that out sooner or later...” Lin mumbled. He held out his hand, and Yuelei watched as the familiar crystal sabre appeared in his hands.

“Eir is….both the original owner of this blade, and someone very dear to me.” Lin replied, holding out the hilt to Yuelei. “Would you like to hold it? I don’t think she will mind.”

Still confused, Yuelei reached for the sabre, but as soon as it touched her hands, it dissipated into water and dripped through her hands.

“It seems she doesn’t like you very much.” Lin laughed, holding out his hand and the sabre reformed in his hands. “Then again, I’m probably the only one with a connection close enough to Eir for her to let me use her blade.”

“Then Eir is… a goddess? A divine being?”

“None of those. She’s a remnant like me, from an era from a different time.” Lin replied vaguely. “If I must explain it in layman’s terms… she’s a pure magic given form and a mind of her own.”

“...I don’t quite understand.” Yuelei mumbled. Magic that can control itself, that seem insane to her. How is such a thing possible?

“Don’t let it get to you. The magic you use is vastly different from what I use, yet at the same time, strikingly similar in certain ways.” Lin replied. “I can use every element except light and darkness, but I prefer water.”

A four-element mage? How does such a person even exist? Yuelei wondered.

“You must be wondering how is such a thing even possible...” Lin interpreted. “You have three elements yourself, so it isn’t ‘that’ amazing is it?”

“If you put it that way….I guess.”

Lin nodded. “Good. Eat as much as you can so we’ll carry less. Then get some sleep, there will be more training tomorrow.”

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“You have to be kidding me.”

“Rest assured, I am quite serious.” Lin curtly responded. They were standing at the bottom of a raging waterfall. Fine mist blanketed the area of the waterfall and the basin of water that led to the lake next to Lin’s cabin. They had spent an hour climbing up the mountain to reach it.

“You want me to freeze the entire waterfall...while it is moving?” Yuelei repeated Lin’s directions.

“Correct. And you must stand underneath it the entire time. Needless to say if you mess up, the weight of the pressure will cause you to take an ice-cold dip in the freezing water.”

Yuelei sighed. She wrapped the Sheive Fur cloak around her and started making her way across the water while using her anklet to create frozen platforms. As she approached the relentless waterfall, she took a breath and released her Winter’s Breath.

The water around her instantly froze over for a moment, before the ice was chipped away by the raging water. Frowning, Yuelei condensed her Winter Mist, and as the water droplets flying around her turned into shards of ice. She slowly walked forward into the waterfall, splitting the water between above her into two streams, creating just enough ice to divert the flow around her, but not enough to even begin to freeze the entirety of the waterfall. Like, this she carefully ventured between the waterfall, sat on the frozen water beneath it.

“Good. Good. Maintain that position as long as you can.” Lin replied. He nimbly walked over the trail of ice and sat next to her underneath the waterfall casually. Humming a tune, he hooked some bait onto the hook and handed the rod to Yuelei.

“Here, try your luck on some fish.”

“...is this training too?”

Lin nodded. “Casting magic should be done almost unconsciously. The ability to block an incoming arrow or the tip of a slashing blade with a spell in a moment’s notice is the difference between living and dying.”

Yuelei slowly took the rod without breaking her concentration, and slowly tossed out the line. In the time it took her to do so, Lin had already prepared another rod and was reeling in his first fish. Yuelei could not tell if it was water or sweat that rolled down the sides of her face as she prayed that a fish would not suddenly pull on the line and break her concentration. Just as the thought past her mind, she felt a powerful tug at the end of the line.

Don’t lose control. Don’t lose control, Yuelei told herself as the tugging became more and more pronounced.

“Pull the rod up to hook it.” Lin told her. “Then reel as fast as you can.”

Yuelei jerked the rod up and her concentration wavered for a moment. The waterfall above her threatened to smash through her Winter’s Breath, but she managed to re-condense it just in time. She slowly and meticulously started to reel in the fish.

“You’re quite lucky Yuelei, that’s a really large one.” Lin had a faint grin on his face that was barely noticable. “Or perhaps, is it unlucky?”

“I’m… not...sure...I...can...maintain….this.. any….longer.” Yuelei slowly got out between gritted teeth. The prey was struggling and the rod kept twisting left and right, all the while her Winter’s Breath mist was slowly starting to disperse. Droplets of water started to fall both on her and Lin.

“Focus on reeling it in. It’ll be fine.” Lin encouraged.

Fine, then let us both take a cold swim. The thought of Lin almost plummeting into the water amused Yuelei, and with a burst of energy, she started to rapidly work on reeling in the line. The barrier protecting them continued to get smaller and smaller, and as she finally flipped the fifteen-pound fish out of the river while tripping backwards in the process, the barrier broke.

Yuelei closed her eyes while awaiting the ice-cold water to wash her away.

“What are you doing? Get your spell back up.” She heard Lin’s voice called out to her. “Congratulations on catching your first fish. Gut it and toss it into the basket.”

She opened her eyes and saw Eir’s blade embedded on the rock above her, gracefully diverting the currents of the crushing waterfall around her. Rather, it seemed that the water willingly moved away to not disturb the weapon. She dizzily got up and proceeded to gut the fish, removing the head, organs, and fins.

“Ready?” Lin asked.

“Ready.” Yuelei took a breath and reformed her Winter’s Breath.

This isn’t as bad as I thought… she thought to herself. She could manage the spell easily without thinking too much about it thanks to her practice with the Sheive Cloak, but she had to adjust the strength of it.

This continued for the next few hours. Yuelei gradually improved under Lin’s guidance, and was eventually able to reel in a fish while maintaining the barrier, providing the aforementioned fish was under three pounds.

“Alright, let’s stop here and set up camp for the night.”

Relieved at the words, Yuelei curled up in the cloak and fell asleep from exhaustion. Lin gently shook her awake, reminding her to form up the Ice Wall igloo as well as eat some of her catch.Her entire body was exhausted and having eaten for the first time during the entire day, she could almost feel the food turning into energy that rejuvenated her body. With food in her stomach, she quickly drifted into slumber.

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Days passed, then weeks, then eventually a month. By day, Lin would train Yuelei to the limits of her endurance, and by night he would teach her to brew potions and pills. Occasionally, however, there were days where he gave her a break from training. Today was one of those days.

“That was… beautiful.” Yuelei sighed in appreciation as Lin put down his flute. She had watched him leave towards the lake and had quietly followed after him. As he played what appeared to be a sad lullaby, wisps of blue and white had danced over the lake. “I didn’t know you were such a talented flutist.”

“I am mediocre at best,” Lin replied humbly as he carefully polished the silver flute. “If you could hear Eir’s harp playing or singing, you would probably never be able to hear music the same way again.”

Yuelei took a seat next to Lin, dangling her legs off the bridge. “What’s Eir like?”

“Like something not of this world. If you were to reach out and try to touch her, you’d be afraid she would vanish. And when you take your eyes off her, you would fear that you may never set eyes on her again...” Lin replied unconsciously.

“You sound like someone that is in love.” Yuelei commented.

“...” Lin did not reply. He stopped polishing the flute and stared at the distant shores of the lake. “I do love her. Even now, I would have gladly given up my life for hers.”

A splashed echoed out from somewhere in the lake and Yuelei watched as ripples traveled beneath her feet. She was not sure how to respond.

“How is Liur doing?” Lin’s voice broke the silence, and the constant squeaking sounds told Yuelei that he had returned to cleaning the flute. “She did come visit you today, right?”

“Mhmm. She had grown a lot in the past months…. I was surprised. Liur’s soul power had nearly doubled, and she had been able to cast several new spells, one of which was the origin spell of her grandmother. I fear she is going to surpass me.”

“While it is true that her power had grown rather quickly, that does not mean she is using it efficiently. You need to tell her this as her companion one of these days.”

“Alright.” Yuelei nodded. “Lin, when will we spar?”

“Are you so eager to be defeated?” Lin teased. “Soon, my disciple. You have more or less mastered the basics of my style of combat, as well as increased your magical limits. Knowing you however… you likely have invented a few spells and wanted to use me as a target, am I right?”

“Yes.” Yuelei confessed. Lin’s spartan training drained her both physically and mentally, and she fantasized about giving him a good hit over the head for her suffering.

“Patience, Yuelei. You have quite a talent with magic, but your swordplay was obtained through hard work. At your current level, you wouldn’t even make it to the position of officer in the Gatun Empire.”

“The Gatun Empire… Lin, you are that old? The Gatun Empire fell over five centuries ago...” Yuelei’s jaw dropped. She had always thought Lin’s mannerisms were strange, but not from an era long past...

“Has it been that long? Before I went into seclusion, the Gatun Empire had just recently finished conquering the grassy lands to the east.”

“Lin… you really are old.”

“I’ve never denied it.” Lin huffed indignantly.

“You only say that when it suits you.” Yuelei laughed. “Other times you’re always going ‘Listen to your elder’.“

Lin shrugged. “I have been away from the world for a long, long time. Yuelei. I am curious to see if the world has changed for the better or for the worst. At the very least, I think magic users are much less persecuted than they were back then.”

“Magic users were persecuted back then..?”

“Not exactly but they were… not welcomed.” Lin said evasively. “Do not worry about it, Yuelei. The happenings of a time long past, it matters not to you.”

“It does matter.” Yuelei objected. “If Mentor is from that time, then I should learn about it to get to know you better. ”

Lin didn’t say anything, and instead stared intensely at his flute. “….It’s getting late. Go sleep, Yuelei, there is much to do tomorrow.”

Yuelei nodded, she could feel herself feeling drowsy and Lin’s music playing had made her even sleepier. Lin watched her as she made her way to the cabin and waved a hand in goodnight. He waved back.

“That girl can be really blunt, can’t she Eir?” Lin spoke to the lake. “But she really hit home that time…” Lin had a small smile on his face.

“You were right all along, Eir. Times change, people change, but the story continues. The legend never really ends.”

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“Teacher, are we sparring today?” Yuelei eagerly asked as they made their way outside the cabin after a small breakfast toward the lake.

“It has been nearly one and a half months since you came here. Show me the fruits of your labor.” Lin beckoned.

“Whenever you are ready.” Yuelei shouted from across the lake.

Lin shrugged. “I am born ready, my student. The true question is, are you prepared?”

Yuelei grinned at Lin’s nonchalant attitude, and she was eager to prove herself. She brought out her Winter’s Breath. The mist that surrounded her was much denser than it was a month ago, and almost shimmered in the morning rays. And as she brought out her Frost Edge, the mist snaked around it like a living beast.

Lin placed his palm onto the lake ice, a ring of fire melting a hole in it. Yuelei watched as he slowly stood, Eir’s sabre floating into his hands from the water.

Dramatic as always. Yuelei thought. She had always thought Lin’s style had a certain ‘flare’ but over this month she realize it was almost intentional.

They bowed to each other, a rule that Lin had made, and that was the signal for the sparring match to start.

With a gust of wind, Yuelei’s feet shot towards Lin. With her free hand, she constantly released Primal Ice Bolts at Lin while two Winter Moons and a Primal Frost Lance slowly formed behind her. No longer did she have to stand in one place and concentrate to cast spells was a testament to her progress.

Lin intercepted the incoming projectiles with Fire Bolts of his own while waiting for Yuelei to approach. Within five meters of each other, Yuelei released the Primal Frost Lance, which Lin dodged by leaping into the air, only to be met by the two Winter Moons spiraling at him.

“Well, well, you certainly have improved.” Lin commended. He clapped his hands together and two Earthen Pillars burst out from under the lake ice, smashing into the two spheres of ice and changing their trajectory.

As he landed back on the lake ice, he was met with Yuelei’s Frost Edge. Yuelei smashed her sword against Lin’s sabre, and the mist surrounding it started to twist along his weapon. Lin only had a moment to consider what happened before realizing the sabre in his hands start to grow cold, and his blade start to be covered in a layer of frost. Sensing danger, he use his other hand to send an Earth Bolt at Yuelei, forcing her to retreat to evade it. He stared at his finger which was now turning a shade of blue.

“Dammit girl, what if I had gotten frostbite?” Lin sighed at Yuelei as flames ignited on his hand, burning away the ice.

“You’re an alchemist and you’ve already treated me once from it!” Yuelei shouted back before smiling. “You have no blade now, does this make it my victory?”

“Interesting spell, Yuelei. However, it is something that would only affect the unexpected.” Lin replied. “Any simple mage can easily counter the freezing effects if they channel magic into their weapon.”

“Yes, but you didn’t know that until now,” Yuelei declared. “And if you do so now, that just gives me an opening to strike.”

“If it was any other weapon, then I may have been disarmed for good.” Lin chuckled. “But this sabre, this weapon of Eir’s… is special.” Lin placed his good hand on the hilt of the sabre, and the crystal blade started to glow a dazzling red, blue flames burning within the crystal. Within seconds the ice had melted away and Lin’s fingers regained their warmth.

Yuelei had watched this in shock, Lin gestured for her to come at him, and their dance of sword and sorcery began. Spells cast in point-blank range were countered, slashes were parried, and thrusts were dodged. After ten minutes of continuous exchange, neither giving ground, Lin judged that he had gauged her improvement enough and started to use a bit more power, slowly pushing Yuelei back.

A minute of Lin’s relentless barrage of high level spells and weapon arts forced Yuelei to retreat a few steps back to catch her breath. Despite their prior exchange, it was clear that Lin was, and always had, gone easy on her.

Lin clapped his hands. “Well done Yuelei. You have improved immensely.”

“We’re not done yet.” Yuelei choked out between breaths. “I still… have… one more...”

Lin was rather surprised, usually Yuelei was quick to realize when she had lost for good.

“Very well, show me your last ace.” Lin replied, thinking it would be interesting to see what she had come up with.

Yuelei’s face went grave. “Mentor, this next attack is very dangerous, so please do your best to dodge,” she cautioned.

At her words, Lin felt his heart skip a beat. He dug his feet into the ground and started to mutter a long and complex incantation in a tongue that Yuelei did not understand, all the while carefully watching Yuelei’s movements. Eir’s blade floated beside him, glowing a violet blue color, ready to act on Lin’s will.

Yuelei picked herself up from the ground and watched as Lin prepared to meet her attack. She had no clue what the glowing blade or the strange glowing wisps around Lin meant, but she was glad he was taking her warning seriously. Even when she had come up with this spell, she herself was astonished at its destructive power.

She stood up and raised her Frost Edge to face the heavens, releasing as much soul power as she could muster. The Winter’s Breath mist started to twist and curl around her, slowly picking up speed and eventually turning into a small twister condensing onto her blade. Yuelei herself started to feel the bitter cold radiating from her hands, no longer protected by the Winter’s Breath. With a grunt, she swung what appeared to be an extremely long and thin Primal Frost Edge at Lin who was standing ten meters away from her.

Lin watched the approaching blade cautiously. He shot several Bolt spells at it, but they did not affect it at all. Lin gripped Eir’s blade, fully intending to take his student’s spell head on.

Time slowed as the Primal Frost Edge approached his blade. It slowed even more as he observed as the edge simply passed his blade altogether and weave towards his body.

‘Gein1it!’ Lin roared as he fully understood what the spell did. The icy blade had simply reformed after coming into contact with his own blade, phasing through as if it wasn’t even there. At his shout, four tetragonal crystals instantly materialized around him, each one corresponding to one of the elements he had mastery over.

A blinding flash of light forced Yuelei to cover her eyes. She heard the sound of several elements roaring where Lin was standing, and she was blown back by a powerful wave of force as the spells collided. When the light faded, Yuelei raised her head from the ground to watch as Lin casually kicked away ice that had fallen onto his clothing, surrounded by four dazzling crystals.

So strong…as expected. Yuelei thought as she felt her consciousness fading.

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“Strange girl.” Lin mumbled as he came upon the unconscious Yuelei. “Smiling after she used up all of her energy and failing to land a single attack.”

“You don’t quite understand a girl’s heart, do you?” A woman’s voice came from his right. “Did you really have to call me for a spell you could have easily avoided did you?”

“Couldn’t be helped,” Lin replied as he picked up Yuelei in his arms and started making his way back towards the cabin. “If I had dodged it the first time she used it, she would have thought that it was a powerful enough spell to challenge anyone. Have to let her know her limits you see.”

“Still… you could have challenged that spell with one of your Four Sacred Jewels, but instead you brought out all four… and even me.” Eir replied. She waving her hand at the crystal blue sabre and it flew into her hands.

“...I’ve missed you, Eir.” Lin mumbled as they moved towards the cabin. Him slowly walking and Eir floating next to him, her mermaid gown barely scraping the ground.

“…And I too, but I cannot approve of you summoning me like this...” Eir replied, brushing a hand through Lin’s hair. “And without the flute I gave you either...”

“I’ll be fine.” Lin replied. “A few minutes isn’t anything to be worried about, a few potions should stop the after-effects.” His arms started to grow weak as the summoning spell started to take its toll.

“Here...” Eir gently lifted Yuelei from his arms and carried her on her back. “I’ll return once we get back to the cabin.”

Lin opened his mouth to protest, but the look on Eir’s face as made him stop. He nodded and they proceed to move a little faster.

“...You only need one more ingredient, right?” Eir’s voice broke the silence.

“Yes.. but who knows if I can find it.” Lin replied. “Eir, I don’t mind suffering-”

“I mind, and the next time you call me when you don’t actually need me.... I will not come at all.” Eir responded coldly.

Lin couldn’t help but smile because they both knew otherwise.

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When Yuelei woke up, it was already late into the night. She got out of the bed and called out, “Lin…?”

There was no response and she hastily got out of bed. There was a note on the table, along with a dinner of baked potatoes and greens.

“I will be working in the alchemy lab, don’t disturb me.”

Yuelei closed her eyes and she could indeed see Lin’s Aeht hovering beneath her in the cellar. Is it just me or is it slightly smaller than yesterday? Yuelei thought, but merely brushed it aside as her being exhausted of soul power. Halfway through her meal, she heard a flapping of wings and a few knocks on the door.

It’s me, Yuli.

“Liur! What’s with the sudden visit?” Yuelei asked as she opened the door, letting Liur in.

I felt a really powerful presence nearby previously and I was afraid something had happened, so I flew over to check. Liur answered as she hopped in. Strange, I don’t sense it anymore.

“Perhaps it was the result of the spell I casted?” Yuelei offered. “It was an extremely powerful spell.”

A spell…? What is it called and what does it do? Liur asked, slightly dubious but her curiosity was piqued.

“I call it the Primal Frost Edge. I got the idea after remembering your Ray of Absolute Zero. It forms a long blade that will phase through all objects except its target.

...That sounds like a good spell.

“I am not proud of coming up with the concept. I cannot see a use for this spell other than to kill.” Yuelei confessed.

That is fine, dear Yuli. A moment’s hesitation in your intent to kill can mean the difference between dying or surviving in battle.

“...Perhaps you are right.” Yuelei admitted. “Some things must be done.”

Where is Lin? Liur questioned. Is he out?

“He’s working on something in the alchemy lab. I would have liked to help if possible...”

How do you like it…? Being an alchemist that is?

“It’s a pretty useful trade from what I’ve seen.” Yuelei replied, before going detail about the types of potions she had made and how they worked. Liur simply listened on with mild interest, and before long the conversation changed.

“Liur, what have you been doing the past month?”

Training and visiting places where my ancestors had been and visiting some of my mother’s friends to introduce myself. Liur replied.

“That sounds rather adventurous. You should stay the night. It’s rather late.” Yuelei added as she yawned. “I’m sure Lin would not mind.”

Then I will take you up on that offer.

And so for the first time in a long while, the two of them curled up and slept together. When dawn broke, Liur left the sleeping Yuelei and prepared to leave. Before she did, her eyes met the dusty chessboard that had been untouched for half a year. Tilting her head, she gazed at the positions for a moment, before picking up a mage and moving it into a new position.

She took a step back and nodded her head in approval before stepping back into the cold winds.