Clear roads, not another wagon nor carriage in sight as the horses began speeding up. The illusory do overhead disappeared; erging from it, the lavish carriage with the four of them.
"Woo!" Asobi cheered, alighting back into the puffy seats. Minutes turned to hours, their gazes stayed out the window and checking up on the driver every so often.
Fortunately and oddly, no vehicle seed to pass by... Even so, they kept their eyes peeled and eventually, their nerves cald, relaxing after a long travel.
The afternoon heat decided to hop into their carriage. If it was not for the insulation of such a highly priced transport, Aviv would be driving puddles to Galuvit Town.
Jotou gave a passing glance to Fuko, then to the window. Not yet desert, but the tufts of grass that sprouted and crowded along the path went from yellows to bug greens.
Her eyes then wandered to the brunette again, the slight gleam of her purple headband causing her to wince an eye. Jotou then looked to the elf in front of her, who had her face up against the window.
"Blast!" "Blast!" Now two, she was not going to wait for three. No one rembered, except her... Was it better the first ti around or the second? Because now, they were just running.
The blonde’s pupils shifted to her left again, to Fuko with an elbow against the door and head in her palm—her eyes half-closed out the window...
’I’m sorry Fuko... I didn’t know how else to convince all of us to leave... I had to say that.’ Sothing felt amiss in Jotou’s torso, like a twisting pain holding onto her waist with an iron grip.
Jotou had joked, trying to ease the tension as she did many tis before. However, Fuko’s sudden shift in tone, to question the blonde’s judgent in a scream...
’I really tried, but I don’t wanna try again and see soone else end up dead and to reset it all again. I tried being stubborn the second ti, don’t you think I would?
Oh right, I have to explain myself every ti. But my words don’t, can’t, carry the weight of what I saw; what we all technically saw. In the end I just cried...’ Jotou’s fist clenched ever so slightly.
’I hate myself for choosing to simply run away. Hell, I’m not even sure we can. What if Frye just uses whatever he has again? And the how... Ti travel is impossible, magic or not.
Which ans the only way, is that it’s resetting ti to that point. But to change the ti of the entire world? The entire universe? There must be consequences.
If there are sohow magics that powerful, and if those magics are in the hands of Trailon... What the hell chance do I have? I can take them down with all I want, but I don’t want them to take all of you...
So, I’ll run; because it’s the smarter choice. ...Because, I’m a coward? No... No, it’s- That’s not it.
Running away from the problem? Do you really think just because you run away they won’t advance Jotou? And I have the nerve to tell Asobi that she liked to ignore the problem naively... Look at yourself... What a joke...’
"Jotou?" the elf leaned close.
The blonde’s eyelashes fluttered, taking a breath, "Sorry, just, thinking of things."
"Like what?" Fuko faced.
"Uh, what to say I guess... I’ve told you guys so things and what you’ve already told , but none of you rember. So, I’m not actually sure what to say."
Fuko leered to the statent, the blonde glancing elsewhere the entire ti. "Well, let’s talk about sothing new then. Like how we’re disobeying travel bans and sneaking out of Hartamat. Gives the jitters," Hotaru’s tail swayed.
"This, gives you the jitters...?" Fuko’s eyelids couldn’t lower any lower.
"We’re not breaking the law by technicality. We’ve outsmarted the laws and bent the rules in our favour. It’s like fighting unjust laws and orders; it’s giving a thrill."
"Bending rules is fun, as long as you don’t get caught. Actually, it’s more fun if you can escape right before you get caught. That way the people trying to catch you will probably be pissed off," Jotou smirked.
"Spite really does run that mind of yours," Hotaru uttered.
"Huh?"
"Spite—the emotional ’key’ to the ’lock’ of your affinity to use it well. Once you’ve grown accustod to a spell, it’s only when you’re in emotional turmoil that you need to focus on those emotions again."
"Wait, so spite, is my fuel...?" Jotou gave it a thought, "Huh... I guess you’re not that off."
"Spite, and compassion too I think. I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet. Maybe it’s because I have a teacher’s perspective," Hotaru’s fangs glistened and ears poked up.
"Please don’t tell you know all of ours," Fuko grimaced.
"I know Jotou’s and mine best. You’re sowhere in confidence, arrogance or hope?"
"What’s that supposed to an...?"
"Ooo! Ooo! What’s mine?"
"Asobi’s joy and or being entertaining."
"That sounds swell! I think it’s very true!"
"And mine isn’t calm and kind. I learned a little over a week ago that it might be control and care," Hotaru shrugged.
"Makes sense," Jotou looked out the window, lone trees of yellowish-green passing by, "Everyone needs a driving force to use their magic; and sotis mistake what that driving force is too. I rember you saying mine was anger," she gave a grin.
Hotaru pouted, "Mistakes were made," her ears fell. "Speaking of which, I think I may have been a bit too critical under the influence of shock...
If you can do that many illusions with a simple light spell, other than just making it brighter or dimr, even then, your spell must be expert if not master level."
"Thank you!" Asobi giddied, a smile to brighten Jotou’s mood and her wand clutched between all her fingers.
"Moren did say sothing about Asobi. Elves are more potent with their magic apparently," Fuko recalled.
"Really!? I’m really, really powerful?"
"I guess, but the only thing I know about elves are from fiction in my world. Asobi doesn’t know any other elf which leaves one more person," Jotou glanced to the redhead.
"? I’ve never t an elf in Kria other than Asobi. Before that, I don’t think I’ve seen one, much less even heard of one."
"Thanks for ruling out..." Fuko snarked.
"Sorry."
Fuko rolled her eyes, "Elves prefer to be in nature, so they don’t usually mingle with people. Camps, villages and stuff. So, if you’re looking for an elf in a city, good luck.
Elves in cities are probably born there and it’s a rare case. If we want to find elves, then we’re gonna have to explore the entire damn wilderness, not a city as big as Kria."
"How do you know all of this?" Hotaru slanted her head.
"My dad worked on so case involving elves, sothing, sothing. It was when I was really young, so I can’t rember every detail, but I know that much at least."
"Maybe soday we could find other elves, to teach Asobi so spells and her culture," Hotaru turned.
"Mmm... I like this enough! You can also teach new spells!"
"Asobi, you don’t ’have’ to. Your magic’s pretty impressive as it is," Jotou slouched, resting an elbow on her knee to hold her chin up.
"I would still love to learn new spells though!"
"I can check if we co across any magic shops for illusion spells. If one exists anywhere here that is..."
"What about your illusion spell?" Jotou queried.
"What illusion spell?"
"You know, the one you do to control little bits of water and make a whole diagram in the air," Fuko mimicked the flickering of fingers to show example.
"Oh," Hotaru brought her hand up, water forming into a web, "This? This isn’t an illusion spell, it’s a summoning or conjuring spell. It’s one of the spells that breaks the status quo of how affinities work."
"How’s that work then?"
"I can’t really explain it, it’s just an interdiate level spell anyone with an affinity can do. It’s pretty useless and hard to get control of," Hotaru wrote her own na with droplets of water.
"I’m still struggling, but this ti it was a little easier. It can’t be used in spells, it doesn’t affect anything, it just exists to, exist—visually."
"Ooo! Teach that! Please teach that! How do you do it?"
"Asobi, your illusions are a thousand percent better than this one."
"Please!?"
"I an, sure, but it’s useless. The trigger words best used are ’Conjure Elent’, which is the na of the spell and you need to know your elent, which is light.
So, put your hands out, imagine your elent, think or say conjure elent and then shape it into whatever you want," Hotaru guided as Asobi followed every step with one eye closed.
"Sounds like so botched party trick that’s hard to control..." Jotou stated.
"That’s why anyone with an affinity can cast it; that, and that it can’t be used for anything other than tiny visuals compared to Asobi’s illusions," Hotaru repeated.
"Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! Guys, look! I’m doing it!" Fuko’s palms faced each other as shadow ford and flickered between her fingertips.
Jotou felt a chill down her spine, a spark in the strands of her hair; a feeling she recognized as her eyes widened. "Fuko, wait!"
The carriage ca to an abrupt halt, shaking all of them in their seats. Fuko lost the spell and held onto Jotou’s arm. The horses neighed at the front.
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