Rumerra - The Journey Begins

Chapter 11 - Together Again (part I)

                                                                                                                                   
    5th of Andayn, 54

"Dear Velvet!

Complimenting your eyes? Velvet...those men are flirting with you. Sigh. I guess in some ways you still didn't change. Oblivious as always.

Yes, please ask your fairy friend about this strange magic—I really want to come to the bottom of this if possible. Maybe if we do that, we will also get an answer on how Magnus' magic was stolen from him. I will continue to work on improving my magic while I await your return. Seeing that there's no way to deter you from going after that horrible beast, all I can really do is wish you best of luck, right? So that's what I will do. Good luck, Vel! Please don't die!

Things have calmed down a bit here at the academy now at least. Security is still high, but I think (and hope) that there will be no further surprises for a while now. I've had quite enough adventuring for now, thank you very much.

By the way, in case you are wondering, I still haven't really found any suitable candidates that could teach at our future academy, if we ever manage to found one, that is. I wanted to ask Magnus to teach fire magic, but I guess that's off the table now. I guess we should keep on looking, right?

Stay safe,
Arianna"

24th of Andayn, 54

"Dear Arianna!

Flirting? You mean like what Dan did with you? Eh, you know what...it doesn't even matter. There are much more important things to do now! Like meeting Trix on the next full moon! Just to let you know, this will be the last letter you receive from me in a while. I am planning to ask Trix to help me track down and kill that ursa major. Even if she doesn't agree to help, I will go hunting for it on my own. It's starting to get warm here and the weather is nice. I now have around four months to find it and kill it. And I'm not coming back until I've succeeded! So please don't worry or panic if you don't get a letter from me in two or three months now, because I might just as well be gone for that long. Wish me luck!

About the teachers for our academy—yes, keep your eyes peeled, please. I don't really have much to recruit here in Talim. Mostly scarred old men and the majority don't even use magic. There's a far better chance to find someone suitable at the academy. You will know a person is teacher material when you see them. I trust your judgement.

Love,
Velvet"

7th of Madayn, 54

"Dear Velvet!

You know how hard it is for me not to worry when I don't hear from you for a long while. But I will try not to. Take your fairy friend with you if at all possible—it is much better to not wander the Kamatayan forest alone. Although how much a tiny fairy can do against something as monstrous as the ursa major is another thing entirely. Probably not much. I pray that you find it and kill it as soon as possible, so this ordeal is finally over for both of us. I just don't know how much more of this I can take.

Please stay safe and write to me as soon as you get back,
Arianna"

***

"Yo! You came!" the fairy waved at the eagle that perched itself on the rock beside her. The stone Trix was sitting on had a "V" and a "T" engraved in it. Something Trix did to mark the location of their meeting. The eagle turned back into the girl she had awaited. Above them a bright full moon shone in the clear sky. Velvet breathed in and exhaled loudly.

"It's so nice to see you again," she smiled at her fairy friend. "Here's the book you gave to me last time, as promised." She reached into her large backpack that Trix frankly didn't know how she could even fly with and pulled out a small book. Velvet handed it to the fairy.

"Thanks!" Trix exclaimed in a happy, high-pitched voice that pierced the still of the night. "How did you find it? Was it interesting?"

"Very much so," the girl nodded. "You know, my friend Arianna actually met some strange creature that seemed to be using pure magic, based on her description. I wanted to ask you about it. Is it possible that someone other than fairies knows how to use pure magic like this?"

"No way in hell!" Trix exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Us fairies have been hidden for a thousand years now, right here in the depths of the Kamatayan forest. No way someone could learn this secret art of ours! You're probably the first member of another race any of us have ever talked to in centuries!"

"That's very odd then," Velvet looked into the sky. "What she described definitely sounded like what you did back on the day we met. Purple sparks of magic running down your arm."

"Highly unusual indeed!" the fairy agreed before speaking up again. "So, what have you been up to lately?"