Law of Evolution: The Fifth Clan

Secrets

"Fireflies, who are quite similar to goldfish, are the bearers of the dead. Whatever soul has been consumed by any form of fire will be immediately reborn as a firefly and, based on the intentions, will accompany who it desires until it's purpose has been fulfilled" She read and closed the book with a satisfied look. Neither me nor Antony said anything, but decided to keep our distance from them. "Maria?" I asked after thinking for a while. "What? Did the fireflies do anything?" She asked, faking to be worried. "No... but it has to do with what you read" I said, walking closer to her so that we wouldn't have to talk as loud as we did. "Scared that they will haunt you?" She chuckled but I ignored her. "What?! No! You mentioned goldfishes..... what about them?" I asked.

"Got any problems with goldfishes?" She looked at me confused. "Seriously now? No, I haven't even seen one.... I am asking what do they have to do with fireflies" I said, elaborating as much as my dignity would allow me. "Oh! It would be unfair if only pyromancers had some form of soul carrier. Goldfishes are the counterpart of the fireflies to those who died by water... like drowning or whatever" She mumbled indifferently. "Why would there be something like this? I mean okay for the fireflies but why goldfishes?" I asked, baffled by her words.

"My mother told me that water mages were jealous of us having the fireflies and declared the goldfish as their soul bearers... but that is an old story, I got no idea if it is true" She said, shrugging her shoulders casually as she hopped over a root that was sticking out from the grass covered path. "Water mages? There are other kinds of.... mages?" I asked amazed by the discovery. I knew that there was still magic but I didn't know that there were different kind of users... that was certainly beyond me. "Yes, there are too many to count" She said acting casually once again, despite me being utterly amazed.

"Excuse me for the interruption but I believe that there are more than seven hundred different types of magic exist... or at least existed" Antony said from behind us, approaching a bit more so that he could take part in our conversation. "Seven hundred? Shit that's a lot!" I exclaimed but none of them seemed t be slightly astonished by the number. "Yes but their numbers have been thinned out a lot since a century ago" Antony said, scratching the back of his head as if he was trying to remember the time exactly. "Why that? I am sure they were powerful" I said, entirely ignorant of anything concerning the subject. 

"They were but however powerful an individual can be, they can not defeat armies" Antony muttered sorrowfully. "At least not by themselves.... seriously though, didn't you know any of this? I mean it's basic history" Maria said and looked at me in the eyes. I thought that it was a rhetorical question but when Antony started looking at me, waiting for an answer as well I was forced to reply. "Do they teach you the history of the Blunts?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "N-no..." Both of them stuttered. "Then why is it strange that we are not being taught Gaia or Shepherd history? Plus.... I've never gone to school" I muttered the last part.

"It makes sense yes.... wait! You haven't gone to school? Then how do you know how to read?" Antony asked in amazement. "My friend's girl forced me to learn" I said with a nostalgic smile. I had forgotten how much I missed home already. "Do you know how to write?" Maria asked, catching me by surprise. "No... but why should I? Never needed it anyway" I shrugged, not really caring about it. I was a hunter and what use would writing be to a hunter? "This is absurd! As the only educated individual here I am bound to teach you how to write" Antony said with determination. 

My eyes widened with fear, "No! I said I don't need it!" I protested, trying to avoid the horrible hours of memorizing that were about to follow. "This is out of the question. What will happen if we reach Dover and require a written signature of us? What then?" He asked me. Maria chuckling in the background. "I... I will found another way" I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. "No you will not, this is unspeakable!" Antony exclaimed, that rabbit was really passionate about this. "Give me one serious reason to do this" I said as seriously as I could.