The Six Guns

Chapter Six: Zia

As Alex and Siran make their way to Pilloa, they talk in the car. Lots needed to be asked and much to learn due to their current turn of events.
"So why help me?" Alex asks. "I mean, why try to give me a way out and protect me of all people? Aren't you enemies with The Ly'Lum?"
"I helped you for a few good reasons" Siran says. "You've helped me, a stranger, when you didn't have to even acknowledge me at all. You're a kind person, and I'd hate to have to hurt you. And even though I'm an enemy of The Ly'Lum, I'm not an enemy of everyone in it. Not everyone in their military is all after the same goal. There are good people in it"
"Is that why you have your no kill rule?" Alex asks.
"There's that" Siran replies, "but also a few other reasons. Reasons like I just don't have a reason to kill them. Also practicing restraint is good for expanding your abilities with magic, as well as some people are better left to live with their defeat. Some people will let defeat ruin their lives, while others will see where they were wrong. Either way, not many of them are likely to face me again".
"And how about magic?" Alex asks. "Like your general knowledge upon magic? How much do you know?"
"Well" Siran says. "There's a lot to know and I've spent more time than anyone ever has practicing it"
"Does that mean that anyone can learn to cast spells without using charms if they learn enough?" Alex asks.
"No" Siran replies suddenly. "That's something else entirely. A story for another time. But while we have the time to learn, why don't we go over the types of magic and the basics? Which types of magics are you good with and which ones do you not know at all?"
"I'm not actually very good with magic in general actually" Alex says with a disappointed tone. "I'm mostly just able to cast simple elemental types of magic as ballistics. Other than that, I'm learning how to augment my body with buff magic by fusing elemental magic with things like my fists or any weapon I wield. I'm not good at it at all though"
"Well" Siran begins, "you know all the types of magic, right? There's elemental, which uses the caster's focus to manipulate your natural surroundings on an enormous scale. The more focus, the larger the scale of manipulation. Then there's digital magic. Mostly used for defense such as the digital shield and digital sound barrier. One of the harder types of magic to master because you manifest the magic itself into a physical form. It takes a lot of focus the first few times you start casting these spells but over time you get used to it and can cast it easily. Then there's illusion magic, pretty self explanatory really. You use your magic to manipulate light. It's a magic used to trick your eyes. It'll take plenty of focus to trick people efficiently. The better the illusion, the more focus required. Then there's buff and debuff which are also self explanatory. Buff magic augments your body and debuff nulls buffs that other people apply. Debuff, however became its own magic type because it also had a separate practical use. Debuff can also be used to detect wavelengths of magic, essentially allowing you to detect people by proximity. Then there's the way a user casts magic. To cast, you have to align your intentions, cognition, and focus to the same goal. Essentially, you have to come to terms with your persona entirely. Yourself that you show to others and yourself that you hide so that you can align your true focus and intentions to the same goal. Of course, you don't always have to do that, but it helps master the many types of magic if you do. So to summarize, elemental, digital, illusion, buff, debuff, intentions, cognition, and focus. Got it?"
"That's a lot to think about while somehow still remaining vague" Alex says. "Is that really all the types of magic?"
"Not all of them" Siran says. "There's still more but some of them are thought impossible and others are just rare entirely"
"Like what?" Alex asks.
"Well, there's also distortion magic" Siran replies, "but not very many people at all can use distortion magic. Then there's also other magics that many have attempted and none have succeeded. You could call them hypothetical magic since they haven't been performed. Magic like shapeshifting, or mind control"
"Kind of glad mind control hasn't been performed" Alex says. "That'd be a total shit show"
As the two grow close to Pilloa, Alex asks "So what is Pilloa like?"
"Dunno" Siran responds. "Never been there yet. But according to what I've heard, The Mahina Clan claimed Pilloa as their home and gained independence from The Ly'Lum military. The terms were, they'd still be a part of Omnia, your country, but their clan didn't have to work for the military anymore. Apparently they made their own nice little village and not many people at all go there"
  "Sounds quiet" Alex says. "I love it!"