The three of us sat in a circle around the girl. Alwyn and I had brought her back to camp. The sun was rising, and we'd woken Aliza.
Of course, she wondered where this girl came from, but Alwyn made up some clever lie.
"This girl, she's a siaryn? So she's from the south?" Aliza questioned, inspecting the girl. "I've never met a siaryn. I didn't even think they really existed…"
"I know you can't see mana anymore, but you wouldn't believe it even if you saw it with your own eyes. I nearly didn't. Her pool, it's even larger than Lin's or mine."
What…!? Larger than even ours?
"There's no way!" Aliza went into a frenzy, the inner witch-scholar coming out from inside her. "From a random slave girl? Where did she come from? That's… it's impossible! She'd be the most talented witch in all of history! And from the south no less…"
"I don't have any explanation for it. I must be incredibly lucky for a student like this to fall into my lap!"
"…Hold on, student? I know how much you love 'special' people, but a siaryn… you can't teach a siaryn magic."
I didn't understand why I felt happy hearing Aliza say that.
I seemed to be hoping for this girl to go away… I didn't have anything against her, maybe besides the chunk of flesh missing from my arm, but her presence made me uncomfortable.
"Says who?"
"It's never been done before. Don't take this the wrong way," she said to the girl. "But siaryns are… monsters. It'd be like teaching a demon magic. It's forbidden… not to mention she's a southerner. Double forbidden!"
"Like you care about forbidden," Alwyn rolled his eyes.
"Huh... you're absolutely right. On second thought, I'm all for it!"
What!?
"Liora," Alwyn turned to the girl. "Won't you take my hand and become my apprentice?"
Damn it, no! No!
"Apprentice? Like becoming a witch? But… why?" she looked at him, confused.
"Weren't you listening at all?"
"Not really!"
"You're super-duper talented!"
"At magic? Really!?"
"Yes, really!"
"Wow! That's great!"
The girl went to grab Alwyn's hand, which had hovered there the entire time. I felt my face tense up…
"STOP!!!!! That's my hand!" I shouted, slapping her hand away.
The three looked at me, awkwardly.
"What?" Alwyn asked.
"I'm your apprentice! You can't replace me with this girl… what about all we've been through?"
"Oh shut up you idiot. I'm not replacing anyone."
I was slapped on the back of the head. But I was actually upset… I realized then that there wasn't enough space in the party for two apprentices.
I glared at the girl who was oblivious to my plight.
I kicked rocks to the side while Alwyn and the girl spoke. Aliza approached me, a warm expression on her face.
"He's not replacing you, you know. You really don't have to worry about that."
"But he said it himself, she's even more talented than I am. Not to mention she's a bloodsucker! All he cares about is how special someone is, after all."
"Yeah, and you're pretty special too! Just because she's interesting to him doesn't mean you aren't anymore."
"He'll neglect me to teach her instead…" I sulked.
"Linnie… you didn't think you would be his only apprentice, did you?"
"What? You mean he was always going to take more?"
She sighed, sitting on the ground beside me.
"Corvailles, the city we're going to? We're going there to pick up a kid whose family has employed Alwyn to teach them. It's you and that girl that he took in by chance. I'm sure he never expected to find either of you."
"What!? He has another apprentice?"
"Well, you're still his first. A wizard's first apprentice is special… it's like the heir to their bloodline. Well, not that serious, but you understand."
"Special special special special special. Whatever."
I kicked the rock a little too hard, and it went flying through the air and hit the girl, Liora, in the back of the head.
I can't lie, the idea of Alwyn having two other apprentices made me anxious. But there was nothing to be done. And who was this mysterious third apprentice anyway..?
"OWWWWW!!!"
Crybaby.
Much later, I was still sulking. Aliza and Alwyn were preparing a meal, and had finally left Liora to her own devices.
Of course, she'd been given a pair of my clothes. I suppose I couldn't be too upset since they were the only ones that fit her, and I had multiple sleeping sets.
She came up to me, and sat down, staring for a while before speaking.
"What's your name again?"
"Lin."
"Lin… I can call you Linnie, right?"
"Do whatever you want…"
"Why are you crying? Are you a crybaby?"
"I'm not crying you idiot!"
My eyes were completely dry…!
"I suppose that's to be expected from a little kid…"
"Little kid? How old are you, then?"
"I turned fifteen last month!" she said, proud.
"Yeah? I turn fifteen this winter!"
"Pffftt… why're you so small then?"
"Who're you calling small!?"
I tackled the girl, trying to wrestle her into submission out of anger. Soon though, I felt bad, and let go.
She may have been taller than me, but she probably weighed even less than I did. She was quite frail…
"Ow! What was that for?"
"…Sorry. I don't know what got over me."
"It's alright! I like wrestling too! But we're wizards, wizards don't wrestle!"
"Says who? And you're not even a wizard. You're a witch."
"What's the difference?"
"Well, you're a girl!"
"So are you!"
What??
"No… no, I'm not a girl."
"Huh?"
Alwyn, who had heard that part of the conversation, fell to the floor in laughter.
"I'm not a girl… I'm a boy."
"Oh…"
"He really looks like a girl, doesn't he? He does!" Alwyn continued to laugh. He only stopped when Aliza started to drag him away by his feet.
"Whatever, it's fine. I'll grow big and manly soon enough, anyway…" I looked at my feet.
Liora lay down next to me. She was getting quite comfortable…
"I'm sorry Linnie, it seems like you're upset at me for joining the party."
"No… I'm not angry at you or anything. Don't worry about it," I sighed.
"I don't want to be a slave anymore."
"I said it's fine."
"You really don't hate me?"
"I don't even know you, how could I hate you?"
"…When does he teach us magic?"
"Haaaah… I was wondering the same thing."
The two of us relaxed in the shade for a while longer before food was made. Our relationship seemed to be heading in the right direction, starting then. I could already tell she wouldn't be going away any time soon… I might as well become acquainted with her.
…
"Get out of my sleeping sack!!!"
"Huh?"
"Why're you in my sleeping sack!?" I yelled.
"Alwyn and Aliza told me to… they said there were no extras for me to sleep in."
"Then sleep in the grass or something!"
"The grass is cold…" she yawned.
"Whatever! Keep the sack, I'll sleep over there."
"Why don't you just sleep in here with me?"
"What!? No—just no!"
I ran off to a small opening of grass. It was comfortable enough. I was still angry, though. That was my sleeping sack. I couldn't be too upset though, since it had been nearly two weeks since the last time I'd slept…
I stared at the stars of heaven above me. The clearing had an unexpectedly great view… and I yawned. Was I finally going to sleep again?
I closed my heavy eyes, and as I felt myself drifting to sleep, I heard characteristically light footsteps beside me.
"Liora, I'm trying to sleep…"
There was no response…
"Go to sleep!" I jolted up and opened my eyes. But it wasn't Liora standing above me…
"##### ######. # #### ##### #### ####."
What the hell?
"How? You're not real—you were from a dream…"
"##..." the small shadow went into a coughing fit. "N… no. Not a dream."
Her voice was distorted and inhuman, fitting for her appearance.
"You can speak?"
"Only for a moment… so listen carefully, Linnie."
She knows my name…?
"You haven't been able to sleep. Bishan took away your dream, it's my fault. I hope you forgive me…" she grabbed my hand.
It was surreal seeing her shadowy fingers intertwine with mine.
"My dream? That's why I can't sleep? Well how do I get it back?"
"If you want your dream back, you'll need to find Bishan. I can't help you with that, but… I'll help you in other ways."
"Who are you?"
"…I don't know how to say."
"But—well, how are you going to help me? I don't think I can stand this much longer, I think I'll die of exhaustion… I didn't mean to offend Bishan or anything, I swear!"
"I know, Linnie. It's not your fault."
"I already know it's not my fault though!?"
"…I must go now. The girl, you should make good use of her."
"What? What girl? Liora?"
As quickly as she appeared, the shadow disappeared into the night. I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time I'd speak to her.
What's she got to do with any of this? What the hell is going on…
I should've told Alwyn about this. For some reason though, my heart warned against it. I decided to keep both my original 'nightmare' and my night encounter a secret.
At least, not until I could speak with the shadow girl again.