[Listen very well Leroy, there are 3 things that you need to be aware of]
Leroy: 'why do you always say listen when you are not even talking to me? I am just reading your words'
[…]
[Anyway, there are three main subjects that you need to learn about mageia]
[First subject, the soul, everyone who has a soul can use mageia]
Leroy: 'so you are saying that I don't have a soul?'
[You do have a soul Leroy, it almost got ripped in pieces by anubes insaniae]
[That is the problem, the reason why you cannot use mageia is a mystery to me]
[Before i delve deeper into the subjects, answer me Leroy, Do you want to Live?]
Leroy: I uh… I am not sure…
Masha woke up when I spoke loudly, he stared at my pained expression and asked
Masha: yeh Claudi, what is wrong? Does your legs hurt? I can massage them for yeh
Claudio: thank you Masha, I just remembered someone dear to me
At least that is what I hoped to say correctly, my linguistic talent is quite horrid
Masha: who was it?
The hell?! When did Masha gain sentience all of a sudden? It is like I am talking to an adult all of a sudden
Claudio: it was my grandma, she helped me so much and I am sad that I could not recuperate her kindness
Masha: that is really sad Claudi, I understand why you looked so sad when we were eating dinner, sometimes I feel like that too
HUH?! Am I dreaming?! I turned around to the book and it said
[First subject, the soul, you are communicating with Masha through souls now]
[Masha is seems quite gifted in soul language, he will have an affinity it later on]
[Keep talking to him and give me your answer, Leroy]
Claudio: what do you mean by that Masha?
Masha: remember when that disgusting guard touch on you down there? i could tell that it brought back sad memories, I wanted to help you but I couldn't, I froze
Claudio: you are a kid Masha, and i did not ask for any help in the first place.
Masha: but your face back then said otherwise Claudi, and me being a kid is not an excuse, Sasha stood up for you when she noticed immediately
Masha: it still makes me sad that I could never pay you back for your kindness Claudi, I cannot even take care of my sister, and it makes me think that I am a burden to everyone all the time
Masha: when my sister carried me on her back when we escaped home, when she helped me go up the tree, I saw the gnoll tearing at her legs and all I could do is watch, when I think about my uselessness, it makes me not want to wake up tomorrow
Claudio: enough Masha, do you think Sasha will be happy that all her trouble and love that she poured into you will go to waste when you die? Your death will not help anyone at all, it will be the exact opposite Masha, Sasha and everyone around you would be devastated, including me
Masha's eyes started to get teary, he never spoke to anyone about his internal struggles, only when he met Claudio recently that he realized that he was not the only one in the world who had the same problems. His heart became lighter when he heard that everyone around him cared about him, even those who kept hammering his head whenever he does something stupid
He buried his face on Claudio's chest and cried his eyes out silently, after 2 minutes of constant crying he got interrupted by the fart of his sleeping friend Marko, the crying turned into laughter, when he got away from Claudio he realized that Claudio as well was crying with him the whole time
Man, this world is really strange, I wanted to learn how to defend myself from mageia and ended up crying with a fellow orphan who had the same struggles as me, although we lived entire different lives, we still had the same problems at the core.
I want to live, I do not want everyone's work towards me to go to waste, all the relationships, friendships, even love… I cannot let it all go to waste, I will live, I will survive, and I will find my redemption
Claudio: listen well Masha, as long as you wake up tomorrow, you can always get stronger, smarter, and more handsome!, who knows? Maybe Ayola will fall for you even!
Masha: you think so? Tehehehehehe
Claudio: stop geeking Masha! Let us get stronger and smarter every day from now on, we cannot let others sacrifices go to waste! Are you with me?
Masha: I never heard the word 'geeking' in my life but I somehow understood it? How are we even communicating in the first place Claudi?!
Claudio: did you just… you really are something Masha
Masha: I am with you Claudi!
Masha immediately went back to sleep with a smile on his face, I didn't take it personal at all, after crying I really wanted to go to sleep as well but I needed to know about mageia, I turned around
Leroy: 'i want to live'
[Very well, continuing our conversation, everyone who has a soul can use mageia]
[Even people from earthrealm, the reason Herathia were blessed by mageia]
[Is simply by chance, history lessons you shall learn by yourself Leroy]
[Regarding the soul, it is the manifestation of everyone's conscience, it may be]
[Invisible to the naked eye, but essentially mageia confirmed its existence]
[Since the soul is only special to its user, no one can know anything about it]
[As long as a layer of mageia is covering it, even a dim one]
[Since you do not have a shred of mageia, everyone can view your soul]
[If you ever wanted to harm or help someone, they could tell by reading your soul]
[That also leaves you vulnerable to mageia attacks directed at your soul]
Leroy: 'but how can I protect myself from such individuals?'
[You could hire someone to protect you, or you could buy a mageia defensive tool]
[That should be your top priority now, you are in so much danger in this world]
[Depending on the soul, people can have different affinities to different mageia]
[Masha seemed gifted in soul language, there is a high chance that he will be]
[Able to tame monsters and beasts when he goes through puberty]
Leroy: 'what does puberty have to do anything about mageia'
[Long story short, females have fixed mageia affinities as soon as they are born]
[Meanwhile, males mageia affinities go through a second boost during puberty]
[260 years ago, a little orphan girl took out an entire army when they attacked]
[And pillaged her village, another girl her age most likely would've been dead]
[That is also the reason there are more females in this continent than males]
[Since males would be the main super force given their boost, the demon king]
[Put a curse that made the chance of having a boy a one out of 4]
[There are ways to bypass the curse but it is being kept a secret by nobles]
Leroy: 'so Sasha and most girls in the orphanage can't get stronger?'
[Leroy, my powers are very limited and i am not omnipotent but I will answer you]
[There is a very dangerous method that deforms the soul]
[It either makes you stronger or it results in your death]
[it is also the reason why the ratio of men and women is 1:3 not 1:4]
[The curse is only limited to this continent, so expect there to be foreigners here to make up for it]
Leroy: 'damn…so those poor peasant woman can't defend themselves most of the time because of talent? And I guess that even if they went through that soul deforming ritual and somehow made it out alive, there is no one to teach them mageia?'
[Sharp as always Leroy, you are correct, that girl orphan was quite talented]
[Nola, Sasha, and Ayola are quite talented but they were not taught mageia]
[Most people here are self taught exempt for the rich and the nobles]
[The soul is still a mystery even to me, but all we know is that you need to be]
[Strong willed and have a strong clinging to life, which is why I asked you the question]
[The second subject, mageia. Everyone on this planet has mageia except for you]
[mageia encompasses all, its in the air, the ground, the water, even atoms]
[mageia is dependent on the soul, if the soul is harmed or oppressed, it becomes weaker]
[Soldiers and fighter train their mind, so under stress and mental ailments mageia does not get affected]
[120 years ago, the mad king Edmund had his royal guards families killed]
[The guards who were weaker after that were killed later on]
[If you give someone hope, or fix something that is troubling them mentally]
[Then they will get a notable boost in mageia strength and capacity]
[On the other hand, if you oppress someone or destroy them mentally]
[They will go down a spiral and even never recover from the trauma sometimes]
[That is why the mad king was feared across the world, he would do unspeakable]
[Crimes against his enemies that they never recovered and stayed down once and for all]
[Third subject, the vessel, the body that the soul stays in, the main weapon or tool]
[The soul, the mageia, and the vessel, no one can survive if one of them went missing]
[Including you Leroy, mageia is accumulating inside your lungs and bloodstream]
[it is like cancer, eventually your body will implode because of the foreign entity]
Leroy: 'so what are you suggesting? Do you have a solution?'
[I don't have one unfortunately, i suggest you move to the royal capital of Volquis]
[Find an alchemist who can help you, or become an alchemist yourself, you still have time]
Leroy: 'i am not planning on dying anytime soon, thanks for the heads up, resume on the vessel part please'
[You do not have to thank me, you helped me as much as I helped you]
[The vessel decides on how to use mageia, if a vessel has a strong affinity for An elemental mageia then…]
Leroy: ' wait wait wait, you did not say the types of affinities in the first place'
[Right I skipped a few details, there are many types of known affinities]
[Elemental affinity, using different kind of mageia, the mage can store mageia like]
[A battery or use it directly if it was available near them]
[There are 4 known common elemental affinities, but the users are not so common at all]
[Earth, water, air, and fire, elemental mages are highly unpredictable]
[They are not limited to those 4, some can control electricity and light and magma]
[Some can make blizzards and glaciers, anything that has mageia can be used]
[They are called specialists, the orphan girl specialized in liquids and fire mageia]
[She boiled her enemies blood while they are alive, no one knew what happened]
[Also, a disclaimer, mageia of today is way different than it was 4200 years ago]
[Second type of mageia, the aura users, they can expand mageia outside of the vessel]
[Remember that butcher? He used it against you to try to crush you from 5 feet]
[Anyone can learn how to use aura, but if the vessel said otherwise they can't]
[it is not common for an elemental mage to not be able to use aura, it all depends on the vessel]
[Aura users are often enlisted as soldiers, and are trained to use it to strengthen their bodies]
[Aura is the most common mageia, it is the base for many types of mageia]
[Speaking of aura, we move onto the next type of mageia users, transmuters]
[Unlike elemental mageia, transmuters can reshape everything that has a soul]
[They can change the shape of the trees and almost every living being with mageia]
[You will most likely never see a transmuting mage, they are often used as healers]
[There are all types of mageia Leroy, it will continue to evolve, I only told you a fraction of the facts]
[Leroy I have some questions for you to see if you understood anything]
Leroy: 'before you ask me, I wanted to know something. Did Jim have any mageia super powers?'
[Obviously, did you think he could have survived the forest for 6 months by just watching Bear Grylls?]
Leroy: 'what type of mageia did he use?'
[He was an aura user, when he arrived, his soul burned with a passion to find his family]
[When he breathed in the mageia, he subconsciously stored it in his body]
[He gained what you called super strength, he used to box giants for breakfast]
[Back to my quiz. Sasha released some mageia from her core to light the forest]
[what type of mageia did you think she used Leroy?]
Leroy: 'if I had to guess, she is a specialist who gathers light mageia? And she expanded that energy using aura?'
[Correct, second question]
Leroy: 'wait hold on a second, if she is a specialist doesn't that make her susceptible to danger? Even I know that she is that skilled at just 12 years old'
[She really trusted you back then, she knew of the dangers and that her father's widow will hunt her when she gets recognized by her mageia, but still chose to show it to you regardless]
Leroy: 'awwww, i really am glad that I met them at the forest, but why couldn't she shoot a laser beam or something or blind the gnoll when they got attacked?'
[I will answer that in the second question]
[If an elemental mage has an affinity for water, what is stopping him from sucking the moisture out of your body?]
Leroy: 'my best guess is that they have to be a transmuter because the soul protects the vessel? Also because it would be extremely difficult to do in the middle of a battle'
[Not the answer I was looking for but you are not a mage so I will let it pass]
[Sasha was frightened during the attack, her soul prioritized saving Masha]
[If she prioritized defeating the gnoll, then she could have fought it using aura]
[About the laser beam thing, it is possible… if she practiced for another 100 years]
[Light specialists can create illusions Leroy, during the second encounter]
[Sasha's soul subconsciously created an illusion that you do not exist so that you could run]
[That is why the gnoll did not attack you back then. she sacrificed herself mentally]
[That is why mageia is so vast and unpredictable, do not piss of the wrong people Leroy]
[Nola has both elemental affinities for fire and water, you could teach her basic chemistry, using water, and sucking the heat out of it will cause it to freeze]
[That does not make her an ice specialist, these are two different things entirely]
[Now you have some idea about mageia, i will be gone for a while to recover, goodnight Leroy]
The book disappeared… next time I promise to bombard it with so many questions, so much that it will run out of ink. Whatever time to ponder everything I just learned, so Sasha was willing sacrificed her life for me… and still laughed at my face when she heard my accent… wow.
***
Meanwhile in the other room
Nola and Sasha both couldn't sleep, they were both anxious about what tomorrow brings, Ayola was snoring like a bear without a care in the world, and Violet who was the youngest of the group was ignorant about everything, she kept repeating Claudio's cooking in her mind step by step. So that she could learn how to cook delicious meals for the orphanage when he is gone
Sasha noticed that Nola was wide awake and decided to talk to her about her plan
Sasha: so… Sister Nola, what are you thinking about?
Nola: hm? Nothing sweetheart go back to sleep
Sasha: Are you worried? About Claudio?
Nola: Ofcourse I am worried Sasha, he really came to this city at a very bad time
Sasha: yeah… even the guards were shameless when they met him
Nola: what do you mean? What happened?!
Nola was enraged when she heard what Claudio has to go through to bring the kids home and to help them with their financial problems. She mentally swore to avenge him and deal with the disgusting critters, the veins under her brown eyes grew bigger by the second.
Ayola woke up from her sleep to add in her story of what happened to him at the butchers shop and how she was afraid when the butcher released his aura to try hurt and intimidate Claudio, and how they treated him later on in the market by blowing up the prices of bread and cheese. She also added that people spat on him on their way back
Sasha noticed that Nola was seething with rage, her tanned face turned red, so she tried to defuse the situation.
Sasha: Sister Nola do you want to know how we met Claudio?
Everyone's attention turned to Sasha, excited about their adventure, they all nodded enthusiastically.
Sasha recalled when her hands were full of splinters and her body was bleeding all over, and how Masha was crying and apologizing all the time after they ran from the goblins
They came across a huge iron box, they inspected the strange materials for 6 minutes before its owner came back to it. All of them were afraid to death by the entrance of the masked man, Sasha was the first to realize that he did not coat his soul with mageia, leaving it exposed to them, they knew immeaditly that the man meant them no harm
When he took off his mask and shook off his slightly wavy black hair, upon seeing his appearance they thought that he was an angel that was sent to help them, Masha especially was excited for them to fly in the sky like the stories in the books.
The man called for Sasha to come closer, she was afraid at first but chose to trust what she was seeing in front of her, a soul who has no ill will against them and one that wants to help them. Sasha and Masha were both disappointed to know that the man was a human and not an angel when he opened the iron box, angels are known not to have a homes so this man probably just lived in that iron house
After that, she recalled how he treated her hand with the strange medicine that instantly killed the pain, and how he cooked for them some round meat pucks with cheese and bread. And how he told Masha to feed his sister since she couldn't use her bandaged hands
And finally, how they met the kind goblins who were the cause of this whole interaction with him. Nola, Ayola, and Violet were stunned by the whole story, all of them were sure of one thing, their luck has finally turned around, and that only good things awaits them, and that Claudio was a human angel, not a real one.
They were distracted by the groan of Claudio in the other room
Claudio: please no speak. I try to sleep
Sasha: pffffftttttttt
Sasha laughed at the horrid accent, Nola's face was red from embarrassment, Violet and Ayola were both excited about tomorrow.