Maybe Sonder had just grown as a person to think that Aest, a warrior as he evidently was, wasn't such a scary person.
"That's it then," Aest said.
"What?"
"My magical ambitions. Not that I really wanted to be a mage anyway."
He shrugged, unbothered by the revelation. He looked out toward the cliff.
"It doesn't really matter," he continued. "I've lived this long without magic. Fought, healed, bled, ate, slept. I'll live just fine without it going forward too."
Sonder watched him, uncertain. For someone who had just learned he may be fundamentally unable to touch magic, he seemed calm.
"You're not disappointed?" she asked.
"About what?" he replied, genuinely puzzled. "I didn't lose anything. You only lose something if you had it in the first place."
There was still a smile on his face when he answered.
"Maybe magic could be useful. But it's not the only way to live, is it?"
Sonder wished she could help Aest, but this was far out of her realm of knowledge.
She thought far back, and she could only think of two things.
The first wasn't possible. It would have been more tests with magic and mana but with something that is very sensitive.
Like Hiraeth's Elian Cube that she had once swallowed.
But Sonder had nothing like that. She had her clothing, her jars of food. The shards, the staff, and her sword.
The only thing that could be considered for this was the sword. It could be infused with magic to make it glow stronger and against powerful magics it dimmed on its own.
It glowed on its own, so what would handing it to Aest even do?
Nothing, she guessed.
Her other idea was giving Aest part of her own mana. Just a small part to see what would happen.
It wasn't going to hurt him.
"Aest," Sonder said, and there was a careful note in her voice now, the kind she used before stepping into unknown territory. "I want to try something else. But I need you to tell me if you feel anything at all. Even if it seems insignificant."
He turned from the cliff to look at her. "You're asking very seriously. I hope it's not dangerous."
She smiled. "It shouldn't be. Its for magical research. I'll be careful. And I'll warn you before I do anything."
"That's more than fair," he replied. "Go on."
She took one of his hands in her own.
"I'm going to share a little of my mana with you," she said. "Just a bit. If something feels wrong, tell me at once."
Aest nodded. "Understood."
She extended her senses at the same time.
She guided the thread of mana forward.
The transfer felt smooth.
The mana left her, like pouring water from a cup.
But then, it vanished.
Not dispersed. Not absorbed.
Gone.
She pushed her senses closer, tighter, tracking the exact moment the mana should have settled into him. She followed its path but found nothing the moment it left her.
Sonder pulled her hand back.
"Did you feel that?" she asked.
Aest flexed his fingers, then shook his head. "No. Should I have?"
She scanned him again, thoroughly this time. She searched for any sign of foreign energy, any flicker of her own magic lingering where it shouldn't be.
There was nothing.
Not a trace.
"Maybe you're really not supposed to be a mage," she said.