Ryoumi
A week has passed since Nyana and Seray arrived. Things are going well. I didn't feel pressured to try to talk to Seray, not that my mother doesn't. She is actually quite quiet, doesn't talk much beyond what's necessary, and is like a tick attached to her mother.
I didn't get very close to Seray, but Nyana somehow got closer to me. So much so that when I try to think about how, I simply can't. My daily life hasn't changed drastically.
I've been spending a lot of time with grandma; she's been teaching me a lot. And she's finally going to fulfill her promise. She's going to take me to meet the Indians this weekend. I'm very excited. I want to know how they live and find out what grandma Neses does there.
So she set a day for us to go, and I had to wake up early. The tribe follows a routine, and they start early, according to grandma.
The sun lit up the streets as always, with the only difference being that I was already waiting for Neses in front of the library with my mother. The cold winter wind hit my face, the cold assaulted my skin. A cloud formed from my breath. Where I was, the warmth of the sun didn't reach.
There's one month left until winter ends; the snow has already stopped falling, we just have to deal with the cold. School has already started, and I attended some classes. Learning more about this world. I want to learn everything I find interesting and important for learning and the future.
Neses arrived huffing. Smoke coming out of her mouth with every breath. — Good morning! Nataly! Ryo!
— Good morning, Neses. — my mother quickly replied, rubbing one hand against the other and bringing them to her mouth and blowing on them.
— Let's go! — I exclaimed excitedly. Eager for the new adventure and discovery. I moved closer to her to hurry her along.
— Take care of him for me, Neses.
— Of course. I'll teach him well. Soon, he'll be able to walk without anyone accompanying him. — Neses said with a relaxed smile and gave a thumbs-up with her left hand. I was holding her right, trying to pull her.
So we went. She decided to take me walking, so I could memorize the path. In case in the future I needed to go there alone.
We walked to the south entrance of the city. After walking a few more meters, we turned onto a road to the right, entering the forest.
— No need to be afraid, on this path there's a magical protection that drives away any animal that could be dangerous. — she held my hand and squeezed it. Maybe trying to reassure me.
I didn't say anything until we reached the village entrance.
— Is this the delivery?
— Yes. Curious?
— More or less, I want to meet the Indians. My mother said they are an ancient people. — I said, looking at the ground, more specifically at my shoes. — So I thought, if they are ancient, they must know magic very well.
— Hahahaha! — laughing, she brought her hand to my head and ruffled my hair a bit. — You're not wrong. Do you know why I brought you?
— No.
— Really? — she said in a faint tone. — I thought you might guess. Since you're very smart.
I looked at her and she looked at me. She was smiling, with the corners of her lips stretching from one ear to the other.
— Because of your accident, you awakened earlier. This caused some problems. Which they will solve, since they owe me some favors. — she said as if stating a fact, even raising a finger.
Before we entered, she went silent and thought for a few seconds.
— Listen, you were attacked by a magical beast. That must have traumatized you. So don't be afraid.
— Why? — I asked innocently.
— One of their cultures is to live among magical beasts since birth. They are domesticated, so there's no need to be afraid. — concern was the tone of the words that came out of her mouth.
— I'll try. — I said determined.
To pass, we first had to go through a magical protection barrier. It was simple, just walk through. As soon as we did, I could feel the air lighter and the mana denser and purer.
As soon as we entered, the first thing we saw was men and women almost naked walking around, and some others riding magical beasts.
I started to panic. I looked around and didn't see any beast similar to the one that attacked me. Only then was I able to calm down. Meanwhile, an old man approached us.
— Is this the child you mentioned? — with a tired voice the old man asked; he was chewing something, then spat it out. Then he turned to me. — What's your name, boy?
— Ryoumi. Are you going to teach me magic?
— No. But someone better will. Wait here, Neses and I will go get him. — he looked at grandma while speaking. With a quick turn, he walked off with Neses following him.
I stood in the same place for a few minutes, and then I felt my leg being lightly hit. A loud quack, more like a groan than a quack, hit my ears, making me cover them so it wouldn't hurt my eardrums.
— Quack! — it shouted. — ¡Tú eres una pedra, hein!
When I came to, I looked back and saw a plump, wide-billed duck staring at me. However, what left me most perplexed was that it was wearing sunglasses.
— What?! — I shouted in shock. — A duck wearing sunglasses.
— Non veres que este, que vos falas, eres una criatura cega! — it spoke in a serious tone. — Una criança como tu non sabes como tratar los velhos, Quack!
— But you were the one who hit me— he interrupted me.
— I didn't ask you, Quack! You didn't even apologize. — his accent disappearing.
— Sorry then. — I said superficially. — Old duck.
It flapped its wings, scattering its feathers across the ground. Its ragged feathers touched the ground and turned to dust. It scratched like a chicken with its scaly legs and detailed feet, then charged at me.
It came at me with coordination. — I thought you were blind?!
— Guapho is blind, but only in the eyes!
Neses
When the Chief called me to look for Ryo's new master, my concern shot up to the heavens.
Leaving him alone among all these people. A completely new lifestyle and culture. Not to mention the magical beasts.
We arrived at the tent of the Chief's son, his heir and only child. It was empty.
— Sorry, Neses. He doesn't seem to be here. — the Chief said calmly, after rummaging through some sheets made of skin. — Let's look for my daughter-in-law by the stream. Maybe she knows where he is.
We left the tent and followed in the opposite direction from where we came, which was toward the stream. This stream is where the women here wash dirty clothes. It's a stream where, besides washing clothes, they bathe.
We arrived just as she was hanging the wet clothes.
— My daughter, by any chance have you seen your husband somewhere around the village? — his calm certainty again in his tone of voice.
I think he knows something, I thought to myself. I'll see how far he goes.
— I did. He was with Guapho. He said he was going to ask him a favor. — she said, worried. — Did something happen? For even Miss Neses to be here.
He spat on the ground, cleared his throat, turned halfway around, and started walking.
— Nothing, nothing happened.
All I could do was follow him; my hands were tied. I know who Guapho is, and about his temperament. Calm and fierce. If the Chief's son and Guapho are together, and the Chief's reaction means something.
— They went to test Ryo! — I shouted, flustered.
— Calm down. Nothing bad will happen. I promise you. — the Chief swore. Even worried, I tried to calm down. I've known these people for years. I know nothing will happen to Ryo. But he hasn't even recovered from the trauma yet, and already Guapho to torment him.
We returned to where Ryo was waiting for me.
A shock arrow hit my head. Ryo was defending himself from Guapho's attacks. I was surprised. But of course, if you look at him closely, he's all injured. What impresses me is his endurance.
A crowd watching Ryo get beaten, they must not care about him since they don't know him. But that's good for him to gain fighting experience. Against the magical fox it was one-sided, a massacre I would say. However, with Guapho holding back and trying not to kill him, I think he can at least try to strike back.
Guapho
I am blind. But none of that can stop me from fighting.
The boy in front of me is quite resilient; even with me holding back my strength, he manages to defend himself. I have some hypotheses. Ever since I came to test him, I feel that he is using magic on his own body.
I bet Hajba must have already noticed this when he passed through the village's protection barrier.
This boy must be like me; he must have adapted to some circumstance.
I'll find out now. I'll activate the maximum power of mana sensitivity. It was maximized. Before activating it, I used earth magic for echolocation. I felt vibrations and could hear the sound of people's footsteps; with that I could live without needing to worry about seeing.
Now, air mana has become more sensitive, and I can take advantage of that and feel where things that use mana are; it's almost like seeing, but by feeling.
As soon as I activated the mana sense, a sensation exploded in my brain. A shock in my cortex. And I could feel the density of mana filling the space and the gaps in that space. These gaps are things, from objects with mana to people who use mana.
I looked around me, more specifically at the boy in front of me. I could feel his core.
"What?", I thought, astonished and surprised. "His core is his heart? And not only that. His blood vessels serve as mana meridians. No, more specifically, his heart pumps blood and mana through the body. That's why his endurance."
I advance toward him at a speed at which none of the people in the tribe can see, it's like distorting space. I am very fast for a duck.
— Boy, you got lucky twice.