An expensive mask

I met Asura again that night in the same field with the giant tree in the middle. I sat down next to her dress changes every time I see her this Time it was red with white ribbons. "it won't be long until I can join you on your journey" said Asura smiling brightly "lay your head on my lap" Asura said with her face bright red a far cry from her usual pale doll-like complexion. She was so beautiful it was beyond words the more I look at her the faster my heartbeat was. " I did some research in my father's library and found a spell that you can use without the aid of a shadow grimoire. it's called a shadow mask". she explained that I'd have to carve a mask and as I carve it pour mana into it more specifically dark mana which is the source of darkness itself essential for the balance of power. "A mask huh, what do you think it should be a mask of a wolf or a dragon maybe?" I asked her she sat there thinking then she finally spoke "A Rabbit". " ok I like that ill carve a rabbit but why a Rabbit?" because when you use shadow fire you become fast like a rabbit" she laughed it was cute the way she laughed I found myself drifting if to sleep by the sound of her humming. it was morning and Mere was still asleep we had to share a bed so I didn't want to wake in fact I wanted to go buy her something to make her feel better. I wandered

through the merchant stalls, I came across the jewelry vendor on his table I saw a silver pendant it was a snow fox pendant with red gemstone eye. It was perfect I thought to myself I remembered on the journey here Mere could not help but talk about how pretty they were whenever she saw one. "how much for this pendant" I asked him he didn't say anything he held five fingers and a silver coin

saying that 5 silver coins I didn't think about it I handed him the coins and took the pendant. on my way back to the inn I walked past a vendor selling different type of wood I saw a piece of black ironwood it was a magical type of wood that only grew in the ancient Elven

forest It was stronger than most rocks and never caught fire it was expensive it cost more than I had. I needed a thousand silver coins I felt defeated I couldn't afford to make the mask I needed to maybe Asura might have an idea I thought to myself. on my way back to the inn Mere I had finally I handed her the pendant and told her it would be perfect for her she blushed and accepted the gift I finally got to see her smile again "Alex?" I heard from behind I turned around it was my aunt my mom's sister I hadn't seen even months before my father abandoned me.

She started crying and hugging me she gino told me she and mom we're twins and that if I wanted to know what mom looked like look at Aunt Larissa I only ever met her once how did she recognize her hair silver and her eyes ere blue she was wearing royal light armor. She kept begging me to tell her what happened to me she smiled when she heard Gino was okay too and shocked to hear about sensei and magic I told her about Asura too. "That fat sack of shit I always knew he was a vile man but to have his son killed," said Aunt Larissa. She then told me what shed been up to after mom died she underwent the royal knight training and after she was notified of me my sister's deaths she out herself far into her job hunting rogue demons in The Hunters division. Rogue demons aren't the only things they hunt but vampires and werewolves too. "so is the one your girlfriend? what's your name?" she asked Mere who stuttered and blushed "g-g-girlfriend I-I-i'm not". Aunt Larissa laughed " so you need a way to get a thousand silver?" she stopped and thought for a moment "There's an arena on the other side of the town and they have a contest tomorrow and the winner gets four thousand silver and if you win you get one wish granted by the lord who's in charge that'll be big help now wouldn't it?" she said with a confident look I thought about it as we were heading back to the inn Aunt Larissa stopped us "oh and before you head off to meet that earth dragon ill be coming with you from now on I can't leave you, two children, alone. That night I was forced to sleep on the floor by Larissa she told just to call her Issa. I was visited by Asura again " this place again" I stated she was wearing her black dress again "About your sister. it's not like I want to forbid you from being with her but since my brother, he's going to be her familiar". she then explained that if two mages have sibling familiars it's forbidden for the mages to have a romantic relationship saying It would break the contract between mage and familiar. " so I expect when my sister meets your brother he will tell her the exact same thing". I responded. Asura started tearing up "I didn't know how to tell you I thought you'd be mad about this," she said holding back tears and I couldn't hold back I hugged "I'm not mad I couldn't be its the rules and I don't want our contract to break I want to see you in the real world". Asura wasn't able to keep herself from crying and she kissed me and when she did the field disappeared along with the tree and everything was white.