2 The gift of magic

The spring wind hoisted up the spirits of a certain brown haired girl in the midst of a pack of young adults. Ionna couldn't help but grab her sling bag tightly as she continued walking through the forest.

It wasn't that she was scared. Pff—why would she be scared of trees? It's more like she was so excited that she can't contain it.

Five years passed since her Grandma went away and she's already 12 years old, just like everyone else with her right now. That is, if you exclude their guide, Mr. Lenon. He's over 50 years old just by judging his features.

"Isn't this exciting?" Ionna's best friend silently squealed in delight.

Ionna chuckled as she watched her hop up and down like a bunny, "It is but calm down. We're not even there yet, Semi."

Misemi shoved a lock of her faded-brown hair behind one ear as she mustered a smile, "That's too much to ask from me, Yun-yun. How can I calm down if I know that today, I'll finally gain magic like all my other old relatives!" The pace of her voice started quickening as she squealed again in excitement with her eyes closed.

This caused her to bump to the people in front of her, however.

Misemi shrieked and frantically murmured while randomly moving her hands in the air, trying to express her apologies through gestures as well as words, "Ah, oops! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The boys she bumped into stared at her judgingly that Misemi wanted to screech in embarrassment. Ionna was surprised when Misemi suddenly grabbed her by her wrist and then ran off, still mumbling apologies.

This was Misemi.

She doesn't seem much like the introvert she is at face value, right?

The boys that she bumped into watched the two girls get ahead of them in the pack and one of them sneered, "The hell?"

"Aaaah… That was so embarrassing…" Misemi whined as she slowed down.

Ionna, who could barely keep up, just snickered softly, "Yeah, it was. That's why I told you to calm down."

She looked back at where those boys were supposed to be and added, "Those boys were the sons of the arms dealer in town. You definitely don't want to get into their bad side."

By the time Ionna stared back at Misemi, however, it looked as if all the life had slipped out of her face.

Misemi squeaked, her face pale, "I…I don't wanna get shot."

She looked at all the people surrounding her and wondered if they were sons or daughters of military men, ultimately scaring herself in the process.

She inched closer to Ionna and stuttered, "I think I'm gonna get claustrophobia if this keeps up…"

"I never said you'd get shot." Ionna furrowed her eyebrows as she smiled. She decided to walk beside Misemi, comfortingly putting her hand around her shoulder, "Come on, let's just enjoy the trip. We're almost there after all."

Misemi's mint green eyes sparkled in delight and she started hopping again.

The two strode past two giant boulders that had markings on it while talking merrily.

The moment they entered the premises of their host, however, their attention was suddenly captured by a small human wearing glimmering metal colors all over that suddenly appeared in front of them.

This human was even shorter than Misemi, and Misemi is already the shortest person amongst the 20 children who came from their town.

Ionna stared at the small human while Misemi was already grinning since in front of her stands a humanoid that was way shorter than her. She couldn't help but finally feel some sense of pride.

As Misemi entertained herself by measuring the difference in height between her and the unmoving creature, Ionna looked around and saw that the other children who came in with them were interacting with small humans. Ionna pondered for a minute and realized that this must be how they'll get their magic.

She looked back at Misemi who was poking the small human's cheek, "Semi, they're the faeries!"

Misemi blinked and then her eyes went wide.

She shuffled away, flushed, "Oh my gosh, no wonder their so small—"

"Misemi Morena." The fairy suddenly spoke as it opened its blue green eyes that seemed comparable to Misemi's. She faced Misemi, "Please follow me."

Misemi blinked and expressively showed the doubt in her face, but she said, "Okay…?" anyways.

As soon as the fairy turned around, Misemi pulled Ionna's attention to her and asked in panic, "Yun-yun, is the braid around my head alright? Do I have something in my teeth?? Should I try doing an accent???"

Ionna blinked in surprise, "Your hair's fine and no, you shouldn't fake an accent. It'll be hard to keep it up." She then raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you should really calm down."

"Right." Misemi quipped as she took a couple of ocean-deep breaths and then squealed again, "I'm so excited!"

She hugged Ionna, "Wish me good luck and may good luck come to yours as well!"

Ionna grinned as Misemi withdrew from the hug and then started chasing after the fairy who apparently started flying off without a warning.

Ionna could hear her yelling, "Hey! Get back here, you little….!"

She snickered under her breath and looked around again.

The sight however, astonished her.

She blinked.

She was the only child left?

She looked around, up and down and then scratched the back of her head, starting to think of the worst possible scenario: That the fairy in charge of her didn't want to give her magic and so, never showed up.

She nervously squeezed her sling bag while trying to calm herself. Hopefully that wasn't the case…

"Hola!" Ionna shrieked when she heard a weird voice and she immediately grabbed the person behind her and judo-flipped him or her, slamming them to the damp forest grounds.

Ionna blinked and realized that she had assaulted a small female fairy wearing a studded red dress.

She gasped and let go of the fairy's hand, "Oh, dear…That… that wasn't on purpose."

The small female fairy just stared up at the sky, still in shock after being flipped over.

Ionna stepped closer to check on her vitals, frightened that she had killed a fairy, but then the fairy sat up and Ionna walked backwards awkwardly.

Then the fairy forced a grin as she talked to Ionna, "W-well… that was a very uncomfortable and painful greeting…" The tears of pain at the edge of her eyes supported her statement too.

While the fairy struggled to get up, Ionna squeezed her sling bag again, "I'm really sorry. It was a reflex…"

"It's okay. I've been stomped on by a half-fauna before so I've felt worse." The fairy stood up and then stretched her back.

Cracks can be heard from her back, as if she was cracking her knuckles, and Ionna was not quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The fairy faced Ionna and chuckled, "But, wow, that flip was really strong for someone as thin as you."

Ionna squinted her orange eyes, offended, "Excuse me?"

"N-nothing." The fairy realized the mistake in her word choice.

She cleared her throat and then introduced herself, "My name is Ruby." She flaunted her strawberry dress and chuckled, "Get it? Coz I'm wearing shining red all over?"

Ionna's eyes were still squinted and her eyebrows were furrowed. Her mouth was just a straight line at this point.

Ruby sheepishly laughed and then clasped her hands together, "A-anyways…"

She then covered her face with her hands all of a sudden and screamed, "AH! I CAN'T DO THIS!!!"

Her face seemed to have gotten redder than her hair and dress combined.

Ionna raised an eyebrow, "Wait, what do you mean?"

"Oh, geez." Ionna's eyes widened as she heard another voice from behind her and her reflexed made her attempt to elbow this person at the side but the male fairy that wore a red tuxedo that matched with Ruby's smoothly stepped to the side to dodge.

He grinned as he exclaimed, "Dodge."

Ionna blinked and then gaped. She assaulted another one. She's starting to think that she has issues.

"Brother!" Ruby ran behind the boy's back and hid herself.

The boy frowned then sighed, "Ruby, this is your first job as a magic guide. Come on. I can't keep helping you whenever you feel shy…"

"But, I accidentally called her skinny!" Ruby blurted out.

Ionna frowned, "That's even worse than the real word you used to describe me."

Ruby squeaked in panic and then squatted as she messed her short red hair, "Eep! I did it again!"

"This is no good." Ruby's brother face-palmed and then cleared his throat, as he faced Ionna, "I'm Crimson. I'll be your magic guide's replacement for the day. Please follow me."

He turned around and then a set of transparently fiery wings appeared on his back. The same pair of wings appeared vividly on Ruby's back and Ionna stared in awe as it twitched. Ruby squeaked and then flew off the moment she realized Ionna was staring at her. Crimson followed shortly after and Ionna followed them through the ground.

They soon arrived to a humungous ancient tree that seemed to have been bent in order to become some kind of platform, and sitting on it, like it was a throne, was an old yet noble looking fairy wearing a faded red cloak that hid his legs, surrounded by a crowd of other fairies.

Ruby zoomed towards the platform and hid behind the old fellow.

Ionna looked up at the big tree from below and swallowed, the edge of her mouth was twitching. It was towering over her like some sort of giant and she had no idea how to get herself to stand on the plane on top of it.

Crimson landed safely on the platform and then walked towards the old fellow, who was their father. He glared at Ruby who was impishly hiding behind their father. Ruby, having sensed the sharp stare, squeaked and hid inside her father's cape.

Their father sighed as he allowed Ruby to hide behind him and then looked at Crimson as if to say, "You know what you have to do."

Crimson pressed his lips together in frustration and then flew down to aid Ionna, even though he did not fancy it.

Ionna could hear him mumbling complains about how Ruby always gets to be off the hook whenever a human arrives, but she pretended to hear nothing but the flap of transparent wings as Crimson grabbed her by her wrist and then carried her up to the platform.

She gladly wiggled her hands off of Crimson's grasp as soon as she felt as if she could jump to the platform and landed safely on the tree's rough "ground".

Crimson paid no attention to this and just flew back towards his father's side, the hint of dissatisfaction was written all over his face.

"Welcome, young one." Their father greeted Ionna as a couple of birds dived down and circled around the young girl.

The birds ushered her forward, gently and withdrew with a lovely chirping melody.

A warm smile appeared in the old man's wrinkly face, lighting up his faded physique, "I am Rashmid. And may I ask who you descended from?"

Ionna blinked and then stepped forward as she introduced herself, squeezing her sling bag, "I am the daughter of Sefina Stellar."

Rashmid nodded, "A memory magic clan, I see…"

He stared at one of the faeries that accompanied him and gestured him to step forward. This fairy reached out their hand and opened his palm. They blew unto it, causing a golden dust to swirl from his fingertips and surround Ionna.

Ionna watched in amazement as she felt the dust surround her. She tightened her grip on her sling bag but then the golden dust suddenly disappeared in a cloud of explosion.

She coughed as she brushed the cloud out of her way. By the time the cloud parted, she noticed that the fairy that emitted the dust was staring at her dumbfounded, frozen in position by shock.

The fairy looked up at Rashmid and the two exchanged confused glances.

Ionna blinked and impishlu asked,

"Was it really supposed to explode like that…?"