A Strange Gift

Magic, as known throughout history, has its definition varied in each and every continent.

Inside Kishida's house, a small and cramped one just within the commoner part of the city, his thoughts roamed.

"Sigh, I'm tired." 

Inside a small house, where air is heaved by the dust, a quite messy place.

"Is there really another way…?"

Knock knock, the silence stopped.

"O-oh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaugh. sigh" Kishida picked his wooden stick to support himself walking on one leg.

Kishida opened the door, the noise from the city roused him up.

"How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine mum…"

"I thought you'd clean the house, Kishida." Serena asked Kishida, all with a soft tone.

"I know mum….I know…"

"I haven't sold much.. But I've bought enough for warm soup today, dear…"

Serena looks at Kishida, standing with a cane with a crippling body. Serena ran a tear. Kishida stared and noticed.

"Mom, you're starting to space off again."

"O-oh! Right! Haha…" Serena resigned back to reality, a cruel state of Kishida who is wrapped around with torn cheap bandages, with nothing but a simple stick to support himself. "I just sometimes think why I can't do better."

"Mom!" Kishida exclaimed.

"I know-! I'll warm up the water I brought."

Serena returned with a hot bucket and a towel, it was already evening. Serena washed and wiped the dirt that accumulated on Kishida.

"It must be myself to blame that you can't use magic—hahaha…" Serena trailed off, her voice tinged with hesitation, as if grappling with her own sense of responsibility.

"Mom, stop that." Kishida smiled gently, "I keep telling you not to worry about it too much."

"Y-yeah," Serena murmured, her voice softening with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. Serena then grabbed the soup she just made. "Eat up, Kishida."

"Thanks mom.."

"Since it's your birthday today… I brought you someone…" Serena's voice faltered slightly, betraying her nervousness as a man entered their house.

"O-oh, what a shitty house," the man muttered under his breath, his eyes turned dull the moment he entered the house.

"Ki-kishida.. This is my friend…. Elias…" Serena stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she introduced Elias.

"Mom-? Who is he..?" Kishida's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he glanced between his mother and the unfamiliar visitor.

"I'm a mage, little brat," Elias declared with a smirk, his tone carrying a hint of amusement at Kishida's questioning gaze.

"Mom-!?!?" Kishida exclaimed, his voice rising with surprise and disbelief.

"I've always heard you want to learn magic-! I could even hear you murmur and stare at the children outside! So…. I wanted to give this as a gift…" Serena's words tumbled out in a rush, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"Mom… what about our money-!?" Kishida's voice trembled with concern as he voiced his worry about their living, barely scraping off what little they have.

Elias put his arms over Serena's shoulders, offering a reassuring gesture. "Noneed to worry about that little kid, heh," he said with a weird grin.

Kishida took a moment to glance at his mom, and he noticed bruises and marks that weren't there just before.

"MOM, WHAT-!?" Kishida's concern turned to alarm as he saw the evidence of his mother's struggles.

"Kishida! It's just for three days! I did what I can-," Serena's voice wavered with a mixture of guilt and desperation.

"But mom…."

"Stay put, little brat, be grateful to your mom," Elias interjected firmly, his tone brooking no argument.

"Elias will be staying with us too… Goodnight Kishida…." Serena's voice held a note of finality as she ushered Kishida towards his room.

Kishida stared at Elias, the mage who mysteriously appeared to help. His gaze bore into Elias with a mixture of suspicion and protectiveness, silently warning him not to harm his mother. Surprisingly, Elias smugged as he stared right back. Then later that night, Kishida could hear mysterious voices just in his mother's room. He chose to ignore and sleep for the night.

"Yo, brat!" Elias' voice startled Kishida early in the morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.

"Wo-woah! What the hell, man-!?" Kishida exclaimed, his heart racing as he turned to face Elias, his sleep-addled mind struggling to process the sudden intrusion.

"Your mom already left, are you coming or not?" Elias's voice cut through the morning haze, pulling Kishida from his thoughts.

"What do you mean-?"

"We're going on a small quest, but it doesn't really seem like you're that much of a mage material… pft! Hahaha!" Elias teased, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Stop it! I can still stand!"

"That works, let's go, brat," Elias said, his tone shifting to a more serious note as he motioned for Kishida to follow.

Kishida and Elias traveled along a path away from town, surrounded by lush greenery and a seemingly tranquil atmosphere. The only disruption to the peace was Elias's persistent complaints.

"Brat, you're too slow," Elias grumbled, his impatience evident in his tone.

"I'm trying! Can you at least slow down?" Kishida retorted, frustration lacing his words.

"Tch, this wasn't like what your mom said, pace up, brat," Elias snapped, his irritation mounting.

Kishida shot Elias an annoyed glance, his anger evident on his face as he struggled to keep up with the mage's brisk pace.

"So, what kind of mage are you?" Kishida asked out of curiosity, his tone a mixture of shyness and genuine interest.

"Oh! An interesting question, I can play with fire!" Elias responded enthusiastically, a spark igniting in his palm as flames danced to his command. There was a sense of pride and masculinity in his display, perhaps a hint of showmanship as well.

"Wait-!? How!? I thought you had to cast a spell first!?" Kishida was shocked, what he knew conflicted with what he saw.

"Wordless casting isn't really that great, brat. For example, it can't really take the shape of any complex shapes. I can only say light up, ignite, or just those, it can't really take any annoying shapes."

"I-I see…."

"But if we spellcast magic, then we can actually create a good attack." Elias proudly explained, then displayed a spellcast "Fire blitz!", balls of fire then shot towards the small circle

"A-amazing! Cough How did you learn all these?"

"Ho? My dad was an adventurer, a shitty alcoholic one, but he taught me a thing or two in magic. Only geniuses or rich asses go to school, we're stuck here in this hellhole!" Elias lamented, his bitterness tinged with a hint of resentment.

"Can you teach me?" Kishida's voice quivered with eagerness, his desire to learn overcoming his apprehension.

"I am, now do it. The same one as I did earlier," Elias instructed firmly.

"What- how!? I don't even know!?"

"Do we really have to go back to the city and get yours checked? NO!" Elias grabbed Kishida's hands, urgency coloring his actions. "If you don't cast any protective magic, your hands will burn."

Kishida's stick fell from his grasp. "WAIT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? PLEASE STOP… STOP IT!"

"Here I go!" Elias declared, determination blazing in his eyes as he prepared to demonstrate the spell.

"S-stop! Stop!" Kishida cried, his attempts to break free futile as Elias's grip remained firm.

Suddenly, Elias noticed a change. "Huh-? It's a little cold…" His hands began to chill, and ice started to form around Kishida's arms.

"Woah! Pft, not bad, brat. You actually know magic. How old were ya again?" Elias asked, impressed by the unexpected display, he even put a little smile.

"You're insane-!..." Kishida protested, his disbelief evident in his voice. After a moment, he reluctantly admitted, "Seven…"

"Woah! You might be a genius then! Kids around your age should be able to do magic. Now, try spellcasting."

"Isn't this a bit too fast-!?"

"What do you mean? We only have three days, stupid brat. Just imagine it in your small brain or something."

"I don't understand-!?!"

"Well, you will."

"YOU'RE INSANE!" Kishida exclaimed, his frustration boiling over as he struggled to comprehend the sudden turn of events. "And when will you let go of my arm..?"

"Oops, my bad! Haha! It's not that hard, really," Elias chuckled, shrugging off the mishap with a casual demeanor.

Kishida fell to the ground as he was released, then quickly scrambled to retrieve his stick and stand back up.

"You're really a madman, although I do thank you for letting me draw out magic…" Kishida muttered, his voice a mixture of gratitude and exasperation.

"Well? Spellcast now? When? Now!" Elias pressed impatiently, his gaze fixed expectantly on Kishida.

"Oh no….." Kishida's eyes widened in realization as Elias began to prepare a spellcast aimed directly at his face. "Fire… blitz."

"STO-!" Kishida's protest was cut short as the spell struck him.

A few minutes later, Kishida found himself resting under a tree. The burn on his face was painful but not severe as Elias modified the magic power. It should be gone in a day.

"Didn't I tell you to spellcast?" Elias demanded, his tone tinged with disappointment.

"I told you! I don't know!" Kishida retorted, frustration evident in his voice.

"Tch, what a disappointment," Elias muttered, shaking his head in dismay.

As Kishida stared at his hands, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and determination. The sensation of manifesting magic, even in such a chaotic situation, sparked something within him.

"That was amazing…. I want to learn magic!" Kishida thought to himself, his resolve stronger than ever.

"Brat, let's get something to eat at the next town, we need to go back to your mom by dawn," Elias urged, breaking the silence with a sense of urgency.

Kishida stared at Elias, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features as he remembered his injuries and reliance on his stick for support.

"Are you coming or not? I wouldn't mind if you stayed under this tree," Elias quipped, his impatience evident in his tone.

"I KNOW, damn it! You're so impatient…." Kishida grumbled, frustration coloring his words as he reluctantly followed Elias towards the town of Husgo, their destination just an hour's walk away from their home city of Hircas.