16 The old man (2)

"Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"

The man seemed even more flustered and didn't answer her until she repeated her question, voice louder.

"Peace, girl. I just wanted to fill my bota bag. I didn't hear anyone near, and so..." He coughed, in embarrassment or because of the position of her ice, she didn't know nor she cared.

It sounded somewhat plausible considering she had been quiet for a couple of minutes. She wasn't singing either so there was no way the old man would have listened to her. She sighed but didn't let go of the hold of her powers.

"Stay there for a moment while I change."

"Yes, of cour- ouch!"

Shouldn't have nodded, she thought with a smile.

It only took her fifteen minutes to be ready. It took that much mostly because they were different ones from the clothes she was used to wearing. Before she previously wore a simple brown dress, but now she had something more complex. Not as complicated as many she had seen inside that pendant, as it didn't have a complicated corset, but it was still a weird whitish blouse with a weird black vest that served to hold her breasts in place with how tight it was. That and a long blue skirt.

"You can turn around, now," she said but never let the whip lose its form as it circled his form.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, girl. Really. It wasn't my intention to see you. Probably didn't hear anything with these ears of mine. They aren't..." he continued babbling with one palm on his chest, clearly too scared by what just happened.

She decided to leave him alone considering he was a weak old man, with no power. Her third Eye remained half-opened most of the time so she was sure the prana inside him was atrophied. So she turned around and started grabbing her old clothes from the ground. She already let loose the hold of her powers, but she stopped when the man talked.

"That's an interesting way to use water, girl." He seemed curious about the water that was now on the ground as he inspected it without touching it. "Usually Sea mages use the water to heal. I think this is the first time I've seen it used in an offensive way."

She furrowed her brows. She heard Amycus briefly mentioning how water was used to heal but thought it was only what he knew about it. She didn't think so, but still, she asked, "... Are you a mage?"

"No, no, but I fish frequently by the Cisse river. Usually, some teachers take their students near there to teach them stuff and-"

When he suddenly stopped, she couldn't help herself from giving the man a glance. Did he seem to be squinting at something on her back?

"Sir?"

That startled him. "Oh, sorry! It's just-- tattoos aren't really normal here in Valand. I heard they were popular on Thoran though. I don't know if it's true or--"

"Sir," she said flatly, cutting off his babbling. She raised an eyebrow at him, finding it funny when the old man chuckled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry about that, It's just that, well, this is the second time I see the same tattoo in someone. I'm curious, you know? Is it something popular or a mage thing?"

Alula couldn't help but gape, her hand going to the back of her neck where thanks to her high bun let everyone could see it perfectly.

"What?" she said, wishing her voice hadn't sounded as hopeful as she heard it.

Going by the worried expression of the man, her wishing did nothing.

"Is it something wrong, girl?" At seeing her shake her head, he added, "Is it something special? Or a family thing? Oh! Look at me, asking away all these questions. Michelle always said I was too curious for my own good."

Seeing he was ready to go on a tangent, she stopped him. "Yes, yes. It's something special. Could you please tell me where did you see this person?"

He nodded. "Of course, of course. It was in Dudria, a young mage. I think it was from Castian Academy going on by the uniform. I think he had the same tattoo."

"Are you sure about it?"

"More or less, I also asked him why he had a number three on his hand, but he got quiet and put a glove. I mean, youths these days, you know?"

It wasn't a three the mark on the back of her neck, but the symbol of the Ajna, better known as the Third Eye. It was her soulmate mark.

A soulmate mark was a curious thing for the supernatural in her world. It was considered to be an honor to have it one before turning eighteen, as it meant one's soulmates was already waiting for them. However, if no mark appeared, it meant their soulmate was younger than them.

So on her eighteen birthday, she did the ritual which should have shown her affinity in the color of her soul. However, instead of showing a water-related symbol, it showed the Third Eye in the cyan color of her soul.

When it appeared, it was also on her hand, too. However, she had to move it to a place where it was less visible. She chose the back of her neck for that and waited. She couldn't do much to search for her destined one because of the dangerous times. Besides, it was told that if they were really meant to be, they would find each other sooner or later.

When she came to this world, she forgot about it, thinking that it had erased itself. And because it was on the back of her neck, she forgot to check it out.

She should have if only to mourn them.

She still wasn't sure if this person was her soulmate. It could be a popular mark here, or maybe it was really a number three and the old man confused them.

Still. She needed to find out if it was real or not.