Basics of magic (1)

That night. Again Frei spent the night recalling his conversation with Johnny. Thinking about the stuff he's seen in his journal, the drawings of cities, carriages, people. All things Frei haven't seen before. He wants to see it. All of it. 

He would close his eyes and imagine life outside. The sounds of flowing rivers, the sounds the horses would make, and all kinds of people outside, just living. Maybe there are those outside that are like him, working in non-living conditions, treated like animals. Frei felt a bit guilty however, that he felt comforted by it, the fact he isn't alone in this torment and misery. 

Then, again. He heard someone humming, in the same familiar gentle tone. However, this time he knew immediately who it was. "Gloria".

Excitement lit up on his face, as he immediately got up and went towards the sound. Expecting more stories to hear from her. When he looked out the big wide window he saw her beneath the same tree, beneath the same warm light, humming the same lullaby and holding a book, flipping it, pages by pages. His eyes lit up, and swiftly jumped over the window despite struggling a little. She and Johnny were the only people he had to tell him stories of the outside world.

She smiled looking at Frei running towards her, like she knew he would be coming to her.

"It's like a little kid." she mumbled to herself while grinning. 

"HI!" Frei said immediately after reaching her.

"Hello Frei! Can't sleep tonight too?" She said as she closed her book and showed it to him. "Look at this! A picture book this time!" As she points to the title on the hardcover.

'Magic for kids'

"Do you know how to read?"

Frei didn't answer and looked at the title. 

He doesn't understand shit.

He shook his head.

She smiled and replied "Don't worry I will explain it to you." As she opened the book, a nice smell resembling that of vanilla, becomes more evident. The pages were old and had a heavy yellow tint to it, around the edges were brown in color. Inside it were little cute drawings depicting magic.

As she flipped one page after another. A list, showing each chapter and it's contents about magic. 

Then she flipped another page. A big sized word showed up, 'retwa' underlined and the crooked lines of the paper can be seen in the black ink of the word. Beneath are little drawings of magic and short explanations.

She points to the big word. "Wah-t-er" as she pronounces it slowly. Then quickly " Water"

"Understand?"

Frei nodded. As she reads and explains through the texts in the picture book. His face would sometimes lit up with excitement and bewilderment. 

Water

Water is a type of magic that can be changed into, through mana in the body. Just think about it and imagine it and it will appear.

Beside the texts shows drawings of little people depicting the process of magic. And yet again beside the drawing shows little texts explaining the steps.

Lift up the hands

Think about water

If no water comes out!

Shout water.

Water appears.

Frei repeated the steps but didn't quite do it correctly. As for her, she did it perfectly.

A big water appeared seemingly out of nowhere, just like the text said.

"Woah!" Frei exclaimed and asked her bewildered "how'd you do it?"

"I just repeated it countless times , that's all. Don't worry though, Frei! You will get it soon!" As she said enthusiastically, though behind it, is a little sarcasm.

Frei repeated again and again, each time getting more frustrated than before. While she was amused looking at the boy progressively getting angrier and angrier. But it made her happy. It reminded her of her childhood, where she used to struggle in using magic too.

"Come here Frei." She placed her hands on Frei's wrist and then held it forcefully. "This is how you do it."

Frei felt a sudden vibration and a sensation he never felt before, it's like there's constant heat radiating from her hands and a slight force pulling him towards her like magnets.

Then in front of him, a water bubble the size of a ball, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared. His hands had this weird liquidy feeling and his mind shook with excitement. He felt "Gloria"'s mana alongside his, flowing through his hands and arms, circulating through the veins and had a heightened awareness of everything surrounding him. Frei felt like he could even sense the movement of a mere fly, at that moment. Everything felt alive, or real.

The water bubble popped and formed a puddle of water, which then dropped onto the ground, absorbed by the soils of the land. That happened after one second of casting the magic. 

"Woah… That felt… weird?"

"You'll get used to it" She let loose of her hands, and all the mana dispersed.

Frei grabbed his wrist, rotated it a few and pinched it.

It was real. A water bubble, even though it was with the assistance from "Gloria", he still felt proud.

Nothing significant to the feats of human, but significant for the world.