Getting to know you

Another day came and Shade was fishing for his next meal, until the three kids came to hang out with him. They seemed quite energetic, until they saw Shade fishing.

Kai: "Oh, he's fishing again."

Yun: "Must be tough having to find your own meal every day."

Yui: "Well, the hunters do work for their meals also. Nevertheless, should we bother him now?"

Kai: "We didn't expect much when we came here anyways. Let's play some games."

Yui: "Well, it's true that we can't just ask him. If he yells at us, we just stop."

Yun & Kai: "Agreed!"

Shade just kept fishing and ignoring what the kids were doing. He also noticed that he was being watched again. He was thinking of making a meal for all four of them, on top of himself.

Some time passed and the kids were laying down in a tree's shade. The watcher seemed a little bored as well, until she noticed that Shade was getting something big from the river. It was fighting hard against Shade and the battle went on for minutes. The kids also woke up and noticed the commotion happening on the river. They went immediately running towards Shade to see the situation closer and cheer him on, even though he couldn't understand them.

The kids tried to help him and in the end they got the fish out of the river. It was close to the size of a bear.

- It sure is huge. Let's end it's suffering.

Shade stabs the fish in the eye and casts an electric spell. The fish died moments later.

- Now how, for all that's holy, did my fishing rod manage to withstand this? Let alone, how did we manage to pull it out of the water?

Kai: "Awesome! I've never seen a fish this big!"

Yun: "Me neither. I wonder if it's edible."

Kai: "Let's bring it back to the village and see if anyone knows."

Yui: "But... isn't this his catch."

Yun: "Let's try to tell him."

Yui: "Oh, I know!"

Yui pulls Shade's sleeve to gain his attention. When she gets his attention, she points at the wish, then points in the direction of the village and then gestures looking through magnifying glass.

- So you want to bring this to your village and let someone see it. Probably to find out if it's edible. Sure.

He nods and then starts to build a platform for the fish. He puts some markings on the platform to make it more light and slippery. Then he ties it up tightly to the platform and starts to drag it with him.

The kids start to show the way and after a while, they get to the village.

- So they call this a village. Looks more like a small town.

Shade is getting weird looks from the inhabitants until they get to a house where the person they were looking for lives. He was a beast folk with a cat's tail who was experienced in wishing. He handled most of the fish that came to the village.

- "What do you kids need from me?"

Then he sees the fish that Shade was draggin. He got excited and said.

- "Let me see that!"

He looked and examined it for a while and then said.

- "This is a legendary crimsonfish. I haven't seen one in many years."

Kai: "Can we eat it?"

The man looks at them with a smile and says.

- "If we don't eat it, then we would be missing out on one of the most delicious fish there is. Let's bring it to a good cook and make a feast."

The man started going somewhere and showed the group to follow him. Shade was a little confused as to what would happen, but since everyone seemed happy, he went along with it.

The group reached a restaurant owned by Kai's father. The man explained the situation to him and Kai's father started to work. In the meantime, the man started to inform people around the village that they had catched a delicacy and to gather around.

People started to gather and even Mira heard the news from her palace. She would go to investigate the situation with Aisha soon after.

A while passed until the crimson fish was prepared and the crowd started to feel anxious. No one else was as anxious as Shade as he didn't know what exactly was going on. Only thing that he could gather was that it had become something big. Then he saw the crowd make way for someone. It was Mira and her attendant. When Mira saw him, she connected the dots and said.

- "So it was you"

- What.

- Was it you?

- Well I did catch it.

- "I see."

Then fish was finally being served and the honor of getting to taste it first fell to Mira. She took a plate and tasted it.

- "Delicious."

She cleared her plate and said to the crowd.

- "This meal has been brought to us by this man. His name is Shade and he is residing in the west of here. Now honor his feat by saying your gratitudes and taking a taste of this delicacy."

Then the crowd started shouting their gratitudes to Shade and he just looked a bit confused. Still, he could feel the gratitude coming from the crowd.

A while later, Shade himself hasn't gotten a bite of the fish and so haven't the kids. There were only three bites left and the kids noticed this. They looked at Shade and thought hard, until he brought the three plates to the kids while smiling. The kids smiled and said their thanks and enjoyed the taste.

Mira noticed that he didn't get a bite so she went to him and said.

- Would you like... for food... I... provide.

Shade looked at her and said.

- Thanks. I take you up on your offer.

Then they went to the restaurant that Kai's father owned and ordered his meal. Aisha then said.

- I apologize, but my lady has some business still left on her schedule. So if you would excuse us.

- "But, I still wanted to chat with him for a moment. And what is "schedule"?"

- I know, but you still have your duties to uphold. Or do you want to be behind?

- "I... fine." Sorry Shade. I will come... meet you tomorrow.

- "That's good then." If you excuse us.

Then they start to leave and Shade says.

- Thanks. Later then.

This somehow managed to make a small smile on Mira's face for a moment. Then she and Aisha left. Later when Shade finished his meal, he went back to his camp a bit exhausted and went to sleep early.

Back in the palace Mira and Aisha had a discussion. Aisha starts.

- "Didn't expect him to do that."

- "Who?"

- "Shade, of course."

- "Oh, yeah. It was quite a surprise when I realized it was him."

- "Still, he got some approval from the people. I wonder if it was his goal."

- "Could be. Or it could be that he just didn't know what to do with the fish. Either way he gained some approval from the people"

- "You could have just left the part of him catching the fish away from your speech."

- "If I would have left that out, it would have dishonored him and made him more wary of us."

- "I see. Then why would you treat him to a meal?"

- "I felt like it was deserved. That and I wanted to drop his guard so he would be honest with us."

- "I didn't expect that. As you would expect from the protector of Kogane valley."

- "Hhm."

- "What is it?"

- "Nothing, let us continue."

Next day when Mira came to visit Shade, he wasn't there. His camp was still up, so she thought that he must be out hunting. She waited for a while until he came back with a boar on his back.

- Time... has gone... lot.

- I didn't expect you to be here so early. Take a seat.

There was only a log to sit in, so she did that.

- How good... is your hunting?

- I'd say that I'm above average. Mostly due to my magical knowledge.

- Know-ledge?

- Means the amount you know.

- Ah, then how do... you use it?

- I mainly use wind magic to jump a lot. It's better to hunt on the tree branches sometimes.

- Oh. Like Amy.

- Who's Amy?

- Well... one watching you.

- So that's her name.

- You should... teach her sometime.

- Maybe. If she has an affinity to it.

- Affini... Never mind.

- So what does your village do?

- What does it do?

- Yeah, what is it famous for? Or what is its purpose?

- Well... We surrounded... by large gold vein. And I mean large.

- That is quite something. And you are its protector.

- Exactly. Many want valley... for themselves. Need to keep people safe.

- There must be quite a lot of them then.

- It been... peaceful... for a while. But must stay on guard. Many want gold for themselves. Most of country gold come from here.

- Main exporter of gold. I see. No wonder it needs a guardian of sorts.

- Ex-porter?

- For example, an item sold from here to another town. Or to another county.

- I... see. Well we sent gold to other villages. There are some... crafters, in the village, so not all go to outside... raw.

- Okay. Then what do you do when a threat appears?

- We will try... peaceful solution first. But if not work, then use force.

- You have a military?

- Yes, of 1 000 people.

- And you still call this a village.

- Not all... live here. But yes, we call this place a village. Now, for my... questions.

- Oh, you have questions?

- Yes. First of all, why did you start to travel in first place?

- Well... I wasn't welcome in my home.

- Second, why were you not welcome?

- That's...

- I answered your questions. Only fair to answer mine.

- Right... well, to clarify. Mage and a shaman aren't exactly the same thing.

- It isn't?

- Well, the purpose is similar, but the means is not.

- How so?

- Let's say you want to become a mage. You'll need to go study either in a school for magic or an apprenticeship. Later is a bit more difficult to manage, since most mages tend to focus on their goals more than teaching the craft. Though if the mage desire is to teach, is a different story. All and all, becoming mage is more bound in laws and is more socially acceptable.

- I follow.

- Shamans, on the other hand, are purely made from shamans teaching the apprentice the craft. On rare occasions does one become shaman by self study. Or so I've heard.

- Now I don't follow.

- Shamans are, how do you say this, more of social outcasts. People who want to delve into more, unsightly things in magic. People who don't care for the risks and laws of magecraft. Shamans only teach for their gained knowledge to be past on, no matter what the knowledge holds. We usually tend to stay away from civilization for our bad reputation that mainly consists of us casting curses at people we don't like.

- But so far, you don't cause... harm on others. Are you saying that you might?

- No, I won't! It's just a reputation many shamans hold due to the stigma of us being unlawful mages. It is true, unfortunately, for most cases, but some shamans are there to help the area they are living in. In some places, shamans act as a wisemen for the villages. My master did too. Until...

- Until?

- My master was an old man who yearned for his love to come back from the dead. He didn't want to commit to necromancy, so he tried various other ways. It's true though that it was borderline necromancy, but he really tried to find a way. One day he just went too far and abducted a young woman to serve as a medium for his final experiment. He tried to make her come back by making his love possess the young woman. For a moment, it worked. She talked to him like she was not meant to be alive so she was confused. He was so happy for a moment, until she said that didn't want to end up like this and to return this body to its original owner. Distraught, he did so, but the possession had taken its toll on the young woman. She now had memories of my master's love with her as well as her own. She panicked and ran out of the house. Later, the other villagers were up with torches and pitchforks at our house and demanded justice. They wanted to burn my master and my master agreed to this. He had no will to live anymore. Luckily, I was originally from that village and became his apprentice by choice, so they just wanted me gone and to never return. My master was satisfied that his teachings were in good hands and told me to go. So I packed as much as I could and left the village. *Sigh* I miss those days.

- What happened then?

- I ran up to some druid far in the forest and became her student for a couple of months. Then the druid told me that she saw a vision of me doing great things on a faraway land. Honestly, I just think she wanted to get rid of me, so I packed up my things again and left. For a while, I have traveled many places to find a place that feels right. I wasn't looking for fame or glory, I just wanted a peaceful place where I could live the way I grew up to do. Just camping outside every now and then, find my own food and be kind to those who don't wish to harm me. That's the life I've been looking for. I hope this is the right place this time.

- "So that's your story." Now third question, why you really here?

- I already told you that I only wish to live here peacefully. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not here because someone wanted to infiltrate this place or something. I swear on my soul.

- Hhm...

- So you don't believe me. Perhaps this isn't the place for me to settle.

- ... No.

- What?

- True, I don't... completely trust you, but I don't see that you want to cause harm either. I choose to believe that you are... good willed, at heart. I dealt with many... untrustworthy people in my time, you don't seem like bad person. At heart at least.

- Thanks. That is something for starters. I try my best to gain your trust. Or at least, not make me any more untrustworthy.

- You do that, then I happy.

She rises up and starts to leave. Then she says.

- Thanks for the fish. It tasted good.

- My pleasure.

- That again? What does it mean?

- It means it's good for me that you think so. You say it when you are glad the person did what they did.

- I see. Then, it was my pleasure talking to you. See you later.

- See ya.

Then she disappears into the forest.

- I do wonder though. Why did she not send her attendant or someone else to ask those questions? Hhm... Who knows. Time to eat.

Later at the palace.

- "So, how was your visit?"

- "I gained a lot of useful information today."

- "Oh, you are smiling? Didn't expect it to be that good."

- "I-I'm not smiling. You are imagining things. Anyhow, how was your search?"

- "There seems to be an increasing number of sightings of bandit activity in the south-west. This could grow into a problem later on."

- "I agree. Keep an eye on them and increase the number of guards on duty."

- "As you wish, my lady."