Learning Magic

I'm now six years old, though I am still considered a toddler by elven standards. Turns out, one elven year is equal to four years from my previous life. They made it this way to avoid a leap year. We have long lives, so this doesn't matter. We only adopted the human standard so trade would be more consistent and convenient, so being six is also technically correct.

Ever since I could walk on my own, I've been leaving the house more often. When Mom first took me out to see the village, I couldn't believe the way our village looked. Rather than a village, it looked like a massive hideout. We were atop massive trees, with rope bridges connecting houses together. These bridges were the modern earth equivalent of asphalt/concrete roads. If I were to make a comparison, it would be like Fortree City in Pokemon. Our house was at the edge of the village too, so we were pretty secluded.

This time, however, I'd left with my older sister Celine. Actually, it's more like we sneaked out. We descended the trees and went to a hidden place. I'd used my cuteness and begged Celine to teach me magic.

It's hard to say this without sounding narcissistic, but I really am cute. I got Mother's good genes, and I assume our father had black hair since, unlike Celine and Mom's platinum blonde hair, mine is raven black. A direct contrast. I got Mom's amethyst eyes; all I can say is that my looks are a huge upgrade from my previous life's.

Right now, I look like a girl because I tie my shoulder-length hair into a loose ponytail.

Celine is pretty, too. Elven genetics, man, such a cheat. While she had Mom's hair, her eyes were black. By some deductive reasoning, my dad probably had black hair and black eyes. And since we are one hundred percent elves, he must also be one. Celine is a head taller than I am. She should be thirteen in human years, but she still has yet to experience growth spurts. I really know nothing about elven biology.

She and I were close, so when I used my tears to beg her, she couldn't resist me. Though she told me, I must keep it a secret from Mom.

"Riel, what are you interested in learning first?" inquired Celine.

I'd read about the four elements of magic: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, so I knew what she meant.

"I-I want to learn water magic! Cuz I want to help clean our home!" I chirped. It seems like she didn't expect that answer as it stunned her for a moment before looking at me with gentle eyes. It seemed like little hearts were forming in her eyes.

"Aw, just how cute can you get, Riel♥~! Oh, wait. How could I forget? Before learning any magic, you need to learn about mana or we won't get anywhere."

"Mana?" I tilted my head upon hearing the familiar word. I had a rough idea of what it could do from media I'd consumed before.

"Mana is like the uh... it's like.... Oh! It's like wood. Think of it as a resource that you can change depending on your will. It could become an arrow, a bow, or a table depending on the crafter's wishes."

That was a shit analogy, but I already know the concept, so it didn't really matter.

"Mom told me it's present all around the world. Thankfully, we're high elves, so we are supposedly innately good at sensing mana or something like that." The longer her explanation went, the less confidence she had.

What shocked me was that we were high elves, not ordinary ones. I've read some novels, and they implied high elves were more refined than their common counterpart. I don't know the difference, though that explains our secluded community. Now I know why we are the only ones in this forest.

If we're high elves, wouldn't that mean I would grow at an even slower rate? High elves are the pure-blooded ones with a longer lifespan, right?

"When controlling mana, feel something flowing out of your body before changing its form with a spell. You can also use raw mana as a weapon, but it's not good. Mana Wave!" A white orb appeared and flew in a direction before exploding. It did some damage, but nothing too impressive.

"How do you control mana?"

"Eh? Um, it's like a ticklish feeling in my stomach. You just feel it, and it moves. At least that's what I do." Celine scratched her head, embarrassed. Most people would not understand that explanation. As expected of from a genius. She couldn't explain something that she could do naturally.

"You make it sound easy, Cely. How come Mom didn't want to teach me magic if it was so simple?" She then opened her eyes wide, as if she had remembered something important.

"I remember!" She ran behind me. "I'm supposed to help you first. If you feel something moving in your body, don't resist. Mom doesn't know, but I can already do this." She applied some force on my back and closed her eyes.

Then, I felt something move inside me. A ticklish feeling assaulted my stomach, and I couldn't help but let out a giggle. I then tried it out for myself. It's just like learning to ride a bicycle. Once you've done it, it's very easy to repeat.

"Mom said only high elves can move mana in someone's body. It's been said that we have a natural affinity with mana. Because of this, we can easily teach each other about magic much earlier because we can guide them by helping them experience it firsthand."

I marveled at the information and the perks I'd just been told. To them, this much is natural, but as a former human, I know the benefits of having an advantage early in life.

"Let's get back. Mom could get suspicious. You can practice by yourself now. Mom mustn't know."

"Thanks, Cely! I really mean it!" I said as I hugged her. My arms were tight around her waist, and she returned the hug passionately. One hand massaged my scalp; the other wrapped over my shoulder and down my back. I felt her nose smushed on my head, and I heard some deep breathing.

I'm not too keen on making more erotic advances on her, as once she learns of sex, she can easily recall my actions. If she used an ounce of brain power, she would see the small red flags planted everywhere, and I will lose credibility and trust from her. The same goes for Mom. I did, however, give her a peck on the lips before breaking off the hug.

I've been kissing her for a while now. One day, I said I saw someone kissing someone else on the lips, so of course the child me asked what they were doing. Mom's embarrassed reply was that it was something people who love each other deeply do to show their love. That's what she told us.

Not long after, I kissed my sister as a sign of love. She seems to love doing it too, which is definitely a win-win. Of course, I never start one in front of Mom, or she might explain kisses in more detail.

To avoid suspicion, I got home first. Half an hour later, Celine came in.