The next morning you felt the effects of yesterday's running around. To put it simply, your everything hurt and all you dreamed about was to not move from the bed. But you forced yourself to get up, because you wanted to check on the bitten girl and to start studying magic.

"How did you sleep?" Yugi asked as you went for breakfast. Your party were staying at the chief's home.

Of course, you didn't want to be total freeloaders. You helped with basic housework, Atem taught the chief's sons how to use a sword, Yugi helped with the irrigation system and Laegil went hunting. She was really good with a bow.

"Pretty good. You?" you sat down and ate bread with eggs. It smelled fantastic. The chief's wife made the best breakfasts ever.

"I slept nicely too. Anyway, what are you up to today?"

"I'll study magic with the shaman."

"Magic?" he raised his brows. You didn't tell anyone besides Atem about you studying magic. Last night you told him that you were determined to learn.

"Yes. I want to be able to do something else than always being saved."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, ______."

"I want to and you can't change my decision," you said decisively. "I'll be off. Have fun with Rebecca!"

"______ you too!?"

You laughed as you closed the doors. Perhaps teasing from Atem and Laegil had some effect on you. Either way, Rebecca was a pretty harmless girl.

You made your way towards the shaman's hut. On your way you met Laegil coming back from hunting. She caught up with you and decided that she wants to accompany you. At the shaman's home you met some young woman talking with the girl.

"You must be miss _____. I'm so grateful. You saved my little Marie!" she spoke squeezing your hands. "Marie, say thank you to miss ______."

"Ah, no," you waved your hands. "It's mostly the Shaman's doing. I..."

"No, no. Thank you. If it weren't for you, Marie would be dead," it seemed like the woman wouldn't budge. So you smiled at her.

"Accept thanks, kid," Laegil winked and ruffled your hair.

"Thank you, miss!" you heard the girl's voice. You sat down next to her. You saw as both females sat down on chairs near the table.

"How are you feeling, Marie? Better?

"Yup! It doesn't sting anymore," the girl grinned at you and showed you her now bandaged leg.

"Happy to hear that, "you smiled." Your mummy must have been so worried."

"But it's okay now. Where is your mummy, miss?" the girl cocked her head. Her eyes were full of curiosity and innocence.

You went silent for a moment. You didn't remember your mother. You didn't even know what she looked like, but you liked to imagine her looking similar to you. You didn't know how was it to have a mother. Closest thing to it were perhaps the priestess' in the Temple. Still, you've never had a real one.

"I don't have mummy, Marie, "you said quietly.

"Everyone has a mummy!" the girl frowned not believing you.

"I... well, don't have..." you didn't know how to explain it to her. From distress saved you the shaman.

She walked in tapping loudly with her staff on the wooden floor.

"What a commotion!" she said and looked at you lot disapprovingly.

You sighed in relief.

"Shaman, I felt the tree's Soul!" you said.

"Good. Finally we can get started," she nodded her head. "You lot, out of the room. Marie needs sleep! _____, wait for me outside."

She shooed you and Laegil out of the hut. You were excited when you thought that you'll finally learn some magic.

"I'll be going," Laegil said and quickly left you standing alone. You wondered where she was rushing to so much. She didn't have much to do earlier. You shrugged.

The Shaman soon joined you and you two went to the forest again.

"Why are we not studying from that big book?"

"Because practice is the best way," she answered. "Now. Show me your hand."

You did as she told you. Shaman closed her eyes as she hummed. She rubbed her thumb along your hand. She smiled and nodded.

"Haha. No wonder!"

"No wonder what?"

"Such an airhead as you to possess wind magic!" she laughed heartily." I feel some healing magic too. But we'll see, we'll see!"

You looked at her pursing your lips. Am I such an airhead, really? you thought. In the end you smiled because it meant that you could really learn some magic.

"Couldn't you just check it earlier?"

"No. If you haven't felt the Soul, I wouldn't be able to feel much besides your magical potential, which you have."

"Huh? How did you know I had magical potential?"

"Before the celebration, when I gave you the wreath I felt it, "she looked at you smugly. "Of course, I knew you would come."

"Geez, then why did I need to explain myself?" you sighed exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't train somebody who has no goal," she clapped her hands. "Now shall the lesson begin. Concentrate on your inner energy and try to convert it on the outside. Try summoning some wind."

At your third trial you succeeded in summoning the wind. Only because you relayed on your feelings like the night before. It was a small and weak blow, but it enveloped your whole form.

"Yay! I did it!"

"Focus!" the shaman hit you with her staff.

"Oww...," you messaged your head. "Alright, alright!"

Next few hours you spent practicing summoning the wind. The shaman had taught you a few spells, mostly defensive, like creating a barrier or how to counter the attack. Of course it was still weak and lacked stability. You were panting after every spell.

You finished by the evening when the sun was starting to set. You and the shaman made your way back to the village. The woman instructed you to come for the next lesson tomorrow morning.

You heard a sound from above, mix of hawk's cry and wind's whistle. You saw a shadow against the sun, you had to squint your eyes. It kind of looked like a dog with wings, but you were pretty sure you were imagining things.

"What's this?" you asked the shaman and pointed at the creature up above.

"Hum?" she looked up. "Probably griffin. They rarely they venture further from their nests. I wonder what made that one come so close?" she went quiet for the rest of your walk.

You walked through the village towards the chief's home. You saw people slowly gathering in their own houses. Children scolded by their parents ended their pranks and followed them home. You wondered, how it is to have a home. Could you call the cave your home? Maybe the Temple? How one even defines what home is? Is it just a place where the whole family lives, or does it have another meaning?

Deep in thought you hardly noticed when you reached the chief's house. A loud crash in the backyard pulled you out of your thoughts. You sped up to see what's happening.

You saw the chief's son, Lomar, fighting with Atem. Their swords clashed loudly when both man attacked. While Lomar seemed to be tired, Atem didn't break a sweat and was smiling. His movements were quick and graceful. It's not like you didn't see the half-dragon fighting before, but those times you were usually in some danger, so you never really had time to appreciate his skills.

You sat on the grass near Yugi and Rebecca. You saw Laegil coming into the house.

"How's your training?" asked Yugi smiling at you.

"Nicely," you grinned." I have wind magic."

"Wind? What about Light magic?"

"I don't really know," you replied shrugging your shoulders." Shaman told me that she can teach me elemental magic, but she doesn't know anything about Light magic, as there are no books about practicing it."

He nodded and smiled at you.

"If you want, I can help you with your training."

"Oh really? Great!" you beamed at the boy. He was an amazing friend.

"For the love of everything I love, boys, don't stay too late!" you heard the chief's wife calling from the inside. Yugi assured that they will soon head back.

You turned as you heard another crash. This time Lomar was lying flat on the ground, his sword out of his hand, while Atem with victorious smirk held Osiris to his neck.

"I think that's enough for today," said the half-dragon reaching his hand to the fallen boy. "That was good fight."

"No! Once more, please!" exclaimed the younger boy. Lomar stood up and clutched his sword ready for another battle. They sparred once again.

You tried to keep with their movements, but you felt as if somebody put tons of rocks on your eyelids. You yawned a few times. Now you noticed how tired you were. The excitement from the whole day was wearing off. You moved your muscles and felt sore. But in a good way, you felt as if you did something productive that would pay off in the future.

You leaned on the hut's wooden walls. The last rays of sun hid behind the horizon and darkness enveloped the backyard. The Stars shone brightly in the sky, but you didn't have time to admire them. You didn't even notice when you fell asleep.

"This time I think it's really enough," Atem said helping Lomar up.

"Yeah. I guess that marks my tenth defeat today?" the boy said as Atem laughed patting his shoulders.

"Good match, you two!" cheered Yugi.

"Let's get inside, mom's gonna be angry," Rebecca pulled the half-dragon's hand. They all agreed that they didn't want to make her angry.

"______, let's go," Atem said as he remembered that you still sat near the wall. He saw you coming earlier.

"Oh, she's asleep...," Yugi mused.

"I guess that's enough excitement for one day," said his brother as he went to pick her up. With ease he lifted you and carried back home. He smiled to himself as he saw your serene expression. You looked so innocent with that small smile on your lips.

And then he told himself that he should stop dwelling about it.

***

Next day Yugi, as he promised, came with you to the forest. The Shaman was already waiting there. You started another day of your training. You repeated spells you learned the day before and tried to use new ones. Today, the shaman taught you an offensive spell that used wind blasts to cut through the enemy like a sword.

"Hey, I've got an idea," said Yugi. He touched the ground and from the soil and grass beneath grew human like shapes. They were attached to the ground. "They are called Gaddi and can be used as clones. It's a technique I'm still working on."

"Oh! They're moving!"

"Yes, when I master they'll be able to take any shape I like!"

You thanked him and smiled. Now you could direct your attacks on Gaddis. You spent the entire morning and afternoon training. You were coming back to the chief's house when you saw Laegil with the chief's son. You noticed that lately she was avoiding you. It set you off and you were determined to find out why.

You reached the chief's home and she was laughing with Lomar and Atem. You smiled slyly and approached them. You leaned out from Atem's back and stretched your lips in the biggest (fake) radiant smile you could muster.

"Laegil, let's go take a bath!" you didn't wait for a reply and jerked her arm and led you to the river.

"W-wait!"

"Nope!" you said in sing-sang voice and bounced to the river.

"But I was talking back there you know?"

You ignored her and hummed to yourself. You reached the river bank and sat down. You didn't really come here to bath, to be honest and she noticed this by now.

"So, what's with you lately?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," she said and sat down with reluctance. You looked at her skeptically.

"Really? Why are you avoiding me?"

"I...", she said after a few minutes of silence." You didn't know your mother, did you?"

"Huh...? No, I didn't."

"It's my fault, isn't it? You've been whole life alone, because of me. The dragon. You must hate me."

"Yes, I was quite lonely," this time you went silent for a while. "But you know that, don't you? I had a few fits of anger back then. I was just afraid, you know? But in the end I came to terms with my situation. I'm not mad anymore and I don't believe it's your fault either. I don't know my mother and I doubt I would ever meet her again, wherever she is."

"You're not angry?" she asked and you stood up. She was really distressed about the whole situation. You guessed it was because your talk with Marie in the shaman's hut. You walked to the river and looked at your reflection.

"No. Blaming others for one's misery doesn't help at all. In the cave my screaming and crying wasn't effective at all. Nobody came to save me, nobody cared... I thought I'd die there, but look at me now. I travel across the country, learn magic and make friends. That's more than I've ever dreamed about."

"But that doesn't change the fact that..."

"I know. But it's not a matter of forgiveness or not. I don't want you to blame yourself. Let bygones be bygones. Okay?"

She looked at you not sure if she should trust you.

"Okay..." she smiled. "You know, a long time ago somebody made me promise that I would protect the Vayis. I'm keeping that promise."

"To whom did you promise that?"

"An old friend," she smiled softly looking up to the sky. Her eyes held nostalgia within.

"The sublime white petals sink down there since unknown times,

beautiful illusory maiden that seeks the skies."

You sang to comfort the she-dragon.

***

"Are dragon's like lizards?" you asked shadowing Atem's face. He opened one eye.

"Like lizards?"

"With lazing in the sun, I mean," you said still hovering over him. You noticed him near the river as you were coming back from forest. You said goodbyes to the shaman and run towards the laying half-dragon.

"Uh, I don't think so?" he leaned on his hands as you moved away. "Where did you get that from?"

You got closer to the river bank and took of your shoes. The weather was really hot and the shaman worn you out with her training.

"You usually stick your head towards the sun," you replied as you remembered numerous times the half-dragon closed his eyes and sun-bathed.

"You noticed?" he blinked.

"Of course I did." you smiled and went to the river. Cold water spread a pleasant sensation through your body. As you walked a little further the water reached your knees. You stood on small rocks scattered on the bottom, they were slippery. The water was so clear that you could see fishes swimming around. It seemed like a few of them got interested in you, as brownish shapes swam to your feet. With a smallest movement they scattered.

You smiled mischievously and turned to the half-dragon resting on the riverside.

"Hm?" he raised his brows noticing your stare.

Without further delay you splashed Atem with water. His expression was priceless and you couldn't help but laugh.

"Is that a challenge?" he said with smirk on his face.

"Perhaps," you sang balancing your feet on rocks.

He took off his shoes and jumped into the river and splashed you. In a moment you two were soaked. You tried your best at splashing Atem and then you noticed a green plant on his bangs that now covered his eyes.

You stopped splashing water and started giggling. You couldn't stop laughing as he huffed to keep his bangs off his eyes. You slipped on the rocks and frantically waved your arms to keep balance. You would've fallen down if he didn't catch you and picked you up with a soft swish.

"Look at you, you're a giggling mess," he said smiling genuinely himself making your heart flutter.

You couldn't help and reached towards green plant on his head. You untangled plant out of his bangs and smoothed them while still laughing.

"Here, all pretty again," you grinned.

"Uh... Thanks?"

~~***~~

SONG:

LYRICS: http://w11.zetaboards.com/Revatail_Hymmne/topic/8910810/1/

Hey! With this chapter, we pretty much finish this arc and finally move forward! Expect more action than here~~
Thanks again for InnerGlow!
Please comment and tell me what you think!
*goes back to Hakuoki hell*