Kingdom

69. Laws of Magic (8)

Jimin stands up, his face beaming with excitement. "Great! I will teach you a few things but promise me not to interact with the river again." He offers his hand to Nori and she accepts it, rising to her feet to follow him.

"You mean the magic pool?" she asks.

"Yes, the pool waters come from the Tan river, which people also call the The Moon River. It is full of ancient magic. It has been enchanted by many Daegu wizards and hides many secrets. They say the spirit of an ancient dragon lives in the mountain where the river springs from; and that his tears make the river flow."

"Why is he crying? Is he in pain?"

Jimin bursts out laughing, waking up all the little chicks who were napping by the edge of the blanket. They flip their wings and look around, probably panicking that the cat has returned to eat them. Jimin continues to laugh, his eyes almost disappearing due to the large smile spreading on his face.

Nori's scratches her neck confused."Did I say something wrong?"

Jimin waves his hand, trying to catch his breath before speaking. "You are so cute. Worrying about the wellbeing of a mythological dragon. I am sure he is okay; he might be crying from time to time because he read a sad story or something."

"Do dragons read?"

Jimin points his finger at Nori and laughs again. "Are you making fun of me, little Princess?"

Nori shrugs innocently but can't hide her smile. She enjoys Jimin's company so much that her mood has changed completely. The wizard's words of reassurance and his amiable attitude had managed to chase away a lot of the dark clouds hanging over Nori's mind.

She is no longer terrified of magic, but excited by the prospect of learning more about it.Magic is not an adversary but a friend who can help her if she needs it. Having that friend on her side gives her a sense of security.

Plus, one could not ask for a better teacher - kind, lively and stunningly handsome. Park Jimin must be the only wizard Nori has met whose bright smile has made her instantly believe in magic.

"That river protects the line of the Kings...." Nori says, assuming a more serious expression. "Its magic was very hostile towards me at first but it changed. Last time I interacted with the pool, I felt it wanted me to see more, it wanted to show me things... "

Jimin scratches his nose, looking pensive for a moment. "Maybe because the King protected you, now the river protects you, too. Or maybe the change in its magic reflects the change in your attitude towards him - you no longer hate the King but you are trying to accept him. The fact you have magical powers could also play a role - you can connect to the magic in the river directly. I am not sure why that alteration occurred. I don't know the exact spells mingled into the waters of that pool. But I know the Tan river is a powerful source of magic. Stay away from it."

"Okay." Nori swings her hands back and forth as a little kid inpatient to go out on an adventure. "Now, let's learn magic."

"Hold on there."Jimin grins."Let me think for a second. It's hard to teach someone how to connect to magic in such a short time."

"I know that magic is generated by life itself." Nori says enthusiastically, as if reciting a lesson in school. "It's created by all living creatures around us. People loving or hating each other, flowers growing, birds singing, cats stretching happily under the sun - all this generates an energy that we call magic. Our feelings and emotions can trigger it, alter it or attract it.For example - when one has positive thoughts that attracts positive magic. Magic that heals and protects. But of course, positive thoughts alone are not enough to make things magically work out, as some people wish."