The New World: Old Habits

Chapter 16

It was the beginning of summer, which Turg was happy about. The days were longer and there were more critters he could encounter and befriend. It had been over a month since the two had encountered First Name again. Both Turg and Jim hoped it would be the last time. They still didn't know how he returned, someone must have summoned him as it wasn't Jim that time. 
It was starting to get late into the evening as the sun was setting over the mountains in the distance, turning the sky orange. Turg was outside in the field catching and then releasing grasshoppers. He thought they were fascinating little bugs. They came in many sizes and colours, the small ones were usually green while the big ones were brown with a yellow V on their backs. Turg knew those ones were called 'Two-striped grasshoppers' but didn't know the name of the other kinds that inhabited the foothills. While Turg was looking at one that was crawling up his arm, Jim wandered over to him. Despite it being 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit for Americans) Jim was still wearing his light brown coat over a light blue sweatshirt and long light brown-grey pants. Turg wasn't any better, he was wearing Jim's blue and grey sweater along with his red cape. 
"You got another one?" Jim asked as Turg turned around to face him. The grasshopper on Turg's arm hopped onto Jim and the jumped back, trying to brush it off of him. While Jim did that, he had dropped what appeared to be a long straight stick. Turg picked it up only for Jim to immediately grab it out of his hands while exclaiming "Careful with that!"
"Sorry, this was sort of meant to be a surprise but I was under attack." Jim quickly apologized to Turg, who only told him in response "By grasshopper."
"It nearly killed me." Jim said in attempt to be sarcastic, forgetting that Turg couldn't pick up on it so he quickly added "Not really! I was just- oh nevermind."
Turg remained silent, waiting for him to perhaps explain the stick. Jim did just that with "This is a magical staff. Since you struggle with magic and still want to learn, I thought this might help." 
Jim then let Turg hold the staff, it was very smooth and had no other features. Jim was right, Turg did want to but every time he tried he would either get too scared or it wouldn't work so he gave up every time. Only spell he could do other than the healing was a light spell a friend taught him years ago. 
"Using it is pretty simple. Try casting your light spell using the hand you're holding it with." Jim told him as he stood next to Turg, out of range of the staff. Turg tried and a small orb of light started floating out of the end of the staff. It ascended for a few seconds before disappearing. 
"It actually works." Jim said quietly as Turg casted another, it was bigger that time. Turg had the biggest smile on his face as he started casting more all around him. They were like fireflies but brighter. Jim started casting his own to add to it as Turg started running around with the staff. Turg was very happy with the gift from Jim.
"Wait! I wanna show you something!" Jim exclaimed as Turg stopped and turned to look at Jim again. A small golden flame that had a bright glow had appeared in his hand as Turg noticed that Jim was starting to glow a bit too. Jim formed another in his other hand and used both to form a ring of fire around him that quickly dissipated into a bunch of sparkles. Turg had never seen him use that spell before, perhaps he finally learned how to change the flame's colour. 
"I learned this by accident, it's a combination of fire and whatever your healing magic is called. Maybe you know it too." Jim explained before asking Turg "You remember the flame spell I taught you?"
Turg did, only ever used it once and got too scared to do it again. Jim continued "Try using both your healing and fire magic at the same time. That's how I do it." 
Turg tried but nothing happened. 
"Don't worry about getting it right first try, it takes practice." Jim tried to encourage him. Turg tried again and a small gold flame appeared at the end of the staff. Out of fear, Turg threw the staff to the ground and the flame disappeared. Jim picked it back up and reassured him "It's okay, this one can't hurt anyone. Trust me, I tried."
He handed Turg back the staff and added "It's more like a ranged version of the healing magic, I think." 
Turg took the staff back and did another try. Despite what Jim had told him, he still wasn't sure about it. Jim encouraged Turg with "You got this."
Turg waved it around a bit and it left a sparkly trail behind it. Turg liked that. He made the flame bigger and did it again, leaving behind a lingering flame that dissipated into sparkles a few seconds later. Jim joined him as the two started running around together, casting the sparkly fire everywhere and illuminating the area after the sun had disappeared behind the mountains. Gold glowing sparkles filled the air around them as they started holding onto each other. Turg watched the sparkles slowly fall and disappear with eyes full of wonder while Jim was looking up at Turg. Turg eventually looked down at him, they both were glowing and Turg could see that Jim was blushing. 
"This was fun, we should do this more often." Jim told Turg as he pulled himself closer to Turg. Turg nodded in agreement, with Jim being busy a lot it made it difficult to have moments like that. 
"Whatever, let's just enjoy this now." Jim then said as Turg used his hand to mess up his hair and let go of Jim. He needed to stim for a moment, Jim didn't mind, in fact he joined him briefly. Jim then started hugging Turg while telling him "I love you so much!"
Turg hugged him back and gave him a little kiss on the forehead like a cat, he loved him too. They would then share a passionate kiss as the last of the sparkles faded away. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment for them. Unless. 
Once they stopped, Grim had appeared and Jim jumped a bit upon seeing them. He then exclaimed "You are way too silent!"
"You are right to be afraid of me, I am Death, after all." Grim rather jokingly responded. Turg noticed the two were able to speak to each other without getting mad now, though they didn't talk a lot. 
"Alright, what do you need me for?" Jim asked as he crossed his arms. Grim only answered with "You have a visitor, he begged me to find you."
Jim let out a sigh before looking at Turg and telling him "I'm sorry, I will be back later." 
Jim then transformed into his werewolf form and ran towards the house while Grim dematerialized to re-materialize somewhere else. Turg was alone again, except that time he had a magical staff. He missed everyone already.