The Last Defender (FINISHED)

Chapter 16: Learning Magic

After I realized the likely but unbelievable truth behind Ayumi's words, I asked her more about the past. She told me so many stories, mostly about her and her younger sister, Scarlett. Scarlett had a twin sister named Serava, but Ayumi had always been closer to Scarlett. The three of them also had an older brother, Zameth, but he was very different. In fact, according to Ayumi, he was one of the people who my mother felt threatened by.

Ah. and my mother. Her name was Amara Glynmyar, and Ayumi had looked up to her greatly. While her grandmother was the clanleader, or ce'gos, in Aelen, Amara was a greater teacher. She was older than her sister Nohra, Ayumi's mother, and therefore the next in line to become the ce'gos. According to Ayumi, she was perfect for the role.

Let that sink in for a moment. If what Ayumi said was true (and I had the feeling by then that it really was), and Amara had not taken me away and I would've, somehow, survived, there was a very big chance I would've become a ce'gos myself, eventually. It was crazy to think that, let alone to think about the fact that Ayumi was basically telling me I was an alien. I'd already made the conclusion that I might've been an elf, but conformation? It made me slightly uncomfortable.

When Amara left, presumably dead, Nohra became next in line, which meant Ayumi, as Nohra's eldest daughter, was second in line, because females were traditionally leaders on Aeles. Ayumi mostly glossed over the fact, not telling me much about it other than the fact that Zameth, her older brother, was very bitter about it.

At this time, Ayumi and I had moved to my room, for a more private conversation. This was also how we found out Ayumi loves marshmallows. I felt like grabbing a snack and, even though I'd been on Ionica for about a month, I had not yet figured out the atomic assembler. I just got the most random foods because I was too shy and stubborn (very, VERY bad combination) to ask anyone for help.

"Want a marshmallow?" I asked when I decided not to even try, since I still had some marshmallows lying around. "Don't ask why I have marshmallows. Raleigh was all like 'food's in the atomic thingamabob' and just assumed I know how to handle it. So now I have marshmallows. Luckily I will eat almost anything. Except pineapple. I'm REALLY allergic to pineapple."

Ayumi looked at me like I'd just recited something by Shakespeare in Latin.
"You have no idea what I just said, do you?" I asked. She nodded. "Not a clue."
I shook my head. "No matter. Try one anyway?" I offered her a marshmallow. She took it, then carefully took a bite. As soon as she did, her eyes widened.
"This... this is amazing!" she exclaimed, her mouth now stuffed with the marshmallow she'd stuffed into it after the first bite. And that's the story of how Ayumi got addicted to marshmallows.

Now, where was I? Oh right. Magic.

After several hours of talking, I suddenly got hit by a realization. Ayumi kept mentioning learning about magic. I could use magic. If this was the same, spell-based type of magic, then perhaps we really were cousins, and maybe, just maybe, Ayumi might be able to help me learn to control my magic, so it didn't just come in bursts when I felt panicked and caused me to faint. I repeated the thought to Ayumi.

"Good idea," she said. "Then I can also teach you how to telelport. If you can do that, you'll most certainly be Terriatian. As far as I know, the Terriatians are the only race who have this ability."
"Hold on." I made the time-out motion of old, without realizing Ayumi probably had no clue what I was doing. "I can teleport?"
Ayumi nodded. "That is, if you are in fact Yrlissa."

<<<--->>>

The next day, my magic training began. It was easier than I had expected to convince Sky to let me drop normal training for a day, as I reminded him that learning to use my powers. He recommended us to go to Raadsia.
'Raadsia,' I muttered when he said that. I counted on my fingers, matching defenders with their nations in an order I had learned by heart. 'The Interfectis sisters.'
He nodded. He explained that the twins as well as most Raadsian warriors were known for their use of magic studied from Aelen combat, so that, if we were gonna practice Aelen magic anywhere, Raadsia would be the place to do so.