Magic Within (Old Version)

Magic Within Part 5

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Hello~ It's me~
First of all, I'm sorry this has taken me so long, I had exams then I had Nationals (!! I'm still excited even tho it's already happened.) And then It was end of term and I had to say merry christmas to all my friends and then I had to take over a community for a bit because my friend thought she'd be absent but actually wasn't and then I had to organise that Christmas present for another friend of mine and then I was taking art requests and then I'm here and I'm back and I'll try and get this finished ASAP Okay I'm sorry guys if you actually read this I'll try and update more frequently.
Second of all, AJ's POV is mostly copied from a book I've read. Yes, I know, stealing is wrong and whatnot but it's a great scene from the series (my second favourite from the book). Disclaimer tho, I have thrown a twist on it, of course, and it's written from my memory of the scene, not copied word for word. (I'd never do that). If you can tell me where the scene came from and the context behind it ((DM it to me, don't spoil for others)) then I'll give you a free follow. If I'm already following you, I'll vote 5 times on one of your books. The books don't have nearly enough fans and I want some fwendos to book with.
Anyway, Enjoy! UwU(>
((Yes, my pfp is a picture of a sombrero. Got a problem with that? <)xD))
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AJANI POV

Latasha led us into the forest outside the village. We walked for about ten minutes before we arrived just outside a clearing. We couldn't see much, but I could just make out a log cabin sitting off to the side. Ironic.

Latasha leant against a tree. "This is where I leave you. You have to gain his trust by your own merits."

"That's fair." Shira murmured, scanning the log house and the surrounding area.

"Do we just... Walk over?" I asked, also eyeing the cabin.

She shrugged, "If you want" and then left. Helpful. Real helpful.

Shira nudged my shoulder, bringing me back to the task at hand. She lead the way into the clearing as I trailed behind. We stopped about six meters away from the cabin and waited.

About a minute later, nothing had moved. The place was giving off weird vibes. I had no doubt a magician was in residence, his, well, 'scent', I guess you could call it, was all over the clearing. 

No, scent is the wrong word. More, presence? Spirit? I don't know. Magicians, we, well, we're not sorcerers, who take magic. Magicians, or Magni (Magnum, singular), for the correct terminology, already have magic. We gather it from around us. When it's gathered, it leaves almost an aftertaste, if you will. Other Magni can sense this, and extremely sensitive ones can track individuals from the slight differences between individuals. 

I was ranting, wasn't I? (Sorry). Back to the story.

After waiting another few minutes, I decided Jazal, if he was even here, was waiting for us to make the first move. 

"Hello the cabin!" I called out. No response. Turning to Shira, I said, "Maybe he's not here?"

Shira shook her head. "He's here. See the shutters on the left?"

I nodded. The windows to the house were all shuttered, but the one on the left, "It's not fastened properly at the bottom." I replied. I'd seen it on my second scan of the cabin. As Artemis always liked to say, it's the small details that keep you alive. As I watched the left window, a shadow shifted in the small gap left under the window. 

With no other warning, the nearest branch on the tree right next to us set ablaze. 

I scrambled away from it. It seemed to be doing no damage to the tree, but the heat was very real. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd fireproofed the trees. The fire didn't spread, but continued to burn brightly.