Chapter 214: Teaching
"Aegis!"
A golden aura sprung up around me, glittering with the light of a thousand stars. I passed a hand through it, and the magic reacted like water, trailing my fingers in golden swirls and eddies. Mesmerized, I almost failed to notice the excited clapping and cheers from my small audience.
"What kind of spell is that?" Sari asked, her eyes shining.
Ror nodded. "Yeah, does it kill monsters?"
We sat in the clearing in a small circle, the stump at our center. A week had passed since my awakening, and now, I rarely ever spent time in the inn. But I had succeeded in growing used to people, and could now walk down the street without jumping at every shout and laugh. It was overwhelming when the children swarmed me, speaking in words I couldn’t understand, but Ror and Sari were there to translate, or even chase them away. The wound on my leg was mending as well, and my step was reduced to only a slight limp.
"It’s a protective spell. I’ve relied a lot on it in the past," I explained softly, letting my hand fall back to my lap. "It’s called Aegis."
I wiped my forehead, surprised to find gathered beads of sweat. It may have been the first first-circle spell I’d cast, but I hadn’t expected it to be so exhausting. Aegis was a spell that came as naturally as breathing to me and wasn’t something I was supposed to have to think about to cast.
Ror reached down and picked up a rock, hefting its weight in his hand. "Can I?"
At my nod, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating his strength in the rock. Although barely eleven, he was halfway to the first level, a combination of the occasional adventurer’s teaching and his own natural talent and efforts.
His hand blurred, and the rock streaked toward my chest. It held enough strength to dent steel, but I sat there calmly, without so much as flinching. The Aegis caught it easily, diffusing the force in a swirl of golden light, and the rock plopped to the ground. Sari reached forward, pressing his hand against the barrier, wonder in his eyes.
"It’s so warm!" she said, giggling. "I want to do it too!"