Chapter 228: Leaving Westfall Village
Ror and Sari watched with wide, excited eyes as I carefully wove two magic circles. It wasn’t an array this time, but a legitimate second-circle spell. My soul trembled with the strain of supporting the spell, but my mana held out until the circles flashed and the spell resolved.
A small dot of distorted air appeared above my cupped hands. A moment later, it expanded rapidly, swelling to envelop the small, secluded clearing. The rustle of the wind in the trees and the cheerful songs of the birds vanished. Even the sound of my own heart stilled, the noise swallowed up by the wavering distortion in the air. Sari clapped, staring gleefully at her hands which made no noise. Ror leaped to his feet, ears twitching in uncertainty, his mouth working soundlessly.
Snapping my fingers, I dismissed the spell. The sound distortion vanished and noise returned to our ears. The two foxkin children both began talking at once, their voices loud and startling after the utter silence.
"What was that?" Ror asked, tentatively retaking his seat.
Sari nodded, stroking her furry tail with a simple, happy grin. "Can you teach me to do it too?"
I settled back onto the stump, leaning back and resting on my hands. "It’s a second-circle spell called Sound Ward. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to cast it until you’re ready to progress to second level."
"Aw, okay," she said, ears drooping. "But I can’t even cast first-circle spells very well."
I reached forward and ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle. Her hair just brushed the tops of her shoulders and was soft and silky like kitten fur.
"Magic takes lots of time, and there aren’t very many shortcuts. Just do your best and the rest will follow, and don’t get discouraged when everything doesn’t work out exactly like you planned."
"Okay." She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, purring contentedly. The sound caught me by surprise, but after a moment, it seemed only natural. She was a beastkin, after all.
I rubbed her head for a moment longer before withdrawing my hand and sighing. The fight with VIthrass had pushed me beyond my limits, leaving me mentally and physically exhausted. I still trembled thinking of the dark tendrils, and sometimes awoke in the middle of the night shaking.