Apparently the nest of Minotaurs that had been cleared out was a poor sign for this clearing, and so the Kitsunes were packing up and leaving. It was a glorious sight, to see the entire camp just get dismantled in a day. Even the clearing was removed, as a special, glowing green bulb was dug up from the ground and trees immediately sprouted from the ground again. The Kitsunes had a strong pace, though stopped twice a day to rest and eat properly. It was these stops that Kiko had her lessons.

  Eternia was not kidding that they awaited, and she was inundated with lessons on magic. Though, right now, she wasn’t learning any actual magic but what they called ‘The Art of Magic’ which basically revolved around safety procedures, proper casting traditions and general education, merely accelerated for Kiko as she had smashed the First Gate to pieces and needed to learn before she caused an accident. It was boring and dragged on and Kiko wanted to just set something on fire, but she understood why this dry slog was required, and did it with as much as she could muster.

  “So where did this even come from? This system is damn complex, so who even made it to begin with?” Kiko asked, looking at the words that would craft a spell, the suffixes to change it, and why speaking it would help to begin with. Words focused the mind and the mind linked the soul, so to speak was akin to aiming one's gun rather than firing from the hip.

  “Magic is, to some, an instinctive thing beyond the need to learn. The words came from the soul and sparked the creation of power from that. Rather than keep it to themselves, however, they taught the world what words were required to pull it from their souls, and it grew out from there. As you grow in power, you don’t need to speak them out loud so long as you say it in your soul. Though, even the best magus focus their Aeonics into form with words if the need arises, such as high tier magic or lengthy incantations. Ignis is easy, Solaris Trius Airus Jeritus, is not something I would risk trying wordlessly”

  Eternia finished her lecture and Kiko just stared at that last bit.

  “Sol…what?” she asked, her jaw a little hung from the confusion.

  “Ahh, sorry. Solaris is the base of the spell. It’s high tier fire magic that produces plasma-esque flames. Trius is the primary suffix designating additional strength” Eternia started and Kiko lit up, flicking through the book.

  “I remember that bit! Duos, Trius, Quadrio, Paragon. They make it just, like, basic stronger?” she asked, grinning broadly. When she grasped a bit of magic she was really happy, just wished it wasn’t so damned complex.

  “The basic answer is yes. The longer, technical answer is you are casting the spell multiple times within the same instance. Hence why the suffixes have root in number. Paragon is different, it’s the refinement of Mana from the mortal impurities to a point the spell begins to reach perfection, the first, gentle caress of the divine. There is a level beyond that called Ultima, which is absolute perfection and active touch of the divine. Though, generally you are a Second Tier Magus by the time you can do that. First record of an Ultima class magus is the founder of my order. She is the reason we know about it as anything more than a theory” Eternia seemed, almost delighted to be teaching someone about this. It did seem her life’s passion after all.

  Flicking through the book some more, she eventually came across the other one. Eternia seemed happy to leave her to learn it herself rather than tell her about it.

  “Airus…suffix to turn a spell gaseous. That sounds…painful” Kiko grimaced at the idea of gaseous flames engulfing a person. Though, would they really be any worse than normal flames when it got to a sufficient degree? “Jeritus…is…” She returned to the index and scanned for it, flicking back to the right page number and then suddenly stopping and scowling at Eternia .

  “You are making me enjoy studying. What kind of Witch are you?” Kiko asked, her scowl and tone playful and filled with mirth. When Eternia gave a soft laugh, she returned to the studying and read about it. “Jeritus. Suffix to allow the spell to work underwater! That is cool!” Kiko bounced gently in her seat and then suddenly stopping and looking up at Eternia .

  “How does a person remember all these suffixes to call on when you need it casting?” Kiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You don’t. Art of Magic is learning, well, the art of magic. It helps you treat magic as a thing that immutably exists, and from there you are able to connect to the Mana of the world far better than just using it spontaneously. There, you think what spell you need and the suffixes come to mind instantly” Eternia would then, either from showing off or simply by being used to it at this point, take a seat on the air, to Kiko’s delight.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “I do treat magic as a thing that exists though. I mean, look at it! It’s right there! How can you not?” Kiko asked, passionate and vigorous as she spoke. This whole thing was fantastical, out of a storybook. How could she not love it?

  “True, but you still think of it as fantastical, as mystical, as something apart from that of a remote control or radio, or phone. Each one of those are fantastical and mystical. You can speak to a person on the other side of the planet in such crisp instancy that they appear to be standing right beside you. And yet there is no sense of marvel for that. It is perfunctory and a part of life. So too, much magic be” Eternia tutored. Though, Kiko couldn’t see how a person treated such power as the same as a toaster.

  ‘When I was young, I could not see how the Uprights made fire from two bits of wood, let alone control such a primal force for their own goals. It will come in time, Kiko’ Vanaet spoke. It made some small amount of sense…So she spent a few more minutes reading about the nature of magic, the history of powerful or intelligent Magus – something even Eternia had an entry on – and theories on higher realms. She was already in on the secret of Gods being about, so the part about them having their own realm up there wasn’t all that surprising.

  ‘Why do you stay up there though?" Kiko asked suddenly. Eternia raised her eyebrow at the sudden exclaimation, though seemingly from some kind of remote viewing, gave a gentle smile and nodded. "I mean, if I was a God I’d come down here and have fun with my literal godlike powers. Vanaet even-" Eternia would stand suddenly as Kiko mentioned the Kitsune Goddess in such a casual tone. Stepping over to Kiko and staring into her eyes, beautiful purple turning a bright silver.

  'Hello Eternia' Vanaet said, causing the woman to recoil slightly.

  “You…can really see me. That’s an impressive connection you have. How is this possible?” Eternia asked.

  ‘How personal. We’ve only just met’ Vanaet replied, grinning slightly. Though, Kiko wasn’t sure if Eternia could see the grin.

  “S-sorry...Talking to divine beings is an extremely rare experience. Gods can’t come to the universe anymore, at least not properly. So we don’t talk to them very often and etiquette is lax” Kiko, just along for the ride at this point, gave a bored glare but gave up and just let her ramble.

  ‘Mmm, you know I made The Avatar. At least, the V1 concept. Teltatitia made the “Walks Among Us” version and then Sean and his daughter made the one that lets us actually use Celestial Magic to a degree while we are here’ Vanaet was talking with a passion in her heart that really melted Kiko’s irritation. Well, she did take three hundredish years breaking into libraries despite the risk to read about magic, so one would assume she was into it.

  “I have been writing a dissertation of Aeonic Theory, and the Avatars are a fascinating subject. The idea of concentrated energy being used for form makes the possibility of prosthetics made in the same vein a field I would love to see come to fruition”

  Kiko didn’t hear Vanaet’s reply. There was only so much talk about a subject way over your head you could take before you just started to have a little monkey with cymbals in your head. Eventually she was brought back to reality by Eternia shaking her shoulder.

  “I am sorry, Kiko. I got excited talking to the Goddess Vanaet, and let my emotions get the better of me. I shall ensure to have a way to communicate around you in future” that chipper little school girl tone was gone, and was replaced by the formal school teacher tone.

  "Brain was already burned out from all of this. I need to fuckin' get out and do something" she replied. It was a common thing, to stop lessons half way through and go hit something. But, also, good. She felt like she was getting a better grasp of magic every day.

  Walking outside to the temporary camp that they had on the way to wherever they were going, Kiko streched and took in the cool mountain air. “Mmmhmm" she exclaimed, the strange stretching noise that often came. "You know, Vanaet doesn’t sound like a Goddess. Or feel like a Goddess. She just seems like any other person” Kiko replied, heading over to help chopping the firewood. Getting out and doing something was needed after sitting in filling her brain.

  “Admittedly, they are people. The founder of my order was said to be…God-Adjacent, and that all Divine Beings were just really powerful people. Having followers and being able to perform Miracles loses it’d uniqueness when a person like yourself can do exactly the same. The separating line is scale and potency. The Weakest God is still a very powerful Third Tier Magus, and the Greater Gods are on a scale beyond what we can comprehend. But that in no way means there are no none-divine Magus who also have power beyond what we can comprehend” Eltaria replied. Kiko wanted to ask about these Tiers, but was wrung dry on learning and so just nodded.

  It was quite hard to be told Gods were real and existed in the universe, even if she knew Vanaet. And it was infinitely more hard to hear that they weren’t any more special than a normal person who put the work in to match them. She’d be equal to a God if she worked on it, was the kicker. And that, well…really brought everything into stark contrast.

  "Wood now. Existential crisis on the possibility of people turning into Gods, later" Kiko exclaimed, grabbing an axe.