The White Mage Clavat and the Selkie of Thunder

It was night in the Quadra Islands. In Dreamcatcher Manor and Skyridge Manor, everyone slept peacefully.

But in Skyridge Manor, only two people were awake. One of them was a female Clavat dressed like a White Mage, and was the only female living in the sky mansion. The other was her lifelong soul mate: a male fair-haired Selkie who led an all-male Selkie clan called the Male Selkie Dreamcatchers. He and the members of his clan are set apart from other male Selkies back in their world in terms of intelligence, personality, and powers. Ordinary male Selkies tend to be obtuse, childish, and impetuous, but the Male Selkie Dreamcatchers are the opposite: they are intelligent and serious, and they possess a wide variety of powers.

The female Clavat, holding a tray of teacups and a pot of chamomile tea, went to her Selkie husband's room and knocked on the door.

"Jeff, are you still asleep?" she asked.

In his room, the Selkie named Jeff turned to the door. No, I'm not, Mayumi. If you don't mind, could you step away from the door?

Outside the room, the Clavat named Mayumi stepped away from the door. It swung open by itself. Such phenomenon like this was not unfamiliar to Mayumi; her Selkie husband possessed psychic abilities, telekinesis (which he used to open the door) being one of them. She also heard his thoughts; this was Jeff's use of telepathy for communication. She went through the door and into her Selkie husband's room. As soon as she got in, Jeff telekinetically closed the door. Mayumi placed the tea set on the table. She poured the chamomile tea for herself and for Jeff.

"Would you like some chamomile tea?" she asked him, handing the filled cup to him.

Jeff quietly took the cup. Thank you, Mayumi.

"You know, Jeff, I've been thinking…"

Let me guess: the day that we first met in the crystal caravan.

"Yes, that's right!"

Jeff was not only telekinetic and telepathic; he was also a mind-reader. Oftentimes, the fair-haired Selkie knows anything ahead of time.

It all started in the third year of Tipa's crystal caravan back in our world…

In the world of Crystal Chronicles in the miasma age, in the village of Tipa, Jeff left his blacksmith's home. He met his friends—a Wolfie Selkie named Alan and a Shark Eyes Selkie named Gregory—who just returned to town.

"You're finally awake, aren't you?" Alan said.

"Yes, I am," said Jeff. "Sorry to delay our departure."

"Oh, it's nothing," said Gregory. "Alan and I passed the time arguing with each other."

"Oh, did you?" said Jeff. "Anyway, let us be off. Our next destination is Selepation Cave, in the Plains of Fum. If we go to Iron Mine Downs and take Tristan's ferry to the other side of the Jegon River, we can get there."

Jeff, Alan, and Gregory left Tipa to begin another year of their journey. They were briefly distracted by the Striped Brigands in one crossroad and the wayfarer Gurdy in another, but they managed to make it to the Plains of Fum. Once there, they went south to reach Selepation Cave.

Back in Skyridge Manor in the Quadra Islands, Jeff continued his story. Alan, Gregory, and I made frequent trips to Selepation Cave until each of us had the Ring of Thunder. At some point during our last finished trip to Selepation Cave, we stopped at a nearby wellspring to rest our feet…

In Selepation Cave, Jeff, Alan, and Gregory stopped at a small wellspring to rest.

"Goodness, as if we ran a marathon, complete with monsters we had to slay!" said Alan.

"There is no need to fear, now that we've slain the monsters, Alan," Jeff said calmly. "They will not regenerate until our next visit to Selepation Cave."

The three male Selkies took off their sandals and dipped their feet in the wellspring. They went into a state of calmness, apparently to forget their rough battles against the cave worm.

Not too far away from the wellspring, a female White Cap Clavat, who held a miasma-warding portable crystal, walked around Selepation Cave. She felt relieved when she saw no sign of monsters. She heard the sound of running water, and looked around to find the source.

Back in the wellspring, Jeff, Alan, and Gregory, calmed by their rest, took their feet out of the wellspring. As they massaged their dampened feet, the Rings of Thunder on their fingers began to crackle with lightning. The Selkies' dampened feet conducted the electricity, and the current began to circulate through their bodies. Despite being electrically shocked, Jeff, Alan, and Gregory felt no pain.

The White Mage Clavat heard the crack of electricity coming from the wellspring. She went there, only to find Jeff, Alan, and Gregory unknowingly using their Thunder powers on their dampened feet. She looked at the male Selkies' Rings of Thunder, comparing them to her own, knowing that they are the same as hers. She approached them, saying a hesitant "hello."

Jeff, Alan, and Gregory stopped using their Thunder powers and quickly put their sandals back on. They turned around to see the female Clavat, and briefly cringed.

"H-how are you…doing?" the Clavat asked the male Selkies.

"We're…fine," said Jeff. He and his Selkie friends introduced themselves to the female Clavat.

"I'm Mayumi," the Clavat said, introducing herself. "I've just moved to Tipa recently. This may be sudden for me to ask, but can I join your caravan?"

Jeff, Alan, and Gregory became hesitant.

This was supposed to be our private caravan of male Selkies… Alan thought. But I guess it won't be if she were to join us… He turned to Gregory, asking him, "Would it be all right with you?"

"Why are you asking me, Alan?" said Gregory. He and Alan turned to Jeff, asking him, "What do you think, Jeff?"

Jeff thought for a while. Then he said to Mayumi, "All right. You can come with us."

"Oh, thank you!" Mayumi said happily. She, Jeff, Alan, and Gregory left Selepation Cave together. As they returned to their caravan wagon, Mayumi took Jeff by the right hand. She looked endearingly at him.

"I would not do this normally to a girl, but I must confess that you look beautiful in white, complete with the red linings," Jeff said shyly.

Mayumi blushed. "Oh, thank you. But you seem to be shy."

Jeff sighed quietly. "Yes, I am. I have been trying my hardest to avoid women because I thought that male Selkies like me don't deserve to be trusted."

"Why, Jeff?"

"I have witnessed other male Selkies trying to gain trust from others, only to end up being rejected. So I feel that there would be no point for me trying to seek trust from others except from male Selkies."

Alan and Gregory looked at Jeff before climbing into the wagon to sleep.

Jeff, don't think you're the only male Selkie who can't be trusted by others, Alan thought. Gregory and I don't deserve to be trusted, either, except by you. He and Gregory climbed into the caravan wagon.

"Jeff, I know how you feel," said Mayumi. "But you've gained my trust. And I would not reject you just because you're a Selkie." She and Jeff became silent for a while. Then she said, "Let's change the subject. Can we test out our Thunder Rings together?"

Jeff nodded slowly. "I would love to."

"Here's a catch, Jeff: We'll test out our Thunder powers…on you!" said Mayumi.

Jeff became surprised. "What would be your reasons for doing that?"

"Please, do this for me, Jeff."

"If that is what you want, Mayumi, I will do it."

The male Selkie and female Clavat went to the crossroads. They charged up their Thunder spells. Jeff directed the spell at himself and Mayumi directed the spell at him. Both unleashed their combined Thunder magic. Energy from their magic was converted into an electric spark that floated above Jeff. The spark created lightning that crashed down on him. As soon as the lightning bolt hit the Selkie, he closed his eyes and went into a trance. The lightning surging through his body felt warm to him for one moment. On the next moment, it felt like power rushing through him when he clenched his hands into fists and flexed his muscles. He breathed deeply as lightning continued to run through him. A few seconds later, the lightning running through him was gone. Jeff awoke from his trance and relaxed his muscles. He took another deep breath.

Mayumi smiled at him. "Jeff, do you feel power flowing through your body when our fused Thunder spell struck you?"

Jeff nodded slowly. "Yes, I do." He looked at his Thunder Ring. "It is strange for a Selkie like me, but this Thunder Ring not only enabled me to use Thunder magic, but it also increased my Thunder resistance to the point in which I could gain strength from my own Thunder magic…"

Back in Skyridge Manor in the Quadra Islands, Jeff finished his story. From the day I found that Thunder Ring in Selepation Cave, I began to fuse it with any Thunder Magicite that I found during our journey. Whenever I was near to a monster with low Thunder resistance, I would use Thundara on myself. The bolt would strike me, giving me power, while the electrical field veiling me would paralyze the monsters. He quietly sipped his chamomile tea.

Mayumi blushed. "It's fortunate that I found my Mr. Right, and that's you, Jeff, my Selkie of Thunder."

Jeff smiled and nodded. Now you know what to do when I need some vitality.

"Don't forget the other Male Selkie Dreamcatchers, too," said Mayumi. "They've been striking themselves with their own Thunder magic, too, and they got the same benefits as you did."

Mayumi walked closer to Jeff. She softly brushed his left cheek, which she knows has the scar in the shape of a lightning bolt, a sign that he kept his Thunder powers with him. She smiled at him. You're warm and sweet, Jeff, just like our love for each other…