Chapter 10) Let There Be Light

As I was healing, we found a tiny little child, one or two at most, clinging to a rock and desperately trying to not drown. Martin and Sheryl worked together to get him out, and Sheryl and Kim kept him calm while Ely tended to his injuries as best as she could.

I let him curl up with me under what little blanket we salvaged, to keep him warm. That's when I learned his name was 'Vash', and there was a 'Maron' somewhere in the forest. I promised him we'd keep an eye out. It was the first time I saw a smile, a real and true smile, from anyone in a long while.

I twisted awkwardly, trying to get a good look at my injury. All I could see, though, was a smooth, paling scar. I was fully healed. I'd be back on the frontlines soon. I… wasn't sure how much I liked that. But there was nothing for it. I was in a war, and I was in an army. I'd fight until I won or die.

"Hilda!" And there was Ely, crashing into the room. She was bouncing on her toes, grinning and giggling like a madwoman. "Hilda, Hilda, Hilda!" she chirped. I gave her an incredulous look, and then went to go find a shirt to change into. "Guess what?"

"What?" I deadpanned. I grimaced when I noticed there were few clothes. And my dirty ones weren't here because Fiona had decided to wash our stuff today. "Ely, can I borrow one of your shirts?"

"Yeah, sure." She continued to giggle as I went over to her clean clothes. She mainly wore dresses, but there was a shirt or two somewhere. "You didn't guess, though."

"I'm trying to get ready for the day, Ely. Just tell me."

"Fine, fine." She paused for dramatic effect. Or something. "Martin invented a new type of magic."

"Oh, that's nice." The words were automatic, but then I realized just what she said two heartbeats later. "Wait, what?!" I whirled, staring at her, and she just laughed at me.

"Martin invented a new kind of magic."

I could only stare. "Um… Ely, I know Martin is awesome and all, but not even he can 'invent' a new magic." That was impossible.

"Okay, okay, he accidentally managed to make a previously-thought dragon-only magic can be used by humans!" That was far more probab… wait, what?! "But it's so much easier to say he invited a new type of magic, because it is a new type that can be used by humans!"

"How the hell did he do that?!" Martin, I swear, one of these days…

"Oh, he was writing a tome, and he messed up, so he decided to just write whatever since it was a lost cause anyway, and then boom!" She threw her hands up excitedly. "New tome!"

"…How literal in the boom?"

"Oh, it's not that bad. I was near, so I saved his arm. It almost got blown off." Martin, one of these days, your inventions were seriously going to kill you. "But it didn't, and he's fine, and I need your help."

"With?"

"I can use this magic!" …What. How? Yes, Ely had magic, as evidenced by her ability to use staves, but she sucked at communicating with the nature spirits to use Anima magic. Alice and Sheryl tried, and failed. Miserably. "So, I want to do some experiments with Athos and Bramimond about the strengths and weaknesses of the magic, but Bramimond and I always fight, so can you-?"

"Breathe." At my prompt, she took a long, slow breath. "Now, what do you need?"

"I need you to ask Bramimond to help me." Okay. "Please?"

"Just let me finish getting dressed."

"Yay! I love you, Hilda~!"

"Love you too, Ely."

"So, this magic uses belief of all things?" Bramimond sounds so done with everything. "Why in all the hells would he make it powered by something like that?" he groaned. Ely was snickering, smiling smugly, and Athos sent me pleading looks for help. I ignored them to continue practicing my knife-throwing. There was a nice, circular target set up not far away, and I was having fun making sure it thudded exactly where I wanted it to go. And, you know, listening to the three gripe their way through their experiments.

"When he messed up, he decided to write down the lyrics to a song we would often sing at festivals in Aquelia," Ely explained. Her mood saddened as she remembered. "There were a lot of words of belief in there."

"I know the stupid old hymns." Ely scowled at the words, and Athos slid in between them to pre-empt an arguing. "Let's get back to experimenting."

"Yes, let's." She sounded so snippy. "What do we know so far?"

"Well, according to my notes…" Athos began, producing his paper and pen. He had ink stains all over his fingers. "This new magic, which we dub 'light' because of how it looks, is weaker in might than Anima, making it the weakest of the three, but it is also the most accurate."

"Because of that high accuracy, the ability of light magic to deal crippling damage is also increased, which helps make up for the lower might," Bramimond continued, nodding to himself. He tapped his cheek as he thought. "What are we calling this tome again? Lightning?"

"Yes, because you thought it looked almost like a bolt of lightning when I cast it," Ely answered. She held up the tome and flipped through it. "I imagine I can increase the power of it by praying." She gave Bramimond a dirty look when he opened his mouth to reply, and he shut his mouth with an audible 'clack'. "What else should we look into?"

"I am curious about how it fares against the other two magics."

"Oh?"

"Dark magic trumps Anima. That is, simply, a fact of reality. It is why dark magic is often so effective against the dragons." That one confused me enough that I missed a throw and… ah… "WHY DID A KNIFE JUST FLY BY MY EAR?!"

"I lost focus," I answered, not even bothering to try to hide it. I think I put a hole in his hood. "Sorry!"

Bramimond just stared at me. "I like my ear exactly how it is, thank you!" As he yelped, Ely prodded his ear to make sure I didn't actually injure it. "Athos, stop laughing!" Athos was actually laughing so hard that he bent over, struggling to not fall. "It's not that funny!" I… was kinda finding it hilarious, personally, but that was only because he seemed to be fine. "What made you lose focus anyway?"

"What you said. About dragons and dark magic."

"Oh. That." Bramimond sighed, and batted away Ely's hand. "I'm fine. Just suffered a heart attack." He glared at Athos. "Hyena. You explain."

"N-not fair…" Athos gasped out. He made himself straighten, though, and struggled to get his breathing under control. "Fine…" He took a deep breath, held it, and then turned to me with a smile. "Something that makes dragons unique, and gives them magic that we consider strange, is that they are more connected to the magic of the world than humans." I gave him a skeptical look, and he sighed. "Okay… um… how to explain…"

"Hilda, do you remember the story about the earth dragon?" Ely asked, hopping over to my side. She passed me back my dagger, which I promptly flipped and then threw into the target. Bull's-eye. "Nice." She giggled, but then focused back on topic. "How the earth dragon started dying because the land was dying?"

"Oh, that story," I murmured. I… barely remembered it. "So, basically, dragons are more 'magic'?"

"It's a bit more complicated. It's more than dragons channel magic so easily that they will actually take on certain properties. So, an ice dragon does horrible with fire, a fire dragon can't go into water for very long, and dark magic eats them all up." That… that was a lovely mental image.

"That is still an oversimplification, but I somehow doubt Hilda cares," Bramimond deadpanned. I simply smiled in reply and he sighed. "I need my hood fixed."

"Maron can do it," Athos suggested. While that was true, I was a little curious as to why he felt he could volunteer her. …Maybe I was just being too protective. "Regardless, you want to see if anima will trump light magic?"

"And if light magic will trump dark magic." Bramimond nodded and produced his tome. "I theorize that will be the case. Shadows flee from the light, and anima is the magic of the world, which devours light to survive."

"Okay!" Ely laughed, clapping her hands in delight. I simply made sure to keep out of the way, and went back to my knife throwing. "So, should I just cast two spells?"

"As weak as you can, and we will do the same." The three of them set up in a triangle, tomes out. "Aim for next to us, Elimine. My left and Athos's right."

"Got it." Two little balls of light spun in her hands. "Ready!"

She launched them quickly. Bramimond's dark magic spell and Athos's fire spell met them easily. And, just as Bramimond predicted, the ball of light easily pierced the shadowy dark spell, but was destroyed by the fireball.

"And that is that," Athos murmured, nodding as all three relaxed. "So, just as there is a 'weapon' triangle, there is now a 'magic' triangle." Athos seemed far too amused. "And all because Martin wrote the rune for 'light' instead of 'fire' when making an Elfire tome for Genevieve."

"I'm glad for it," Ely whispered. She held the tome tightly to her chest. "It means I can go out into the field a little more 'safely', if such a word can be used for battles. I can heal on the field."

"Which… might decrease our casualties." Athos hummed a little in thought, before glancing at Bramimond. "Now, this would be the perfect time to make your request, yes?" Bramimond remained silent, glancing away. "Bramimond." He sighed heavily. "Oh, fine, I'll do it. Elimine, Martin completed a few more of the healing staves this morning, yes?"

"He did." Ely beamed. "So, I'll be able to teach people soon!"

"In that case, would it be all right if you taught Bramimond and myself?"

"Sure!" Her smile had a wicked edge to it. "I look forward to it~"

"Say your prayers, boys," I deadpanned as their eyes widened. "Ely is one hell of a taskmaster for teaching." I casually tossed my last dagger, and it landed firmly in the center. Lovely way to end a practice session. "Well, if you're done here, I'll get those staves so you can start."

"Thank you, Hilda~" Ely giggled. Bramimond and Athos exchanged a look of horror. "This is going to be very, very fun!"

List of people I know

· **I'm Hilda, real name Hildegard, but I hate it. Currently training as a Dread Fighter because I apparently have a high natural resistance to magic. Decent with swords, deplorable with axes, best with daggers. With my wound scarred, I'm cleared for combat again. Brown hair, blue eyed, 18 years old.

· **Ely/Elimine, my best friend, healer extraordinaire. Hates elder magic and shamans, but is an absolute sweetheart otherwise. Learning Light Magic. We've been friends since we were four or five. She's attracted to girls, and Fiona has been holding her attention a bit, but I won't say anything aloud until she brings it up. A stern and strict teacher. Blonde hair, blue eyed, 18 years old.

· **Martin, basically my big brother, though I'll never tell him that. Too embarrassing, really, but also because I know he knows. Best smith ever. Married to Alice, and has twin daughters: Emma and Lori. Fights with axes and swords. Inventor of 'normal' dragon slaying weapons, and working on a lance and axe version. Also 'invented' light magic because he made a mistake. Red hair and green eyed, 20 years old.

· Alice, basically the mom of my group of friends. Fights with lances and tomes, but she's staying with the orphans in some fortress Delrin gave them away from the fighting, so we only hear from her via letters. Mother of Emma and Lori, and there's a third on the way. Used to watch the farmers herd the animals in Aquelia, admiring their skill. Black hair and red eyed, 19 years old.

· Mika, my 'big little brother'. He might be older, but I am definitely the more mature (I can hear his eye-rolling from here). Learned swordsmanship from his mom and focuses on learning her tricks. Like many of the plains, he doesn't lie and hates traitors. His brother's kid, Vash, managed to survive too thanks to Maron. Loves apple pie more than anything, but only eats Sheryl's because it's closest to how his mother's had tasted. Green haired, brown eyed, 19 years old

· Maron, my 'little sister'. Talented seamstress who loves the work. Wields bows, with daggers as a backup. Firmly stands by everyone no matter what decisions they make, mostly because she trusts us to know what we're doing most days. Likes the color purple a lot, and apples even more so. I think she's being assigned as Athos's 'guard' on the field. Blonde hair, grey eyed, 17 years old.

· **Sheryl, my 'baby sister'. Bright and cheerful, always ready with a laugh and dearly wants all of us to be happy. Mage, specializing in thunder magic. Her niece, Kim, survived with her. Best cook ever. Barigan is teaching her how to ride horses. Forgets everything but birthdays. Always has a smile ready for us. Made me something for my birthday. Blonde-hair, gold eyed, 16 years old.

· Roland, new friend. My sword teacher. From the south. Good-natured and kind. Wields swords mainly, but Durban is teaching him axes. Sometimes has coughing fits because of a fragile constitution or something. Apparently has a good friend in Barigan's unit, but I've not seen or met them yet. Blue hair, blue eyed, 18 years old.

· Hartmut, new friend. From the east, near the mountains. Serious at first glance, but sarcastic and surprisingly childish at times. Hates carrots. Has two sisters, Genevieve and Josephine, who serve in the army, and is childhood friends with Bramimond. Wields the Sword of Seals, a powerful weapon that burns those it deems unworthy to wield it. His father died protecting him, and lost his mother and two brothers the same day. Blond hair, amber eyes, 19 years old.

· Hanon, new friend. Plainswoman (so, obviously, from the plains) with a kind smile and kinder laugh. Protective of her brother, Sacae. Actually, rather protective of everyone. Part of the Kutolah tribe. Wields bows primarily, but does know how to wield a sword. She and I share the secret of saving the dragon kids. I think the next wyrmslayer Martin makes is going to her. Green hair, green eyed, 17 years old.

· Sacae, new friend. Plainsman (so, obviously, from the plains) who is much more lighthearted than he appears. Serious about his duties, though. Wields the Sol Katti, which somehow dulls itself if wielded by someone other than him. Skilled herbalist, and pretty good at bandaging. Green hair, green eyed, 17 years old.

· Barigan, new friend. From the snowy north. A calm man who holds firm to his word. Married to Jasmine. Leader of the cavalry unit, or one of them anyway, so often has to deal with leadership paperwork junk. Knows swords, specializes in lances, and learning axes. Helps me train, and is teaching Sheryl how to ride. Purple hair, green eyed. 19 years old

· Durban, new friend. From the isles to the West. My axe teacher. Yells a lot during a fight, and clearly has fun with his brutal fighting style, but is a very kind and even gentle person off the battlefield. Not the type to give up either, even though I'm abysmal at his lessons. I still don't get how he doesn't die because he never wears armor. Brown hair, brown eyed, 20 years old.

· Jasmine, new friend. From the snowy north. Somehow tamed a pegasus and rides it into combat. Fights with magic, specializing with wind, but apparently knows how to fight with a lance too. A sarcastic and cynical woman, but very loyal. And very happy in her marriage with Barigan. Leads the pegasus knights. Brown hair, purple eyed, 18 years old.

· Josephine, new friend. From the east, near the mountains. Hartmut and Genevieve's older sister. Surprisingly frail looking, especially considering she tamed and rides a freaking wyvern, and is surprisingly tiny, considering how tall Hartmut and Genevieve are. Wields powerful thunder magic, but apparently knows her way around an axe. Leads the wyvern knights. Might be sweet on Roland. Blonde hair, purple eyed, 21 years old.

· Delrin, general in the army. Haven't seen him fight, yet, mostly just deal with a lot of paperwork and try to keep things running smoothly. Set up a schedule of vacations for everyone in the army, so I'm learning to like him. Green hair, blue eyed, 27 years old.

· Marius, commander of the army. He's an asshole, but maybe he's got the army's best interests at heart. Works hard in cultivating the fields so that there's a steadier source of food. Personally. Brown hair, brown eyed, 31 years old.

· Genevieve, new friend. From the east, near the mountains. Hartmut and Josephine's younger sister. Bright and chipper, with almost endless amounts of energy. Specializes in long-range magic, and fire when enemies are too close. I think she might be sweet on Bramimond. Blonde hair, amber eyes, 16 years old.

· **Athos, new friend. Don't know where the hell he's from as he won't say. A gentle mage who tells no one of his past, and often serves as peacekeeper when Ely and Bramimond get into arguments. Specializes in fire magic, but knows enough to teach the others. In fact, he teaches Sheryl, and once taught Genevieve. Learning staves from Ely. Silver hair, blue eyed, 18 years old.

· **Bramimond, new friend, despite how he argues with Ely all the time. From the east, near the mountains. Childhood friend of Hartmut, and son of the former High Priest of the Shrine that held Hartmut's sword. Wields elder magic, and follows the stereotype of being logical and pragmatic. I think he might be sweet on Genevieve. Learning staves from Ely. Blond hair, green eyed, 19 years old.

· Fiona, new friend. A dancer traveling to find her friends, Aenir and Idenn. Has the Dancer's Gift, and has firmly attached herself to me, for some weird reason. Cheerful and smiling, and expertly avoids any questions about her past. Is Ely's assistant in the infirmary. Wakes us up if we sleep past our 'normal' hours. Pink hair, green eyes. Hasn't given me an age, but looks about 17 or 18.

Author's notes: I promise that this is the last thing Martin will 'invent' (that hasn't already been foreshadowed). And look, the three-hero mages interacting! Yay!

Next chapter – Birthday