Later that morning, David sat cross-legged across from Mom next to the wooden table in the shed. The alchemical supplies, bowls and vials, were neatly arranged on it.

  Mom pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly. “Alright, let’s start with something simple. Alchemy isn’t just about mixing things together—it’s about using mana to change reality. Like cooking, but… with a lot more ways to mess up.”

  “I understand?” David folded his hands in his lap to stop fidgeting.

  “It will get easier once you know more. First, we'll need to talk about mana.” She handed him a vial of glowing, faintly green liquid. “This is a sensory potion that I diluted for you. Think of it like medicine that lets you feel mana.”

  David looked closely at the vial. The dim glow painted his fingers. “Why dilute it? Is it dangerous?”

  “Not really, no.” Mom chuckled. “It's—you'll see, sweetie. Drink it.”

  David slowly sipped the potion. He wanted to gradually experience its effects. It was sour and a little bit chalky. His head began to sway. The light coming through the shutters dimmed, his vision went hazy, his skin started prickling. He gulped more of it and his whole body warmed up. “I’m feeling… something. My skin… is like pins and needles and my arms are hot. Is that it, Mom?”

  “You only drank half of it.” Mom said, then shook her head. “Of course you're a quick learner. You’re my son.”

  David wondered if that was the case. Maybe his experiment with the ointment had influenced his perception of the mana beforehand.

  “Okay, that tingling is ambient mana gathering in the air. Once you get a better feel for it, you’ll be able to bring that feeling back without the potion. What does it remind you of?”

  He waved his hand in front of his face, the sensation washing over his skin. “It’s like moving through icy-cold water. Is that right?”

  “Everyone feels it differently. For me it's like wind blowing past me and biting into my face.” Though she sat so close to him, her voice was faded and distant when it reached him. “You have to get used to it, sweetie. Are you alright?”

  “I'm fine,” he said, then his head fell forward. He closed his eyes and tried to straighten himself up.

  “Don't worry about it, David, you're doing great.” She tapped his nose lightly, and his vision soon returned to normal. “Some adults get sick for days after the potion.”

  “I’m not sick. Just a little tired. So, what next? Will you teach me spells?”

  “I don't remember all the basics… it’s been too long.”

  “But how do I use mana then? For alchemy?”

  “For smaller things, like the ointments I make, we use the mana inside our bodies.” She picked a stem with frothy green leaves off the table and placed it in a bowl along with a pinch of brown dust. Then, she poured in a little water. “See that voel leaf? To make healing ointments, you have to slowly imbue it with mana while you mix it with other ingredients. Look.”

  Parts of the leaf started disintegrating as if burnt with a laser. The water became more viscous. David frowned as he wondered what a laser was, exactly. In any case, there was an obvious problem with what his mom said.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “The mana inside our bodies?” David asked. “But I don't feel it inside.”

  “That comes with practice. Everyone has at least some of it and even if you use it up, it fills you up on its own, given time. It's even possible to recharge by drawing in mana from your surroundings, but it's taxing and very dangerous.”

  “Dangerous? What could happen?” David asked.

  “Well, if you gather mana in one place without giving it direction, it will do whatever it wants, so usually something very bad to you.” Mom looked down at the leaves. “In the worst case, it might sink into your flesh…” The contents of the bowl quickly turned from green to purple, then melted into black goo. “and overload.”

  “Like Lillie's cuts?”

  “Exactly… If what you’re trying to do is important enough, sometimes you have to risk it, and sometimes it fails.”

  His chest wound was still there, and though it was healing, it still pulsed with pain from time to time. Though his experiment didn’t quite take him all the way to what happened to the voel leaf in front of him, he wondered how close it was. Too close, perhaps.

  “That’s enough for today.” She stood up and dumped the bowl of black goo into a metal crate in the corner.

  “Already? But what do you actually do with the mana? Is it just there?”

  Mom hesitated. “There's purification, casting, enhancement and many other branches that even I don’t know about.” She glanced into his eyes. “But we’ll work on that next time. Slowly. Be patient.”

  “But what does it do?”

  “Exactly what you tell it to. Well, if you want something complex, you have to guide the mana through steps, sometimes dozens of them, to get the result you want. The only limit is how good you are at controlling it, but it’s dangerous, David. Do not play around with it until you know much, much more.”

  He wanted to share his experiment with her, but it would only make her worry. She could even refuse to teach him if she knew. David nodded, even though he knew he wouldn’t obey this rule much.

  David ran across the village, past the square and toward the gates. The heavy bundle of tools pressed painfully into his arms.

  Hooves clattered behind him, quickly approaching, and a white horse trotted past, carrying a man dressed in green, holding up a cloth flag—an open eye inside a triangle. An emissary, no doubt.

  David ran as fast as he could. He had to make up for the time he’d spent with his mom. His first stop was old man Raf's house to deliver a chipped hand-scythe that his father had resharpened. He rapped at the wooden door, but no one answered. When he caught his breath, he left the tool by the door and kept running toward Chief Brenn’s house, which also served as the town hall and a storage space for tools and weapons that were public property.

  He passed by some men carrying a log, and few dozen meters later, a damaged part of the palisade. When he arrived in front of Brenn’s modest wooden house, the chief was welcoming the emissary. He was young, about twenty-five, with sharp features, an immaculate uniform that looked terribly out of place in the village, and polished boots.

  David placed the bundle of tools and weapons on the ground and waited to approach.

  Brenn shook left hands with emissary. “You must be Sir Berthold. I’ve heard much about you.” Perhaps he had, but he did not look impressed.

  “Sir Brenn,” the emissary said with a stiff, shallow bow. “I came at once. Our house is concerned for your safety.”

  “We’re grateful for the consideration. The unique monster is beyond anything this village can handle.” He signaled the emissary to head inside. “I'll join you in just a second.”

  The emissary raised an eyebrow at David. “Management duties, I see.” Then he went ahead anyway.

  David picked up the bundle and approached the chief. He was tall and broad shouldered, bald, and his face was crossed with scars.

  “I must visit Bert and thank him for his hard work,” Brenn said. “Put those in the storage room to the left.”

  “Will Grainwick be alright, Chief?” David asked, shuffling toward the storage room.

  “Of course, child,” Brenn said, turning toward the house. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  Racks of spears covered about half of the walls of the storage room. The other half held various tools that Brenn had bought. The village didn’t earn that much, even with the help they received due to being on the frontier, but somehow Brenn always made things work.

  By the time he sorted his bundle into the correct places and started home, it was past noon. He hoped Dad wouldn't ask, but just in case, he prepared to use the emissary's arrival as an excuse. He’d already planned when he could find some free time next. He hadn’t learned as much from Mom as he’d hoped, but he already had a few ideas that needed testing.