We wandered around Lockeguard for an hour or so, stopping at several little shops before they closed for the night. Ariel bought me a little pack to hold my belongings, as well as a couple of other small items she thought would be useful. I quickly tucked my codex away, thankful for a place to finally store it.

  After walking a little more, we picked out a nice, quaint little inn. The bartender was a pleasant looking dude with a big smile and a full beard. We all ordered some simple food before making our way to our rooms for the night. I could hardly wait, as I was eager to play around with some of the things I'd learned.

  "Good night guys!" I called, hurrying to my door. "And thanks again for the history lesson!"

  "It was my pleasure," Ariel said with a smile.

  I'm sure she could tell I was excited.

  "Just be careful with pronunciations if you're going to practice!"

  I would have responded, but I'd already closed my door.

  The two of them laughed and exchanged a glance, and with a nod, turned to their own rooms. Neither were aware of the eyes that following them from the shadows at the end of the hall.

  ~

  Inside my room I took a quick look around, noting the lit fireplace and cozy furniture that were similar to the room I stayed in previously.

  I tossed my new bag onto the bed, eager to try a couple of things out. It must have not been closed all the way because the top opened and my codex plopped onto the sheets.

  "Alrighty, what to try first...," I mused as I played with my hair.

  Before we had reached the city, Ariel had given me a little piece of parchment so I could scribble down some affixes to try. In summary, today I'd learned:

  Thryx - Fire

  Quira- Water

  Darrun - Earth

  Elva -Air

  Kel -To Move

  Tar -To Rise

  Aris -Empower

  Ryn - To Pull

  Vael - To Push

  Min - To shrink

  Vas - To grow

  Thal - To warm

  Myr - To cool

  Ariel had made it very clear not to combine too many, as that is how higher level spells are made. She reiterated several times that using higher level spells would use more mana. As a novice who wasn't familiar with my manaura, I didn't want to push my luck. From the way she sounded, mana burnout was not something you ever wanted to reach. I decided to start small, especially since I was indoors. She had taught me several other higher level affixes, but advised that I stick with the simple ones for now.

  * I probably shouldn't play with fire...even though I want to. The last thing I need is to accidentally burn down a house that isn't mine. I guess I can try the other three. Just for giggles... *

  I tried to focus on my manaura for a moment before muttering, "Darrun."

  The air buzzed, but as I thought, nothing happened.

  * Tsk, and here I thought I was the main character. Aren't I supposed to be OP or something?? *

  I decided to play with water a little more, since that was one of the elements I managed to use earlier. I walked over to the wash bucket, and as I reached down, caught a glimpse of my reflection on the surface of the water. The pretty girl stared back at me, matching my movements.

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  * It's going to be awhile before I get familiar with that being me. *

  I tried to focus again.

  "Quer-" I cut myself off, remembering the way I got soaked earlier for mispronouncing the word. Then, I tried again.

  "Quira."

  The air buzzed, as the water rippled. A small bead of water rose out of the bin and plopped back down with a soft 'plink'. I was excited that I got it to work again.

  * Sick! Though it was the same result as before. Let's change it up a little bit... *

  I reached in my pocket and stared at the parchment for a minute. Then, I focused on the water and imagined an orb of liquid flying into the fireplace. "QuiraKelTar," I murmured.

  The words hummed, and I could feel something in the air stir a little bit. A ball of water, maybe the size of a soft ball rose and hurled itself in the direction of the fireplace. It splashed alongside the surrounding bricks, sending water droplets splashing everywhere. It didn't quite hit my mark, but I was elated nonetheless!

  "Wooo! That's more like it!" I cheered. As I bounced up and down, my breasts bounced with me, quickly halting my enthusiasm. "I am never going to get used to these," I sighed, cupping them briefly. "Whatever," I said, brushing back the hair that had fallen into my eyes- another new mannerism that'd I'd started doing subconsciously.

  I had intended my spell to land somewhere in the fireplace. I decided to try again, but make the ball smaller this time and aim for the center of the fire.

  "MinQuiraKelTar," I said, imagining a small ball of water flying directly into the flames.

  The water stirred once again, and a small orb of water, about the size of a golf ball, jumped out of the bucket and flew like a dart right into the fire. It made a satisfying 'hiss' as it hit the coals and turned to steam.

  "Heck yeah!" I said excitedly. "I guess it is better to start small. That was way easier to aim."

  As I thought about the minor success I'd just had, something occurred to me.

  * How am I even able to cast spells right now? I thought I needed a focus or something...Ariel and Caelin both have one. Am I...am I a prodigy? Not likely... *

  The glint on my finger caught my attention as I was lost in thought.

  "The ring!"

  I examined it again, realizing the color on the main gem had changed from a light blue to a deep sapphire.

  * What is this thing? Why's it changing color? I guess Muganno did say there was nothing else like it in existence...is it acting as a focus for my spells? *

  * ~ Hahaha! Now you're on to something! ~ *

  I could have sworn I heard that annoying laugh again. I quickly scanned my room, only to reaffirm that I must have just been hearing things. With a shrug I decided to practice a little longer with some of the other elements. I didn't try earth much more, and only tried a couple of combinations with fire. Using Elva I was able to knock over some chairs and paintings, and nearly broke a vase. Content with my successes and failures I decided it was time for sleep.

  I let out a sigh, "We've got another day of walking tomorrow. Who knew how convenient cars were..."

  I loosened the belt, and untied the front of the dress, letting it fall to the ground in the process. I decided to sleep in just the undergarments for now. They were surprisingly comfortable, reminding me of women's pajamas. Convenient, right? I shivered as I stood there. The air inside the room was cool, but I could feel the warmth of the fire pulsing on my delicate skin.

  "I swear I wasn't this susceptible to cold before..." I muttered, brushing a hand along my smooth arm. It sent tingles all throughout my body that settled on my lower abdomen.

  * What if I'm considered attractive now...? I bet Blaize would probably beg me to show him the good stuff either way. He's weird like that. I wonder what Caelin thinks... *

  "Nope!" I said, slapping my cheeks. "What the heck am I even thinking about?"

  After switching teams, the thought of what I might be attracted to now worried me. Before I could give that thought any more attention, I hurried over to the wash bin picked up a rag. I quickly gave myself a sponge bath before rushing to the bed and jumping into the sheets. I covered myself quickly, shivering as I tried to warm them up.

  * Why am I so cold!? Ugh! *

  I stared at the ceiling, trying to will myself to sleep. The more I tried to stop thinking, the more I starting picturing Caelin as he was teaching me sword maneuvers earlier today. I couldn't describe what I was feeling, and didn't know if I even wanted to. My heart racing and everything was feeling warm all over. After what felt like an hour of restlessness, I finally dozed off into a deep sleep. I'd never tell anyone what I dreamed about that night.