Keya felt varied and turbulent emotions of late. It was fast becoming her new way of life. However, most of all, at that very moment, she felt extremely comfortable and supported in the undergarments Kel had purchased. She dared not tell him. That she even wore them at all, would remain a secret etched upon her heart of hearts.

For all the jaw-dropping wonders she had experienced to date, loss of ‘Sportz Braaz’ and those gods damned comfortable boots harrowed her most. Should she ever leave this oasis, access to them would be the highest price to pay. The underworld could have her soul, if it meant going back to the way things were, with clothes and shoes at least. She wondered if women from his world were as infatuated with such menial trifles as she. Perish the thought; his people were likely concerned with far loftier subjects. She tried thinking of what that might be. Inferring societal understanding from Jon and his helper Lee proved challenging. She would attempt subtly probing them on their culture and traditions when the opportunity arose.

In honesty, thinking of anything else but the task before her was a reprieve. So it was, with much reticence, that she reached with her power toward Master. Only this time, to her surprise, it hit a wall. Her sense washed about him like a wave against a cliff, and she found no purchase. “Master, it both relieves and infuriates me to say it, but you are now shielded. I cannot enter.”

“Interesting!” And thus began their daily training and her tutelage. They discussed a few alternatives and consulted her book. As noted, intrusion required the willingness of the subject, or forceful entry via ‘alternate’ means. The tome failed to elaborate further.

Albeit Kel-sun refused to admit it, Keya knew she was to blame for Master’s change. She had reached in and altered him in some unintentional way.

Commendable as Master’s new-found power was, he was but a neophyte in the realm of these magics. And having something she excelled at over him, was a bitter-sweet pleasure she delicately savoured. He would need practice before he could consciously give ground with his aura. Wresting and retreating against another’s domain was a new concept to her too, but she found her awakened power had shifted in locus since the merging of Earth and Water elements. Her vitality and strength felt boundless; the movement of her body and her magic had since united like intertwined dancers. True, the dance was quite clumsy betimes, but no longer was it some external plaything to be commanded. Instead, it writhed and breathed with her like never before. Henceforth, aura manipulations became markedly easier.

Instead of practice on himself then, Master retrieved some plants and fish in glass jars from the ‘Aqua-poniks’ gardens. It was a section of his abode she had yet to see, and the verdant area of lush greens calmed her soul as she strolled about. She resolved to return there more often and perhaps build her own world-side one day, Gods willing.

Plants, even if more rigid, yielded freely to her magical touch while the fish took a few more days to tame.

Preparation for Elgelica was a pedantic thing for Master. He proposed a few weeks of precaution before they embarked and Keya conceded. There were boundless mysteries throughout his abode to explore, and the luxury was second to none. Some part of her squirmed at how easily acquiesce had been purchased. She admonished that voice. Being homeless and starving in winter was unconscionably stupid, no matter how noble. Keya was always smart before she was proud, and Master appeared to agree. Three royal feasts a day with copious drinks in between and only the purest of water, with ice! She also received many elixirs of health: what almost all pills were meant for. How could anyone sane refuse such beneficent treatment?

There were many other tasks and exercises assigned over the coming days. First, Kel-sun properly acquainted her with the facilities in her room. She had washed from the basin with the reflective silver wall every morning and night, a luxury she already found quite indulgent. Endless water of any warmth or coolness from pipes was already unbelievable. Upon more explicit instruction of the shower and bath, she understood how folly her ways had been. He readily insisted she bathe or shower once a day! Jon turned out to be a very particular man in this regard; explicitly prescribing a litany of soaps, creams and ointments to be used in specific areas and manners, and absolutely no other. She notably enjoyed the brush for her teeth and the accompanying foaming mint paste. Beyond early childhood, Elves teethed twice a century, and her first set were still pristine. However, a little more cleanliness could not hurt.

To what end all this was required she had little understanding; Master maintained it was of the utmost importance for health. Instead of her mentor, he felt more like her chambermaid at times. Still, she had learned to attempt his ways before denouncing and rejecting them outright. If he wasted expensive soaps and perfumes on her, who was she to complain.

Then was the black glass artefact across from her bed. She had ignored it since the first night of retiring to her chambers, though she had the inkling it was similar to the other black glass panels all about the manor. Kel-sun had, in deference to her initial sensitivities, left most of them quiescent upon her arrival. Now the ‘Bunka’ was positively alive with colour and moving paintings everywhere she looked. Some displayed knowledge, and others imagery and music to delight the senses.

Evy was assigned to attend to any requests Keya might petition to her own black glass, a service for which Keya profusely thanked the servile elemental at every opportunity. That its attention could be better spent on other exigent matters that Master entertained, was not lost on her.

Nevertheless, she soon understood the true gravity of the station Master had bestowed with this artefact. He called it the ‘Inta-net’, and like a massive dragnet, the entirety of all knowledge from Master’s many worlds was gathered within. It felt as if consulting the very gods directly of their creations. No question of hers would go unanswered, and each answer given by Evy and painted beneath the glass spawned more questions. And so she went some nights, from inquiry to answer and question again, forcing herself to bed before the twenty third or fourth hour. Concerns about burning lamp oil were a forgotten consideration, the ceiling glowed pristinely, and day and night were hers to command.

Moreover, the net of knowledge extended well beyond earnest scholarly needs. Records of art, culture, history, and even the most frivolous entertainment of his realm were availed to her. More music than she could ever listen to, more paintings she could ever see, and a new art called ‘video’ that combined moving paintings with sound. The very essence of memory was captured in a flawless and unerring manner. It could be played from beginning to end like a song, and each time the reproduction was identical. No grain of sand was out of place, she had checked.

Her prior concern regarding clothes was folly; all that embarrassment was side-stepped by requesting directly through Evy. The servant knew all her measurements anyway; she need not have fretted. She exercised prudence for procurements, but some things simply had to be tried. Evy recommended garments with such queer names as ‘t-shirts’, ‘jeans’, and ‘sneakers’. Upon firsthand appraisal, these promptly became her preferred vestments around the Bunka. Their form-fitting and yet completely pliant flexion, a new-found indulgence. Kel warned that such garments would be ill-advised world-side and for good reason. With their garish colours, unique insignias, and crests, she may as well be wearing an army banner in her realm.

Master remained focused on planning their best means of entering Elgelica in his personal time. Blithely walking up to the gate was somehow insufficient for his tastes. Keya suspected she was unsophisticated and naive in these matters, so she left plans for their infiltration to him. He would still often confer with her. ‘Twas mundane and paltry know-how which she provided candidly.

She felt her mind grow with each new sight and sound. Some nights she would be invited to watch longer ‘videos’, called ‘Moovys’ or ‘Searys’, with Kel in the living area on the largest glass screen. These she understood to be the legends of his people, and though he denied this, the way he showed endearment to the characters was patent. Some of the feats displayed were truly remarkable, and Master made it very clear they were but figments, with no reality to them. How he told the difference was hard to fathom, they all looked authentic to her. And other things which were manifestly impossible, he would unequivocally maintain to be earnest historical testament. Some nights she would giggle in bed before sleep took her, others would be sad or poignant. One constant was an unrelenting stream, nay torrent of ideas, images and sounds into her consciousness. That any mind could survive this onslaught, let alone to be born into it, well; such musings were as world-shattering as the rest. And, this was merely what she did in her free time.

Entering Elgelica as a pressing need shifted from her to Kel over ensuing days. Time and familiarity weathered concerns better than any oath. Despite infantile banter, the deeper character of Master inexorably revealed itself in daily ritual. She watched and waited for the hearty veneer to crack and the man to be revealed. What she found, far from untoward, stirred warmth within her chest. I am safe here, and he is a civil host.

Still, he persisted with preparations and said, “establishing a base of operations in a major city is essential to the larger goal of formal first contact.” His gibberish was a half-truth in her estimation; the mention of more magical practice and a city of elves never failed to make his lips twitch.

In the mornings, they studied. Sometimes Jon would tutor, and other times Lee would manifest via the VR room.

“Was I not to receive night classes?” she asked.

“They are,” replied Master. “It’s night for Lee in Australia.”

“Of course. Why did I expect a sane answer.” She did not know of the mythical land of ‘Awe-stray-lea’. Sometimes Lee called it the ‘Land Down Under’. The underworld perhaps, as such, a place of eternal night. This line of reasoning made as much sense as any. Evy may have known more, but Keya had other more pressing interests.

It was here where she finally had the opportunity to see Lee face to face, in a manner. He looked very different from Kel, with jet black hair and dark eyes. She had heard of elven tribes to the east that looked similar: Night Elves. This further strengthened her underworld hypothesis.

Lessons were the delight of her day, schooling was a great privilege, and despite Grandpa teaching her at every opportunity, there were always the chores of living to be done. Not so for her extremely wealthy mentor. Additionally, the sheer majesty of how each lesson was presented with characters, colour, and demonstrations, enchanted the imagination. They professed to be starting her off slowly with education best able to assist her current needs. Talks involved natural laws her magic may harness, various rules and systems of how her archery and arrows functioned, as well as food, well-being, and medicine. She drank it all in. Were she to ask an opportune question they would readily digress, and she did so often.

After this, she and Master would adjourn to the HAS where their magic could be released. Master brought out many new trinkets that produced the ‘plazma’ alleged to be his element. What he termed a ‘state of matter.’ The ‘Plazma Globe’ was for her the most intriguing. It became his primary tool of practice, considering lightning in the ship was a risky venture. She countered that lightning anywhere was a dire situation, and he conceded the point. ‘Ee-leck-tris-city’ he called it; the preponderant magic of his realm that powered almost all the marvels she encountered. His people had harnessed lightning and given it a pet name!

They would sit cross-legged and partake in an observance he called ‘meditation’. Not dissimilar to prayer, albeit the goal was not supplication before the Gods or elements, but a distillation of mental focus. In this state, he would then manipulate the blue and pink strands of light within the globe, bending and twisting them in all manner of shapes and motions.

She would sometimes watch with rapt attention at both the exquisite designs he made and his calm visage. With his eyes closed, it made for a rare opportunity to study her mentor’s features, unguarded as it were. She gave counsel, though she soon realised, he was as formidable a student as a teacher. Quickly he started making and melding ponderings of his own with hers, often asking questions that revealed to her vast insights. That was the way of her mentor, each second an opportunity to learn and grow. And instead of dejection for the cavernous gap of knowledge between them, he spurred her on, giving her just enough to draw conclusions but stopping short of feeding her the answer.

Of her master’s many talents, this she prized above all. There was a sincerity with how he guided her. As if he saw in her greatness even beyond his own. No, it is you who is great! She wished to cry out. I am but a penniless village wench. He would, of course, reject such notions outright should she exclaim them. Just what he saw in her, she could not tell.

Next, was her turn for magical manipulation. No sooner had she told Jon of her new-found vitality and strength, did he declare:

“So you’re a fucken superhero!”

The first class was dedicated to showing movies of these beings, and she quickly understood the significance. The mythical gods of his realm had been captured firsthand in immaculate video. No wild imaginings or retellings were required; their feats and tribulations laid bare for all to see. She only wished she could extol the gods of her realm so well. Perhaps one day she would get the chance.

At this point, her morning activities blurred somewhat with afternoon training, which was the least enjoyable part of her day, aside from archery which she unabashedly loved. Exercise locales were split between the ‘Jim’ room and HAS for her benefit. The exercise regimen in the ‘Jim’ room was less enticing, especially without her new magic. She had been taught the necessity of health by now, but that knowledge made it no less gruelling.

Regarding this new magical strength, she was taught an art called ‘yoga’. It combined the aforementioned meditation with the motion of her body. Initially, movement of body and magic in unison proved challenging, but as the days passed, it required less and less concentration. She practised with Jon together on the airship with the seats folded back to accommodate the strange acrobatic dancing and posing.

“How are you so strong and flexible!?” Keya asked. She could only keep up by cheating, supplementing magic for strength. Master had no such luxury; his body held none of the affinity he wielded.

“Practice and natural whore moans,” he replied.

She would rather not think how ‘whore moans’ featured in his regimen, so she promptly dropped the subject. He is talented; I do not wish to know more.

Then came the weights; Jon dragged some equipment to the HAS for her magical testing. She could swear she lifted more each day until the difference was too stark to doubt.

“Just to be clear, there is no way in hell you could lift this much without your Life Magic. So don’t for bliksem’s sake try this in the gym. You are not getting injured on my watch you hear!” His warning was kindly received. She knew well her limits since her slave driver never missed an opportunity to impress them upon her. Purely physical training took place after magic class in that very gym. She suspected he even revelled in her torment, pushing her to exhaustion and then some, repeatedly. Now, she flinched every time she heard ‘Legs Day’.

Regarding injury, there was a time when she grazed herself on one of the gym’s metal bars only for the mark to disappear the next day during magic training.

“Great, you have fucking super healing too!” said Jon.

On closer inspection, many of her scars and old wounds had been fading or disappearing of late. What it meant as to the extent of her power was still uncertain. She did not have control of it and Master was himself dubious, a rare event. Caution was the watchword as always and never to rely on just one thing too heavily.

Her book, the inception of all this, proved to be rather brief and extremely light on details. An introductory text at best, though still valuable for the transformation it inspired. I am a Life Mage; to shy away from this truth is to deny my very being.

Some vexations of passing village clergymen still played in the back of her mind, evangelising the sanctity of the pure elements. Truthfully, she found their proclamations less believable by the day.

In light of the fantastic world opening up before her, guided by a wise, unerring mentor, how could they compare? The church was not there when the wolves came, or when Gillan’s gang beat Grandpa. Perhaps she was too reverent of Jon, a human only a few years her senior. Some elves might scoff at a man deigning to teach an elf anything. Human lives were ephemeral by comparison. What knowledge could they possibly garner in so short a time?

How woefully mistaken such arrogant fools would be! The best fortune to grace her life thus far was poverty. Without it would she have chosen the red pill? She doubted it. Thanks to the misconception of that pill’s influence, she had come to see the real power of choice and will. Again, how her tutor taught his lessons, thrummed a deep and resonant rhythm upon her heart.

Finally were the combat classes. It was not an initial priority until Keya’s magical potency was revealed.

“Opponents may close on you, thinking you an easy close-quarters mark. And in any other universe, they’d be right. It’s a ruse you were born for, best we use it,” said Master.

Master was, unsurprisingly, both physically and technically superior in a brawl. He focused on basic forms and techniques: how she might use fists and limbs to strike. Her blows were paltry in the gym, but he was still strict with correct alignment and tensing of muscles. Then there was the placement of feet and posture; no inch of her body was overlooked. She might have found it salacious were it not done with a most displeased and phlegmatic eye. Did he prefer men, she wondered?

Aside from this, he instructed her in some simple measures to break free from bodily grapples and grasping. Videos demonstrating the cruel effectiveness of some strikes, particularly against males, elucidated just why she was being taught this. It heated her cheeks in their close-knit practice, but Master seemed oblivious. Such valuable instruction she would never receive from anyone in her world. Women were seen as dainty creatures in her realm, meant to be saved: kept helpless and unprepared for such dire situations. Master saw beyond all this; he freely gave any knowledge and training she wished, and then some. The way he saw her was a disarming thing, as if he gazed upon her mind instead of her body. She felt liberated and vulnerable all at once.

Classes in coordinated combat were also visited upon in the VR room. They came fully equipped in the battle standards of his realm. Training in the use of his ‘Fire-arms’ was forestalled pending her better understanding of science. Their power could be more harm than help to an uneducated simpleton, and she held little doubt of that after seeing them at the range. Bolts that shot faster than sound were an unbelievable artifice, even when clearly and succinctly explained to her.

They were armed with false or padded weapons in the VR room; she brought her bows. The task was a game the likes of which she had played in childhood. Except the goggles presented quite visible apparitions of adversaries in varied environs and arrangements. They slew mainly from a distance with Keya covering his flank as he moved ahead. Rarely did they face the enemy directly in frontal combat. She suspected there might be scruples about honour amongst the fighters of her world, but she was not well versed in these matters.

Master’s designs for her became more evident with each lesson; rigorously building her up, brick by brick, from the foundations of her own strength. Unfurling every morning from her bedsheets like a blossom in spring; the light of the world was that much brighter. Within, the very cadence of her soul beat evermore invigorated.