“Allow me to properly introduce myself,” Oto said as they sat down next to the fire. “I am Oto the Resonant, resident Master of the Sanctuary.”

“So are you a monk or something?” Samuel asked.

The four of them sat around the campfire, enjoying a simple but delicious stew as the sun departed beneath the horizon, casting pink streaks of light across the sky, signaling the last fading moments of the evening. Oto turned to regard Samuel as he asked his question randomly, a wide smile coming to his face once more.

“Each member of the Sanctuary is considered a monk. Technically, our title is Master, but I am perhaps the least monk-like member these days.”

“What do you mean by that?” Samuel asked, his curiosity piqued. “Are you saying you’re not religious?”

“I do not follow any one god religiously, no,” Oto said with a tilt of his head. “But that is not what I mean. The other members of the Sanctuary, they are considered monks because they are prodigious martial artists.”

“You don’t consider yourself a martial artist, then?” Samuel inquired, not sure how to react to this stranger.

“No,” Oto said simply. “I can fight reasonably well, but I like to think of myself as more of a mage than anything.”

“A mage?” Samuel asked, perking up at once. Here was something he could understand. “That certainly wouldn’t have been my first guess.”

Oto and Shigeru both broke into laughter at this, and for once, Samuel joined in. Grimr made no comment but smiled idly as he studied the three figures around the fire, silently observing their conversation as he savored his bowl of stew. The laughter rang out around the area for several long seconds before Oto regained control of himself, and Shigeru’s laughter was reduced to a light chuckle.

“I’ll take that as a compliment on my camouflage skill,” Oto replied, wiping a tear from his eye. “My clothing aside, the Sanctuary isn’t well known for adopting mages. So I understand your confusion.”

Samuel set down his empty bowl and reached out for the pot that hung over the fire, intent on filling himself another bowl. Once he had, he settled back, scooping up a chunk of meat and popping it into his mouth. He nodded in appreciation while he chewed, then asked his next question.

“So what school do you favor?”

Oto looked at him in confusion. “School? What do you mean?”

Samuel was equally confused, leaning forward again. “The different schools of magic? You know, Destruction, Restoration, Divination?”

He could tell by Oto’s expression that he wasn’t following any of this part of the conversion. His brows furrowed in thought. How could he be a mage and yet not know of the different schools of magic? Was it because he was raised in a different country, one that didn’t follow the same structure of study as the Mage’s College? The Mage’s College in Milagre was well-known throughout the world, but it made sense that it’s studying practices be somewhat secretive.

“Oto-san never had any formal education in the field of magic,” Shigeru said, interrupting Samuel’s train of thought. “He was born in a small village in Nihon-Ja, and adopted by the Sanctuary.”

“That explains why you don’t know what the schools of magic are,” Samuel said slowly. “Then again, I’ve also never met a mage who didn’t learn from the Mage’s Guild, so I wouldn’t know if that is unusual outside of Gorteau.”

Oto only shrugged in reply, obviously not sure himself. His smile returned as he leaned forward himself. Like Samuel, it seemed that Oto was very interested to meet another mage. They could each recognize that bright interest in the unknown in each other, and both Grimr and Shigeru knew what was about to come.

“What about yourself?” the older man asked, a gleam in his eye. “What kind of magic do you use?”

“Well, if I had to say, Transmutation is my best subject by far,” Samuel said, thinking. “Well, at least it was, before I left the College in Milagre, and joined Shigeru and Grimr here. That’s the school of magic dedicated to changing the nature of things.”

“The nature of things?” Oto raised an eyebrow. “That sounds very interesting. I think my master explained that to me once. I don’t think I was very good with the idea. Still, it’s impressive that you can alter the very being of things.”

Samuel shrugged, trying not to look too pleased with himself. “Well, thanks for that. I’m not too good at combat magic, though, so I’m not sure where that leaves me. What kind of magic do you use?”

Oto smiled faintly and held out one hand, fingers relaxed and palm facing the sky. “Touch my palm.”

More than a little confused, but just as curious, Samuel reached out to do as Oto instructed. Faster than blinking, Oto flipped his hand around so that it was above his own, and tapped the back of Samuel’s hand. Though the touch itself was light as a feather, the shock of it reverberated through Samuel’s body as if he’d been struck by a hammer. His hand hit the ground hard enough to send a little puff of dust flying.

“Wow!” Samuel exclaimed, impressed. The back of his hand was smarting, but the pain was minimal. “How in the world did you do that?”

“I vibrated the air at the same instant I tapped your hand, increasing the force,” Oto explained. “When I was young, I started with sound, but I can now manipulate all kinds of vibrations.”

Samuel rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds, considering what Oto had said. He supposed it made sense. He knew that wind could sometimes have enough pressure to knock things over. Wind was moving air, so if he thought of it as moving air, he could believe that it could be focused and strengthened.

“That’s an impressive application of arcane talent,” Samuel said. “I’ve never thought to branch out quite that far.”

Oto bowed his head modestly. “Well I must say, your aura is impressive for someone so young. You put me on guard the second you came close, with how dense it is.”

“Aura?” Samuel queried. “What is that?”

“He is referring to your mana,” Grimr interjected before Oto could respond. “You haven’t bothered to learn how to conceal it, so it’s quite…. dense.”

“Conceal it?” Samuel asked, turning to face the Ancient. “How would I conceal my mana? Moreover, why should I?”

Grimr merely studied him in silence for a while, seemingly thinking of a good way to explain what he was on about. He seemed to come to a decision and beckoned at Samuel. “Cast a mana net over me, like you did not too long ago.”

Samuel did as he was told, forcing his mana away from his body in a thin sheet. It settled out for a fair distance in each direction, and revealed, quite apart from the normal creatures around them, the three dense energy points that were Shigeru, Oto, and Grimr. He blinked as he registered Grimr’s own natural energy. It burned hot like Shigeru’s, but where the swordsman’s energy was like a strong small fire, the energy in the Ancient’s body was like a roaring sea, surging throughout the Ancient’s body, seemingly with no end. It was also incredibly dense. He was sure that if it were released, it could be felt all the way back in Milagre.

“Now pay close attention as I draw my energy in,” Grimr said, once he was sure that Samuel was focused on him once more. “Tell me what you notice.”

Samuel waited, watching the flow of energy within the Ancient’s smaller body. The slow flow of his energy began to pick up, slowly moving faster and faster, like a crashing wave bearing down upon the shore. Each time the energy flowed around his body, it crashed back into itself, condensing further. Within seconds, Grimr’s energy had disappeared completely from view. He could see and feel Grimr with his natural senses, but according to his mana, he was gone.

“How is this possible?” Samuel asked, stunned. “I can see you with my eyes, but I can’t sense you at all!”

Grimr relaxed, and his energy flowed back to its former state, filling his body completely and exuding off of him in gentle yet powerful waves. The flow was no longer constricted within his body and had resumed its slow wave, reminding Samuel of a great ocean. At bay for now, but capable of rushing in and causing great devastation.

“When you condense energy within a limited space, it becomes harder to notice,” Grimr explained. “This works the same way, even if that limited space in your body.”

Samuel nodded slowly. He’d never considered it, but he supposed it was possible. “But it should still be felt and sensed, even if it’s in the body. Just because it’s compressed, doesn’t mean it’s not there, right?”

Grimr nodded, indicating that the point was a good one. “Yes. But if your mana encounters the body or something that has no energy itself, before it encounters the energy, then you won’t sense it. Tell me, what happens when your mana encounters a wall?”

Samuel frowned slightly, thinking through the question. “Well, nothing. Physical objects, like walls and buildings, don’t stop mana.”

“Exactly,” Grimr said, making solid eye contact. “The body functions in the same way. Your mana washes over it, not sensing it, but the energy exists, hidden, inside.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Samuel admitted. “But I suppose it makes sense. If someone is capable of hiding their physical body, it only makes sense that they should be able to hide their energy as well.”

Grimr nodded again but said nothing. He made a gesture at Samuel that the young mage took to mean ‘your turn’. He shifted nervously as Oto and Shigeru leaned forward, watching him closely. Closing his eyes to concentrate, Samuel felt for and found his mana, like so many times before. He knew that using magic without incantations has increased his efficiency and control, and therefore the amount of mana he had at his disposal but could Grimr really be right about how potent it was?

It must be like the opposite of extending my mana to search, he thought to himself. Don’t push the mana out. Force it in, so that it doesn’t leave my body.

It wasn’t easy. To Samuel, it felt like trying to force more water into a bucket that was already nearly full. Try as hard as he could, he couldn’t stop mana from flowing out of his body as he pushed a section of it in. It was almost as if the mana itself was fighting him, pushing back and refusing to be contained. It simply sat there, like a large puddle, defying his every effort to squash it.

He pictured in his head how Grimr’s energy had felt. It had moved constantly, flowing throughout his body in a never-ending wave. His own mana sat still, like a tranquil pond. Maybe it was easier to compress if it was moving? He gave it a shot. Never before had he considered that moving energy was a good thing, but as he began to push his mana back and forth like a wave that centered on his body, he began, slowly, to see it rescinding with each push, like the waves on low tide.

It was the strangest feeling he’d experienced by far. When his mana sat on its own, it had a cool, slightly breezy feeling to it. But now that it was contracting further and further into his body, he began to feel as if there was a warm pool of water, swirling constantly, deep in his gut. He frowned as he noted the feeling, then continued, surging his mana back and forth. With a final push, he forced the remaining dregs of mana into his body, making sure there were no traces left outside. He opened his eyes to see the other smiling slightly.

“Well done,” Grimr said. Samuel felt pleased, as praise was rare from the Ancient. “It was a little slow, but you’ll get faster with practice. It helps to think of it as a whirlpool.”

“I understand the metaphor,” Samuel said. He still felt extremely warm with the energy trapped inside his body. “I always noticed this quality in you and Shigeru, but I just thought that was due to it being a different type of energy.”

“The idea that our energies are different is a new one,” Grimr said. “But they work the same. Raveonic had a saying for this exact situation.”

“Ah yes,” Oto interjected. “Water from a river and water from the sea may come from different sources, but they both make you wet.”

“And both can ruin a good cup of tea,” Shigeru added, causing the others to laugh aloud.

“I would like to meet Raveonic someday,” Samuel said. “He sounds like an amazing man.”

“He is at that,” Shigeru said, rising to his feet. “He may be the strongest man alive.”

“Where are you headed?” Samuel asked him, setting his bowl down.

“I’m going to patrol the area,” Shigeru stated. “I want to make sure we are alone. I will also make sure nothing is coming from the forest, with us so close.”

“I didn’t know we were already this close to the forest,” Samuel said. “Want some company?”

Shigeru lifted a hand to indicate polite refusal. “No, enjoy your rest. I shouldn’t be gone for much longer than an hour or two.”

Samuel nodded his understanding and waved as Shigeru turned to pace into the shadows of the night. He stifled a yawn with difficulty and turned to stare into the fire once more. Now that Shigeru mentioned rest, he felt the aches and pains of his body again. His surge of curiosity at meeting another mage, particularly one so strange, had allowed him to temporarily forget the toll this trip had taken on him.

“So, Oto-san,” Samuel said, drawing the attention of the older man. “What brings you to Gorteau, so far from your home?”

Oto shrugged, taking another sip of the coffee they’d brewed to go with dinner. Samuel had made sure to bring a large sack of the beans with him from Milagre, enough to last the entire trip. Seamus had seemed to expect him to do this and had the sack ready for him within minutes. The chef had become all too familiar with his addiction to the beverage in the few months they’d known each other.

“I am on a journey of discovery,” Oto replied. “I’ve heard a few stories about the great capital city Milagre, and I want to see it with my own eyes. The Sanctuary has reached out to the Mage’s College, and arranged a room for me to use in the next few weeks.”

“Quite a way to travel, just to stay a few weeks,” Samuel commented. “What is a journey that would take one so far?”

“One has never learned enough,” Oto replied cryptically. “Even the oldest master is still the freshest student.”

Samuel blinked, not sure what that vague pronouncement meant. Realizing he was staring, he picked his mug back up and took a long draft of the coffee. Having sat in the cooling night air for nearly half an hour, the liquid inside was cold, though still delicious. He emptied the mug quickly, then leaned towards the pot where it hung over the fire, refilling it.

“Too much coffee can keep you awake, young friend Samuel,” Oto said, his voice once more normal. “If you wish to not be in pain tomorrow, perhaps you should sleep now.”

Samuel shrugged, then took another sip and smacked his lips in appreciation. “I’ll be in pain no matter what I do. Besides, coffee doesn’t have that effect on me. I just enjoy the taste.”

Oto nodded slightly, then rose from his seated position. “Well, to the rest of us mortals, rest is important. I shall see you on the morrow.”

Samuel began to wave his acknowledgment but stopped quickly as he realized that Oto wouldn’t be able to see it with his back turned. The older man paced several feet away to his own bedroll, rearranging it to a more comfortable shape. As he bent down, his eyes caught the light of the fire, and Samuel frowned. Where a normal person had color around the pupils of their eyes, Oto’s was only white. Samuel had never encountered someone with white eyes before. It was slightly eerie. It seemed to make the man seem unnatural as if something was slightly off.

Shaking his head to clear away the ridiculous thought, Samuel leaned over to ruffle through his rucksack. Grimr, still sitting by the fire, staring into the light with a slightly glazed expression on his face, seemed to come to at his movement, and glanced a question at the young mage as he retrieved a thick leather-bound book. He’d had the book made for him shortly before the final examinations, and had barely used it until now. It was clean and brand-new, with no signs of aging. The parchment that made up the pages was smooth and unwrinkled.

“Taking notes?” Grimr said, his tone dry. “Even outside of the college, you are a proper student.”

“Not quite,” Samuel replied, flashing Grimr a grin. “I’ve been thinking for a while, and I want to start my first book.”

“Ah.” The Ancient nodded his understanding. “I overheard you saying something of that sort to the steward. Something about compiling stories so that they can be more easily shared?”

“I’ll admit that was my first ambition,” Samuel said, tapping the feathery end of the quill he held against his chin, deep in thought. “But now I have something new I want to write about.”

“The true nature of magic perhaps?” Grimr said, making no attempt to hid his amusement.

Samuel looked up, surprised. “How did you know that?”

“I didn’t,” Grimr said, smirking at him. “It just seemed a logical guess. Magic, quite apart from being a natural skill for you, is the only thing I’ve seen spark such curiosity from you, apart from fantastic stories.”

Samuel paused to jot down a line as it came to him, then glanced back up at the Ancient. “Well, I suppose that’s fair. It’s just that all I’ve learned, both from you and the College, it all seems to contradict one another. Hopefully, with enough research, I can come up with a clearer theory.”

“You’ve gone from literary bard to newling professor,” Grimr said with a snort. “Well, at least it’s a practice that suits you. Do you know what you will call the book?”

“Hmm,” Samuel said, scratching his chin with the end of his quill once more. The thought hadn’t occurred to him. “Well, I suppose it should be something themed to physical, as it’s mainly physical magicks that I’m interested in beginning with, after studying you and Shigeru.”

Grimr nodded once more. “Logical. So, any ideas?”

“I just thought of one,” Samuel said. He paused for a second, feeling an odd pressure on his chest, as if he’d been destined to make, and more importantly, name this book. “I’m going to call it the Tome of the Body.”