*8*

It's been a few days since we found out that a Blood Demon was wandering around the area. I haven't found any other bite marks on me and all the farms we'd visited reported that no more of their livestock was being attacked. Crae and I agreed that even though we seemed in the clear, the moment our guards were to drop is when the demon would attack again. Crae told them to give it at least a week before allowing things to return to normal.

In the days that Crae and I stayed in the cottage, we worked on strengthening my leg muscles. It was slowly getting easier and my legs weren't as sore as the first day. I was able to do more reps longer. I think Crae is right; the longer I'm here, the faster I'm healing. I don't feel as weak as I used to and I actually sleep well and can do more things on my own without help.

I wish I had known more about this place when I was younger. I probably wouldn't be in the situation I was when Crae first found me. Things happen for a reason, I guess.

"Kyrene," I looked up from a book I had been learning to read on the couch. "I am very surprised on how well you have been doing with strengthening your legs. I'm thinking that sometime next week we can start trying to get you to stand. Then eventually walk."

I smiled. "That would be nice. Hey, Crae, completely off topic, but I have a question about this."

"What is it?" He asked as he stood to look over my shoulder.

I pointed to a passage in the book. "It says here that Druids fall into many categories that are determined by the Fucrya Academy Counsel. What does that mean?"

"Ah, yes." He stood upright and held his hands behind his back. "The Fucrya Academy of Magical Arts. A place where one first finds out about the magical talents they have. It determines what category they're put in. There are fighters, healers, and defenders, as well as sub categories. I don't think you'd have to worry about that right now since you're an Orelie. They tend to be the ones dealing most of the damage from the back of the group; the rangers if you will."

I nodded to myself. "How much do you really know about the Orelie?"

He sighed through his nose. "I know enough. I know that they are a dying breed. I know that they are naturally born weak and can't defend themselves too well against many opponents. You see, Orelie can use their sight to find an enemy's vitals and strike. But they can only focus on one target at a time."

"That's not good," I closed the book. "There's no other way for me to go up against multiple people?"

"You'd have a better chance of surviving only if I was there." He stated bluntly. "Other than that, you wouldn't last too long." He took the book from my hands and placed it back on the bookshelf.

"But we won't have to worry about that now," He fixed his shirt as he stood before me. "You and I need to take a trip to Silver Valley. We're running low on provisions and we need to restock." I held my arms out and I was placed on his hip. He locked the door and we were on our way.

"Can you carry everything on your own?" I asked.

"No need," He said. "I'll show you a trick to how I never come home with a single item. I am a Mage with many talents, after all."

"Oh, right." I felt stupid. "Duh. Magical powers allow you to do anything you want."

"Not entirely true." He said. "There are many limitations to what we can do and how long we can do it. Our magic is limited. Even though we may strengthen it and make it seem infinite, it will wear down and tire us out if we use too much of it all in one shot. Moderation is key when in a fight."

"I see." I nodded. "So, since I have no magical training, my magic is basically at zero?"

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. You most likely have a bunch of untapped power in you. It's just that you never had a chance to actually use it. That's where I come in. I will help you unlock what has been hidden inside you."

"But first I have to walk?" I asked.

"But first you have to walk." He nodded. "You're actually doing a very good job at it for what we've done so far. I can see that you're getting stronger by the day. This land does have an impact on you and your health."

"I can tell myself." I touched my cheeks, feeling that the wounds Ella had given me were pretty much healed. If I were still on Earth, I'd still be suffering from sore cheeks and having my bandages changed every hour.

We entered the town and the first stop we made was to the vegetable stand. Crae grabbed a canvas bag and began placing things into it. I tilted my head. They look like vegetables, but I couldn't be too sure.

Crae soon filled three bags with the groceries. He paid for them. "Now, watch this." He waved his hand slowly over the bags. They rose in the air a few inches then disappeared with a tiny puff of smoke.

"They vanished!" I exclaimed.

"They're put away where they belong." He said. "Now, watch." He pointed to where we grabbed the bags. They reappeared folded back up.

"That's real cool." I looked back to Crae. "How did you do that?"

"It's just a simple transport spell." He said as we moved on. "When you are strong enough to venture out on your own, you will need to know this spell."

"Okay." I nodded.

We soon moved on to the next stop. Crae gathered many items that he said we would need. No matter how many times he used the transportation spell, I was amazed. I couldn't wait until I could start learning magic of my own.

The sun was starting to set when we finished up with the shopping. "Alright, that's it for the day. Let's head home." He adjusted his hold on me and we headed back towards the cottage.

"Mister Crae!" He stopped and turned. "Mister Crae, is it really true? You found an Orelie?" A young woman stood before us, her black hair bobbing past her chin.

"Ah, Mystic." Crae smiled to her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

She crossed her arms. "Don't avoid my question. I've heard that an Orelie is here and you have her!" People in our general area began to turn and look at the word. I began to grow uncomfortable at the stares and whispers.

"And!" I focused back to the woman. "You haven't introduced me to the one you have attached to your hip."

"Mystic, now isn't the time." Crae tried to tell her. "The sun is going down. We all need to get home and make sure our silver powder and iron dust is in place."

She pouted. "No fair. I'll be stopping by tomorrow."

Crae sighed. "Must you really?"

"Yes!" She stomped her foot. "And you can't stop me. See you tomorrow!" Before Crae could get another word in, she raced off.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "She can be a real pain sometimes. Let's go, Kyrene." We continued back to the cottage, this time at a faster pace. The sun was setting fast and we wanted to get back before it got too dark.

The sun officially set the second Crae unlocked the door. He stepped inside and shut it tightly. "Made it. I'll go make supper." He set me down in a chair in the sitting room and went to the kitchen. I relaxed into the chair and sighed to myself.

Who was that woman in the market? Crae seemed to know her, but why was I never told about her? I'll ask him over our meal.

As I waited, I looked at my arm. The bite marks were pretty much healed by now. I ran my finger over the slightly raised skin. This world really is great for me. I never want to return to Earth. I don't want to feel vulnerable again.

Crae came into the sitting room after a while and we ate our meal in silence for the first part of it. The question blurted out of my mouth before I could hold it back.

"Who was that woman in the market?"

"Hm?" Crae swallowed his bite. "Ah, you mean Mystic. She's a friend of mine. She's also a Druid like me and focuses mainly on water based magic. She can preform the same spells as I can, but she decided to hone her skills in on mainly the water spells. She comes from a town called Millpost, a town known for it's fishing, so it made sense. I just never imagined I'd find her this far from her home town."

"I see." I nodded. "And how did she find out about me being an Orelie?"

He shook his head. "She's real in tune with the Fairies. Word with them travels fast so it's no wonder she found out so soon after you got here. She might have come this way just to see if it was true. I should have expected this. Too late now."

"Let's not worry about it right now." He waved it off. "We'll just tell her a little about you and how I found you, then we'll send her on her way and have her promise to keep quiet about you for a little while longer."

"Why?" I asked. "Wouldn't everyone be happy that I am here?"

"Do you want witches and rogue Druids to come after you?" He looked at me through the corner of his eyes.

"No..." I stuffed a couple bites in my mouth to stop talking.

"So we'll keep her quiet about this," He continued. "Only a few people must know about you; people I trust. We can also trust the Fairies, since they only divulge information to those they trust."

"That's good." I nodded. I finished my meal and stifled a yawn. "I think I'll be going to bed soon."

"I'll take you up," He set his half filled plate down and started to stand.

"No, I think I got it." I slid out of the chair and began crawling to the stairs.

I didn't get very far. "It's alright, I don't mind." He swung me up on to his hip and carried me the rest of the way up to my room.

"Good night, Kyrene," He set me in the bed and snuffed my light out. I waited until he was back downstairs before I sat up and looked out my window. Stars glittered across the clear sky. I scanned the sky for each constellation I could remember.

He must be getting tired of doing this for me. It's only a matter of time before he can't handle all the maintenance I require. But then again, I'll be able to walk on my own again. He won't have to do everything for me. I just have to wait a little bit longer until then. After that, I won't be a burden again.

My eyes widened as something streaked across the field outside the fence. I ducked down and hid under the covers. I don't want to see it. I don't know what it was, and I don't want to find out.

I think I'll just go to bed.