Across the Sea: Part Three

NARRATOR NOTE:

Hello readers! Apologies for another interruption, but I just wanted to say that the reason that this is a short chapter this week, is because it's currently my birthday! (December 8th) And i've been busy with work since it's the holiday season. Also, it has also been over a year since I first started this story! I wanted to thank everyone who has read, favourited, bookmarked, liked and commented on this weird story of mine, the fact is nearly has 200k views is mind-blowing! Thank you all again. I wish you all well, and a happy holidays! - JZ

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BACK IN THE REAL WORLD:

John begins to awaken as he feels the effects of the sleep dust begin to wear off. As he starts to open his eyes, he sees the blurry form of someone lying in front of him.

John then opens his eyes fully, and he sees Amilia staring right at him, "Rise and shine, sleepy head."

John then moves his head back a little, looking around and seeing that they're in his and Kyuala's room. John then looks back at the cat before asking, "Amilia? What are you doing in my room?"

Amilia lightly gasps, "Really? You don't remember our passionate, mind-blowing, night of lovemaking? Oooh, you filled me in ways that i've longed for. You... made me feel like a woman for the first in years. Our souls became one as our bodies joined in the beauty of natural pleasure."

John looked at the obviously overacting Amilia with an unamused gaze, "Even if there was a minute chance of me even consider believing that story, there's just one teeny, tiny bit of proof that contradicts all of that... we're still wearing clothes."

Amilia looks at him with a gleeful, glowing expression for a few seconds before dropping back into her usual one, "Alright, maaaaybe I lied a little. I thought I'd have some fun with the situation."

Just then, the door to the room is opened, and in walls Kyuala.

"Good, you're okay. Lani was worried she used a little too much powder."

Kyuala then walks over to John and the two share a kiss that lasts for a couple seconds. Kyuala then looks over to Amilia before jokingly scolding her, "That's the only time you ever sleep in a bed with my husband."

Amilia then stands up, a grin on her face as she responds, "Who says we were sleeping?" She then gives the couple a quick wink before leaving.

As the door closes, John turns to Kyuala with a questioning look. Kyuala then explains, "She was still drooling when you went to sleep, so I put you both on the bed. I don't know why I thought that would be a good idea to be honest, but at least you're alright."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm mostly wondering about how long she was staring at me while I was out" John says.

Kyuala chuckles, "Amilia tends to get bored quite easily, so I would assume it was less than five minutes."

"Oh, cause that's comforting."

Kyuala chuckles as she kisses John on the forehead, "You're so cute when you're annoyed. Anyway, we should go let Lani know you're awake. She's been chewing her nails ever since you fell asleep."

Kyuala then brings John up, pulling him into another quick kiss before the duo leave the room.

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LANI AND TERRA'S ROOM:

John and Kyuala walk into the room, and Lani immediately flies up to John.

"Are you okay?! I didn't use too much, did I?! Did you talk to the angels?! What did they say?!"

"Lani..." Terra says, trying to quell the fairy's rapid questioning.

Lani quickly realizes how frantic her quick questioning was, and so she says, "I'm sorry John, it's just-"

"I know Lani. It's alright" John interrupts.

Lani gives John a small, quick smile before flying back down onto the small bedside table. John then says, "To answer your questions: Yes I'm fine. You used enough... I think? I did talk to angels, and you were right."

"I knew it! Everything seemed too perfect to not consider a coincidence!" Lani's expression then turns into one of sadness, "I just can't believe an angel would turn me into a..."

John then has a sad look on his face, "About that..."

Lani is confused, her eyes locking onto John who is looking down at the floor, "I asked Hylaega why she turned you into a pixie... that's when she said that... she didn't."

Lani's expression falls into shock as she can't believe what she just heard. A pit then forms in Lani's stomach as Terra asks, "Well... what does that mean?"

John takes a moment, still unable to look up before saying, "It means-"

"I was already a pixie" Lani interrupts, finishing John's sentence for him.

The trio look at Lani who is on the verge of tears. Her knees are now close to her chest as her head hangs in-between them. The sniffles of the start of a cry are quickly heard, and tears begin to fall down to the table beneath her.

Terra then moves over to Lani before saying, "Hey, it doesn't matter what you are, you are our friend. We love you no matter if you're a fairy or pixie."

Lani then looks up at Terra, tears streaming down her face. Lani wants to speak, but John interrupts, "Elliyah did tell me that you're still able to go home... if that helps."

Lani then looks at John, her mind racing soon after. After a few moments of pondering, Lani says, "I'm not a full pixie."

The trio look amongst themselves with Kyuala commenting, "A full pixie? There are parts to being a pixie now?"

"Kyuala..." John says, causing Kyuala to keep quiet.

Lani then mutters to herself for a few seconds before looking back to the group, "There is a lot we don't know about pixies, but we know that they can't enter the fairy realm. So, if what Elliyah says is true... then I can't be a full pixie."

"That would be the logical explanation" Terra says.

Lani then shoots over to John, "Did they say anything about pixies?! Or why I can go home?!"

John is stunned, "Uhh... no, they didn't."

Lani is a little disheartened, but that's when John continues, "Actually, they really didn't want to talk about them at all. I don't know exactly what, but they were definitely hiding something about them."

This information perks Lani right back up as she starts frantically muttering to herself once again. Lani then makes her bag appear before quickly pulling out a little notebook and begins rapidly writing.

"Uhh, should we go?" Kyuala asks.

"I'm not sure" John responds.

Lani continues muttering to herself as she jots something down, but all of a sudden, she says, "I have to go home."

Terra, Kyuala and John are all stunned, the three just looking amongst one another, waiting for someone to say something. Eventually, John asks, "You can just do that?"

"Yep! It's actually quite simple... for a fairy anyway."

"But doesn't that require any sort of ingredients? Or some sort of exchange?" Terra inquires.

"To add to that, how exactly does magic work here? I remember Lani said that it requires a sacrifice, but I've seen Terra cast spells without doing anything."

"Oh, I guess I should've explained more clearly. I was just so excited about having a companion when you dropped in! Anyway, to answer your question, there are four levels to magic. The first two use one type of energy whilst the other two have a primarily used and a lesser used energy. Minor Magic is the first level which is mostly potions, stuff that absolutely need ingredients like herbs, flower etc. There are also a few minor spells that only require a minute amount of physical energy which is the first level to use only one type of energy. The second level is Intermediate Magic, that requires less ingredients, and a little more physical sacrifice. Intermediate is mostly consisted of defensive spells like wards, barriers and others like that. This level also only uses physical energy, so the longer your barrier is up, the more tired you get. Luckily, the amount of energy it takes isn't huge, so a physically fit mage can have a ward up for at least a day. The third level is Advanced Magic, and since Terra is a master at Advanced, I shall let her explain."

Terra then continues on, "Advanced Magic is mostly offensive magic with spells including fire, water, plant and stone, but there are quite a few healing variations as well. Advanced Magic uses a mixture of physical energy and life energy. It is mostly physical energy, but also uses life energy. The life energy can be extremely crucial at certain points. For example, if you are severely wounded, an advanced spell can potentially seal your fate. Most advanced spells don't take away too much life energy, so you can regain life energy rather quickly. But, you can also avoid the use of life energy by using a staff."

Terra then picks up her staff and holds it in front of her, "When a mage gets a staff, they have the ability to transfer a small part of their soul into the orb, which completely negates the need for physical and life energy usage. It is quite a risk however as if the orb is destroyed, the part of the soul is irretrievable. Most mages keep the part of their soul in their orb at all times, but I take the safe route with my staff, so I retrieve the part of my soul before I go to sleep. Advanced Magic also technically covers Sex Magic, but that's just derived from physical energy and the power of the Angel of Copulation and Fornication, Hylaega."

Lani then takes back over, "The final level is known as Expert Magic. It primarily uses life energy, but it also uses soul energy. Unfortunately, the use of a staff doesn't avert the use of the soul energy, so most Expert Magic users don't bother with one when casting. Expert Magic is consisted of large and hefty attacks which are usually used as a last resort to finish battles, skirmishes, even wars. I've seen some attacks vary from towering walls of fire to blocks of ice raining down. There has also been legends of powerful mages making wyverns out of their chosen element, but most people blow it off as stories made up by bards."

"And what about you?" John asks.

"Well, considering we fought a woman who literally brought an army back from the dead, I'm sure that there are mages powerful enough to possibly conjure one."

"Speaking of Imoga..." Terra interjects, "We should tell him about Dark Magic as well."

"Yeah, definitely tell him. I'll just listen to make sure he gets it all" Kyuala says, earning a chuckle from the room.

Lani then begins, "Okay, while there are only four recognised levels of magic, technically there's a fifth level which is Dark Magic. Dark Magic is the most costly of all levels as it uses life and soul energy, but it also uses your body."

John and Kyuala make confused faces which leads Terra to continue, "When one uses Dark Magic, their body is literally consumed, little by little, until nothing but their skeleton remains."

John and Kyuala are shocked, but as they hear those words, one person pops into mind. John then asks, "Is that what happened to Imoga?"

"Yes, but her instance was different than usual. A regular necromancer can bring themselves back from the dead, but only if they use a lot of dark magic before their death. The result of this is that some of their skin gets consumed, and you look like a half-undead being. Imoga however, was a blood mage. She used her own blood in a resurrection ritual which caused her consumption to be even more rapid" Terra answers.

"There are a lot of spells that can come under dark magic as well..." Lani says before continuing, "Resurrection obviously, there's also demon summoning, shadow casting, and life syphoning, just to name a few."

After hearing about all the different types of magic, Kyuala then asks, "So, what does fairy magic come under?"

"Fairy magic doesn't come under any specific level per se, but if I were to classify it, I would say it mostly comes under Advanced. Fairy magic is a lot of diversion and illusion, but we do have some attacking spells as well. Those however, are a last resort to protect ourselves and our companions" Lani answers.

John then asks a question which brings Lani's mood back down, "What about pixie magic?"

Lani is silent for a few moments, thinking back to her current dilemma. She eventually snaps out of her over-thinking mind before answering, "We don't actually know. Our most knowledgeable elders have pondered over it for years, but they can only theorize that it's potentially a mixture of dark and fairy magic."

Terra then has an idea, "So, theoretically... if you are a half-pixie... you could master both fairy and pixie magic."

Lani's eyes open a little, Terra's words surprising her. Lani then begins internally debating for a few moments before saying, "Let's not put the cart before the horse here. I still have to go home and find out how I became a half-pixie, and why I'm only feeling it now."

"Is there a way to tell the difference between a fairy and a pixie?" Kyuala asks.

"Pixies have a minor physical change. After becoming a pixie, their wings will darken, and the colour of their eyes will change to a mixture of purple and silver" Lani explains.

"So, do we just wait to see if any of that happens to you then?" John asks.

"I guess...? One of those usually happens with a week or two of becoming a pixie, so please tell me if any of you notice anything."

The trio agree with Lani's request which grants her a small peace of mind. Her mind then quickly turns back to her next course of action, "Before I go, I should explain something."

The trio are now concerned about Lani's next words, "Time works... differently in the fairy realm. For example, an hour in Fucknowswhat is equivalent to around six in the fairy realm. I don't know how long I will be away, but I will try to be back as soon as I find out what is happening to me."

Lani then flies over to John and hugs him, "I'm sorry that I'm abandoning you again."

"You're not abandoning me Lani, you're looking for answers about something incredibly important. Plus, it's not like you're leaving for good, you better not be anyway."

Lani chuckles, "I won't, I promise you."

Lani then looks at Kyuala, "Please keep him safe."

Kyuala smiles, "I always will."

Lani smiles back at Kyuala before turning to face Terra, "I'm trusting you to be John's guide until I come back."

Terra chuckles, "It would be my honour."

Lani then finally let's go of John before finally saying, "I will be as quick as I can. Just make sure to keep the boat afloat until we get to Mulvenscroll, okay?"

The group agree with a shared laugh, but Lani then adds, "And please tell Amilia to be somewhat sensible."

"There's more chance of platinum literally raining from the skies than Amilia behaving sensibly" Kyuala responds which causes the group to laugh once again.

Lani then gives one more quick hug to the trio before digging into her bag and pulling out what appears to be a small chunk of chalk. Lani then closes her eyes for a second, and suddenly, a pink glow then appears around the chalk. Lani then begins drawing a circle in the air with the chalk causing a pink glowing circle to appear.

The circle then begins to fill in by itself as the trio watches on in amazement. As the circle completes, a golden spark then happens in the far right of the circle and not long after, that spark turns into a handle. Lani then grabs the handle before saying, "The doorway to the realm of fairies, not a lot of people get to see this, so consider this a little treat."

Lani then opens the door, and the trio see something breath-taking.

An insanely huge building like multiple castles merged together sits upon an ivory cloud far from the door. The building at the incredible distance already looks several hundred, maybe even a thousand metres long, so the trio can only speculate just how big it is up close.

Lani then smiles at their reactions before saying, "That is the Academy of the Fae. It's where every fairy goes to learn how to become a guide. Unfortunately, I can't show you three any more, so I'll see you all soon!"

Lani then steps through the door, and after she does, the circle fades and the door disappears with a pink sparkle falling to the floor afterward.

The trio just look in amazement, "I am so glad I decided to come along with you all" Terra comments.

"Was it really a choice? We were kind of your only option" John says in response.

"You do have a point."

After a few more moments of staring at the empty space that used to house the door to the fairy realm, Kyuala says, "We better go find Amilia, we've left her unattended for too long."

"Agreed" John and Terra say in unison before the trio head to the door.