Chapter 2: Mage of the forbidden forest

Gina hovers over them, raising her hand, readying an attack. "Now let me ask, why do you seek me out, did they send you?" She squints her eyes watching them closely. "We mean you no harm i promise, we were sent here by my mother, Marta, do you know her? She said you'd help us. Here's some proof if you don't believe me." Zhyler pulls out the letter his mother wrote for him showing it to Gina. She floats down slowly, grabbing the letter and reads it her eyes slowly going from left to right. Whilst reading it her face gradually softens from a stern look to a more gentle one. "I see so she's no longer with us?" She stands in a moments silence holding the letter, Zhyler doesn't answer her the expression on his face is enough for her to figure it out for herself. She hands the letter back to him before she starts walking deeper into the forest. "I would appreciate it if you told me how she died on the way back to my house." "We have to get are supplies first from the cave." After they get the supplies from the cave, Gina starts leading them towards her house walking through the forest. On the Way Zhyler and Ursa tell her all that happened at the village and that the cultist were looking for something or someone called SHÉN XUĂN, her body jolted at the sound of the name as if she knew it, but the kids don't notice. "So the cultist finally got her." Gina whispers to herself while listening to the kids making sure they don't hear her. "Gina, i couldn't help but wonder, how did you and my mom know echother?" "How can you not see the resemblance, I'm your farthers older sister." "WHATTT?! You're my aunt??" "YOU'RE ZHYLER'S AUNT?! But Zhyler's father always said he was an only child." The two kids look flabbergasted at what she just told them. "Let's just say it's complicated and leave it there for today." They stop reaching the side of a cliff covered in moss with blue glowing mushrooms on it no where else to go witnessing this Zhyler and Ursa turn around to leave but Gina stops them taking out a glowing key with some runes on it and some vines with the same mushrooms that are on the cliff side growing on it. She inserts it into one of the small blue mushrooms shaped exactly like a door knob opening up the rocky cliff side like a door to reveal a beautiful large plain with short green grass, clear blue sky's, flowers planted throughout the field, and a clear view far as the eye can see with a big castle like house in the distance. Gorgeously bright colors. It looks like the complete opposite of the forest they were just in. she steps in ushering for the kids to follow. Seeing that they immediately rush in running around and jumping in the fields. Gina closes up the entrance and walks towards the house in the distance. "Come now kids." "Wait, that's where you live? I've only seen buildings like that in books." Ursa proclaims running towards the castle, Zhyler follows behind although he is not able to keep up, limping behind her due to his injury. They reach the castle, going inside it's much better than the outside, a soft purple carpet, red colored walls many doors leading To who knows where, strange potions and trinkets laying on shelfs throughout the room. "Ursa the bathroom is upstairs on the right, red door you won't miss it. You should go take a shower while I check up on Zhyler's wound." "Nope, not doing that. Me and Zhyler never leave echothers sides no matter what, like a knight woth his sword. Except for when he goes To the bathroom. If not that I'mnot leaving his side and he's not leaving mine." She stomps one foot on the ground proudly. Gina goes closer to her and whispers into her ear. "You haven't showered your entire journey here, you must stink. Do you really wanna be next to Zhyler right now? What might he think if he smells you?" Ursa hearing that quickly smells her self and shrinks back at her own stench, then immediately heads towards the bathroom as fast as she can. "Wait Gina why are you leaving. What did you even tell her?" "Don't worry too much Zhyler i just gave her some advice." Gina smirks at Zhyler confusing him even more, Afterwards Gina takes Zhyler to her medical room with a bed in the middle, she gestures for Zhyler to lay down, when he does she lifts his shirt to take a look at the wound she removes the bandages, and sees that it's swollen oozing pus and some blood. She wears a mask and glove than gets her tools and gently starts cleaning the wound. "This reminds me of all the times I'd take care of your farther after sword practice. He'd be covered in bruises tears in his eyes while he pretended it didn't hurt." Gina smiles fondly at the memory. "Wait hasn't dad always been using the bow? I do remember him bringing up sword fighting once." Zhyler groans in pain every word can be felt in his wound. "Well he did the sword first but switched to the bow for reasons but that's a story for another day. I need to focus on the wound now. The wound is pretty deep even one of your ribs got fractured." "Why can't you just use magic to heal it?" He struggles to even speak biting down on his lips to forget about the pain. "The way Healing magic works on a wound is by excelling the cell growth within the area of the wound whilst also feeding is oxygen and mana as nutrients. Doing that with germs or dirt can make it worse by quickening the growth of Said germs, and if the wound is swollen it can slow the process of healing and make it very painful. I also need to heal the fractured rib and that has it's own difficulties." Zhyler nods his head in understanding. She cleans his wound for a while then when she finishes she puts the tools away and starts to cast a spell her hands stretched out towards where the wound is. As she cast the spell her hands start to glow a warm green the same color of the grass outside in the field. His wound starts to close slowly the pain fading from his side. The healing process finishes quickly, after which Zhyler sits up on the bed feeling his side where the wound was, now it is no longer there. "You should be good for now if there's any pain at all tell right away. Understand?" Zhyler looks at her dumbfounded at the recovery speed of his wound, he knew that magic was powerful and amazing but not to this level, maybe this is what his mom wanted for him to learn. With power Like this he could get his revenge no problem. "PLEASE TEACH ME MAGIC!" Gina looks surprised at the sudden request. "Why should I teach you magic? It is a dangerous craft that not any person can just learn." "I've always wanted to be a mage and now that I'm trying to get my revenge I need it More than ever, with power like this i could wipe out all my en-." Gina hearing this cuts him off immediately. "I'm gonna stop you right there. Magic should never be used for killing, especially revenge. Magic may seem great but used for the wrong reasons, it will only corrupt you. I will not teach magic to someone who will only use magic for revenge. I made the mistake of teaching someone who had the wrong intentions my magic In the past, I will NOT make a mistake like that again." "Please this is to avenge my mother. This what she would have wanted." Gina looks at him enraged after hearing what he said "Shut it. If You think thats what your mother would have wanted then you don't know her. I will not be teaching you any magic until you find a real reason to learn it other than solely out of hatred for others. Now get out of my office get your supplies to your room on the top floor and leave me alone" Before he can speak back she lefts him with magic and puts him outside her room, then locks the door on him. Zhyler gets up frustrated that he won't get to learn magic from her. He gets his bags and everything else bringing it to his room. On his way there he runs into Ursa in the hallway bumping into her as he was looking at the ground and wasn't paying intention. He raises his head to apologize to her what he sees leaves him speechless. There stands Ursa in nothing but a towel wrapped in her hair and one covering her body his face instantly turns bright red. Ursa blushes gripping the towel tighter around her, while her other hand moves one strand of hair behind her hair giving him a smirk. "Be careful where you walk you flopping pervert." "I was just looking at the ground, it's not like I wanted to see you, I mean who would want To see you." "Are you calling me ugly?" "Wait what? Ofcourse not I just meant that." Ursa giggles at how nervous he's acting right now. "I'm just joking Zhyler no need to stress." She playfully punches in his shoulder before heading to her room. Zhyler breaths a sigh of relief before doing the same and going to his room. He unpacks everything and hits the showers afterwards he lays in his bed thinking about what Gina said to him about what his mother would really want him to do, in the middle of thinking about it he hears a knock at the door. Ursa comes through wearing a graceful blue sleeping gown that leaves a lot for the imagination. Zhyler's face gains a little rosiness, Ursa lightly sits on the bed next to Zhyler. "How did the treatment go?" Zhyler lifts his shirt showing her that there is no longer a wound on his side. "It's been healed completely, she used some healing magic to heal it faster." "That's wonderful Zhyler, I was really worried about you dying on me like some weak punk." He ruffles her hair up. "Who are you calling a weak punk? I think you're forgetting i fought a giant monster with this wound." "Hey stop that, i was there too remember, i swong my sword and beat that thing down so stop acting all high and mighty. Anyways forget about that, did you ask Gina what we're supposed to learn from her?" Ursa's attitude goes from playful to serious in an instant, Zhyler's smile fades before he lowers his head. "I did ask her to teach me magic but she out right refused after hearing that i wanted to use it to kill the cultist and get revenge. She refused stating that magic should never be used to take a life, and that my revenge would only lead me astray." "I think you should listen to her Zhyler, don't get me wrong i hate those cultist with every viber in my being, but she knows allot about this stuff and trust me killing someone is absolutely horrible. I can still hear the screams of the cultist i killed that day as he begged for his life, his screams about how he had a family to go back home to. I can hear it vividly ringing in my head, so trust me when i say that killing should never be the answer." Ursa's hands are shaking violently, her breathing getting heavier and her heartbeat quickning. Zhyler puts an arm around her side trying to reassure her. "It's ok Ursa, take deep breaths and calm down. I'm sorry for making you think about that, I'll think about what you told me but i cant guarantee I'll change my mind but you should head to bed and get some sleep." "Yeah you're right i should hit the hay, please just reconsider what i said. Goodnight." Ursa leaves heading to her room. Zhyler falls onto his back thinking about what Ursa just told him, and about what Gina said about what his mother would have really wanted, after awhile he falls asleep. "Mama it hurts so bad" 8 year old Zhyler cries out in pain as he bruised his knee, his mother slowly patches up his wound, in the porch of there comfy village home. "I know it Hurts honey but there's not much I can do other than put on some bandages, if I could I would take away all the pain." "When I see those bullies again I'm gonna shoot them with my bow." Zhyler proclaims angrily with a snotty nose. His mom pats him on his head gently. "Zhyler I've told you this before but you shouldn't use violence unless it's the only solution to the problem especially not a bow. What if you end up hurting him really badly and he dies? What then huh?" She looks him in the eyes awaiting his answer with gently yet stern look on her face. "Dad said I've gotten real good with the bow so I won't hit him somewhere fatal even if he dies what's the problem, me and dad kill wild animals all the time." "People aren't wild animals Zhyler, we can't just kill people they have families and things that they love and care about aswell. Unlike people animals are meant to be hunted and killed for food. Lives are fragile Zhyler and taking one is something not even an adult can bear." Zhyler looked at her confused at her but nodded anyway giving her a thumbs up sighn. "You worry too much mama I won't do that I promise. I may not understand what you mean but I just know mama doesn't want it so I won't use violence." She smiles gently patting him on the head just as she finishes patching up his wound, she gives it a little kiss before getting up onto her feet. "Come now your father is waiting for us." Zhyler gets up aswell and follows behind her. However the closer he gets to her the more a light shines in his eye till he's blinded after which he opens his eyes to find himself once again in Gina's humble home. The sun shines harmoniously through the fire orange colored curtains giving the room a nice glow, birds are also flying past his room chirping a beautiful tone. He takes a breath gathering his thoughts, whilst he does that he moves to sit on the side of the bed, after sometime of sitting there looking clueless he finally decides on what he truly wants to do moving forward. Just at that moment Ursa knocks at The door beckoning him to come down to the living room for breakfast, afterwards she rushes down stares to go help Gina prepare everything. Zhyler takes a quick shower changing into some clean clothes, before heading downstairs to see Gina and Ursa already at the table waiting on him. Gina has a simple dress on that compliments her eyes very well it's, obviously it's been worn allot noticeable by the tears all over it truly befitting of there status but she pays no Mind to That happily indulging in the soup that Gina prepared. Gina on the other hand has on an elegant purple dress with multiple precise details on it, not a single scratch on it and a dark black witch hat contrasting her beautiful long white hair. "What are you waiting for, take a sit before the soup gets cold." Gina points to the seat across from Ursa. Zhyler hastily moves to take his seat then immediately begins eating the soup. "So Zhyler have you thought about why I should teach you magic" Gina asks slurping up her soup as if it were a cup of tea. "You're right Gina, I was letting my anger guide me with a mindset like that I would not be able to go far. I shouldn't focus on revenge, if i keep going on like this I'll only end up hurting someone I care about or take a life of someone who has nothing to do with it. I still want revenge that won't be changing for awhile but I won't let that be my strength, after all I have an amazing girl to protect." Zhyler smiles brightly giving her puppy dog eyes. "Good enough kid I'll take that answer. Fine I'll teach you Magic so get ready I'm teaching the girl too we start after dinner." Zhyler jumps out his seat in pure bliss before Gina slaps him on his head for spilling his soup.