Promise of the World [Canaan, Book 1]

Chapter Three || Guardians

The dragolins had since left their company with the advent of night, so only the unlikely duo meandered their way through the forest in search of food. Under Akari's guidance, Essairyn distinguished the edible plants and stored them all in her magic cache, a portable, personal inventory that those with sufficient magical ability could access. She had read about pocket spaces and virtual inventories in plenty of stories and video games, but never did she imagine that one day she would experience it personally herself. She knew that this world was magical, but it didn't lessen the surprise and thrill upon discovering these magical phenomenas.

"It's just how adventurers get by. Do you think we'd hike around with luggage and expect to fight properly in a battle? Or have ourselves get robbed in our sleep?"

The girl beamed. Akari had made a good point. Essairyn never thought about it from a logical standpoint in a magical world. The magic cache would definitely make her plan to travel the lands more convenient and enjoyable.

The fox chuckled at Essairyn's visible joy. In her past lives, Akari hadn't interacted with travelers all that much. In her first life, travelers hadn't existed. By the time she reincarnated into her second, she got caught up in the demon's inheritance conflict and never got to explore the new human parts of Sol'h'meyr. Thus, it was rather droll meeting someone who was so unfamiliar with the world.

"That makes me wonder," Essairyn thoughtfully began, "Does the magic cache also preserve food items?"

Akari nodded. "It does actually; it keeps food both cold and warm. Since humans usually don't have strong magical abilities, very rarely are they able to generate and use magic caches."

Essairyn's mouth opened slightly. This magic cache system really made her too giddy. The limitations of decomposition really was missing from this world. "But then what about lifespans in this world? Does magic preserve life longer?"

The fox thought for a moment. "Elementals, spirits, and demons do have long lifespans. Usually they die to external reasons rather than of old age, just like humans. Eventually, the magic which binds their soul and body together wear out. Or rather, it's their soul which wears out by being constantly attached to a body which magic fluctuates through." Akari paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how to explain life and death in a way that would be understood by Essairyn.

"Oh!" Her face brightened up as she thought of an analogy. "Imagine a stone surrounded by water in a river. The soul is the stone; magic is water, and the river is the world. Water constantly surrounds the stone, but the same water doesn't stay around it. Bodies are made of water, of magic. They are constantly refreshed with new water. Magical fluctuations are currents which moves the body, the water, and thus it moves the stone, the soul. But over time, water wears down the stone. Eventually, before the stone disappears completely, it must be removed from the river, from the world. It dies because it's no longer in the world."

Essairyn was speechless. The analogy was a strange one, but somehow very fitting. So the stone, the soul, dies because it's not in the river? So out of the river, where does the stone go? Does the new place allow it live because nothing can buffet it like currents in a river? The girl felt this was all very philosophical. She wondered if Akari being a god made her knowledgeable about life and death. "So stronger, denser rocks live longer, and weaker ones which water flows through more easily 'die' quicker?"

"Exactly! Does that explain how magic works in this world better?"

The girl slowly inclined her head in a partial nod. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a wry smile traced her lips. Yes, but it still feels mystifying. And it doesn't exactly explain how rocks can kill each other. They smack into one another, so the weaker one shatters? Looks like humans will never truly grasp life, death, and the afterlife.