"This creature is clearly not a bandit," Aiela added. "Those, you''ll find over there." She pointed in the direction of the bandits'' camp.


    <hr>


    "We have the Child of Fertility to thank for that," Venza said, turning a knowing gaze towards Aiela.


    Aiela’s hand shot up to stop her from speaking further. "I transformed the crops in Astamarr over several harvests with magic. The scholars at the magic academy and the Temple of the Four never figured out my spell, so they gathered the rumors of a child aiding farmers and twisted the story into something they could make sense of."


    Venza, however, said, "Well, she did threaten them, but the farmers look up to and feel they owe her too much to disrespect her wishes. The entire town does, really."


    Aiela spared her the pain of having to explain. "Venza''s technically a very powerful mage. Far above average. She was stronger than me when we met, actually, but let''s just say that due to certain issues, she has very few spells she can actually cast."


    That was right. Aiela had been ''breaking her way in'' to spheres of magic she hadn''t originally possessed by using other magic in similar ways, like purifying water with nature magic to learn water magic. She''d even somehow cheated her way into fire by burning people with hot water. The remaining rare spheres, however, were harder to cheat her way into, according to the talented mage.


    "Well," Tom began, looking embarrassed. "We met a Nature Mage once. He said you had to be born with magic. That you could never get it. Said it was a gift from the Four."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Hang on," Venza said. "You mean Tom isn''t a mage? Then how is he controlling Sally?"


    "Well, you kind of did go back for her when no one else would," Lauren said. "Most people wouldn''t risk their lives for a monster."


    "It is a significant advantage, certainly, but easy enough to disprove. Every so often, a farmer or gardener picks up a Nature Sphere from working with plants so much. Fishermen and sailors can sometimes gain affinity for Water Magic over their years of work at sea. It is rare, but not impossible, though much more difficult if you don''t have even a single Sphere to start with."


    "I didn''t say you did," Aiela said. "Only that you can."


    "It''s not magic," Venza said. "Well, technically it isn''t, though I guess she did make them with magic."


    "The street lamps are filled with a type of cave moss that glows in the dark," Venza explained. "Aiela, uh, improved them, like she did with the crops. Now, they light up the town automatically at night. We''ve put some up outside, too, for the farms and some houses, but someday, Aiela and I hope all of Astamarr will have light at night."


    Venza chuckled. "I''m not sure Aiela''s interested in anyone, though it''s not like we meet a lot of boys our age."


    "What do you think Aiela would have me do?" Lauren asked.