"I was looking for a dragon," I answered honestly.
Lumine tilted her head, confused.
"Dragon? You mean those annoying, proud creatures with scales and wings?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "Do you know any?"
"Of course," she replied naturally. "There are several in the northern mountains. They're noisy, always fighting over territories and treasures. My sister says they're like big children with anger management issues."
"That's the most accurate description of a dragon I've ever heard," I admitted.
Lumine smiled at my reaction, but then furrowed her brow.
"Why are you looking for a dragon? You don't seem very... combative."
"I want to learn magic," I explained. "Spells, incantations, all of it. Dragons are wise, aren't they? I thought one might teach me."
Lumine processed this information. Her wings fluttered softly, as if thinking for themselves.
Then, without warning, she raised her hand.
A small sphere of light appeared in her palm. It floated gently, spinning on itself like a tiny miniature sun. Then, the sphere began to transform. It stretched, took shape, and from it emerged a luminous butterfly.
The butterfly flapped its wings — wings that cast golden sparkles in all directions — and fluttered around Lumine's head. It made a couple of circles, danced in the air, and finally dissipated into thousands of tiny sparkles that fell like stardust.
"Something like that?" Lumine asked with an innocent smile.
My jaw hit the floor. Metaphorically. Because it was still attached to my face, but barely.
"YES!" I shouted, jumping off the rock. "EXACTLY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"
Larry and Lana, who were dozing peacefully, jumped in fright. Larry shot me a murderous look. Lana simply snorted and changed position.
"That's magic!" I continued, pointing at where the butterfly had disappeared. "That's exactly what I want to learn!"
Lumine looked at me, amused by my reaction.
"Do you want me to teach you?"
The world stopped.
"YOU... YOU WANT TO TEACH ME?"
"Yes," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I can teach you sacred magic. It's what I know best."
"SACRED? SACRED MAGIC? A CELESTIAL TEACHING ME SACRED MAGIC?"
"Why are you shouting so much?"
"BECAUSE I'M EXCITED!"
Larry growled something. Lumine listened and laughed.
"He says if you don't calm down, he'll bite you."
"LARRY, DON'T RUIN THIS MOMENT!"
---
Lumine crossed her arms and emitted a thoughtful sound. "Mmmmm..." It was a curious sound, as if she were weighing options that only existed in her celestial head.
"I'll teach you," she finally said. "But in exchange..."
"In exchange for what?" I asked, willing to accept almost anything.
She smiled. It was a small, almost shy smile.
"In exchange for you joining me on my journey."
I blinked.
"That's it?"
"I don't want to travel alone," she admitted. "The gods I mentioned before... sometimes they look for me. And your wolves are fun. And you're interesting. I think I'd like to have company."
I looked at Larry. Larry looked at me. Then he looked at Lana. Lana yawned.
"What do you two say?" I asked my wolves. "Shall we join her?"
Larry got up, approached Lumine, and sniffed her from head to toe. Then he returned to my side and nodded his head. A gesture so human it almost made me laugh.
Lana simply approached Lumine and rested her head on her lap.
"I think that's a yes," I said, smiling. "I accept, Lumine. We'll travel together."
Lumine's smile widened until it lit up her entire face. It was a genuine smile, pure, enveloping the recipient in a feeling of warmth.
"So we are..." she began, searching for the word.
"Friends," I completed. "The word is friends."
"Friends?" she tried the word in her melodic language. "What does it mean?"
"It's..." I cleared my throat, thinking how to explain. "It's someone you share moments with. Someone you trust. Someone who accepts you as you are, with your quirks and flaws. Someone you want to be with, not out of obligation, but because their company makes you happy."
Lumine was silent for a moment, processing my words.
"My sister is that," she finally said. "She is my friend."
"Yes. Exactly."
"Then you are my friend now," she declared, as if it were an irrefutable fact. "And Larry and Lana too."
Larry wagged his tail. Lana purred — yes, purred — and I smiled.
"Welcome to the group, Lumine. We're a disaster, but we're a united disaster."
---
The afternoon progressed as we prepared our improvised camp. Lumine watched curiously as I gathered wood and lit a campfire — very carefully, the lesson from the fire was still very present.
When the fire crackled and the flames danced, Lumine positioned herself in front of me. Larry and Lana sat at my sides, like two furry sentinels.
"It's time for your first lesson," she announced.
I straightened up, trying to look like a serious and dedicated student. Which was difficult considering I was dressed in tiger hides and had a wolf drooling on my left.
"Magic," Lumine began, with a tone that tried to be solemn but came out adorable, "is the manifestation of will upon reality. There are many types of magic, based on different sources and principles."
She raised a finger.
"I use sacred magic. It's the magic born from faith, from belief in something divine. In my case, I believe in my sister. She is my goddess, my creator, my everything. That faith allows me to channel her power and manifest it in the world."
"And if I don't have a goddess?" I asked.
"There are other types of magic," she explained. "Demonic magic, based on pacts and desires. Elemental magic, based on the spirits of nature. Arcane magic, based on study and knowledge. But they all share a basic principle: will."
She stepped closer.
"To use sacred magic, you must believe in something divine. It doesn't have to be my sister. It can be any deity, any superior being, any transcendent concept in which you place your faith."
I closed my eyes.
Believe in something divine. What could I believe in?
I wasn't religious in my previous life. I didn't pray, didn't worship, didn't have faith in anything beyond the tangible.
But then I understood.
There was something I believed in. Something that had proven itself time and again these months. Something that was the only constant in my new life.
Me.
I believed in myself.
I believed in my ability to survive, to adapt, to keep going despite everything. I'd spent four months in a hostile world, facing dangers that would have killed any normal human. And I was still here. Still alive. Still moving forward.
That was my faith.
"In myself," I whispered. "I believe in myself."
And then I felt it.
A warmth that began in my chest and spread throughout my body. It wasn't painful, but comforting, like an internal embrace. Energy, pure and bright, flowing through every fiber of my being.
I opened my eyes.
My hands glowed faintly with a silver light.
Lumine smiled, and in her red eyes I saw approval.
"You felt it," she said. "That is your sacred magic. Different from mine, but equally valid. Believing in yourself... it's beautiful, Sunny."
The light faded as suddenly as it had appeared. I felt slightly dizzy, as if I'd run a marathon in seconds.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Magic is like a muscle," Lumine explained. "You need to train it to grow. At first, it runs out quickly. But with practice, your reserve will increase. And over time, you'll be able to do incredible things."
"How long?"
"It depends on you. On your dedication, your will. My sister says humans have unlimited potential. They just need to discover it."
I looked at my hands, where the silver light had shone.
"And Larry and Lana?" I asked. "Can they learn magic?"
Lumine turned to the wolves. She approached them, knelt, and for a moment, her eyes became distant as she communicated with them in that silent way.
The wolves responded with whines and ear movements. It seemed like a serious conversation.
Finally, Lumine stood up.
"They can learn," she confirmed. "But not sacred magic. They lack the ability to believe in abstract concepts. However, they can learn to use their life force. Natural energy."
"Will that make them stronger?"
"Stronger, faster, more resistant. And over time, bigger. They could become as big as..." she searched for the word. "As the trees, or more."
I looked at Larry. Larry looked at me. His expression clearly said "I want to be huge."
"Can I learn that too?" I asked. "The life force thing."
Lumine nodded.
"Yes. But don't mix disciplines at the beginning. Focus on one. Sacred magic first. Then, when you master it, you can expand."
"Understood."
"So," Lumine smiled. "We'll start early tomorrow. Rest today. Your first contact with magic has tired you more than you think."
She was right. Suddenly, I felt a deep fatigue, as if my body had used reserves I didn't even know existed.
"Thank you, Lumine," I said with a smile.
She tilted her head, confused.
"That's what friends are for, isn't it?"
I smiled.
"Yes. That's what they're for."
---
That night, the campfire crackled cheerfully as I roasted several fish I'd caught in the lake. Larry and Lana devoured a mountain of raw fish — they'd hunted themselves, proud of their autonomy — with an enthusiasm that was a little frightening.
Lumine sat in front of the fire, her wings comfortably folded. The glow of the flames danced on her face, making her red eyes shine like embers.
"Lumine," I asked while turning the fish. "Where did you live before?"
She was silent for a moment, looking at the flames.
"I lived with my sister," she replied. "In a forest. A beautiful forest, green and wonderful. The trees were so tall they touched the clouds. The animals were peaceful, never fought. There was always delicious fruit, of all colors and flavors. And food... my sister cooked incredible things."
Her voice became soft, nostalgic.
"At night, my sister would sing me songs. She taught me many. Songs about the stars, about the wind, about love. Her voice was... like river water. Calm. Steady. Beautiful."
"It must be wonderful to have a sister like that," I said.
"It is," she nodded. "I miss her. But I also wanted to explore. To understand the world. And she understood that. She told me to come back when I was ready, with stories to tell."
"She sounds like a good sister."
"She's the best."
"Lumine," I said, changing the subject. "Could you sing one of those songs? The ones your sister taught you."
She looked at me, surprised.
"You want to hear?"
"Yes. I'd like that."
Lumine smiled. And then, with a gesture, she created a guitar from nothing. It was beautiful, made of shiny wood with golden inlays that matched the patterns on her dress.
She began to play.
Music flowed from her fingers like spring water. Soft, melodic notes that wove an atmosphere of peace around the campfire. Larry stopped snoring. Lana lifted her head. Even the wind seemed to calm down to listen.
And then Lumine sang.
Her voice was... I have no words. It was as if every note was made of light and hope. She sang in her celestial language, the words strange but beautiful, full of long vowels and soft consonants. I didn't understand the lyrics, but I understood the feeling.
It spoke of love. Of home. Of a sister waiting with open arms. Of stars guiding the way back.
When she finished, the last note hung in the air for a moment before fading away.
And I... I was crying.
Silent tears rolled down my cheeks, falling onto my hide clothes. I wasn't sobbing, wasn't trembling. I was simply crying, because the song had touched something deep inside me.
My family. My home. Everything I had lost.
Lumine looked at me with concern.
"Sunny? Are you okay?"
"Yes," I managed to say, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. "Yes, I'm fine. It just... reminded me of things. Of people. Of..."
I couldn't finish the sentence.
Lumine put the guitar aside and approached. Without saying anything, she sat beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. Her wings gently enveloped us, creating a warm, protected space.
"It hurts," she whispered. "I know. But you're not alone, Sunny. Now you have us."
Larry, as if understanding the situation, got up and rested his enormous head on my lap. Lana did the same from the other side.
The moment broke when Lumine wrinkled her face and said:
"Something smells burnt."
I blinked.
"What?"
"Something is burning."
My eyes widened like plates. I turned my head toward the campfire and...
"MY FISH!"
A column of black smoke rose from where the fish had been. I ran toward them, but it was too late. They were charcoal. Fish charcoal. Ash shaped like fish.
"NO!" I shouted. "It took me hours to catch them!"
Larry, the wretch, let out a growl that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
"YOU SHUT UP!" I yelled at him. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT FOR BEING SO CUTE AND DISTRACTING ME!"
Larry wagged his tail. He clearly felt no guilt.
Lumine approached and looked at the charred remains.
"Can they be eaten?"
"No. They can't be eaten. This is... this is ash. Ash with the awareness that it was once fish."
"What a shame," said Lumine, without much conviction. "I was hungry."
"WE WERE ALL HUNGRY!"
Lana approached the remains, sniffed, and sneezed. A cloud of black ash covered her face.
Now we were all covered in ash.
"This," I said, looking at my group, "is the most pathetic thing I've seen in my life. And I've seen very pathetic things. Larry, I saw you slip down a hill chasing a butterfly."
Larry growled.
"Well. I guess tonight we'll dine on... berries?"
"I found a bush earlier," Lumine offered.
"Are they poisonous?"
"I don't know."
"Great. Perfect. Exactly what I needed. A night of prehistoric berry roulette."
Larry approached and began eating the berries without any caution.
"LARRY, NO!"
Larry chewed, swallowed, and looked at me.
"See?" said Lumine. "He trusts his instincts."
"Larry also tried to eat a cactus last week. His instincts are questionable."
Larry growled. Self-defense.
In the end, we survived the night. The berries were surprisingly not poisonous, and Larry didn't die. As for Lana, she found a rabbit which she hunted and ate with gusto.