Chương 1: Chapter One

"Hi Lyra!"Ginger called as I waited near the town well. The spring merchant caravan was setting up around the town square outside the mayor's home, and I was waiting for them. I stopped myself from cringing and clutched the worn satchel I was carrying to my chest. It contained the ten lesser healing potions I had managed to brew to sell to this caravan. I couldn't afford to lose it because of some stupid stunt Ginger might pull.

"Hi Ginger." My voice came out flat as I turned to look at her. She had ginger hair, which she let free in a frizzy mess, and a host of freckles dotted her cheeks. The plain sun-dress she wore was as practical as it was celebratory. Clearly, she was preparing for the festival the town would soon throw for the coming of the season's merchants.

"So, you're Becoming today." She commented causing me to jump in surprise until I realized how she knew. I could see the faint cyan glow of my mana channels criss-crossing my arms and legs like veins under my skin yesterday. Today, those same channels were glowing bright enough to be seen even under the noonday sun. I don't know what my face looked like, but I doubt my mana channels were any less subtle there than anywhere else I could see.

"I have a bet with Nanny. She says you're going to regress into a smelly dwarf, but I say you have at least enough mana to rate a beastkin!" She smiled brightly at me, though it didn't reach her eyes. It never did.

"So be sure to turn into a skunk for me tonight okay!" She laughed and walked off, leaving me to relax. I can handle name calling. At least she didn't break one of the potions in my satchel. Selling those will allow me to prepare, some, for the coming winter. Surviving has been an ongoing challenge for me since my parents died when I was ten. And few people bothered to help, having written my life off with my parents. And those that did? Only did so when they could with little-to-no-effort.

Like my "not-master" Miss Evylynn. She was the local witch according to the kids, yet she produced the healing tonics and potions that the town relied on. She taught me how to brew potions, and about herbs. But she made me promise never to sell to the townsfolk. That right was reserved for her and her real apprentice, her daughter. She would often send me away when she was teaching her something she didn't want me to know.

I can only be grateful, as that little bit of help was all that allowed me to survive a couple of times. And now, I can sell my potions! The Toordor Clan's merchants have been buying them for the past three years. Which was just in time because the mayor decided I didn't warrant the towns help anymore and no longer lent me the clothes and blankets I would need to get through the winter. They said I was too old. Even though I was still considered a child for everything else.

But tonight, I would Become, and tomorrow I will be an adult. There was no chance that I wasn't going to Become tonight. If I am lucky, perhaps I'll evolve into an elf and can leave for elven lands. The stories I heard make it sound as though they don't let their populace go untrained. From that training, I could make a life for myself. But those thoughts were for tomorrow. For now, I put thoughts of Becoming and evolving aside.

The Toordor were almost set up, and several were standing in front of their wagons ready for customers. One of them I recognized as Evan, who I had been selling my potions to since I could brew something with an effect. The Toordor clan, with their small horns protruding from their foreheads and bone-spiked tails, have been coming to the town once a season for as long as I can remember. They would often give me little candies, and would trade the brick-a-brack I found for used clothing.

I didn't realize until I was much older that they were doing that as a type of charity.

"To balance the scales for when an obnoxious person demanded a hefty fee." The Toordor were like that. Believing in balance. Not in every transaction, but as a whole. And they had taken a liking to me for some reason.

"Why if it isn't little Miss Lyra!" Evan called as I started walked towards his wagon.

"And look at you glow! I bet you leave your humanity behind for something greater! You might even join the Toordor with that glow!" I giggled; a rare smile bloomed on my face.

"I hope I evolve to an elf." I admitted to him as I reached him, still clutching my satchel to my chest.

"Elf! Bah!" He crossed his arms in offense, but the smile never left his eyes.

"With that glow? Forget elf. I bet we learn your demon born tomorrow." I giggled again. Uhg! Why was I giggling? I berated myself.

"Here, a gift to you on your Becoming day." He said handing me a small round candy. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I tried to frown at the candy, but couldn't quite manage it.

"You know I'm not a kid anymore, right Evan?"

"Tomorrow humans will call you an adult." He proclaimed grandly.

"Today you're a kid with a candy. Take it from an adult. Enjoy it." He winked at me causing me to giggle again.

"Did you come to sell more potions?" He asked as my giggles died down. I nodded, having followed his advice and popped the candy into my mouth.

"Well, let me take a gander." I handed him my satchel, which he opened deftly snagging one of the lesser healing potions and bringing it to his eye.

"This is much better than you made last season. If you weren't standing in front of me in your pre-Becoming glow, I would think you had Become and activated your system. Let me get Miranda to properly identify this." No sooner did he finish saying that then a woman exited the wagon wearing a traveling dress in browns and greens with a babe swaddled in her arms.

"Did I hear my name?" She asked stepping down and looking me over.

"Lyra, sweetie. It's good to see you. Have you been working on your potions? Evan and I have always been impressed with how hard you've worked to get stronger over the years. I'm glad it paid off, just look at you. A demon for sure! Oh, this little angel is Boyan." She said, shifting the bundle of baby boy to show him off.

"He's beautiful Mrs. Miranda." I said, my eyes widening as I took in the bundle.

"I missed you last season, but I'm glad everything went well."

"Mrs. Miranda, psssh!" She waived her free hand at me.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Mandy." She stepped closer as I felt a familiar blush creep up my face. It was always awkward when one of the Toordor stepped into that familiar territory closer to family then friend of acquaintance, even though they did so regularly. And why do they always fixate on me getting stronger? I've never tried to get stronger. Just survive. It makes me feel like they're complementing me for breathing! Oh! Look at the breath! That's wonderful!

"What do we have here?" She asked plucking the vial from Evan as she stopped beside him. She hummed as she brought it to her eyes and twirled it gently.

"Lesser Healing Potions. Quality, fair." She smiled.

"Good job Lyra. You've pushed your potion making. Poor quality potions sell for significantly less, so this will no doubt be a boon for you. Don't worry about the level 1 the system will put on your skill tonight. The system supports skills, so the stronger the base, the higher it will help you grow." My blush deepened at the complement.

"Thank you. I try. How much is the vial worth?"

"Hmm." Evan said taking the vial back.

"If I were to sell it, I would let it go for two silver." Two silver? The thought made me woozy. Previously, he said he would sell the same potion for twenty copper. That's… I don't even know how much difference. One hundred copper for a silver, so this was worth… ten times what I sold him last time.

"For you, I'll offer one silver per vial. If they're all of this quality." He always offered me the same. Half of whatever he would sell it for, and I always accepted. Even if he tried to convince me to haggle. I just couldn't see placing an hours' worth of work with my not-masters tools as any more valuable than he quoted me. I nodded numbly and he passed the satchel to Mandy who looked at them one at a time before nodding to Evan.

"Well done, Lyra. I'm proud of you." Mandy disappeared with my satchel for a bit before returning it along with a small pouch that jingled with silver.

"Lyra, sweetie. Has anyone taught you how to control magic yet?" I tilted my head, confused.

"Why would anyone…"

"Of course not." Evan interrupted. This is a human town, with a couple packs of beastkin. They don't…"

"Why does it matter?" I asked as Evan trailed off.

"Sweetie, with how bright you're glowing you will definitely evolve. And it becomes dangerous not knowing how to control magic if you're a demon, or even an elf." Seeing my confusion she tried to explain.

"Magic is a force we contain inside of ourselves. The more we have, the more pressure that mana is under. You need to learn to control it, and use it properly, so that it doesn't burst from you and hurt someone." Evan was nodding.

"After all the work you went through to make yourself stronger by eating those pampaw fruits, it would be a waste for you to be uneducated in magic…"

"Wait, what about the pampaw fruit?" I asked derailing him.

"The pampaw fruit we always see you eating to increase your magic. I have to hand it to you Lyra. Even elves, who practically worship mana can't bring themselves to force their kids to eat that foul fruit. But you…" He continued to talk but my mind wasn't hearing him. I had no idea pampaw fruit increased magic. It was just a fruit I could eat. Foul tasting, almost as bad as rotting fish, so no one else picked it. Leaving them all for me.

And the trees bore fruit year-round, making the pampaw the only food I would eat for months on end. What the hell was my magic going to be? Forget evolving, I might simply explode!

"Dear." Mandy said placing her hand on my shoulder and bringing my attention back to the present.

"I'm sure it will be worth it. We just want to make sure you can control it. And I don't think you will find what you need here." She waved her hand indicating the town. People were now coming out in force to barter with the caravan.

"Why don't you come with us? We can teach you a bit on our way home, and you can go to the magic academy there while working in our shop."

"But, don't you travel a lot?" I asked looking behind her to the wagon. Evan chuckled.

"With little Boyan here, we were going to put down roots for a few years. The clan already has a shop for us. And we have an extra room." He looked down at me.

"If you promise to work your hardest to become stronger, and help out in the shop when you can, I wouldn't mind lending it to you." My jaw was unhinged at the offer. This was… Everything I dreamed about. Just with horns instead of pointed ears. This was… Was it raining? I nodded, unable to speak as Mandy wrapped me in a hug.