Vorondil pays the large smith, who takes the materials to a room in the back of the building. Vorondil nods toward the door, and I follow him out.

  As we walk back through the marketplace, I eye the strange, pulsating fruit suspiciously.

  Noticing my gaze, Vorondil looks at the fruit and then back at me with a slight smile. He approaches the stall, hands a few coins to the vendor, and grabs one of the fruits.

  He tosses it to me, and I catch it with both hands. The fruit is incredibly squishy, nearly bursting under my grip. I give him a grin, and he nods toward Drazuul.

  The dragon is lounging at the edge of the marketplace, idly picking his teeth with a claw.

  I look down at the fruit. It pulses slightly, almost translucent, with a light blue hue. Dark veins stretch throughout it like roots. I decide to hold onto it and eat it later when we're back at the ruins.

  We approach Drazuul, who looks at us with a bored expression before glancing over our shoulders. "Who's your friend?" he asks, flicking his tail to point behind us.

  I turn to see a woman twisting her hands nervously. Her features are insectoid, and she's dressed in a flowing silken robe. Her antennae twitch slightly when we face her. She takes a few tentative steps forward.

  Vorondil’s hand moves to the hilt of his sword, and she stops in her tracks, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. She says something in a language I don’t understand. It doesn’t sound like Elvish.

  She motions toward me, and Vorondil watches her warily for a moment before giving a slight nod. His hand remains on his sword.

  She takes a few more cautious steps and speaks directly to me. I give her a confused look, then glance at Drazuul.

  Drazuul continues to pick his teeth before looking down at me. "She asked if you’d be willing to answer a few questions." He tilts his head, a trace of amusement in his voice. "You should really learn more languages. It would make things easier."

  I scratch the back of my neck. "It’s hard to answer her if I can’t even speak her language."

  Just as I’m about to shake my head, her antennae begin to glow. I activate Mana Sense and watch as tendrils of mana sparks reach toward me. I instinctively duck to the side, dodging them. Vorondil’s grip tightens on his sword, and he glares at the woman.

  The tendrils retract as she raises her hands again in a calming gesture. She says something to Drazuul and motions toward me.

  Drazuul sighs and looks down at me. "She wants to establish a mental link to speak with you telepathically. Letting others into your mind can be dangerous," he rumbles. "But it should be fine this once. If she tries anything, I'll eat her." He glances at Vorondil with a toothy grin. "Or what's left of her, at least."

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  He chuckles, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.

  I nod to the woman, and her antennae begin to glow again. I watch as the tendrils of mana creep toward me.

  They stop at my chest, hitting a faint barrier. The woman staggers slightly, her antennae glowing brighter. The mana pushes past the barrier, and a slight tingling sensation covers my mind like a blanket.

  "Hello... human," a faint voice echoes through my mind. There's a hint of disappointment in the tone.

  "Uhh... hi," I think back at her. The sensation is strange, like I’m pushing mana through the connection.

  The woman flinches, and a sharp whine echoes through my mind. I grimace at the sudden sound.

  "Loud..." The voice echoes even fainter than before, and she steadies herself.

  "Sorry," I think more quietly, though I’m not entirely sure if that’s how this works.

  She grimaces but nods as her antennae glow slightly brighter.

  "You have a very powerful mind. Are you a mage?" she asks, glancing at the mace on my hip with a confused expression.

  "I'm not sure. Most of my skills do revolve around mana, though," I respond slowly, trying to whisper in my mind.

  Her antennae twitch rapidly, but she doesn’t show any signs of pain, so I assume being quieter was a step in the right direction.

  "What is your class and level?" Her face twists in concentration as her voice grows slightly louder in my mind.

  "My class doesn't have a name, and I'm level twelve," I think back, trying to maintain my volume.

  The connection snaps suddenly, and she staggers, falling back. A look of confusion and fear crosses her face. Was I being too loud again?

  Vorondil gives me a look of concern, and I shrug in response. Behind us, Drazuul chuckles.

  The woman quickly stands and brushes the dirt off her robe. Her face reddens, and her antennae begin to glow again.

  The mana pushes through the barrier, slower this time.

  "How are you here?" Her voice echoes through my mind weakly.

  I shrug and shake my head. I don’t want to risk speaking if it could hurt her again.

  She smiles faintly and shakes her head. "You can speak. I was just taken by surprise." Before I can respond, she continues, "You have very limited control. Have they helped you train with mana, or have they been focusing solely on combat?" She motions toward the mace on my hip. Her voice grows stronger with each word.

  I shake my head. "I've been training my skills, but I don't have one that helps with mana control," I think in a whisper.

  She laughs softly before responding, "You don’t need a skill for that." A thoughtful look crosses her face. "I can help you if you'd like." She glances at Vorondil. "That is, if they allow it."

  I look over at Vorondil, who watches our interaction with a confused expression. I turn to Drazuul. "She wants to teach me how to control mana," I explain to the dragon.

  Drazuul hums in thought. "Learning how to control your skills would help you in the long run." He turns to Vorondil and speaks a few words in Elvish.

  Vorondil looks the woman over for a moment before nodding and relaxing slightly.

  Drazuul raises his head high. "We'll allow it," he says with a hint of pride in his tone.

  I turn back to the woman to see a slight smile on her face. "So, when do we start?" I ask in a mental whisper.

  "We can start today if it wouldn't interfere with your other training," she responds.

  I shrug. "I don’t think it will. How long will it take?" I ask mentally.

  "It depends. Something tells me you have a good aptitude, so learning the basics shouldn't take too long." Her antennae twitch slowly as she speaks.

  "I look forward to learning from you then," I say, giving her a slight bow.

  She beams at me, her expression warm. "And I look forward to teaching you."