Ethereal Eye

Heat still manages to beat down from the setting sun, but its rays are no longer strong enough to feel it burn on the skin. Water vapour clings to the air, forcing the sweat we've worked up to coat us like a second skin. Panting from the tall girl with bi-colored eyes fills the small clearing. My pants try to join her only to be stopped by the brand burned into my chest. I can feel it sucking up what little Mana I have left with every pant.

Groaning, I use what little energy I have left to inch under the shadow of the boulder in the heart of the clearing. The cold, rough rock rubs against my back as I let my legs stop working and fall under its shade with a thud.

Numbing heat from overexertion soaks through my body. Trying to relieve myself, I claw my mask and jacket off as the world spins. Mana fatigue joins the fray as colors haze together, and I tug two Mana Potions free.

The tangy potion, with hints of metal, slides down my throat as I down them both. Vision slightly better, I look up to see the athletic girl firing spells into the air. Time flows slowly as I close my eyes and wait for my body to cool itself down.

"Catlyn?" the naturally sultry voice asks as she plops down next to me and holds out a water bottle. Chugging it, I give a thankful nod and extend my hand while gesturing with my pen in the other. "Uh, yeah. Here you go."

For a while, we just sit there in silence. I can feel her gaze linger on my arms and chest. Anxiety fights against fatigue to grab my jacket and cover myself back up. Fatigue wins.

'Thank you. Would you mind if I knew your name?' I write awkwardly as humor dances in her eyes.

"Merlin, you're a posh one ain't ya," she laughs, "it's Kellah."

'Yeah, um, sorry about the whole following thing. I… Even in my head, it sounds crazy,' I write to her, earning a snicker and a grin in response.

"When I fought you, my first instinct was to pull out my knives rather than my wand; I think I can handle crazy."

'I don't know if it's for everyone but to me, you have this yellowish grey energy around y-'

"You can see Auras too?" Kellah asks, surprised and slightly excited as she inches closer to the point where I can feel the heat coming off my body.

'Auras?' blush paints my cheeks as I ask.

"You know, outlines of colourful energy around people that change depending on their mood. That's what my Dad called them anyway."

Staring at her closely, she squirms a little as I examine the energy. Although I couldn't rule out it being a Mana Signature immediately, I could rule out it being an Aura. Its colour is too constant to be what she's talking about. The energy tightly hugs her body but doesn't give off the impression that she doesn't have much Mana. In fact, it doesn't give the feeling of Mana at all.

Not only did it not feel like a Mana Signature, but it didn't look like one. Although the energy looked small, its uniformity and control of the energy are far too abnormal. From how it acted during our fight, it's almost as if she's controlling her Mana within herself at a level I didn't even know was possible. Mana for Wizards, those that can't feel it, acts like- you know what. I'll think about this later.

'No, but I can see something similar. I can feel and see the flow of magical energy when I concentrate. With you, I just always see something similar. It doesn't fit what I see or what you describe.' At my explanation, the excitement in Kellah's eyes dims slightly.

"What was that potion you were drinking?" Kellah asks, causing me to squirm. Seeing my hesitance on the question, Kellah gives me her warm smile. "How about this, I have questions and, from the look in your eyes, you have fifty. We switch off, I ask a question, then you do. If it's too personal, you're free to tell me to fuck off. How does that sound?"

Chuckling a little, I nod my head. 'My soul doesn't create enough Mana, magical energy, for me to use magic. The potion gives me enough Mana to cast spells. I keep a lot on me because I do not want to find out what happens if I run out.'

Kellah's mouth drops with sincere empathy. She reaches out to squeeze my shoulder, only for me to jerk away.

I don't know what expression I had but based on the look in her eye, it must have been nothing but fear. 'I'm sorry. It isn't you, it's just….'

I start writing more, but Kellah touches my notepad and shakes her head. "You don't have to explain."

"What are you?" she asks after a moment of silence, "wait, that came out wrong, and it's your question anyway."

'Where does your ability to see Auras come from? What I mean is, is it due to external species lineage or skill passed down through your family?'

It took a moment for Kellah to understand my question and respond, "My Dad called it the Ethereal Eye," she tapped next to her yellow eye. I didn't notice it before, but unlike the circular pupil of her grey eye, her yellow eye is a slit like a cat's. "It's a magical trait that runs in my family, considering he had it too."

So like Seers and Metamorphmagi. I wonder if Ethereal Eyes have other magical properties or if it has anything to do with her use of Mana.

"I have the same question for you. What are you?" Kellah asks bluntly.

'I'm' A torture victim. A product of a tainted soul. Half bloodsucker. Cursed with an unknown spell. 'a lot of things. I'm Half-Vampire. My Mana thing is partly due to that but also other things.'

With spells on the mind, my brain goes back to right after our fight, 'what were you doing when I was dying of heat stroke?'

A mischievous smirk spreads across her face, "My Father may or may not have discovered that if you hit Trace signals with the Impediment Jinx, they don't reach the Ministry."

'Trace signals?' I ask, still not understanding.

"When a Traced wand is used, a little wisp comes out of the wand and starts heading towards the Ministry," Kellah explained, getting a kick out of my confusion. So that's how it works! I wonder what her Ethereal Eye helps her see. Could I see them if I opened up to Mana?

And so, we sat there for a while, trading stories and laughing while the sun lowered and lowered. The world tints orange as the clearing is filled with our conversation. We chat about our families, or in my case, my adopted one. I told her about the silencing rune and Sectumsempra while avoiding how I got them.

'Well, what about-' I quickly turned my head in excitement, causing the gash across my neck to open. My healing is weakened due to being a little low on blood.

"Let's get that patched up." Kellah gets up and reaches down to me. One hand holding against the gash, I use my other to take her hand.

Helping me up, we take a step back as she looks at me with a cocky grin. Letting go of my hand, she steps up to the large boulder and knocks to that classic beat; its origin I can't recall. Stepping back to my side, she watches my face as the boulder starts rumbling. The boulder growls gravelly as it begins to spin vertically. Continuing to turn, the cross supports of a mine start rising up. Rather than the inside of this entrance spinning with it, it remains stationary as the boulder shakes into place.

"Welcome to Lazarus!"