The Date

"... and make sure Pump knows that the magic lightning grass is being shipped to the Drakenburg branch of the Shining Stars guild. And we have an envoy from the elven forest I think that will be headed up by Phetia who will be coming to visit. They want to see our crafts made by Angie, Spipi, and Cimitir. And also you…" You said before Trady rolls her eyes and puts her finger on your mouth. "Shush. Look, I've got this covered, I am the most successful merchant in this country. I can handle *one* measly town while you are off on your date." Trady said with a warm and teasing smile. You opened your mouth to respond but were cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"Fated One!" Ena said with a loud and dramatic voice as she came flying through the door. "'Tis I, Enad'Num! As foretold I have come for our day battling the forces that lay hidden in the dark corners of the night! Let the town bear witness to our union as our powers combined bring all to heel!" She says with her expected dramatic flair, but the big smile on her face and the slight twitching of her cat tail and ears gave away her inner excitement through the bombastic veneer she normally put up.

Her entrance and flair took you completely out of your mercantile mindset as you slowly walked over to her and placed a tender hand on her head. "I'm looking forward to our date too Ena." You said warmly to her.

She blinked twice as you said this before breaking out into a bright red blush and, for a moment, her exterior as Enad'Num drops before she once more becomes just Ena. "That's… not fair…" She said quietly so only you can hear her as she looks down at the ground embarrassed. Her reaction however only further fueled the warmth that grew inside you. You had a large family to be sure, some you loved differently than others. But with Ena you always felt like you could just enjoy yourself. No pageantry, no restrictions, no grandstanding, just you and a girl who found her way into your heart with her earnest and endearing passion for magic. And most importantly you.

You gently pet her head for a moment before withdrawing your hand, looking over at Trady with a soft blush, momentarily embarrassed at the loving display in front of one of your fellows, and then took Ena by the hand and walked outside with her.

The walk, for a moment, remains quiet as you stroll through the village hand in hand. Heading towards the carriage that was prepared beforehand for your date. You had things to say of course, but Ena needed a moment to recompose herself and you didn't mind the momentary calm with your otherwise energetic and theatrical partner. You loved that about her. But times like these, when you could just walk with her in silence, helped remind you that she too was just a girl looking for somewhere to call home, and someone to share it with. The fact you found each other only further served to warm your heart.

Your inner thoughts were eventually broken however, when Ena spoke up as you stepped up to the carriage. "Ah, a fitting means of transport for the Contractor to the Lord of Evil!" She said back at it again with her normal flair. "Come Fated one! Let us ride this crimson-clad vessel to our destiny!" She then hopped up into the carriage and offered you her hand again to get inside. She couldn't possibly be smiling wider as you took her hand and entered the carriage for a fun-filled day with your precious Ena.

The carriage ride over was relaxing, albeit filled with fun stories Ena told you about her various exploits, mostly made up, from throughout her week. Battling great monsters, surviving dangerous fires, and rescuing wild beasts. Of course, knowing her as well as you did you could read between the lines. The "great monsters" she spoke of was when she went fishing with Kaity and caught a rather sizable Carp in the village River. The "dangerous fires'' were little more than the kitchen stove she worked with when helping Fifi in the Inn. And the "wild beasts'' she rescued were nothing more than a litter of abandoned kittens she found while roaming the streets in Drakenburg, all of whom she managed to rehome. You knew this of course, but the way she told it was far more dramatic and exciting. And if nothing else, just seeing how happy telling these stories to you made her made everything worth it.

Eventually the carriage ride ended and you arrived at your destination. This time you were the one to exit the carriage and offer her your hand. "Come Enad'Num! The day awaits us!" You say getting a bit into her world by being just as operatic as she was. The effect was immediate and clear on her face. She lit up brightly and took your hand with faux grace. "Indeed destined one! Let us be off! My right eye already shows the future that lay ahead! A day filled with excitement befitting those of our status!"

Ena was a resident of the city. Before she moved into the village to live with you she lived in Drakenburg as a student of the magic academy, thus she was very familiar with the town and all of its hidden gems. You were no stranger to the town of course, but Ena seemed to navigate through the town with such confidence you didn't dare to break her stride. The entire time she led she held tightly onto your hand, as if to share with you her excitement and joy as well as remind herself that she was no longer alone.

After a few minutes of walking and engaging in some casual conversation you ended up in front of an old antique shop tucked away in the corner of a back alley. She turned back to look at you briefly with a bright smile before entering the shop. The little bell hanging on top of the door chimes as she steps through the threshold and into the disorganized space. You take a moment to look around at the shop as you too step through the door and see the tables, shelves, bookcases, and more all displaying objects ranging from strange and obscure to questionable and confusing. However Ena seemed right at home letting go of your hand once more to begin her exploration of, what you can only assume is, a shop she loves to frequent.

You spend a moment admiring her as her fake wings jitter behind her as she picks up and examines something resembling an hourglass with a vested interest before you too begin to explore and look for objects of interest. You found a few wooden toys in various states of decay but still functional, a book labeled "Love: Tips and Tricks to Win a Heart", a rusted silver goblet, and something that confused you deeply. At first glance it looked to be nothing more than a black thin brick, you would have overlooked this entirely but something about its sheen drew you in. Upon closer inspection you realized it was… a phone? Or something similar to it anyway. It had a slot in the back for a magic stone which was conveniently missing but everything else about the design reminded you of a smartphone from your former life. This only raised further questions but before you could begin to analyze the object further you heard Ena call out to you from a few tables away.

"Fated One! Come Look!" She says with obvious excitement in her voice. Broken from your spell you placed the strange object back down on the table and headed over to her position. Upon arriving she stood in front of a bookshelf filled with various books ranging from animal husbandry to machiavellian political theorems. However the book she was holding was something different entirely.

"Look! It's a grimoire! And a particularly powerful one at that!" She said proudly as she began to run her hand along the cover of the book. "To think they had a grimoire today! I'm so lucky!" She said brightly as she began to gently examine the contents. Despite her enthusiasm, something about it struck you as weird. You were no expert on magic, despite being a rather powerful magic user you always preferred to solve things with dialogue whenever possible. But something about this book seemed… fake. You couldn't put your finger on it but between your rather large innate magical talent and your experience as a merchant you were pretty sure the book was nothing more than a facsimile of a grimoire. It, like everything else Ena generally gravitates towards, would likely not have any magic power nor bring her closer to granting her wish.

However as you turned to look at her and tell this to her, you caught sight of the sparkle in her eyes. Her genuine enthusiasm, her passion, her drive, the very things that drove you to falling for her in the first place were present on her face, and suddenly it didn't matter whether it was real or not, the fact was she wanted it to be real, and that alone was enough to bring a smile to your face.

"You are right. You are lucky." You said with a warm tone as you gently reached down to take the book from her. "Quite the find there Miss Enad'Num." You said with a bright smile as you took it over to the counter where the clerk waited for you. "I'll buy it for you." You placed the book on the counter and then started to reach for your coin pouch before you felt Ena's hand on yours stopping you.

"No no… I can't possibly ask you to buy this for me!" She protested as she looked at you with an almost pitiful gaze. "It was something I found, I will just buy it for myself-" She started saying before you cut her off and took her hand in yours.

"Nonsense." You said tenderly to her. "You are my date today so naturally I'm going to spoil you." You say as you reach over and gently brush some hair out of her face causing an inevitable blush to form on her face again.

"O-okay… if you insist." She said hesitantly, her eyes no longer able to meet yours as her gaze remained glued to the floor where you were standing. You laughed softly before you took out a few coins from your pouch and placed them on the counter for the clerk. After a moment to examine the coins and check to see if they were real, a simple nod from the clerk indicated that the book is now yours.

"Here." You said warmly as you handed the book over to her, her eyes slowly shifting from the floor to the book you were handing back to her. "Consider it a gift. If it makes you happy it makes me happy too."

There is a long silence that follows your words as Ena just stands there. She brings the book into her chest as if she was embracing it and whispers out a response. "Thank you." She says quietly, just loud enough so you could hear. You say nothing in response but simply smiled at her tenderly.

"Come on, we have plenty more day left, let's enjoy the rest of our date, okay?" You said as you offered your hand to her ready to leave the store with her. After a moment's hesitation she takes your hand and sheepishly follows behind you as you lead her out of the store, still tightly hugging the book to her chest.

The rest of the day that followed was filled with more bombastic displays from Ena as you enjoyed people watching, going to a museum dedicated to the history of magic in Drakenburg, sharing a dinner at a seaside cafe, and ending your evening at an outdoor show where you watched various performers show off their various talents. The first one showed off an impressive vocal range singing a ballad story about a young man who had to leave his lover home while he went off to war. The next one was a preformative sword fight. Clearly choreographed but it was impressive regardless, between the close calls and the acrobatics it was fun to watch. The third one was a live band, though calling it a band might be a bit over the top since it was 3 Kemonomimi men playing instruments and telling jokes. In fact the third performance was closer to a skit routine than a band but both you and Ena got quite a few laughs from it. The fourth and final one however was different. It was a wandering mage showing off his various spells in rather theatrical ways.

The show started off with a ball of water that formed in front of the audience, the ball of water then split into 7 separate parts. Those then began to form into various sea creatures and swam around the stage and seating as if they were underwater. After that the water reformed, was sent into the sky, and then froze midair. As it fell the magician sent out a bolt of lightning that struck the ice and shattered it. A very light crystal like dusting then fell over the audience. The thin, light ice shards refract the light in various colors and shapes making the entire area light up like a christmas tree. It felt almost like being inside a kaleidoscope.

As you looked around in awe and wonder your gaze slowly fell onto Ena's face. She was of course just as wowed as you were, and it was clear she was having fun, but you could also see a hint of something that laid beneath the surface. Below her smile a tinge of sadness flashed across her face as she watched the magic show. You understood immediately what she was thinking but said nothing for the moment.

After the show she got up without a word and walked slowly over to the sea as she gazed out into the horizon with a wistful expression. You stood just slightly behind her as the light wind got caught in her wings giving the faint impression that they were real.

"It's hard sometimes…" She says softly to you without her dramatic voice she normally puts on. "All I've ever wanted was to learn magic but… I wonder if it was never meant to be." She says as she slowly turns around to look at you her eyes showing the pain she has buried deep within her at being unable to realize her one dream she has wanted ever since she was a little girl.

"I want to believe… I really do but I…" She said as a single tear rolled down her face. "What did I do in my past life to deserve this? Is it so wrong to ask to be able to do a little magic?" She said to you but clearly not at you, her words directed at a higher power or the universe at large. "No matter what I try, it's always the same. I'm- I'm useless… I'm not a mage… and I'm probably not even a good date." She said with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

You wasted no time and took a step closer, pulling her into a tight hug. Her face buried deep into your chest. "Listen to me Ena." You said to her softly. "Your struggles are a part of you but they do not define you. You are not the sum of your failures. You are the most creative, energetic, and charming girl I know. You have a drive that few others have, you are strong, you are smart, and you may not be Enad'Num, but you are my Ena. The girl who blasted her way into my family with her own special brand of magic." You said as you gently brushed your fingers through her hair. "What I like about you is that you are so different from everyone else. You stand out in a crowd even if you are simply standing still. I am drawn to that side of you that sets you apart." You said as you took her hand in yours.

"Ena, you may not be a mage but you… are my Fated One. And that means all that is mine is yours." You said as you reached out your hand and pulled in the heat from around you slowly forming it into a small flame. It burned a cozy red and gave off only a gentle heat and tender light. You gently used your other hand to flip her hand over and then place your hand with the flame under her's. After setting this up, your hand placed gently under her hand as her palm faced upwards, it was as if she was holding the flame herself.

"Because only together do we create the most powerful of magics." You said warmly to her hoping your line and your actions weren't too cheesy for her. There was a long silence that followed as she stared at the hand holding the flame, watching the soft light flicker and wave against the light sea breeze.

Finally, after several moments of silence she lets off a laugh. It was girlish and sweet. Not at all like the bombastic laughs she generally lets out when she is Enad'Num, but instead something more central to who she is as Ena. "You are right, Fated One." She said as she looked into your eyes with a loving gaze. "Together we make the most powerful team." She said before she then grabs hold of the collar of your shirt, and pulls you in for a kiss. The soft glow of the flame slowly faded away as the two of you shared the moment together, framed by the gentle movements of the ocean in the background. For Ena, no, for you both, this was a date you would remember for a long time.