"Everyone, meet Kira, one of our valuable local residents, and a specialist in worker coordination and event planning. She's one of the many people who keep things running smoothly here when the somewhat flaky leader is off somewhere doing political stuff." Wolfe introduced her, which made both the Demoness and Ella laugh.
"We look forward to getting to know everyone. Did you say that there are other Magi here?" The youngest of the men, the one that they had been sent to collect by the Undead, asked.
"Indeed. They come here for training, the same as we take in witches for advanced magical training. There isn't much knowledge or literature left for the Magi, but we're making it work with the help of the Fae and the Demons, both of whom can use at least some level of Elemental Magic.
It might not be as comprehensive as the Inheritance spells that you all have on your arms now, but it's a good practical training. That is worth a lot more than a wide selection of spells to choose from, as you'll learn once you get started." Kira agreed.
The Magi at least understood that concept. The Witches of their village learned a wide variety of spells, but the actual skill level while using them varied wildly from person to person. Unlike the people here, who seemed to be casually using magic all the time with both skill and astounding power, the witches at home still had a lot of trouble casting most spells.
Their bloodline curse had been even more severe than average for the continent, though the Magi who lived with them didn't know, and they were running desperately low on competent witches to continue the traditions before Wolfe showed up.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtNow there was hope for the new generation, but an equally high chance that the old generation was done for.
Kira led the men away with a jaunty wave and a loud narration of all the city's features. No professional tour guide had anything on her skills, which left just Wolfe, Ella and a bemused Seraphim in the sky above the crowd of curious onlookers.
The Seraphim's power and origin intrigued the Fae, who had never expected to see one of his kind here in the town, while the Demons were equally curious about why he was there, but much less eager to actually meet the Seraphim, due to the conflicting nature of the Realms that they came from.
"Why don't we take a short tour ourselves and then sit and chat?" Wolfe suggested.
"That is a wonderful idea. There are so many interesting features here. Whose idea was it to enchant all the chairs?" Asmodain asked.
"I'm not sure whose idea it was originally, but the spell is one of mine that has been copied to all the chairs in town. It's quite comfortable, much better than a basic cushion, so even the simple looking wooden chairs are actually luxuriously soft and form fitting.
It has greatly reduced the incidences of back problems and other muscle strains that are reported to the healers in town, compared to where we came from, and the beds are done as well." Wolfe explained.
"Interesting. I have never tried a bed, as my people do not need to sleep, but a more comfortable study chair is always a welcome addition to any home."
"We built the houses into the trees, that way the witches magic can regenerate damaged areas naturally. It is also a big hit with the Fae, but the Fire element Demons prefer the underground areas for obvious reasons.
The parks are a big hit with everyone, and there is a large market on the ground over there every day, but during festivals it expands to roughly five times its current size. The water features are magical and self purifying, popular for relaxation on hot days as a natural spring, but there is a large bath house on your right for those who want more than just a shower at home.
Some houses do have larger tubs, but they are by special request, as the standard spell when we were renovating was to make a shower for cleanliness.
The spire is particularly popular, as there are a pair of restaurants and an upper sanctum for ritual magic like the Familiar Summoning.
Then, we have the underground levels."
The Seraphim nodded along as they moved through town, but looked distinctly uncomfortable when Wolfe mentioned touring the underground areas.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Oh, right. You're Light Element aligned. We can skip the underground part of the tour. Let's sit in the garden to talk." Wolfe decided.
"You might have to talk to the Faeries for a moment before we begin. They're insatiably curious, and they will hover around until you've answered at least a few of their questions." Ella noted, gesturing to the swarm of shimmering wings that was pretending to be subtle about following them around.
"Ah, the Faeries. Such interesting creatures. Did you know that we actually have a form of them in the Upper Planes? We call them light sprites, and we keep them as pets, much as the humans keep cats or dogs."
"Light Sprites? They sound adorable." Ella replied.
"You have no idea, they're like Faeries, but they glow. When it's somewhat dim in a room, they brighten it back up, and their glow feels like the natural light of the Upper Planes. You see, there is no sun in the sky there, it is simply Elemental Light all around. So, we're not only not used to the dark, we're somewhat reliant on the light for our mental health.
That is why we rarely come to visit for more than an hour or two during the day. Being in the dark bothers us far more than you would expect, and we become incredibly irritable. It triggers the fight response that has been ingrained in us from eons of war with the Lower Planes, where there is no natural light element." Asmodain explained.
"So, the reason that the Demon Realms are darker isn't because of something in the atmosphere, or the distance to their sun?" Wolfe asked.
"No, the Demon Realms you visited actually have three stars in their system, but the light element is weak, so the light from the stars fades quickly after leaving, and causes that somewhat dim ambience. If you came to the Upper Planes, you would need sunglasses, as everything would seem too bright for you."
"I had no idea. It appears that we have a lot to talk about." Wolfe replied.