Sunday morning I knocked on Givens’s door on the third floor early after saying a good morning to the Marines that were patrolling the building with their M4’s and body armor. I am sure I woke him up, as he was bewildered when he opened the door.

  “You usually open door when you not collected enough to defend self?”

  “Only when my derriere is covered by a copious amount of 5.56.” he yawned as he rubbed his eyes.

  “We cover magic basics before breakfast, lot to go over today.” I pushed past him and put a book on the table. “You not can read this, so we have to work translation, which probably valuable by self.”

  “Is this a book about magic?” Givens asked me.

  “No, this book about how magic ah, structure.” I dropped 10 more books on his desk. “This magic.” I swiftly moved them all back into storage. “Too valuable to leave unprotect.”

  “OK, but I need caffeine first.” He looked down at himself. “And maybe clothes.” Grabbing an armful he went into his bathroom.

  “Not big deal. You not doing anything that require protection from environment.”

  “Do they not have nudity taboo where you live?” Givens called through the door.

  “Clothes can be um, feel like or not feel like in forest. Often not need. I wear because need hide mud-clay color when around trees. Humans wear also because skin easy damage, so I wear when with humans.”

  “Back up. What do you mean "often not needed”?” Givens asked as he came back into the room. He had put on some shirt that had a picture on it that had some spiky hair blonde caricature that looked like he needed to poop, were he not getting hit by lightning. I didn’t get it.

  “Is embarrassing. Would rather not say.”

  “You can’t do that to me.” Givens protested.

  “All races on Other world try to seem not threatening to humans. Humans scare easy, not react well to scare. Get not friendly very fast and many enough and powerful enough in their many to make real hurts. So others try to seem more ah, relate to humans. Change look to more human, change act to more human. Murenyen do too. I… I did it too to fit in.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Murenyen who spend time around human remove hair.”

  “You shaved?”

  “No, remove hair for all time. Gone.”

  Givens looked me over.

  “Where?”

  “All.” I waved my hands vaguely over my whole front. “Murenyan born cover in hair.”

  “You were furry like a cat?”

  “Hard make humans treat like not beast or monster when look like beast or monster. Look less like cat and more like human and human treat better. But humans know Murenyan start born look like cat so still treat very bad.”

  “So that is why you are so sensitive about it?”

  “Yes.”

  “OK, I will say no more about it. Please go on with your magic talk. Breakfast approaches.” He pulled two of the energy drinks with the claw slash art out of his refrigerator and offered me one.

  “No, taste bad. Thank though.”

  “More for me.”

  “So I tell you mana be personal energy inside and aether name change from overflow mana that move out into environment. Other world use different words because different languages, but I pick Earth words that seem fit.”

  “OK.”

  “Humans and other races not evolve for Mana like native creature, but changed when brought to Other world. Since change to feel and use mana, discover Aether and learn how to use too. Early, simple techniques, but study long and during many thousand year make complex technique.”

  “Understood.”

  “Complex technique made from many many simple function. Many many simple function easy get wrong when Work from head. Get Working wrong often lethal to wrong thing, maybe wrong thing is you.”

  “A logical progression.”

  “Workers make tools to stop die badly. System of books to use functions correctly, and implements to direct wrong energy into self instead of Worker. Instead of Kos-Api explode, staff break; example.

  “Wait, explode?”

  “What think happen when use function to heat material and oops target self? Body most water, water boil, steam, pop.”

  “Oh my stars.” Givens exclaimed.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Yes, so use tools correctly in case use magic not correctly.”

  “That’s where the wand comes in?”

  “Small hand tool, wand good name of any. Channel small Working. More complicated tool for bigger Working.” I brought out a scepter and a staff from my storage and then put them back. “More complicate tool bigger unless very expensive. I have only not-expensive tools.”

  “Wicked.”

  “Also important is book system. Books come in three kind. Again, I choose Earth words for name. Tome is book that have readable instruction for Working. It magic spell book. Can do mostly with tome only study magic theory. Chart, diagram, writer notes. Useful to learn, part of whole process to make consistent and safe Working. Work only from tome happen sometimes, not safe. Die dream.”

  “Death wish?”

  “Yes, that.”

  “Should I be taking notes?” Givens asked.

  “Not unless I fix magic and teach for real. Next book is Codex. It have all function Worker know. Use convert Tome instructions to real Working. Add function to Codex when learn, keep update as learn more. Codex very personal. If read Worker codex learn what they know, maybe counter. Hex? Can be bad. Keep codex private, only mentor read to see if you mistake. Mentor write first codex with you, put in many limits. As learn more, write new functions with less limit. Maybe not die.”

  “Lock and key.”

  “Finally Grimoire. Grimoire only book of three that is magic. Imprint Grimoire with tome instruction through Codex to have Working that cast same every time. No worry about function wrong order or forget safety function or some other thing. Also, bonus: small instruction to Grimoire for big big Working. Not need remember whole instruction from Tome or take time to use all functions in order from mind.”

  “Wait, so you are telling me that working magic is like programming a computer. The codex is your compiler.”

  “Not program computer ever so not know. Bad programming make you melt or crush or drown on lung water or some other bad wrong?”

  “Typically not, no. Just makes you swear uncontrollably when it either works or it doesn’t work and you don’t know why.”

  “Magic mean if you not know why it work or not work you reduce into earlier learn function so you not tie yourself into bloody rope knot.”

  “And with that wonderful mental image, let’s go get some food!” prompted Givens.

  Breakfast was as breakfast always was in the dining facility. It was good food relative to what I had typically eaten on my travels, but there was a sameness I wasn’t accustomed to. I explained more as we ate.

  “So early Worker wrote all instructions out onto hard stable surface for working. Typically stone floor was only place big enough. Use material like chalk powder or salt for easy to remove and replace and change shape to fix error. Allow multiple Worker to check for mistake, allow for take time to look and fix and talk process and technique. Not work at all if outside or in wild area.”

  “Mrmph.” observed Givens as he chewed his food. Ashley had found us as we quite predictably came down the stairs and was busy ignoring us from the next table over.

  "Some Workers discover how channel magic energy through Worker and tool not just Worker. Direct energy through tool and Worker die reduce lots. Wand, staff, other tool become common."

  Givens nodded and continued eating.

  “Outside mages take early Worker techniques and learn how to use paper for write instruction for Spell Working. First use scroll, others later learn how move function energies to other page side. Shorter scroll needed. Next improve learn how cross energies to touching paper not connected. Scroll no longer use, as easier for paper edge damage to break spell. Bound book become typical, can be made with cross points placed on paper binding edge before write spell for Worker to use as need. Change everything.”

  Givens just nodded.

  “Next innovation also change everything, make Grimoire possible. Previous need separate book for every Working. New innovation make paper with thin thin surface coating of crystal material. Use mana, change crystal alignment, conduct magic energy or not. Write in book and clear writing with magic. One book for many Workings, change writing when want different Working or improve Working. Since not ink but crystal coating, pages alright get wet not break Working.”

  “But wait there’s more!” Givens joked.

  “Yes!” Next Workers learn how write in air with Mana. Mana channel magic energies, so use to move power into Grimoire without Grimoire need held. Just not be in storage and work fine. Mana write quick and fade quick, so real help to combat Worker. Bonus! Mana write stack, keep small area since instruction layer over self easy. Hard to read since instruction all overlap. Reduce counter. Show example, not can complete Working because no Aether. First put mana into large crystal center spine Grimoire, which instant cast Minor Working for mana writing. Grimoire continue into instant cast Minor Working Aether funnel center on non-Grimoire hand, which gave variable for target. Target crystal on up-spine-front of Grimoire. This channel power through Grimoire to different pages, activate Lightning strike instructions. Again, non Grimoire hand. Variable for target and power. Little shock, big shock. Watch.”

  I pulled my Grimoire out of storage and followed the process I just laid out, and several circles of magic appeared in front of my other hand before fading. By the time they disappeared I had already returned the Grimoire to storage.

  “Did you just quick-draw a magic book to call lightning like some cowboy?”

  “What cowboy? Not important. Leave Grimoire visible, maybe damage. Keep safe. Also, cast lightning for real, use tool in mana write hand. Safety. Anyway, Mana writing new innovation. Last hundred year. Take magic into wild areas more than ever. Tool use, mana writing, and book system make combat magics possible, still be group waving hands in basement without.”

  Givens choked on his drink for some reason. After we pounded the offending liquid out of him, we went back to the barracks so we could watch some of his cartoons that featured magic heavily. My favorite was one that had a girl who could see magic creatures that no one else could see. The art was very pretty.

  After watching cartoons and discussing magic until dinner time we got to talking about other things, which led to things you humans are sensitive about. When I went back to my room that night, Ashley just poked her head in.

  “Are you well?”

  “You should more worry of Givens. Not too much, I not break him.”

  “You should have a care for your reputation though. People who do that stuff with others in the barracks tend to be viewed poorly.”

  “Viewed poorly all life. Not here though. Murenyan not do pure pairing much, but do very picky about close time no problem.”

  “And what about protecting yourself from pregnancy or disease? I don’t know what you do in your world.”

  “Murenyan once human, but different enough after made that can no longer make young with human. We know how not pregnant if not want anyway, is not hard. Once year, do enchant again. Disease not worry, have enhancement and healing Workings that make not ever sick."

  “And how effective is it?”

  “Worker altered and specialize in Doctor? Not. Ever. Sick.”

  “Well as long as you are fine with it all then, I’ll leave you to it.”

  “Do fine. Givens not know much but learn fast. Would not get bad name in tribe.”

  “TMI. Good night.”

  The next day I had a meeting with the Elder Marines again, so I also got some sleep.