The air rippled through Jackson's hair and fingertips as he sat in that familiar green meadow, the sky as blue and cloudless as it had been the first time he'd visited this place in his dreams. The snow-topped mountains sat firm and as distant as they had always sat, looking over the whole meadow. Trees swayed slightly in the calm breeze, their leaves noticeably greener. The heat of the sun was more noticeable, warming his skin a bit beyond what it had previously. From what Jackson could tell, it was now the height of summer.

  "Hello," a familiar voice came from behind him. "Can we start?"

  Jackson looked behind him to see the prim and proper teenage boy from his last dream, Jiro, his golden hair swimming in the summer current. A sophisticated black blazer clung to his body with a matching tie and slacks accompanying it—an outfit similar to the one Jiro had worn during their first encounter. Anticipation was written on the boy's face, a clear expectancy of what was to come.

  As Jackson went to speak, the voice that wasn't his did so instead. "Jiro, hey! Did you bring it?"

  "Yes," Jiro pulled out a small leather pouch, "venison, as you had asked. I still do not understand why it is that I must bring you this before you will teach me magic."

  "It's simple. I've never had it before, and it's not like you guys are exactly strapped for coin."

  "While that may be true, Mr. Dara, is this really all you require before you teach me?" Jiro handed the pouch over to Jackson, who was only just remembering the name of his other voice.

  "Yep!" Dara responded, unwrapping the venison before rubbing his hands together, creating a flame which he used to cook the slab of meat. Dara took a large bite, chewing it for a few seconds before spitting it out again. "Ew. That sucks. You eat this?"

  Confusion spread across Jiro's face as he went to reply. "Um. Yes, I do eat that." A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke up again. "If I may, why bother forcing me to get you that venison if you are just going to spit it out?"

  "It's something new," Dara answered blankly. "I wanted to see how it tasted."

  "But, you could have just asked for something you know you would have liked, correct? Or money for that matter. Why venison? I just—I do not quite get it."

  "I already told you, it's just something new. Nothing more, nothing less. I already know foods I like, but I wanted to see if I liked venison for a change. It's not that complex; I just wanted something different."

  "But—never mind. I fear I simply do not understand your reasoning."

  "That's fine, it's not like I asked you to." There wasn't a hint of maliciousness in Dara's tone, but Jiro could detect something else—he just couldn't place what it was. "Anyhoo," Dara continued, "how's about we begin with the magic now? I've been putting it off for long enough."

  "Please, that would be very much appreciated."

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  "Great! How's about we start with the basics. Can you use 'Tincture'?"

  "I am afraid I do not know what you mean."

  "Ah. So that's a no. Well, we'll start with that. Do as I say"—Dara moved his fingers to Jiro's face, sliding his eyelids down—"and don't open your eyes until I say so. Got it?"

  "Understood, Mr. Dara."

  "So formal. Anyway, try and clear your head, empty everything you've got stored up in there just for a few seconds. Then, find where magic gathers inside you. For me, it's my chest, but it might be different for you—I haven't exactly taught another mage before, so I don't know if it varies."

  Jiro focused on his words, removing himself from the world around him and honing in on a tingling sensation scratching at the centre of his brain. "I think I have it."

  "Good, then we can continue. Try and guide the magic—that sensation, wherever it is—to your eyes. Visualise it like willing water to run through you if that helps. Then just keep doing that until I tell you to open your eyes. Got it?"

  Jiro nodded and did as he was told, pushing the magic from his brain to his eyes. As he began to feel the magic swell, Dara instructed him to open his eyes, and when he did, he saw a swirling mass of colours surrounding Dara.

  "You see that?" Dara prodded.

  "Y—Yes. It is a colour, surrounding you."

  "Yep! Took me a while before I could see my own colour, but this is the first thing I saw when I first discovered magic."

  "It is wonderful."

  "That it is, Mr. Jiro," Dara responded, mimicking Jiro's way of speech, "that it is. I've taken to calling those colours 'Tinctures'. The actual magic that's letting us see them—I call that 'Tincture Vision'."

  "That is... slightly uncreative, no?"

  "Well, why don't you try to come up with something better if it's so awful?"

  "How about 'Magic Detection Sight'?"

  "That's so, so dumb."

  "I find it is a lot more accurate of a name."

  "Well, I'm the teacher here, so Tincture Vision it is."

  "I suppose I cannot argue."

  The two sat together for a few minutes, just staring at one another's Tincture, examining and theorising about what their differing colours could mean.

  "Um, Mr. Dara?"

  "Yes, Mr. Jiro?"

  "Could you show me some more magic, please? You do not have to teach it to me yet—I already feel fairly exhausted. I just wish to see it again."

  "Sure, but you have to bring me some exotic fish next time as payment."

  "Very well."

  "Awesome. Watch this."

  Dara stood up and dusted off his clothes, fixing his ragged attire as he did so. Jackson could feel the magic coursing through the body he shared with Dara, surging from his heart all around his body, like a forge overflowing with liquid iron. Energy surged to his back, clawing at his flesh before erupting outwards, filling a magical mould before solidifying and taking concrete form as a pair of wings sprouting on his back.

  "Incredible," Jiro whispered.

  "That's not all I can do with this. Check it out!" Dara began directing magic again, this time towards his hands, forming an eye on his palm and showing it to Jiro, who promptly let out a scream and fell backwards onto the ground. "Too much?"

  "Whilst I do not appreciate the scare," Jiro began, "the magic is fascinating. Is it a form of shapeshifting?"

  "I think so? To be honest, I hardly know what any of this stuff is. I just saw something do something similar and boom, here we are."

  "Are you referring to a Cruthru? You saw one? Here?" said Jiro as panic set in across his face.

  "Maybe? Either way, I didn't see it here, so you can relax."

  "Thank the Gods. If one of those things ended up here, the whole town would be in jeopardy."

  "Well, good thing that's not the case then, isn't it?"

  The two's conversation slowed once again, with them attempting to bring up topics they could discuss, but always defaulting back to magic in some way or another. Despite the constant pauses to allow for awkward silence, the two chatted for hours, until the warm light of the sun was replaced by the cooling reflection of the moon and stars, glistening across the lake. Jiro left when it got dark, bowing goodbye to Dara as he left through the foliage that constituted an entrance to the meadow. Jackson could share Dara's thoughts, much like he shared his senses.

  I don't wanna sleep right now.