▁a ▁Japanese ▁an ime ". ▁H ear th ▁is ▁de af ▁and ▁can ▁only ▁communicate ▁with ▁AS L ▁( Al f ▁Sign ▁Language ), ▁though ▁he ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁read ▁lips . ▁Since ▁his ▁home world ▁is ▁always ▁bright , ▁he ▁is ▁sensitive ▁to ▁darkness . ▁Like ▁Bl itz , ▁H ear th ▁makes ▁a ▁deal ▁with ▁M imir ▁to ▁drink ▁water ▁from ▁M imir ' s ▁Well ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁roots ▁of ▁Y gg d ras il ▁to ▁gain ▁knowledge ▁about ▁run es ▁and ▁in ▁return ▁has ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁him ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁He ▁becomes ▁a ▁companion ▁and ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁Magn us ▁from ▁then ▁on . ▁H ear th ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁el f ▁in ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁magic ▁from ▁run es , ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁studied ▁extens ively . ▁He ▁can ▁cast ▁various ▁run es , ▁though ▁doing ▁such ▁cons umes ▁his ▁energy . ▁Event ually , ▁he ▁progress es ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁a ▁full ▁sor cer er . ▁ ▁H ear th ▁has ▁a ▁tra um atic ▁past , ▁as ▁he ▁is ▁effectively ▁unw anted ▁by ▁his ▁parents , ▁who ▁sh un ▁him ▁for ▁being ▁de af ▁and ▁not ▁as ▁great ▁as ▁his ▁brother , ▁And ir on , ▁who ▁died ▁young ; ▁he ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁face ▁his ▁past ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁book , ▁when ▁he ▁has ▁to ▁collect ▁the ▁Sk of nung ▁Stone ▁from ▁his ▁father , ▁Ald erman , ▁who ▁wants ▁him ▁to ▁finish ▁the ▁blood ▁tax ▁im posed