[Minor Illusion]. While it was only a first circle spell that created small illusions of sight or sound, with his [Quasireality] talent, he''d be able to use the illusions for more than simple trickery. When a shadow becomes as sharp as a blade or


    outside of that one spell, howeve mental frameworks associated with every spell he wanted to cast, which took time. It was long, arduous work  low-grade crystals, or if he had time to make some, he


    [Mask of Many Faces]. They felt


    Due to what he considered his fortuitous birth under the sign of The Mask, he''d made extensive use of this particular element of his birthright throughout his long life. Illusion magic had always been his most prominent tool. He''d managed to unlock his birth sign as a child, a year or so after he and his parents had been forced from their home when his people discovered what he was. Since that day, he''d overcome any number of challenges through its use. He was sure that his birth sign was in no small part why he''d been so successful in life. Unlike his siblings and allies—besides Selene, who miraculously didn''t manifest visible signs of corruption—he''d lived a life of relative ease while they were stuck wandering the edges of society. He''d eternally been grateful for his parents'' good timing.


    Outside of testing [Quasireality], he''d inspected his scroll for some time. He''d unlocked all but one of his talents at this point and knew that leveling would slow once he did. He believed that, because he was more remembering his talents than unlocking them for the first time, he''d leveled exceptionally fast since he''d woken up. He''d also been in near-constant danger as well, which made leveling easy, but he knew that wouldn''t last forever. He''d either need to keep chasing more and more danger, or he''d need to pick up another class. In the past, he''d also been an enchanter, but his long sleep had deprived him of that skillset. In time, he decided he''d try to take up that profession once again. He also had some class specializations in the past as well, but those were gone too. He didn''t know where to begin to unlock those, so he set aside that thought for now.


    focus her sleep was fitful Abad realized at some point that her animal nature might be affecting her in some way that didn''t affect him or the mortals. He didn''t know the principles behind it, but animals rarely seemed comfortable, so he assumed that traveling in this way was difficult for her kind. He''d need to travel with other fey''ra to test the theory, but it was the best idea he had at the moment regarding her perpetual sickness.


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t know." The man''s eyes never left the road."They''re large, whatever they are."


    "What''s going on?" Shani asked.


    "Bodies." Abad gestured up the road.


    "How many?" Firtz asked.


    "Feels like five. I''d say they''ve been here for a day or so. There''s hardly anything left." He reached out with his senses in every other direction but couldn''t feel anything else. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Happy to have a mage on board." The man looked away from the road and to Abad and the others.


    "Not at all." Abad turned to the others.


    "Some of us should stay behind in case this is an ambush," Firtz said.


    "Everyone in the wagons!" Ulrich called to the caravan. The few people who''d filtered out walked back into their vehicles and closed their doors and windows


    "Okay, let''s go,"


    "It''s a wonder we didn''t smell it sooner," Shani said.


    "I did."


    "How far can you smell?"


    "Far."


    "Keep watch, Shani." He remembered she didn''t like corpses and spared her the next part. She nodded to him, her eyes filled with gratitude, before turning and keeping watch.


    "Whatever took these down was skilled. And strong," The wolf woman said. She knelt next to the closest troll, which was in the grass


    "I see no footprints," Zethari called from the grass.


    "They''ve probably washed away by now," Abad answered.


    "There has to be something. Even rain can''t wash away all traces in a couple of days. Let''s start searching." Shani replied


    "Hey, this one''s still alive," he called out. Zethari and Shani turned toward him and began approaching the creature


    "It can''t regenerate. Its wounds are too severe." Shani said.


    "Soon. But bear with me a moment. You won''t like this." Abad reached out and touched the creature''s shoulder.


    "Me... feel..." it choked, black fluid erupting from its lips torn lips,  Its green orb focused on Abad.


    "I am Eater." He approached the troll''s good eye and placed his hands on the creature''s head.


    "Eater..." More black fluid flowed from the creature''s lips, and the wounds on its chest began to close.


    "Abad..." Shani''s voice was filled with caution.


    "It''s okay." He didn''t look away from the creature.


    "What happened here?" He gave the thing another shot of energy.


    "Attack... Master... Ran... Caught..." The wounds


    "What is your name?"


    "Drugg." The creature''s breathing stabilized


    "Are you from from Graul''s tribe, Drugg?" The troll''s head moved up and down.


    "I, eater, killed Graul."


    "You Fire Eater. You strong." The creature''s entrails began to pull back into its stomach, pulling in dirt and sticks with them"I Drugg." The creature said,


    "Where did you come from, Drugg?"


    "Far. Outside wall. Came. Found master. Found..." It''s dumb eye gazed into the sky.


    "What purpose is that?"


    "Make... master happy." It turned its eye toward Abad again."Make home. For Drugg. For master."


    "Are there others like you?"


    "Yes."


    "How many."


    "No tell." Its entrails were mostly pulled back into its stomach, and the dirt and sticks started pushing out of the gaping wound as it began to close.


    A wave of power rippled from his words


    "That way. Many."


    "What killed them?" He gestured to the corpses.