ã€ŠHumans Don&#x27;t Make Good Familiarsã€‹


 A Strange New World

    Around me all that could be heard was the scribbling of pencils filling in multiple choice bubbles. I wasn''t too stressed about the test since the engineering course I wanted to enter wasn''t particularly hard to get into, and I happened to be pretty decent at math. The class was ten minutes into the mid-year Math exam when, under me, a brightly illuminated circle patterned with lines and smaller circles appeared. Startled, I looked up, but no one seemed to notice. That¡¯s when everything went dark.

    Like a slow blink, the world came back into view again. Except, my view was full of little royal-blue colored, and almost sparkling, bird nymphs staring up at me. I staggered back in surprise before I managed to regain my balance and look around the room. The roof was just above my head, but since these little nymph things were what this room was designed for¡­ I guess it made sense. To them it probably looked more like an arena or a school gym. In fact, there were definitely some kind of gymnastics bars and other assorted climbable bars scattered around the room.

    Turning my attention back to the nymphs, I noticed a couple among them seemed to be a little larger and duller colored, like a steel-blue, and decorated in gold lace that definitely made them look more¡­official. There was one standing in front of a crowd of, what seemed to me to be, younger nymphs. They were almost holding them back behind a kind of invisible line; while behind the crowd stood three taller ones who looked apprehensive.

    My attention finally rested on one bright blue bird nymph facing me and standing in front of all the others. It looked like it was fidgeting, peering up at me with upturned eyes. It chirped, and as it did, I felt¡­ encouragement, demand and¡­.

    I should tell them who I am, I guess they wouldn¡¯t know. I thought to myself. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Jake.¡± I said to the large crowd while waving my hand. The group of brightly colored nymphs exploded in a cacophony of shushed chirps. Their chirps and tweets strongly reminded me of the excited whispering when someone does something amazing in a library or some situation where you need to be quiet. The four who I was starting to suspect were teachers seemed to relax a little; their feathers flattened closer to their bodies, but their gazes stayed wary. The little light-blue one at the front seemed to gain a bit of confidence, holding its head higher and walking with a longer stride. It chirped once again, but this time I felt authority¡­ submission and¡­

    I should go to my master.¡­

    Wait¡­ master? I thought, seemingly at odds with my own mind.

    I cannot keep her waiting.

    What? Why can¡¯t I keep who waiting? In my mind, the back and forth raged. I would flip between desperation and a desire to serve, to confusion and clarity.

    No, I just have to walk to her!

    What the? Why am I thinking this?

    GO TO HER!

    Holy crap, is this mind control?

    GO TO HER NOW!

    ¡°GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!¡± I screamed filled with frustration and unbridled rage. As I yelled, the crowd of birds shrank away, falling completely silent. Even the four teachers looked stunned, but they quickly recovered. In the silence, the light blue one nervously repeated her chirp.

    I should¡­

    ¡°NO!¡± I yelled again. This time the crowd scattered, chirping desperately as they flapped their wings and flew over each other trying to get away. The three teachers at the back were prepared this time. Chirping in sync, they gestured towards what looked like a jagged rock sitting on a trolley between them and motioned towards me. This was followed by the rock flying towards me at the speed of a pegged handball. Out of pure instinct, my hand protected my face and caught the jagged rock, which was followed by my loudly screaming, ¡°OW!¡± The mayhem instantly came to a stop as all their little feathered heads turned towards the source of the sound.

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    I dropped the rock out of my right hand and into my left and looked down at the broken remains of a pencil I must have been unknowingly holding the whole time. It had snapped and one of the broken halves was protruding a little into my palm. ¡°That hurt!¡± I shouted, throwing the rock back in the general direction it came from. The stone flew and buried itself halfway into the floorboards right in front of one of the teacher nymphs, who staggered back and fell over with, what in hindsight must have been, utter horror judging from the puffed-up feathers. The fourth teacher was shaking the little blue nymph and chirping some things, while the rest of the students were stampeding out of the room. That¡¯s when I finally realized the gravity of what had probably happened. Crap¡­I thought.

    I looked down at the little nymph who had begun chirping something again, but this time I didn¡¯t feel anything. Confused, I looked around the room and then down at myself¡­ only to see my legs disappearing. ¡°Holy crap!¡± I exclaimed as my stomach, hands then chest faded into nothing. The last thing I saw, before the world faded into darkness, was the little blue nymph staring at me in what looked like shock.

    And then I was back... students writing, the supervisor staring daggers at me, everything exactly as I left it. Glancing at the clock it still said ten minutes past the start of the exam¡­ the exact time I disappeared. I examined myself up and down, then saw my pencil¡­broken¡­ with a little blood on it trickling down from my palm.

    It had been almost a year since that strange encounter. Thankfully, I graduated high school without any issues. I didn¡¯t tell anyone about my experience that day, figuring I would either be laughed at or institutionalized. In spite of my greatest hopes and wishes, I didn¡¯t see any of my friends jumping out and saying, ¡°It¡¯s just a prank bro!¡± or ¡°Gotcha!¡± or even any cryptic lines which may be references to what happened, nor could I find anything strange in what I ate that day. There weren¡¯t any opportunities for anyone to have slipped me something in my drinks or food, so I simply kept my mouth shut. I ended up writing it off as a mystery, but it got me thinking; if I did get summoned to another world, and it happened like in some of the stories I read, would I be ready? Since my answer to that was a solid ¡°no,¡± I decided to do something about it. My mild obsession with science and engineering actually ended up helping my final semester at high school, even if the new archery, martial arts, fencing and firearm classes didn¡¯t¡­. I may have over prepared just a bit.

    I was now well into my first semester at uni, studying a flexible first year engineering and science course, and had started to doubt that anything was going to come out of that strange experience. That was until one day at the firing range, as I was raising my rented Glock 34, that same patterned circle appeared, and everything went dark. Opening my eyes there was the same aqua-blue bird-nymph, leaning against a wooden wall behind it. This time I was determined to not do anything that might spook it, and risk losing my chance at a proper hello. So, I steeled myself to resist, but not overreact to, whatever would come next. It chirped weakly, and, like last time, I felt my mind trying to convince me to do something. But this time it wasn¡¯t a desire to serve or some compulsion to submit... it was fear, grief, and desperation. It wasn¡¯t trying to give an order¡­ it was pleading. This time I understood it immediately, that chirp was a ¡°Help me¡±.

    Setting my face in grim determination, I nodded to the poor creature and turned around to a scene of destruction. We were in what looked like a ball room, one whose roof was just tall enough for me to fit, but the tables lay on their side, broken and cracked, with more of the little bird-nymphs littering the floor; many in pools of red blood with sickening injuries. In the middle of them all, with its attention fully focused on me, was a massive monster. Massive for the nymphs that is, it really was about the size of a large dog, reaching about my thighs on all fours, and was best described as the mutant child of a dog, lion, and a porcupine. The monster tensed its muscles, opened its mouth, and let out a horrific screech.

    I raised my gun and fired. Seemingly instantly, there was a hole in the front of the creature¡¯s forehead, and a spray of red behind its head; all of which was accompanied by the sounds of a metallic snap and the squelch of exploding brains. The monster¡¯s scream stopped; it stood still, as if frozen in time. Then slowly, it fell forward with a meaty thud onto its stomach. I wanted to help the other birds, but my brain was still processing what just happened.

    Did I just mess up?. What if that was a person? I mean it does have blood all over its claws and around its mouth but what if this was a mistake? And all these nymph things! How can I¡­ I wondered but was cut off halfway through my thought by a single chirp from behind me.

    Turning around, the little nymph projected a feeling of amazement, relief, and mourning into my mind. I smiled, thinking that at least I had done something right this time. ¡°Any time.¡± I said. After hearing my words, the little nymph sunk back against the wall, closed its eyes and laid still.

    Just then, I heard frantic chirps getting louder from the corridors. Turning around to find the source, I noticed I was fading again, my legs already gone¡­ my hands¡­ chest¡­ and then I saw the origin of the chirps. Larger more professional looking Nymphs poured through one of the doors. That was my last sight before fading away.

 Back to Normal?

    I was right back where I had been, at the shooting range holding a rented Glock 34. I pulled out the magazine and counted the bullets, I was one shy. I suppose I was expecting it to all have been a dream or a hallucination, but no¡­ I was one bullet shy. I thought to myself how lucky I was, that of all the times I could have been taken to fight that creature it was when I had a gun in my hand. I almost laughed at the thought of if I had been in the loo, but my smile quickly faded and was replaced with fear.

    ¡°What if I had been in the loo?¡± I said aloud. I had no way of knowing when or if they would summon me again, and what if they do summon me to fight another monster but I¡¯m unarmed? Sure, I had learned plenty about hand-to-hand combat over the last few years, in response to my last abduction, but if I hadn¡¯t had a weapon this time¡­ I had lost my enthusiasm and left the shooting range for the day.

    Arriving at home, a small flat but home nonetheless, I walked into my room, past a stack of dirty clothes, and sat on my bed. I started going over what I definitely knew about them, and then tried coming up with theories to fill in the gaps of what I didn¡¯t know.

    I laid flat on my back and began thinking aloud, ¡°they are small creatures resembling birds or fairies, they are intelligent, and they live in a world where they are not at the top of the food chain.¡± I thought for a moment about what else I had seen.

    ¡°They have magic, or some kind of science so advanced that the difference is inconsequential¡­ except for their weapons,¡± I said remembering that handball sized rock that they had launched at me the first time.

    ¡°When I shot that¡­ thing¡­ the little blue one that summoned me was amazed. I know that for sure.¡± I then started to consider how I knew that. None of those creatures had ever spoken a single word to me. They seemed to be telepathic in some way, communicating their thoughts as desires and emotions rather than full proper words. The first time they took me, they put in my head a desire to serve a master in some fashion, but never once did they actually speak directly to me. I mulled all of this around in my head for a solid hour before my stomach began to rumble and I decided to cook something to eat.

    My kitchen, like my flat, was small and left much to be desired, but it fit my personality just fine. I like things simple and understandable; I like to be able to analyze something down to its smallest part and know what makes it tick. I walked into my kitchen, pulled out a boiling pot, filled it with water, and put it on the stove.

    ¡°Maybe some ramen and crisps,¡± I said sticking my head and arm into my pantry to try and find a packet of ramen. I found one at the very back of the cabinet, ¡°gotcha.¡± I said proudly and turned around to go back to my stove. There was just one problem, it wasn¡¯t there. In fact, neither was my flat for that matter. I was standing in a field of blueish green grass, and a burnt orange sky. Gold and pink clouds floated and danced in the wind, like a graceful ballerina doing a show for the whole world to see. A small timid chirp came from behind me. I turned and there, sat atop some kind of railing, was that tiny nymph.

    In my head I began to feel its presence, I felt it push its emotions and feelings into me. Thankfulness, remorse, amazement, and most strongly, sorrow. It was terribly sad about something, perhaps over what had happened in that building. I didn¡¯t know how else to comfort the creature, so I leaned down and stroked its small, feathered head. I began to feel its emotions even stronger as soon as I touched it.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked it. It didn¡¯t answer of course, but it did let its head sink into my hand, and I felt just how much anguish it was in. I could almost see its thoughts as if they were playing like a movie in my head. The longer the creature touched me the clearer the images became. It was thinking about what had happened mere hours ago.

    They had been in class, learning what seemed to be new spells, when they heard shrill shrieks that meant danger. Outside, an enormous beast had accidentally been summoned by another student. They had wanted something strong and fierce, and got exactly that. Just like what had happened to me, the nymph tried to cast some kind of control spell on it, but to no avail. The mind of the monster was too primitive to understand and filled with far too much primal rage to care. It had mauled the nymph to death, then proceeded to rampage throughout the school. Most students flew to safety, some of the teachers did too, but others tried to fight it off. They launched their rocks at it, but the monster¡¯s hide was too tough. One teacher tried to use magic on the beast, but that only served to anger it. It began slaughtering and maiming everything within sight. The small nymph flew into a closet in an attempt to hide and was forced to watch as the beast tore through everyone else. I felt the little nymph¡¯s fear and stress as it recalled the events, its panic was immense, but the visions didn¡¯t stop. The beast, with its large, quilled back and long claws, seemed insatiable in its bloodlust, but soon it ran out of prey. It sniffed the ground, then the air, and drew closer to the little being hiding in the closet. In a panic, the nymph flew out of the closet and over the beast, which took a swat at it with its claws but narrowly missed. It flew into another room, where it gathered together ingredients and small wooden planks filled with markings.

    I began to understand it now, we had been in contact for several minutes, so I was just now beginning to understand its thoughts.

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    ¡°I knew of no spell strong enough to save me if I attacked it, and I knew that if I tried to run, then it would chase me. I had no way to defeat this monster, so I needed one of my own.¡± Its voice was like a faint whisper in my head. No longer was it merely emotions or desires, but actual solid words, however soft they may have been.

    ¡°I can understand you.¡± I said amazed. It pulled away in what seemed to be shock, or perhaps confusion.

    ¡°¡­You¡­ you can speak?¡± It said sounding some mix of terrified and baffled.

    ¡°I feel like I should be the one asking that question.¡± I said to the small blue creature.

    ¡°I¡­ I am sorry,¡± the small nymph said.

    ¡°For what?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I am sorry for trying to make you my familiar, even after I realized you were an intelligent species, I still attempted to put you under my control. I was young, and my instructor... he said¡­ he told me I should continue with the ritual. I did not want to, but I was too afraid to make my objections known¡­ I deeply apologize.¡± The nymph bowed its head in shame.

    ¡°Why summon me in the first place?¡± I asked. The nymph raised its head and looked at me; her eyes filled with remorse.

    ¡°It was a part of my training, I was a student and was undergoing a test, The Rite of Dominance. I was ordered to summon a creature as powerful as I could, then dominate its mind and force it to become my familiar.¡±

    ¡°Familiar¡­¡± I had heard that term before but couldn¡¯t quite place where.

    ¡°A being meant to serve as a guardian, servant, and ally.¡± The nymph explained. I nodded my head that I understood.

    ¡°You wanted me to be your servant?¡± I questioned; part of me was offended, part of me was proud to be considered powerful.

    The nymph winced as if in pain, ¡°I¡­ yes.¡± The nymph spread its wings and bowed once more, this time with its whole body. ¡°I see how wrong I was now. A Neame as weak as myself could never hope to be the master of one as powerful as you great one.¡± Neame¡­ great one? I thought to myself.

    ¡°Is that what your species is called, Neame?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, great one.¡± It answered, still bowed.

    ¡°Why are you calling me great one?¡±

    ¡°You slew the Borog in a single attack of thunder and metal. It was just a spell, but it was more powerful and devastating than any I have ever seen. It was a spell so powerful it could have been performed by a court, or even a royal, mage¡± She explained.

    ¡°Um... right,¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°My name is Jake; you can just call me that.¡±

    The nymph stood up, ¡°Jake, allow me to offer my life as compensation for attempting to control you, and for forcing you into our fight against the Borog. I only ask that you spare my people from your wrath.¡±

    ¡°Woah woah woah, chill out. There is no need for all that. I admit that I was pretty upset by everything that happened, but I¡¯m not going to kill you over it.¡± The little nymph sighed deeply, and its wings drooped. I hadn¡¯t realized how tense it must have been through all of this.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am afraid I do not possess a name.¡± She replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I asked surprised.

    ¡°It would be a waste to name a lowly fifth level mage like myself. Only those of great importance are honored with names and titles.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Oh... well would it be okay if I gave you a name?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You honor me sir, but please do not trouble yourself. I am not worthy of such a gift.¡± She said.

    ¡°Well, I need something to call you, it would be a lot easier on me.¡± I said. She stayed quiet for a moment before answering.

    ¡°Then¡­ I will gratefully accept.¡± The nymph chirped excitedly. I looked the bird over for a minute, thinking carefully about what to call it. She had an air of magical wonder and poise, so I figured I should try and do something with that.

    ¡°How about¡­ Suma?¡± I suggested.

    She flapped her wings and chirped loudly, ¡°A wonderful name! Thank you, great one.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, just call me Jake.¡± I told her. ¡°Can I ask you a question Suma? Why would a student need a powerful familiar?¡±

    ¡°For the war gre¡­ uh, Sir Jake.¡±

    ¡°War?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, our people have been at war for nearly a decade now with the Southern Union.¡±

    ¡°Who are the Southern Union?¡±

    ¡°Our world is divided into four factions; each one is powerful and in control of huge swaths of land. The Southern Union controls the entire continent of Uriza and its surrounding islands. They are perhaps the most influential of all of the factions¡­ and the cruelest.¡±

    ¡°I see, but why would a student need to worry about a war?¡±

    ¡°Once we finish at the academy, all students are considered full mages and are sent to fight.¡± Suma explained.

    I was shocked, ¡°They send you to war as soon as you graduate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is the way it has been for nearly a decade. The war is not going well, we have been out matched since it began. So, they need everyone who has the ability to cast our rites and rituals to join the military.¡±

    ¡°But do you want to? What happens if you say no?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I volunteered, but there have been instances of people who were under orders to report for duty refusing to.¡±

    ¡°What happened to them?¡±

    ¡°Some were imprisoned, others were¡­ made examples of.¡±

    ¡°Killed!?¡± I nearly shouted. Suma¡¯s feathers ruffled and she reeled in surprise.

    ¡°What, no. They were publicly announced as cowards and ostracized by their families.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still not great¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°No, it is a pitiable existence indeed. Those who refuse to fight against the oppressive Southern Union deserve what they get though. Refusing to stand against an enemy is the same as helping it rise to power.¡±

    ¡°What makes this Southern Union so bad?¡± I asked.

    Suma shook her head and spoke softly, ¡°they have killed or enslaved countless Neame. Their poor are treated as little more than beasts, their rich stand on the backs of the innocent and exploited, any who speak out against their leadership are publicly executed.¡±

    ¡°They sound pretty bad.¡± I said.

    ¡°Indeed, our soldiers do what they can to keep them at bay, but their army is strong, most of the wealth of the nation goes directly to it. We are barely able to hold our territory, we lost the Island of Sangu just last year.¡±

    I thought for a moment, about my life, about these people, and about everything I have done over the last few years after meeting Suma for the very first time. I liked what I had been doing, all my studying and training. I did it all so that I would be ready if I was ever taken again. Now that I was here¡­. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

 An Offer of Help

    ¡°You wish to help?¡± Suma chirped slightly confused.

    ¡°If I can, yeah.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Even after¡­ even after I tried to control you?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again,¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Of course, never again,¡± She said and began almost bobbing up and down singing happily, ¡°Asumu da jonn nis ah!¡±

    ¡°Um, I think the translation thing stopped working for a second.¡± I said.

    Suma slowly stopped bouncing and, still exited, explained, ¡°oh no, it is still working fine. I was singing in the old tongue of my people. I do not truly know what it means, but in my country it is sung when we are happy.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I nodded in understanding. ¡°So, Suma, can you tell me what I should expect if I were to become your familiar?¡±

    Suma¡¯s head craned back as if she were avoiding a slap, ¡°Grea¡ªuh Jake, I could not possibly make you my familiar! I am not worthy to be the master of such a powerful being as you. You have already shown so much kindness by naming me; I could not possibly ask any more of you.¡±

    I shook my head and waved a hand in dismissal, ¡°you aren¡¯t asking, I am. I prepared for years in case I was summoned again, then I find out that there¡¯s no danger anymore, and I basically wasted years of my life over nothing. I want to at least use the skills I learned to help someone. I¡¯m not much of a soldier, but maybe I could make a decent familiar.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Suma was dumbstruck and could barely form a sentence. She shook her head and flapped her wings, ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what do we do first?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We need to perform the Rite of Two, it will bind our souls and allow us to communicate with each other across worlds, as well as let me summon you in a moment¡¯s notice.¡± She explained.

    ¡°How do we do that?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°We need to go to the Grand Sanctum, it is illegal to try and perform it anywhere else now¡­ after what happened.¡± I figured she was either talking about me or that Borog beast, but I didn¡¯t ask. With that, we left the school and made our way to the city.

    ¡°Will it be alright if I just walk around like this? What if I scare someone?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°It should be fine, most people will just assume you are a familiar and under a control ritual, but you will definitely draw quite a few stares.¡± She chirped in a way that I think she was laughing. She wasn¡¯t wrong, nobody bothered us, but almost everyone we passed looked at me with either shock or fear; I was guessing anyway, I still can¡¯t exactly tell with them. For all I knew they could have been flipping me off in their own way.

    We arrived at the Grand Sanctum without incident, mostly¡­ I think one nymph was trying to seduce Suma, but she had me chase him off. She chirped happily as he squawked and flew away as fast as he could. The Grand Sanctum was a large white building, that had huge holes peppered throughout its walls. Nymphs were speedily flying in and out of them making a variety of noises as they did. There was a large open area at the bottom, well¡­ large compared to the nymphs. I had to crouch down to make it through; I guess bipedal apes are rare for familiars. Inside it was like a giant bird cage, some areas had walls, others just wire shells, but most of it was empty space so that there was room to fly.

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    ¡°This place is huge,¡± I whispered to Suma. She had told me that I needed to be quiet, or the other nymphs would think she was losing control of me, and I would end up in a cage or something.

    ¡°It is actually the largest building in the city right now, but I understand there is a bigger one somewhere in the Western Atolls.¡± Suma quietly told me. We waited in a line leading to a large pedestal for about twenty minutes, but eventually we were called up by an older looking nymph with greyish feathers and a more curled beak than Suma¡¯s.

    ¡°Next,¡± he squawked.

    We walked up and Suma said, ¡°I am here to perform the Rite of Two.¡±

    ¡°ID number and date of hatching?¡± The older bird requested.

    ¡°ID- 126-5569-741, I was hatched on the second of Famuth twelve years ago. Oh, and my name is Suma.¡± That last part she announced proudly. As soon as Suma said she had a name, the older bird perked up and began talking in a much friendlier tone.

    ¡°Oh, Madam Suma, my apologies for the long wait, we will get you a room for your ritual right away. Um¡­¡± The older bird looked at me then back to Suma, ¡°is this the creature you will be pairing with today or shall I get you a summoning squad?¡±

    ¡°This is him,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Very good, we will alert you in just a moment when a room is available. Please feel free to relax in our waiting area, and if you want, we have a nice kennel for your future familiar to stay in while you wait.¡± I shot him an icy glare and the feathers around his neck puffed up.

    ¡°That will not be necessary, Jake will be staying with me.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said looking back and forth between me and Suma. We walked into the waiting area he mentioned, and she perched on a kind of metal branch thing, meanwhile there wasn¡¯t a single real seat in sight.

    I sighed, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll stand.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about the kennel remark,¡± Suma said sheepishly.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± I told her, ¡°I guess that¡¯s something I¡¯ll just have to get used to.¡± We didn¡¯t have to wait long for our turn in the room, I guess named nymphs are this world equivalent of rich people or nobility of some kind. The room was much smaller than the main area, but more than large enough for me and several nymphs.

    ¡°Okay Jake, are you ready?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I told her. Suma then bowed her head and spread her wings with the tips pointing to the sky. A glowing multi-colored magic circle formed on the golden floor around each of our feet and began to twist and match the shapes of our shadows. Soon I felt a kind of heaviness in my soul and nearly fell to my knees but managed to steady myself and stay standing.

    The weight suddenly vanished, and I heard a voice echoing inside of my mind. It was far away at first, and I could make out the words, but soon it boomed like thunder, ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED¡­¡±

    ¡°A name,¡± I asked aloud.

    Suma looked at me questioningly, ¡°did you hear that, Jake?¡± She sounded confused, or maybe scared. Without warning, a small ember began to glow on the floor, it radiated in a brilliant display of light until it nearly exploded into a roaring inferno between Suma and myself.

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± The flaming figure bellowed. There were several large birds and their animals in the room with us, and each of them stepped back at the sight of this creature.

    ¡°I¡­ I am Jake!¡± I yelled out, but the figure ignored me and turned to Suma.

    She looked at me, then turned back to the figure and shouted, ¡°his... his name is Sentinel!¡± The figure faded back to an ember and a burning pain shot through my shoulder.

    ¡°Ah!¡± I yelped and lifted up my sleeve to see that a magic circle, surrounded by some kind of alien letters, had been etched into my skin like a tattoo. I looked down at the floor and the magic circles faded away into nothing, leaving the room filled with an eerie quiet. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± I asked, breaking the rest of the room¡¯s occupants out of their own stupors.

    ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± Suma replied meekly.

 preparations

    I laid in my bed that night, unable to sleep. The image of that flaming figure was burned into my mind and would not let me rest. I had asked Suma about it, and she asked some of the other officials from the temple, but no one had any answers. I thought back to our conversation after we left the temple. We were both shaken and concerned.

    ¡°How¡¯d you know what it meant when it asked for a name?¡± I asked Suma. Fluttering beside me, she landed on the shoulder that now bore a strange tattoo.

    ¡°I... I just had a feeling. I do not know how to explain it, all I know is that the pairing worked. I can now summon you whenever I need, and we can talk to each other between worlds.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°How do you know? Is it the tattoo thing?¡± I asked pointing my free hand at the markings.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded her head.

    ¡°Can I ask you something? Why did you choose the name Sentinel, or better yet¡­ where did you even hear that word?¡±

    ¡°Sentinel¡­ it means great one. I thought it fit.¡±

    ¡°My world has that word too you know. It basically means guardian or watcher.¡±

    ¡°Then I was right, it does fit.¡±

    It had been hours since Suma sent me back to my world, plopping me right back in the middle of my kitchen. I checked my watch as soon as I arrived, then checked the alarm clock in my room, there was a massive difference between the two. I had been gone for two or so hours, but according to the clock in my room, no time had passed. Thoughts kept racing through my mind: how am I supposed to beat something like a Borog if I¡¯m not armed? What if I¡¯m summoned to fight in a war and I get someone killed because I¡¯m not strong enough? I stayed awake all night trying to answer these questions and more, but the only conclusion I came to was this¡­ I can¡¯t ever be caught with my pants down.

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    I began researching how to fight various kinds of animals, and the best ways to treat wounds in as many circumstances as I could think of. I made a list of supplies for everything from first aid to close quarters combat that was legal to own in my country. Shy of moving to America where I could probably buy an AK-47 at Walmart, I needed a sure-fire way to deal with as many situations as possible. My eventual conclusion was that I needed something that I could quickly convert into a weapon after I was summoned, or learn how to manufacture the weapon in the other world so that I could keep it there. The conversion seemed easier, so I pulled a 3D modeling program to help me design it.

    The sunlight poured into my room from outside just as I put the finishing touches on my design. In the course of four hours, I had gone through seven ideas and attempted to build mock versions of them out of what I had laying around. I decided on what was essentially a kind of folding knife that could attach to a collapsible rod. I looked at my clock and decided that I could finish my project later since it was my day off work.

    Just as I laid down to sleep, I heard Suma¡¯s voice in my head, ¡°I summon you, Sentinel.¡± A magic circle formed on my bed around my body, and I slowly began to disappear. I reached out and grabbed a pajama shirt, and trousers, just before my hand disappeared.

 The Right Tools

    ¡°AH!¡± I yelped as I slammed face first onto the grassy ground. Suma squawked in surprise and flapped her wings in an attempt to regain her balance.

    ¡°Jake! Are you okay?¡± She asked, once again finding her footing on a small wooden perch. I groaned rolling over on my back and touching my face to make sure I wasn¡¯t bleeding.

    ¡°A little warning would have been appreciated.¡± I said sitting up and pulling my trousers up, then sliding on my shirt.

    ¡°Sorry, but what were you doing floating in the air without your garments?¡± Suma wondered.

    I stood up and rolled my shoulders. ¡°I was about to go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ but how were you floating?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t floating, I was laying on a bed. Boy, I sure am glad I had clothes nearby.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh, if you were laying on something I suppose that makes sense, but why were you not in your garments?¡± She cocked her head in confusion.

    ¡°Suma, why did you summon me here?¡± I ignored the question because at that moment I didn¡¯t feel like detailing the intricacies of human sleeping habits.

    ¡°Oh right, we need to train.¡± She explained excitedly.

    ¡°Train, but I¡¯m... wait¡­ I feel fine.¡± I exclaimed. I was expecting to feel absolutely exhausted after staying up all night and day, but actually I felt as if I had just gotten a full night¡¯s sleep. ¡°Suma, why am I not tired?¡±

    ¡°Summoning a person basically reconstitutes them in our world fully rejuvenated and healed. It was made this way so as to heal wounds dealt during battle,¡± she told me, ¡°Although it cannot revive the dead or replace lost limbs.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I could get stabbed but as soon as you send me back home, I¡¯ll be fine?¡± I asked.

    ¡°So long as you do not die, then yes.¡± She said. ¡°Are you ready to train?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Sure, but what do you mean when you say train?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Practice our magics and battle strategies, as well as find out what our combination magic is and how it works?¡± Suma told me.

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    ¡°Um... I don¡¯t know any magic.¡± I said.

    Her head moved back slightly, and she ruffled her feathers, ¡°but you used magic to kill the Borog.¡±

    ¡°No, I used a gun.¡±

    ¡°What is a gun?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a weapon made to send a small piece of metal several hundred kilometers per hour at an opponent. This usually puts a hole in them, some large and some small depending on the type.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Okay, well you can just use that in training.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it; I don¡¯t even own one. I was just renting the one I had when I killed the Borog.¡±

    Suma stayed quiet for a moment, her beaked face gave little in the way of expression, but I could only assume it was either regret or annoyance at the sudden realization that I didn¡¯t come with the super awesome instant kill move she thought I had. ¡°Well, how do we make one?¡± She finally asked.

    ¡°Your world has magic right? I spent a lot of time thinking about that last night and I came up with two ideas. My first thought was to make a weapon that I could keep on my person at all times in my world, but that¡¯s infeasible and would most likely end with me in jail. My second thought was constructing a weapon here and leaving it with you when I¡¯m not here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I think we could do that, but what kind of weapon did you have in mind? We have quite a few weapons here but nothing like your¡­ gun.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I was thinking a sword and shield, or maybe a spear. If I could figure out how to make it practical, I would try and make a gun of some kind, even a flintlock would work, but the materials required might not even exist here, so I won¡¯t worry about that yet.¡± I told her.

    ¡°What are swords and spears?¡± She asked. I was a bit caught off guard by the question, but I guess it made sense that their species didn¡¯t have things like that since they don¡¯t have hands or the bodies necessary for that kind of combat.

    ¡°A sword is a sharp piece of metal like iron or steel fixed to a handle, and a spear is similar but far longer.¡± I told Suma.

    Suma shook her head, ¡°I cannot say I have ever heard of such things.¡±

    ¡°Does your world have the ability to melt steel and shape it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We do, but it is usually only done for things like construction, I do not know if weapons can be made that way.¡±

    ¡°Might as well try.¡± I said. With that, Suma and I went into the city in search for a metalworker and tools. I knew enough about the process from my studies and the years of preparation that I could probably do it myself if I have to, but I''d rather leave it in the hands of professionals. It took only an hour but soon we found a small shop run by an elderly unnamed nymph who seemed interested in making weapons out of steel instead of just normal construction supplies. I gave him a detailed drawing of a sword, shield, and a spear. I don¡¯t know how he planned to build our order without hands, but he seemed confident that he could. We paid him with some of this world¡¯s currency as well as a bit of magic power, which Suma supplied. I asked later and she explained that was a normal way to pay here. In total, it cost us only a little bit of money, at least I think, as the metalworker seemed like he cared more about finding out if it was possible than getting paid.

    ¡°How long did that nymph say our weapons would take to finish?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°A week total, but the spear probably only two days.¡±

 Part 6: A New Toy

    While we waited, we spent a week training what we could. We went over potential battle tactics, what positions we could take on a battlefield, and she also explained what combination magic was. Apparently, it was something we could still do, despite me not having any magic. It was performed by my lending her some of my ¡°life force¡± as she called it, then combining it with her own to create a unique attack or effect.

    ¡°Are you ready Jake?¡± Suma asked as she prepared to perform the ritual to take some of my life force.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I said. A magic circle formed around the two of us, then slowly they warped to form a figure eight that connected between our bodies. I felt a feeling like a cold chill run down my body and a wave of blue traveled from my end of the circle to hers. As soon as it touched her body Suma began crying out in pain and fell to her stomach. As soon as she hit the ground the circle vanished, and I ran to pick her up. ¡°SUMA!¡± She laid motionless and limp in my hands as I carefully picked her up and cradled her in my arms. ¡°Suma! Suma!¡± I yelled, and after a moment she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Oh, thank goodness.¡± I sighed in relief.

    ¡°By the dragons, that quite hurt,¡± Suma moaned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡­ it was my fault. I failed to realize how strong you actually were and tried taking ten percent of your life energy.¡± Her voice sounded as if each word was a struggle to get out. ¡°It was a foolish mistake. I should have performed a free-flow technique rather than a portion one. It would have been safer, but I was overconfident; I thought I could handle it.¡± Suma explained in a pained tone of voice.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    She took a few deep breaths, ¡°I will be fine, I just need to rest a moment.¡±

    Suma rested in my arms for at least thirty minutes before asking to stand up on her own again. ¡°Are you okay,¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I am fine, I was simply knocked on my tail feathers for a moment,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Maybe we should try again later and take a break for now, it has been a couple of days, let¡¯s go see if any of our order is ready yet.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Yes, that is¡­ a good idea.¡± She said sounding exhausted. I started walking towards the city, but when I looked over my shoulder, Suma hadn¡¯t moved.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um... could I¡­ ride on your shoulder?¡± She asked meekly.

    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I chuckled slightly and carefully lifted her up and placed her on my shoulder. She was short, maybe a foot tall, but while she was perched, her head was above the top of mine by just a bit.

    We made our way back to the metalworker¡¯s shop, which was only about a ten- or fifteen-minute walk from where we had been training. Once inside, the nymph who we had spoken to a few days ago perked up and greeted us excitedly.

    ¡°Hello, my unusual friends, I have a part of your order ready for you! It was a fun and unique build. I all but needed to invent the tools needed to complete it, but I have it ready for you. It was the long one, with the wooden shaft.¡± He said and flew over to a table. He reached down and dragged the wooden end of the spear to the edge of the table, grunting as he did.

    ¡°Let me help,¡± I said and picked it up.

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± He said. The spear was genuinely nice, well-crafted, and sturdy, but thick enough that I was fairly sure it would do some damage. It was almost as tall as I was, from the tip of the sharpened metal cone which made the spear, to the base of the wooden shaft it was about five feet long and had a two-and-a-half-inch diameter. Normally, a spear would have a blade at the end, but I opted to have this one utilize a thin cone-like rod, rather than a blade, that way I could be sure it wouldn¡¯t snap. It wouldn¡¯t be slicing anyone up, but it will be one heck of a blunt force puncture weapon. ¡°The rest of your order should be finished in four days. I must say, I have had great fun making such unusual things.¡± The nymph said.

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    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. As we were making our way out, the nymph gave me a tool to sharpen the spear¡¯s tip if it got dulled. It was some kind of stone with magic symbols carved into it. I thanked him, and we left to go back to training. During the walk back, I felt the balance of the spear, ran my hand over the sanded down wood, and examined the tip. It all seemed to be well made and ready for testing. Once we arrived back at the clearing we had been training in, I looked over at Suma, ¡°are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± she said and fluttered her way off my shoulder and onto the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what this spear can do.¡± I said.

    ¡°That tree might make a good practice target.¡± Suma suggested. I walked over to a large blue barked tree with red leaves, and readied my spear. I gripped it tightly in both hands then thrust it forwards into the trunk of the tree. With a loud thwack, I chipped of a bit of bark and dug a full two inches into its side with the tip. I gave the spear a good jerk and wrenched it free. I examined the hole in the wood then glanced over the spear to check its condition. There was no visible damage on the metal, so I repeated the test a few more times until I was satisfied that the spear wouldn¡¯t break during combat.

    ¡°I do not know much about this kind of weapon, but I must say, I am nonetheless impressed.¡± Suma stated.

    ¡°It did well,¡± I told Suma, ¡°No scratches or dents, and the tip is still intact. I¡¯d say it passed with full marks.¡±

    ¡°It seems to be a devastating weapon. Tell me, what monsters must reside on your world to have need of such a ferocious tool?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ well there are bears and wolves, beasts like the borogs, but I¡¯d bet it was developed to fight other humans.¡±

    ¡°So, your species has many wars as well?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, all the time. In fact, I¡¯m not sure there has ever been a time in our history when a war wasn¡¯t being fought.¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­Never?¡± Suma asked quietly shocked.

    ¡°Not to my knowledge.¡± I answered. I looked at the spear and had a thought, ¡°man, where am I gunna keep this thing? Your house can¡¯t be big enough to store it.¡±

    Suma shifted her weight on her perch, ¡°yes, I am afraid my home is much too small, but storage should not be a problem. I know a spell that can help.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. Suma flew over to me and landed on my shoulder.

    ¡°Bring it closer,¡± she said. I tilted the tip of the spear about an inch from her. A moment later a small magic circle formed around her, and then around my own feet, and then one formed around the shaft of the spear like a snake coiled around its prey. ¡°You will need to name the weapon Jake.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Name it? Okay...¡± I thought for a moment about what to call it. ¡°Destiny,¡± I said, and the magic circles changed from a brilliant blue to a burning red, then faded away.

    ¡°Why Destiny?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°There was a famous spear from human history called the spear of destiny. I thought it fit.¡± I explained. ¡°Hey Suma, why did I just name a spear?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I used a similar spell to the one we bonded ourselves with, now you can summon the spear by calling its name, no matter where you are.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Oh¡­ neat.¡± I said.

    ¡°Try it out,¡± she suggested. I stabbed the spear into the ground then walked a few feet away.

    ¡°Destiny.¡± I said, but nothing happened.

    ¡°You are not talking to the spear; you are calling for it. Do not simply say the words, mean them. Give them purpose.¡± Suma told me.

    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I said. I cleared my mind and tried to imagine what she meant, calling Destiny with purpose, and meaning. ¡°Destiny!¡± I shouted, and the spear blinked out of sight then, with a flash, it reappeared into my outstretched hand. ¡°That... was¡­ awesome!¡± I shouted. I threw the spear at the tree and sunk it several inches into its wood, causing it to stick straight out, then once again I called it back to me. I repeated this process several times, cackling like a madman while I did.

    ¡°It seems you are getting the hang of it,¡± Suma stated.

    ¡°I think so, but I wanna try something.¡± I said and tossed the spear a few feet away. ¡°I wanna try summoning the spear without talking,¡± I told her.

    ¡°You wish to try shadow casting?¡± She sounded surprised.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve heard of it? I just saw something like it in a TV show and thought I¡¯d give it a try.¡± I said.

    Suma nodded her head, ¡°It is an extremely difficult technique that takes even the best mages years of study to grasp. I doubt you will be able to get it.¡±

    ¡°Might as well give it a shot,¡± I said and closed my eyes to focus. I tried to focus on what Suma told me, about purpose and meaning, then I reached out with my hand and in my head thought¡­ Destiny. I didn¡¯t feel anything at first, but my mind started filling with images, like strings stretching out into infinity. I would reach for the strings, then draw my hand back if they felt wrong. Then I saw it, as clear as day in my mind, a red string. In my mind I reached out and grabbed it, then pulled as hard as I could. Once again, in my mind, I called out for my spear, and clenched my outstretched hand around a familiar wooden shaft.

    ¡°You¡­ you did it¡­¡± Suma whispered.

 Part 7: Unusual Skills

    I opened my eyes and saw my spear in my hands, a magic circle wrapped around its shaft just like every other time I had summoned it. Strangely, for a moment after opening my eyes, I could have sworn I had seen a red thread connecting my hand and the spear, but after focusing my vison nothing was there.

    ¡°That was a trip,¡± I joked.

    Suma, still sounding amazed, interjected, ¡°do you know what you just did, Jake?¡±

    ¡°Summoned my spear,¡± I said.

    ¡°No... well, yes, but that is not what I meant. You just shadow cast on your first attempt. No one has ever done that, at least not as far as I know.¡± Suma told me.

    ¡°Really? It was pretty easy, though.¡± I said confused. Suma cocked her head and ruffled her feathers.

    ¡°Jake, I have a question, you said Humans cannot do magic, but you know what shadow casting is and performed it on your first try. Not only that, but you figured out how to summon your spear in less than a minute¡­ How?¡± Suma asked sounding extremely confused.

    ¡°Well, I know what shadow casting is from watching anime, which is a form of entertainment like a play, and as far as I know Humans can¡¯t do magic. Maybe since your world has it, the rules of my world don¡¯t apply, or perhaps since you bonded us, I developed the ability? In truth, I have no clue, and we could spend all day guessing.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I cannot say I have ever heard of a species without the ability to use magic, suddenly developing into prodigies. There has to be a logical explanation¡­¡± Suma¡¯s voice was thin, questioning, as she attempted to figure it out. I admit I was confused as well, but without any solid evidence, guessing was all we would be doing. ¡°Jake, I want to try something,¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I want you to try and cast a spell, something you have never been exposed to before.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Okay, but how will I know to do it if I have never seen it before?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I will show you it once, then I want you to try it.¡± She said.

    ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯m ready,¡± I said not fully understanding why.

    ¡°No, we need to go to the academy that I first summoned you to. There is something we require.¡± She told me. We started walking to the academy, and on the way, I asked Suma why she wanted me to do this spell. ¡°I want to see if you can perform any magic, or only spells that have been bonded to you like the summoning spell. Since you have never seen this spell, and it is not a bonding type, it will be a good test.¡±

    ¡°Bonding type, I take it that means there are more kinds?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Quite a few. There is bonding, which you have seen, these include summoning and dominations, and can either be rites, or rituals.¡± As she spoke, she fluttered along beside me, switching from hovering like a hummingbird to flying like a dove. ¡°Then there are creation types, where you take elements from nature to make something new, like taking dirt, water, and wood, then reshaping it into something usable like a building. Then there is transformation magic, this is causing something to change from one form to another, like water into ice or steam.¡±

    ¡°Oh okay, so which one will I be doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We are going to have you try to do a simple transformation spell, water into steam. It is the type of magic beginners learn.¡± She said.

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    ¡°And what are we getting from the school,¡± I wondered, ¡°is it something I need to perform the spell?¡±

    ¡°No, simple magic like this does not require any additional ingredients. We are going to need something to see whether you are controlling magic around you, or producing magic yourself.¡± She said. We walked for a solid twenty minutes, and my feet began to ache. Once we arrived at the academy, I plopped myself down on the floor and took off my shoes. Suma flew off down the halls to retrieve her items. I removed my socks and checked my feet for blisters. I didn¡¯t see any, but my feet were still sore. Suma come back carrying several small stones and a tablet in her feet, and a moment later another nymph, a darker blue and slightly larger, flew up behind her and landed. ¡°Jake, this is my old professor. He said he would assist us.¡±

    ¡°It can understand us?¡± The other nymph asked curious.

    ¡°Yes, it can.¡± I said jokingly. The nymph backed up slightly, then calmed down and stepped a bit closer to inspect me.

    ¡°You keep strange familiars, young one, but knowing you I suppose I should have expected it. You always were an abnormal student.¡± The nymph said sounding amused.

    ¡°Jake, what happened to your feet? You removed your coverings again.¡± Suma said finally noticing my removed shoes and socks.

    ¡°Yeah sorry, we have just been walking so much lately. My feet are sore. We really need to get horses or cars or something.¡± I said rubbing my foot.

    ¡°I do not know what a horse or a car is, but we can take a rest if you need to. After we do this test I can send you home again, you have been here long enough; half the day at least.¡± Suma said. I hadn¡¯t been keeping track, all I knew was it had been a while. She had summoned me each day for training, but I never felt the need to complain as I was always put back right when I left¡­ although a bit more tired. On the bright side, these longer days have helped me get back on a normal sleep schedule.

    ¡°Thanks, okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± I told her. I stood up and leaned Destiny against a wall. I had been carrying it this whole time. On the way to the academy, Suma mentioned that I could send it away as well as bring it back, but I hadn¡¯t tried that yet. As I wondered where it would go, Suma handed me a stone with spirals of blue and streaks of red, then told me to repeat after her. It wasn¡¯t very heavy, no more than a pound, but it was the size of a baseball, so it felt too light for its size. Suma placed a bowl on the floor then used magic to fill it with water. Then she took her place opposite to me about three feet away on a small perch.

    She began to speak and I repeated after her, ¡°Ang nol dosay om peasa.¡±

    ¡°Ang nol dosay om peasa.¡± I said. Nothing happened and Suma looked disappointed. I glanced at the stone expecting some kind of reaction, but none occurred. ¡°What was that supposed to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, if you had produced the magic yourself, the blue would have turned green, and if you controlled the magic in the area, the red would have gone black, but neither happened.¡± She said. She shook her head and waddled back and forth on her perch for a moment before sharply saying, ¡°Oh of course, you said it in my language and not your own. Try it in your native tongue!¡±

    ¡°Um, okay,¡± I said, ¡°but what does all that mean?¡±

    ¡°It is a command of sorts, you need to channel the magical energy to accomplish a task, then describe what needs to happen. For turning water into steam, you would say boil the water.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Okay, I think I understand,¡± I said. Suma gave me the go ahead and I tried to imagine what she told me. Basically, I need to channel this magical energy stuff, then use it to accomplish a task. To do it, I need to describe the task. I wondered to myself if that was all, how did this magical energy know what to do? I figured it had to have been some kind of mental image that the energy used as a kind of building block. If that was the case, then magic could be a kind of extension of a person¡¯s thoughts. I had a theory, and was ready to test it. I focused on the feeling of when I summoned Destiny, there was a kind of gentle, yet fierce power lurking nearby whenever I did it. Like a monster hidden just under the surface of a still lake. I needed to make that monster come out of hiding, so I focused on looking for that feeling. In my mind I imagined standing on the surface of a pool, then reaching a hand into it. I felt that same power begin to flow. Soon, it was as strong as when I summon Destiny, but I didn¡¯t stop there. I imagined reaching further in, all the way to my elbow, and that feeling became much more tangible.

    ¡°JAKE!¡± Suma shouted urgently.

    I broke the image when I opened my eyes, and saw both nymphs looking concerned, then I looked around the room and understood why. Planks and stones that had been stacked on shelves were on the ground, like a windstorm had blown through in an instant and gone just as fast. I looked down at the stone, the blue had turned green, and the red was black.

 Part 8- A Magic Test

    ¡°What happened?¡± I wondered as I looked around at the state of the room.

    ¡°When your started using magic, at first the stone turned green and we were satisfied, but quickly afterward the red changed to black in an instant, which is highly unusual in and of itself, but before we could get your attention the whole room was engulfed in a swirling mass of magical energy. We were blown around the room and only after managing to regain control were we able to snap you out of it.¡± Suma explained. I looked around the room again, taking in all of the chaos. It wasn¡¯t too bad to me, but for small creatures like the nymphs it was probably like a hurricane.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-¡± Just then I noticed that the older nymph was shaking and nuzzling his left wing¡­ it was broken. I rushed over to him, ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°Jake, do not worry, our magic can heal him; let me handle it.¡± Suma said. Her voice wasn¡¯t angry, but calm and even. She wasn¡¯t trying to chastise me but reassure me that nothing had been done that couldn¡¯t be fixed. She stood over the older larger nymph and a magic circle formed around the two of them. A light began emitting from the nymphs injured wing, like glitter moving in a wave across its surface, then the wing jerked itself back into the correct alignment. Soon the circle faded, and he moved it around to make sure it was okay. ¡°Are you okay,¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, thank you little one,¡± the nymph said and pressed his wings back to his body. He turned to me, ¡°you are an oddity I have never come across before in my lifetime. Such power, and in a summon no less. Tell me, are there more like you?¡±

    ¡°More humans, yes, but I am the only human in history to use magic; as far as I know anyway.¡± I told him.

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    ¡°A shame,¡± he replied, ¡°I would have liked to have a familiar like you myself.¡± He said.

    ¡°Jake is not just a familiar, he is a friend. He even named me.¡± Suma interjected.

    ¡°A name?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am now known as Suma.¡± She told him.

    ¡°A familiar naming its master¡­ that¡¯s... unheard of.¡± He replied.

    ¡°I am not his master, we are allies¡­ partners.¡± She told him. ¡°Besides, it is not like I could if I wanted to, his force of will and lifeforce density are far beyond my abilities to control.¡± That piqued my interest.

    ¡°Life force density?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do you remember when I tried taking your life force into myself and got injured.¡± Suma said but was interrupted by the older nymph.

    ¡°You were injured in an attempt to take some of his life force? I taught you better than that, never try taking on a new familiar¡¯s life force all at once, start with thirty percent or less.¡± He chided.

    ¡°I started with ten percent, and it still knocked me on my tailfeathers.¡± Suma corrected him. He looked shocked, then confused.

    ¡°Ten percent, and you were still injured?¡± He asked. ¡°How¡­ remarkable.¡± he added after a brief silence.

    ¡°Jake has the densest life force I have ever encountered.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that much.¡± I denied.

    ¡°Jake, I can handle the life force of several Borog beasts at the same time, I could not even handle one-tenth of yours. There are high mages and court mages that train their whole lives to achieve what you were born with, and you are an untrained amateur who only just learned they even had magic.¡± Suma explained. I was honestly bewildered, I had never considered the possibility that I had magic, let alone that I was good at it in any way. As those thoughts marinated inside my head, Suma and the other nymph said their goodbyes and she apologized for wrecking the room. I offered to help clean, but he said that the school used magic to clean itself, and that he could handle activating the ability alone. I was exhausted, and Suma saw it, so she sent me home. I closed my eyes in her world and opened them on my couch, where she had taken me from this morning. My feet still ached, and now I was too full of questions to sleep; at least that¡¯s what I thought, but I was snoring within five minutes of my head hitting my pillow.

 Part 9: Back to Work

    I woke up in a confused haze, my alarm blaring telling me exactly how late for work I was. ¡°CRAP!¡± I shouted and flung myself out of bed, but most of my body was still asleep so rather than a fluid motion, it was more like a stumbling drunk monkey trying to dance ballet, then falling down. Still half wrapped in my blanket, I quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and take the fastest shower in human history. I grabbed a shirt, pants, and socks from my drawer and put on deodorant. All in all, I was dressed and out the door in fifteen minutes, half an hour late for work. I called my boss telling him I was on my way; he was chill about it as this was probably the first time I had been late in the full year I had been working there. My job was data entry, just something to pay the bills until I was finished with my engineering degree next year. I arrived for work and clocked in quickly.

    ¡°Hey Jake,¡± my boss said startling me from behind.

    ¡°Goodness!¡± I yelped in surprise. ¡°Oh, hey Mr. Vidal, sorry for being late; I overslept. Yesterday was pretty hectic.¡± I explained.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, everyone is late sometimes.¡± He said calmly. Mr. Vidal was a great boss, forgiving, willing to compromise, and good at leading us rather than just giving out orders. I¡¯ve had some bad bosses before, but he wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°What made yesterday so hectic, did something happen after you left here?¡± He asked.

    No one, not even my family, knew about Suma and that other world, and I definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell them. ¡°Yeah, a friend of mine called me and needed some help with stuff, so we spent hours working on that. I didn¡¯t even get to sleep until 10:00 AM this morning.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Wow, so you only got like four hours of sleep? Dang, what was so important?¡± He asked surprised. I work afternoon shifts from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, so normally I just go to sleep after I get home and wake up for college at 10:00. Thankfully I didn¡¯t have classes today.

    ¡°Oh¡­ he was having medical issues, so I took him to the hospital and brought him home this morning.¡± I lied.

    ¡°Well, I hope he gets to feeling better, and if you need to leave an hour or two early today to catch up on some sleep or take care of your friend that¡¯s fine. Nothing important is going on today.¡± Mr. Vidal said as he went to his office. With that, I got to work at my computer. My job was simple, take information from forms and transfer them to digital files on our computers. I trudged on for a few hours until my stomach started to rumble at about 6:00, but I kept Instant noodles in my desk to tide me over until I could leave. Just as I put the noodles in the microwave, I got a call, but not on my phone.

    ¡°Jake, are you there?¡± Suma¡¯s voice said in my head. I pulled out my phone and placed it to my ear to make it seem like I was talking on the phone.

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    ¡°Hey Suma, what¡¯s up?¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you free to be summoned? I need a bit of help.¡± She said.

    ¡°Um, not at the moment, if I leave now I might be too tired to finish work when I get back. Can it wait another¡­¡± I looked down at my phone for the time, ¡°two hours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think it can wait. Just call me when you are free, and I will explain.¡± She said.

    ¡°Okay, see you in a bit.¡± I said and put my phone back in my pocket. A second later the microwave beeped, and my soup was ready. I took it, and a fork, back to my desk to eat. As I sat down, my coworker, Melony, walked up to me.

    ¡°Jake, do you have a copy of the Greely file on your computer? Mine got corrupted in last week¡¯s power outage and they requested a copy to be sent to them.¡± She asked.

    ¡°Um sure, I think so,¡± I said and sat my noodles down to search my computer. ¡°Here we are,¡± I said and emailed her a copy of the file. ¡°Okay, I sent it to your work email,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a life saver Jake,¡± she said and walked away. I went back to eating and checked my phone for messages. A text from my mum asking me to stop by after work to get a few things from storage from when I still lived there. They had mentioned it before, but I kept forgetting¡­ mostly because of everything that has been happening with Suma. While I ate, I messaged her telling her that I would be by after work to collect everything. I also thought about how much had changed for me over these last few weeks, how much I had seen. It was like going to space, or being the first man on Mars, but no one knew. I took my boss up on his offer and clocked out forty-five minutes early. I drove to my mum¡¯s and gave her a big hug as soon as I saw her. She had just seen me last week, but it had been twice that long at least from my perspective.

    My mother was a wonderful woman, and my dad had passed away last year, so she was always trying to keep busy. Which was the reason I had to clean out the storage shed, so that she could use the space for her latest project or hobby. ¡°How have you been?¡± She asked as she handed me a box to put into my car.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been really good, made a new friend, Suma.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh¡­ and when will I get to meet this Suma?¡± She asked. My mum had been at me for years to get a girlfriend.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that mum, she is just a friend, and anyway she lives far away¡­ in another country.¡± I said.

    ¡°Another country? How did you meet then?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Oh¡­ we met years ago, back when I was still in high school.¡± I told her.

    ¡°But I thought you said she was a new friend?¡± My mum wondered.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I mean I knew her, but I didn¡¯t KNOW her. We just reconnected when we bumped into one another. She works in¡­ America, as a¡­ history professor.¡± I lied.

    ¡°What was she doing in England? Visiting family?¡± Mum asked.

    ¡°Yeah, her parents still live here so she comes to see them for holidays and birthdays and stuff.¡± I said. We talked some more, and I lied some more, but a few minutes later my car was packed, and I was on my way home. Just as I got home and laid the last of the boxes on my living room floor, Suma shouted in my head.

    ¡°JAKE, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, BUT GET READY TO LOOK AS SCARY AS POSSIBLE!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Loud...¡± I said as I began to disappear. I had no time to think, the next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of an alleyway, and Suma was standing, or hiding, behind me. To make matters worse, we were cornered by three lager dark colored nymphs and their incredibly angry looking beast familiars.

 Part 10: Sumaéˆ¥æªš Day- Part 1

    ¡°See you later,¡± Jake said in his rough human voice as he faded away. Jake and I just got done performing a few tests to see if he could use magic like I can. After he left, I flew to town to take care of a few tasks that needed tending. It only took me a few minutes to fly to town without Jake, he may be incredibly large and strong, but he is obscenely slow. Normally, it takes over twenty minutes to go from our training area to town with him. My first stop was City Hall, I needed to file paperwork on Jakes spear; all equipment used by familiars needs to be registered. It only took a few minutes; I have my new name, that Jake gifted me with, to thank for that. Afterward, I flew to the royal citadel, I was now a named citizen, and as such I had to present myself before the Grand Duke for inspection. It is an event that is done once every six months, so if I did not do it now, it would be another quarter of a year before I could do it again.

    It was a special occasion; many lords and nobles come to watch and see how many of their citizens get named. It is an investment in a way; the more citizens with names that a lord or noble has living in their territories the more funding they get for future projects or goals. I live in Count Thecoma Isbala¡¯s domain, so he will be the one who inspects me and gets the funding. When I arrived, there was a large crowd of nobles talking amongst themselves. I knew they were nobility from their highly ornate feathers and high-quality beast familiars. Their feathers had been dyed a dazzling array of bright colors, and the familiars they were perched on were ones whose races were known to have dense lifeforces and unique traits. Not only that, but the saddles on the familiars, the ones that their masters were perched on, were excessively extravagant.

    As a citizen who was presenting, I was to go into a smaller room and prepare myself. After asking for directions and finding the room, I found myself among only four others. A child who still had his tuft in some places, an elder with feathers beginning to turn white, and two others about my age, a male and a female standing off together away from the rest of us. We did not wait long, soon someone was sent to lead us out and explained how everything would go.

    She flew into the room and landed on a perch in the center of us all. ¡°Attention everyone, we will shortly make our way out to the Grand Duke¡¯s meeting hall, once we do, you will all fly in and land single file on the perch that I do. It will be a long narrow bar, so be careful when landing. Afterward, the Grand Duke will enter the room, you are all expected to bow for a moment, then await your turn to present yourselves. Once you have finished, you will be led out of the chamber by either myself or another Chamber Representative. After that, you may either leave and return home, or go through the side entrance and watch the rest of the presentations with everyone else. Does everyone understand?¡± She concluded. One by one we each answered that we understood. ¡°Well then everyone, line up, and let¡¯s begin.¡±

    We all lined up and one by one flew in a single file line as instructed into the Meeting Hall. She was not kidding about the narrow bar; I was only barely able to land smoothly. The young child stumbled a bit, but caught himself without falling. Once we had all landed, the Grand Duke flew in and perched atop a high pedestal, we each bowed for a moment as instructed, and the Grand Duke ordered us to rise and for the first of us to step forward. Each of the places we landed had numbers, so the one closest to the duke was to go first. There was five of us total and I was last.

    First up was one of the others my age, the male. He flew to a perch in the center of the room and began his introduction. ¡°My name is Quan-Car, and I reside in Lord Gamut¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, Quan-Car, who gave you your name?¡± The Grand Duke asked.

    ¡°My name was given to me by my master, Calsandee, before his death. I was his apprentice and have taken over his duties and business.¡± Quan-Car explained.

    ¡°And what is it that you do?¡± The Grand Duke questioned.

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    ¡°I am a craftsman; I deal with construction and creation magics. Some of my duties include repairing buildings, maintaining structures, and fabricating tools used in other trades.¡± Quan-Car said.

    ¡°Important work Quan-Car. You have been seen and your name is recognized by the court. A record of your name shall be made and stored in the city¡¯s library. You may take your leave.¡± The Grand Duke said. Quan-Car thanked him and was escorted out. Next up was the woman he was with in the waiting room. She flew over and landed gracefully on the center perch.

    ¡°My name is Sela-Car, and I reside in Lord Gamut¡¯s territory.¡± She said.

    ¡°Tell me, Sela-Car, who gave you your name?¡± The Grand Duke asked.

    ¡°I was named by my husband¡¯s master, Calsandee, before his death.¡± Sela-Car said.

    ¡°Ah, not an uncommon occurrence. Tell me Sela-Car, what is it that you do?¡± The Duke asked.

    ¡°I am a Magical Scholar; my focus is on rune magic. My duties include creating runes for different purposes and installing them where needed.¡± She explained.

    ¡°I see, thank you Sela-Car, you have been seen and your name is recognized by the court. A record of your name shall be made and stored in the city¡¯s library. You may take your leave.¡± She also thanked the duke and was escorted out. Next in line was the eldest of us.

    ¡°My name is Nook, and I reside in Baron Chyper¡¯s domain.¡± The elder said in a breathy, strained voice.

    ¡°Tell me Nook, who was it that gave you your name?¡± The duke asked.

    ¡°I was given my name by Baron Chyper as recognition of esteemed military service.¡± Nook said.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the duke thought, ¡°it is highly unusual for a noble to name a member of their own territory, but special exceptions aren¡¯t unheard of. Do you still work for the military?¡±

    ¡°No sir, I was given my name once I retired two and a half months ago.¡± Nook explained.

    ¡°Well then, once we have confirmed your military record, you name will be added to the city¡¯s library. You will be sent a notice once we have confirmed everything, you may take your leave.¡± The duke said. The elder, Nook, slowly made his way out and the youngest one took his place on the perch.

    ¡°My name is Abmanza Vervil, and I reside in Viscount Silee Vervil¡¯s domain.¡± The young man squeaked.

    ¡°What is your relation to the Viscount?¡± The Grand Duke asked.

    ¡°I am his youngest child,¡± Abmanza said.

    ¡°I see¡­ and was it your father who gave you your name?¡± The duke wondered.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Abmanza replied.

    ¡°Do you have a job or any duties Abmanza?¡± The duke asked.

    ¡°No sir, I am still too young to legally take a job.¡± Abmanza explained.

    ¡°Well then, as a son of a Viscount, you have been seen and your name recognized. A record shall be created and stored in the city¡¯s library. Once you have turned of age, all rights and liberties of a name shall be afforded to you. You may take your leave.¡± Abmanza shyly thanked the duke and was escorted out. Finally, it was my turn, I flew to the perch and presented myself.

    ¡°I am Suma, and I reside in Count Thecoma Isbala¡¯s domain.¡± I said nervously. I felt as if every eye in the room was gazing into my soul, as if to prod the core of my very being.

    ¡°Tell me Suma, who was it that gave you your name?¡± The duke asked.

    ¡°My name was given to me by a human called Jake, known to the court as Sentinel.¡± I told him.

    ¡°A human¡­ what is that?¡± The duke asked sounding confused.

    ¡°It is a very powerful being from another world, called Earth.¡± I said.

    ¡°And what of this name discrepancy? You said he was called Jake, but was known as Sentinel, why is this?¡± The duke wondered.

    ¡°On his world, he was named Jake, but he has become my familiar, and so I chose a summoning name for him¡­ Sentinel.¡± I told him. The room was filled with murmurs and grumbling, some sounding angry, others shocked.

    ¡°Order in the court!¡± The Grand Duke announced loudly. The hall fell silent once again. ¡°Suma, this is a highly unusual circumstance, you claim that your familiar named you. While this is not illegal, it is¡­ abnormal. Tell me, what is it that you do?¡±

    ¡°I am in waiting to be summoned to the battlefield, I volunteered for the Kings Armed Forces four months ago.¡± I told him.

    ¡°You are quite brave indeed young Suma. I wish you good fortune in your tour of duty, and hope that you return home unharmed. Once we have checked that you have indeed taken a familiar named Sentinel, a record of your name will be made and stored in the city¡¯s library. You may take your leave.¡± The duke said.

    ¡°Thank your sir.¡± I said and bowed before following my escort out of the chambers. With my exit, the Grand Duke dismissed the event and sent orders to the city¡¯s library to create all the confirmed names. I flew home that day elated; I was now officially going to be recognized as having a name. I only wish I could have foreseen what would happen later that very day.

 Part 11: Sumaéˆ¥æªš Day- Part 2

    I flew home and prepared to go to sleep; my home was in a large complex made utilizing the areas natural trees and mountain sides. Many others lived there, some preferred higher levels, others opted for the ground. Homes were carved into the mountain or cultivated by using spells to weave the branches of the trees tight enough to stop rain from leaking through. Each home was decorated with vibrant colors or charms that some believed to ward off evil. My house was made from a preexisting cavern near the midpoint of the mountain. Using magic, I expanded the opening and flew inside, then turned on lights by flowing some of my magic into a system of luminous braids woven throughout its walls. They will stay on until they run out of magic, but that will be a few hours. I closed the entrance behind me and settled into my roost at the back of the cavern to go to sleep.

    I do not know how long I slept, but I was awoken by the sounds of pecking at the entrance to my home. Stretching out my wings, I stood up and called out loudly that I was on my way. I opened the entrance and saw a Neame, a member of my race, but Jake often refers to us as Nymphs, standing tall. His feathers were decorated with gold lace and small, beautiful stones. Behind him stood a Zantorax Hound, a familiar typically used by lower ranked nobility. ¡°How can I help you?¡± I asked puzzled.

    ¡°Are you Suma, the mage who presented herself to the Grand Duke earlier?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I said, ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°I am Baronet Halyard Sopra, and I bring a message from Grand Duke Udoka Sopra; it regards your name, the Grand Duke has a few more questions and would like for you to come and answer them if you could. It should be noted that this is a personal request and will not affect the ruling that was decided yesterday. The Grand Duke is simply¡­ curious.¡± He spoke with a sort of regality in his words, as if he had been trained his whole life to speak and act that way. And since he was a noble, that was probably exactly the case. I also could not help but wonder about his name, was he related to the Grand Duke in some way?

    ¡°Okay, when would he like me to see him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If you are free, now would be best, but if not, we can simply figure out what works best.¡± He said. I thought for a moment about if I had anything to do that day; I did not.

    ¡°Yes, I am free to go now.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Excellent, please follow me and I will escort you.¡± He said and we began our flight. I had assumed we would be going back to the meeting hall where I had first met the Grand Duke, but we were flying the wrong direction for that. In fact, we flew to City Hall.

    ¡°Excuse me Sir Sopra, but why are we at City Hall, instead of the Royal Citadel?¡± I asked as we flew in and found a perch to rest on.

    ¡°The Grand Duke has several meetings today regarding city matters but has made time to ask you a few questions.¡± He explained. I shook my head that I understood. We made our way to a desk, and he spoke to a woman behind it, ¡°Please tell the Grand Duke that I have arrived, and I brought Miss Suma.¡± The woman flew away and around a corner out of sight. The Baronet and I waited in silence until the woman flew back in and offered to show us the way, but he told her that would not be necessary as he knew the way. With magic, the Baronet parted a wall of dense vines, and we flew into a clearing in which the Grand Duke was waiting. He was dressed far more plainly than the Baronet was, only a few strands of gold and no jewels.

    ¡°Ah, Miss Suma, thank you for coming in to satiate this old man¡¯s curiosity. Please, rest here.¡± He said and used magic to form perches out of vines that had been laying on the floor for the Baronet and I to rest on. I landed on the vines and noted how soft and easy to grip they were.

    ¡°You are welcome, sir; I was told you had questions for me.¡± I said as politely as I could.

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    ¡°Yes, I wanted to know more about this Jake¡­ the familiar who gave you your name.¡± He said.

    ¡°If it helps, I could try to summon him, if you want.¡± I offered.

    ¡°That would be excellent.¡± He said.

    ¡°First I need to see if he is available, he told me that he works some kind of job when he is not with me, and it requires a good deal of energy and focus, so he might not be able to come.¡± I explained.

    ¡°A familiar that doesn¡¯t always come when their master calls? How¡­ abnormal.¡± He said sounding quite shocked.

    ¡°That is an apt description of our partnership.¡± I said and contacted Jake. ¡°Jake, are you there?¡±

    ¡°Hey Suma, what¡¯s up?¡± Jake answered.

    ¡°Are you free to be summoned? I need a bit of help.¡± I said.

    ¡°Um, not at the moment. If I leave now, I might be too tired to finish work when I get back. Can it wait another¡­¡± there was a slight pause, ¡°two hours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think it can wait. Just call me when you are free, and I will explain.¡± I said feeling a bit disappointed.

    ¡°Okay, see you in a bit.¡± He said and I ended the connection.

    ¡°I apologize Grand Duke, he was not available to come yet, but if you would like, he said he would be free in approximately two hours.¡± I said. He seemed disappointed; his feathers fell down slightly closer to his body.

    ¡°I understand, perhaps I can meet him another time, but I would still be interested in hearing your thoughts on him for now.¡± The Grand Duke said.

    ¡°Of course.¡± I said.

    ¡°For starters, how did you meet him?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I accidentally summoned him many years ago in a training session gone wrong; this was when I was still in school and had not yet mastered many Rites or Rituals. We were preparing to all summon familiars for the first time, and he was the one that I summoned.¡± I told him.

    ¡°You said he was a being of great power, did you not? So, if you don¡¯t mind my asking, how could you have accidentally summoned him? Why did he simply not use magic to stop you?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Jake explained, on his world magic does not exist. Instead, they use advanced sciences and technology to accomplish their goals. And besides that, he was only an adolescent when I first summoned him, according to him, he was not even of marrying age at that time.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, you dominated his mind and discovered these things in his memories, then he named you?¡± The Grand Duke asked.

    ¡°No sir, though he was young, he was far too strong for me to perform the Rite of Dominance on successfully. After I attempted to do so, he lashed out and destroyed one of the floors of the classroom by catching a seeking stone out of midair, then he threw it back completely destroying the floor.¡± I said.

    ¡°I thought you said that he had no magic?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°He did not, he did however possess immense speed and reflexes, as well as unfathomable physical strength.¡± I said. ¡°After seeing the destruction, I reversed the summoning and sent him home. I did not see him again for several years, and by then we had both reached adulthood.¡±

    ¡°And how did you see him again?¡± Now the Grand Duke was leaning closer; interested in my story.

    ¡°On my final day at the mages academy that I was attending, a new student was practicing his summoning spell, and accidentally summoned a Borog. He attempted to dominate the creature, but apparently he performed the spell incorrectly and the beast went into a vicious rage. Many students fled; the teachers tried to fight it off but¡­ well none of them were trained as attack mages. I am a mage of healing, that is what my focus was on at the academy, so I hid and tried to wait the beast out. Slowly, it encroached on my position, so I made a daring escape. I then used what little time I had to summon Jake, I knew he was strong, and I figured if he defeated the beast then all I would have to do would be to reverse the summoning and that would be that. If he failed, then he would at least buy me time to escape.¡± I said.

    ¡°A wise strategy for one so young. And I take it your plan was successful?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, in a single attack, Jake killed the beast, and I immediately reversed the summoning to send him home.¡± I said. The Grand Duke went on and asked many more questions about Jake. He asked what he was like, what happened after I sent him away, and how he agreed to become my familiar.

    He kept asking question after question until the Baronet, whom had been sitting so quietly that I had almost forgotten that he was listening, interrupted. ¡°Grand Duke, it is almost time for your next meeting with Lord Deliquesce.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, I guess you are right.¡± He turned to me, ¡°Thank you Miss Suma, I hope we can set up an appointment for me to meet your familiar Jake at a later time.¡±

    ¡°I am sure he would be interested.¡± I assured him. With that, I was escorted out of the room while the Baronet and the Grand Duke left to go to their meeting. I passed the woman behind the desk and asked her how long I had been talking with the Grand Duke for.

    ¡°About an hour and a half,¡± she said. I thanked her and started to fly away, and just as I did, I noticed a small group of well decorated Neame watch me leave. Strangely, they seemed quite angry.

 Part 12: Sumaéˆ¥æªš Day- Part 3

    I flew out of City Hall and back into town. I was getting hungry, so I made my way over to a shop. My people are omnivorous, but we prefer fruits and insects over anything else. I was craving a Magiopa, a small sweet watery fruit popular among lower class Neame like myself; it is affordable and quite tasty. I landed in front of a small stand that sold them, as well as several other kinds of affordable fruits. ¡°Hello young one,¡± the elder who ran the shop greeted, ¡°would you care to see a list of our goods today?¡±

    ¡°Well, I only came to purchase a Magiopa, but if you have anything else that sounds good then why not.¡± I said.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± the elder said and used magic to create shimmering images above my head; they were pictures of everything he sold. ¡°As you can see, we have some Coya seeds in if that takes your interest, as well as some Magiopa seeds like you mentioned, and even a supply of a Newla fruit seeds from Famutek; a small island north of Famu.¡± The elder explained.

    After looking over his supply, I requested two Magiopa seeds and one Newla fruit seed. He carefully used magic to pull out seeds from an assortment of bags behind his stand and move them into a small cloth pouch for me. I paid him in magical power and flew over to a small clearing nearby. Several others were doing the same as me, preparing to eat. I placed my seeds on the ground and pushed some magic into them. Quickly, they grew roots and planted themselves firmly in the dirt, then a stalk grew up and blossomed. Within a minute, the blossom was growing my fruits. I like my Magiopa a bit firm, so I stopped it before it was fully done. The Newla was unique, its flavor was bold, and citric, but had a sweet aftertaste. It also was not as watery as I had imagined it would be, so I probably will not get it again, but it was still good.

    I finished my meal and started to fly away, but just as I spread my wings, someone from behind me shouted, ¡°YOU! Peasant!¡± It startled me and I looked around to see what was happening only to discover several well decorated nobles, the ones I had seen at City Hall, were glaring at me.

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    No one was around so I said, ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± The three of them landed in front of me and puffed up to seem bigger; an act nobles do when conversing with lower class citizens to seem better. They were all taller than me, and decorated with gold lace, but only the one in the middle, the shortest, was also adorned with any jewels. He had two green gems around his neck, and a blue one in the center of each wing.

    ¡°Of course we are talking to you, are you the Neame who was named by her familiar?¡± The one in the middle demanded angrily.

    ¡°I¡­ yes, I am Suma.¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Shameful, I did not think that peasants could fall any lower. You stole an honor reserved for nobility. It is disrespectful enough that commoners are even allowed to have names, but now they abuse the privilege by practically naming themselves!¡± The middle one said.

    ¡°Sir, I assure you, you are mistaken, I did n-¡± I tried to say but was cut off.

    ¡°You dare speak defiantly to a noble! First you steal a name, now you interrupt me, and worst of all, you claim I am lying!¡± The noble screamed and raised his wings. A ball of magical energy formed between them, and he threw it at me; it caught me square in the chest and broke several of my ribs. ¡°You will go to the Grand Duke and renounce your name you filthy commoner, and maybe we will spare your life.¡± The noble said proudly. I cast a spell of healing on my chest, just enough so that I could quickly fly away. I used magic to increase my speed as I flew. Over my shoulder, I heard one of the nobles scream to follow me. I could not think, the pain in my shoulder shot through me and slowed me down¡­ they were gaining quickly.

    ¡°JAKE, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, BUT GET READY TO LOOK AS SCARY AS POSSIBLE!¡± I shouted through the pain and turned into an alley to try and hide. I summoned jake as quickly as I could, ¡°I SUMMON YOU¡­ SENTINEL!¡±

    ¡°Ah loud.¡± Jake said and began to appear just as the three nobles turned the corner of the alley, each with their bestial familiars.

 Part 13: Jake Arrives

    ¡°Ah! Loud...¡± I said as I began to disappear. I had no time to think, the next thing I knew I was standing in the middle of an alleyway, and Suma was standing, or hiding, behind me. To make matters worse, we were cornered by three larger dark colored nymphs and their incredibly angry looking beast familiars.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked before feeling a sharp pain in my side, as if I had broken a rib or something. ¡°Ah, son of a- what the crap?!¡± I yelped. ¡°Suma, are you okay?¡± I asked almost instinctually. I don¡¯t know how I knew, but I could tell that the pain I was feeling wasn¡¯t mine, but hers.

    ¡°I am¡­ fine.¡± She said, her voice filled with pain.

    ¡°Stupid commoner, you think summoning your familiar will help? If a lowly piece of trash like you could summon it, then it can¡¯t possibly be strong enough to make a difference.¡± The shortest and most decorated of the three nymphs said. I ignored him and asked Suma a question.

    ¡°Was it one of them who did this to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said between pained breaths. I felt a deep burning rage welling up inside me but calmed it long enough to think straight.

    ¡°What are this world¡¯s laws regarding this?¡± I asked through gritted teeth.

    ¡°It is illegal; nobles cannot-¡± She started to say.

    ¡°Shut up and stop ignoring me you stupid commoner! Nobles of higher birth such as myself can do as we please to you.¡± He said. I can¡¯t read the facial expressions of Sumas people very well yet, but I know a blowhard when I hear one. His voice dripped entitlement. He and his two goons were perched atop their beast familiars, sitting on some kind of horned saddle. The familiars they were on looked very strange, the middle nymph rode some kind of hyena creature with dark blue fur and a bobbed tail. The one to my right, the tallest, rode some kind of reddish orange lizard thing that resembled a salamander. The one to my left rode a small dog sized feline with thick white and grey fur, and tusk like protrusions on its face.

    ¡°If I defend us, will I break some kind of law that will get you in trouble?¡± I asked looking back to Suma. I wanted to make them pay, but not if it hurt Suma afterwards.

    ¡°I¡­ I do not...¡± Suma tried to say.

    ¡°You stupid familiar, don¡¯t turn your back on me!¡± That noisy nymph shouted, and I felt something hit my back. Waves of pain shot through my body, I became nauseous and felt like I suddenly developed a fever; I fell to my knees and threw up. ¡°Heh,¡± the nymph laughed, ¡°that¡¯s what you get for-¡± My fist colliding with his body stopped his boasting and flung his entire body against the wall; he hit it with a crack and fell to the floor with a small thud. Immediately, that hyena creature lunged at me, but I had already started summoning Destiny, so instead of biting me¡­ it got a mouthful of the tip of my spear and was impaled. The other two gasped and their familiars backed up.

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    ¡°That hurt!¡± I said enraged and screaming. The noble I hit didn¡¯t respond, in fact he didn¡¯t even move. I slowly, and with great difficulty, stood up and used my shoe to pin down the half of the familiar that wasn¡¯t on my spear so that I could pull it free. The creatures green blood oozed off my spear in a thick goopy mess. The feathers on the remaining two nymphs were puffed up, making it seem as if they had doubled in size. Suma quickly flew over to the noble I had hit and cast healing magic on him; slowly, he started to groan and move again. ¡°Is he alive?¡± I asked trying to remain calm and not let my concern over having just knocked a noble out show in my voice.

    ¡°He is alive¡­ barely.¡± Suma said, her tone a mix of annoyance and pain. The two other nymphs hadn¡¯t moved, but upon hearing that their friend was alive their feathers settled just slightly. I couldn¡¯t think clearly, I was still in a ton of pain, so all I could do was turn to the other nymphs and demand that they leave. ¡°Jake, I need help.¡± Suma said. I turned to help her just as the other nymphs flew away and their familiars vanished.

    ¡°How can I help?¡± I asked kneeling beside Suma.

    ¡°You hit him hard, he has internal bleeding, and broken bones all over his body. I could heal him, but I am running out of magic. I already healed myself earlier, summoned you, used magic to eat, and to enhance my speed in an attempt to get away, as well as a few other things; I am starting to run low.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Remember how I tried to take some of your life force and got knocked on my tail feathers? We are gunna try that again.¡± She said and stopped healing him to face me.

    ¡°Do it¡­ but be careful.¡± I said. A magic circle formed around the two of us. Suma began to glow in a violet aura and turned back to the nymph. This time, when she started healing him, instead of a golden glow from her hands, a much darker blue and almost black glow emitted. ¡°Are you okay Suma?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am¡­ fine... I did not take a percentage, instead, I am letting your magic flow through me. This way I only use as much as I can handle.¡± Suma said. Suddenly, the Nymph began screaming out in pain.

    ¡°AHGHAGHHAHHAH!¡± He cried out and thrashed around as if he had been set on fire.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I- I do not know!¡± Suma shouted confused. She stopped the healing spell and her aura, as well as the healing glow, disappeared just after the magic circle vanished. The nymph continued to scream and shout in pain for several minutes, despite Suma¡¯s efforts to heal him repeatedly; whenever she would start the spells again and try to heal him, the screaming would resume after he calmed down. Soon, the screaming attracted the attention of several other nymphs claiming to be town guards, all of them rode Borog beasts.

    ¡°Step away from him!¡± One of them demanded upon turning the corner and witnessing the scene.

    ¡°This man needs a healer! I have been trying but he is not responding...¡± Suma pleaded.

    ¡°Step away now!¡± One of the other guards yelled.

    ¡°I cannot! He will die!¡± Suma said. I knew this wasn¡¯t going to end well, so I scooped Suma up in my hands and held onto her as she screamed to be let go. ¡°Let go of me Jake, let go!¡± One of the guards went over to the nymph and examined him, lifted up his wing, and then casting some kind of spell, before turning back to the other guards and saying he was dead.

 Part 14: Jakes Interrogation

    Suma and I were placed under arrest and restrained with magic, well she was¡­ I was collared and led by a chain attached to one of the guard¡¯s Borogs. Suma was taken to be interrogated in a separate room than I was. Actually, first I think they planned to take me to a kennel, but once they realized I could talk they took me to a holding room of sorts. It was made of thick and tightly woven vines, and they used magic to separate them so we could enter and leave. After about an hour of waiting, several nymphs came in and one introduced himself as investigator Dehal, while another began quietly casting a spell in the corner of the room. A magic circle formed around me, and I asked, ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°We are going to search through your memories and watch the events from your prospective, we are doing the same to Lady Suma as well. Don¡¯t be alarmed, it will not hurt.¡± Dehal explained. ¡°We start by asking questions, and she will watch and experience your memories as you recall them.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but what about her?¡± I asked pointing at the other nymph to my left who was looking over a wooden tablet that she had brought with her. ¡°What is she doing?¡±

    ¡°She will be monitoring your psyche while we ask the question, to monitor your mental state for your safety and mental wellbeing.¡± Dehal said.

    ¡°I thought you said it wouldn¡¯t hurt?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°Normally that¡¯s true, but I am just a safety measure I guess you could say; we have never performed this procedure on your species before, so we want to be careful.¡± The nymph with the tablet interjected.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Dehal confirmed. ¡°So, Sir Sentinel, are you ready to begin?¡±

    Him calling me Sentinel caught me a bit off guard, but I answered him nonetheless, ¡°Um¡­ yes.¡± The nymph laid down the tablet and a second larger magic circle formed around the first one.

    ¡°What is the first thing you remember before being summoned?¡± Dehal asked.

    ¡°I was at home, then Suma¡­ she communicated with me, she said to prepare to be summoned and to look scary. It was very loud, and she sounded scared.¡± Dehal looked between the two nymphs, both nodded their heads, and he continued the questions.

    ¡°What was the first thing you saw after being summoned?¡±

    ¡°Three nym- uh... Neame with their beast familiars, and Suma. She was hurt, badly.¡± I said.

    ¡°Could you describe this Neame?¡±

    ¡°They were decorated, with gold, and one, the one who attacked me, had jewels too. They were dark colored, and arrogant.¡± I told him.

    ¡°And what about their familiars?¡±

    ¡°One looked like a lizard, one like a cat, and another like a hyena or a dog.¡± With that, Dehal looked over to the two other nymphs and they exchanged looks. They were probably not familiar with the animals I likened the familiars too, but he didn¡¯t press the issue further.

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    ¡°So, after you arrived, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I checked on Suma, she was hurt, one of the Neame started screaming and then attacked me.¡± I remembered the pain I felt after that magic attack hit me in the back, I remembered the nausea and fevered feeling. For a moment, it was like it was happening all over again. As I thought about that, the nymph who was monitoring my mental state looked pained and cried out before falling to the floor. The larger magic circle vanished.

    Dehal fluttered over to her and checked on her, ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked urgently.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it just felt like I could feel his pain, like it was happening to me.¡± She said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for that to happen,¡± I said to the nymph.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t realize you were still in any pain Sir Sentinel, we can have a healer brought in at once.¡± Dehal offered.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not in any pain, I was just remembering how bad the attack from that noble hurt.¡± I explained. Dehal seemed worried but took me at my word and we resumed as soon as the nymph was ready to recast the spell.

    ¡°After you were attacked, you struck the noble?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I hit him, but I didn¡¯t think it was as hard as it turned out to be. I mean, he went flying, but I didn¡¯t think it would be hard enough to kill him.¡± I said.

    ¡°And what happened after you hit him?¡±

    ¡°Suma rushed over and tried to heal him, also, his familiar tried to attack me as well. I summoned Destiny, that¡¯s my weapon, and it impaled itself.¡± I said. Once again, Dehal looked over to the two nymphs for their reaction. The one monitoring my mental state stayed quiet, but the one monitoring my memories looked disturbed.

    ¡°Are you okay Memory Seeker?¡± Dehal asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she responded, ¡°It¡¯s just... gruesome.¡±

    Turning back to me, Dehal asked, ¡°When Suma tried to heal the noble, what happened?¡±

    ¡°She went over to him, and glowing golden light started emitting from her. She kept it up for a while, but she said she was running out of magic because she had used a lot that day.¡± I told him.

    ¡°You said that Lady Sumas magic was golden, but our guards¡¯ reports say it was blue and black, why the disparity?¡± Dehal question more intensely.

    ¡°When she said she was running out of magic, she started to draw on mine. She started glowing purplish, and her spell did change color as well.¡± I remembered. The other two nymphs confirmed that I was telling the truth.

    ¡°One final question, do you believe Suma was actually healing the noble who attacked her? She had every reason to want him dead, is there any doubt in your mind that maybe it wasn¡¯t a healing spell?¡± Dehal asked. I admit, the question had crossed my mind, but I had already settled those thought by the time I got to this interrogation room.

    ¡°No, Suma tried her best to save him.¡± I declared. The three exchanged looks and released the spells.

    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Sir Sentinel, if everything checks out you should be released by the end of the day. If you need anything, knock on the door and a guard will try and help you, but please do not attempt to leave before you are dismissed.¡± Dehal stated before leaving with the other two.

    I sat in that room for a while, at one point I tried to contact Suma, but she was in the middle of an interrogation of her own so we couldn¡¯t talk. Two hours passed before Dehal came into the room again.

    ¡°Okay Sir Sentinel, your memories have been evaluated and verified. You had no intention to kill the Noble, who has been identified as the youngest of Magistrate Gokhale, and the killing has been ruled an accidental death from self-defense. For now, lead investigator Monken has elected not to press charges, but you should expect further questions in the future. When nobles get involved, things like to get dragged out. But for now, you are free to go.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and Dehal led me outside where I saw Suma. I walked over to her, and she immediately flew over to my shoulder and rested her head against mine. Here is something you should know, Neame can¡¯t cry, not like humans¡­ they sing when they are sad. It sounds like morning bird songs, a tweeting whistle noise, and as soon as she landed, she began to sing.

 Part 15: Sumaéˆ¥æªš Interrogation

    Suma¡¯s POV

    Jake held on to me, I screamed and begged and ordered him to let me go, to let me keep healing the noble, but he never listened. Eventually, the guards arrested Jake and I, he was collared like a normal familiar, and I was restrained with magic, then we were taken to be questioned at a nearby guard station. I waited for a long time before anyone came in, and the first time they did it was just to ask about Jake. I sat alone in that room with nothing but my thoughts. I thought about that noble, about what he did to me, about how I could not save him. I wondered if I really even tried. In the moment it felt like I was trying, but I failed. I asked myself if I had done something different would it have worked, if I had been able to channel more of Jakes magic could I have healed him? Questions plagued my mind, danced in my head like snow in a blizzard, but no matter what thought came or went there was only a single end to it¡­ I did not save him. A while later, an investigator by the name of Dehal came to question me. With him was a Memory Seeker whose job was to watch my memories as I was being questioned.

    ¡°Your familiar, Sentinel, already let us do a memory delve on him, we ask that you cooperate as well.¡± Dehal said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said softly. The Memory Seeker stood beside me and cast her spell, and Dehal began asking his questions.

    ¡°Can you tell us how and when you first met the nobles from the alley?¡±

    ¡°I was in a meeting with the Grand Duke at City Hall, he wanted to speak with me about my name and my familiar. After I left the meeting, I saw the nobles watching me. They must have followed me from City Hall because they found me after I had just finished eating. One of them called out to me, he started screaming at me and insulting me. He demanded that I go back to the Grand Duke and renounce my name.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Do you know why he would choose you specifically?¡± Dehal asked. ¡°What I mean is, there are many commoners with names, why did he go after you?¡±

    ¡°He said that I did not deserve it. He said that I practically named myself, and that meant I had stolen an honor that belonged to nobles.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Why did he say that you had named yourself?¡± Dehal asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Jake¡­ he named me before he became my familiar.¡± I said. ¡°I did not order him to do so, I had not even asked him to be my familiar, he just decided to name me.¡± I explained. In our world, ordering someone to give you a name is a crime, technically it is called a theft of honor. Dehal looked over at the Memory Seeker and she nodded.

    ¡°So, what happened after that?¡± Dehal asked.

    ¡°The nobles attacked me. One of them threw a magical attack at me and it broke a few of my ribs. I used some of my healing magic then flew away as fast as I could.¡± I said.

    ¡°But they chased you?¡± Dehal questioned.

    ¡°Yes, all the way to the alley. In a panic, I summoned my familiar, Jake.¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve called him Jake twice now, but according to our records, your familiar¡¯s name is Sentinel.¡± Dehal interrupted me.

    ¡°Yes, sorry, when he became my familiar, I had to choose a name for him. But his name from his world is Jake.¡±

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    ¡°You used a naming bond for a familiar summoning? That¡¯s rather uncommon. Normally naming bonds are only for important things like magical items, why use it with a familiar?¡± He wondered. He was right, naming bonds were abnormal, at least for familiars. When most people create a pairing with a familiar, it is via a linking bond, and they simply name the familiar later, if they have the magical power.

    ¡°Um, that is harder to explain. I did not actually mean to do it, when I was performing the ritual, I was forced to choose a name¡­¡± I said hoping they did not ask further questions about that. In truth, I had never seen a familiar bonding ritual like the kind I participated in before. I still had not figured out what that voice was. I glanced over at the Memory Seeker, who at that moment looked some mix of confused and terrified. Dehal noticed this too but did not say anything; they simply exchanged looks. I wondered if they were employing some kind of thought communication spell so that they did not need to speak in front of me.

    ¡°Well anyway, you said they followed you to an alley and that you summoned your familiar, after he arrived, what happened?¡± Dehal asked.

    ¡°After Jake appeared, he asked if I was okay, and if we would get into any trouble if he defended us. The noble¡­ he attacked Jake, hit him with what I think was a spell meant to attack life forces. Jake did not have any physical injuries, but he became ill immediately. Jake hit the noble and¡­ and¡­¡± I tried to speak but I became too overwhelmed. I was on the verge of breaking down, I was breathing quickly, my heartrate was up, and my stomach was upset. ¡°I am sorry¡­ can I¡­ can I have a minute?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we can take a break for a few minutes. Do you need anything? Water, food?¡± Dehal asked and the Memory Seeker stopped her spell.

    ¡°No... thank you, I just need to clear my head for a moment.¡± Dehal and the seeker left the room for a few minutes, and I pulled myself together. I could not stop picturing it in my head, that noble¡­. screaming as I healed him. I broke down crying for a while, until I was able to get myself together. A while after I finished, Dehal and the Memory Seeker came back in and resumed the questioning after making sure I was alright.

    ¡°Your familiar hit the noble after the noble attacked him, what happened after that?¡± Dehal said fluttering back onto his perch.

    ¡°I ran over to him and tried to heal him with magic, I trained in healing and bonding magic at school, but I was running out of energy. I asked Jake for help, and I channeled his energy through me and used it to try and heal the noble. I... I do not know what happened. I have performed that spell hundreds of times, it always works, but he just started screaming¡­¡± I said. I was tempted to look over at the Memory Seeker, but I did not, I could simply guess her reaction.

    ¡°You say you used healing magic, but according to our autopsy reports, only minimal healing was performed on the noble. In fact, there is evidence of torture magic being cast on him¡­ every bone in his body had microfractures, his muscles were shredded, and he had a total body bruise, as if every vessel inside his skin had ruptured. I don¡¯t know how strong your familiar is, but I find it hard to believe that a single hit from him could do that kind of damage. So why don¡¯t you explain to me how he got those injuries?¡± Dehal snapped.

    ¡°No... I,¡± I started to stammer, ¡°I used healing magic. I would not-¡­could not do something like that!¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s what I think,¡± Dehal started, ¡°I think a noble attacks you, attacks your familiar, and you get mad. Then your familiar retaliates and leaves you with the perfect opportunity for revenge.¡±

    ¡°NO! I did not, I would not! Just keep looking at my memories, you will see-¡± I tried to say but he cut me off.

    ¡°Memory magic has been around for quite some time Miss Suma. You could have altered your memory to make it seem like you were innocent.¡± Dehal cast a spell opening the entrance of the room, and the Memory Seeker ended her spell. ¡°We will verify the status of your memories, then make a decision. For your sake, I hope you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Dehal said and they flew out of the room.

    Hours passed before Dehal came back, he told me that my memories had been proven genuine and that the lead interrogator of the case has decided not to press charges. I was led out of the room and was told to wait for my familiar. A few moments later, I saw him walking down the hallway. All the emotions and stress I had been mulling over in that room came to a head and I felt an overwhelming need to go to him. I flew over and let everything out. Jake may have been the one to hit the noble, but I was the one to fail him. In my eyes, his death was my fault; in my eyes, I killed him.

 Part 16: Coping with Tragedy

    Jake¡¯s POV

    After the events in the alley, I decided to stay in Suma¡¯s world for a while, I didn¡¯t feel right leaving her alone after that. I was worried about her, and in truth, I didn¡¯t want to be alone either. I couldn¡¯t stay at Suma¡¯s house, she lived halfway up a mountain, but there was lodging in town that was useable. It was meant for familiars, but the staff was helpful and used magic to make it semi livable so I could stay in it for a few days. Suma was having a tough time with everything, she blamed herself for the noble¡¯s death; even though I was the one who did it. I was holding together, honestly I didn¡¯t know how to feel. I broke down a few times, but never in front of her. After a few days, and after getting word from the guards that the other two nobles that had been in the alley had been arrested and stripped of their noble ranks, I went home for a while.

    I reappeared back in my apartment, my groceries still on my couch waiting to be put away. I just stood there for a moment, in the silence, waiting for something to happen, for some unknown pin to drop and signal some terrible event, but despite my feelings I knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen. I put my groceries away and sat on my couch. I had been through a lot, I was attacked, I killed a man, even if it was self-defense, and I had been interrogated by police. I¡¯m not a genius, but even I know I was messed up; I needed someone to talk to about this. It couldn¡¯t be Suma, she is already dealing with enough; I decided to talk to a therapist.

    Obviously, I can¡¯t tell her everything or I¡¯ll be institutionalized for insanity and delusions. However, if I keep this all bottled up inside I might actually go insane¡­ assuming I¡¯m not already¡­ fantasy bird lands and all. I searched the internet for nearby therapists and psychiatrists that deal with this type of issue, then prayed that I wasn¡¯t put on a watch list for my searches. Finally, I found one, and luckily she had an opening for tomorrow. I called my office and took a few days off, then scheduled an appointment.

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    I didn¡¯t sleep much that night; I tossed and turned thinking about what happened. I did fall asleep but woke up every few hours. After about four attempts, I decided to stay awake. I looked over at the clock and it said 6:00 AM; my appointment was for 10:45 AM. Eventually, I left for the appointment, forty-five minutes early even though it was a fifteen-minute drive at most; I simply couldn¡¯t take waiting in my apartment any longer.

    ¡°Hello, and welcome to Maxwell Private Therapy, do you have an appointment?¡± The secretary asked as I walked through the double doors of the building.

    ¡°Yes, I have an appointment for Jake Vandel.¡± I said. She turned to her computer and typed something in.

    ¡°Ah yes, 10:45 for Dr. Maxwell. You will like her, she is very popular. She is with another patient right now, but she will be done soon. Please take a seat.¡± She said and motioned to a waiting area with seats and a table filled with magazines. I waited for a while, but was eventually called back to see Dr. Maxwell. I was escorted down the hall to a door with a plaque that had her name on it.

    ¡°Right inside,¡± the secretary said and went back to her desk. I knocked on her door and hear her call me in.

    ¡°Hi, Dr. Maxwell? I¡¯m Jake Vandel, your 10:45.¡± I said and walked into the room. It was nice, blue walls, a couch with a few chairs, one of which she was sitting in, and a small cabinet in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Ah yes, Mr. Vander, please take a seat.¡± She said. I sat on the couch but decided to stay sitting up rather than lay back like I always see in the movies. ¡°So, Mr. Vander, have you ever been to therapy before?¡±

    ¡°Um no, this is my first time.¡± I answered.

    ¡°So normally a first session starts with what¡¯s known as an Initial evaluation. So why don¡¯t we start off with a few questions so I can get a better Idea of who you are and why you¡¯re here?¡± She suggested.

    ¡°That sounds good.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°So, Mr. Vander, why don¡¯t you tell me a bit about what brought you in today?¡± She asked.

    I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts, I had come up with a convincing lie before I came. I left most of the details unchanged, but I had to obviously leave out a few parts. ¡°A couple of days ago, my friend Suma and I were attacked¡­¡±

 Part 17: Sumas Pain

    Suma¡¯s POV

    I reversed the summoning spell and sent Jake back to his home. He had been staying in my world for a few days, he did not feel it was right to leave after what happened. He had stayed in a kennel for sick or injured familiars, renovating it temporarily so it would be comfortable. Actually, he convinced the owners of the kennel by paying with his own mana, an arrangement the owners were very happy to agree to. He stayed for about three days and the owners said if he ever needed a place to stay again, they would be happy to help.

    I flew home, after sending Jake back, and prepared to go to sleep. I had been so tired lately; ever since it happened, I have felt absolutely exhausted. I arrived at my home and used magic to open the entrance. I expected it to be dark, but all the lights were still on. Normally, the light braids only last an hour or three, but it had been at least five hours since I had been home; Jake insisted on me coming over so he could be sure I was alright and had eaten. I heard a clamor from the back of my home just as I closed the entrance. ¡°Oh sweety?¡± A voice called from my sleeping area.

    My heart started pounding and my chest tightened as I shouted, ¡°WHO IS THERE?!¡± For a moment, I thought perhaps it was more nobles, come to take some kind of revenge.

    ¡°Baby? It¡¯s me.¡± The voice called out as my mother poked her head out from inside my canvased off roost. My body relaxed, but my heartrate was still high.

    ¡°Mom? What are you doing here?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Me too,¡± another voice called from inside my room.

    ¡°Dad?¡± I asked confused, recognizing his voice. I could not see myself, but I could feel my feathers were still standing on end, so I relaxed them, and myself, before asking them why they were here.

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    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Honey, you were attacked, why wouldn¡¯t we be here?¡± My mom stated.

    ¡°Well yeah, but that was days ago, almost a week. Why now and not then?¡± I wondered, a bit hot under the collar. Honestly, it had been on my mind a lot since that happened. I live only a three-minute flight from my parents, but they had not been by to see me.

    ¡°I-I know, and we are sorry, but¡­¡± My mom started but she was fumbling over words and beginning to trail off, so my dad interrupted her.

    ¡°Honey, that familiar of yours. He scares us¡­ he is dangerous. You are a rank five healing mage, you have no business utilizing a familiar that strong. He is dangerous, and¡­ and it is his fault you were attacked.¡± My dad said to my disbelief.

    ¡°Jake did not get me attacked; he saved my life! He named me!¡± I shouted. ¡°You remember that? Suma? Do not think I have not noticed you never use it.¡±

    Dad scoffed, ¡°Right, Suma, what kind of name even is that? Probably means pet on his world.¡±

    ¡°Enough, both of you!¡± Mom interjected just before I could reply to my father. ¡°Look¡­ Suma¡­ we are just worried that this familiar of yours-¡±

    ¡°Jake,¡± I interrupted.

    ¡°Right, Jake¡­ we just think Jake may not truly have your best interests at heart. He is so strong, you can practically feel the mana radiating off of him. That¡¯s why we think maybe he doesn¡¯t understand that you just¡­ well not to say¡­ look what I¡¯m trying to say is-¡±

    I cut her off, ¡°You are saying I am weak and that I cannot take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°No no no, we aren¡¯t saying that at all-¡± Mom started but Dad cut her off.

    ¡°That is exactly what we are saying! You are a rank five mage, the lowest of the medium ranks, and you are a healer; not even a combat class. You should get rid of that trouble making ape and get a familiar that you can actually handle, like a Zantorax Hound or a-¡±

    ¡°Get out! Get out right now!¡± I screamed and forced the entrance open. ¡°I will not listen to this anymore! This is the argument over the army all over again and¡­ just get out!¡±

    ¡°Honey please, don¡¯t-¡± Mom tried to say.

    ¡°Go!¡± I yelled again. My parents were not the listening type, not when it came to me. Dad wrapped a wing around Mom and led her outside as she cried. I closed the entrance and just fumed for a few seconds. I flew over to my roost and just tried to calm myself down. I knew they had no right to talk about Jake, they had no right to ridicule me, but they always have. I spent several minutes angry, but once that was gone, all I was left with was sadness and a very large, very empty, home.

 Part 18: A Realization

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I walked out of the therapist¡¯s office after my first session and sat in my car. She had listened to me talk about the attack, how I fought back and ended up killing one of the attackers, how Suma had tried to help him and blamed herself for failing to save him, and how we were interrogated. She didn¡¯t judge me, she just listened and occasionally asked a question. I told her how I had felt about it, that I regretted killing him, but not saving Suma or myself. She explained that what I was feeling was common in people who survived assaults and ended up killing their attackers. She asked me why Suma blamed herself, and I explained that she was a kind of combat medic, or that she would be once she was moved to active duty. I then told her that I was going into the army with Suma. As I sat in my car, I thought about the last thing she said to me while I was walking out of the door.

    ¡°I would like to have a conversation with this Suma woman.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ ask if she is available, but she might not be interested.¡± I replied to her before heading to my car. Now I sat there thinking about what to do next. If Suma meets her, she will have to actually MEET her, but Suma¡¯s people might not have therapists¡­ this could be good for her. And even if she agreed, Suma can¡¯t come to my world¡­ I don¡¯t think anyway, so I would have to bring her to Suma¡¯s world. I don¡¯t even know if that is possible. Sure, I have taken small things like clothes, pencils, and random junk I had in my hand or my pockets at the time, but a whole person is a different story. I drove home and went inside.

    ¡°Hey Suma,¡± I said trying to contact her.

    A moment of silence passed but she replied, ¡°Yes Jake?¡±

    ¡°Can you summon me?¡± I asked. There was no reply, but my body began to disappear and soon I was standing in a small cave, barely taller than I was, illuminated by small braids melded into the walls and ceiling. ¡°Where is this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°This is my home.¡± She said.

    ¡°The one up the mountain?¡± I said surprised.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°Cool place... anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something.¡± I said looking around the cave, trying to get a feel for it. ¡°Suma, have you ever heard of a therapist?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, no I do not believe I have. What is it, some kind of weapon or spell?¡± She said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a job. A person who helps people process tragedy or loss, among other things. I have been talking to one¡­ about what happened in the alley.¡± I explained.

    Suma seemed caught off guard, ¡°I- I did not realize you¡­ I had just assumed¡­ you seemed unbothered by everything. You never showed that it¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh trust me, I was bothered¡­ I still am, but talking with a therapist helps, or at least I feel like it¡¯s helping. I¡¯ve only had a single session, but it felt like a huge weight was lifted while I was talking.¡± I told her.

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    ¡°I am glad you have been able to do that. If you need some time off to go to more sessions, then that is fine. Just let me know when you want to resume training¡­ if you even want to-¡± She started saying but I cut her off.

    ¡°Stop¡­ I¡¯m not going anywhere Suma. I brought this up because she wants to talk to you, and honestly¡­ I¡¯m worried about you. I think you should do it.¡± I explained.

    ¡°But I thought you said magic did not exist on your world, will it not come as a shock to her to suddenly be brought here?¡± She pointed out.

    ¡°Well, yes,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I¡¯m more worried about your mental health than I am the consequences of my actions at the moment.¡± I chuckled slightly.

    ¡°I do not know¡­¡± Suma said hesitantly.

    ¡°Just think about it, okay.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Okay, I shall think about it.¡± She relented.

    ¡°Good, now for the other reason I wanted to come¡­ my sword and shield.¡± I said happily.

    ¡°Oh right¡­ in all the confusion I almost forgot. Our order is probably ready.¡± Suma said realizing that it had probably been done for a day or two. Suma walked over to the far side of the cave and used magic to open the wall. ¡°Okay, let us go.¡± She said and flew into the air. I walked over to the edge of the cave and looked out of the new hole¡­ and down the several hundred foot drop off of a sheer cliff.

    ¡°NOPE!¡± I said and brought my head back in, then laid flat on my back on the ground of the cave due to the sudden feeling of dizziness.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Suma asked¡­ then very quickly realized and said, ¡°oh¡­ right¡­ the mountain. Okay, wait here for a moment.¡± Suma then closed the cave and told me over our psychic connection that she would just fly to the metalworker¡¯s shop and summon me straight there.

    ¡°Good idea.¡± I acknowledged. ¡°Wait, does that mean you could have been summoning me from place to place the whole time? I¡¯ve walked like fifty miles in the past month!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it did not occur to me until a few days ago.¡± Suma apologized.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s fine¡­ I needed the exercise anyway.¡± I said. A few minutes passed, which I spent looking around Suma¡¯s home, before she told me she had arrived and summoned me beside her. ¡°That was fast.¡± I said surprised.

    ¡°Flying is much faster than walking.¡± She said and perched on my shoulder. We walked inside and the elderly Neame greeted us.

    ¡°Ah there you are, I was beginning to think you had forgotten. I have your order all finished up and ready to go.¡± He said and flew behind his counter. ¡°Um¡­ would you mind giving a poor old man a bit of help sir?¡± He asked gesturing to the large metal objects.

    ¡°No problem,¡± I said and picked up the finished sword and shield. It was a double-edged short sword, no longer than the total length of my arm, based on a medieval broadsword¡¯s design. The shield was rectangular and only just a bit wider than my torso; it was twice as long. I wanted something small and nimble that I could maneuver easily and wield with only one hand each.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°It feels pretty good.¡± I said giving the sword a few good swings.

    ¡°And what about the metal wall?¡± The elder nymph asked.

    ¡°The shield? I would have to test it, but it seems sturdy.¡± I said looking it over.

    ¡°I have never constructed such odd tools, but if you ever need my services again, please do not hesitate to ask.¡± The elder sounded joyful, I guess he had fun making my stuff. I told him we would probably be placing a few more orders, but that it might be a while. Suma was surprised to hear that but waited until we had left the metalworker¡¯s shop to ask me about it.

    ¡°Jake,¡± she started, ¡°what did you mean by more orders? Do you need more weapons?¡±

    ¡°No, actually what happened in the alley made me think about something else. When that noble threw that ball of magic at me, I couldn¡¯t have moved a shield into place fast enough to block it. What I need is to have something that is always blocking attacks¡­ I need some armor.¡±

 Part 19: Making an Appointment

    ¡°What is armor?¡± Suma wondered.

    I thought for a moment about how to describe it. ¡°It¡¯s like a shield you can wear.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Suma chirped, ¡°like your clothes, are they a kind of armor? I do not think that will be enough, it did not do much against the noble¡¯s attack after all.¡±

    ¡°No, clothes aren¡¯t a kind of armor, at least not against anything more dangerous than sunburn. Good armor is usually some kind of metal affixed to leather or a durable cloth.¡± I thought for a moment, wondering how normal metal would fair against magic, then said, ¡°But in all honesty, I don¡¯t know if just metal will protect against magical attacks. What do your people do for stuff like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose we could embed it with runes, or if you want something higher quality we could have magic channels engraved in it, but that is difficult to maintain and expensive. Some Neame store their mana up for years to afford that, and it is usually only done for nobles who have the ability and time to maintain the equipment.¡± Suma told me as she waddled her head back and forth as she thought.

    ¡°Umm,¡± I began feeling a bit confused, ¡°I recognize what runes are, sort of, but what are magic channels?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever heard of ley lines?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Kinda, I¡¯m semi-familiar with them.¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Magic channels are artificial ley lines carved into a nonliving object. It allows one to run their own magic through their weapons or equipment. Normally, it is used to reinforce structures against magical attacks, but it could be used for armor.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Okay so people put these channels into walls and stuff, then run magic into them to protect a building?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± She stated.

    ¡°And how is that different from a rune? From what I know about them, they are basically the same thing.¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Well runes operate in a comparable way yes, but the main difference is customizability. Runes can be set into something, then all you must do is run mana through it and the desired effect will occur, but magic channels can be influenced to meet the circumstances. Imagine you have a house with runes engraved into the walls that repel fire. That is going to be useful if someone tries to burn it down, but useless if they launch a water-based attack. However, with magic channels, all that is needed is to manipulate the mana you are running through them, and it can take on the desired effect.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that makes sense. Sounds like magic channels are a lot better then.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°Well, yes and no. While they are more versatile, they are difficult to maintain and require several mages working in almost perfect unison to utilize. Runes are also cheaper and easy to replace if they get damaged.¡± She said.

    ¡°How would they get damaged?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, they are basically just scratches filled with mana infused clay or dyes. They could get hit by a stray magic bolt or even just accidentally wiped off.¡±

    ¡°Pretty fragile then.¡± I said.

    ¡°They can be, but really it depends on the skill and power of their creator. A skilled rune maker would produce higher quality and more durable runes, but of course they would charge more as well.¡± She said.

    ¡°Yeah, makes sense.¡± I agreed. ¡°So, where could we find a rune maker?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do not know,¡± Suma said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? But you live here.¡± I said.

    ¡°Jake, do you live in a city?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Tell me where every wood carver in your city is¡­¡± She said.

    ¡°Alright... good point.¡± I realized. ¡°Any ideas on how to find out?¡± I asked.

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    ¡°I do not know. Maybe we could ask the Grand Duke? A noble like him is bound to know a skilled rune maker, and he does wish to meet you.¡± She said that last part excitedly.

    ¡°Okay sounds good, but um, who is the Grand Duke?¡± I wondered. Suma explained, basically he was like a Prime Minister or a Supreme Court Justice or something. She told me that she had met with him a few days ago, the day of the attack, when I was at work.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you wanted.¡± I realized. ¡°That Grand Duke guy wanted to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Suma answered, ¡°he finds you interesting and wanted to meet with you in person.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that he had anything to do with those nobles attacking you, do you?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I doubt it, the Grand Duke was elected on a platform of holding nobles accountable for their transgressions. In truth, he is not a popular figure in noble society. He has personally brought over ten high ranking nobles to justice and spearheaded reforms in laws that gave more power to commoners and other non-nobles.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a noble?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well yes, but technically no. He is from a noble family, but in order to become the Grand Duke, you have to give up any right to nobility so that you cannot be swayed by the promise of increasing your own riches. Imagine if a lord of a profitable area became the Grand Duke. He could simply create laws that benefitted him and weakened his opponents.¡± She said.

    ¡°Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡± I nodded that I understood. ¡°So, how do we get an appointment?¡±

    ¡°I think we need to go to the royal citadel and make an appointment, or maybe we will get lucky, and he will be available when we get there.¡± She guessed.

    ¡°Okay how far is it from here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°For me... not far. For you¡­ far.¡± She said half joking half being serious.

    ¡°Okay, you fly there, and I will just wait I guess.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Okay, see you in a bit.¡± She said and flew away. I looked around and then down at my sword and shield that I was still holding.

    ¡°What am I going to name you?¡± I wondered to myself quietly. I sat on the ground and looked closely at the sword, admiring its craftsmanship and its fine edge, ¡°Excalibur? Maybe, but a bit on the nose.¡± I pulled out my phone. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me to try and use it while in this world, mostly because I had assumed it wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°No bars,¡± I said seeing my utter lack of service. ¡°Too bad, that could have been pretty useful.¡± I put my phone away and picked up the shield with my other hand; being sure to lay the sword down carefully so as not to scratch it. ¡°What about you? Maybe something simple and easy to remember¡­ like just shield¡­ or wall?¡± I decided to look up a few famous weapons from history when I got back home. ¡°Hey Suma,¡± I said trying to contact her.

    ¡°Almost there Jake, not long now.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, but not what I was wondering. I was trying to decide names for my new weapons, any ideas from your country¡¯s history?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, there are a few things that come to mind for your shield, but I am afraid I have nothing for your sword. My world has nothing like it.¡± She said.

    ¡°What names do you have for the shield?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is a story from our mythology about a man who used magic to create impenetrable walls of energy to protect his forces. His name was Azon of the Barrier, and the rite he used was later named in his honor; Azon¡¯s Wall.¡±

    ¡°Azon? Not bad...¡± I acknowledged, interested in the name. ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°There was said to be a fortress that stood against a siege for a solid two years before it finally fell. It was called Fort Montauk.¡± She suggested. ¡°By the way, I am here. Ready to go?¡±

    I picked up the sword and shield, ¡°Ready.¡± She summoned me and I reappeared standing in front of a large triangular castle of sorts, with many important looking guards, and their familiars, waiting at the gates. ¡°Umm, will I be allowed in there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡­. think so.¡± She said hesitantly. ¡°They will probably just assume you are under my control.¡± Suma perched on my shoulder, and we walked up to the guards. One of them asked for our reason for entrance. ¡°We are attempting to schedule an appointment with the Grand Duke at his request.¡± The guard she was talking to looked over at me.

    ¡°Keep this one on a tight leash.¡± He said, then they stepped aside and let us pass.

    ¡°They just let us pass. No papers, no further questions¡­ just a single question and an order to keep a familiar under control?¡± I asked amazed.

    ¡°The guards of the citadel are said to be most powerful and well-trained of all the Grand Duke¡¯s armed forces. Even more so than his own personal guards. If anyone tries to do something that they do not like, they will not be alive long enough afterward to regret it.¡± She explained as we walked into the building.

    ¡°Noted,¡± I said looking around. It was a large, open area with small perches dotted around certain places. It resembled the Grand Sanctum, the place where Suma made me her familiar, but somehow seemed more official and less¡­ sacred or ceremonial.

    We went up to a desk with a young Neame sitting behind it. She was about Suma¡¯s height, but rounder, with darker feathers, and a bit less sparkly. ¡°Hi, we are here to schedule an appointment with the Grand Duke.¡± Suma stated. ¡°The Grand Duke asked us to.¡± She added.

    ¡°Reason for visit?¡± The other Neame asked in a sweet high-pitched voice.

    ¡°He requested to speak with me regarding my familiar, my name is Suma,¡± Suma replied.

    ¡°Ah of course, I was made aware that you might come by. The Grand Duke has made a special appointment time available for you if you are free in three days?¡± The Neame told us.

    ¡°Will that work for you?¡± Suma asked me. I nodded my head.

    ¡°I think so, I mean you can freeze time or whatever when you summon me so really, I¡¯m always free.¡± I said jokingly. I saw the other Neame¡¯s face when I started talking, but she didn¡¯t speak up or anything, she just looked very surprised.

    Suma looked confused for a moment, ¡°I do not freeze time when I summon you.¡±

 Part 20: Attributes

    I was taken aback at this, and extremely shocked. ¡°What are you talking about, every time you summon me and then put me back, I end up at the exact moment I left. Of course you are freezing time¡­¡± I let my words hang in the air for a moment, and the room felt unnaturally still as I waited for her answer; a wait that spanned an eternity in mere seconds.

    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about Jake. I have absolutely no way to stop time, no one does¡­ it is impossible.¡± Suma shifted on my shoulder uncomfortably. ¡°But I do believe you.¡±

    ¡°You believe me?¡± I asked, ¡°But you said it was impossible.¡±

    ¡°You are basically the walking definition of impossible, Jake. There is so much we do not know about you and your abilities. Who is to say that somehow time is not stopping when I summon you; at this point nothing surprises me anymore.¡± She said shaking her head.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± the other Neame interrupted, ¡°so I take it that you are free for a noon appointment in three days?¡± Suddenly Suma and I snapped back to what we were doing and told the Neame that we wanted the appointment. We walked out of the Royal Citadel, well I walked and Suma rode.

    ¡°Suma,¡± I began, ¡°what did you mean when you called me impossible?¡±

    ¡°You have incredible strength, a forgiving heart, an immense amount of life force, and you have the ability to produce magic from your body at the same time as you manipulate the magic in the air. If you had any control or education in it, even the slightest bit, you would be a court level mage.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Okay, but what did you mean when you said that there was stuff we didn¡¯t know about me? The only thing I can think of is what happened at the Grand Sanctum.¡± I said. ¡°You remember right? That fire guy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember, and while that is one of them, perhaps even the biggest one, I did not mean only that.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°What else don¡¯t we know?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Well, there are quite a few things really. Why a being, born without magic, suddenly develops into a prodigy, how you are able to understand me, and the rest of my kind, despite never learning the language, and of course, there are things like your magical attributes. That however, will be one of the easier things to find out.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we start by finding out what we can? Start with the simple stuff, you know.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°I suppose you have a point, and I was going to bring up getting your attribute tested anyway.¡± Suma started letting her thought trail off but, with a jolt, snapped back and started to explain, ¡°Oh right, an attribute is-¡± I cut her off.

    ¡°Actually, I have read enough manga and watched enough anime to know that much at least. An attribute is basically what I will be most gifted in.¡± I said.

    ¡°Um yes, exactly¡­¡± Suma said. For a moment, she had a look on her face like she wanted to ask a question, but she never did.

    ¡°So, what are we starting with?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Finding out your attribute will be the easiest, but we will have to purchase a time slot with the equipment at the Grand Sanctum.¡± Suma said. ¡°Alternatively, we could go to the city¡¯s library and try to find materials about the figure of flame we saw in the Grand Sanctum.¡±

    ¡°What will they charge us for the time slot?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Most people will accept coins made from rare metals, but the far more common method to pay with is mana transference.¡± She explained.

    ¡°How does that work?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, most vendors and businesses have the containers that store mana, so when you pay for something, you just put in the required amount of mana.¡± She said.

    ¡°What do they do with it?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Sell it to the army, trade it with other vendors, or use it in crafting magical tools or equipment.¡± She said.

    ¡°So, I could pay for it then?¡±

    ¡°If you want.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go get my attribute tested.¡± We started heading towards Suma¡¯s house so that I could put away my new shield and sword. Well, I say we, but really she just flew there then summoned me and my stuff, then she flew to the Grand Sanctum so I could be tested. After I reappeared, I looked around the large bird cage like room. ¡°Is this where we were last time we came through here?¡±

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    ¡°No, but it does look rather similar. This is actually the opposite end of the building.¡± Suma said from her perch nearby.

    ¡°So, what exactly happens during this test?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I do not know.¡± Suma said simply. It caught my attention quite quickly to hear her say that.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? You suggested it.¡± I said a bit worried.

    ¡°Yes, I know what it is, but not how it works. I was tested as a child; I do not remember much about what happened.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Will it hurt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°Will they put me to sleep?¡± I asked more nervously.

    ¡°Honestly Jake, you are a mountain of muscle and magical power, do not be such a Skiddler.¡± Suma teased.

    ¡°¡­A what?¡±

    ¡°It is a small amphibian that is known for running away from predators.¡±

    ¡°Hardy har har.¡± I said sarcastically. ¡°So, where do we go to get me tested?¡± I asked looking around the room again, this time for a sign or a help desk or something.

    ¡°I am not exactly sure. You should go left, and I will go right; let me know if you find anything.¡± Suma said and flew off. I walked around for a while before seeing a nymph perched in the center of the room. I started to walk towards him, but as soon as I did, he squawked loudly and flew away. I kept going for a bit until Suma finally contacted me saying that she found the area.

    ¡°Oh good,¡± I said, ¡°the only thing I found was some-¡± I was cut off halfway through by the sounds of flapping wings and shouts.

    ¡°Find that creature! It cannot have gotten far! Who would just let their familiar roam around like that? It could be dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Um Suma¡­ please summon me now.¡± I said not wanting to deal with that issue.

    Just as I began to vanish, I heard a voice shout, ¡°There it is!¡± I was fully gone by the time they got to me.

    ¡°Ready to get tested Jake?¡± Suma asked excitedly.

    ¡°¡­Yup.¡± I said deciding to forget about what just happened. We were led into a large room by a Neame with almost completely white feathers. It was the first one I had seen with so little blue, that at first, I didn¡¯t even realize it was one. Looking closer, I saw that what little blue she did have was pale and cloudy. Over our mental connection, I asked Suma about it.

    ¡°Suma, why does this Neame have almost no blue?¡±

    ¡°This is the Grand Sanctum, I do not know the specifics, but I do know that some who live and work here choose to have the color in their feathers removed completely or dyed white.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is a religious practice, and I do not attend the services of this temple.¡± She explained. Her answer made sense; I couldn¡¯t expect her to know everything about her world. After all, there was plenty of stuff in mine I didn¡¯t know. The room we were in was large and tall, but in the center of the room was a table of sorts with several different colored gems adorning them. The table was solid all the way through, as if it were carved from a single block of stone, and two feet tall. Off to the far sides of the room were smaller tables, well they were more like tall bumps in the floor really, but they each had several gems as well.

    ¡°Place your hands on the gems one by one.¡± The Neame instructed. ¡°If the gem glows, then that is your branch, and we can proceed to the required table.¡± Her voice was small and faint, but not timid. It was like she had never raised it in her whole life, sounding frail, yet with elegance.

    I placed my hands on the first two gems, but the Neame clarified that she meant place both hands on a single gem. I apologized and moved my left hand over to the gem my right hand was on. I waited a moment, but it didn¡¯t glow and the Neame said I should move on to the next one. I repeated this process with every gem on the table until there was only a single one left.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s my attribute,¡± I said placing a hand on the gem and tuning to the Neame.

    The Neame averted her gaze, as if to hide her face, and quietly said, ¡°You have my deepest sympathy. I am so sorry.¡± Her voice sounded like she was sad, it broke as she spoke and for a second, I thought she was beginning to sing. However, she quickly regained her composure and apologized again. ¡°I am so very sorry Sir Jake.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­ why?¡± I asked concerned.

    ¡°Jake,¡± Suma said sounding very upset herself, ¡°that is the Gem of Chaos.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ what¡¯s that mean?¡± I asked confused.

    It was the white Neame that answered my question. ¡°The Attributes of all living things fall under two broad categories: Order and Chaos. Almost everyone has some form of Order magic. These common attributes include Energy, Body, Nature, and Mind. Each of these can be subdivided further. For instance, Miss Suma, what is your Attribute?¡±

    ¡°My attribute is healing,¡± Suma said. ¡°It falls under the Body type.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, however Chaos types are exceedingly rare. There have only been four, or five if you believe the legends, Chaos mages in recorded history. Some kinds of Chaos magic are illegal. Anyone found practicing them is punished severely.¡± The white Neame concluded.

    ¡°What? So, you¡¯re saying I might not even get to use my magic?¡± I questioned, feeling a bit sad and angry.

    ¡°It is possible,¡± she told me.

    I sighed, ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯ve come this far.¡± I said and laid my hand on the final gem. A dark blue and deep black glow emanated from the gem, and I heard an audible gasp from the white nymph. ¡°So¡­ is it the illegal type?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We¡­ we do not know. That gem only tells us that it is Chaos.¡± She explained. I looked over at Suma, who had been quiet this whole time, and saw her wide eyed and looking like she was on the verge of a freak out. She was staring off into space and breathing heavily. I placed a hand on her, and she jumped slightly in surprise, but soon leaned into my hand. She began to calm down and we followed the nymph to another, smaller, table. ¡°First, place your hands on the gem closest to you.¡± She almost ordered. She sounded quite uncertain and nervous. I did as she said, but it didn¡¯t glow, she breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her tense body. ¡°Okay, good, it¡¯s not the illegal attribute.¡±

    ¡°Well what is it?¡± I asked beginning to get exasperated.

    ¡°Place your hands on the gem directly to the left of the one you just touched.¡± She said much more relaxed. I did and the gem glowed a navy blue.

    ¡°So¡­ what kind is it?¡±

 Part 21: Chaos Ensues

    ¡°Inversion Magic,¡± the white nymph said. Suma let out a deeply relieved sigh.

    ¡°Thank the dragons,¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Is that good?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°If you have to have chaos type magic, then that would be preferred.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I have never met an Inversion Magic user, it¡¯s quite a rare attribute.¡± The nymph noted.

    ¡°How rare?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have only ever heard of one who wasn¡¯t a dragon,¡± she said, ¡°the familiar of the legendary Court Mage, Ambos.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what does it do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Inversion Magic is unique in that it is the only known way for a mage to cast a spell outside of their normal types. It switches all Order Magic into its Chaos Magic counterpart, and vice versa.¡± Suma explained. ¡°Which, also explains what happened that day in the alley...¡±

    ¡°It does?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°The Chaos equivalent of the healing attribute is one of the forms of the illegal magic type we talked about earlier, Death Magic. Specifically, the pain attribute, also called Injury Magic.¡± Suma said in a serious tone. ¡°It also explains why the guards found evidence of torture on the noble, because...¡± Suma stopped talking and averted her gaze to the ground.

    ¡°Suma, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t-¡± I tried to say, but she cut me off.

    ¡°Stop Jake, you did not know; neither of us did. We could not have known.¡± Her voice was shaky and beginning to break. ¡°This whole time¡­ I thought it was my fault... that had I messed up somehow, done something wrong, but it was not, and I did not.¡± Suma turned to the white nymph, spread her wings, and bowed, ¡°Thank you... thank you so much. This has taken such a burden off me.¡±

    ¡°Please, there is no need for that Lady Suma.¡± The white nymph said and tried to get Suma to straighten herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but what exactly does this mean? Like... what do I do with this Inversion Magic?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, if I¡¯m going to invert every type and attribute I come across, what does this mean for our combo magic?¡±

    Suma looked caught off guard for a moment, ¡°You make a good point. Since my attribute is healing, and yours is inversion, any combo magic we do will be illegal.¡±

    ¡°So, we won¡¯t have access to the biggest gun in our arsenal.¡± I said. ¡°Wait, what does this mean about my spells? Will I still be allowed to do magic?¡± I asked a bit worried.

    It was the white nymph who answered my question, ¡°Oh yes, you will still be able to use magic. However, since you are a Chaos Magic user you will not be able to perform any spells that use Order Magic, as it is your natural opposite.¡±

    ¡°So, I can¡¯t use water or fire magic?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh no, both Chaos and Order Mages can manipulate the elements and energy. What you wouldn¡¯t be able to do is perform healing magic, or really any magic that is only possessed by Order Mages, like Body Magic and Mind Magic. However, Energy and Nature Magic can be performed by both types of mages.¡± The white nymph said.

    ¡°But you said earlier that they were Order Types?¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°They are,¡± she said, ¡°but that¡¯s just how I learned them.¡±

    ¡°So can ny- I mean¡­ can Neame who have those attributes use both Chaos and Order?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, while the attributes may exist in both types, they are technically using Order Magic.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°So, does this mean I can only use spells that have to do with Inversion Magic?¡± I asked.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Of course not, you can use any type of Chaos Magic.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t illegal that is.¡± The other nymph added.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I said a bit confused. They spent a few minutes explaining what types of magic I could legally use, and which were forbidden by law. Apparently, there were not nearly as many known branches of Chaos Magic as there are Order Magic, and one of the branches was illegal entirely. I have access to five known branches, Inversion, Death, Nature, Energy, and Wild. Death was ruled illegal and any practice of it, or its subordinate attributes, War, Pain/Injury, Plague, or Famine, is punishable by imprisonment. Wild magic is a blanket term meaning unknown or unclassified; anything that they don¡¯t know about or haven¡¯t studied is this type.

    Eventually, Suma and I said goodbye to the white Neame and headed to our training ground. We decided to walk to it, that way we could have a conversation about what we learned and how to proceed. ¡°So, looks like I have some studying to do.¡± I said.

    ¡°You need to be careful Jake, researching Chaos Magic will undoubtedly draw a lot of unwanted attention. Nobility, royalty, and even some commoners, all have their eyes on people who try to use it.¡± Suma explained after perching on my shoulder.

    ¡°Why does everyone fear it so much? I get that it is rare, but this feels like more than just fearing the unknown.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°There may have only been one known creature to have Inversion Magic, but there have been several instances of Chaos Mages, or creatures that possess Chaos Magic, going on rampages and killing thousands, or even millions.¡±

    ¡°Who were they?¡±

    ¡°Arguably the most famous is the Chaos Dragon. It was a being of unimaginable power that laid waste to most of the world, nearly leading to my people¡¯s extinction.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Wait, you have dragons here?¡± I said amazed.

    ¡°No, not anymore. They all disappeared years ago.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°No one knows,¡± she said, ¡°some say they were hunted to extinction after the Chaos Dragon¡¯s rampage, others think they just died off naturally.

    ¡°And the others?¡± I asked. ¡°Who were the other Chaos Magic users I mean?¡±

    ¡°They were beings from another world that found their way to ours. They were seemingly unstoppable, and fearless warriors of incomparable power that called themselves Vikings.¡±

    ¡°Did you say Vikings?¡± I half yelled. Of all the things she could have said, that was definitely not on my list of potential guesses. Suma¡¯s head pulled back quickly.

    ¡°Um yes.¡± She said hesitantly. ¡°Have you heard of them?¡± She realized.

    ¡°In a¡­ manner of speaking, yes. They invaded my homeland over a thousand years ago. Although, we called them the Danes and Northmen.¡±

    ¡°So, their wrath made its way to your world as well. They were ruthless on my world, was it the same for yours?¡± She didn¡¯t have lips but based on her tone I could just imagine her spitting at their names. Her voice was almost spiteful, as if they were her worlds equivalent to Nazis.

    ¡°Yeah, they came from out of nowhere and conquered as they went. They would attack, raid and loot everything, then take as many people for slaves as they could. Men, women, and even children, it didn¡¯t matter to them.¡± I told her everything I remembered from history class, but that wasn¡¯t much. ¡°I think they mostly attacked port cities though.¡±

    ¡°I cannot say I paid much attention to the stories from our arcane history class, but that certainly sounds like them, with one major difference.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They did not take any slaves.¡±

    ¡°Really? I guess that makes sense, your species is pretty small.¡± I nodded my head thinking about it.

    ¡°They did eat a lot of people though¡­¡± She mentioned.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± I yelled way too loudly and several Neame looked over at us startled.

    ¡°Did they not do that on your world?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°Umm¡­ not that I know of.¡± I said. I thought about it for a moment. I reasoned that the Vikings probably couldn¡¯t understand Suma like I can, meaning to them, they were just birds with magic. Hopefully that¡¯s what happened anyway.

    ¡°Well, I would not put it past them,¡± Suma scoffed, but really it was more of a chirp.

    ¡°Hey Suma, I wanna practice my magic a bit, can you give me some pointers?¡± I asked changing the topic to something less disgusting than cannibalism.

    Suma hesitated for a moment, ¡°I can try, but Chaos Magic is vastly different from Order Magic. What I know may not translate very well.¡±

    ¡°Well, you showed me how to use summoning magic, it can¡¯t be that different.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°True,¡± Suma said, ¡°and anyway, there is no harm trying.¡±

    ¡°And I guess we need to bond my new sword and shield too.¡± I added.

    ¡°Yes, we need to do that before you leave today, or at least find a place in my home to store it safely.¡± She said. ¡°I will fly ahead and summon you once I get to the training area.¡± With that, Suma spread her wings and took off. While waiting, I thought it would be fun to try out some magic.

    ¡°Okay, something simple. Gathering water from the air.¡± I started by closing my eyes and reaching out my hand into that pool of energy, just like I did when Suma tested to see where my magic was coming from. After I felt that power start to flow, I pictured water vapor cumulating in front of my hand. I pictured it taking the shape of a ball. When I opened my eyes a small baseball sized orb of water was floating just in front of it. I played with it for a moment, stretching it out, compressing it flat, I even froze it and then finally turned it into steam. Just as I had done that, Suma said she had arrived and began summoning me.

    ¡°Hey you!¡± Someone yelled from behind me.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said as I turned around to see who it was. But just as I did, I felt something big and heavy hit my face¡­ hard, then everything went black.

 Part 22: The Figure Returns

    The next thing I remember was Suma standing over me panicking and casting some kind of magic, also, my nose was in tremendous pain. ¡°UAHG!¡± I groaned and grabbed my nose.

    ¡°Jake! Thank the dragons, I was so worried when you collapsed after appearing and blood started pouring out of your face. I cast a healing spell on you, but I am not overly familiar with your biology, so I could not fix the bone in your nose. What happened?¡± Suma said in a panicked voice.

    ¡°Uhg¡­ I think I got hey you¡¯d.¡± I said.

    There was a moment of silence before Suma replied with, ¡°Hey you¡¯d?¡±

    ¡°It means someone called my attention then hit me as soon as I turned around.¡± I explained. I examined my nose, it was definitely broken and in obscene amounts of pain. My eyes were watering and my whole face throbbed. ¡°Suma, I need you to set my nose, I¡¯ll try to explain how.¡± Thankfully, after I first got summoned all those years ago, I did a lot of research into first aid treatment. I explained to Suma as much as I knew, and instructed her how to reset my nose by pushing it back into place. I couldn¡¯t tell, but that part seemed to make her uneasy. I also explained how human bones grow and repair themselves just in case I had any facial damage that the broken nose was distracting me from feeling. After a quick spell, and a lot of screaming on my part when she reset my nose, I was all patched up¡­ and very tired. ¡°Suma, why am I suddenly so exhausted?¡±

    ¡°Healing takes energy, you probably use most of your body¡¯s energy when I healed you. You should be fine after some food and rest, at least¡­ that is how it works with Neame.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± I said laying on the ground on my back. ¡°I think maybe you should send me back before I fall asleep here.¡±

    ¡°Do you not wish to find out who¡­. hey you¡¯d you?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Not right now¡­¡± I said half asleep with my eyes already closed.

    ¡°I know we said I would teach you magic, but I think maybe we should do it after you recover.¡± Suma suggested. I didn¡¯t say anything back, I just grunted in agreement. Suma sent me back after that, and I reappeared back in my living room¡­ still laying on the floor. Normally I would sleep in my bed, but instead I just grabbed one of the pillows from my couch and a blanket and slept on the floor so that I didn¡¯t have to move.

    I woke up ten hours later absolutely starving but with more energy and no pain. I ate five granola bars, two cups of instant ramen, a whole box of pop tarts, and a bowl of cereal. Then I decided to call Suma and tell her that I was awake. ¡°Suma, I just woke up, I¡¯m feeling a lot better.¡± There was no response. I figured she might have been asleep so I would just call her later. I checked the time; 12:39 am. ¡°Well, there goes my normal sleep schedule.¡± I said disappointedly. ¡°All that time in Suma¡¯s world is messing with my body clock.¡± I wondered to myself what Suma¡¯s world¡¯s proper name was, as it hadn¡¯t occurred to me to ask, and decided I would next time I saw her. I checked my phone for the first time since I woke up. It said I had twelve missed calls from work and three from family and friends. ¡°Great...¡± I moaned. ¡°I can¡¯t call them back now; they are all asleep; I guess I can later.¡± Until then, I had some cleaning and junk to do. I put away my dishes, then searched for cool names for my sword and shield online and topped it all off with watching TV until 9:00 am.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Finally, I called back most of the people who called me. It was mostly my mum asking how my day was and a friend wanting to know if I was free that weekend, but I knew my work wasn¡¯t calling about that. I had missed an entire day and hadn¡¯t called anyone to let them know I wasn¡¯t coming in. I called my boss back at about 11:00 and prepared myself for the worst.

    ¡°Jake?¡± He answered the phone.

    ¡°Hey Mr. Vidal.¡± I said trying to sound much calmer that I actually was.

    ¡°Jake are you okay? You missed work yesterday and didn¡¯t call anyone.¡± He asked.

    ¡°Um yeah, sorry about that. I was with a friend, and someone knocked me out. I spent several hours passed out from pain meds. I only woke up last night at midnight.¡± I explained.

    ¡°You were attacked? Are you alright?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now, the doctor had thought I broke my nose, but luckily I got away with only a mild concussion.¡± I lied.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sleep with a concussion Jake.¡± Mr. Vidal said.

    ¡°Yeah, but those meds didn¡¯t give much of a choice.¡± I laughed.

    ¡°Well, are you going to be able to come in to work today?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes sir, I will see you in a bit.¡± I said. We said goodbye and I hung up the phone. I decided to try and call Suma again. ¡°Hey Suma, are you there?¡±

    I heard a yawn followed by, ¡°Hello Jake. Feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine now. Hey, can you summon me in about ten minutes?¡±

    ¡°Um sure, I suppose I can. Why?¡± She asked sleepily.

    ¡°I want to name my sword and Shield, and I finally picked them. I just need a few minutes to get ready.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, ¡°just let me know when you are ready.¡± With that, I went around my house grabbing a few things I thought might come in handy and throwing them into my backpack.

    ¡°Okay Suma, I¡¯m ready.¡± My feet, legs, torso, and finally head all disappeared, and the world went black. Normally when I am summoned, it¡¯s like a long blink, then I¡¯m in Suma¡¯s world, but this time was different. I stayed in that blackness for longer, too long. I began to panic, but calmed down once I saw the light¡­ literally. I saw a small flicker of light distantly in that endless dark void.

    ¡°SENTINEL¡­¡± The light called out to me in a thunderous voice. It echoed in my ears and my mind, as if it were both telepathy and a physical sound. Some force began to draw me closer to the light, like I was falling towards it.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± I wondered. I felt strangely calm despite having no idea what was happening. Once I got close enough, I realized what the light was¡­ it was the figure of flame that had been there when Suma named me. This time I could see it much more clearly; it was humanoid, for the most part, but had colossal leathery wings and a python sized tail with spikes at the end. It was made entirely out of what seemed to be fire or raw energy. Looking at it felt like staring at the sun.

    ¡°Sentinel¡­¡± It called out again, but softer this time, and its voice was more human now.

    ¡°What are you?¡± I asked as I came to a floating stop before it. I was maybe twenty feet away from him¡­ it¡­ and I saw that its body was shifting and remolding itself. Parts of it would be fairly human, then immediately shift to something more reptilian.

    ¡°I am,¡± it said in a human voice, but instantly it switched to the thunderous voice again and its head took on more reptilian features, ¡°YOUR DOOM!¡± The head transformed back into a humanish shape and spoke once again with a calm voice, ¡°Your friend.¡±

    ¡°You have a real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on there.¡± Just as I said that, I started falling again, this time away from the figure.

    ¡°KILL¡­ Protect.¡± The figure said just as my eyes opened and I was staring at Suma who was perched on a tree branch a few feet away.

    ¡°So, you decided on a name then?¡± She said cheerfully.

 Part 23: Sword and Shield

    I tried to blink and shake the fog out of my brain, but no matter how hard I tried, it still felt like I woke up from some kind of fever dream. One that grew fuzzier the longer I was awake.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I saw the figure of flame again, the one from when I became your familiar. In the Grand Sanctum... remember?¡± I said trying to focus on everything I saw, but the harder I thought, the more it slipped from my grasp.

    ¡°What? When?¡± Suma asked shocked.

    ¡°When you summoned me. How long was I gone for?¡± I said sitting on the ground and placing my now throbbing head between my legs.

    ¡°Gone? What do you mean? I summoned you and then you appeared, just like always.¡±

    ¡°It felt like a lot longer than that from my perspective. I talked to him¡­ it... whatever. It was bipolar as heck.¡± I joked.

    ¡°Ummm,¡± Suma started but I cut her off.

    ¡°He was switching back and forth between aggressive and friendly. His voice, body, personality, everything¡­ it all kept changing as we talked. He wanted to kill me and protect me.¡± I explained.

    ¡°What did he look like?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t quite remember, it¡¯s all so fuzzy now. Like I was dreaming.¡± I said. ¡°Do your people dream?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she scoffed, ¡°but I never remember mine afterward.¡±

    ¡°Me either, but this definitely wasn¡¯t a dream; I know the difference.¡± I said.

    ¡°I know I have said this before, but you certainly are a strange familiar sometimes.¡± Suma laughed. ¡°So did he say anything important?¡±

    I thought for a moment, trying to recall what happened as best as I could, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± I stood up again, my headache fading away, ¡°He mostly just said he was my doom, and my friend.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do about it?¡± Suma questioned with her head tilted curiously.

    ¡°Nothing, yet.¡± I said after a moment of pause to think. ¡°Even if I wanted to right now, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do or where to begin.¡±

    ¡°So, what do you want to do then?¡± She asked.

    ¡°What I came here to do for now; let¡¯s go name my sword and shield.¡± I said looking around for my weapons. I found them where I had left them yesterday, laying on top of a stone under the shade of a large tree.

    ¡°You have the names then?¡± Suma chirped.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Yes I do, let¡¯s do the shield first.¡± I said and held the shield out. Suma landed on my shoulder, and I moved it close enough for her to touch it. Just like last time, she cast a spell and a blue magic circle formed on it and wrapped itself around the shield. Another formed around both of our feet.

    ¡°Now name it,¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Aegis!¡± I said, and the magic circles changed from a brilliant blue to a burning red, then faded away.

    ¡°Aegis?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yeah, a great warrior from my world¡¯s mythology used a shield by that name.¡± I said. Suma nodded her head in understanding.

    ¡°Okay, are you ready to do the sword?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I answered. We repeated the process once more, and when Suma told me to name it I shouted out, ¡°Mori!¡± And just as before, the circles shifted from blue to red, then vanished.

    ¡°And what mythical hero used a sword named Mori?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°None that I know of. In a dead language on my world, Mori means death, or to die. A fitting name for this one I thought.¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah, so you speak some of your world¡¯s forgotten languages?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I lied, I had read about it on reddit actually, but she didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s try these out.¡± I said excitedly.

    ¡°How do you want to test it?¡± Suma asked and flew over to a low hanging tree branch. I looked around at the ground, then the trees, and finally at Suma.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could lift a stick up and whack me with it, so why don¡¯t you just cast an attack spell at me.¡± I suggested. Suma looked nervously at the ground and shifted on her branch.

    ¡°I do not believe that is a good idea.¡± She said hesitantly.

    ¡°It needs to be able to defend against magic as well as physical attacks, so it¡¯s better to find out if it can in practice than on the battlefield.¡± I told her. She still seemed uneasy but agreed and took a position on a rock a few meters away.

    ¡°Ready?¡± She asked warily.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I confirmed. Suma closed her eyes for a moment, then they snapped open, and she began to speak.

    ¡°Flames, gather in my presence. Form and shape into a bolt to pierce my enemies.¡± As she spoke, small embers began to flicker in front of her and stretch out into a dart like shape. Then they erupted into scorching yellow flames. ¡°Fly Crimson Bolt!¡± she shouted, and the bolt of fire flew at me at the speed of a thrown softball. I instinctively raised my shield to cover my head and positioned my body behind it as well. I felt the force of the magic hit my shield, but it didn¡¯t pierce through. I peeked my head over slowly and examined the shield, before looking back to Suma.

    ¡°I think it worked.¡± I said smiling like a goofball.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked worried.

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, Aegis blocked everything, I didn¡¯t even feel the heat.¡± I told her. She sighed relieved. ¡°Now let¡¯s test out the summoning part.¡± I placed Aegis on the ground and walked away a few meters before calling out to it. Just like Destiny, it disappeared in a flash and reappeared right back on my left arm; just like I wanted.

    ¡°Ready to test Mori?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yup,¡± I said sending Aegis away and Summoning Mori. ¡°Mori!¡± It almost instantly blinked into existence in my right hand. ¡°Well, that part works.¡± I joked.

    ¡°It is a weapon made to cut things, correct? What will you test it on?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°First, I wanna test the balance, I took fencing in high school, so I know I can use it, but I am worried about its strength. I¡¯ll just test its edge later on some fruit and logs.¡± I explained. I started swinging the sword a bit, just some simple thrusts and downward slashes at first, but once I started to get a feel for it, I began doing mock parries and other more advanced techniques. I could feel Suma¡¯s eyes on me, staring in some mix of awe and concern. I sent Mori away and asked if she had a fruit.

    Suma snapped out of her fixation with a jolt, ¡°Pardon¡­ oh um, yes. In town we can buy several kinds of fruit.¡± I asked her to fly there and then summon me so I could buy some to test Mori with. She took off and I was left there alone¡­ or so I thought.

    ¡°HEY YOU!¡±

 Part 24: Attacked

    Someone shouted from behind me. My first instinct was to turn around and see who was calling me, but my mind went right back to the last time I did that. In a flash, I summoned Aegis and whipped it around to protect myself. Then I summoned Mori and prepared for a fight just in case. Once I was facing the person who called me, I saw what looked to be three nobles and their beast familiars.

    ¡°That¡¯s him your lordship. That¡¯s the familiar who killed Omwell.¡± One of them said to the most decorated of the three. He was the largest of them all and had several grey feathers indicating he was quite old. The old one had many gold laces around his body, as well as large jewels that the other two didn¡¯t have.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The old Neame asked in a gruff voice.

    ¡°Yes, Magistrate Gokhale,¡± the younger noble talking turned to me, ¡°I will never forget that disgusting ape.¡±

    The older Neame, Magistrate Gokhale, turned to me and began speaking. ¡°Investigator Monken may have ruled in your favor, but it is inconceivable that a familiar could kill a high-ranking noble¡¯s son and be allowed to live¡­ I will rectify the situation.¡± As soon as he said that, his lizard like familiar reared up on its hind legs and opened its now glowing red mouth. It then dropped its body and shot a ball of fire at me. I pushed my shield out and moved behind it as much as possible, but the force of the blast still knocked me of balance for a moment.

    ¡°I need some breathing room,¡± I said quietly to myself and sent Mori away, then used shadow casting to summon Destiny. I threw it as hard as I could and flung it straight into the open mouth of the familiar as it was charging up another shot. It went down its throat and killed it, causing it to fall forward with a thud. ¡°Destiny!¡± I called out and she reappeared back in my hand. The two lesser nobles stepped back in fear, but not the older one.

    ¡°Impressive, but that was just a Salamander, let us see how you handle my prized familiar. Egoes!¡± A magic circle formed on the ground between myself and the three nobles, and a large horse sized monster began to appear. It had scales, leathery wings, a short fat neck, and a long tail with spikes at the end. ¡°Behold, one of the lesser dragon species¡­ a wyvern.¡± The magistrate said smugly.

    A freaking Dragon?! I screamed in my head. ¡°SUMA!¡± I shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t care where you are or what you are doing, but you need to summon me now!¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± She asked through our mental connection.

    ¡°I¡¯m under attack by three nobles and his pet dragon!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡± She yelled. ¡°Okay, one moment.¡± Just as she said that the wyvern opened its mouth and sprayed fire at me. My shield blocked most of it, but my legs and elbows got burned bad.

    ¡°AHHHH¡± I yelled in pain and thrust my Destiny into its still open mouth. Instead of killing it, the wyvern backed up slightly then bit into the spear, shattering the wooden shaft and breaking off the tip; which it promptly spit onto the floor. The metal tip laid on the ground, glowing red hot. I tried whacking the wyvern with the shaft, but it didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Mori!¡± I shouted and it appeared into my hand; taking the place of Destiny¡¯s remains. I looked down, the metal tip had disappeared as well, leaving only smoldering grass where it had been laying.

    ¡°A new weapon will not save you, familiar. You die today!¡± He said and cast some kind of spell that enveloped all of us in greenish energy.

    ¡°Jake, get ready!¡± Suma said.

    I smiled and laughed at the nobles, ¡°Not today, bye.¡± I waited for a moment, and another, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Jake, something is wrong, I am trying to summon you, but nothing is happening.¡± Suma sounded panicked. The nobles started laughing.

    ¡°Did you really think it was going to be that easy? We took precautions to prevent your escape. A preprepared ritual meant to keep a familiar from being summoned away, we simply needed to activate it after confirming that Egoes would be enough to kill you!¡± The old magistrate boasted.

    ¡°Suma, he is using some ritual to keep me here!¡± I said.

    ¡°I am already on my way back!¡± She yelled. ¡°Just hold on!¡± I swung Mori at the wyvern and caught it on the neck, leaving a gash but not killing it unfortunately. It let out a pained screech and swiped at me with its claws, which left puncture holes in Aegis, but not large ones, and knocked me back.

    ¡°A familiar that relies totally on tools and physical strength to fight, I guess I should not be surprised. You are the familiar of a low-class wretch who barely passes as a fifth level support mage.¡± Despite his words I don¡¯t think he expected Mori to be able to hurt his wyvern; his voice had lost its pride, and was now much colder and more calculating. ¡°Egoes¡­ kill him.¡± The wyvern growled and took another swipe at me, but I quickly stepped back, dodging its attack. It spun around and used its tail to knock me off my feet, causing me to hit the ground hard. Rolling out of the way, I barely avoiding getting burned as it sprayed where I was lying with its fire again. The wyvern then attempted to crush me with its tail, and it would have to if I hadn¡¯t thrust Mori up into its path; forcing it to reel back and stop its attack or get stabbed. I scrambled to my feet and backed up out of the range of its claws and tail, and tried summoning Destiny. I wanted to try throwing it at the wyvern from a distance, but as soon as it appeared, the metal tip fell to the ground at the exact spot the wyvern had broken it earlier.

    ¡°Good to know, bad to find out.¡± I mumbled to myself and resummoned Mori. I tried thinking of a strategy, but the wyvern didn¡¯t give me the time, its attacks very quick and in succession. It took everything I had to just keep myself from getting cut in half or burned. It would be a massive understatement to say that I was grateful for Aegis.

    ¡°I am almost there Jake, hold on!¡± Suma yelled. I thought about trying magic, but I needed to focus to do that, and this wyvern wasn¡¯t going to let me close my eyes and imagine a fireball. It reared up and came back down with a thud, I expected another spray of fire, but instead was greeted with a huge blast that threw me back and knocked Aegis off my arm, breaking my arm in the process.

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    ¡°AHHHH!¡± I yelled grabbing my now broken arm; my elbow had been shattered.

    ¡°This is for my son.¡± The magistrate said and the wyvern towered over me, readying another blast of fire. I thought I was dead, and readied myself for the pain, but instead of dying I heard Suma yelling.

    ¡°Fly Crimson Bolt!¡± A bolt of magic fire hit the wyvern square in the head, sending it toppling over. Suma landed between me and the wyvern and immediately cast a spell that started healing me. She wasn¡¯t able to do much, but she was able to mostly fix my elbow before the wyvern got up and prepared to attack again. ¡°I am so sorry Jake. I should not have left you alone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s just get through this.¡± I said and grabbing and tossing her into the air so we could retreat from the wyvern. We were able to make it out of the green energy field, but the wyvern and the nobles still pursued us. The wyvern was big, but it was too slow, so we were able to stay ahead of it, but the lesser nobles had familiars of their own, and they were not as slow. Some kind of hyena thing bit my leg and caused me to trip, but I stabbed it with Mori and started running again. Suma was dealing with the white cat like familiar of the other lesser noble by staying too high for it to reach and shooting fire at it. However, she underestimated it and the feline familiar jumped straight up twenty feet and caught Suma on the wing with one of its paws. She fell down and hit the ground; I jumped in and stabbed the familiar before it could get to Suma though. ¡°Suma! Are you okay?¡± I yelled as I picked her up. She didn¡¯t respond. I started running again, while holding Suma, but was cut off by a wall of fire made by the magistrate.

    ¡°Nowhere to run you low class piece of trash.¡± He sneered. I considered charging through the flames, and almost did, but that might have hurt Suma more than she could handle. I looked at the nobles, and I was filled with so much anger, they had burned me, broken my arm, and tried to kill me. All that is one thing, but Suma was nonresponsive, she might have been dead, and all that anger and pain did something¡­ it started pouring out as magic. Before I knew it, I had enveloped the area we were all standing in with my own field of navy-blue magical energy.

    ¡°I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU!¡± I bellowed. The navy-blue magic that had been emanating from me began to swirl violently like a tornado. It was so strong that the nymphs had to land and huddle on the ground behind the wyvern. The wyvern itself seemed unaffected by the tempest and prepared to spray its fire at Suma and me. I summoned Aegis and raised it to defend us, but it had been punctured so many times that fire would still make it through, even if only a little. I threw it on my back and held Suma close to my chest as an added layer to protect her. I didn¡¯t mind getting burned as long as she was safe. The wyvern launched its attack and I prepared for the burning pain to hit me, and it did¡­ kind of. It burned, but not from the heat, it was absolutely freezing! I turned to look back at the wyvern and saw it clawing at its own mouth, which was now frozen over. ¡°Inversion¡­¡± I said to myself. Seeing my opportunity, I put Suma down and covered her with Aegis, then I summoned Mori and slashed at the wyvern¡¯s neck again, this time the wound was deep, and based on how much blood there was, I hit something important. But it didn¡¯t go down right away, it took a slash at me with its claws, and without Aegis it left a deep wound, but not fatal. It was moving slower, probably because it was cold and that it was cold-blooded.

    ¡°Kill him already!¡± The magistrate ordered from his little huddle. The wyvern huffed and started to sway; it must have been getting lightheaded from blood loss. This time when it reached out to slash at me, it was like it was swimming in molasses. I dodged to the side and brought Mori down on its wrist, severing its hand entirely. It screeched and threw its hand and head up in pain, which left the perfect opening. I thrust Mori straight into its throat, finally killing it. The nobles looked as if they had just seen the grim reaper himself¡­ and if Suma was dead, they may as well have. I ran to Suma to check on her, forgetting the nobles for a moment. Part of me hoped they left¡­ another part of me hoped they did something stupid and gave me a reason¡­

    ¡°Suma...¡± I said gently shaking her. I saw her eyes twitch and the slight up and down of her breathing; she was alive.

    ¡°He¡­ he killed a wyvern¡­¡± One of them said, it was one of the former lesser nobles. ¡°How? How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The magistrate snapped at them, ¡°Just summon more familiars, we will get him! He is injured, he cannot go on much longer.¡±

    ¡°But sir¡­ he¡­ look around¡­ can¡¯t you feel it?¡± The other noble said sound terrified. ¡°It¡¯s Chaos Magic, it¡¯s like he is some kind of Viking¡­ or demon.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed yet, but the energy I was emitting wasn¡¯t going away, it was still pouring out of me, but it was no longer swirling around.

    ¡°I do not care if he is the Chaos Dragon himself, now summon your familiars and kill him!¡±

    ¡°But sir, we don¡¯t have any more familiars...¡± One of them said. I stood up, just as the magistrate scoffed at the lesser nobles and began summoning another of his familiars. It wasn¡¯t a wyvern this time, it was a Borog. That was fine with me¡­ I had taken the last couple of moments to focus my magic and imagine a spell of sorts. Well, calling it a spell might be an exaggeration, it was really more of a wild idea. I compressed my magic down as far as I could and made it as dense as I could hold, then I imagined it shooting out at my opponent like a bolt of lightning or a beam of light. It was all focused in my hand, so all I had to do was aim it.

    ¡°Some pitiful spell will not save you. Borogs may not have much in the way of life force density, but that makes them more resistant to life forces attacks and spells that effect the body. This is where you finally pay! Ojeg, attack!¡± The Borog lunged forwards, however, it was straight into my spell. I didn¡¯t want to cast an effect, I wanted to create the equivalent of a high-powered water cutter with magical energy. I let loose the built-up mana all at once and it tore through the borog¡¯s entire body in an instant, as well as several boulders and trees behind it. From the front of its skull to the back of its hindquarters, was a clean three-inch hole through the length of its body. It crumpled to the floor with a disgusting squished thump.

    The magistrate stepped back in horror, ¡°No¡­ that is not¡­ no...¡± The magistrate let his words trail off for a moment, but then erupted into a sickening laugh. ¡°HAHAHahahaha¡­ Well, if you want something killed correctly.¡± He raised his wingtip to the sky and an enormous ball of fire formed, ¡°KILL IT YOURSELF!¡± The other two nobles cowered behind him, both of their eyes transfixed on me. I looked around; the inversion magic was still filling the area¡­ that fireball wasn¡¯t going to work.

    I didn¡¯t even try to stop him, I let him build it up as much as he wanted. He hurt Suma, so I want him to feel like I do at this exact moment. I want him to feel the frustration and rage I was feeling knowing that no matter what he tried it wasn¡¯t going to work on me. ¡°Go ahead.¡± I dared him. ¡°I won¡¯t even try to stop you, but know one thing: when your fireball fails, my sword won¡¯t.¡±

    He seemed shocked for a moment, then screamed as he brought the ball of fire down around me. I have to admit, it was the coldest thing I have ever felt in my entire life, and the most mind-boggling experience. To be completely engulfed in flames and feel cold was odd to say the least. Once the flames cleared up a bit, I watched as the magistrate¡¯s pride and sadistic glee vanished and was replaced by absolute horror at the sight of me standing completely unharmed. ¡°My turn then, or did you wanna try something else?¡± I asked mockingly. The two lesser nobles immediately flew away, the magistrate however stayed. I don¡¯t think it was bravery though, I think he had just lost hope and had resigned himself to die. He fell face down on the ground and began to sing. I ignored him and walked over to check on Suma again, she was just beginning to regain consciousness.

    ¡°Did- did we live?¡± She asked.

 Part 25: Points of View

    Magistrate Gokhale Do you remember what the worst day of your life is? I do¡­ It was when a city guard showed up at my home and told me that my son, my youngest child, has been murdered by some low-class wretch. I had many favors owed to me as an influential member of noble society, and I called on as many as I needed to find out who did it. I found out that there were two witnesses, lesser nobles who had their titles stripped from them after the fact; a mockery of the highest order. I had them brought to me and they told me everything. They told me who killed my son, and they told me how he died¡­ in agony. There is no greater sorrow than the fury of parent mourning, and likewise, no greater rage can be kindled than a parent who seeks vengeance.

    I spent countless gold pieces and emptied storehouses full of mana reserves to purchase a preprepared ritual that can stop a familiar from being summoned. It was so expensive because a ritual of that nature is illegal by royal decree, but I did not care; not then and not now. If I had to empty every storehouse in Ambos to kill that familiar and his master, then I would. The ritual was stored on a jewel, and when I wanted to activate it, then all I had to do was input some mana. I planned my trap, first myself and the two now defunct nobles would corner the familiar after its master had left it alone, then one of them would send out their Salamander familiar so as to probe the familiar¡¯s strength. If the Salamander proves ineffective, I will utilize the ritual after summoning my own personal familiar Egoes, a lesser dragon species called a wyvern.

    *A few days later*

    The familiar proved stronger than predicted, it was not immediately killed by Egoes and was even able to contact his master and attempt to flee. They made it outside the effective area of the ritual, but it did not matter as the master had been neutralized already. There was no escape anymore. The familiar was at its end now, attempting to radiate magic in a desperate effort to save its life and the life of its master. Egoes would make quick work of him, but I wanted him to suffer like my son did. I would make his last moment on Atmosia one of torment, and I would do it with my own hand. At least that is what I thought as I brought down as large a ball of fire as I could muster onto the vermin¡¯s head. For a moment, I felt peace, justice, and joy at having avenged my son, but that was all stolen by that¡­ thing once more. It emerged from the flames unscathed, and it spoke only a single, soul crushing word to me¡­ It told me to run. I do not know if it was out of defiance or sorrow, but I did not run, I stayed. Part of me wanted to die, another, much larger, part of me wanted something I knew I would never have¡­ my son back in my embrace, and vengeance.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Investigator Dehal¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Dehal, we have reports of nobles fighting just outside of town!¡± One of the guards under my command said after barging in.

    ¡°Again,¡± I replied annoyed, I stood up from my resting perch and followed him to the area. To my surprise, the people involved were faces I had seen before; Suma, and her familiar Sentinel... or Jake. When I arrived, Suma was being tended to by a healer for a broken wing and leg, and Jake was unconscious and radiating some form of blue magical energy. I tried to enter it, but was warned away, apparently magic doesn¡¯t work right inside the field and they had to move everyone away from Jake so that they could cast healing and other types of magic to investigate the area. ¡°Suma,¡± I called out to her, ¡°what happened?¡±

    ¡°Three noblemen attacked us, I was knocked unconscious, but Jake defended me.¡± Suma explained. I looked over at Jake, through the thick fog of energy, and saw him lying on the ground. I went closer and spotted what appeared to be the dismembered corpse of a wyvern.

    ¡°Jake did that?¡± I whispered to myself. It took a while, but Jake did eventually stop producing that energy and we were able to recover him from the fog. We had to drag him out of it by his feet with our Borogs and perform healing on him afterward, but we managed it. He didn¡¯t wake up for a full day, honestly I thought he was going to die, but he was strong and recovered.

    While he was asleep, Suma gave us permission to do a memory delve for some answers, and we found a lot more than we bargained for. Jake was dreaming when the delve was performed, and our Memory Mage found out the hard way what he was dreaming of. Apparently, he was dreaming of the battle in which Jake has been burned, stabbed at, nearly crushed, and beaten, but still kept fighting. He managed to kill a wyvern, take a full force blast of flames without damage, and protect his master all before finally losing consciousness. Our mage had to repeatedly stop to get her bearings¡­ or to stop crying. By the time it was over, all our delver would say was¡­ Vikings.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    All the fire blasts and fogs of Chaos Magic eventually drew other Neame to the area, who, in turn, called for guards. I found out what happened later from Suma, as I had passed out and stayed out for a solid twenty-four hours. Suma spent some time healing my wounds while I was out, and she was interrogated as well. I later learned that Suma consented on my behalf for them to perform another memory delve on me. With that, they were able to get the evidence needed to arrest the two former lesser nobles as well as the now former magistrate. His noble title was stripped from him and given to the next in line in his family, his oldest son. I heard a rumor that he tried to kill himself, but it was never confirmed.

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    When I did wake up, I was starving and sore, but all my burns had healed and only a bit of stiffness remained in my elbow. Suma had been tended to as well, the blow from that white cat familiar broke one of her wings and legs, but she was up and about by the time I was awake again. I also apparently continued to emit that fog of magical energy for another hour after losing consciousness, and it didn¡¯t disperse for nearly six hours. They actually had to remove everyone from the area because all their spells kept getting inverted.

    ¡°I heard you finally woke up,¡± Investigator Dehal said flying into the room I was in,¡± how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Better,¡± I said and took a big bite of something called a Magiopa. ¡°My arm is a bit sore though.¡± I said with a full mouth.

    ¡°You sure have a knack for getting yourself into trouble it seems, but everything has been sorted out, so I don¡¯t think you have much to worry about from the former magistrate¡¯s family.¡± Dehal said.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a relief.¡± I said after swallowing.

    ¡°Oh, and you have a visitor.¡± He said.

    ¡°Suma?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± He said. Meanwhile, another nymph, much larger and well decorated, flew in.

    ¡°Hello, Jake,¡± he said, ¡°My name is Udoka Sopra, and I am the Grand Duke of the Royal Citadel and the country of Ambos. It is nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Um, hello sir. I¡¯m Jake. It¡¯s nice to meet you as well.¡±

    ¡°I am truly sorry to hear about what has transpired, you have my word I will make sure the nobles responsible are appropriately punished. I ask only that you do not attempt to seek retribution yourself, please leave it to me.¡± The Grand Duke said with a slight bow and a spread of his wings.

    ¡°Oh, of course. Please, you don¡¯t have to bow sir.¡± I said nervously, but I wasn¡¯t really sure why. Yeah, he was a high ranking Neame judge or something, but I couldn¡¯t put a pin in why he seemed so¡­ dignified. He was beautifully decorated, at least as much as the large Neame who attacked us was anyway.

    He straightened up then spoke again. ¡°Jake, I have a few questions if you do not mind. I had planned to ask them during our scheduled meeting but¡­ well, we need answers regarding what happened.¡±

    ¡°I understand sir, please ask me whatever you like.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Firstly, what is your magical affinity?¡±

    ¡°Chaos, or do you mean my specific... like... attribute thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your attribute.¡±

    ¡°Inversion.¡±

    ¡°Quite rare Indeed. Do you happen to know your mana levels?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, no I don¡¯t. I was told they must have been high though.¡±

    ¡°Yes quite, and how much training have you received from Lady Suma?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s taught me a bit, the basics at least, and how to perform a summoning spell on my weapons.¡±

    ¡°I see. Regarding your weapons, may I see them?¡±

    Investigator Dehal interrupted, ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t believe that is a good idea.¡±

    Grand Duke Udoka Sopra nearly scoffed, ¡°Nonsense, Sir Jake is an honorable man. He defended his master despite the danger presented to his own life. All without need.¡± He turned back to me, ¡°Sir Jake, if you would not mind?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said and summoned destiny. As soon as I did, her tip fell to the floor between the Grand Duke and I.

    ¡°Was it¡­ supposed to do that?¡± Investigator Dehal asked confused.

    ¡°No, it got snapped by that noble¡¯s wyvern during our fight. Actually, most of my weapons are damaged now that I think about it.¡± I said then sent Destiny away and summoned Mori and Aegis instead. Aegis was still full of holes, but Mori seemed mostly intact, if a bit dulled at the ends where it hit that wyvern¡¯s scales.

    ¡°Even damaged I am able to see they are fine weapons, and your ability to use shadow casting was unexpected as well.¡± The Grand Duke said. He turned to investigator Dehal, ¡°I trust what he has said falls in line with what your investigation has found so far?¡±

    ¡°It has, sir,¡± Dehal replied.

    ¡°Then I ask that you give Sir Jake and I a moment alone.¡± Dehal bowed a moment then left the room, sealing the door behind him. Turning to me he asked, ¡°Sir Jake, what I ask you now is of a personal nature, I ask that you answer truthfully.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I said confused.

    ¡°There have been concerning reports of late. You remember the mind delve that was performed on you a short time ago?"

    "Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Well, as you may know, another one was performed while you slept.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°The information gathered is already being suppressed, but I needed to ask you personally. Sir Jake, are you a Viking?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I asked shocked, but I really shouldn¡¯t have been. I knew this would get out eventually, somehow.

    ¡°Sir Jake¡­¡± The Grand Duke pressed urgently.

    I sighed, and relented, ¡°Not exactly.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly? In what way is the information incorrect?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Viking, but I am the same race as them.¡± The Grand Duke seemed concerned, his feathers were slightly raised, and that normal sparkle that all Neame I had seen had was a bit dimmer.

    ¡°Can you elaborate?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°The Vikings, as you know them, were a culture. They lived and died out a long time ago. It is possible that I¡¯m one of their descendants, but there¡¯s no way to know for sure.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Grand Duke said before growing quiet. Deep in thought his grey feathers occasionally ruffled, breaking the hanging silence for just a moment. ¡°Sir Jake, I ask that you keep this information to yourself. I do not believe it is in anyone¡¯s best interest to know.¡±

    ¡°I will sir,¡± I agreed, happy that he wasn¡¯t angry or afraid now that he knew the truth.

    ¡°And please tell Lady Suma the same as well.¡±

    ¡°Actually sir, she doesn¡¯t know.¡± I said cautiously. This seemed to catch him off guard.

    ¡°You have not told her?¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°May I ask for what reason?¡±

    ¡°She really¡­ really¡­ hates Vikings.¡±

    ¡°I see, then I shall refrain from mentioning it as well. Sir Jake, if you do decide to tell someone, please insure they keep it a secret if possible.¡±

    ¡°I will sir.¡± I said. With that, our conversation ended, and the Grand Duke left. Once he was gone, I got in contact with Suma, and she came to make sure I was okay before we left.

 Part 26: In the Forge

    Suma and I were released without incident, except for the strange staring that Dehal kept doing when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking, and a lengthy conversation with the Grand Duke Udoka Sopra; all of which was a show for Suma¡¯s sake so she wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. He asked me if I was okay, and other questions about the attack, then he started asking me about... well, me. It was mostly ordinary questions about where I was from and how I was adapting to their world. He also asked me about where I was from, what I did, and about my magic. Investigator Dehal also had some question of his own; he wanted to know what kinds of combat training I had. To be fair, I had just killed a wyvern, something that is difficult for a trained group of experienced mages apparently, in one-on-one combat, so I guess I should have expected people to be curious. Suma answered a few questions as well before the Grand Duke thanked us both for speaking with him, and excused himself, wishing us both a safe day. Before going, he also assured us that he would do everything in his power to punish the nobles who attacked us, and he would make an example of them in case any others got an idea for revenge.

    I decided not to go home for a couple days after the attack. Just in case any more nobles tried to attack Suma. Just like last time, I rented a room from a nearby kennel and paid with my mana. Then Suma and I did something we had been dreading for a while now¡­ we went to the blacksmith.

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO? IT¡¯S ONLY BEEN THREE DAYS!¡± The Neame who made Destiny, Mori, and Aegis squawked. ¡°How did you even put these holes in it,¡± he said angrily as he examined the shield from a perch on the table my stuff was resting on. ¡°And what happened to the spear? It looks like you smashed it with a boulder! Why is the tempering of the metal tip ruined?!¡± The more he talked, the more depressed he sounded.

    ¡°I know I know, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, ¡°but we were attacked, and everything got broken in the fight. Well, except Mori, the sword.¡±

    The Neame blacksmith sighed, ¡°Well, I guess on some level I knew this would happen eventually; I just didn¡¯t expect it so soon.¡± He shook his head and used magic to lift Aegis. He looked over it again and then back to me, ¡°So did they at least do well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they did. Aegis, the shield, took everything like a champ, I would have been skewered without it, and Destiny gave me range when I needed it. I took out several of those noble¡¯s familiars with her. That wyvern would have killed me if I hadn¡¯t had them all.¡± I told him. When I said the word wyvern, his head perked up a bit, and the feathers on his head did too.

    ¡°A wyvern you say,¡± his voice sounding much lighter, ¡°the things I made helped beat a wyvern?¡± He started standing a bit taller now and his chest was even poked out. ¡°Well, how about that¡­¡±

    ¡°So, can they be fixed?¡± I wondered. He looked over everything one more time.

    ¡°The shield will need to be patched and melded back together, but it¡¯s doable. The spear however, that might be a lost cause, at least the shaft anyway. I could retemper the metal, but there is always a chance that a wooden shaft will break again. You might want to consider ordering a new one out of a metal tube. That way it will be harder to break and easier to repair.¡± He explained.

    ¡°How much is all that going to cost?¡± Suma spoke up.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie¡­ probably a lot. Maybe a whole daljar.¡± He said.

    ¡°How much is that?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°A lot. A daljar is what we use to store mana outside of our bodies. One daljar could hold two whole days¡¯ worth of mana from two normal Neame, or maybe about half of a day for a court mage.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Can I pay half now and half upon completion?¡± I asked the blacksmith.

    He wobbled his head back and forth in a thinking motion, then said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know for sure how much it will cost until it¡¯s all said and done, but if you want to put a down payment then that¡¯s fine with me.¡± He went into another room for a moment and came back carrying a small jar looking thing in his talons. The jar was about the size of his body.

    ¡°How did you carry that?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s lighter than it looks, also it¡¯s empty.¡± He replied and scooted it in front of me. ¡°Just put in as much as you can manage, and we can worry about the rest later.¡± I knew how to do this part as it was pretty similar to when I paid for my room at the kennel, only this jar was a lot bigger. I placed my hand on the top of it and started forcing mana into the jar. I had to be careful; the first time I tried this, I broke the jar. Slowly, I let mana flow into the container, but unlike the kennel, I didn¡¯t feel any resistance, so I let it flow a bit harder assuming that I was holding back too much. ¡°Are you okay Jake?¡± Suma asked after a moment.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I said with my eyes still closed, trying to focus on not breaking the bottle.

    ¡°Are you sure son?¡± The blacksmith asked sounding a bit worried.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ why?¡± I asked opening my eyes and seeing that the jar was almost full and glowing brightly enough that all of us had to avert our eyes. I immediately stopped as I didn¡¯t want to accidentally lose control and break the bottle. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    The blacksmith peaked around the wing he was using to shield his eyes from the light, ¡°It didn¡¯t do that the last time you paid did it?¡±

    ¡°Suma paid last time.¡± I said. ¡°Speaking of which, it didn¡¯t cost this much to have it made, why is it so much to have it repaired?¡±

    ¡°Most of the price is the metal tube, it¡¯s difficult hollowing out a metal rod.¡± The Neame said still side eyeing the glowing daljar.

    ¡°Jake did this happen when you paid for your room?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the thing I used then wasn¡¯t see through.¡± I said to her. Turning back to the blacksmith, I asked ¡°Why are you hollowing out a prebuilt rod? Why not make a flat sheet, then roll it?¡±

    ¡°Evenly heating a hollow tube with Flame Magic is nearly impossible alone, and unless you want to pay a higher price, I can¡¯t hire someone to help me.¡± He said. I thought for a moment as he covered up the brightly flowing daljar with a rag, allowing us all to fully open our eyes again.

    ¡°Can I see your working area?¡± I asked him. ¡°I want to see how you create the fire with magic and how you mold the metal.¡± My question seemed to catch him off guard, but he agreed, and we walked to his back room. Suma excused herself saying that she had other business to attend to. I think she just didn¡¯t want to watch.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fire up the forge,¡± The blacksmith said and placed a wingtip on a small red symbol emblazoned on the side of a brick and metal box. The symbol began to glow, and a magic circle formed in the center of the box, then it erupted into flames. ¡°First we need to prepare our materials.¡± He said and flew over to a small pile of metal rods in the corner of his shop. He pointed his greying wing tips at one of them, and a yellow glow enveloped the rod, and it began to float towards a table with runes etched into the top.

    ¡°What are these for?¡± I asked gesturing to the engravings.

    ¡°Different things, one is for holding the metal in place, another for keeping it hot so it is more malleable, and the final one is to cool it off slowly for the tempering process.¡± He explained. I didn¡¯t know much about metalwork on my world, but I did know that this was probably something the blacksmiths of Earth would kill a man for.

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    ¡°Impressive.¡± I said.

    ¡°Really? Those are fairly standard runes for metalwork. Are they uncommon on your world?¡± He asked as he pressed the rune on the forge again, making the flames grow even bigger.

    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t exist on my world. We have metalwork though.¡± I told him, and when I did, he looked like I had been speaking gibberish.

    ¡°A world without magic? How can such a thing exist, let alone have metalwork?!¡± He sounded flabbergasted.

    ¡°We use a gas called propane to create fire hot enough to heat the metal, and as for the shaping, I think they use automatic machine hammers now.¡± I explained, but he still seemed confused. I spent a few minutes explaining what I did know about Earth¡¯s metalworking, which was not much, while the blacksmith Nymph sat in stunned silence and occasionally asking a question. Some of the questions I could answer, but most I couldn¡¯t. Our conversation lasted so long, that the forge almost went cold and needed to have more mana put into it. He was about to do it himself, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn how to use runes properly, so I asked him to show me and explain how to use the forge¡¯s rune.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple,¡± he started, ¡°just make contact with the rune, then start flowing mana into it.¡±

    ¡°May I try?¡± I asked. He nodded his head, and I placed a hand on the rune and followed his instructions. Flowing mana into it was easy enough, just like paying for something, but as soon as I did, the rune glowed a bright red and the forge nearly exploded. Flames began pouring out of the furnace¡¯s opening so quickly that the blacksmith thought it best to close the door. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that when you did it.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You must have put in quite a bit of mana.¡± He said. ¡°The more mana that goes into a rune, the stronger the effect.¡± I wiped some sweat off my brow, the forge had been going for a while and the room had grown hot enough that I was glad once he closed the furnace door.

    ¡°So, can you show me how you make the rods float like that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s pretty simple actually.¡± He said and floated one towards me for me to practice on. ¡°Just imagine wrapping the whole bar in a blanket of mana and manipulate that. As if you are picking it up by strings rather than by the bar itself.¡± It made sense to me, so I tried it. I closed my eyes and held the bar in my hands, then imagined closing a wave of mana around the entire metal bar and lifting that mana up. I felt the metal leave my hand and opened my eyes to see it floating. ¡°You¡¯re a natural.¡± He said and floated a bar into the small open window of the furnace.

    ¡°Thanks, by the way, how long will it take for the metal to heat up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not long, it¡¯s a flame rune, and the sides of the furnace are made of stones that reflect a lot of heat, so for a bar this size¡­ ten minutes.¡± He explained. The time went by fast as I continued practicing moving the bar around and controlling it. ¡°Do you wanna do the honors of pulling the bar out and placing it on the table?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± I replied and went over to assist him.

    ¡°Okay, just be careful you don¡¯t lose control and drop it, it will be glowing red hot and might burn you if it touches you.¡± He told me. I carefully wrapped my mana around the bar and gently pulled it from the flames, but as soon as it was out, we noticed a problem; it wasn¡¯t red hot. In fact, it wasn¡¯t hot at all¡­ and neither was the forge. I couldn¡¯t feel any heat coming from the fire.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± I realized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I inverted the forge with my magic.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Neame asked.

    ¡°My magic is inversion. I can invert the types of any form of magic. I guess when I used the rune, I must have caused the fire rune to turn into an ice rune or something.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Inversion¡­¡± he wondered. ¡°I can¡¯t say I have ever heard of that.¡± He looked over the metal rod and saw that it wasn¡¯t hot. ¡°But nevertheless, it¡¯s fixable. Just place the rod over there and I will fix the forge.¡± I floated the rod to the table he gestured at, and he flew over to the rune. He placed a wing onto the rune and the flames went out, then removed it and repeated the process to turn it back on. I tried to put the rod down and gently as I could manage, but as soon as it hit the table, it shattered like glass dropped from a three-story window.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said looking down at the shattered mess.

    ¡°How on Atmosia did that happen?¡± The blacksmith exclaimed. I took a quick note of the phrase and reminded myself to ask Suma about her world¡¯s name.

    ¡°It must have been the cold.¡± I theorized.

    ¡°The cold broke the rod?¡± He said amazed.

    ¡°I guess if you get anything past a certain temperature it becomes fragile.¡± I said using magic to pick up the pieces and placing them on the table. Just as I finished picking up the final piece, the nymph said it would take another few moments for the forge to heat up fully. That was fine with me, I wanted to try something. I closed my eyes and started focusing on one of the pieces of the shattered rod.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked as I sat on the floor with a small shard of metal in front of me.

    ¡°Heat, it¡¯s just the atoms of an object vibrating rapidly, I want to see if I can induce that effect without flames. All I really have to do is add energy after all.¡± I explained with my eyes closed still focusing on the shard. I pictured flowing mana into the broken bit of metal, and then causing the atoms of the shard to vibrate quicker and quicker until the metal started to glow. I imagined the atoms absorbing the energy of my mana into themselves.

    Then I heard it, ¡°Now how did you do that?¡± I opened my eyes and saw a red-hot shard of metal, almost beginning to melt on the floor.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it worked.¡± I said to myself just before some of the molten metal touched the leg of my trousers and caught it on fire! ¡°Ahh!¡± I shouted and jumped up. I thought for a moment about creating water to put the fire out, but before my brain had come up with a plan, my body had already started swatting at my trousers trying to punch the flames out. In an instant, but it felt much longer, I started stripping off my bottoms. Suddenly, I was hit with a huge wave of water that put out the small flames. I turned around and saw the blacksmith standing on top of a counter and a blue rune glowed behind him.

    ¡°AHAHAH!¡± He cackled in his raspy old voice. ¡°Twelve years I have had this rune here, and this is still the best investment I¡¯ve ever made.¡± I looked down at my half burnt half drowned trousers laying on the ground and wondered to myself how I let that happen.

    ¡°Catch many things on fire then?¡± I wondered aloud and picked up my clothes from the ground. I glanced over and saw that the water had cooled off the metal too, as it was now also dripping wet.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t in a while, but yes.¡± He answered and fluttered back to the forging table. ¡°Your garments seem to need repair,¡± the blacksmith pointed out.

    I stuck a few fingers through the new hole burned into the left leg and sighed. ¡°They are easy to replace, but it means I need to head home for a while.¡±

    He nodded his head, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can give you a lesson in metalwork another time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Suma and have her send me back, but before I do¡­¡± I said and reached into the back pocket of my ruined jeans and pulled out a piece of paper, ¡°I sketched out some designs for the armor I wanted to order.¡± I placed the paper on a nearby table and took a minute to explain everything I wanted and how best to do it. I expected him to be overwhelmed at the thought of making more gear for me, but instead he looked confused.

    ¡°Jake, what is this material?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Oh, you can just make it out of normal metal, it doesn¡¯t need to be anything special.¡± I answered him.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean the strange drawings, what is this white stuff you drew on?¡± He asked. It took me a moment to realize, I have not seen even a scrap of paper in this entire world. I have been coming and going from this world for months, but I haven¡¯t so much as even seen a torn shred of it floating in the breeze.

    ¡°It¡¯s called paper. On my world we use it to write stuff down on.¡± I said.

    ¡°What is it made of?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Um, wood pulp I think, then it gets dissolved in acid, rinsed off, formed out, then pressed and left out to dry.¡± I explained what little I knew.

    ¡°Wow, if you sold this, I bet you could make a lot. It is so much lighter than planks!¡± He exclaimed. Planks¡­ right, I had seen a few Neame carrying planks of thin wood around. I guess the nymphs haven¡¯t invented chemistry yet.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass for now, but maybe one day.¡± I said and prepared to call Suma. ¡°Suma, can you send me back home for a bit. I need a change of clothes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but I will have to summon you first¡­ duck down.¡± She said. I was a bit confused but did it anyway. I said goodbye to the blacksmith and was summoned to an insanely cramped room. My head was touching the ceiling even though my knees were on the ground.

    ¡°What the- where are we?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We are in-¡± Suma stopped and looked me over, ¡°Jake... where are the rest of your garments?¡±

    ¡°They were burned, so I need to go get new ones.¡± I said. Suma laughed and said she understood, then told me I was currently in her parents¡¯ house. ¡°No kidding? I¡¯d love to meet them.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Perhaps after you get dressed.¡± She said and sent me back. I reappeared back in my room and grabbed a spare set of clothes. I changed everything because I had been wearing the same outfit for a few days now, just washing them with water magic at night. I looked at the time, and then immediately did a double take when I realized what I saw. It was about lunch when I left, but my clock said it was almost 2:00 AM and that several days had passed.

 Part 27: Days Gone By

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± I whispered to myself and suddenly felt my phone start to buzz over and over again. I pulled it out and saw message after message appear. I guess my phone is receiving all the messages I missed while I was gone. I thought to myself. By the time it finished receiving messages, over ten minutes later, I had twenty-seven missed calls and one-hundred text messages. The very first thing I did was get in contact with Suma. ¡°Suma, something happened.¡±

    ¡°What? Did I send you back to the wrong place?¡± She asked confused.

    ¡°No, the wrong time. Remember how I said time doesn¡¯t pass or something when you summon me? Well, this time it did. I left on a Friday, but according to my clock it is now Tuesday.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh, well, I guess whatever was causing you to get stopped in time has worn off. I suppose that is a good thing considering we do not know what was causing it in the first place.¡± She said looking on the bright side.

    ¡°Suma, you don¡¯t understand. I was in your world for days, that means for almost a week no one could contact me or knew where I was¡­¡± I tried to explain.

    ¡°Is that¡­ unusual on your world?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, very. If someone goes missing unexpectedly for one day we assume they were kidnapped or killed. I have been gone almost a week.¡± I said urgently and beginning to freak out even more than I already was.

    ¡°That is¡­ not good.¡± Suma said starting to understand. We talked for a few minutes more and she did her best to calm me down as I panicked a bit. I could just picture my mum frantically crying into a police officer¡¯s chest over me. My stomach was in knots, and I started to get nauseated. I told Suma that I needed to take care of a few things and would contact her after everything was settled, then I went to my bathroom and threw up. I sat on the floor of my bathroom thanking my lucky stars that time seems to have at least moved at a one-to-one rate while I was away, rather than something crazy like I was gone for months.

    ¡°Okay, I need to call my mum.¡± I said to myself as I stood up. I turned on my phone and was reminded that it was two in the morning. ¡°No, she will be asleep.¡± My mum doesn¡¯t wake up until eight o¡¯clock, so until then I unlocked my phone and started going through all one-hundred messages. Most were from family, but a large amount was from work too; some from co-workers, and the rest from my boss. I was pretty tired, so I decided to try and get to sleep, but instead I spent hours lying awake thinking about what I was going to say to everyone. Hey guys! Sorry I went away without telling you. I had to go help my friend fight a wyvern and corrupt nobles. Oh, and by the way, my friend is a bird nymph who summons me to another world and I have nebulously defined magic powers¡­ surprise! Boom, straight to the crazy house. ¡°Maybe I could say I got kidnapped,¡± I thought aloud. ¡°No, then an investigation would get opened up and that lie would fall apart in a day with my luck.¡±

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    Hours of this went by until I finally passed out around five in the morning. When I finally woke up, I didn¡¯t know how long I had slept for, but I knew it wasn¡¯t long enough. I woke up groggy and still slightly sick to my stomach, especially when I realized it wasn¡¯t all just a bad dream. My clock, as stupidly bright as it could possibly be to my weary eyes, said that it was ten in the morning. I had decided last night that a phone call wasn¡¯t going to make up for everything so I would go to my mum¡¯s house as soon as I woke up. I got ready and left as quickly as I could manage.

    The drive there was slow and nerve racking. I still hadn¡¯t thought of a convincing lie, and I doubt I could fool my mum anyway. She may believe me when it comes to friends she hadn¡¯t met, like Suma, but disappearing for a few days is completely different. I pulled up to her house and parked the car. By the time I had gotten out and started walking to the door, she had already heard me and checked to see who it was. Upon realizing it was me, she ran outside crying and hugged me.

    ¡°WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!¡± She wailed and hugged my neck so tight I actually started to see stars.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mum, I didn¡¯t mean to be gone for so long.¡± I said sheepishly and hugged her back. We continued hugging for a moment while she sobbed.

    Finally, she let me go and asked again in a shaky tone, ¡°Jake, where have you been?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say, she would see right through a lie, not that I had one anyway. And I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth because¡­. Wait, why can¡¯t I tell her the truth? I thought to myself.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of hard to explain, but give me a minute to think and I will try.¡± I said to her. ¡°I need to organize my thoughts.¡± She looked at me funny but agreed. I closed my eyes and pretended to think, but instead I called Suma. ¡°Suma,¡± I said in my head. I knew this method would work as I had done it before.

    ¡°Yes Jake?¡± She answered sounding sleepy.

    ¡°Do you have anything against me telling my family about you?¡±

    There was quiet for a moment, but she answered, ¡°No, not that I can think of anyway. Are you considering it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, can you summon me and my mum?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Two people? I mean¡­ I can try.¡± She said unsure.

    ¡°Please do.¡± I asked her and opened my eyes to see my mother¡¯s genuinely concerned face. ¡°Mum, somethings about to happen. Don¡¯t freak out when it does.¡± I then hugged her neck.

    ¡°Oh, well why would you hugging me cause me to freak out darling?¡± She said and hugged me back. Then I felt that familiar feeling, like my leg started to fall asleep, and it moved up my body until it hit my arms and head, then everything went dark. All while this was happening, Mum started to complain that she felt unwell and she tried to pull away from me, but I only hugged her tighter. ¡°Oh Jake, I think you need to let me go, I¡¯m starting to feel faint.¡± Then I felt her hand let go of my back and she started to scream, ¡°Jake! My hand! My hand is gone!¡± And with that, we reappeared in Suma¡¯s cave.

 Part 28: Mothers and Memories

    I let her go once we had reappeared safely, and she proceeded to freak out in the most British way I had ever seen: standing stock still and carefully looking around the room breathing heavily. She did eventually start speaking again however, ¡°Jake¡­ I think perhaps you should call an ambulance. I seem to be¡­ hallucinating.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not hallucinating Mum, everything you thought you saw is happening.¡± I told her calmly, trying to keep her from having a panic attack. She carefully and slowly looked down at her hand with horror in her eyes.

    ¡°Jake... my hand¡­ I saw it vanish.¡± She said worried.

    ¡°Yes, that happened to, but it¡¯s back now.¡± I agreed and pointed out.

    ¡°W-what is happening?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Mum, let me introduce you to Suma.¡± I said motioning to her. Suma was crouched on the floor breathing heavily. ¡°Um, are you okay Suma?¡± I asked once I noticed.

    ¡°That *huff* was *huff* hard.¡± She said in-between her panting.

    ¡°A¡­ sparkly bird?¡± My mum asked confused. ¡°But I thought you said Suma was a friend from school?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but to be fair¡­ how was I going to explain this.¡± I said. She quickly looked back and forth between Suma and myself.

    ¡°Ah, I get it. This is a prank.¡± She laughed in denial. ¡°Jake, you know how much I disapprove of pranks, but I have to admit this one is pretty impressive.¡±

    I shook my head no, ¡°It¡¯s not a prank Mum. It¡¯s just¡­ a very long story.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to believe me, so I decided to move on and continue with introductions. ¡°Anyway Mum, like I said, this is Suma. And Suma, this is my mum.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Suma said standing up and collecting herself. I looked over at Mum, but she didn¡¯t seem convinced. Then it hit me.

    ¡°Mum, what do you hear Suma saying?¡± I asked. She looked at me confused.

    ¡°It sounds like a bird. Why is it glittery? You didn¡¯t pour glitter on this poor thing, did you?¡± She scolded.

    ¡°No mum I-¡± I turned to Suma, ¡°Suma, what do you hear my mum saying?¡±

    ¡°Well, it kind of sounds like barks and grunts honestly.¡± She said after finally catching her breath and standing up straight again. Needless to say, I was annoyed. I didn¡¯t exactly want to spend this whole time acting as intermediary between a woman who thought I was going crazy, and Suma.

    ¡°Suma, how did you get me to understand you when we first met¡­ or rather, third met.¡± I asked.

    ¡°I linked with you and showed you my memories, that is all I know. I never figured out how we actually ended up understanding one another¡¯s languages.¡± She told me. While Suma and I talked, my mum looked on with worry and awkwardness.

    ¡°Okay, well let¡¯s just try that.¡± I said. ¡°Mum, Suma is going to enter your mind and show you some of her memories. We think that will allow you to learn her language, but we aren¡¯t sure.¡±

    ¡°Jake, I think we need to both go to the hospital.¡± She said putting a gentle hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Trust me Mum, and don¡¯t freak out when it starts okay. You will be fine.¡± I told her before telling Suma to begin. She bowed her head and raised her wings, then a magic circle formed around her and Mum. I wasn¡¯t privy to the memories, but I could guess what was happening based on my mum¡¯s reactions.

    ¡°Jake I¡­ what is happening? AH¡± She gasped.

    ¡°How far should I show her Jake?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°Just show her up to the point where I accepted being your familiar.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°What is that monster?¡± Mum said shocked. She was probably at the part with the Borog. Her hands covered her mouth and she looked as if she were going to be sick. I should have expected this part honestly. Mum hates violence and she can¡¯t handle gore, she never wanted to watch action movies on family movie night when I was growing up; it¡¯s why I have seen 13 Going on 30 seven times. ¡°AH!¡± She jumped, ¡°Goodness Jake, where on Earth did you get a gun?¡±

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    ¡°I rented it at a shooting range.¡± I said, but I wasn¡¯t actually sure she could hear me since she didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Okay, we are almost done.¡± Suma said and the magic circle she had created started to fade.

    ¡°So, can you hear her now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Jake¡­ what was that?¡± Mum asked shaking.

    ¡°I think it worked,¡± Suma said.

    Mum looked over at her shocked, ¡°That bird¡­ just spoke.¡±

    ¡°You know, I think you¡¯re right,¡± I joked to Suma. ¡°Mum, allow me to finally, and this time properly, introduce you to Suma.¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± Suma chirped happily.

    ¡°Jake, that sparkly bird has psychic powers, and it can speak.¡± Mum repeated herself.

    I turned to Suma, ¡°I think she is in shock, let¡¯s give her a minute to process.¡± We waited for a few more moments while Mum came to grips with what was happening and with what she saw in Suma¡¯s memories.

    ¡°So¡­ the Suma you told me about¡­ is a bird, and it can use magic, and it has psychic powers.¡± Mum eventually said.

    ¡°Pretty much¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°What is a bird?¡± Suma asked over our private link.

    ¡°It¡¯s a small, winged animal from my planet that can fly.¡± I replied. ¡°The Neame do look very similar to one.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ you work for her Jake?¡± Mum asked.

    ¡°Sort of, yeah. We¡¯re partners and I¡¯m her familiar.¡± I explained.

    ¡°And this is where you have been for the last few days?¡± She wondered. ¡°Fighting those creatures?¡±

    ¡°I only showed her up to the first encounter with that borog. She does not know about the nobles or the wyvern.¡± Suma said over our link.

    ¡°Um, well that was just the one time. Really, I have just been helping her train and in return she has been teaching me how to use magic like her.¡± I lied¡­ but it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Jake, I¡¯m your mother. I always know when you¡¯re lying to me. Now tell me the truth, is she mind controlling you to do this, to fight these things?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if she was asking me that or Suma.

    ¡°Jake, what is your mother¡¯s name?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Susan Vandal.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Miss Vandal, Jake is strong and smart, not to mention incredibly powerful, there is nothing to worry about. Even if on the off chance that we are ever attacked, they would be no match for Jake.¡± Suma tried to reassure her, but I could tell it wasn¡¯t working by the annoyed look forming on Mum¡¯s face.

    ¡°Mum, you saw her memories, Suma can¡¯t control me, she tried years ago and failed.¡± I said, but as soon as it left my mouth, I regretted it.

    ¡°And that¡¯s another thing,¡± She was starting to shout hysterically, ¡°why are you working with her if she tried to control you? She kidnapped you and forced you to fight a dangerous monster. Why team up with her if you aren¡¯t mind controlled?¡±

    ¡°I admit that was¡­ a bit of a hurdle, but I¡¯ve long since forgiven Suma for that, and we¡¯ve moved past it.¡± I said.

    ¡°Miss Vandal, I would never do that to Jake again, and I could not even if I wanted to.¡± Suma said. Things were getting heated, and Mum wasn¡¯t calming down.

    ¡°How many times have you had to fight like that Jake, and don¡¯t try lying again.¡± Mum pressed.

    I sighed and relented knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to fool her, ¡°Including the one you saw in Suma¡¯s memories, three times.¡±

    She glared at Suma with hatred filled eyes, ¡°You made my baby boy risk his life three times!¡±

    ¡°No Mum, It¡¯s not like that¡­ I saved her from these nobles who were attacking her.¡± I tried to calm her.

    ¡°Show me,¡± Mum demanded, ¡°I want to see. If you have the ability to show me memories, then I want to see!¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ not a promising idea.¡± Suma said reluctantly.

    ¡°Mum, calm down.¡± I told her; that was a mistake.

    ¡°I AM CALM!¡± She bellowed. Suma recoiled at Mum¡¯s screaming.

    ¡°Send her back.¡± I said to Suma over our private channel.

    ¡°I cannot unless you are touching her, but are you sure it is wise? Will that not only make her more upset?¡± Suma asked. I hugged Mum around the neck.

    ¡°Do it, I¡¯ll deal with the fallout at home.¡± I said to Suma.

    ¡°What are you- wait are we about to¡­¡± Mum started to say but we disappeared before she could finish. Mum and I reappeared back outside her house, and it took another few hours of talking with her and explaining what was going on before she finally started to settle down. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just so scared for you Jake.¡±

    ¡°I know Mum, I was scared at first too, but being with Suma, going to her world, it¡¯s the most amazing thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. A little danger isn¡¯t going to stop me from living out the greatest adventure I¡¯ve ever been on.¡± I explained.

    She stayed quiet for a while, ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much, and in such a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°Well, it has actually been a while from my point of view. For some reason, until recently, whenever I would travel to her world, time would stop or something¡­ or maybe I was just getting placed back from when I left. I don¡¯t know, but I do know that it didn¡¯t do it last time, that¡¯s why I was missing for so long. I spent a few days over there.¡± I told her. Mum asked a few more questions, and I answered what I could. She asked about Suma, and why she wanted a familiar, she asked how it was possible that magic was real, and finally she asked the big question.

    ¡°So, what happens now?¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ I go see if I still have a job, if I do then I think it¡¯s best if I quit, if I don¡¯t, then I think I can come up with a lie to at least give them some closure.¡± I said. Mum and I said goodbye, and she asked me to apologize to Suma for her behavior for her, then I went straight to work.

 Part 29: Sumaéˆ¥æªš Discovery

    Suma took a deep breath, ¡°It was later dubbed, the Ravaging. The Chaos Dragon swept across the land raining its terrible power across whole continents and killing millions as it rampaged. Its unbridled fury was not just for we Neame though, it had no partiality or bias. It killed animals, plants, insects even. If it drew breath or pulsed with life in any way, shape, or form, it fell before the dragon¡¯s deathly rage.¡± She stopped for a moment to breathe.

    ¡°Did anyone ever find out why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There were theories, rumors, and myths. Some said it had suffered a terrible childhood due to its possession of Chaos Magic, others say it was simply driven mad, or simply born evil. However, no one alive knows the truth.¡± She said.

    ¡°So, what happened next?¡± I wondered from my chair made of sculpted vines. We were currently sitting in the room I was renting in the kennel because I decided to live here for a while. I had lost my job back on Earth after leaving for several days without letting anyone know after agreeing to work just hours beforehand. I still had an apartment on Earth, that I was now paying for with gold and silver coins that I get by selling my mana here. Apparently, Chaos Magic makes excellent fuel and fertilizer, so farmers are the ones I deal with mostly, but a few nobles have approached and struck deals with Suma and I as well. All that together meant I was making about five gold coins every few days, and ten silver coins every other day. I decided to get a smaller flat back on Earth and put most of the money into my savings, but by paying with my mana alone I was living it up here in Atmosia; which Suma confirmed is in fact her world¡¯s name.

    ¡°The Chaos Dragon went from island to island, coast to coast, killing everything it saw, until what was left of my race put together as large an army as we could manage to beat the beast back.¡± She said.

    ¡°Did that work?¡±

    ¡°For a time, but all it had to do was run away and heal, and with each attack our forces dwindled ever smaller. According to the stories, many had resigned to death, and went home to die with what was left of their loved ones.¡±

    ¡°Dang¡­¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°In the end it had wiped out over eighty percent of life on Atmosia.¡± She added.

    ¡°So how did you all win?¡±

    ¡°No one really knows.¡± She said.

    ¡°What? A dragon kills eighty percent of your world, and no one knows what happened to it; how is that possible?¡± I asked astonished.

    ¡°One day it just disappeared, and no one ever found out what happened to it. Maybe the army did more damage than it could heal from in one of their battles, maybe it was just old, or maybe it depleted its strength too much and since there was not much food left, it could not find anything to eat. However, the truth was lost centuries ago.¡± She explained.

    ¡°What do you believe?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well,¡± She started, ¡°I always believed that the Hero Mage, Ambos, was the one to defeat the beast.¡±

    ¡°Hero Mage?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It is simply an old story. Back then, there was supposed to be this hero named Ambos, he apparently had a familiar with an attribute for Chaos Magic as well.¡± She told me.

    ¡°Woah really?¡± I said surprised. ¡°Was it a human?¡±

    ¡°No, it was a Viking of all things.¡± She said to my surprise. I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Another human, centuries ago, was going through exactly what I¡¯m going through now. It was surreal to say the least.

    ¡°I am surprised the Viking did not turn on Ambos and side with the dragon.¡± Suma joked.

    ¡°Vikings were fearsome, and I¡¯m sure many of them could be described as evil, but they weren¡¯t crazy, and they didn¡¯t want the death of an entire world.¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe¡­.¡± Suma said. ¡°So, what do you know about them? The Vikings I mean.¡±

    ¡°Quite a bit more than you I imagine. I studied them in school on several occasions as a part of curriculum.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Really?¡± She sounded surprised. ¡°They were always such a mystery to us; we had no way to understand them after all.¡±

    ¡°My people could,¡± I told her. That got her attention.

    ¡°What?! How did you manage that?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°My people are good with languages.¡± I lied.

    ¡°So, what did they want?¡±

    ¡°Money, supplies, slaves, anything they could fit on their ships really.¡± I said.

    ¡°They took your people as slaves?¡± She said astounded. ¡°They never did that with my people.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, your people are rather small compared to mine.¡± I joked.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose that is true, but why would that matter?¡±

    ¡°They probably didn¡¯t think you would be much use, or more likely they didn¡¯t have anyone or anywhere to bring you back to. They would bring the slaves back to their bases or sell them off to anyone who would buy them. On my world, slavery was fairly common back then, so it couldn¡¯t have been difficult to find someone.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I see.¡± She said. ¡°Jake, the Vikings¡­ what did they look like?¡± She asked that a bit suspiciously.

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    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I tried to say calmly.

    ¡°¡­It is nothing; never mind. Just an unusual thought.¡± She said quietly. ¡°But, how do your people know so much about them? I mean I get that you learned their language, but still¡­ you would have had to talk to them. They were powerful Chaos Mages, and you said that your world does not have magic. So¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, we captured some, since magic doesn¡¯t work on my world, they were just normal people.¡± I said, then realized what just came out of my mouth and prayed Suma didn¡¯t realize it too.

    ¡°Jake,¡± she said seriously, ¡°what do you mean normal people?¡±

    I groaned internally at my own stupidity. ¡°Oh, you know¡­ I just meant,¡± my mind started to fritz and go blank, ¡°I just meant that they didn¡¯t have magic, so they were only as strong as¡­ um¡­¡± At this point, Suma cut me off.

    ¡°Jake,¡± she said seriously and in a hushed whisper, as if someone might hear, even though we were alone. ¡°Are you a Viking?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said quickly, I sighed and gave up. ¡°Well, not technically anyway.¡± I ran a hand through my hair and tried to organize my thoughts. ¡°I am however the same species as them, but the Vikings were a culture that died out centuries ago. I¡¯m as much a Viking as you are a member of the Southern Union.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± she exclaimed quietly.

    ¡°You knew¡­ how?¡± I asked disbelievingly.

    ¡°Well, it was not a difficult stretch, though I suppose it is more accurate to say I suspected rather than knew.¡± She explained. ¡°Between your unbelievable levels of mana, and your natural affinity for Chaos Magic, it was obvious.¡±

    ¡°Was that really all it took?¡± I asked dumbfounded.

    ¡°Well, no. Do you remember the other day when I summoned you and told you we were in my parent¡¯s house?¡± She said as if she were about to admit to something she shouldn¡¯t have done.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Well, it was actually the home of a local historian. I asked him a few questions about the Vikings and everything he told me lined up with what I had seen you do.¡± She confessed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve suspected for that long? That was almost two weeks ago.¡± I pointed out. ¡°So how do you feel about it?¡±

    ¡°At first,¡± she sighed and took a deep breath, ¡°I was shocked of course, but really I was caught off guard and wondered why you did not tell me. But then I remembered the first time I told you about them, and everything I said, and I could not blame you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you really hate them,¡± I agreed. ¡°I get it though; Vikings were a scourge on my world too. They were regarded as one of the most fearsome and dangerous people to ever walk the Earth, and they only died out due to cultural shifts, disease, and a few too many losses in battle. If they did half the things on your world that they did on mine, then I get how they became so hated.¡±

    ¡°I want you to know¡­ this does not affect our partnership. You have nothing in common with them. You have been kind... unreasonably kind, and it is like you said, you have as much in common with Vikings as I do with the Southern Union.¡± She finished, or I thought she was finished, but she immediately flew over to the doorway and cast a spell to open it. She flew back inside carrying a wooden plank. ¡°I said all that to say this. Jake¡­ I trust you with my life, and with good reason; you have saved me several times now. And I will continue to trust you through this.¡± She floated the plank over to me and I reached out and grabbed it.

    I still don¡¯t know how the translation thing works, but I know it doesn¡¯t work on things that are written down. ¡°What does it say?¡± I asked looking it over. It had one thing that I recognized, the seal of the royal crown. I had seen it at the guard stations as well as the citadel and the sanctum.

    ¡°It is a call to duty¡­ I am being summoned to participate in the war as a battlefield healer.¡±

    Needless to say, if Suma was going to war, then so was I. ¡°When do we leave?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Two weeks from now.¡± She said somberly.

    ¡°So soon?¡± I said amazed.

    ¡°Well, I have been in waiting for several months longer than I have known you. In reality, I am surprised it took this long.¡± She said.

    ¡°I guess¡­ so what do we need to do? Before we go, I mean.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Well, all battlefield healers are required to appear before a council of experts to prove that they are actually healers, but other than that the only preparations we have to do are the ones we want to do.¡± She told me.

    ¡°Why do you need to prove you are a healer?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Because healers are less likely to be sent to dangerous areas, and there have been instances of Neame who tried to pretend to be healers in order to avoid combat.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Oh yeah, that makes sense.¡± I said. I started making a list of things I wanted to have before we shipped out. I wanted to get the rest of my armor from the blacksmith, I had already collected the chest plate and arm guards, so now all that was left was the helmet and the legs. I had also already had Aegis and Destiny repaired as well, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about that.

    ¡°Jake,¡± Suma said interrupting my train of thought, ¡°have you already had your weapons infused with runes like you wanted yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, I guess I need to do that too.¡± I realized.

    ¡°The reason I ask is because I think I know someone who may be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Really, who?¡± I asked interested and surprised.

    ¡°It is a woman who was there at the citadel the same day I was there; we were both officially registering our names that day.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Do you remember who she was?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, but I do know where we can find out. Records of every named Neame are stored in the city¡¯s library. I could go try and find it there.¡± She suggested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I can go myself.¡± I said not wanting to make her go out of her way.

    ¡°I am sorry Jake, but I do not think that will be possible. It is just that familiars are prohibited entirely from the building by royal decree. They will not let you in.¡± She explained and I sighed in disappointment. I felt a bit bad about making Suma do an errand for me, but there was nothing that could be done.

    Suma and I talked a little while longer about what we would be expected to do during our tour of duty, and what kind of treatment I would most likely receive. Apparently, all familiars are required to be under the Rite of Dominance, so we would need to keep up an act while we were there. Also, we came up with a plan to increase Suma¡¯s effectiveness in healing by buying several daljar and having me place them under a summoning spell. The reason for this was that if Suma needed extra mana, she could get it from a daljar, which nullifies all alignments and affinities as soon as it enters it. This would enable her to draw on my mana as a backup, without killing anyone. We tested this by borrowing a daljar from the Neame who I was renting a room from, and then cutting my hand. I couldn¡¯t tell a difference, but according to Suma it felt like her magic was turbo charged.

    After we finished talking, Suma flew to the library and searched for the information, while I went to the blacksmith and checked on the rest of my order. ¡°Hello?¡± I called out upon entering the storefront.

    ¡°Sir Jake? Is that you?¡± His voice echoed from the back.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Come to the back room, I have something I think you will want to see...¡± He shouted. I walked through the doorway and saw on a nearby table the finished helmet and leg armor, but on the other side of the forge was the elderly Neame blacksmith standing beside a glowing red-hot weapon fresh from the forge. I recognized what it was immediately by the shape.

    ¡°So, what do you think? I am making it special just for you; no charge.¡± He said as he carefully laid the burning hot weapon down. ¡°I realized that weight wasn¡¯t as much of an issue for you since you are so large yourself, so I thought maybe you should have a weapon that reflected that. I designed this to maximize that to your advantage. It has two ends,¡± he said and fluttered up to the side of the weapon and gestured to the parts he was talking about. ¡°This end is blunt and good for brute-force. The other I added a cone of sorts, like I did with your spear, but I reinforced it and made it a good deal thicker so it could withstand heavier blows.¡± After he finished saying all this, he activated one of the runes on the side of the table, and the weapon cooled off enough to pick up instantly. ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

 Part 30: New Names

    I picked up the war-hammer and marveled at it, ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡± It was well designed and exceptionally sturdy as far as I could tell; based on the weight anyway. It has a feather like pattern running down the sides, and the puncturing cone almost made it look like a bird¡¯s head if you looked at it from the side.

    ¡°Suma asked me to make something special for you, and she paid for it already too, so no need to worry about that.¡± The blacksmith said, pulling me away from the hammer and back to reality.

    ¡°Suma commissioned this?¡± I asked stunned.

    ¡°She sure did, and she told me why too. I hope you stay safe out their son, even healers have a chance of getting hurt, and their familiars as well.¡± He said softly, with a voice full of concern.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I said to him. I looked back to the hammer, and had an idea. ¡°Hey, do you wanna help me try this out?¡±

    His head cocked back for a moment, then his feathers raised ever so slightly with excitement, ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Within twenty minutes we had gone outside to the back area where he kept extra supplies, and set down some coverings, then the blacksmith flew out of the room for a moment before returning with a few small seeds in his mouth. He dropped them in the middle of the covering and infused them all with mana. Several large fruits grew up in seconds, and everything was ready. We spent half an hour smashing fruits with the hammer and cone, then another half an hour cleaning up the splatter that wasn¡¯t caught by the coverings we¡¯d set down. ¡°That was good fun.¡± The blacksmith said as he floated the last of the destroyed fruit into a barrel we had decided to use as a rubbish bin.

    ¡°It works amazing too; well-balanced and not too unwieldy.¡± I confirmed as I picked bits of pulp off of the hammer¡¯s flat.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± He responded. ¡°You seem to know your way around it fairly well¡­ after having just gotten your hands on it too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well my people actually used to have weapons similar to this one. I¡¯ve never used one before, but I have seen them used, so I was able to kinda figure it out.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Oh, I see, that¡¯s a shame. I was hoping to have been the first person to have created a weapon like this. Oh well¡­¡± He sighed a bit disappointed.

    ¡°Well, if it makes you feel better, you¡¯re the first person to make this weapon on your world.¡± I pointed out trying to make him feel better; it worked, because he stood a bit taller and realized I was right. I thanked the blacksmith again, collected my things, however, I didn¡¯t want to leave him without giving him a gift.

    ¡°You want to give me a name?!¡± He exclaimed in shock.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like one, yes. You have helped me out a lot, taught me about metalwork so that I could make my own repairs, showed me different uses of magic, and all around been a good friend. So yes, I would like to give you a name.¡± I told him. He was almost jumping up and down for joy.

    ¡°YES¡­ I mean, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± The elder nymph said excitedly. I thought for a while, mulled over several names, all the while the blacksmith waited with bated breath. I wanted to pick something that fit him and his personality. He was calm, but passionate. He could get excitable like a kid whenever something fun happened. Eventually, I decided on a name.

    ¡°How about Ceil?¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Ceil...¡± He repeated in awe. He started thanking me and singing from joy, it was that song Suma had sung when I named her. ¡°Asumu da jonn nis ah!¡± After that, he thanked me, I collected my things, including the rest of my armor, and we said our goodbyes. I went home and put everything away until Suma and I could perform a bonding on them so that I could summon them whenever I needed.

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    ¡°Jake,¡± Suma said in my mind just as I finished putting the rest of the weapons and armor away.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I found that Neame, the one who makes runes, her name is Sela- Car, and she works as a Magical Scholar.¡±

    ¡°Is there any mention of where she works?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no, but this does get us a step closer. There are only so many places in the city were one can work as a scholar. I will ask around those places and see if anyone knows her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Suma, I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°By the way, have you had a chance to go collect your¡­. Um, what did you call it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°My armor? Yeah, I got it. By the way, thank you. Ceil gave me the weapon you commissioned from him for me.¡± I said gratefully.

    ¡°You are very welcome,¡± she said happily. ¡°But, who is Ceil?¡±

    ¡°You know, the blacksmith.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I did not realize he was a named Neame.¡± She said surprised.

    ¡°Well¡­ he wasn¡¯t, but I named him.¡± I said hoping it wasn¡¯t illegal or something. There was a small pause before she finally asked her question.

    ¡°Um¡­ okay, but why?¡±

    ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why did you name him?¡± She clarified.

    ¡°Well, why did I name you?¡± I pointed out with a fair amount of smugness in my voice. This was followed by another pause.

    ¡°I suppose you make a good point.¡± She stated realizing that I had no reason to name her either and it was probably best not to throw stones in a glass house.

    ¡°I named him because he was a friend, and he deserved a name.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Well, it is already done. Once a name is given it cannot be taken away, only given up. So, how are you feeling?¡± She questioned.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Well, you named someone; are you tired?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°No¡­. why would I be tired?¡±

    ¡°Because naming someone requires mana, it drains a bit of your life force to give another being a name.¡± She explained to my shock and bewilderment.

    ¡°What?! Since when?¡± I asked stunned.

    ¡°Are you telling me you never noticed?¡±

    ¡°Should I have?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you would not. But someone with a normal Life Force Density would have felt it.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Hold on, I have like a thousand questions right now¡­ why would naming someone require mana? What happens to the person who receives a name? How didn¡¯t I know this¡­ this feels like something I should have known.¡± I asked the questions rapid-fire.

    ¡°Well, when you name someone, you are giving them your mana and it makes them a little stronger, or sometimes much stronger.¡±

    ¡°Did that happen to you?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yes, when we met, before you named me, I was a lower-class medium level mage, now I am upper class medium level. Well, in power at least. I still have to pass my tests to officially receive my promotion.¡±

    ¡°So what will happen to Ceil?¡±

    ¡°He will probably see an increase in power, but he is rather old so I doubt it will be too noticeable.¡± Suma told me.

    ¡°Well, hopefully it will help him.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Anyway, like I said, I picked up my armor and it¡¯s already back at my house.¡± Suma and I spent a while figuring out how to make it so that I wouldn¡¯t have to name all six pieces of the armor individually, but as a whole. Well, I say ¡°we¡±, but she did all the work really. However, she figured it out. She tried to explain it to me by saying it was like breaking the spell into parts and performing each section of the spell on the accompanying piece of the armor, then uniting them with binding magic. In the end, she seemed confident.

    ¡°Okay excellent, have you thought of a name for it yet?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I have¡­ Jericho.¡±

    Five days passed, and now I was with Suma walking into a school, in fact, it was the school she received her degree in summoning and healing magic from. We were here because Suma found out from the Grand Duke where Sela-Car was¡­ here. She was a teacher and magical researcher for an on-site rune creation facility that provided much of the school¡¯s funding and resources. ¡°Do you want to stop and see any of your old teachers?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°No, they will all be in class for a while, I would not want to disturb them.¡± She replied. ¡°Besides, the only teacher I had a particularly good relationship with retired several weeks ago.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the one I met?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, he was my closest friend while I attended this academy, and my harshest teacher.¡± She let out a small chirrup, that I believe was a kind of laugh. Suma¡¯s people have so many different sounds for different things it¡¯s crazy. It makes it rather difficult to keep track of everything. ¡°Here we are,¡± she said and cast a spell that opened a hole in a marked off wall. The vines that made up the building untangled and retreated to form a space wide enough for us both to get through easily. ¡°Madam Sela-Car?¡± Suma called out into the room.

    A small blue head popped out from around a corner and a female voice asked, ¡°Hello?¡±

 Part 31: Sela-Car

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    It was the same woman I had seen so long ago at the naming court. ¡°Can I help you?¡± She asked as she fluttered out from around the corner to meet us.

    I began our introductions, ¡°Hello Miss Sela-car, I am Suma, and this is my partner Jake.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Jake said in as friendly a voice as he could muster. Him speaking caught her off guard for a moment, but she barely let it show; I am sure Jake did not notice.

    ¡°I understand you are responsible for the study and development of new magical runes within the academy.¡± I stated. ¡°Am I correct in that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, was there something you needed, I have quite a bit of work I need to finish up.¡± She said.

    ¡°I am sorry Miss Sela-Car, but I have a question and a favor I need to ask of you,¡± Jake began, ¡°but I think you will find it quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have too much work to do, so I¡¯m afraid I will not be able to help.¡± She stated flatly and began to fly away. However, just before she could, Jake called out a question that made her freeze in place.

    ¡°How would you like to study the effects of Inversion Chaos Magic on runes?¡± She looked around slowly, and extremely interested. The feathers around her face and wings were raised, and her besmears, the dermal nodes responsible for our ¡°glittery sparkle¡± as Jake puts it, began to shimmer ever so slightly brighter.

    ¡°How¡­ can you repeat that?¡± She asked hesitantly, probably thinking she had misheard him.

    ¡°How would you like to study the effects of Inversion Chaos Magic on runes?¡± Jake repeated.

    ¡°And you have the ability to produce this magic?¡± She wondered. ¡°I guess that means you are Asha.¡± I grimaced when she said that word. It was a name I had heard around the city being used; I knew it was what the people had taken to calling Jake.

    ¡°Asha?¡± Jake asked to my despair.

    ¡°It means¡­ predator.¡± I clarified.

    ¡°A rather nice way of putting it, but yes, technically it means predator.¡± Sela- Car said. ¡°But it does not matter, the insults of school children do not seem to do you justice. You are clearly no snarling beast or menacing spirit, and you bring an interesting proposal. I would like to hear your request.¡±

    Jake seemed confused for a moment, but took it in his stride and explained, ¡°I need someone to prepare me some specially made, and most likely complex, runes that can be placed on my weapons and armor. In return for your help with that, I am willing to participate in a few experiments and give you a few daljar of Chaos Magic mana for you to use as you see fit.¡± The more Jake talked; the more Sela-Car seemed interested.

    ¡°An inciting offer, but I have a few questions and potentially a few conditions.¡± Sela-Car said calmly.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°My first question is, why do you need these runes? What would be their purpose?¡±

    ¡°Suma and I are leaving for war in just a few days, I need them to protect her and myself, as well as the other soldiers.¡± Jake explained.

    ¡°Ah, war runes¡­ well I suppose I can do something with that. I have made several runes for soldiers before. My next question is, how long will I have to perform the experiments and construct the runes? I know you said you will leave in a few days, I gather you will need them by then?¡± Sela-Car asked.

    ¡°Yes, we leave five days from now.¡± Jake told her.

    ¡°Will that be enough time to prepare the runes?¡± I asked, Sela-Car almost fluttered, seemingly forgetting I was even there after being so engrossed in her conversation with Jake.

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    ¡°Umm¡­ well that would depend on the runes themselves. I will need time to design and craft them, as well as perform the experiments that you say you will allow me to perform.¡± Sela-Car said.

    ¡°There is a¡­ slight caveat.¡± Jake said. ¡°Any rune you make will have an inverted effect, so you will have to account for that.¡± Sela-Car¡¯s head snapped back to Jake as if he had just told her the greatest, or possibly worst, news she had ever heard.

    ¡°Are you saying that your mana can actually cause the rune to produce a different effect than it was designed for?¡± She sounded both confused and giddy.

    ¡°Yeah. I was helping a blacksmith friend of mine named Ceil, and when I activated the rune that controlled his furnace, instead of the fire getting the metal hot, it froze it so cold it shattered at the slightest touch.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°So, the rune still produced flames, but instead of being hot, they removed heat instead?¡± She asked with wonder filled eyes.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Jake confirmed.

    ¡°Amazing, so there exists some aspect of the runes that cannot be inverted even with Chaos Magic. I would need to actually see the rune that your friend uses before coming to any conclusions or forming a proper theory, but this sounds extremely exciting.¡± Sela-Car stated.

    ¡°You said you had some conditions?¡± Jake wondered, snapping Sela-Car back to the conversation rather than her own imaginations.

    ¡°Oh right,¡± she said regaining her composure, ¡°My condition is that I want to do the experiments first; to make sure I have all of the information needed to do the job right.¡±

    Jake thought for a moment, and I opened up or private connection, ¡°Jake, what are you thinking?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think I should agree. It might take longer than we want, but I don¡¯t want to risk the runes failing when I need them.¡± He replied to me then spoke aloud to Sela-Car. ¡°Okay, I agree.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, let¡¯s get started.¡± Sela-Car said and started to fly away. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said and turned a corner.

    ¡°She seems¡­ eager.¡± I said hesitantly to Jake over our private channel.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± He replied, though he did not seem sure. I flew after Sela-Car and Jake took his time walking. I landed beside her as she was moving equipment into place.

    ¡°So, what kinds of tests will you be doing?¡± I questioned, concerned for Jake¡¯s wellbeing.

    ¡°First, I want to measure his life force density; that should help me predict what his upper mana limit is, as well as how quickly he can produce more.¡± She explained.

    ¡°And how will you do that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°With this,¡± she said and floated a large metal pylon up from a storage space below the floor. ¡°I will have him touch one end, then I will activate a series of runes that will produce an accurate to the Dalma measurement.¡± Just as she finished saying that Jake finally caught up with us. Honestly, I do not know how his species became the dominate life-form on his planet if they are so slow. ¡°Are you ready to begin?¡± She asked Jake.

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be.¡± He said with a shrug of his shoulders and a nod of his head.

    ¡°Place your hand on the flat of the pylon, and keep it there. Oh, you may feel some slight¡­ discomfort.¡± She instructed.

    ¡°What do you mean by discomfort?¡± Jake asked nervous.

    ¡°Well, this has never been done on a member of your species, so do not know how it will affect you, but some Neame who do this experience side-effects such as numbness in their extremities, tingling, drowsiness, dizziness, and on rare occasions loss of consciousness.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Is this safe?¡± Jake asked as he put his hand where he was instructed.

    ¡°No one has died.¡± She said flatly and started activating runes. ¡°Now be sure you do not remove your hand, or we will have to start over.¡± Jake nodded. One by one Sela-Car turned runes on, off, then back on; to me, it seemed almost like she was playing with them. She showed such joy and pure interest in her work, she clearly loved what she did. The process went on for a few minutes, all the while the pylon changed from a sliver, to a green, then to a much darker navy-blue. Runes were beginning to appear above Jake¡¯s hand. Slowly, more would appear one after the other until they had reached almost to the top of the pylon. ¡°Okay, you are done. You can remove your hand now.¡± She said.

    ¡°Thank goodness, my palm has been itching for four minutes now!¡± He said and began furiously scratching his hand.

    ¡°Are you feeling any other side effects?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My teeth ache, and I feel like I have to sneeze but can¡¯t, but other than that no.¡± He told me.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Sela-Car said while staring at some kind of illusion being produced by one of the runes on the back of the pylon. It was an illusion of a rectangular block with words, letters, and numbers written along it. ¡°Your life force is five-hundred Kelma and sixty-three Dalma! I predicted it to be high, but I did not expect such a staggering figure.¡±

    ¡°Which means?¡± Jake asked confused. Admittedly, I was also lost.

    ¡°It means you are just over one-hundred times stronger than an average Neame, and at least five time stronger than a court mage.¡± She said. ¡°According to this, you have a mana reservoir of nine-fifteen; twelve point two times the current record holder.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a lot¡­¡± Jake said in what sounded like disbelief.

    ¡°To put it in perspective, it is estimated that dragons would have been about twice as strong as you.¡± Sela-Car said. I was shocked, but more than that, I was left with a single question. How did I ever manage to summon a being so much more powerful than myself?

 Part 32: How Strong is He?

    Sela-Car told me I was about half as strong as a dragon, and it immediately led to hours of more experiments in which I had assumed I would be poked and prodded, but really I was just activating runes and casting small spells; for the most part anyway. She did have me deposit some blood into a small glass tube like a doctor might use, and I did that by pricking my finger with Mori. Suma fixed it up and Sela-Car placed it into the middle of a premade magic circle on a table.

    After about four hours she finally said, ¡°Okay, I think I have enough now, let us try making you a rune.¡± She fluttered over to a wooden crate and began using magic to float out supplies. She pulled out what looked like paint brushes, clay sculpting tools, a bowl, and a small daljar. ¡°Any preference on what type of rune we should start with first?¡±

    ¡°I have put a lot of thought into it, and I think wind runes will be my primary methods of attack and augmentation. Could you make some to perform specific tasks?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Okay, I have done wind and air runes before, so we can test with those first. After the tests are done, I will begin designing runes to perform specific actions and spells for you. Where are they going to be located?¡± Sela-Car asked.

    ¡°On my weapons, so you will need to make them a bit small.¡± I said.

    ¡°Could I see the weapons?¡± She requested. I nodded my head and summoned Destiny, Mori, Aegis, my Jericho armor, and Twilight; my new war hammer.

    ¡°Here you go.¡± I said as the last of them appeared.

    ¡°You have¡­ a great many weapons.¡± She said examining them all. ¡°Hmm, I see what you mean by needing to make the runes small, there is not much room on these to work with.¡± She turned away from them and towards me, ¡°There is something you may not be aware of. Runes are focusers of magic power, and are made by infusing paints dyes and clays with mana, but they have limiters. No matter how powerful the mage activating them may be, if the runes cannot handle it, then they will fail and possibly even be rendered inert. One of the ways to prevent this is by increasing the size of the runes, or the concentration of mana used when making them.¡±

    ¡°So, if you decrease the size of the runes, then there is a chance they will break under Jake¡¯s power.¡± Suma realized.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Sela-Car confirmed.

    ¡°You said we could increase the concentration of mana, what does that mean?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It means you will prepare all the materials for the runes yourself, and I will use those materials to craft them. This is a rather¡­ uncommon procedure, but I have done it before. Nobles actually prefer this method because the runes are personalized to the intended user¡¯s power levels. However¡­¡± She stopped.

    ¡°However?¡± I asked concerned.

    ¡°You have Chaos Magic, thus any runes you give your mana to, will be Chaos runes. Meaning most standard rune designs will not work for you. I will need to build you a custom rune pattern then modify it to fit the needed actions.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± I said excited to get started. We spent about thirty minutes mixing clays, dyes, and paint with my mana, which she had me deposit into a daljar first to prevent any risk of automatic inversion. But afterward, everything was ready.

    ¡°Okay, I will begin creating the runes, give me a moment.¡± Sela-Car said and got to work applying the paints and clays to a cloth canvas on the floor by floating it to it with magic. Suma and I left her to work for a while. We walked around her old school and she told me about what she used to do in the classes and about her memories of attending the academy. We explored for an hour before going back to Sela-Car¡¯s laboratory to check on her progress.

    ¡°Almost ready?¡± I called out as I walked into the room. Suma landed on the perch I had mounted for Suma on the shoulder of my armor; that way she didn¡¯t have to fly so slowly, and her feet don¡¯t poke into my skin.

    ¡°Not quite, the process is more difficult than I imagined. This may take a day or two.¡± Sela-Car said without turning to face us. She was deeply concentrating on the problem at hand.

    ¡°We are leaving in just a few days, will the runes be ready in time?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°I¡­ believe so, but if they are not, I deliver runed supplies to different battlefields every month, so you will not need to wait long. I can always bring the designs to you.¡± She offered.

    ¡°We would prefer to have them ready before we depart.¡± Suma said, she almost sounded annoyed.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°I will do my best.¡± Sela-Car said, ignoring Suma¡¯s tone. ¡°The day before you leave, come by. I am confident I will have finished by then.¡± I sighed and agreed, but before I left she had me fill up several daljar so she could make more materials as needed, and probably do a few extra experiments.

    ¡°Now all we have to do is wait,¡± I said as Suma and I walked out of the building.

    ¡°You left her a detailed list of the runes you wanted right?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yeah, honestly I expected a bigger reaction to the paper though. Ceil thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.¡± I joked.

    ¡°What is bread?¡± Suma asked, and I briefly considered opening a restaurant of human foods for Neame. But alas, it''s off to war instead.

    I sat on my couch in my apartment on Earth thinking. Thinking about what was coming tomorrow, thinking about my life and how much it had changed, and thinking about how I was going to break the news to my mum. I left Atmosia for a while to have a talk with her, but I had no idea how to do it.

    ¡°I guess I can decide during the drive there.¡± I said standing up and going to my car. It wasn¡¯t a long drive, but I had come up with a plan of sorts to break the news. First, I would take her out to eat to butter her up, then we walk from the restaurant to her favorite dessert place, Cream de la Cream, and buy her a slice of cake or some muffin tops. On the walk back home, I would break the news to her. I walked up to her door at just after five o¡¯clock and knocked.

    The door opened and she answered surprised, ¡°Jake!¡± She hugged me tightly. She thankfully let go before I passed out, but it was a close call. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I decided to come back for a few hours and thought maybe you would like to go get something to eat? My treat.¡± I offered.

    As soon as I said that her face dropped and got serious.¡± What happened?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ nothing¡­ why do you think something happened?¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°Jake, you hate going out to eat at restaurants. You have since you were a kid. The only reason you would willingly go is to soften the blow for something.¡± She stated. I didn¡¯t know whether to be impressed or frightened at how well she knew me.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just want to do something nice for you?¡± I lied. She looked doubtful but gave in for now. She hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet and was quite pleased, and slightly worried, when I suggested her favorite restaurant.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I landed in the grassy lot outside of my old school. I had many memories held within these walls, most not so good. I did not particularly wish to go back inside, but I was not here for myself. Jake asked me, before I sent him back to his world, to check on Sela-Car¡¯s progress. I swallowed my anxiety and flew inside. It did not take me long to reach her laboratory, and inside I saw she was hard at work, but not on Jake¡¯s runes.

    ¡°Madam Sela-Car,¡± I said catching her attention.

    ¡°A Suma, good evening. I assume you are here about the runes?¡± She said turning back to her work.

    ¡°I am.¡± I answered her. She put down the materials that she was using magic to float above a metal pylon.

    ¡°Is Jake not joining us?¡± She wondered after noticing his absence.

    ¡°No, he is with his mother right now. He needed to tell her that we were going to war tomorrow.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I see, that is a shame. I would have liked to see his reaction to the completed products.¡± She said then flew over to a metal container and opened the lid. I fluttered over to the container as well and looked inside; it was full of all of Jake¡¯s weapons, and each had been emblazoned with different runes. ¡°I must say, it was quite enjoyable to work with Jake¡¯s mana, and creating these runes was an interesting puzzle.¡±

    ¡°And you made sure to account for Jake¡¯s inversion magic?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Yes, everything will work exactly as he requested. The inversion magic he has is¡­ astounding. Before he arrived, I had assumed that I knew everything there was to know about runes, but if they can be inverted, then that means that what I knew was only just the beginning. I cannot wait to research all of the new possibilities that his magic represents. It may, no it has, changed the very way I think about runes.¡± Sela-Car beamed. Admittedly, seeing her so excited threw me off a bit, she had been so stoic until now, almost emotionless.

    ¡°¡­ Well¡­ thank you for doing this.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Will you be able to carry it with you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I believe so, but if I cannot, Jake can retrieve it later.¡± I answered. I thanked her again and wrapped magic around the container to carry it. I was able to, but it was still quite heavy. I would need to fly low to get it home.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>The POV of Grand Duke Udoka Sopra</u>

    I was perched in my office alongside my nephew, Baronet Halyard Sopra. He was giving me an update on the oddities that were the named Neame, Suma, and her familiar, Sentinel, or Jake. ¡°It seems they are shipping out to Masha Peak tomorrow,¡± Halyard said.

    ¡°I wonder how they will fare?¡± I said. I could almost picture it, Sentinel striding in, Suma perched upon his new ¡°armor¡± that Halyard told me about.

    ¡°One can only imagine how they will do in training.¡± He said readjusting the position he was perched in; a nervous tic of his.

    ¡°What is bothering you nephew?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± He denied.

    ¡°I have known you for thirty years Halyard, and I know when you are lying.¡± I stated. He relented with a sigh.

    ¡°This¡­ Jake¡­ is powerful¡­ too powerful.¡±

    ¡°You are afraid of him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not afraid, confused by. There are a great many questions about him, and we have only rumors for answers. How did he get such strength? What are his intensions? Where did he come from?¡± He explained.

    I nodded my head in agreement, ¡°It is true we do not know much about Jake, at least nothing we can confirm. We only know what he has told us, and we must trust it is the truth.¡±

    ¡°But is it the whole truth?¡± Halyard said.

    ¡°You should not let these rumors worry you,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Would you say that if you had heard them?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I have,¡± I told him, ¡°and they are as ignorant as the people who came up with them.¡±

    Halyard shook his head, ¡°But it would explain much would it not? If he were a Viking...¡±

 Part 33: Wars and Battles

    Jake¡¯s POV

    ¡°What do you mean war?!¡± Mum Shouted. People on the other side of the street looked at us for a moment before returning to the phone screens.

    ¡°I know how it sounds but it isn¡¯t what you think.¡± I tried to say, but she cut me off at ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME YOU SIGNED UP TO BE A SOLDIER?!¡± She shouted and a few of the people looked up from their phones again, but this time they looked quite shocked.

    ¡°Mum it isn¡¯t what-¡± She cut me off again.

    ¡°WHAT AM I GOING TO DO IF I LOSE YOU TOO!¡± That cut me to my heart. I had thought about it, what it would do to her if she lost me and Dad so close together.

    ¡°Mum, we aren¡¯t going to be front line soldiers, we are medics. We take care of the people after they come back from war.¡± I explained. ¡°I will be safely in a tent with Suma away from the fighting.¡± Mum and I spent the next hour talking about it, most of which was spent with me comforting her and trying to get her to stop sobbing, the rest was her begging me not to go. But eventually I was able to get her to calm down and we resumed our walk back to her car. Once we safely arrived at her car, I reassured her once again that I would be okay. She didn¡¯t seem convinced, but she accepted that I was going anyway. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, told her I loved her, then she got in her car and drove home. I parked quite a walk away, so I started to my car. I was so caught up in thinking how I¡¯m going to make this up to her that I didn¡¯t even notice I was being followed.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    After the longest flight of my life, I set the heavy crate of Jake¡¯s newly enhanced weapons and armor down on his apartment floor. I perched on a vine pillar to rest for a moment.

    ¡°How does he plan to wear all of that? It weighs so much...¡± I wondered to myself. After I rested, I went outside to see how much longer there was until sunset. I looked up at the sky and saw the ribbons of silver and green starting to form on the horizon, and the sky started to add red to its normal orange. The sun would set soon, and Jake would be asking for me to summon him any time now. I decided to wait for it at his apartment, that way I would not have to fly back if he called as soon as I arrived home. I did not need to wait long.

    ¡°Suma, can you summon me back?¡± He asked, he almost sounded like he was in pain.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said and quickly cast the spell. I started to make a list of the last things I needed to do before we leave tomorrow, but my train of thought was interrupted when Jake collapsed bleeding from his stomach!

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    Turning a corner, I cut through an alley that was a short cut to where my car was parked. I should have known it was a bad idea before¡­ but I definitely knew after. I was shoved from behind and slammed into a wall.

    ¡°If you scream, I WILL stab you!¡± The man behind me said. ¡°Give me your wallet, and your phone.¡± He ordered. If this had happened to me last year, I would have done exactly as he said, but in the last few months I have been beaten, burned, stabbed, slashed, and any number of other horrible things, so my first instinct wasn¡¯t to lie down and take it. The same sense of self?preservation that came over me when I was fighting the wyvern and the borog came over me again, as if I was right back in that field, and I did the first thing that came to my mind¡­ I whipped around and elbowed him in the head. That tuned out to be a truly dumb idea. The knife he had was pressed into my back, so when I spun around, I spun right into it. Sure, he went down¡­ hard¡­ but now I was bleeding. ¡°You stupid son of-,¡± he started to say, but I was used to pain and fighting, so I still had the advantage, and rushed him again with a fist to his nose.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± I bellowed in a blind fury, one hand clutching my side, the other connecting with his face.

    ¡°He needs help!¡± I heard someone say. For a moment, I thought they were talking about me¡­ they weren¡¯t. I was knocked to the ground when someone, a friend of his I guess, shoulder checked me. Now it was two on one. I had faced worse odds, but I had a weapon then.

    Why don¡¯t I now? I wondered as I scrambled to my feet and away from the two muggers. I had tried to summon magic and my weapons on Earth before, a couple of times actually, and it never worked. But of course, I had never been in danger while doing it¡­ ¡°Destiny!¡± I yelled. Nothing happened.

    One of the two looked around confused, ¡°Who is he talking to?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy, just take him down and let¡¯s get out of here before the pigs come squealing.¡± The other said. The one with the knife rushed me while trying to stab me. I jumped back, but there were two of them and one of me. The other pulled a knife of his own and caught me in the side again. I head butted him in the nose and blood immediately started gushing out; he screamed and whined like a baby. But his friend wasn¡¯t distracted. He stabbed at me again, but was only able to cut my arm, however it was deep.

    ¡°Destiny!¡± I yelled again, more desperately. The odds were not looking good. This time, when I called, I did feel something. I felt it for just a moment, a familiar feeling¡­ magic.

    ¡°If he keeps shouting someone is going to notice!¡± One of them said, but I didn''t notice who. I was starting to feel feint. I looked down for just a split second, I was bleeding.. a lot. ¡°He broke my nose!¡± said the one I headbutted.

    ¡°Man forget the money, let¡¯s kill him.¡± Said the other. It was now or never.

    ¡°Destiny!¡± I shouted, and closed my hand around a familiar metal shaft. This time, it worked. The mugger who was closest to me stumbled back.

    ¡°What the he-?¡± He yelled, but I cut him off by thrusting Destiny into his thigh. ¡°AHHH!¡± He screamed.

    ¡°Run!¡± His friend shouted and bolted away, leaving the other behind. ¡°Aegis.¡± I said and it replaced Destiny. I hit him with Aegis¡¯s flat side and knocked him out, finally stopping his screaming. I fell back against the wall of the alley and slide down. Aegis disappeared, and the adrenaline started to follow. The pain in my side was becoming much more prevalent.

    Through our private connection, I called Suma, ¡°Suma, can you summon me back?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said and bit by bit I watched my arms, legs, and my bleeding wounds, disappear. The last thing I saw before passing out was the mugger starting to wake up.

 Part 34: Last Days at Home

    Suma¡¯s POV

    ¡°Suma, can you summon me back?¡± He asked, he almost sounded like he was in pain.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I said and quickly cast the spell. I started to make a list of the last things I needed to do before we leave tomorrow, but my train of thought was interrupted when Jake collapsed bleeding from his stomach! I rushed over to him and discovered that the summoning spell was already beginning to heal his wounds, but that process was slower than my healing spells, so I immediately got to work.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as I cast my first healing spell on him.

    ¡°I took a wrong turn,¡± He said and tried to laugh, but he seemed to be in too much pain and winced instead.

    ¡°Off a cliff?¡± I mocked his vagueness. He chuckled, then moaned, then asked me not to make jokes till after he was done bleeding. It took a few minutes, but I was able to close all of his frighteningly deep wounds. However, since I healed him after he was summoned and not before, it meant he was thoroughly exhausted. ¡°Better?¡± I wondered. He gave a slight nod of his head and a tired moan.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Goodness, I forgot how tired I get after this.¡± He complained.

    ¡°Better than bleeding to death though.¡± I said. ¡°So how did you get such vicious injuries?¡± His responses were slow and labored from sleepiness.

    ¡°I¡­ was walking home¡­ after dinner. I was attacked. They had knives¡­ but I think I won.¡± His tone was low and his words were meandering.

    Remembering how much he was bleeding, I questioned, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I was able to summon Destiny and Aegis, that saved my life.¡± He lifted his head to say.

    ¡°But I thought magic did not work in your world?¡± I said surprised.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, or didn¡¯t at least. Maybe because I spend so much time here, or maybe because I already knew how to use it? I don¡¯t know, but I do know that it was the only reason I lived.¡± Jake told me then slowly put his head back on the ground.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Well, we can talk more about this later, you need to rest if you want to recover your strength. We leave tomorrow.¡± I said this to the air as it turns out, because Jake had already fallen asleep on the ground where I summoned him. I landed on his head and pecked him with my beak. ¡°JAKE, WAKE UP AND GET CLEANED! YOU ARE STILL COVERED IN BLOOD!¡± I yelled into his ear jarring him awake.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I stood in the shower that the stable uses to clean the animals off and let the warm water run over me. It was all I could do to not fall asleep. I cleaned the blood off of my arms and torso, then washed my hair for good measure. I did all of this with my eyes closed as it was too difficult to open them at the moment. Turning off the water and grabbing a towel I had brought from Earth, I wrapped it around my waist, left the shower and walked back to my room. Thankfully, the inn was happy to let me put up some privacy curtains around the shower, though there was one incident when a member of the staff flew in to ask if I needed anything. After returning to my room, I got dressed and finally went to bed. Suma healing me always makes me tired, like running for hours and not eating for two days after a long night of dancing at a club kind of tired. I blacked out within seconds.

    When I woke up, the sun was just starting to rise, and I was starving. I knew this would happen, so I set out plenty of food before I went to bed. After eating I started to feel normal again, and called Suma. ¡°Hey Suma, are you awake?¡± I received no answer. Figuring she was still asleep, I walked outside and looked around. The city was quiet, the sun was cresting over the horizon, the sky was turning from night-black, to ribbons of silver and green which were starting fade away and give over to its normal reddish orange. A few Neame were already flying around and I saw smoke columns begin to dot the city one by one; most likely Neame lighting forges or other sources of fire of some kind. The Neame don¡¯t really cook anything, but I have seen a few places around town that would cook small portions of meat for nobles who could afford such luxuries.

    ¡°Todays the day,¡± I said to myself as I sat on the short blue grass. I had a lot of doubts to be sure, should I be doing this, am I doing the right thing, those kinds of thoughts. But I always subdued them the same way. Suma is going, even if I don¡¯t¡­

    ¡°Jake¡­ are you up yet?¡± Suma yawned.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m awake.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Okay, I will be down in a little while.¡± She said. I didn¡¯t say anything back, I was still thinking. I wished I knew what to expect, I wished I could predict what we would encounter, but I didn¡¯t¡­ and I couldn¡¯t. Suma came down about twenty minutes later and landed on a perch next to me.

    ¡°Nice view,¡± She said. ¡°Is the one on your world like this?¡±

    ¡°All the parts that matter.¡± I told her. We sat quietly for a while, not saying anything. We both just wanted to take one last look I suppose. But eventually the silence had to end.

    ¡°¡­Are you ready to go?¡±

 Part 35: Boot Camp

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Up! Down! Up! Down! Up! Down!¡± Our drill instructor shouted. We were in aerial maneuver and endurance training. Fly up as high as you can in five seconds, then plummet back down as quickly as possible, making sure to stop only a single body length from the ground. ¡°Go Go Go! Faster!¡± He screamed from his perch located about halfway between the ground and how high most of us could fly. I was a bit on the lower side of the benchmark, but there were a few in our group who double the average height of our group. Someone in the group asked why it was necessary to do this since this was a strictly healing mages training camp, and we were not going to be in combat¡­ because of that question we have been doing this for two hours. ¡°Up! Down! Up! Down! Up! Down!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the guy that asked that question.¡± Someone from behind me complained.

    ¡°Not if I do first.¡± Someone else said.

    ¡°Is that chatter I hear? I guess that means you all want to do another hour?¡± The drill instructor bellowed.

    ¡°Sir! I need to stop; I am going to throw up.¡± The Neame beside me said to the instructor.

    ¡°Do it on your own time recruit. Now get back to maneuvers.¡± The instructor ordered. The recruit did not do it on his own time¡­.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I sat on the bench at a local gym, having just finished the last set of my new workout regime. Upon arriving at the training camp, Suma and I discovered that they really didn¡¯t have anywhere for me to stay while I was there. Most of the recruits just sent their familiars back as soon as they were done with them. Suma sent me back after I got a copy of the daily training schedule from the camps directors. With little variation, familiar training, that''s the training done with both a mage and their familiar, would be every day at two hours past noon.

    Aside from strength training, I also have been brushing up on my martial arts and fencing. I even found a teacher who knew spear fighting techniques that worked with a shield. I go to fencing classes twice a week, spear classes once a week, and Krav-Maga classes twice a week at night. I looked down at my watch, 1:50 p.m.; I would be getting summoned any time now. I decided not to rest until then because the summoning will just heal and reenergize me anyway. Actually, because of the fact that now I get summoned every day, and that I work out every day, which shreds muscle fibers, I have put on quite a bit of muscle. I work out and get good and sore, then the summoning makes it so that I skip the post workout aches and keep the gains.

    ¡°Okay Jake, are you ready?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yup,¡± I answered.

    ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡± I heard as I closed the bathroom door so no one would see me vanish.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡± I said performing the spell; Jake began to appear. He was wearing strange clothes when he arrived, but it did not matter because he performed his own summoning and was robed in his ¡°Armor¡±.

    ¡°Have all familiars been summoned?¡± The instructor shouted with a brief glance around; they had, and they were varied. Even though we were all healing support mages, we all came from different flights of life. Some of the other recruits summoned borogs, some had salamanders, some had Vedel (mountain cats), and one recruit had a Black Serpent. None of us were allowed to wear any kind of indication of status symbols, but it was clear by the familiars who came from nobility.

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    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of familiars.¡± Jake said over our private connection. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many in one place before.¡±

    ¡°I am surprised at the quality of them as well. I was not expecting so many high-level familiars.¡± I said examining the Black Serpent and Mountain Cats.

    ¡°That is a big snake,¡± Jake said in a worried tone. ¡°Boy I hope that guy performed that mental domination spell correctly. That thing is as long as a python and as wide as a golden retriever.¡± He stared nervously at the Black Serpent. I do not know what those creatures Jake mentioned are, but a Black Serpent is an intimidating familiar indeed. One of the other recruits could not stop staring at Jake, actually, as I looked around, I noticed he was getting as much attention as the serpent was.

    ¡°Alright recruits, here¡¯s the drill you and your familiars will be running today. We are going to pair you off in teams of six. That¡¯s three mages and three familiars. You have until nightfall to make it up and back down Dragon¡¯s Hoard. The first team to make it back will get to sleep in an extra hour tomorrow. The last team wakes up two hours early for extra training!¡± The instructor announced. No one was talking before the instructor made that announcement, partially because we were too busy looking at one another¡¯s summons, partially because we were too tired from the day¡¯s training, but as soon as he said Dragon¡¯s Hoard no one was even thinking about talking anymore.

    ¡°What¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Hoard?¡± Jake asked me.

    ¡°Bad¡­ very... very... bad.¡± I told him. ¡°Dragon''s Hoard is just that, an old dragon hoard from before the falling away. Other things have moved in in their absence, wild beasts that can slaughter a Neame in a heartbeat. There is a path up that is maintained and relatively safe, but all the shorter paths are much harder with fewer willing to brave the new tenants of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°This is an exercise in your ability to get into and out of dangerous situations. As medics, you will need to go places that might be hotspots of enemy activity. Your ability to survive, evade, or overcome is paramount; perhaps even more necessary than your ability to heal.¡± The instructor explained. ¡°At the top of the mountain there have been placed 4 silver bands on poles. Each team will go up the mountain, retrieve a band, and return.¡±

    ¡°This is like some hunger games stuff.¡± Jake whispered to himself, shocking two of the nearby Neame who had not realized he could talk.

    ¡°The teams are as follows: recruits one through two and Lauric are team one, recruits three through five are team two, Von-Pac, Suma, and recruit six are team three, Toman and recruits seven through eight are team four. You will have ten minutes to find your groups and discuss strategies. When you hear the bell, leave camp and begin your trek up the mountain.¡± The instructor finished.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever get used to people not having names.¡± Jake said over our private connection. ¡°So, how are we supposed to find recruit six and that Von-Pac guy.¡± I flapped my wings and flew up to perch on his shoulder.

    ¡°There are tags on our feet.¡± I said and lifted one of my legs to show him. ¡°Mine has my name, but unnamed Neame will have numbers based on order of arrival to camp.¡± Jake nodded his head that he understood and examined the tags. I looked around and saw several Neame already looking for their teams, some were asking for tag numbers, others were bending down to examine the tags.

    ¡°I think I have a faster solution,¡± Jake said then cupped his hands around his mouth. ¡°THIS IS SUMA¡¯S GROUP! IF YOU ARE ON TEAM THREE, COME OVER HERE!¡± He shouted, nearly causing me to lose my balance and fall off my perch. I let out an involuntary squawk as I regained my balance.

    ¡°That is certainly one way to do it,¡± I mumbled embarrassed as every single Neame present turned and looked at us in shock. But I cannot fault its effectiveness, within a minute every member of team three was accounted for; perched on the saddles of their respective familiars.

    ¡°I take it that means you¡¯re Suma?¡± A Neame with the number six on her leg, and riding on the back of a Zantorax Hound, asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± I answered.

    ¡°I did not realize it could talk,¡± one of the Neame, who¡¯s tag read Von-Pac, said; he was perched on a Salamander.

    Jake raised one of his ¡°eyebrows¡± as they are called, and said, ¡°It has a name¡­ Jake.¡±

    ¡°I heard Lady Suma summon you earlier, she said Sentinel.¡± Number six pointed out.

    ¡°You may just call me Suma.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Yes, my summon name is Sentinel, but my actual name is Jake.¡± Jake explained. The other two exchanged looks; it is quite unusual for any familiars to not use the name given to them by their summoners. ¡°So, you don¡¯t have a name?¡± Jake asked the numbered Neame.

    ¡°Um yes, unlike lad¡­ uh, unlike Suma and Von-Pac, I¡¯m not from a wealthy noble family, so my parents didn¡¯t have the mana needed to name me.¡± Number six explained.

    ¡°I am not from a noble family, it was Jake who named me.¡± I explained. They both seemed to be caught off guard by that.

    ¡°What!? Is that even legal?¡± Von-Pac asked shocked.

    ¡°The Grand Duke had no complaints with it.¡± Jake told him.

    Von-Pac scoffed, ¡°Of course, I should have guessed.¡± I was not surprised at his reaction, Von-Pac was a noble and most nobles disapprove of the Grand Duke.

    DONNN DONNN DONNN

    ¡°The bell!¡± Number six said.

    ¡°All recruits, leave the camp now and begin your journey!¡± The instructor yelled.

 Part 36: Up the Mountain

    ¡°That did not feel like ten minutes.¡± I heard one of the recruits quietly grumble.

    ¡°I heard from a friend that they did the same thing to him and his group last year.¡± Someone said to her.

    ¡°Why are we not flying up the mountain and just summoning our familiars when we need them?¡± Von?Pac complained.

    ¡°The battlefield is a dangerous place,¡± Jake said, ¡°and it¡¯s easy to see any enemy flying through the sky. That¡¯s why they want us to train close to the ground, so we can get used to traveling this way; it conceals our movements and protects our group.¡± Honestly, I had not thought of it like that, I had just assumed it was training in working with our familiars.

    ¡°If someone is foolish enough to get themselves and their team captured by the enemy, then they deserve what they get.¡± Von-Pac scoffed.

    ¡°This guy is really getting on my nerves.¡± Jake said over our private connection.

    ¡°We need to start our climb.¡± Six said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be left behind.¡± At first, every recruit and team took the same trail, but as more paths presented themselves, each team took advantage of the ones that suited their familiars best. Some went up the rock mountain sides, others took to the trees and leapt from branch to branch, while our team was better suited to walking up the dirt for as long as we could.

    ¡°We could have been there by now if we could fly.¡± Von-Pac complained. He then gave his familiar several pecks on the head, ¡°Can you not go any faster, stupid beast?¡± The creature did not seem to notice much though. Jake stayed quiet but stared intensely at Von-Pac. I also noticed him clenching his fist hard enough that blood started to drip from his fingers. Without saying a word, I healed his hand, but he did not stop glaring at the annoying noble.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t treat your familiars like that.¡± Six scolded Von-Pac.

    ¡°The way I treat my familiar is of no concern to a low-born like you.¡± Von-Pac shot back. I could almost see Jake¡¯s thought written on his face, he wanted to make Von-Pac stop, but he knew if he did a fight might break out. For now, it was better to put up with him. However, I did not expect him to do what he did next.

    ¡°Six¡­ would you like a name?¡± Jake asked with a sadistic grin on his face.

    ¡°I¡­ well of course, what Neame wouldn¡¯t want a name. Why do you ask?¡± She wondered confused.

    ¡°If you had a name, what do you imagine it would be like?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I imagine having a name would be wonderful.¡± She told him.

    ¡°No sorry, I meant, what do you imagine the name would be like?¡± Jake clarified.

    ¡°The name itself?¡± She thought for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know really. I would want it to be something that sounds nice, and maybe easy to say, but I would also want it to sound regal and proud if I could.¡±

    ¡°Like the name Von-Pac.¡± Von-Pac boasted proudly, but we all ignored him.

    ¡°These days, I have been thinking about names, what they mean, how they affect our sense of self.¡± Jake said. ¡°So, you say you want a name that sound nice, but is also proud, do you have any ideas on what it might sound like?¡±

    ¡°This is a foolish conversation, we should be focused on climbing the mountain, not discussing a low-born like her getting a name.¡± Von-Pac huffed. The group fell silent. I looked down at Jake¡¯s hand expecting to have to heal it again, but instead I saw Jake... smiling. It was a knowing smile, a planning smile; it almost frightened me.

    ¡°Jake, we will go to jail if you kill him.¡± I warned him privately.

    ¡°Killing him would be a waste, and a crime. No, I have a better idea.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°You cannot just go around naming everyone you meet you now.¡± I told him after realizing his plan. He lost his smile and looked up at me.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ because¡­ um.¡± I said unsure. I honestly could not think of a good reason. Jake had the mana reserves for it, and the stamina. He had already named me and Ceil with no issues. ¡°Jake, naming one Neame will not make a difference. Nobles will still act like this even if you named every commoner alive. That is simply how things are.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not¡­ but I can severely annoy this particular noble.¡± Jake chuckling. He then began speaking aloud again, ¡°How does the name Vindicta sound?¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Von-Pac asked sounding irritated and tired of talking.

    ¡°I was talking to Six.¡± He stated flatly. ¡°How does it sound as a name?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like a fine name, any Neame would be lucky to have it.¡± She said.

    ¡°Great!¡± Jake announced proudly. ¡°Then it¡¯s yours.¡± Jake was now smiling almost from ear to ear. As soon as he said that, all of us, familiars included, came to a halt.

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    ¡°¡­What?¡± Six asked confused, or perhaps she did not think he was serious.

    ¡°Vindicta, I¡¯ll give it to you as a name if you want it.¡± Jake explained, still smiling. Von-Pac looked horrified.

    ¡°NO! NO, I forbid it! A familiar cannot name a low-born like her!¡± Von-Pac protested.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing it¡¯s not up to you huh?¡± Jake said beaming.

    ¡°You... what?¡± Six said in disbelief.

    ¡°Do you accept the name Vindicta, or do you prefer another name? Feel free to answer honestly. I will give you a name, but if you would prefer another, I could think of one. You¡¯re the one who has to use it after all, so you should like it.¡± Jake offered.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Six asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jake said. While this was happening, Von-Pac was fuming in quiet rage. He seemed to almost be overflowing with anger. He even began to lose control of his mana for a moment and began the first stages of ¡°displaying¡±.

    ¡°I¡­ I accept.¡± The newly christened Vindicta answered.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as our group marched along. Von-Pac was fuming quietly on the back of his hound, and Vindicta was beaming atop her feline steed. ¡°At least he is silent.¡± Suma said to me over our mental connection. I nodded my head to her in agreement. We continued on our journey for as long as the path would take us, until finally it came to an abrupt end. In front of us was the sheer cliff-face of the mountain.

    ¡°I could fly up and look for another path?¡± Vindicta offered.

    ¡°No, we should treat this like a real-world scenario and stay low when possible.¡± I said looking up the cliff and placing a hand on the rocks. ¡°We could climb, but that might be dangerous.¡± I thought aloud.

    ¡°Do not be ridiculous,¡± Von-Pac snapped, ¡°Paxus is not suited for climbing. He cannot go up that.¡± His voice was full of irritation, whether due to my naming Vindicta or by not being able to go up on his familiar, I couldn¡¯t tell, but I could guess.

    ¡°I could climb up it, but it would take a while.¡± I said, then I had a thought. ¡°Hey, what about your familiar? She¡¯s a cat, and they¡¯re pretty good at climbing.¡±

    ¡°Argosa might be able to,¡± She said hesitantly, ¡°but I don¡¯t know. It is a steep climb after all, and she is no jadoo.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s probably safer to just go around.¡± I concluded. ¡°So, left or right?¡±

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    The POV of Lauric Isbala, son of Count Thecoma Isbala

    ¡°Wait up Lauric!¡± One of the two nameless Neame on my team called out to me. I slowed my familiar¡¯s pace, so as not to leave them behind and to give them a chance to catch up. My familiar was a Black Serpent named Loyalty. ¡°Ah, thank you sir.¡± The Neame said upon catching up with me.

    ¡°You do not need to call me sir, just call me Lauric.¡± I told him. I glanced down to his familiar, it was some kind of four-legged mammal, with horns on its head and fangs hanging from its mouth. It seemed tired, huffing and puffing heavily, so we all decided to come to a stop and rest for a while. ¡°Your familiar does not seem to have much stamina.¡± I noted.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± The Neame said, ¡°but he can hit quite hard with his horns, and his fangs make great weapons as well.¡±

    ¡°Our familiars are not as wondrous as yours Lauric.¡± My other teammate, also nameless, said. He was not wrong, my familiar was of exceptionally high quality, but that should not matter.

    ¡°No, they are not, but no matter how strong a familiar, it is useless without a competent master. It would not matter how strong Loyalty is if I were a fool.¡± I told them. ¡°Tell me, are you two fools?¡± They seemed taken aback by the question, perhaps even offended, but answered nonetheless.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully not.¡±

    ¡°Then you have nothing to worry about.¡± I said. ¡°Your familiars are yours, nobody else¡¯s. Treat them well and they will die for you, with or without the Rite of Dominance. That is why I named mine Loyalty.¡± After a little while longer we started our travels up the mountain once more. Eventually, we came to a large cliffside, but for our familiars it was of no consequence. My Black Serpent was able to slither between the cracks in the rocks and slowly make its way up with me perched on the saddle on its head. The others were faring better actually. One¡¯s familiar was able to scale the cliff by walking up it and keeping its body close to the rocks; it almost seemed impossible. The other¡¯s familiar had large claws and tremendous legs, which it used to leap repeatedly from one protruding rock to the next. I was the last one to make it up the cliff, almost two minutes after the others. As soon as we were all up, we were on our way.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Vindicta¡¯ POV

    We, that being my team and I, walked along the cliffside looking for a path to take up the mountain. I sat on my familiar, Argosa, thinking about my new name¡­ ¡°Vindicta¡±. I was so excited I almost couldn¡¯t focus on our task. It was unbelievable! Me, a named Neame! I was absolutely giddy thinking about what my little sister would say when I told her. ¡°Oh, wow Sada, you¡¯re so cool!¡± Sada was the nickname she gave me since I didn¡¯t have a name before. My nickname for her was bobo; because of how often she hurt herself growing up. She is the only family I have left, and because of that we are very close. Our parents became sick and died two years ago, and I have been raising her ever since then. She is staying with a friend of mine while I am doing my tour in the army.

    I have to repay this kindness to Sentinel, or uh, Jake. I thought to myself.

    ¡°Up there,¡± Von-Pac announced and drew attention to a small portion of the cliffside that was broken, and the opening fell below the tree line. ¡°We can fly up there then resummon our familiars and continue our trek.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± I said looking up at the hole in the mountain.

    ¡°I know it is, and I do not need a nameless Neame like you to tell me so.¡± He exclaimed.

    ¡°I have a name now, or weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡± I declared proudly.

    ¡°A familiar cannot give names, whether or not the Grand Duke says so. I refuse to recognize it.¡± He stated and flew up to the crack in the mountain. I admit, what he said hurt. Not because I care about his opinion but because I knew that most nobles would share it. I would likely face trouble back home because of my new name, I could face trouble back at camp even.

    ¡°I like your name,¡± Suma said leaving her perch on Jake¡¯s saddle and landing beside me on Argosa¡¯s saddle. ¡°Come on, we need to fly up there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a sec.¡± Jake said, and we flew up the side of the cliff. Suma and I landed at the top of the cliff and saw Von-Pac already beginning to summon his familiar.

    ¡°I summon you, Paxus!¡± He shouted. I summoned Argosa and Suma summoned Jake. Once he arrived, he looked at the path up ahead and got a grim look on his face.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Suma asked noticing his expression.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ I just don¡¯t like caves is all.¡± He said gesturing to the entrance of the trail.

 Part 37: Enter the Cave

    Jake¡¯s POV

    The cave¡¯s entrance couldn¡¯t have been more than a meter tall and wide, large enough for them, but I would need to get on my hands and knees to squeeze through. I¡¯ve never been afraid of tight spaces, but this wasn¡¯t exactly the same thing.

    ¡°Quit dawdling, go.¡± Von-Pac said perching on his familiar¡¯s saddle and heading into the cave.

    ¡°I think I may have to ride on your familiar¡¯s saddle Vindicta, Jake is too tall for this.¡± Suma said examining the cave.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Vindicta answered. Suma fluttered over and landed on the side of the saddle because there wasn¡¯t a second proper perch for her to use. They made their way into the cave behind Von-Pac, and I was left outside.

    ¡°Oh joy¡­¡± I mumbled and got on my hands and knees to begin crawling. The cave was tight, or at least it felt that way. In reality, I wasn¡¯t touching the sides or top of the cave, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t feeling the pressure. Thankfully, Von-Pac knew how to create fire, so he lit the way for us. I was grateful for it; I know I wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the cave if it were pitch-black. ¡°Just close your eyes and keep moving.¡± I quietly whispered to myself. As we went along, the cave grew more and more narrow, eventually there was no more than an inch of space between me and the sides of the cave¡­ I was not handling it well.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    The cave we were walking through started out wide enough, but as we moved along it became less so. Vindicta¡¯s and Von-Pac¡¯s familiars were having no issues as far as I could tell, but Jake grew increasingly distressed with each passing moment. I could hear his breathing getting heavier and more frequent.

    ¡°Is Jake going to be okay?¡± Vindicta asked me too quietly for the others to hear.

    ¡°I do not know,¡± I answered honestly, ¡°I have never seen him like this.¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡± Von-Pac announced from the front.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jake called out, slightly panicking.

    ¡°There is a fork up ahead, left or right?¡± Von-Pac answered.

    ¡°Which one is bigger?¡± I asked trying to make it easier on Jake.

    ¡°Left,¡± he called back after a brief moment of silence. I heard Jake let out an audible sigh. We continued on for a while through the left path, and while Von-Pac was right about it being wider, that did not mean it was wide enough. ¡°I cannot fit Paxus any longer, we either need to turn back or send our familiars away until we are out of this cave.¡± He announced.

    ¡°Argosa is having trouble too,¡± Vindicta agreed.

    ¡°Jake?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Send me back¡­¡± He said simple, but urgently. His eyes were wide, and he was almost on his stomach by this point. Without another word, I unsummoned Jake, and he disappeared back to his world. Vindicta and Von-Pac followed suit, and soon it was just we three Neame standing in a dimly lit cave. Without our familiars, the cave felt far less cramped, but certainly not wide open.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Von-Pac¡¯s POV

    I and my team, two lesser Neame, stood in a cave that I was keeping lit with a fire spell. I was creating a ball of fire that hung in the air a few feet away, illuminating us enough to see.

    ¡°I guess this means we fly.¡± The unnamed Neame stated. Earlier, she received a name from a familiar, but I refuse to acknowledge such a manner of receiving a name on principle.

    ¡°We will have to be careful; the tunnel is getting even more narrow the further we travel. If we fly too fast we might be injured.¡± The one named Suma said stating the obvious. Of course,  I had already known to fly carefully and did not need her to remind me of such trivial things. She was another one who had been named by that annoying familiar, but since the Grand Duke had already acknowledged her name, it was illegal for any Neame to refuse to use it, so I had no choice in the matter.

    ¡°Just try not to get left behind,¡± I told them and began flying down the tunnel. They followed suit. My fire spell produces light, but its range is limited, so if they fall behind then they would either need to create their own spell, or they will be lost in the dark. I graciously flew slower than I wanted to so as not to outpace them, but of course I received no thanks.

    ¡°Von-Pac, slow down! You are flying too fast!¡± The unnamed one called out. I should have known, even holding back I far outclass any commoner. Unfortunately, listening to that commoner distracted me, and I was unable to see and react to the end of the tunnel as it approached from the darkness outside of the effects of my spell.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± I cried out before trying to slow down, but colliding into the wall nonetheless.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV

    My team and I had been scaling the mountain for three hours at this point, but now we stood at the top. ¡°We should spread out and search for those bands.¡± I suggested. The others agreed and we began looking for them. The mountain top was beautiful, the trees and forested area had been left behind some time ago, but it was replaced by snow and ice. Loyalty was having trouble with the cold, so I unsummoned him and rode on the back of one of the other familiars. While we were searching, I decided to simply fly low to the ground so we could cover as much area as possible.

    ¡°Found them!¡± One of the others called out. We all converged on the area and saw four silver bands hanging from metal poles.

    ¡°Four of them, that means we are the first to arrive.¡± One of the other two noticed.

    ¡°Perhaps, but that does not mean we will be the first back to camp, we should get moving.¡± I said. We took one and strapped it to the saddle of one of our familiars, then began heading down the mountain.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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    Vindicta¡¯s POV

    *Thwak* The sound resonated through the tunnel as Von-Pac slammed into the end of the tunnel and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Ha!¡± I laughed briefly, before catching myself and landing safely on the ground by Von-Pac, who was completely unconscious. ¡°Well, if you have to be knocked out, best to do it with two healers in the room.¡± I said and began treating Von-Pac¡¯s injuries. Suma cast her own fire spell as Von-Pac¡¯s disappeared as soon as he fell unconscious.

    ¡°What was he thinking?¡± Suma complained.

    ¡°Probably something like: HA, I¡¯m the best flyer in the world! I don¡¯t need to wait on these commoners!¡± I mocked.

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Von-Pac groaned as he began to wake up. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°You hit the wall and got knocked out.¡± I told him. ¡°Now stop moving, I¡¯m not finished healing you.¡± For a moment, I thought he was going to protest, but instead he stayed still and remained quiet.

    ¡°Dead end,¡± Suma said examining the end of the tunnel. ¡°We need to turn back.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Von-Pac said standing up after I ended the healing spell. ¡°I have an affinity for Nature Magic, I can move the dirt and extend the tunnels.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were a healer?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± he replied. ¡°Not everyone who becomes a healer has to have an affinity for healing magic.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± I realized.

    ¡°I do not know, we may just want to go back and take the other tunnel.¡± Suma stated.

    ¡°That would take time, and if we want to win then time is not something we have to spare.¡± Von-Pac reasoned.

    ¡°Digging out the tunnel will take time too, and there is no guarantee it will be faster.¡± I pointed out. He seemed annoyed by my response, but instead of snapping, he relented and agreed to go back. We came to the conclusion that if the right was a dead end too, then we would dig rather than go all the way back and lose all the progress we have made.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    ¡°Digging out the tunnel will take time too, and there is no guarantee it will be faster.¡± Vindicta pointed out. Von-Pac seemed annoyed by her response, but instead of snapping, he relented and agreed to go back. We concluded that if the right was a dead end too, then we would dig rather than go all the way back and lose the progress we made.

    We flew for a few minutes, eventually we arrived at the turn and took the other path. This time we each took the precaution of having our own light source so that if we did get split up again, we would not be left in the dark. Von-Pac was still in the front and was going much slower this time, he was also being careful to stick close to us. ¡°A turn ahead,¡± Von-Pac announced. ¡°It goes left.¡± We all slowed down and took the turn one at a time. ¡°Now right,¡± he announced again after a bit more flying. Once again, we slowed and turned. ¡°UP!¡± He shouted suddenly and flew upwards. I slowed again and saw there was a sharp turn upwards.

    ¡°AH,¡± Vindicta yelped and came almost to a complete stop just before hitting the tunnel wall.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked coming to a stop behind her.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. Von-Pac landed softly on the ground, and we Vindicta and I joined him.

    ¡°The tunnel gets too narrow to fly up ahead, it is barely a body-length wide in less than ten seconds of flight.¡± Von-Pac explained.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    ¡°Send me back¡­¡± I told her while trying not to let my panic show. I was absolutely freaking out; I was crawling along the tunnel floor on my belly. The only reason I was able to go that far was by telling myself over and over again that I could get out just by asking Suma to send me back. Which is what I did the exact moment I had the chance. It was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see myself disappear, but I did notice once the darkness became fully engulfing and swallowed me up.

    ¡°Ever closer, never as close as he was now.¡± I heard a distant, but familiar, voice say.

    ¡°COME, STEP INTO MY MAW!¡± Said another familiar voice. ¡°YOU ALREADY STAND UPON MY HEAD.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s gone now, far away again.¡± The calm one said. While all this was happening, I felt like I was floating in darkness. There was no light, no falling sensation, and I didn¡¯t see the source of the voices. ¡°No longer within my reach.¡± As soon as he said that, I opened my eyes to see a dimly lit bathroom at the gym, the one I was summoned from earlier. The panic from being stuck in that cave finally caught up with me and I rushed to an open stall and threw up. I spent several minutes in the bathroom trying to hold back a panic attack.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ never¡­ doing¡­ that ¡­ again.¡± I panted quietly to myself in the stall. Once the attack passed, my mind began to clear up and I was able to focus on what happened with those voices. ¡°Why do they keep showing up?¡± I wondered. There didn¡¯t seem to be any common denominator between the times I had seen them. ¡°First was when I became Suma¡¯s familiar, next was when Suma summoned me a few months ago, and now. The only common factor is Suma, and she didn¡¯t know anything about it.¡± I thought about what that thing said, ¡°You already stand upon my head¡­ that¡¯s what he said, what does that mean?¡± I pondered it for a few minutes, and came up with several disturbing theories, but that¡¯s all they were¡­ theories. Until I had more information I decided to just go home and wait for Suma to call me back, hopefully not in that cave again.

    ¡°Is someone in here?¡± I heard a voice call from the bathroom door. ¡°The gym is closed, how long have you been in here?¡± The voice, a man, asked me. I walked out of the stall and saw what looked to be a staff member.

    ¡°Um sorry, I haven¡¯t been here long.¡± I told him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been closed for over an hour; how did you get in?¡± He asked confused.

    ¡°Oh, I guess I have been in here longer than I thought.¡± I lied.

    ¡°Well¡­ you gotta go man,¡± he told me.

    ¡°Right, of course.¡± I said and he walked me out.

    ¡°Could¡¯ve sworn that that bathroom was empty.¡± I heard him mumble.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Vindicta¡¯s POV

    We were going along at a steady, albeit slow, pace as Von-Pac moved mounds of dirt with each second. ¡°Left¡­ right¡­ left¡­ right,¡± he chanted as he used his magic and slide the dirt aside. He would chant, the dirt would move, he would fly forwards, then the cycle world repeat. We were moving forwards at an incline so that we could reach the top faster.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose anyone has magic that will allow us to know how much farther we have to go?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No,¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Busy,¡± Von-Pac replied. ¡°Left¡­¡±

    ¡°If this really is a dragon hoard, then there should be hundreds of tunnels running through the mountain. Meaning we do not have to go all the way up; we just have to find an intersecting tunnel.¡± Suma told me.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I think there might be one of those tunnels coming up. The dirt is becoming much looser, which might mean an exit.¡± Von-Pac announced. ¡°We better all hope that is what it means anyway, because I am running out of mana. Performing one spell after the other is taking a greater toll on me than I assumed it would.¡± He explained.

    ¡°How much longer can you kee-,¡± I was going to ask, but as I did, the tunnel in front of us collapsed and revealed an opening to a new tunnel. ¡°Oh, good.¡±

    ¡°Thank the dragons,¡± Von-Pac said and laid on the ground exhausted.

    ¡°Quite literally,¡± Suma remarked, ¡°but I think I will thank you too Von-Pac... just this once.¡± Von?Pac seemed caught off guard by this, he looked like he wanted to say something, but remained quiet.

    ¡°He¡¯s speechless, it¡¯s a miracle.¡± I joked. Von-Pac stuttered and scoffed for a moment, probably offended, but just shook his head and sighed.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Von-Pac¡¯s POV

    ¡°He¡¯s speechless, it¡¯s a miracle.¡± The nameless¡­ Vindicta said, most likely in an attempt to tease me. I was caught off guard, I tried to say some kind of retort, but fumbled over my words and resigned to remain silent instead. I had been injured earlier, badly. I was rendered unconscious, but rather than leave me behind for slowing them down, they healed me. I thought them foolish, why would they risk not winning for anyone? Why sacrifice victory for a fool who made arrogant mistakes? I would not have¡­

    ¡°This place is enormous.¡± The one called Suma said after inspecting the new tunnel I had unveiled. ¡°It is as wide open as the Grand Temple.¡± I was still weak, but I managed to stand and fly over to the opening. She was right, the area was huge, it was not only tall, but it also stretched farther than the light of our flames could reach. The darkness made the area feel endless in every direction. The dark rock that made up the walls also seemed to absorb the light that somehow managed to reach it, creating what appeared to be a void where nothing existed.

    ¡°This place is incredible!¡± Vindicta loudly exclaimed. The room filled with something that shook us to our core.

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    We were not alone within this cave.

 Part 38: Cave Monsters

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Hello?!¡± I called out.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    With each new voice replying my anxiety grew. ¡°How are they doing that? How are they using our voices?¡± Vindicta asked afraid.

    ¡°Paxus!¡± Von-Pac said quickly summoning his familiar. He had a good idea, one Vindicta and I quickly did as well.

    ¡°Argosa!¡± Vindicta yelled.

    ¡°Sentinel!¡± I shouted. Normally I would ask Jake first, but this was an emergency. ¡°Jake, get ready for a fight! We are surrounded!¡± I said to him just as he fully appeared.

    ¡°What?¡± He started looking around carefully and quickly. ¡°It¡¯s too dark I can¡¯t see!¡±

    ¡°Who is out there?!¡± Von-Pac called out. ¡°Show yourself!¡± Once again, the creatures repeated our words. Jake looked around concerned while Vindicta panicked.

    ¡°Why are they doing that?¡± She asked scared.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Jake asked confused.

    ¡°Can you not hear them? They are repeating our words!¡± Von-Pac said still focusing on the surrounding darkness. Jake looked confused for a moment, then glared stunned into the darkness, then he started¡­ laughing.

    ¡°HAHAHAHA¡­ *gasp*¡­ HAHAHAHA!¡± He then lowered the weapon that he had summoned after arriving.

    ¡°Are... are you laughing?¡± I asked dumbfounded.

    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m... ahahahah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­ I can¡¯t believe¡­ ahahahhaha!¡± Jake gasped and giggled.

    ¡°This is serious! Stop your laughing and get ready! Who knows what they want!¡± Von-Pac snapped. Jake laughed a bit more, but slowly regained his composure and started to explain.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that there is no one out there. Those are just echoes.¡± Jake told us.

    ¡°What are¡­ echoes?¡± I asked.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Echoes are just sound waves bouncing off the hard rock walls, then coming back to us.¡± I explained. ¡°Things like this happen all the time on my world. My people live in places similar to this, so we hear echoes all the time. I guess since your people live in vine buildings, trees, or just tunnels too small for echoes to be of any substance, you haven¡¯t had to deal with them too much.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure?¡± Von-Pac asked still unsure of my explanation.

    ¡°Let me show you,¡± I said. I had an idea, I would use this opportunity to practice my fire magic, and create enough light to illuminate the huge cave I had been summoned into. I wasn¡¯t happy about being here again, but at least this place was open enough for me to stand up in. I sent away Destiny and Aegis, then focused on my spell. Fire is a strange thing; it is a byproduct of the high-energy converting chemical reaction that bonds oxygen and carbon into carbon-dioxide. It is technically a high-energy gas, so to make it all I need to do it burn some fuel. I first imagined gathering oxygen and a fuel to burn, in this case I decided to use hydrogen since it burns hotter and is already in the air, then I imagined heating them like I did the metal in the blacksmiths shop. Before I knew it, I had a seven-foot-wide ball of fire a few meters above our heads.

    ¡°Incredible¡­,¡± Von-Pac said, ¡°I have never seen such a pale blue flame.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so big,¡± Vindicta said.

    ¡°Okay, now I will throw it over into the darkness and let it brighten up this dingy place.¡± I joked. I then manipulated the spell and flung it into the darkness. I wish I hadn¡¯t done that¡­ because we were not alone.

    ¡°What was that about waves of sound?¡± Von-Pac asked as he slowly made his way to a large opening in the wall.

    ¡°What... what are those things?¡± Vindicta asked. Along the walls of the cave were monsters of some kind, dog sized reptilian beasts I think, but I didn¡¯t get a good enough look before the light from my fireball faded away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just get back into that tunnel.¡± I told them as I summoned Aegis and Mori.

    ¡°Tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Tunnel.¡± The monsters echoed one after the other from the darkness, with what little light remained I was able to see that it was in fact these¡­ things... that were echoing the sounds. Their mandibles clicked and twitched as they did. As quickly as I could manage, I created another fireball and moved it to the shadowed area in order to see those things again. This time I got a better look, they were covered from one end to the other in greenish scales, had long mandibles and tentacle-like feelers on their head. They had a lizard-like body, but their head seemed more like a cross between an insect and a fish. Their ears, or what I assumed were their ears, looked more like protruding fins from a fish¡¯s side.

    ¡°Everyone get into the tunnel; I will close the entrance again.¡± Von-Pac said.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Suma, as soon as Von-Pac does that, unsummon me.¡± I told her, keeping an eye on the creatures. They were each beginning to turn and crawl towards us, so I really didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, like it was going to explode, my ears were ringing, and there was an unswallowable lump in my throat¡­ I really didn¡¯t want to be eaten by a lizard ant thing.

    ¡°I am not going to simply leave you with those things!¡± Suma yelled. When she raised her voice, some of the creatures twitched and slithered closer.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes you are, just for a few seconds.¡± I told her urgently. I turned away from the monsters for just a moment and picked Suma up to place her into the tunnel, where Von-Pac and Vindicta had already gone into. Kneeling down and tossing her inside, I turned to Von-Pac and said, ¡°Close it.¡± I was trying to be careful not to raise my voice. He collapsed the tunnel as soon as everyone was inside. I turned around and realized I was now face to disgusting scaley face with one of those beasts.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Jake roughly and quickly tossed me back into the tunnel we had come from, then Von-Pac closed the entrance he made. I scrabbled back straight and unsummoned Jake as soon as I could. ¡°JAKE¡­ JAKE!¡± I cried out desperately.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m back home now, get out of that tunnel!¡± He shouted; we did not argue. We flew away as fast as we could manage, each of us took turns collapsing sections of the tunnel as we went just in case they were following us. Von-Pac used Nature magic as best he could to seal the collapsed areas, but he was now completely out of mana, so Vindicta and I simply had to do our best, but neither of us specialized in that type so it was not perfect. If the trip to that opening felt long, then the trip away from it was an eternity, but we went as fast as we could manage. There was no care about safety while flying, several times I clipped a wing in the narrow tunnel, but I forced myself to power through and not slow the others down.

    ¡°I see a light; we are almost there!¡± Vindicta shouted.

    ¡°I do not think they are following us, but do not slow down. As soon as we exit the tunnel fly up and towards the peak. We need to be sure we are safe, so I will seal the exit as best as I can.¡± Von-Pac stated.

    ¡°But you¡¯re almost out of mana.¡± Vindicta pointed out.

    ¡°I will summon Paxus, I can use his mana.¡± He said.

    ¡°Great plan, but you need mana for a summoning, and you are out.¡± I reminded him. ¡°Jake has enough mana, we can use him.¡± I suggested. Normally, I would want to ask Jake before doing something like this, but I feel like he would agree.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Von-Pac agreed. We shot out of the cave, and I summoned Jake.

    ¡°SENTINEL!¡± I shouted. Jake began to appear before me, but something was wrong, he was laying on the ground, and had blood running down his arm! ¡°Jake!¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Vindicta¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Jake!¡± Suma yelled and fluttered over to stand by his head.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked concerned.

    ¡°The summoning is already healing him, but¡­¡± She stopped and seemed rattled. ¡°He says he cannot move.¡±

    ¡°I did not hear him say anything.¡± Von-Pac said tiredly walking closer.

    ¡°It was over our private connection,¡± She explained. I was stunned, I had no idea a familiar and a master could communicate both ways via private connection. I had only ever used mine to give Argosa commands, and I know she has never used it to talk to me. Of course, she can¡¯t actually talk.

    ¡°Did he say what happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He says that after we closed the tunnel, one of those creatures bit his arm. He knocked it off easily, but once I unsummoned him, he lost the ability to move.¡± She explained.

    ¡°That creature must have had some kind of paralytic venom.¡± Von-Pac suggested. While we were talking, Suma was already casting healing spells and Jake was slowly regaining his movement.

    ¡°Jake, Von-Pac needs mana in order to seal the cave, can he borrow some of yours?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°F-fi¡­,¡± Jake tried to say.

    ¡°Do it,¡± Suma confirmed after Jake gave up and laid back down. Von-Pac came closer and placed both of the tips of his wings on Jake¡¯s body. Jake, in turn, closed his eyes, and in a few moments, Von-Pac was surrounded in a brilliant dark blue and purple display. Light shined from his body as if he were ablaze. ¡°Von-Pac, Jake has Inversion Magic, so do not try to heal anyone until his mana has left your body completely.¡± Von-Pac said nothing, but nodded that he understood; each and every one of his feathers were puffed up. He slowly turned to the cave and cast a single spell, it appeared to be small, but the effect was extreme. I watched as the cave collapsed in on itself from as far into it as I could see, and based on the sound I imagine it went even deeper than that. With a thunderous cacophony, the last of the cave was sealed, but Von-Pac wasn¡¯t done yet. He cast another spell that hardened and changed the color of the dirt, turning it into stone.

    ¡°Incredible.¡± I whispered.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Von-Pac¡¯s POV</u>

    The power I felt was incredible, like the unstoppable surge of an overflowing river, and I was nearly swept away by it. ¡°Von-Pac, Jake has Inversion Magic, so do not try to heal anyone until his mana has left your body completely.¡± Suma said, but I could barely hear her. I was so overwhelmed that I could not even bring myself to speak, but I could act. I turned and cast a spell, I used as much control and power as I could muster, and the effect was far greater than I imagined. I cannot be sure, but I think I collapsed the cave for several minutes of flight time.

    ¡°Incredible.¡± I heard someone say softly. After I cast the spell, I could still feel some of that power lingering. I examined myself, it seems I was surrounded in a display, but it was not my normal color. This one was a dark blue, with hints of purple, whereas mine is normally a light green; not that I make a habit of showing off with displays like some haughty buffoon.

    ¡°When will this display fade?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In a few minutes, but you need to use up the mana Jake gave you first.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°I could try to heal-¡± I offered, but was cut off.

    ¡°NO!¡± Suma yelled. ¡°I told you, you cannot heal anyone with Jake¡¯s mana.¡±

    ¡°But this power, I am sure-¡±

    ¡°NO! Your healing spell would only be inverted, right now you do not have access to any order magic.¡± She said.

    ¡°But the nature spell worked.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Nature magic cannot be inverted, there is no opposite to nature. But if you tried casting a healing spell, it would be inverted.¡± She told me.

    ¡°To what?¡± Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Death Magic.¡± Suma said.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV</u>

    My group and I finally arrived after our long travel, with our prize in tow. Our familiars were tired, so we sent them off to rest as we located the drill instructor. He seemed surprised when he saw us. ¡°Back already?¡± He asked. ¡°I hope the beasts of the mountainside didn¡¯t prove too much to you.¡±

    ¡°No sir,¡± I said, ¡°We have the band.¡± One of the Neame I was traveling with raised the leg that we had tied it around.

    ¡°Well then,¡± he said sounding impressed, but did not let it show much, ¡°that makes your group the winner. No one else has arrived yet. Go get some food and sleep¡­ dismissed.¡± With that, we left and went to eat.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy that extra hour of sleep tomorrow.¡± One of the other Neame said stretching out his wings.

    ¡°Me too,¡± the other agreed.

    ¡°As will I,¡± I stated. ¡°I must say, you two did well.¡±

    ¡°We made a good team,¡± the first one said. The other nodded in agreement. They were not wrong, our three skills and the individual natures of our familiars worked well together.

    ¡°Perhaps we can work together again in our next training session.¡± I suggested. They seemed amendable to the suggestion and agreed.

 Part 39: Explanations

    <u>Vindicta¡¯s POV</u>

    Our tattered and tired group walked up the rocky path we had stumbled upon just a short distance from where we Von-Pac found the entrance to the cave. Jake was in the back, still feeling sluggish from the paralytic bite of that creature. Von-Pac was riding on my familiar, well¡­ he was less riding on and more lying flat on my familiar¡¯s saddle half passed out from mana exhaustion. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± Jake mumbled.

    ¡°Believe what?¡± Suma asked from his shoulder saddle.

    ¡°That a perfectly safe,¡± he stopped talking and looked at several large rocks rolling down the side of the mountain and falling off of the side of a sheer cliff with a huge crack like a breaking branch as they hit the ground below, ¡°well¡­ mostly safe, path was just a few meters past the entrance of that cave.¡±

    ¡°Hnn hnn hn,¡± Von-Pac groaned. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was agreeing or cursing, but he did whatever it was with what sounded like annoyance.

    ¡°How are you feeling Jake?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Barely.¡± He replied. I was confused by his response.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Barely... I can barely feel anything. Except for tingling, like pins and needles.¡± He said.

    ¡°Where is the tingling? Maybe I can heal you a bit more?¡± Suma offered.

    ¡°Just a few places¡­ my hands, my arms, my legs, feet, chest, back, head, face, and oh yeah... my tongue. Can¡¯t forget that.¡± He said.

    ¡°I am sorry for bringing you there Jake.¡± Suma said. Her head lowered regretfully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; you didn¡¯t know that cave was filled with Chupacabra.¡± Jake reassured her.

    ¡°Hn hnnmmn hnnm nnmm hmn mnm nmmhn hnnmnn,¡± Von-Pac groaned unintelligibly, his face pressed firmly into the corner of Argosa¡¯s saddle.

    ¡°What?¡± Suma asked.

    Von-Pac raised his head and spoke louder and more clearly. ¡°I thought you said they were called echoes?¡± He asked then lowered his head again.

    ¡°A Chupacabra is¡­ well it¡¯s like¡­ oh forget it, I¡¯m too out of it right now. Let¡¯s just call them echoes.¡± Jake said downtrodden. We all walked in silence for a while, slowly following the twisting and turning hill.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>The POV of the Drill Instructor</u>

    I was perched in my room when my assistant yelled that another group was spotted coming up the path. I quickly made my way outside and confirmed it was in fact team four, which consisted of Toman and recruits seven and eight. They seemed happy upon their familiar¡¯s backs, and I could see why. The named Neame called Toman had a silver band around his neck. They came striding into town, like they were hot stuff.

    ¡°Hello drill instructor,¡± Toman said, ¡°here is our band sir.¡± The other two removed the band from his neck and one brought it to me.

    ¡°And only a few minutes till nightfall, not bad for third place.¡± I told him. ¡°Team four should be proud.¡± He seemed taken back, like I had just pecked his head.

    ¡°Third sir? Are you telling me two other teams came before us?¡± He almost whined.

    ¡°Yes, teams one and two have both already arrived.¡± I explained.

    ¡°At least we aren¡¯t last,¡± one of his team members said.

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have to wake up early for more training.¡± The other agreed.

    Toman looked at his comrades in disgust, ¡°I¡­ if you two had not¡­ if we had¡­.¡± He stuttered. His head fell forward, ¡°Forget it¡­ I am going to get some sleep¡­ I do not care anymore.¡± They walked away, probably feeling defeated based on Toman¡¯s response.

    ¡°I wonder what happened to them?¡± My assistant asked.

    ¡°Dragon¡¯s Hoard is filled with any number of dangerous creatures; they most likely had a tough time with some of them.¡± I said and then flew back to my room to wait for the next, and final, group to arrive. ¡°I wonder what is taking group three so long? They had a Viking after all.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    It took two hours, but the last of the paralysis had finally worn off¡­ just in time too, because all three of my teammates were perched somewhere on my body as I climbed up a steep hill. All of their familiars were either too tired to continue, or couldn¡¯t be summoned due to lack of mana. Night fell over an hour ago, and I was maintaining a fireball a few meters above us to light the way. Most of the creatures on this mountain were nocturnal apparently, so the giant ball of fire came in handy keeping them away. None of the beasts came close enough to see clearly¡­ thankfully.

    ¡°How are you doing Jake?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, can you guys see okay?¡± I asked; Neame didn¡¯t have particularly good vision at night.

    ¡°Well enough,¡± Vindicta said sleepily. Von-Pac didn¡¯t respond¡­ because he was completely asleep. Our journey up the mountain continued for another thirty minutes before I finally saw what we had been looking for... the top.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± I said and collapsed to my knees exhausted. Von-Pac fell to the ground and woke up yelling.

    ¡°AHH! What is going on?¡± He said and flapped around for a second before finally getting to a standing position.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the top,¡± Vindicta said as she and Suma fluttered slowly to the ground.

    ¡°Oh¡­ good, finally.¡± Von-Pac said settling his standing feathers back down to his body.

    ¡°You guys can start looking for those bands, I¡¯m going to rest.¡± I said and laid down on the grass. The heat from my fireball was incredibly soothing, and it wasn¡¯t long before I drifted off to sleep.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Von-Pac, Vindicta, and I all flew in separate directions searching for the silver bands. Jake¡¯s fire spell was bright, but it was not enough by itself to illuminate an entire mountaintop, so we were literally searching in the dark as most of us were too tired or drained of mana to cast our own fire spells. I did not know how the others were doing but if they were having as hard a time as I was then we would be on this mountain for a while. In the darkness, the shadows all started to blend together, so much so that I nearly flew into boulders on two separate occasions. We searched for ten minutes before finally I heard Von-Pac¡¯s voice call out.

    ¡°I found it!¡± He shouted. I flew over to his location to see for myself, and there it was... a single band wrapped tightly around a metal pole in the ground. We could not undo the band¡¯s knot with magic, as you need mana for that, so we each carefully gabbed it with beaks and undid it. We crossed over and under one another like some kind of serpent twisting around in its death-throes. In the end however, we were able to undo it. Once it was free, we looked at it for a moment, well we tried to anyway.

    ¡°Is it getting darker?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Your familiar must be running out of mana.¡± Von-Pac suggested. ¡°We had better get back to him.¡± As he was saying that, suddenly it became bright again.

    ¡°What in Atmosia?¡± Vindicta wondered. Confused, we all flew back to Jake and saw him still lying on the ground. Above him was a fire spell, and it seemed to be slowly shifting in size, getting smaller and larger every few moments.

    ¡°Jake, what are you doing with that fire spell?¡± I asked, but he did not answer. However, there was a strange noise he was making. I flew over beside him and realized¡­ he was asleep. ¡°He is asleep.¡± I told the others quietly.

    ¡°But he is making noise, and his fire spell is still active.¡± Von-Pac pointed out.

    ¡°Huh¡­ they are in rhythm,¡± Vindicta said.

    ¡°What are?¡± I asked.

    ¡°His breathing and the fire spell,¡± she said, ¡°the spell is growing and shrinking in time with his breathing.¡± I stopped to watch the two for a moment, and she was right. As Jake breathed in, the spell got larger; when he breathed out, it shrunk.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°How is he doing that?¡± Von-Pac wondered.

    ¡°Which part?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°All of it, how is he maintaining a spell while asleep, and how is he making it keep in time with his breathing?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°Well, I did not call him Sentinel for no reason.¡± I said.

    ¡°We have the band now¡­ should we wake him?¡± Vindicta asked. ¡°I mean, I think we should let him sleep.¡±

    ¡°We will come in last and have to wake up early if we do not hurry,¡± Von-Pac reminded us.

    ¡°I think we are already going to have to do that.¡± I said.

    Von-Pac sighed, ¡°You are probably right, but we still cannot stay on Dragon¡¯s Hoard of all places overnight.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Jake¡¯s spell is producing enough heat to keep us warm, and enough light to keep any beast away.¡± Vindicta pointed out. ¡°We could at least get a few hours of sleep before going all the way back down.¡±

    ¡°What if he runs out of mana before sunrise?¡± Von-Pac argued.

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± I said. ¡°His mana capacity is huge, and even if he was constantly outputting mana, which he is not, he is just maintaining a spell he already cast, then it would still take over an hour for him to run out of mana.¡±

    ¡°Over an hour?¡± Vindicta asked stunned. ¡°His life force density must be staggering, and I can¡¯t even imagine his mana reservoir.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever had it measured?¡± Von-Pac asked.

    ¡°Actually, we have, his life force is five-hundred Kelma and about sixty Dalma. He also has a mana reservoir of nine-fifteen.¡± I told them. They both stood in stunned silence, probably deciding if they actually believed such staggering figures.

    ¡°How? Just¡­ how?¡± Von-Pac wondered.

    Vindicta stayed quiet for a moment longer, she seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Suma¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t mean to¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ well-¡± she stopped herself, like she regretted saying anything in the first place.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There are rumors¡­ I didn¡¯t believe them, not until you said¡­ but I want you to know I don¡¯t care about them, even if they are true.¡± She stuttered out.

    ¡°Rumors? What rumors?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want¡­ and I don¡¯t mean to be-¡± she tried to say, but Von-Pac cut her off.

    ¡°She means the rumors about your familiar¡­ Jake¡­ being a Viking.¡± I was stunned, how could anyone have known? I never told anyone, and I am fairly certain Jake had not either.

    ¡°That is not¡­ he is not¡­ there is more to it than¡­¡± I stuttered, then stopped and sighed. ¡°Look, it is not what you think.¡±

    ¡°So, he is a Viking then?¡± Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± I said.

    ¡°Is he or is he not, it cannot be that difficult.¡± Von-Pac declared. I decided to explain the way Jake explained it to me.

    ¡°The Vikings were not, are not, a race of people. They were a culture, a way of life, one that was abandoned long ago. Jake is not descended from them, at least he does not think he is.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Does he not know?¡± Von-Pac asked. I should have expected such a question from him. To nobles, lineage is a matter of pride, and thus it is strictly catalogued, and records are well preserved, even as far back as the ravaging, that being the near extinction event caused by the Chaos Dragon.

    ¡°To his people, lineage is less important; only royals and nobility worry about it apparently.¡± I told him. ¡°According to Jake, where you are from is more important than who you are descended from in most places.¡±

    ¡°How strange.¡± Von-Pac said.

    ¡°So, what you are saying is, he is the same species, but he isn¡¯t actually a Viking?¡± Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said simply.

    ¡°Well, this explains his aptitude for magic, his people must be-¡± Von-Pac said, but I cut him off.

    ¡°Magic does not exist on his world.¡± They both fell dead silent.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vindicta finally asked a long while.

    ¡°According to jake, Magic has never existed on his world before, at least not any confirmed cases. But he says there are stories of people who could use it, but that he had always just assumed they were untrue tales passed down from ancient times.¡± I explained.

    ¡°How... how does a world even do anything without magic?¡± Von-Pac wondered. I could not blame them for not understanding, I still have trouble wrapping my mind around it as well.

    ¡°In truth, I am not sure I could explain that; I am not even sure I understand it.¡± I said.

    ¡°With unimaginable amounts of manpower, violence, and ingenuity.¡± Jake said rolling over, causing all of us to become surprised and our feathers to stand on end for a moment.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°By the dragons!¡± Von-Pac shouted and beat his wings causing him to flutter back slightly.

    ¡°Did we wake you?¡± Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s fine,¡± I said.

    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Since you asked about the rumors of me being a Viking.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Vindicta said mournfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t blame you for being curious.¡± I said. ¡°But now that you know the truth, how do you feel?¡±

    ¡°You have been nothing but kind to me, you gave me a name, and you were attacked by those Echo beasts making sure we all got to safety. I have nothing but gratitude towards you Jake.¡± Vindicta said. Hearing her say that put me at ease, I was worried she would be afraid or hate me. The Neame view Vikings as monsters, so I wasn¡¯t sure how deeply ingrained that would be.

    ¡°And you?¡± I asked turning to Von-Pac. The noble stayed quiet for a moment, perhaps pondering his own opinions, but he did eventually give an answer.

    ¡°I will with-hold judgment until given cause to be concerned. While it is true I do not care for your lax attitude towards nobles, I do know one thing: you are a good soul. You have the power of a dragon, the potential ability to use the most devastating magic my world has ever seen, the strength of a monster, and all you have done with these things is join the army and try to help your master fulfill her desires to become a healing mage. I have seen and undergone enough over these last hours to make me¡­ reconsider... some previously held notions. I will leave it at that for now.¡± Von-Pac stated. I appreciated his honesty, but the way he spoke made it feel like he considered me some kind of world ending event. I decided to let it be for now, and instead change the subject.

    ¡°So, should we head down the mountain?¡±

    ¡°No, we think it would be best to just wait up here for the night, then head back down in the morning.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Well, we better get some firewood then, that way I don¡¯t have to maintain this spell all night.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Vindicta said, ¡°but... what is firewood?¡± I sighed, it was going to be a long night atop this mountain.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Turns out, firewood is exactly what it sounds like, wood specifically cut to be burned in a fire. ¡°It feels like we are preparing for some kind of strange ritual.¡± Vindicta pointed out as she released her mana and let a bundle of logs Jake had cut with magic fall to the ground. He had found a tree that ¡°looked dry enough¡±, then used some kind of beam of magical energy to remove a branch and cut it into small sections.

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Von-Pac said as he carefully arranged the wood into the pattern Jake described beforehand. ¡°I cannot say I have ever had to do anything like this before.¡±

    ¡°And he cast that magical spell without uttering a word.¡± Vindicta said. ¡°You must have taught him well if he can use shadow casting, despite not having magic on his world.¡±

    ¡°I did not teach him a thing, in fact, I think he has probably taught me more about shadow casting than I ever could have taught him.¡± I said from my perch. My job was to be on lookout while everyone was working, just in case.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Jake taught himself shadow casting. In truth, I am not sure I have ever heard him utter a single incantation.¡± I told them.

    ¡°I should be surprised at that, but I am not.¡± Von-Pac said as he lit the small pile of wood aflame. Even from my perch I could feel the heat begin to increase. ¡°Hot!¡± He exclaimed and fluttered back sharply, landing on another stack of wood behind him.

    ¡°How does he cast such powerful magic then?¡± Vindicta wondered.

    ¡°He has this way of imagining the spells and their effects, but also their processes. I would liken it to the way a rune crafter works.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Does that mean he can craft runes?¡± Von-Pac asked.

    ¡°He thought about learning, but did not have time before we left for training.¡± I said.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Vindicta¡¯s POV</u>

    Suma, Von-Pac, and I were perched around the flames talking; the warm glow of the fire seemed to illuminate in a way that Jake¡¯s fireball just couldn¡¯t. The fireball was more of a penetrating brightness, but this was more like a living being. It flickered and popped occasionally at the base, surprising me each time.

    ¡°Vindicta, I have some more logs ready!¡± Jake called out from a short distance away. I left the warm flame, and as soon as I did, I noticed something I hadn¡¯t before¡­ how cold the mountain was. It hadn¡¯t bothered me before, but now that I had felt so warm and comfortable, the cold bit at my feathers. I wonder, had I felt like this earlier, and just not known enough to care or realize it, or had it really not affected me before. I landed beside Jake¡¯s pile of logs and wrapped my mana, what little I had, around them to pick them up.

    ¡°That should be enough for the night,¡± Jake said and picked up a few logs himself. We went over to the fire and dropped our logs a short distance away, then perched around those warming golden and sky orange flames again. ¡°Ah, that feels good.¡± Jake said sitting on a rock he had rolled over earlier. He was rather close to it though, I actually worried he might get burned, but he seemed content. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going to get closer?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to be funny?¡± Von-Pac scoffed. ¡°I can barely stand the heat from this distance.¡± We had all perched two or three times further than Jake was due to the heat. Despite the fact that I was enjoying it, I couldn¡¯t bear to draw any nearer.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Once the campfire was built up enough, I dispelled the fireball. That left only the orange glow of the burning wood to light up the area. We all sat, or perched in their cases, and talked for a while. As we did, I would watch the fire to make sure it was getting enough oxygen by wrapping mana around certain logs and maneuvering them into better positions.

    ¡°So Jake, what is your world like?¡± Von-Pac asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty different from your world. For starters we don¡¯t have magic.¡± I told them.

    ¡°Yes, Suma mentioned that earlier, but what else makes it so different?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°Well for one, our sky is a different color. Yours is orange, but ours is a faded light blue.¡± I said.

    ¡°Blue? Why is it blue?¡± Vindicta asked confused.

    ¡°Why is your sky orange?¡± I countered.

    ¡°Umm, it¡¯s¡­ huh, I guess I don¡¯t know.¡± She said.

    ¡°Our skies are the colors they are because of the gases that make them up. I don¡¯t know what makes up your world¡¯s air, but my world¡¯s, Earth, is mostly oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide; as well as several others. The specific mixture of all these gases defuses more blue light than anything else, so our sky looks blue and yours looks orange.¡± I explained.

    They all seemed lost. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Vindicta stated.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Von-Pac¡¯s POV</u>

    We perched around the flames listening to Jake attempt to explain something far beyond my comprehension, but by the dragons there was no way I would ever admit that to them. Instead, I tried a different tactic. ¡°Perhaps we should switch back to the original question?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Oh right, sorry. I can really go off on tangents when it comes to science.¡± Jake said apologetically. He thankfully went back to detailing what his home, Earth as he called it, was like. To me, it sounded both like a utopia and like a torture. He described a world where dangerous and deadly diseases were being cured daily, where hunger and war were all but eliminated, and where most people did not concern themselves with survival, but with enjoying their lives. However, he also told us of his people¡¯s long and violent history. Of weapons more powerful than anything shy of grand scale magic. And perhaps most horrifyingly, of his people¡¯s switch from noble ruling classes, to elected leaders; for a moment, I felt sick.

 Part 40: Down Dragonéˆ¥æªš Hoard

    Jake¡¯s POV

    Night had come and gone, I got some sleep, but not much. We slept in shifts just in case the fire didn¡¯t keep all the animals at bay. I was third watch, so I ended up waking up quite early, and I have a bit of a hard time falling back asleep once I¡¯m awake, so I just stayed up and talked with Vindicta since it was her turn on watch. Once the sun came up, we all had some fruit that Suma grew from some seeds stored in my shoulder perch, then headed back down the trail.

    ¡°Careful on the rocks, they seem more unstable than they did yesterday.¡± I said as I regained my balance after nearly falling on my butt.

    ¡°No kidding?¡± Von-Pac said. ¡°And here I was about to order Paxus to do a little dance.¡± He said sarcastically.

    ¡°How is everyone¡¯s mana by the way?¡± Suma asked the group.

    ¡°I¡¯m still drained, but not nearly as bad as I was last night.¡± Vindicta said desperately clinging to Argosa¡¯s saddle as she skidded around on the loose rocks. Although, she didn¡¯t seem to be out of control. In fact, Argosa was the only one of the familiars who seemed in her element.

    ¡°I am feeling better, but I would have preferred a few more hours of sleep.¡± Von-Pac complained.

    ¡°Jake?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯ve been up long enough to not be too tired.¡± I said. Our journey down the mountain was long, tiring, and did I mention long? Because it was. We had to stop, eat, and rest on five separate occasions. Much of which I was the only one who could carry all three because their familiars couldn¡¯t go on. At least the journey down was fairly easy, just time consuming. It took hours, but eventually we made it back to camp.

    ¡°Ah, there you are!¡± The drill instructor called out as he landed on a perch near us. ¡°I was beginning to think I would either have to get a search party together, or start preparing your eulogies.¡±

    ¡°Sorry sir, we got caught-¡± Suma tried to explain, but was cut off.

    ¡°If you have injuries, go to the medical station for some healing. Once everything is taken care of you can explain in full. Dismissed.¡± He stated and flew back to the vine-hut he came from.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°I see his concern for us hasn¡¯t dulled his charm.¡± I complained.

    ¡°We may as well go get checked out, it might be the only break we get until this whole thing is over.¡± Vindicta suggested, we all agreed and went to get checked out. All of them were suffering from life-force depletion, their mana was running dry, but no one had any injuries that weren¡¯t fixable. They each had muscle strain, and their wings were a bit battered from flying in the cave and hitting the walls, but nothing bad.

    ¡°I guess we should go give our report,¡± I said. I started making my way there, and the rest flew arriving much sooner than me. As we all entered the instructor¡¯s office, he offered the other perches, then began asking us questions.

    ¡°Do you want me to make you a seat?¡± Suma asked me over our private connection.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try, if that¡¯s okay? I need the practice.¡± I said. She nodded her head and refocused on the instructor. I had seen this done plenty of time, but never tried myself. I started channeling magic, then imagined the vines coalescing and twisting into the shape of a log; nothing fancy, just a cylindrical bundle of vines. As I pictured this, the plants began to twist and conform to the shape in my head. I was ecstatic by the event, but when I looked around, no one had even noticed. Well, it¡¯s normal for them, I guess. I thought to myself. I took my newly formed seat and resumed listening to the instructor and the other¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°And then Lady Suma summoned Sentinel to cover our escape from the cave.¡± Von-Pac said. ¡°After which I collapsed the entrance to that area, and she unsummoned him.¡±

    ¡°And I assume you left the cave after that?¡± The instructor asked.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Vindicta said, ¡°after we did, Von-Pac collapsed the cavern so that the creatures couldn¡¯t follow us.¡±

    ¡°But I thought you said you were nearly out of mana?¡± The instructor asked.

    ¡°Jake¡­ um Sentinel¡­ lent him some.¡± Vindicta said.

    ¡°Why do they keep using my familiar name?¡± I asked Suma privately.

    ¡°It is a formal meeting, why do you think Von-Pac called me Lady Suma?¡± She explained. ¡°We have to use our proper names. Which reminds me.¡± She said to me then interrupted Vindicta to address the instructor. ¡°Sir, we have something else to report. Recruit six has received a name¡­ Vindicta.¡±

    The instructor seemed taken aback, ¡°I sent you into the forest on a retrieval mission, and you come back a day late, beaten to the dragons, and with a new name¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°Fine, I will make a note of it, and send off the report to the Royal Citadel.¡±

    ¡°Thank you sir,¡± Vindicta chirped happily.

    ¡°You¡¯ll still need to present yourself to the Grand Duke when you return, but until his approval or disapproval you will be considered a named Neame.¡± The instructor clarified. Vindicta thanked him, and we got back to our report. We spent a solid hour being debriefed, and all I could think the whole time was how much I wanted to go home and shower, but I couldn¡¯t just yet. ¡°Okay, well take a rest for a few minutes, the rest of the recruits are just about to start today¡¯s familiar combat training.¡±

 Part 41: Combat Training

    ¡°Line up!¡± The drill instructor yelled at all of us. There were about fifteen Neame, and their familiars, currently present for today¡¯s combat training, including myself and Jake. I was perched on Jake¡¯s saddle, and he had for some reason begun standing incredibly straight. I do not know how he had the energy for it after we had spent all day climbing down Dragon¡¯s Hoard. ¡°Today¡¯s exercise is to train your teamwork. Not between your fellow soldiers and medic, but between yourselves and your familiars.¡± The instructor loudly announced. ¡°Look out onto today¡¯s training area! You will see several metal dummies. Your goal today is to land three attacks on the dummies, to be clear, that is three for you and for your familiar as well. You may achieve these attacks as you see fit, but be warned,¡± he stopped talking. The dummy I was looking at suddenly started spinning and floating in the air, then it began to shoot flames from its center of mass. ¡°These dummies like to hit back.¡± The instructor concluded his¡­ rousing¡­ speech by asking who wanted to go first.

    ¡°I will sir,¡± one Neame volunteered. I did not know his name, but it was the one with the Black Serpent familiar.

    ¡°A member of our last familiar training session¡¯s winning team, step forward Lauric Isbala.¡± The instructor said. ¡°Take whatever position on the field you¡¯d like and begin on my order.¡± Lauric left his familiar¡¯s saddle and flew to a boulder on the battlefield. His familiar went to the opposite end of the field and hid inside a pocket of tall grass. Then the black serpent did something I certainly had not expected¡­ it disappeared.

    ¡°Now that is some good camouflage.¡± Jake mumbled.

    ¡°I knew Black Serpents could do such things, but I did not expect them to be so effective at it.¡± I said stunned. Seemingly, all of the recruits were impressed with Lauric¡¯s familiar¡¯s ability. So much so that we were all ordered to be silent by the instructor.

    ¡°Begin!¡± the instructor called out and Lauric and his familiar, which was now blending in almost perfectly with the tall yellow grass, went on the attack. Lauric flew high up and then dive bombed straight at the dummy, meanwhile his familiar snuck up behind it. As Lauric was falling, he launched a fire spell at the dummy, engulfing the creation in flames for a moment. Just as he neared impact, Lauric flared his wings, cutting his speed, and pulled up and to the right, narrowly missing one of the contraptions many segmented limbs that were splayed in all directions. Really it appeared more like a bush without any leaves rather than a training tool, but the fire that shot out of its limb and burned Lauric¡¯s feathers told a different story.

    ¡°Reahhhhhhhiiiiisssss!¡± The serpent familiar cried out and launched itself through the air. Its body collided with the dummy and encircled it, then it unhinged its jaw and sprayed some kind of green liquid onto the dummy before releasing it and retreating back to the tall grass. It had bought its master enough time to escape, and Lauric was back in the sky preparing another attack. This time, he attempted to use the ground and the dirt by casting a spell to immobilize the device. Pillars of rock and dirt surrounded the dummy on all sides, then came crashing down on top of it, pinning it to the ground and preventing it from flying away. Lauric wasted no time diving down for another attack, forming another fire spell and slamming the flames into the dummy. His familiar once again came out of hiding, but this time it was not from the grass, but from one of the boulders Lauric had used earlier. It had changed its color from yellow to brown to blend in, but was now dropping its camouflage and landing the final blow on the dummy.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± the instructor called out to Lauric and his familiar as they approached and rejoined the group. ¡°Now who would like to go next?¡±

    ¡°Jake, do you want to go next?¡± I asked him privately. He remained quiet for a moment, in thought.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s let someone else go next and see what strategies work best against that thing.¡± He suggested. I agreed, and we decided to wait.

    ¡°No takers?¡± The instructor called out. ¡°Well then I guess-¡± he started to say, but just as he did, a recruit flew up and landed with the rest of the recruits. ¡°Recruit! Why are you late?!¡± The instructor yelled.

    ¡°Apologies sir,¡± The Neame replied, ¡°I overslept and-¡± the poor recruit tried to explain, but as soon as he said overslept¡­ the instructor had heard enough.

    ¡°OH! WERE YOU TIRED? Well¡­ let¡¯s help wake you up! Summon your familiar recruit, you¡¯re next in today¡¯s battle exercises.¡± The instructor ordered.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the Neame said meekly. With that, he raised his wings, and activated his summoning spell. It was an odd spell, as the magic circle did not form on the ground, but in the air, and we all soon saw why. His familiar flew out of the magic circle, which was floating sideways in the air, with surprising speed. However, its appearance was the real shock.

    ¡°Is that a flying fish?!¡± Jake asked stunned.

    ¡°It... appears so,¡± I acknowledged, equally amazed.

    ¡°How¡¯s it floating like that?¡± He wondered. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ hanging in the air.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea; it does not make sense.¡± I stated.

    ¡°What is it called?¡± Jake wondered.

    ¡°I do not know,¡± I said, ¡°I did not hear him call a name. He might not have given it one.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No, I mean what is its species name?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°I do not know, I have never seen a creature like that before, at least not in the air.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Get to the field recruit,¡± the instructor ordered. The Neame and his familiar flew over to the training area and took a position together far away from the dummy. ¡°BEGIN!¡± The instructor yelled. With that, the dummy began spinning and started to close in on the pair. This is where I realized something I had not before, just how widely varied a battle against an enemy could be. Where Lauric and his Black Serpent immediately began charging in and attacking the dummy, this Neame and his familiar chose to attack from a distance. The floating fish creature took a position between the dummy and its master, then immediately began attacking the dummy from a distance. It shot bolts of lightning from its mouth, which crashed into the dummy with frightening force. One¡­ two¡­ three times the creature shot its attacks and each time it hit with unyielding precision.

    ¡°A flying fish¡­ that shoots lighting.¡± Jake mumbled, probably as enthralled by the spectacle as I was.

    ¡°Now he only needs to land three attacks himself,¡± I noted. It was then I noticed something interesting, the Neame was preparing to use combo magic. ¡°Jake, do you remember when I told you about combo magic?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um, yes¡­ why?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°I believe you are about to get a demonstration.¡± I said. I could tell what was going on, combo magic is a technique all mages learn if they plan on getting, or already have, a familiar. We learn it at the academy, and it has two telltale signs. First, a magic circle is cast around both the master and the familiar. Second, a wave of mana travels down the circle¡¯s connection points from the familiar to the master. Both were occurring between the pair as we watched. The dummy was beaten down, parts were falling off, and it was only inches above the ground now. I could only imagine how much damage it must have sustained between this fight and Lauric¡¯s.

    ¡°Oh forest, grow and spread at my command, heed my call and ensnare my enemies,¡± the Neame began to chant.

    ¡°It must be a complex spell if he needs to chant,¡± Jake theorized. In truth, it probably was not nearly as complex as some of the spells I had seen him do, but I doubt he realizes that.

    ¡°Lightning, flow and penetrate this forest, become whole and roar!¡± As soon as he finished his chant, vines erupted from the ground and entangled the broken remains of the dummy. Once it was immobilized, the vines began to explode. One-by-one they detonated and released bolts of energy in every direction. In moments, the fight was over, and the dummy was defeated.

    ¡°Now that was cool,¡± Jake smiled.

    ¡°Indeed, Combination Magic is a powerful tool.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Good job recruit,¡± the instructor complimented. ¡°Now, who is next?¡±

    ¡°Suma, I think we should go next.¡± Jake stated.

    ¡°But I thought you wanted to wait and watch?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°I did, but now I want to give it a go.¡±

    ¡°Jake¡­ remember¡­ we cannot use magic like that. Our combination would-¡± I said, but he cut me off.

    ¡°I know¡­ I remember what happened. But I don¡¯t want to do that. I just think we can handle it.¡± He said confidently. I thought about it for a moment, and relented. If Jake thought it was a promising idea, I would trust him.

    ¡°Sir, my familiar and I would like to go next.¡± I announced.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    ¡°Alright then, take your positions on the battlefield and begin on my command.¡± He acknowledged. Suma fluttered up to my shoulder and rested on the perch on my armor.

    ¡°So Jake, do you have a plan?¡± She asked as we approached the field.

    ¡°I do, this thing is weak to long range attacks, and I think I have just the thing to get my strikes in.¡± I told her as I made my plan.

    ¡°Care to enlighten me?¡± She asked. I reached into my bag and pulled out a handful of steel ball bearings I had purchased a few days ago after I had an idea for a spell.

    ¡°With these,¡± I told her. She stayed quiet for a moment, looking a bit concerned if her tilted head was anything to go by.

    ¡°Jake, I know you are strong¡­ but you realize that training dummy is made of metal, right?¡± She asked. ¡°How do you plan on throwing those hard enough to do damage?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I said. I explained my plan to her, she seemed warry, but agreed to go through with it. If everything goes as planned, then we will both get our hits in no problem. We took our positions, I was far away from the dummy, and she was covering me until my spell was done. It was a complex spell, like nothing I had ever tried before, but I was fairly sure it would work.

    Once we were in our positions the instructor gave the call to start, ¡°Begin!¡± As he said that, the new dummy that had been brought out lurched forward quickly¡­ in fact, it was much faster now than in the other rounds. It rushed at Suma and started spinning its, comparatively, huge metal arms around. She flew straight up and began her half of the plan¡­ meanwhile I began my half. She wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, but she didn¡¯t need to be, she just needed to buy me some time.

    ¡°Fly Crimson Bolt!¡± She yelled and cast her spell. A lance of fire, just like the one she used when that magistrate attacked us, flew at the dummy. I had expected it to slam into the dummy and score her one of her needed hits, but instead the thing suddenly leaned and narrowly avoided being hit. It was like some kind of spinning top of doom the way it was moving and twirling. ¡°Fly Crimson Bolt!¡± She yelled again and launched another attack. Once again, the dummy dodged.

    While this was happening, I was focusing on the balls and the spell. There are four fundamental forces of the universe: the Strong Force, the Weak Force, Gravity, and the Electro-Magnetic Force. Of these four, I was attempting to manipulate the final one. I had been preparing for this spell for a while now, studying military documentaries about the technology, and looking up videos on the internet to gain a better understanding. I started by envisioning the target becoming magnetized, and drawing the ball bearings closer at an ever increasing pace, then I used magic to create a kind of rail system along the path I wanted the ball to follow. As the ball would go, it would be pulled along by electro-magnetism through the air, and suspended with my mana. But that is where the documentaries and I began to split. Technology had its limits, pulling something with magnetism is easy, but switching the polarity at the halfway mark is nearly impossible¡­ unless you have magic. While the spell was pulling the balls along with magnetism, it would also be generating a reversed polarity behind the ball, driving it forwards.

    ¡°Jake, how much longer?¡± Suma asked as she dodged a flame attack from the dummy.

    ¡°Now! Dodge!¡± I yelled and took aim. This spell was different, unique, and hard to imagine. I needed something solid to picture as I cast it. Suma had mentioned that her people did this occasionally too, so I thought I would try it out. ¡°RAILGUN!¡± I proclaimed and activated the spell.

 Part 42: An Enticing Offer

    Suma¡¯s POV

    Jake yelled as his spell activated. I had already moved from between him and the dummy, and I was soon extremely glad to have done it. His spell was strange, I could feel some magical energy building up, but it was not very much. Certainty not enough to destroy such a large enemy. A glowing path of light appeared and connected Jake and the center of the dummy, for a moment, I expected some kind of fire-spell, but I did not actually see the attack. Before I had time to realize what happened, the training dummy exploded violently into thousands of pieces. A roar like thunder shot through the air and the blue path vanished. It startled me so much I lost my concentration and nearly stopped flapping my wings. There was literally only scraps and splinters left of the dummy.

    ¡°STOP! STOP!¡± The instructor ordered. I landed on Jake¡¯s shoulder as the instructor yelled for us to get back to the group. ¡°WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!¡± The instructor yelled. ¡°You used tactical scale magic in a training session, while on a training field!¡± We were being chastised for Jake¡¯s attack spell; I think he called it ¡°Railgun¡±. ¡°You annihilated a training dummy. I don¡¯t even know how that was possible, it was made of metal.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I apologize, I didn¡¯t realize-¡± Jake started to say, but the instructor did not let him finish.

    ¡°Enough, cadet Suma, he is your familiar, so this is your responsibility.¡± He declared.

    ¡°I think that will be enough Sargent,¡± a Neame said as he landed on a perch next to the instructor. He was shorter than the instructor, and darker in color, but obviously he out ranked the instructor. Members of The King¡¯s Armed Forces, once they have graduated from basic training anyway, all wear gold symbols on their chest to display their status. For a private just out of training, the symbol is a single golden line worn horizontally. For the next two ranks, an extra line is added above the first. This Neame was a major, which I knew because he wore three upside-down triangles on his chest, where the instructor only had a single square.

    ¡°Major!¡± the instructor said and stood straight up on his perch, his feathers slightly raised from surprise. ¡°Sir, I apologize for my inability to properly control and discipline my cadets.¡± He said.

    ¡°No need for that Sargent, at least not yet.¡± The Major said and turned to face Jake and I. ¡°So, which one of you was it that cast the tactical magic? I thought I heard that the familiar was the caster, but I could have been mistaken¡­ or at least that is what my common sense wants me to believe.¡±

    ¡°It was me sir,¡± Jake said. He was stood stock still, and even straighter than the drill instructor. His arms were behind his back, and one of his appendages was wrapped tightly around the other. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, I didn¡¯t realize my spell would be so powerful.¡± Jake explained. I admit, when I first noticed Jake¡¯s spell, I was convinced it was not going to be enough, or at least nothing special. It used so little mana after all, I still do not understand how a spell so weak could have produced such an effect.

    ¡°What is your name, if you possess one?¡± The Major asked. Strangely, he seemed unfazed by Jake¡¯s ability to speak. So far, most Neame we have encountered have been caught off guard by it. Having a familiar with the ability to speak is almost unheard of, outside of children¡¯s stories anyway. So, the Major¡¯s ability to take it in stride was fairly impressive.

    ¡°That is¡­ a complicated answer sir,¡± I told the Major.

    ¡°Simplify it,¡± he said plainly.

    ¡°Jake, this is an exceedingly high ranked Major,¡± I said to Jake over our private connection, ¡°we should use your familiar name; that is the proper protocol.¡± Jake agreed.

    ¡°My name is Sentinel.¡± Jake told the Major.

    ¡°Well Sentinel, who was it that taught you tactical magic?¡± The Major wondered. Actually, this was something I had not thought of, I just accepted it on account of how powerful Jake is, but who did teach him that spell? It certainly was not me, only the highest levels of mages are even allowed to attempt to learn it.

    ¡°I created the spell myself sir, but it was based of knowledge from my world.¡± Jake explained. I had figured that would be the case, that it was something from his world, but I did not expect him to be able to actually develop the spell alone. Most tactical magic requires teams of Neame from all occupations working in tandem for months or years to create a new tactical spell.

    ¡°You and who else?¡± The Major asked, obviously not believing Jake did it alone.

    ¡°No one sir, I did it alone.¡± Jake told him. The Major seemed irritated, whether by Jake¡¯s answer, or by the thought that a single person could create tactical magic all by himself, I could not tell.

    ¡°Do you expect me to believe that a single familiar was able to develop, test, and successfully utilize tactical magic all by himself?¡± The Major asked in a quite serious tone, his feathers pressed closely to his body.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth sir.¡± Jake responded. There were a few long moments of quiet while the Major stared at Jake.

    ¡°Sentinel, follow me.¡± He turned to the instructor, ¡°Sargent, continue your class. Now, I assume you are this familiar¡¯s master?¡± He asked me.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°Please follow me as well.¡± The Major then spread his wings and took flight. I followed him, and Jake walked after us quickly. We landed beside a large wyvern who had a narrow saddle on its back between its wings. We were perched on a few molded vines, and when Jake arrived, he opted to sit on the grass. I do not know how he was comfortable like that though; his limbs were twisted and interlocked, or ¡°crisscross applesauce¡± as he once called it. ¡°Sentinel, how would you feel about joining the Drake Brigade?¡± The Major asked.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I sat on my bed that night, thinking about my earlier conversation with the Major. He said, ¡°You and Madam Suma would be excellent candidates for our program. You have unparalleled magical prowess, the ability to cast tactical grade magic without anyone assisting you, and you Madam Suma, you are an excellent healing mage. We are always on the lookout for those, especially ones with names.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, who exactly are the Drakes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have only heard rumors myself, I did not believe they actually existed.¡± Suma said in awe at the realization.

    ¡°What rumors have you heard Madam Suma?¡± The Major asked interested. It might have been his first opportunity to get an outsider¡¯s perspective on his team, or maybe he just liked hearing what people thought of them.

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    ¡°That they are some kind of special team of mages, each with powerful and unique familiars. They go on the kinds of missions most people do not survive. I have heard their power and effectiveness, not to mention their magical strength, is likened to the descendants of the dragons.¡± Suma told us.

    ¡°A well-earned reputation, I assure you.¡± The Major said pridefully. ¡°And I want you two to try out for the team.¡±

    That conversation was nearly four hours ago, and it¡¯s still bouncing around my head. He explained to us that there would be a kind of¡­ try out¡­ held in twelve days. Any member of the army, new recruit or otherwise, was allowed to try out, but if we did succeed, we would still need to pass boot camp to actually be accepted. Suma and I talked about it, and told the Major we would have an answer for him in two days. We both needed time to think about the offer. My train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of my phone; my mum has started calling me every night now that I am spending more time on Earth.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered.

    ¡°Hey Jake, I just wanted to call and make sure you were okay. You didn¡¯t answer your phone last night and I got worried.¡± Mum said sounding relieved that I had picked up.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Mum, I couldn¡¯t leave Suma¡¯s world last night because they got themselves into a pickle and needed someone to help them out. I ended up camping on a mountain because of it last night.¡± I explained the whole series of events to her, only leaving out the part where I got bitten by a giant ant reptile thing and paralyzed.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m just happy that that cave didn¡¯t collapse on you or something. They really should have thought their plan through better than that. I thought you said they were trained professionals Jake?¡± She complained.

    ¡°Well, trained for healing, not cave exploration.¡± I said. ¡°But they did okay for their first time.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    I laid in my roost, under the army issue tarp that blocked out some of the light from the stupidly bright magical laces running through the floors and ceiling of the underground sleeping area. The conversation Jake and I had with the Major would not leave my thoughts. He wanted us, or more realistically Jake, as a part of his Drakes team. I am no fool, I know I was only offered because Jake is my familiar and they cannot only offer it to him. But that did not mean it was not going to affect me. I would have to go on missions with Jake, as I am the only one capable of summoning him, so that means I would end up going on quite dangerous missions to places where I could be killed without even knowing what was happening. I signed up to be a healing mage, I expected to be put into dangerous places, doing dangerous things, but I never once considered I would end up on the front lines. The thought was frightening, but another part of me said something different. A small part of me wanted to go, wanted to be a part of something bigger, wanted to do something that would make a difference in this war. I fell asleep thinking about my feelings, and about how my life would change if I acted on those feelings.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV

    After the Major flew away from the training area with the one call Suma and her Viking, the rest of the cadets finished one by one their combat maneuvers. We were dismissed for a brief time so that we could eat, and during my lunch break, the Major approached and made me an offer. He wanted me to join his team, or rather, he wanted me to audition for it. He called them the Drakes. I had heard of the team before, my father mentioned them on several occasions while in business dealings with other nobles. I had always made it a point to attend those meetings so as to further my understanding of the country and its laws. I accepted the Major¡¯s offer without a second thought, I joined the army in order to serve, this was just a better way of doing so. I had twelve days to prepare myself and my familiar for the tryout. Of course, this raised an issue, when he pulled Suma and the Viking aside, he most likely offered them a chance to audition as well. And why would he not? Even I must admit I did not expect to see tactical level magic to be utilized during a training session, and by a single familiar no less.

    ¡°What a troublesome duo,¡± I mumbled as I grew my lunch.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    It was time. Suma and I had discussed it before today. I sat in the therapist¡¯s office building waiting to be called back for my appointment. I had let her know that I was bringing Suma to see her, but obviously that was a small lie. Suma was still having issues with what happened that day in the alley, and I figured that the stress from our upcoming decision might be a lot for her to handle, so I talked to her and she agreed. We would be summoning the doctor to see her.

    ¡°Jake, the doctor is ready for you.¡± The receptionist announced.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and walked to her office. We had had several meetings since that first time after the attack in the alley, so I didn¡¯t need to be led to her office anymore. I Knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Hey Dr. Maxwell,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hello Jake, how have you been?¡± She asked smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been good, been getting lots of exercise and stuff.¡± I told her and sat on the couch. I had been preparing for this for a while now, planning what I was going to say, and how to say it.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s new?¡± She asked and took a seat in the chair opposite of me.

    ¡°Well actually, do you remember my friend I told you about? The one who was with me in the alley? Suma.¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± she said, ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°She wants to talk to you, she has been dealing with a lot of stress lately, and recently she and I were both offered a pretty major decision that we need to make. I thought it would be a good idea for her to talk with a professional about it, so I reminded her of your offer.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Ah, well I¡¯m happy to see her whenever she needs.¡± Dr. Maxwell said.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, because she wants to see you now.¡± I said. This was the part I was dreading; this was the part that would make me look crazy.

    ¡°Like right now? Is she here?¡± The doctor wondered.

    ¡°In¡­ a manner of speaking, yes.¡± I took a deep breath and began my pre-rehearsed speech. ¡°Okay, so this is going to make me sound crazy, but in order for you to see her we need to hold hands for a few seconds. Suma is actually a magic user from another world, and she is also a tiny bird person from a race called Neame. In order to get to her we hold hands then I will contact her, and she will summon me, then we will be transported to her world. From there she will induce a mind link and show you some of her memories and that will allow you to understand her.¡± I gasped deeply to regain my breath after that long explanation, and waited for her response.

    After a few moments of silence, she finally answered, ¡°Okay.¡± I was stunned, I couldn¡¯t believe it was that easy.

    ¡°You¡­ you believe me?¡± I asked doubtful.

    ¡°No, but I do believe that letting you try will help break your delusion and then we can treat the underlying problem. Honestly, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t realize how precarious your mental state was. So, if letting you hold my hand for a moment is what it is going to take for you to start healing, then I am willing to entertain you for a few moments.¡± She said. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame her, but at least she would let me try.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Suma, you can summon us now.¡± I announced after I held the doctor¡¯s hand. ¡°Now doc, don¡¯t freak out when your arms and legs start to vanish, okay.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t.¡± She reassured me. A second later her feet had already been fully transported, and so had the top of her head. She looked horrified, probably because she was seeing it happen to me, just as I was watching it happen to her. Needless to say, she panicked.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    ¡°Suma, you can summon us now.¡± Jake announced. I had only been waiting on his signal for a short time, but it felt like ages. I immediately began the summoning, and as soon as it was completed and they arrived, my ears were filled with the sounds of distressed shrieking. I could not understand what the person was saying, but they seemed upset. Jake tried hard to calm the woman down though. ¡°I told you what would happen.¡± The woman gave some kind of response, a rather loud one at that. ¡°Yes but you can¡¯t say I lied, or that I didn¡¯t make it clear.¡± There was a moment of silence as the two stared at one another. ¡°So, this is Suma.¡± Jake said gesturing at me.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted, but then remembered she would not be able to understand me either yet. I went ahead and started sharing my memories, so that we would be able to understand each other. She seemed surprised, and began saying something again.

    ¡°I told you remember, she would share some memories so that you would be able to understand her language. Don¡¯t worry, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Jake tried to reassure her, it seemed to help, however slightly.

    ¡°Done,¡± I said. I had showed her all the way up to just after I was released from the interrogation room, that way she would understand how everything happened. Jake had suggested the idea.

    ¡°That bird¡­ talks.¡±

 Part 43: A Quiet Night

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve been through a lot. What¡¯s the first thing that comes to you mind when you think about it all?¡± The therapist, Dr. Maxwell, asked. After she had calmed down, and understood what was happening, she seemed eager to talk to me and help if she could. She was sitting on a pillar of vines Jake had made for her before giving us some privacy and outside for a while.

    ¡°I suppose the first thing that I think of is what happened in¡­ no, that is not true; the first thing I think of is my parents.¡± I said.

    ¡°Your parents? Can you tell me a bit about them?¡±

    ¡°In what context?¡±

    ¡°However you want.¡± I thought about her request for a moment.

    ¡°Well, my mom is¡­ protective. When I told her I volunteered for the military she became quite upset. My dad is¡­ my dad has always been distant, but that is normal I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Normal?¡± Dr. Maxwell asked. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, fathers rarely have anything to do with their children.¡±

    ¡°Is that normal on your world?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°Oh yes, but my family has never really been normal.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Well, most Neame are raised by only a single parent, usually the mother. It is a rare occurrence for the father to be involved in any significant way.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± she nodded that she understood, ¡°and how do you feel about that? Or, more specifically, how do you feel about your father?¡±

    ¡°I love him, he has been with me my entire life, but our relationship has always been strained.¡± I explained.

    ¡°And why do you think that is?¡±

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    ¡°I do not know really. Maybe it is because we are too different, or too similar?¡±

    ¡°Suma... I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°After your attack, what did your parents do?¡± Dr. Maxwell asked softly.

    ¡°They¡­ they did not come see me for a while. They disappeared from my life for nearly a week. When I asked them why¡­¡± I could feel my heartbeat increasing as I spoke, I was getting frustrated just thinking about it. ¡°When I asked them why, they said it was because they were afraid.¡±

    ¡°Afraid?¡± She sounded confused. ¡°Afraid of what? Of you?¡±

    ¡°No, afraid of Jake¡­ Jake, who had protected me, who has stayed with me without leaving my side for even a moment. Jake, who comforted me when I thought I had been responsible for killing someone, even though he himself was also suffering in the same way¡­ and they were afraid of him¡­¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I walked around in Suma¡¯s training camp while she talked to Dr. Maxwell. It was surprisingly large, not in height but rather it was all spread out. I guess that made sense though, seeing as all the Neame could fly. I heard voices in the distance, both of which sounded familiar. Walking towards them, I saw Vindicta and Von-Pac perched outside of a tent made of dirt that connected to a large earthen dome. ¡°Hey you two.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Oh, hello Jake.¡± Vindicta said.

    ¡°Greetings Jake.¡± Von-Pac said, but he sounded a bit less enthusiastic. ¡°What are you doing here? Training ended hours ago, I would have assumed you would have gone home by now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but Suma needed me for something, so I came back for a bit.¡± I said.

    ¡°And where is Suma? Normally, you two are all but inseparable while in camp.¡± Vindicta pointed out.

    ¡°She is talking to a friend; I¡¯m giving them a few minutes alone.¡±

    ¡°Why not just send you back then? Surely you would rather be in your world than ours, especially if you were limited to a single training camp.¡± Von-Pac questioned.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a long story, but the short and sweet of it is it¡¯s safer if I stay here while they talk.¡± They seemed confused, but didn¡¯t press the issue. Instead, I asked them a question. ¡°So, what are you two doing outside alone at sundown?¡± I teased.

    ¡°Oh¡­ um, nothing. We were just talking!¡± Vindicta nearly yelled. I smiled at Von-Pac, who avoided my gaze.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go explore the camp a bit. I almost never see anything other than the training area after all. See you two later!¡± I said and beat a hasty retreat from the two embarrassed nymphs. I continued looking around the camp and saw another Neame sitting outside another dome; it was the same one from the other day¡¯s training. ¡°Hi,¡± I called out. He looked around confused until he eventually saw me. ¡°You¡¯re Lauric right? I¡¯m-¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish as he immediately spread his wings and flew away. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ kinda offended¡­ wow.¡±

 Part 44: Irritations

    ¡°Mori,¡± I said in an attempt to summon my sword. I was back home, now that Suma had finished her talk with Dr. Maxwell, at least for today. ¡°Twilight,¡± I tried again. I could feel something happening, but it was like I was pushing my spells through a wall of frozen pudding. I knew it could be done, I did it in the alley that time I got attacked, but I hadn¡¯t been able to recreate it since. ¡°Destiny,¡± I repeated, starting to get frustrated. Performing any kind of summons without the life-or-death factor was practically impossible, and casting a real spell was almost as hard. So far, the most magic I have been able to do on Earth was create a single drop of water and some sparkly glitter, like fairy sneezed or something. Still, that¡¯s better than I could manage a few months ago.

    ¡°Mr. Vandal?¡± The voice of my landlord call from outside my apartment. I walked over and opened the door.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Mr. Vandal, your rent has come due, actually. it was due a long time ago, this is your final notice. You have until the end of the week to pay this month¡¯s rent and last month¡¯s or you will be evicted.¡± She declared.

    ¡°What? How is that possible? I have my rent set to an auto payment with my bank. This isn¡¯t right.¡± I stated confused.

    ¡°Well then you may want to call your bank, because I haven¡¯t received payment in two months.¡± She stated firmly. ¡°You have seven days Mr. Vandal.¡± She turned and walked away.

    ¡°Wait! Could I pay with something other than my bank?¡± I asked with an idea.

    She stopped, ¡°I don¡¯t do trades sir.¡±

    ¡°Not a trade. Just, could I pay with cash or something? Just until I get my bank sorted out?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I could accept cash, but you would need to pay a notary public and have a one-time alternate payment contract written up. Just in case whatever you pay with ends up being counterfeit.¡± She explained. ¡°I have the contracts, you pay the notary, that¡¯s how it works.¡±

    ¡°Deal, I have the money right now if you have the contracts.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to print them out. I have the notary on retainer, you can pay her when she arrives.¡± With that, she left and I went back into my apartment. Specifically, I went to a safe I had hidden under my bed. Inside was a few legal documents, a copy of my birth certificate, and twenty-seven gold coins I got from Suma¡¯s world. I put most of them into my bank, but kept a few just in case. I looked up the value of gold per ounce, then weighed each coin. At ¡ê1,500 per ounce, and four ounces per coin, just a single coin would cover all my due rent, as well as the next four months. I then opened my phone and pulled my bank statements up. There did seem to be some kind of hold on a few of my last payments. My bank wasn¡¯t open 24 hours a day, so I would just have to call tomorrow. I checked the total amount in my account, and it was just what I expected it to be: ¡ê120,000.

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    ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Suma¡¯s POV

    My talk with Dr. Maxwell ended, but I could not clear my mind. I looked around at all the other recruits, most already asleep in their alcoves, and decided I wanted to stretch my wings for a bit. I quietly left the sleeping roost, and went outside. Flying at night was an abnormal experience for me. Before this, I had only done it on two or three occasions, and definitely never over a military training base. The cool air rushing down my wings felt relaxing, and the full moon provided enough light to find my way. After a while, I noticed someone else flying too. I drew closer and saw it was Lauric Isbala, the Neame with the Black Serpent familiar

    ¡°Hello there,¡± I said as I drifted beside him.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± he said plainly.

    ¡°Did you come out to enjoy the cool air as well?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded flatly.

    ¡°So¡­ is it as nice as you thought?¡± I asked awkwardly. Honestly, I was terrible at normal conversations, I am always too nervous.

    ¡°Madam Suma, please allow me to be clear. I do not dislike you,¡± he ignored my floundering and stated.

    ¡°Well, that is¡­ good. I do not dislike you either.¡±

    ¡°But, we are rivals. Both of us will be competing for the position that has opened up for the Drake Brigade.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­ listen, about being rivals¡­ I am not even certain I am going to accept the Major¡¯s offer.¡± I tried to explain.

    Lauric sighed, ¡°I cannot say I am surprised.¡± His voice was irritated, annoyed even.

    ¡°And why is that?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Madam Suma, your sense of reason is¡­ skewed. At least if the company you keep is anything to go by.¡±

    ¡°That is not fair. You do not even know Jake, he is-¡±

    ¡°He is a Viking, is he not?¡± Lauric interrupted.

    ¡°No,¡± I denied, ¡°no he is not. Despite what the rumors may say.¡±

    ¡°Please do not bother trying to lie to me Madam Suma, I have seen the old rune stills. I know that he is; I know what he is.¡±

    ¡°Things are more complicated that you realize.¡± I said.

    ¡°Perhaps, but is any situation complicated enough to warrant having a Viking familiar? You may as well have the Chaos Dragon himself. What those monsters did, they should all be exterminated.¡±

    ¡°That is not fair. You do not even know Jake. He is a good person, and strong,¡± I tried to explain.

    ¡°Strong indeed. Tell me, how did someone like you manage to dominate the mind of a Viking?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Someone like me? You mean how did a lowly commoner dominate a Viking.¡± I accused.

    ¡°I do not care about your lineage Madam Suma. I meant how did a fifth level mage, who has never had a familiar before, manage to dominate such a creature?¡±

    ¡°I think this conversation is done,¡± I stated, folded my wings, and dived down and turned back to camp. I had my fill of the cold that night.

 Part 45: Obstacles

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I felt like I was trudging through mud, probably because I actually was. I tripped on something and fell forwards, faceplanting the ground, and getting covered in filth. I looked to my left and right, the others were having a tough time too. You might be thinking I¡¯m talking about the Neame, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m talking about other familiars. We were all undergoing a test of sorts, without our summoners. We were all given a single direction, to reach the other end of the obstacle course and back; our task was to find and retrieve a specific object. The purpose of the test was to rate our capabilities so our summoners would better understand our limits¡­ at least, that¡¯s what I was told by Suma. I wasn¡¯t actually present when everything was being explained. They thought that since I was intelligent, that I shouldn¡¯t be present during the explanation just in case I figured out a quick way around the problems.

    ¡°Suma¡­¡± I said after wiping some mud from my forehead and cheek, ¡°how much further does this mud pit go on?¡± We were talking our private connection since we were so far apart.

    ¡°Not much longer Jake, you are nearly at the end.¡± She said. Suma was flying over the course giving me directions. ¡°Do you see that tree? The one with the red leaves.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said approaching it.

    ¡°Okay good, make sure you do not go near it.¡±

    I stopped, ¡°¡­why?¡±

    ¡°That looks like a Dragon¡¯s Blood tree, they are dangerous, but it is difficult to tell from up here.¡± I went around the tree carefully. Good thing too, because another familiar, a borog, charged straight through its low hanging vines and¡­ well, I¡¯ll leave out the gory details. But suffice it to say, the aftermath was gruesome.

    I soon came upon a set of three long narrow hallways that led underground. ¡°Suma, any idea which way I should go?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry Jake, I cannot tell which of the paths is connected to which exit.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m right-handed so I¡¯ll go right.¡± I ducked down to avoid some low hanging roots from a small tree growing above the entrance of the underground hallway. The corridor itself was dark, damp, smelled of mold, and only got worse the deeper I went in. The single saving grace was that it looked built and not natural, so I was fairly certain I wasn¡¯t going to end up in another situation like the cave on Dragon¡¯s Hoard. ¡°Suma, I¡¯m telling you right now, if at any point I have to crawl on my belly to fit through a narrow tunnel I¡¯m quitting this stupid training.¡± I joked¡­ half joked. I created a ball of fire for light, something I was getting much better at, and tossed a separate fireball down the tunnel to see what was ahead. As the blue flames illuminated the path, I saw collapsed areas of walls and ceilings, roots that had grown through the tunnel and hung from the top, and something very surprising; I saw concrete. It was the first time since arriving in Suma¡¯s world all those years ago I had seen stonework that wasn¡¯t simply the molding or manipulation of existing rock. ¡°Suma, what is this place?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean Jake?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Were these training grounds built on something?¡± I wondered as I approached the concrete. Getting closer, I could see it was the remains of a wall. It stood out as unnatural compared to the interwoven vines and dirt that made up the rest of the hallway.

    ¡°I do not know, why?¡± She wondered sounding confused. I picked up a bit of the concrete and flipped it over after noticing some black markings on the side. The bottom, or rather I suppose top, of the decayed wall had runes on it. The runes themselves were in varying states of ruin as well. Most of them were completely smeared off, or cracked completely in half from the splitting of the concrete itself.

    ¡°I found runes down here, and concrete too.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Runes?¡± She said surprised. ¡°What would runes be doing down there?¡±

    ¡°Well, your people use runes a lot right? Maybe this was a battle ground at one point? Really the concrete being here is more surprising to me.¡± I said and put a few of the broken bits of rune cover rock into my backpack. I figured I could just show Suma later, and maybe she would know more if she actually saw it, or she could ask someone who knew. I left the hallway a few minutes later, and was relieved to be out in the sun again. Well, actually it was overcast, but it was still better than being in a cave again.

    ¡°I see you know Jake, you came out of the middle exit. You are not far now.¡± She said. ¡°Turn left and walk forwards to the stream. When you reach it, follow it until I tell you to stop.¡± I followed her instructions and eventually came to a little creek flowing downhill. However, for some reason the water was a dull green. ¡°Great, you are at the stream, now just keep walking and do not cross it until I say okay.¡± She told me.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It is not safe to cross it yet. If you were to fall in, then it could be deadly.¡± She explained seriously.

    ¡°Um, how deadly? Like, how does it kill you?¡± I wondered looking at the water.

    ¡°Jake, please do not try to cross it.¡± Suma said urgently.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to; I was just curious.¡± I clarified, then began walking downstream like she instructed.

    ¡°I do not know all the details, but I have heard rumors of Neame who just landed in the water to rest dying horrible deaths in just a few hours.¡±

    ¡°I guess that explains why I don¡¯t see any fish in the water.¡± I noticed.

    ¡°Not anymore no, though I am told there used to be.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so does that mean the water wasn¡¯t always deadly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in fact I think that only started a few years before I was hatched.¡± As I was walking, I opened my bag and started scrounging around for some kind of empty resealable container. I wanted to take a sample of the water back to Earth with me and see if I could figure out what it was, but I didn¡¯t have anything usable. Just as I slung my backpack back over my shoulder, I saw what looked like some kind of dam made of sand, stone, mud, broken tree branches, and other assorted things that must have fallen into the stream. On one side, the water flowing into the dam was green, but on the other it looked almost normal again. ¡°Okay Jake, you can cross along that water stop.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    I watched Jake carefully walk across the water stop. To me, it seemed quite large, but when compared to Jake it seemed almost silly to describe it in such a way. In reality, Jake probably could have jumped across the length of the river, but it seemed too dangerous, so I led him to the nearest safe place I could see from my perch on the guiding tower. The guiding towers were the place all the masters were supposed to perch while guiding their familiars. There were three currently set up around the training ground. We were instructed that while we could give commands to the familiars while in the air, if we were to land anywhere other than a guiding tower we would be failed automatically.

    ¡°Okay Suma, which way now?¡± Jake asked after he crossed the stream. I refocused my attention to him and began looking for a safe path from where he was, to the end of the course.

    ¡°Do you see that large rock next to the trees with blue leaves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Go there, then wait. I need to readjust to a better tower.¡± I took flight and went to the nearest tower opposite to where Jake was now. I needed a clearer view of his location and what he was walking into. After a moment, I was perched on the new tower, and guiding Jake again. While Jake walked, the instructor for this exercise landed on the perch beside mine.

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    ¡°Cadet Suma, how is it coming?¡±

    ¡°It is going well ma¡¯am, Sentinel has avoided Delabi River and made it through all other obstacles.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Good, where is he now?¡±

    ¡°He is on his way to a clearing near the seventh obstacle.¡± I told her.

    ¡°He is making excellent progress then. I will leave you to it.¡± She said. Just as she was about to fly away, I thought about what Jake said.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, before you go, I have a question. Was this training ground built on ruins of some kind?¡±

    ¡°Actually yes.¡± She confirmed. ¡°It was once the site of a city, before the ravaging anyway. How did you hear about that?¡±

    ¡°Sentinel told me, ma¡¯am. He said he found something in the tunnels that went under the poison forests.¡± I explained.

    ¡°What kind of something?¡±

    ¡°Runes, and something called concrete.¡±

    ¡°Did he know what kinds of runes?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I do not think so, he has no training with runes beyond simply activating them.¡±

    ¡°I see, make sure he leaves them be, I will inform the Major of his discovery.¡± With that, she flew off. I then contacted Jake and told him to make a mental note of where the runes he found were.

    ¡°Suma, I¡¯m at the clearing.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Good, now for the seventh obstacle.¡±

    ¡°Oh joy,¡± he complained sarcastically. ¡°So, what do I have to do this time? So far I¡¯ve climbed trees, avoided several sets of deadly plants, trudged through knee deep mud, and navigated mysterious ruins. What fun, and or death defying, task awaits me now?¡±

    ¡°Do you see the large hole to your left?¡± I asked. He looked around for a moment then walked over to it.

    ¡°Okay, I found it.¡±

    ¡°Good, now all you have to do is climb down and then back out.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it is a rather deep hole.¡± I said.

    ¡°I mean¡­ I guess it¡¯s a little deep. But no more than twice my height. Is this really all I have to do?¡± He wondered suspiciously.

    ¡°Yes, that is really it for this one. But do not get too comfortable, Jake,¡± I said and turned my gaze to the eighth obstacle, ¡°I believe this one is simply practice.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    I sat on the edge of the pit and carefully slide down as far as I could before letting myself fall into it. I landed with a bit of a thud, but no worse than when I would jump from the halfway down the stairs to the bottom as a child. ¡°Easy,¡± I said to myself. I looked up at the walls surrounding me and had a momentary flashback to the entrance of that cave. For just a second, I felt like I was back there again, but I shook myself out of it and started climbing my way out of the pit. I started by sending Jericho, my armor, away so I would be lighter. Getting into the pit was far easier than getting back out. I had not noticed from the outside, but the walls were smoother than I had first realized, which made finding hold for my hands and feet harder.

    ¡°Jake, I cannot see you from my position. How are you doing?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Been¡­ better.¡± I strained to say as I reached desperately for the next hold, but it was too far. Then I had an idea. ¡°Twilight,¡± I said summoning my hammer. It appeared in my hand, and nearly caused me to lose my grip on the wall. The sudden change made me drop Twilight and it fell with a clang to the rocks below. I sighed and resummoned it back to my hand, being careful not to drop it this time. Twilight was too heavy to maneuver with only a single arm, so I wouldn¡¯t be using my arm. I focused on what I learned from Ceil and wrapped my mana around Twilight, floating it upwards above my head. I was careful to avoid the areas with runes on them that Sela-Car had created, I didn¡¯t want them activating... not yet anyway. I positioned Twilight so that it was as far upwards as it could go, but while staying withing reach. Then, I activated one of the runes by wrapping my mana around that area. A huge burst of air exploded from the back of Twilight and forced it into the side of the rocky wall. Bits of stone fell and landed on my shoulders, but I hardly noticed.

    ¡°Jake! What was that noise?¡± Suma cried out concerned.

    ¡°That was the sound of a handhold being made.¡± I told her. I looked up and saw a strange sight. The coned spike of my hammer had been thrust its entire length into the rock. The rock wall itself had a brand-new crack running several feet out from the cones entrance.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said and pulled myself up Twilight¡¯s handle. From there, the rest of the climb was almost easy. Once I was out of the pit, I resummoned Twilight and inspected it for damage. It seemed fine, so I sent it away and summoned Jericho back.

    ¡°So¡­ was climbing out as easy as you assumed it would be?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I lied.

    ¡°Good, because the eighth obstacle will not be any easier.¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV

    ¡°Okay Loyalty, just a bit further now, stop when you arrive at the tree line.¡± I told my Black Serpent familiar. I was one of many Neame going through the exercise with their familiars today. We were on the fourth obstacle, a mud flat created with nature magic. Loyalty was handling it well, but the mud was still slowing him down. His best environment is tall grasslands and rocky hills though, places he can easily hide and attack. Loyalty arrived at the tree line and I repositioned myself to another tower. To my distain, it was the tower that Madam Suma was perched on. She did not seem to take notice of me, as I landed on a perch on the opposite side of the tower. Loyalty was at the poison forest, a deadly place for most creatures, especially Neame, but not to Loyalty. He slithered easily through the obstacle and on to the next, Delabi River. This obstacle would be too much for him to cross like he did the forest though, so he needed to be led to the nearest safe area, a natural passageway that made the poison waters a bit safer. Upon his arrival, I realized it would be difficult for his large frame to cross such a narrow path, so I made him go slowly. Despite the water on the other side of the river being safer, he still would not be able to cross through it due to him not being able to swim. Suddenly, I heard a loud sound like thunder rumble from one of the other obstacles.

    ¡°Jake! What was that noise?¡± Lady Suma shouted. Her familiar was probably doing something reckless again. I ignored her and went back to Loyalty, who had just managed to cross the river and was on his way to the sixth obstacle, an underground maze of sorts.

    ¡°Loyalty, go through the middle route.¡± I ordered him, then began the far sight ritual. It was a spell that masters could perform on their familiars who had already undergone the Rite of Dominance to see through their eyes. ¡°Our minds become one. Our thoughts become the same. I see what you see. I know what you know.¡± I cast the spell and began to see through Loyalty¡¯s eyes. Suddenly I was slithering my way through a tunnel. Vines that were hanging from the dirt ceiling quickly zoomed past. Carefully, I guided him as he turned corners and went up inclines, doing my best to keep him in a straight path. At one point, I thought I saw something carved into the walls, but his vision in darkness is less than perfect. Eventually, I helped him make his way out and he was on to the next obstacle.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    ¡°Well, I would definitely call this an obstacle.¡± I said looking up the cliffside. I stood at the bottom of a rocky and jagged cliff about fifty feet high. ¡°Or maybe an impossible task.¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Okay Jake, just do what you did when you got out of the pit. It should be exactly the same.¡± Suma said over our connection.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I nearly spat. ¡°This is nothing like the pit! If I fell off the side of the wall down there all that I had to worry about was a bruised butt and ego. If I fall here, I¡¯m going to die!¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe you could go slowly?¡± She suggested.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to help.¡± I said and knocked two fingers on the rocky face of the cliff.

    ¡°Do not worry Jake, this is the last major obstacle. Once you finish this-¡± She started to say, but I cut her off.

    ¡°Suma, it doesn¡¯t matter if this is the final obstacle or the key to curing cancer, I can¡¯t climb this¡­ hold on.¡± I was halfway through complaining when I realized something. ¡°Suma, the point of this obstacle is to get to the top of the cliff, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes Jake, why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Do the rules specifically say I need to climb the cliff?¡±

    ¡°Um no, not to my knowledge.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Good, because that¡¯s not happening, but I might have an idea on another way up.¡± I told her.

    ¡°What, like a spell perhaps?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°Yes. Now Suma, I can use nature magic right, even though I have Inversion magic?¡± I clarified.

    ¡°Of course Jake, you know that.¡± She answered, then asked concerned, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t go to the top of the mountain, I¡¯ll bring the top of the mountain to me.¡± I suggested.

    In a very confused and slightly worried tone, she asked, ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    I watched from my perch on the observation tower as Jake used Nature Spell after Nature Spell to move incredible amounts of dirt and rock from the side of the cliff, then climb to the top of the pile, and start again. Slowly, he was making his way to the top, and leaving a path of destroyed rubble in his wake. He would raise his hands above his head, then clench his fists and throw them down to his side, and the rocks would break apart and fall beside him; ready to be climbed. ¡°Are you doing okay, Jake?¡± I asked in a mixture of amazed and horrified.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± He answered grunting with each motion.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I just haven¡¯t had to cast this many spells in a row before. It¡¯s more mentally tiring then I assumed it would be.¡± He explained. ¡°I can¡¯t tell from here, how far along am I?¡±

    ¡°You are about a quarter of the way done, maybe a third.¡± I said and he climbed up his most recent pile of debris.

    He was panting as he spoke, ¡°It¡­ felt like¡­ more than... that.¡±

    ¡°Jake, you mana cannot be running out already, can it?¡± I asked concerned.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said, and I saw him sit down on his pile of rubble. ¡°But repeatedly climbing up all of these rocks sure is taking the wind out of me. Especially after everything else I¡¯ve done today.¡± He then pulled out something from the garment he keeps on his back, and placed it to his mouth. I could not see it clearly from where I was, but it looked like he was either eating or drinking. ¡°I need to take a break for a second,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay, just let me know when you are ready to continue. I am going to fly to the next obstacle and try to get a better look at it.¡±

    ¡°How many more do I have left?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°Only one I believe.¡± With that, I took to the skies.

 Part 46: Lakeside

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Panting and weak, I climbed up the last of the cliffside. Finally, having reached the top after thirty minutes of repeatedly causing rockslides with magic, then climbing up the debris, I pulled myself up to the top and laid on my back. ¡°That¡­ was¡­ terrible.¡± I complained to myself, only to hear Suma¡¯s voice in my head again.

    ¡°Okay Jake, I think I know the best way for you to conquer the next obstacle.¡± She said proudly. I didn¡¯t bother answering her at first, I was too tired. ¡°Jake, can you hear me?¡± She asked confused.

    ¡°Yes Suma¡­ I can hear you. I just need a minute.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but you may not want to take too long. While I was flying, I saw a giant Black Serpent coming your way.¡±

    If I hadn¡¯t been so tired, I probably would have laughed, ¡°very funny Suma,¡± I said dryly. I thought it was a good joke, but my body didn¡¯t care at the moment.

    ¡°I am not being funny Jake, there really is a Black Serpent familiar heading your way.¡±

    That caught my attention, ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I think it belongs to that noble, Lauric.¡±

    ¡°Huh, that will be interesting to see,¡± I said. During this entire conversation, I hadn¡¯t yet been able to bring myself to stand, or even sit, up.

    ¡°Jake, if the familiar behind you reaches the end first, then you will have to do the entire course again tomorrow!¡± She shouted. That got my attention and woke me up. I bolted to my feet and started heading for the next obstacle as fast as I could manage. While running, I activated one of the runes on my armor, it was a body magic rune that was supposed to increase to users stamina. I hadn¡¯t had a chance to use them yet, so I gave them a shot. I summoned a preprepared daljar of mana and activated the rune. Obviously I couldn¡¯t do it without the daljar or the rune would have done who knows what. As soon as it activated, I felt like I could run all day if I needed to; I was at the next obstacle in minutes.

    ¡°Okay Jake, I think the best way to beat this one is to go around it.¡± She said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said staring out across the lake, ¡°it¡¯s pretty wide. So do I just have to get to the other side of the lake?¡± The shore of the lake was almost three kilometers in each direction, but only a hundred meters across. I stuck a hand in the water, it was fairly warm actually.

    ¡°Yes, essentially. At the other end of the lake is a small island, on the island is the prize of the course. Once you have retrieved the prize, you return back to the start via whatever path you choose.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°So, this test would be easy for familiars that could swim or fly, but not walk.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Suma confirmed. I sent away Jericho and stripped off my underclothes. Thankfully, the effects of the rune didn¡¯t dissipate, or what I was about to do would have been suicide. ¡°Jake, why are you removing your garments?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± I said wading into the lake, ¡°I¡¯m going to swim across.¡± There was a moment of silence from Suma.

    ¡°You can swim? How? You weigh more than fifty Neame put together!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m mostly made of water, and I used to swim in lakes all the time as a child, so I¡¯m a pretty strong swimmer.¡± I explained as I began my breaststroke.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Jake called it swimming, but at first I thought I needed to summon him to safety to prevent him from drowning. He flailed about like he needed help, but no matter what, he did not stop moving forward. I was not worried about any creatures in the water since the lake was not natural, but was constructed for the course. ¡°Jake, if you use magic, you might be able to go faster.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, but I would have to stop swimming to cast the spell. I can¡¯t do both at the same time.¡± He said.

    ¡°What if you just used a body enhancement spell? That way you could move faster after you resumed swimming.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± he said. ¡°Could you explain it?¡±

    ¡°I could try.¡± I took a moment to remember the steps of the spell. I had used it a few times before, like when I was running away from those three nobles that day. ¡°First, you need to wrap mana around your body, then you imagine that mana entering you and radiating throughout your every muscle and bone. After that, you need to imagine the mana being absorbed by your body, and empowering you.¡± Jake began to slow down his swimming, then came to a stop.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± He said. I could see him from my perch, and watched as he was surrounded by a dark blue cloud of his mana. Then it rushed into him, disappearing from view. ¡°Oh wow!¡± He exclaimed. He started swimming again, much faster than before, twice as fast, maybe even three times. I could not help but be slightly jealous; it took me a month to learn that spell properly and he did it in a mere moment. ¡°This is amazing!¡± He yelled out excitedly.

    ¡°You are going much faster now than before Jake,¡± I said. I was about to congratulate him for learning the spell so quickly, but a slithering black mass on the shoreline caught my eye. ¡°Jake! That Black Serpent is at the shoreline!¡±

    ¡°OH HECK NO!¡± Jake yelled frantic.

    ¡°Do not worry, that type of familiar cannot swim, so it will have to go around the lake, but you still need to hurry; it is a rather swift creature.¡± I explained and watched it quickly make its way around the shore.

    ¡°How long do I have?¡± Jake asked. I turned back to him, he seemed to be swimming faster than before.

    ¡°Not long, do not slow down.¡± I told him seriously. Jake was halfway to the island, and was closing in rapidly, but the serpent, despite having only just arrived, was already a quarter or a fifth of the way around the lake.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I swam as fast as I could. It felt at some points like I was only skimming along the water¡¯s surface, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. ¡°Jake! The familiar is already halfway there!¡± Suma yelled. I was grateful to our private connection at this moment, the ability to ask her questions and get updates without having to actually speak was useful when I was focused on swimming. I felt my hands hit sand and knew I was on the island.

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    ¡°Suma, I¡¯m on the island!¡± I announced and cast a spell that forced all of the water away from me so I could run along the sand. I dropped to the ground and bolted for the prize. It was some kind of golden shaft, and there were several of them in a circle. Well, almost a circle, some of the prizes had already been claimed by the familiars that went before me. I picked one up and called out to Suma. ¡°Suma, I have the prize!¡±

    ¡°Great, head towards the exits as fast as you can!¡±

    ¡°I will, but you need to do the same,¡± I said.

    ¡°What why?¡±

    ¡°Just go, I will explain as you fly!¡± I said and started running towards the exit. Thanking my lucky stars that the physical enhancement spell Suma taught me was still active, or else I would have dropped from exhaustion by now. Just as I was about to turn to leave the beach and head for the exit, the Black Serpent slithered up behind me.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV</u>

    Loyalty was making excellent time in the trial, perhaps even fast enough to beat the previous record, but that was not my goal. I reached out to him through the Rite of Dominance spell and tried to gauge how tired he was. He seemed to be fine, but I would not be able to push him much further without putting him in danger. I looked through his eyes again to see where he was and what his situation was like, and saw something quite interesting¡­ the Viking familiar swimming across the water. ¡°Strange, I would not have guessed he would have been able to swim.¡± I said to myself. I realized that if Loyalty had caught up with him, then that would mean he would have to go much faster or risk failing the trail. He would most likely push himself harder than normal, to his very limits even¡­ ¡°What are your limits Viking?¡± I wondered aloud. Within moments of this, the Viking cast a spell to disperse the water in front of him and ran to the prizes. Loyalty was close, so I ordered him to slow down a bit and save his strength, but even if he did that he would still arrive at the prizes shortly. Loyalty¡¯s hearing is not great, but his sight is amazing, and with it I saw that the Viking was talking to someone, probably his master. Soon, loyalty arrived at the prizes, and came face-to-face with the one called Sentinel.

    ¡°Oh crap,¡± the Viking said, ¡°you¡¯re pretty big huh?¡± I could not communicate with the Viking, not through Loyalty at least, so I had no way to answer back. Not that I would know what to say to such a statement anyway. Was he trying to talk to me? No, he was talking to my familiar. Sentinel began to back up and slowly make his way around Loyalty, never once taking his eyes off of him¡­ it seemed he was afraid of Loyalty. ¡°Suma, as soon as you arrive at the exit, summon me.¡± He was talking to his master, planning to get to the exit quickly so as not to fail the trail. ¡°Then don¡¯t land, just get close to the ground before summoning me.¡±

    ¡°How far will you push yourself¡­ if properly motivated?¡± I wondered, and came up with a plan of my own.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Suma, I have the prize!¡± Jake called out to me.

    ¡°Great, head towards the exits as fast as you can!¡± I told him still watching the serpent familiar. It was almost at the prizes as well, and would be arriving shortly, despite the fact that it had slowed down.

    ¡°I will, but you need to do the same,¡± Jake said.

    ¡°What why?¡±

    ¡°Just go, I will explain as you fly!¡± I trusted Jake, and started flying towards the exit area Jake needed to be at, but just as I did I looked back to him, the Black Serpent arrived at the area with the prizes¡­ the area where Jake currently was. Nothing had happened yet, but I was still nervous... I knew in my head it would not hurt him, it was against the rules for familiars to fight while stationed at training camp, but that was of little reassurance to me at the moment. I knew Lauric disliked, even hated Jake, so I feared what might happen. ¡°Suma, as soon as you arrive at the exit, summon me.¡± Jake said, sounding quite uneasy.

    ¡°Halfway there Jake, but I cannot land remember? If I do then we fail the trail.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t land, just get close to the ground before summoning me.¡± He said.

    ¡°I do not know if I can, but I will try.¡± I said uncertain. I flew as fast as I could, even using enhancing magic to increase my speed. The moment the gate entered my sight, I started diving towards it and getting as close to the ground as I could without losing speed, but that was made a bit difficult; the trees were too dense to fly quickly through, and I could not touch anything without being disqualified. ¡°Jake, there are too many trees to fly close to the ground, but if I get any higher you might get hurt when you fall.¡±

    ¡°I think I have an idea for that, just summon me near the gate if you can.¡± He shouted. ¡°And the sooner the better, I think that snake familiar is chasing me!¡± I turned and examined the area where Jake was running from, and saw that he was right. The familiar was chasing after him, but quite slowly. Jake seemed to be running as fast as he could, but it was still nowhere near as fast as the serpent could go.

    ¡°I do see him behind you Jake, but it is moving slowly for some reason.¡± I said.

    ¡°I find that hard to believe, considering I haven¡¯t been able to lose it yet.¡± Jake countered. He was starting to sound tired; his enhancement must have been fading.

    ¡°Jake, that creature is much faster than you, if it has not passed you yet¡­ Jake I think it might be chasing you!¡± I yelled. I did not know what to think; what was Lauric¡¯s familiar doing? Did he lose control over it? No, if he had the beast would already be on a rampage, not slowly stalking Jake. Lauric is still in control, which means he ordered his familiar to do this.

    ¡°I figured that much out already! It hasn¡¯t attacked yet, but that could change. Are you at the gate yet?¡± Jake shouted.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said as I arrived. ¡°Summoning you now.¡± I looked below me and saw a tree full of branches. ¡°I hope you have your armor on Jake.¡± I said to myself, then began the summoning spell, ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡± Jake appeared before me slowly, hanging weightless in the air. That is... until the summon was complete, then he fell... hard. He seemed to hit every single branch during his fall through the tree, and hit the ground with a meaty thud and a groan. ¡°Are you okay!?¡± Without a word, Jake summoned a small daljar of mana and placed the end of it to the runes on his armor. His armor began to glow a soft green and was wrapped in magic circles; the effects of his healing runes had started.

    ¡°That¡­ hurt¡­ so much.¡± He complained and slowly stood up.

    ¡°Are you sure you are okay?¡± I asked looking him over while still maintaining flight.

    ¡°I think so, which way is the gate?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± I told him and headed towards the gate. ¡°We bought you some time, but the serpent is fast.¡± Jake was worn out from the healing runes, but he still had some of his enhancement left, so he was moving about around his normal speed. That being said, it was still incredibly slow.

    ¡°Suma,¡± Jake said breathless, ¡°Could you wrap me in mana and carry me? I think I¡¯m about to collapse.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry Jake, but the rules strictly forbid that, and I do not think I could anyway; you are quite heavy.¡± He sighed and kept going. Eventually, we made it to the gate and Jake collapsed as soon as he crossed it.¡±

    ¡°Finally,¡± he said relieved and lying motionless on the ground.

    ¡°Good job recruits,¡± said a voice from behind us. Jake did not even bother lifting his head. I turned and saw it was the instructor for the training. ¡°If your familiar needs medical attention, tend to him and unsummon him, then report for your evaluation with the rest of the recruits who participated today. They are waiting at field one for everyone to join them before they get started.¡±

    I thanked the instructor and went to Jake¡¯s side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jake did not answer. ¡°Jake?¡± I asked again. Still, he did not answer. I was worried for a moment, before I realized he was asleep. I silently cast another spell of healing on him just to be safe, then sent him home and flew to the meeting area that the instructor mentioned. Once I arrived, I took a moment to look around at the other Neame who participated today. Among them was the nameless Neame who had the lightning familiar, a named Neame called Toman, and Vindicta as well.

    ¡°Suma, I¡¯m glad you passed!¡± She announced upon seeing me. ¡°How did Jake do?¡± I flew over beside her and grew a perch to rest on.

    ¡°I think he did okay. He was exceptional at many of the obstacles, and had innovative solutions for the ones he was struggling with, however he is still quite a bit slower than most familiars.¡± I explained. Behind me, the sounds of flapping and shifting vines let me know another participant had arrived; it was Lauric Isbala.

 Part 47: Confronting Problems

    Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV

    ¡°Oh crap,¡± the Viking said, ¡°you¡¯re pretty big huh?¡± I could not communicate with the Viking, not through Loyalty at least, so I had no way to answer back. Not that I would know what to say to such a statement anyway. Was he trying to talk to me? No, he was talking to my familiar. Sentinel began to back up and slowly make his way around Loyalty, never once taking his eyes off him¡­ it seemed he was afraid of Loyalty. ¡°Suma, as soon as you arrive at the exit, summon me.¡± He was talking to his master, planning to get to the exit quickly so as not to fail the trail. ¡°Then don¡¯t land, just get close to the ground before summoning me.¡±

    ¡°How far will you push yourself¡­ if properly motivated?¡± I wondered, and came up with a plan of my own. The familiar turned and started quickly moving away from Loyalty; I ordered him to follow it from a distance. ¡°I want to see how far you will go¡­ Sentinel.¡± It ran for quite a while, but it was not very fast, not compared to Loyalty at least. He had an easy time following as the familiar tried and failed to lose him on several occasions, all the while talking to its master, at least until he was summoned away. ¡°Fine, Loyalty, proceed to the gate, forget about the Viking.¡± I myself took to the skies and went to the gate as well. I saw Lady Suma heading away from the gate just as I landed on a perch near one of the instructors. A moment later, Loyalty arrived and officially completed the course.

    ¡°Well Lauric,¡± the instructor said, ¡°you finished sooner than expected. Well done. If your familiar needs medical attention, tend to him and send him away, then report for your evaluation at field one with the rest of the recruits who participated today. They are waiting for everyone to join them before they get started.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I cast a single healing spell on Loyalty just in case he had any damage I did not know about, then sent him away. After that I flew straight to field one. I created a perch and landed amongst a group of other recruits awaiting their evaluation. I found myself wondering how our familiars performances would be scored. Shortly after my arrival, Lady Suma and Lady Vindicta approached me and grew perches of their own.

    ¡°Lauric... why did your familiar follow Jake? Were you trying to hurt him?!¡± Lady Suma asked. ¡°Having familiars hurt each other is against the rules, you know that!¡±

    ¡°I am aware of the rules Madam Suma. Loyalty did not injure your familiar in any way.¡±

    ¡°But he did follow him?¡± Lady Vindicta asked.

    ¡°Yes he did,¡± said Lady Suma.

    ¡°I admit, I had Loyalty follow your familiar closely after finding him lakeside.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Lady Suma wondered. I thought about how to answer, I knew why I did it, but how do I explain my reasoning?

    ¡°I wanted to find an answer to a question.¡±

    ¡°There is no reason to speak in riddles,¡± Lady Vindicta said, ¡°just tell us why.¡±

    ¡°Your familiar is a Viking, at least according to the rumors. I wanted to find out what he would do and how far he would push himself.¡± My statement caused everyone who had been pretending to ignore our conversation to turn in shock towards us.

    ¡°That is a lie!¡± Lady Suma denied. ¡°Jake is no Viking!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true, Jake explained that-¡± Vindicta tried to say, but Suma covered her beak with a wing to silence her.

    ¡°The point is, Jake is not a Viking.¡± She said. I imagine the conversation would have continued, but the final recruit and all of the instructors of the course arrived together. The recruit grew a perch near one of her friends, and the instructors, six in total, grew theirs together in a place where everyone would be able to see.

    ¡°Alright recruits, quiet down, we are going to begin your evaluations.¡± Vindicta and Suma left and went to the perches they were on before I arrived. The instructors announced how each familiar and master would be scored. They would point out areas where they were impressed, and where we fell short. The goal was not to pass or fail us, everyone here had already passed by completing the course before the recruit who came after them. These were the instructors of the ones who passed, only six of the original fifteen recruits to partake in the course made it. Once they announced how everything would work, they called out to the recruits whom they were evaluating; mine was instructor thirteen. His feathers were a bit lighter than mine, but he was also a fair amount larger.

    ¡°Okay Lauric, I have a few notes about your familiar Loyalty.¡± My instructor said after we had flown away from the group to talk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, most of its good. He performed well, as did you, but there were a few instances where I feel like you could improve.¡±

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    ¡°I look forward to any advice you may have sir.¡±

    ¡°Firstly, Loyalty seems to have handled each obstacle well, save for the lake and crossing Delabi River. I take it your familiar can¡¯t swim?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something you will need to be aware of moving forwards and in battle. A familiar¡¯s limitations can be deadly, so you need to plan for them. I think you should try coming up with a way he can cross water.¡±

    ¡°I will try sir.¡±

    ¡°Good, now I noticed he can¡¯t move at a consistent pace, why is that?¡±

    ¡°I believe Loyalty is an ambush predator sir, he can move quickly in bursts, but not prolonged events. He also has the ability to blend into his surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Those are useful traits, but not being able to keep up with faster allies could be a hindrance. There might also be times where you would need him to travel long distances without stopping, so be aware of that.¡±

    ¡°I do not know how I would fix that sir,¡± I said confused.

    ¡°You can¡¯t, but you may be able to think around it. The limitations of our familiars force us to think strategically and creatively.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I have in regards to improving your familiar, but I also wanted to point out instances I noticed and had questions about.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± We talked a while longer. He wanted to know about why I had him do certain things rather than more traditional routes, and he also wanted to know why I had Loyalty follow the Viking. ¡°I was simply curious about him sir. I was careful to make sure Loyalty knew not to hurt him or interfere with his attempt at taking the course.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. Well, it¡¯s true you didn¡¯t interfere with the Vik- I mean, Suma¡¯s familiar, and I suppose I can¡¯t blame you for being curious. However, I would like to know why you didn¡¯t pass him and finish sooner?¡±

    ¡°I dislike the idea of having a Viking as a familiar¡­ no, I loathe it, but the matter at hand is that we are at war. I can tolerate it for now, so long as it benefits the kingdom¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Suma¡¯s POV

    ¡°The point is, Jake is not a Viking.¡± I declared. I had more I wanted to say, but the final recruit and all of the instructors arrived. The recruit grew a perch near a group of her friends, and the six instructors grew theirs together on a small raise in the terrain.

    ¡°Alright recruits, quiet down, we are going to begin your evaluations.¡± I swallowed my frustration and Vindicta and I went back to the perches we were using before Lauric arrived. The instructors announced how each familiar and summoner would be scored. They would point out areas where they were impressed, or we fell short. They were not going to pass or fail us; everyone present had already passed by completing the course before the recruit who came after them. These were only the instructors of the ones who had passed. Which meant only six of the original fifteen recruits to partake in the course actually completed it. They announced how everything would work, then called out to the recruits they were evaluating.

    ¡°Suma, please come with me,¡± my instructor said before flying a little way away and growing two perches for us.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Vindicta said. I thanked her and met with my instructor. My instructor was the same one who I met earlier, the one I talked to when Jake entered the underground portion of the course.

    ¡°I did not realize you were my instructor ma¡¯am,¡± I said.

    ¡°That was the point. We needed everyone to give their best, whether or not their own instructor was nearby, so we kept it secret.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense. Before we begin, did you have a chance to talk with anyone about the runes Jake found yet?¡±

    ¡°Jake? Ah right, your familiar has two names. No, I haven¡¯t had the time yet, but I will. Anyway, about Sentinel¡¯s performance. He is... rather slow isn¡¯t he. If Lauric hadn¡¯t slowed down towards the end, you wouldn¡¯t be in this room right now.¡± Hearing her say that¡­ she was right, Jake is slower than most familiars. ¡°However, you guided him well and used his strength to his advantage.¡±

    ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no secret that you have an unusual familiar. Not just that he can talk and use magic of his own, but also in the way he approaches problems; especially in the later half of the course.¡± I could not help but feel a swell of pride as she complimented Jake, even though I did not actually do anything, I still liked that he was getting the credit he deserved. ¡°However, there are still areas where he needs to improve. He can use magic, but not a remarkably diverse amount. His approaches may be unique, but they are often simple.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, but I am not sure that we can blame Jake for that. He is a Chaos Mage, most of the magic he is able to use has been made illegal.¡±

    ¡°The enemy doesn¡¯t care about a familiar or summoner¡¯s situation, they only care about if it plays to their advantage. Sentinel needs to improve his skill with magic, as well as find a way to increase his speed further. I saw him use enhancement magic to cross the lake fast, but that isn¡¯t enough.¡± Again, I could not disagree. ¡°That all being said, I was extremely impressed with his and your performance.¡±

    ¡°You were? But I assumed¡­ based on what you said...¡±

    ¡°Yes, he has areas he needs to improve, but his mana reserves and stamina are astounding, and his ability to rapidly learn new magic techniques is unlike any I have ever seen. Not to mention the way he handled some of the obstacles was impressive.¡±

    ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°If he were my familiar, I would use his strength and stamina to compensate for his lack of speed. That¡¯s where he shines anyway.¡±

    ¡°But I thought you said he needed to get faster?¡±

    ¡°He does, and as soon as possible, but there is no getting around the fact that he is still going to be slower than most other familiars. So, you should look for ways to use what advantages he does have.¡±

    ¡°I will ma¡¯am, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Now I want to talk to you about his magic, I was there during the battle training. I saw what he is capable of, so why is he not training to use more spells like that?¡±

    ¡°Well... most familiars do not know magic, and I am a healing mage, so-¡±

    ¡°Have him report tomorrow to the training in the battle mages section of camp. It will be going on at the same time the Healing Mages have their training. I want him to start participating in their training to improve his abilities.¡±

    ¡°I- um¡­ yes ma¡¯am.¡±

 Part 48: An Attack Mage is Born

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Suma, could you wrap me in mana and carry me? I think I¡¯m about to collapse.¡± I asked Suma. My legs burned, my lungs too. Every square inch of my body ached despite having already been healed.

    ¡°I am sorry Jake, but the rules strictly forbid that, and I do not think I could anyway; you are quite heavy.¡± I sighed and trudged onward. Eventually, we made it to the gate, and I collapsed as soon as I crossed it.

    ¡°Finally,¡± I said relieved and lying motionless on the ground. All I wanted to do was sleep, to me, in that moment, nothing else mattered.

    ¡°Good job recruits,¡± said a voice from behind us. I ignored it, and I barely heard anything else it said. I think I passed out if I¡¯m being honest. I woke up later on the floor of my kitchen, freezing cold and with a throbbing headache from hunger. I groaned and moaned as I forced myself up and grabbed a sleeve of crisps, crackers, and bottled vitamin-water from my pantry. While this was the first time I had used those healing runes, it wasn¡¯t the first time I had experienced this post healing ¡°hangover¡±. I looked at my kitchen timer and did some quick mental math; twelve hours had passed since Suma summoned me. I figured I spent about four hours doing the course, so I had probably gotten about eight hours of sleep after she sent me home.

    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s a lot shorter than normal.¡± I said to myself after downing the entire bottle of water in less than fifteen seconds. ¡°That¡¯s like¡­ half the normal time or something.¡± Then I found myself wondering something¡­ ¡°Suma?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, hello Jake, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, so¡­ did we pass?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did, but only barely.¡± She sounded... disappointed¡­ frustrated?

    ¡°I see, well what happened to that snake familiar?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, since it did not technically do anything but follow you, it did not break any rules. I confronted Lauric, but I had no proof he had any ill intentions, so nothing can be done yet.¡± She explained. ¡°Jake, there is one more thing...¡±

    ¡°Bad news?¡± I asked.

    ¡°¡­That¡­ depends on you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The instructor has ordered that you start attending the attack mages training sessions to improve your magic. It starts in two hours...¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense, but did she give a reason?¡± I asked confused. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a healing mage and I¡¯m your familiar, so I just assumed¡­¡±

    ¡°I said the same thing, but she wants you to lean into your strengths and cover your weaknesses. She believes this is the best way to do that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not opposed to the idea or anything, I guess it could be interesting. What kinds of training do they do?¡± Suma didn¡¯t know the answer, but it didn¡¯t matter, because I found out the hard way two hours later, on their training ground.

    ¡°SENTINEL! KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND MOVE!¡± The instructor yelled as the group I was assigned to raced across a simulated battlefield. Explosions went off around us as Fire Magic spells crash-landed nearby. With me were seven Neame, three of which had names, all riding their own familiars. ¡°EVEN YOU CAN¡¯T TAKE A HIT FROM ONE OF THOSE SPELLS, NOW GO, GO, GO!¡±

    ¡°Move faster familiar!¡± One of the named Neame who was stuck in the position behind me chirped. There were eight including me, fifteen if you include their own familiars, and I was in the fourth position from the front. The point of this training was to learn how to not be bothered by the sound of explosions going off around us by moving along the field out in the open. Our path was clearly marked, and we knew we weren¡¯t going to be hit, but we still needed to walk as if we were in the low trenches that the Neame need to fly through while transporting supplies on real battlefields. We performed that training for two more hours, and my ears were ringing the whole time. After we finished, we went to the healer¡¯s section to take care of any accidental injuries and fix our hearing. I thought we were done¡­ until the instructor ordered us all to get ready for attack drills at field one. Normally, they would all fly there as a group¡­ but I can¡¯t fly, and the instructor made us walk there. Well, I walked, they rode on their familiars.

    Once we finally arrived for the drill, the instructor explained how it would work. ¡°There are three rules: always aim your spells at the field, never at your squad; you will shoot at the target until you hit it three consecutive times; finally, if you run out of mana, you do high-dives while the rest of your squadron eats lunch.¡± We went two at a time, first was a Neame called Aldo and another nameless Neame. Aldo and the other left their perches and landed on two a few meters away from the group. The first to finish was the nameless Neame, but Aldo wasn¡¯t too far behind him. As soon as one finished the task, another took his place regardless of whether the other one had finished. I figured this was a way to let people study each other¡¯s techniques, or maybe as a safety precaution, but I didn¡¯t really know. Each Neame¡¯s attack spells were different, the first used a flame attack similar to the attack Suma used against the wyvern to save me. The second used icicles to impale, and the third had a lightning attack. The fourth attacked by lifting rocks and dirt then crushing the target. The fifth, and sixth were named Neame called Tomu and Lekep, who used water and wind respectively. Then finally it was number seven and me.

    As I stepped up next to the perch the others were using, the instructor said, ¡°I was told you have tactical scale magic Sentinel. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, but I¡¯m still a bit unfamiliar with the way spells are ranked, I was told that one of my spells was tactical grade.¡±

    ¡°Show us,¡± he ordered.

    ¡°I thought I wasn¡¯t allowed to use magic that powerful in training?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s for healers, this is attack magic. If you have the ability, then do it. If not, then do your next best attack spell.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said and reached into my backpack to pull out a steel ball-bearing. Just like last time, I started by envisioning the target becoming magnetized, and drawing the ball bearings closer as they approached, then I created a magical rail system along the path I wanted the ball to follow. The ball would be pulled along by electro-magnetism through the air and suspended with my mana. While the spell was pulling the balls along with magnetism, it would also be generating a reversed polarity behind the ball, driving it forwards. ¡°RAILGUN!¡± I activated the spell and a thunderous crack roared through the air, reducing the target to debris. The whole process felt like it went by faster than the last time, probably because I had done it before.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S...¡± the instructor yelled but then stopped and began speaking normally again, ¡°ah... that¡¯s an impressive spell Sentinel, but it¡¯s too slow for normal combat. Do you have anything faster?¡±

    ¡°Um, well sir, normally I would use my weapons, but at this distance I don¡¯t know...¡± I tried to say but was cut off.

    ¡°You can¡¯t rely solely on a single ranged attack spell, especially one that needs external components like those metal balls. I want you to try another attack, one that only uses your own magic.¡±

    ¡°Um, yes sir.¡± I said and decided to do a fire spell; one similar to what Suma uses. I had done more research on fire after what happened in that cave, as a way to improve my spell, so I had been looking for an excuse to use one anyway. In just a moment, I had formed a large fireball and launched it at the second target. This one wasn¡¯t destroyed like the first, but it did burn even after the spell faded.

    ¡°Your spells are incredibly strong, but your manifestation of them is far too slow. You need to increase the speed of your casting, or you will die as soon as you step into the war.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡± I said. He was right, compared to Suma, Vindicta, or even Von?Pac, my casting was at a snail¡¯s pace, even if I was stronger than them. ¡°How would I do that sir? Get faster I mean.¡±

    ¡°The only real way is training, hard and often. But you could also try to find ways of quickening your image when building a spell. We call it association training. You have to force a connection between what you want and how it happens. Tell me, what do you do to create fire?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I guess I start by imagining a flame, then picturing what causes the flame to burn and why.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, you create more powerful spells as a result of this image, but you are already strong; you could forgo the precision of the image and still manage to form a formidable spell.¡±

    ¡°Then I shouldn¡¯t be worried about spell strength?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m saying that you shouldn¡¯t worry about spell precision. You¡¯re plenty strong as you are, and having a more precise spell will increase that power, but for you that may not be an issue you should worry about.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I think I understand.¡± I said.

    ¡°Good, then take your last attempt and we will restart from the beginning.¡± I turned back to the targets and did another fire attack. This time however, I focused on speed instead of perfection or power.

    ¡°FIREBALL!¡± I shouted. In less than a second, I conjured and launched an attack. It hit the target dead center¡­ but there was something different this time. Instead of doing what I would normally do and pull in heat and energy from the environment to create the flames, I just used my pure mana, which had an unusual result. For starters, it wasn¡¯t as large, maybe only two thirds my normal sized, but it was also hotter, and a different color.

    ¡°Purple flames?¡± One of the recruits behind me said stunned.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°So, Jake is training with the attack mages then?¡± Vindicta asked. We were practicing our healing spells on damaged fruits.

    ¡°Yes, he left to join them a while ago for evasion and shock training.¡± I told her as I cast a spell on my target. A cut, which had been gaping and letting the juice leak out, began to seal.

    ¡°How do you think he will do?¡±

    ¡°Fine I believe, but I do not know. I suppose it depends on how hard the instructor makes them train.¡± Vindicta nodded her head in agreement and the Neame in charge of our final healing qualifications exam landed on the perch next to us.

    ¡°I see your faring well as always Lady Suma.¡± She said.

    ¡°Indeed ma¡¯am,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Lady Vindicta, you¡¯re doing quite well also.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am. Um, can I ask how Von-Pac is doing?¡± Vindicta asked. The instructor seemed to find her question funny.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I am not allowed to give specifics about other candidates, but I can tell you he is doing fine.¡± Vindicta seemed pleased, her head feathers raised slightly and her besmears glowed just a bit brighter. ¡°Anyway, be prepared, a group of combat cadets is coming from their training sessions, and they need to be healed I¡¯m sure. We are expecting them soon.¡±

    ¡°Is it the squadron my familiar was assigned to?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know which one your speaking of, but it is squad three.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Oh, he was assigned to squad five.¡± I said disappointed that I was not going to be able to see him.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried, why not just talk to him through the private channel you told me about?¡± Vindicta said after the instructor flew away.

    ¡°I considered it, but I do not want to distract him from his training.¡± I explained. With that, Vindicta and I refocused on our final qualification exams. It was hard to believe that we were so close to the end of our tenure at this camp and were almost fully fledged healing mages for the army.

    ¡°Suma¡­ I have a question.¡± Vindicta said softly.

    ¡°You are as good a healer as I am Vindicta, if you do not know something it is unlikely I know it either.¡±

    ¡°No... not that. Have you and Jake made your decisions about the Drakes yet?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will you...?¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± I said.

    ¡°Please be safe,¡± she sounded as if she were about to start singing, but did not.

    ¡°I will try.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± After our conversation, however brief it was, we did not talk for the rest of the training; neither one of us could without fear of singing. Hours passed, and eventually Jake made contact and said that he was done with his attack training for the day. I summoned him to me, and we spent some time resting before we needed to go to familiar training together. While we waited, we talked.

    ¡°How was training?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think it went pretty good. I learned a lot I think, but that shock training sure was loud.¡± He said smiling.

    ¡°What did you learn?¡± I wondered. He was already extraordinarily strong, so I honestly did not believe there would be much for him to gain from the training.

    ¡°I learned how to cast my spells faster, and a new way to picture my spells.¡±

    ¡°That will be good to know,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, can I ask you a weird question?¡±

    ¡°Is it about Vindicta and Von-Pac?¡± I said jokingly.

    ¡°No, everyone already knows about them. I wanted to ask if having purple flames was unusual?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°Well, when my flames turned purplish blue during training, everyone seemed kinda freaked out by it.¡± He explained.

    I held my feelings in for a moment and asked another question, ¡°Jake, when you say purple, was it a bright purple or a dark purple?¡±

    ¡°It was more of a mix of dark blue and purple. Like a northwest purple, not an eminence purple.¡±

    ¡°I do not know what that means...¡±

    ¡°More of a dark blue with purple mixed in.¡±

    ¡°Okay, and why did you make your flames that color?¡± I asked trying not to panic for his sake.

    ¡°Suma, you are starting to kinda freak me out now; what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with you, but I can certainly understand why your squamates would have become uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Which is why?¡±

    ¡°Purple flames were common for the Vikings...¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ ooohhh!¡±

 Part 49: Storytime

    There was a moment of silence as Jake thought. ¡°So, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do not think there is anything we can do. They have already seen the flames, so there would be no point in stopping them.¡± I said ruffling my feathers to break the tension in my wings.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jake sighed, ¡°You¡¯re probably right. At this point it would probably just be more suspicious to stop.¡± Jake rubbed his hands over his face and leaned his head back for a moment. ¡°Suma, I know a bit about the Vikings from my world¡¯s history, but what do your people know about them? Is there anything else I should try to avoid doing?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Like the purple flames, are there any other defining traits I shouldn¡¯t do? Things that would make people think I was a Viking.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ a few things I suppose, but there were so many legends and myths from that period about what a Viking is, and what they could do, might be a dozen different things, depending on the country.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start with the simple stuff first.¡± He suggested. I took some time and explained what I could remember from what I had learned or heard over the years. It was not much more than what he already knew though.

    ¡°Chaos Magic, purple spells, and incredibly powerful¡­ is that really the extent of what your people remember?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I am sure there is more, but I am also sure that I do not know it.¡± I explained. Jake leaned against one of the surrounding trees, seemingly in deep thought.

    ¡°You said other countries have different views of Vikings right? Can you tell me about those?¡±

    ¡°I only heard about it from my father, so I am not sure how reliable it will be.¡± I told him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just curious.¡±

    ¡°Well, when my father was young, he once traveled to the Island of Sangu; this was before it fell to the Southern Union. He was a merchant¡¯s assistant at the time, and that meant he would travel to different countries to trade goods. He told me that the Roshia, that is what the people of the island call themselves, were once visited by angry gods they called Viki, beings created by the Chaos Dragon to sow terror into them until his return.¡±

    ¡°And they were the Vikings?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°My father thought so,¡± I explained.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡±

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    ¡°My father eventually left the island and-¡±

    ¡°No, I mean what happened to the Roshia?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do not know. I was young when he told me about them, so he probably left out most of the story.¡± Jake sighed.

    ¡°I know about the Viki.¡± A voice from behind suddenly announced surprising both Jake and myself. I beat my wings furiously and ended up losing control of myself midair and fell on my back. At the same time, I heard Jake shout, a loud thwack and a thud, followed by groan. I turned to see what happened after regaining my composure and saw Jake kneeling on the ground holding the back of his head. A low hanging branch had been almost completely snapped off the tree he was leaning against. ¡°My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you.¡± The voice said. They fluttered down from the branch they were resting on and landed beside us; it was Von-Pac. ¡°Are you okay Sir Jake?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m-¡± he rubbed the back of his head and winced, ¡°-fine. I just hit my head when I jumped back.¡±

    ¡°Von-Pac, what are you doing here?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I¡­ I was... uh-¡± he looked uncomfortable. The feathers on his head were up slightly, and his besmears were just slightly brighter. ¡°What I was doing was unimportant. But I do know about the Viki if you are interested.¡±

    ¡°How do you know about them?¡± Jake asked standing back up.

    ¡°My family used to visit the Island of Sangu during the winters. The cold was not as harsh there, so it was more bearable.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what do you know?¡± Jake asked. We quietly listened as Von-Pac told us a story.

    ¡°Just a few years after the Ravaging, the Roshia were able to restore peace to their island. It was one of the few places that the Chaos Dragon had not visited yet in his rampage, so while they were affected, it was mostly from indirect methods like disturbed weather patterns or fewer fish.¡±

    ¡°The Roshia eat fish?¡± I asked disgusted.

    ¡°Yes, it is actually rather delicious if prepared right, but back to the point. One day, a sea-flyer like they had never seen before appeared on the horizon. From it the Viki came. At first, they avoided them at all costs. The Viki settled on the island¡¯s furthest point, deep in the wilds of the forest, so seeing them was rare. However, one day a Neame, whose name was lost to history, approached the Viki and attempted to drive them off the island with his magic. The Viki did not take kindly to this¡­ You see, the Roshia believe that the Chaos Dragon chose to spare them for their good nature, and sent a portion of his soul to live with them. But when they attacked the Viki, it angered the Chaos Dragon, so he empowered them to strike down their arrogant and evil hearts.¡±

    ¡°But I thought the Chaos Dragon was the bad guy?¡± Jake asked confused.

    ¡°He is,¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°The Roshia are a¡­ strange people, with unusual beliefs.¡±

    ¡°So let me see if I have this straight, the Roshia believe the Chaos Dragon gave the Vikings, or Viki, its power as a way to punish them?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Von-Pac said.

    ¡°It is an interesting story, but unfortunately it does not help us much.¡± I said disappointed. ¡°Did the stories mention the Viki preferring or utilizing any special and easily identifiable magical techniques that Jake should avoid?¡±

    ¡°Not to my knowledge, other than Death Magic and other forms of Chaos Magic anyway.¡± Von-Pac said.

    ¡°Thanks anyway Von-Pac, it was an interesting story. It¡¯s weird hearing all these alternate histories of your world and mine, cool though.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry I could not be of more assistance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I do have another question for you.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You were on your way to see Vindicta weren¡¯t you?¡± Jake¡¯s tone of voice was teasing, almost mocking really. Von-Pac answered Jake¡¯s question, not with words but by silently turning and flying away.

    ¡°They make a cute pairing.¡± I joked and Jake laughed.

 Part 50: Final Exams

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Today was the day. We had officially accepted the Major¡¯s invite to join the Drakes, and been assigned a date on which we would test. I had been training my attack spells with the attack mage groups for the past two weeks, so now it was time to put it all to the test. Our test would consist of three stages: attack spells quality, teamwork, and overall ability. Suma and I would test as if we were a single entry, since I am her familiar; pass or fail we did it together. The Major was perched a few feet away from us; he decided to personally preside over our test.

    ¡°The first portion of your test will reveal the quality of your spells. Your goal for this test is to destroy the ten targets as quickly as possible.¡± He motioned with his wingtip towards a large training dummy that was moving around the end of the training field with ten red targets attached to it. ¡°You may use any means at your disposal¡­ and I do mean any means.¡± With that he looked at Suma and I intensely. ¡°For the duration of your test, all forms of magic are allowed, even the forms that have been declared illegal.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Suma asked confused. ¡°That is not¡­ why¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°I could lie to you¡­ I could tell you we only allow recruits who are the best of the best and can use every skill at their disposal to its maximum, but that¡¯s not why. The truth is¡­ the royal family wants to know what kind of weapon they will be commanding, and what it can do. They have given special permission for today only: use every and any form of magic you desire.¡± The Major explained. I didn¡¯t know what to say, Suma seemed stunned, shocked even; I could relate.

    ¡°I understand.¡± I said.

    ¡°Jake?¡± Suma wondered quietly.

    ¡°I know, it will be fine. Besides, I¡¯ve been curious anyway.¡± My body was shaking, but I wasn¡¯t really sure what was causing it. Was it fear, excitement, or something else entirely? ¡°But sir, there is still the issue that I have never used most of the forms of Chaos Magic before. I¡¯m not sure how it will go over.¡±

    He ruffled his feathers and nodded his head, ¡°Let me be clear. I¡¯m telling you not to hold back, but that does not mean using any of the illegal forms of magic is in any way required. If you feel like you will do better without them, then do as you see fit. The royal family wants to know what you can do at your best, not what you can do in totality. That will most likely come later¡­¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Suma interjected, ¡°Jake... I... I do not know if I can-¡±

    I stopped her, ¡°I know. I won¡¯t make you do it again, or even if I want to do it. For now, let¡¯s just stick with what we know and let the rest happen if needed.¡± Suma sighed, in what I think was relief, and agreed.

    ¡°Now¡­ BEGIN!¡± The Major yelled and the dummy¡¯s targets flipped from red to green. Suma and I knew this test was coming, or something like it at least, so we were prepared. She rushed forwards and began using her flames to attack the targets. She was buying me time, not to cast a big attack spell, but to cast the body enhancement spell she taught me. As soon as it was done, I rushed forwards and caught up with her. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, my muscles felt as light as a feather, and my mind was on task. I quickly cast two of my new purple fireballs at the targets; one hit and one miss. The green of the target changed back to red as soon as it was struck. It rang like a gong when the flames of our attacks connected. I pulled out three ball bearings from a small pouch I had attached to my armor and retreated a short distance from the dummy, then warned Suma to do the same. Using what I had learned, I cast a smaller scale, but faster, version of my Railgun spell. All three attacks landed.

    ¡°Jake, can you distract the dummy while I attack the remaining targets?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but can this thing even really be distracted? It doesn¡¯t have a head... or brain.¡± I immediately cast three purple fireballs which melted through two of the dummy¡¯s arms. It slowly lurched around away from Suma and started towards me. ¡°Huh, I guess so.¡± I launched another two fireballs then raised the ground between the dummy and I to block its own attacks aimed at me. It was something I had been practicing with the attack mages. The best offence is a good defense, I guess.

    ¡°Okay Jake, move back!¡± Suma yelled. I bolted away from the dummy as fast as I could. I didn¡¯t see what happened, but there was a loud crash followed by the sound of three gongs. When I turned around, the ground was wet, and Suma looked exhausted. ¡°That... worked...¡± She said between heavy breaths.

    ¡°The attack section of the test is completed! Good Job recruits.¡± The Major called out.

    ¡°That was easier than expected.¡± I said. ¡°Suma, how did you... no, what did you do? I didn¡¯t see.¡±

    ¡°It is difficult to explain. In essence, I created a ball of water, then broke it into pieces and launched them at the targets as quickly as I could.¡± She explained, still breathing heavily and now sitting on the ground. I picked her up in my arms and carried her back to the Major. ¡°Thank you Jake.¡± She said. Once back, Suma had recovered enough to perch on the notch on my armor.

    ¡°Suma, Sentinel, it is now time to begin the second phase of your test. This is a group section so follow me to meet with the others participating in today¡¯s test.¡± The Major said and began flying away. I walked after him, or tried to, but soon realized he was going too fast for me to catch up, so Suma had to do it, despite her exhaustion. She sighed, beat her wings, and flew after the Major. A few minutes later she got in contact with me.

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    ¡°Jake, I will summon you, but I need a moment. We are not going to be starting the next section of the test until the rest of the recruits have finished and arrived, so I am going to rest. Is that okay with you?¡± She sounded run down, that spell must have taken more out of her than I thought.

    ¡°Sure, no problem. I¡¯ll just start walking towards you, maybe you won¡¯t even need to summon me.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Thank you, Jake.¡± I began walking uphill in the direction they flew. The loose dirt made staying steady tricky, but I managed not to faceplant¡­ more than once anyway. After reaching the top of the hill I started to hear a commotion nearby. I could see that, in a nearby field, another Neame and a Black Serpent familiar were battling a dummy just as Suma and I had.

    ¡°Lauric...¡± I mumbled annoyed. I watched his battle closely, studying how he and his familiar worked together. They moved smoothly, one moved in from behind while the other retreated. The snake would attack from behind while Lauric would distract the dummy with attacks from above. It didn¡¯t take long for them to win. I watched them as they flew off in the same direction that the Major and Suma did, then got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realized what that meant. Swallowing my irritation, I resumed my walk to Suma. It didn¡¯t take too long, about twenty minutes, to reach them. Thankfully, the area wasn¡¯t a dense forest, just a lot of blue hills and flatlands. Suma was perched on a stack of vines, looking a bit less tired, and Lauric was also there, perched a short distance away. Suma saw me walking up and flew over to my shoulder. ¡°Feeling better?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, a bit.¡±

    ¡°Do you need some mana? I have a daljar ready to go.¡± I offered.

    ¡°No, I think I should be fine for now.¡± She said, but she didn¡¯t sound overly convincing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wear yourself out, I have plenty of mana for us both.¡±

    ¡°I will be fine Jake, but if I do need any I will let you know.¡± I would have protested more, but another Neame landed beside us and the Major interrupted by saying that everyone had now arrived. In total there were three Neame and three familiars. Lauric¡¯s Black Serpent, myself, and the familiar of the newest Neame who summoned it when he arrived; it resembled some kind of bug crossed with a goat. It had fangs, six legs, horns, and a thick cream-colored coat of fur.

    ¡°Alright recruits,¡± the Major announced, ¡°this portion of the test will be on how well you can operate as a unit. Teamwork is the only way to pass, and failure to do so will fail not only you, but your whole team!¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± Lauric called out.

    ¡°What is it recruit?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°Are you saying that in order for one of us to be chosen for the Drake Brigade, every one of us has to pass this portion of the exam?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly what I am saying recruit. In real situations, your team''s success or failure can be entirely determined by a single member. If one Neame fails, you all fail.¡± The Major explained.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± I mumbled. Through our private connection, I could faintly sense Suma¡¯s feelings as well. It caught me off guard for a second as it isn¡¯t normal for me to be able to do that. Usually, it only happens when she is feeling something strongly; like when we were attacked in the alley, and she was afraid. This time she felt¡­ annoyed, or maybe nervous; possibly both.

    ¡°Your mission is to defend your position against an attacking team. The winner of this exercise will decide which teams moves on to the third section, and which is dismissed immediately.¡± The Major explained.

    Oh, so it¡¯s like capture the flag. I thought to myself.

    ¡°How will victory or defeat be decided?¡± The other Neame whose name, assuming he had one I guess, I didn¡¯t know, asked. The Major then used magic to lift a large silver metal sheet, with several teal-colored symbols in the center, into the air and place it onto a rusty pole.

    ¡°With this. If the enemy succeeds in destroying or taking this crest, then you lose. However, if you are able to withstand their attacks and defend the crest, or you attack and destroy their crest, then you win.¡± The Major explained. Then, two Neame flew to the Major¡¯s side, both using mana wrapping to carry a huge hourglass, and placed it by the Major. ¡°You will have until the last grain of sand falls from the top to the bottom of this device.¡±

    It¡¯s literally capture the flag! I thought surprised.

    ¡°You will not have long to think of a strategy before this section begins, get to it.¡± He finished. With that, the other and I gathered together.

    ¡°In order to form a proper strategy, we will need to know everyone¡¯s strengths and weaknesses.¡± The new Neame said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do not possess one, but my cadet number is two.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Jake, please do not do it.¡± Suma begged over our private connection.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°It will be good to work with you again Sir Lauric,¡± Two said.

    ¡°And you as well.¡± He replied kindly.

    ¡°You know each other?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, we were on the same team during the climb up Dragon¡¯s Hoard.¡± Two said.

    Suma interrupted to get us back on track, ¡°I specialize in Bonding Magic and Healing Magic, and my weakest form is Soul-Magic.¡±

    ¡°I specialize in only Nature-Magic, but I can use all the types exceptionally well. As for weaknesses, I am rather untalented in any aspect of Soul-Magic as well.¡± Lauric stated.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Chaos Mage¡­ I guess I¡¯m pretty good at attack spells, but I¡¯m still kinda slow to use them. I¡¯m way better with my weapons though.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Soul-Magic user, specifically I specialize in Illusion-Magic and Emotion Magic, my weakness is Energy-Magic. I¡¯m afraid I cannot even form a single fire spell.¡± Two explained.

    ¡°Yes, I remember you mentioned that, like me, you prefer to fight with your own specialty than any standard attack spells.¡± Lauric mentioned.

    ¡°So, how do we use this to our advantage?¡± I wondered. ¡°We need a plan that puts everyone where they will be most useful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are correct.¡± Two acknowledged. ¡°Lauric, of the three of us, you are the most versatile and-¡±

    ¡°Four,¡± I corrected flatly, one eyebrow raised, but he wouldn¡¯t know what that meant so it was pretty pointless in hindsight.

    ¡°¡­Yes, four of us. You are the most versatile and best suited to defend the crest. I think you should stay close to it, while the rest of us attack or intercept the other team.¡± Two said.

    ¡°You might be correct, but I am not sure I can defend the crest alone, even with Loyalty by my side.¡± Lauric stated.

    ¡°What if Suma or Two stayed behind, and the other one and I attacked?¡± I suggested.

    ¡°But Jake¡­¡± Suma started, but I stopped her.

    ¡°I know, but we need to win. I don¡¯t like splitting up any more than you, but you¡¯re not an attack mage, you¡¯d be better off staying here with Lauric while Two and I tried to destroy the flag.¡± I told her.

    ¡°It might work.¡± Two said. Suma seemed to dislike the plan, but agreed.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said.

    ¡°It is our best solution.¡± Lauric agreed. ¡°But please leave the close-range fighting to me Madam Suma.¡± She nodded her head.

    ¡°All right recruits, time is up.¡± We heard the Major yell from a distance. ¡°This section begins... now!¡±

    ¡°Well then Sir Sentinel, let us be off.¡± Two said and flew to my armor¡¯s perch on my shoulder.

 Part 51: Capture the Crest- Part 52: Endgame- Part 53: The Next Adventure

    ¡°Which way?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I will fly up and try to find it. Just a moment.¡± Two said and with a few flaps he was airborne. He went pretty high up, over a hundred feet at least, then came back down and landed on my armor again. That direction,¡± he said with a gesture of his wing. I cast the enhancement spell Suma taught me and started running towards the enemy camp. I felt like I was running pretty fast, but two seemed unimpressed. ¡°Is this as fast as you can go?¡±

    ¡°At the moment, yeah.¡± I answered. ¡°But if I dropped my armor, I could pick up speed. That would mean you wouldn¡¯t have a perch though.¡±

    ¡°We need to get there as quickly as possible, do what you need to do; I will fly beside you.¡± He spread his wings and began to glide alongside me.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said then sent Jericho away. Once it was gone, I started to move much faster, now that I wasn¡¯t being weighed down.

    ¡°A bit better, but it will still take us time at this speed.¡±

    ¡°What about mana wrapping? Couldn¡¯t you just carry me or something?¡±

    ¡°Certainly not, you¡¯re far too large. Anyway, that is a mana intensive skill, it would not be a good idea to use it before combat.¡±

    Suddenly a bit of movement in the distance caught my eye. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.

    Two looked to where I pointed, ¡°It¡¯s a member of the opposing team.¡± He said.

    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°I can see them.¡±

    ¡°From this distance?¡±

    ¡°Can you not?¡±

    ¡°Not in detail; they look more like a speck to me.¡±

    ¡°I do not recognize them. They most likely are not a healing mage.¡±

    ¡°An attack mage?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Or a support mage.¡± I thought about asking what a support mage did, but now wasn¡¯t the time.

    ¡°Will they attack us?¡±

    ¡°They are not flying at us; they are probably heading to our crest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll warn Suma and Lauric.¡±

    ¡°You cannot turn back now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to. Suma and I can talk to each other no matter how far apart we are.¡±

    ¡°I see, then that is a clever idea.¡±

    ¡°Suma, Two and I just spotted someone heading to you and Lauric, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Jake, we will be.¡± She said.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Lauric, Jake just told me that he and Two spotted a mage flying this way.¡± Lauric was perched on top of our crest, watching the sky.

    ¡°I cannot see them yet, we still have some time. We should prepare.¡± He cast a spell that raised a large cylindrical column of rock around the crest, so that it was only visible from the top. ¡°This will be our last line of defense.¡±

    ¡°Lauric, you asked me to let you handle the close-range fighting, but what did you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I should have been clearer; I want you to support me from afar. You have flame spells, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I do as well, but as I said, Nature-Magic is my specialty. Nature-Magic cannot be used effectively at long-range, but it is nearly unstoppable close-range. Please use your fire spells to attack the enemy from a distance and cover me if I get overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I understand, but we need a plan.¡± I said.

    ¡°There¡­ in the distance! I see them!¡± Lauric announced. ¡°We do not have time, Lady Suma, please find a perch that will best allow you to see the area, but that is not too far.¡± Lauric then landed on the ground. ¡°I summon you, Loyalty!¡± His Black Serpent appeared, and they both readied themselves while I found a perch at the top of a nearby hill. The serpent hid itself in one of the patches of tall grass on the hill with the crest. The tension in the air was thick, I could feel my feathers standing on end, but Lauric seemed unphased by any of it. He returned to his perch on the column surrounding the crest, and waited. It was only a single mage who arrived, but it was soon clear why. Without a word, he launched three attacks, Lauric intercepted two of them with his magic, but the third hit the column directly. Fire spells, powerful ones; he was an attack mage. ¡°Lady Suma,¡± Lauric called out without looking away from the enemy, ¡°it seems this mage is a distance attacker, the plan is not going to work! You will need to attack him from a distance instead of providing me cover! I will protect the crest, but I am unable to do distance attacks in any-¡± The enemy launched three more attacks, but in an instant Lauric intercepted them all with several large pillars of vines. The vines burned down to the ground, he would not be able to use that technique again. ¡°Now would be preferable!¡± He insisted.

    ¡°R-right!¡± I called out and began my own spell. ¡°Flames, gather in my presence. Form and shape into a bolt to pierce my enemies¡­ fly Crimson Bo-¡±

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Lauric yelled.

    I launched myself upwards, cutting off the spell, as one of the mage¡¯s attacks blew the vines I was perched on to splinters.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Sir Sentinel, we are approaching the opposing team¡¯s crest.¡± Two said.

    ¡°Finally,¡± I said. We, or I guess I, had been running for a while now, and was getting tired. ¡°What¡¯s around the area?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Two asked.

    ¡°Is there any cover we can use? We don¡¯t want to give them a chance to see us.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ may be a moot point.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I am looking one of them in the eyes now.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I sighed and started slowing down.

    ¡°Why are you stopping?¡± Two asked confused.

    ¡°To come up with a new plan. I was going to try to use the element of surprise, but that¡¯s out of the question now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, what do you have in mind?¡± I thought for a moment, racking my brain for an idea.

    ¡°Two, you have illusion magic right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you know that already.¡± He said.

    ¡°Could you make a double of us? Or maybe some kind of illusion to hide our movements so we can get closer to their crest/flag thing?¡± I asked.

    Two thought quietly for a moment, ¡°Perhaps, but for a spell of that size¡­ I could only do one, not both.¡±

    ¡°Which one do you think would be best?¡±

    Again, he was quiet, ¡°The doubles would be easier to maintain, but they would immediately know which one was which. They would be able to see them appear when I cast the spell.¡±

    ¡°What if I gave us some cover?¡±

    ¡°It would need to shield us from all sides.¡± Two said. ¡°Like some kind of dome or covered tunnel.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± I said confidently. I looked around for a nearby hill to create a tunnel in; there were several. I went to the closest one and began to use magic to carve out a hole large enough for us both to enter and for him to cast a spell, then we went inside. I cast a small fireball for some light, then collapsed the entrance of the tunnel.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a moment,¡± Two said and landed on the ground. He began his spell with a chant and by forming a magic circle. ¡°Nothing is as it seems, light and shadow dance, mingle and form at my command. Create what I desire to see, what I wish to feel, and what I long to hear. Real Double.¡± He finished his chant and slowly, through the faded light of the fireball, I saw smoke-like magic shape itself into vaguely human and bird forms. The smoke changed colors in some areas, the started to solidify. By the end of it, I was looking myself in the eyes. There he... I... was. Illuminated by the flickering violet glow of my spell. On his shoulder was perched the identical copy of Two as well. Both perfect down to the freckle, metaphorically speaking in Two¡¯s case.

    ¡°Good work,¡± I said examining them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ hope they¡­ do the job,¡± Two panted out.

    ¡°Was it that hard?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, but the real question is: will it be worth it?¡±

    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± I said and picked Two up, putting him on my shoulder just like our copies. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°I believe so, but these copies will not last long, so we need to be quick.¡± He instructed. ¡°I will control them and make them run in the opposite direction of us, but that is still no guarantee of success.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make them run out of the cave at the same time as us, that way they won¡¯t know which is which and will have to split up to chase us.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± I started casting the spell to unseal the cave, but I needed to let the fire spell go out first, so we stood in darkness for just a moment before we all shot out of the tunnel.

    ¡°I¡¯m making the copies mimic our movements.¡± Two said as he clung tightly to my shoulder, causing a bit of pain actually as his claws dug in. ¡°It seems to be working, their team is splitting up.¡± I glanced over my shoulder and saw the copies running away from us quickly, already a quarter mile away in the twenty or so seconds since we left the cave.

    ¡°Can you see the crest?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, if we continue to move at this pace, we will be there soo¡­ why are they doing that?¡± Two said confused.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They are reforming, going back to the crest.¡± He told me.

    ¡°Is something wrong with the spell?¡± I asked worried.

    ¡°No, the spell is fine. I have no answer for this.¡± He sounded as worried as I was.

    ¡°Okay, we might need to change the plan.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m right, they probably figured out our plan and decided to just wait for us to either run out of mana maintaining the spell, or figured that since both us and the copies are heading for them, they could just wait for us to come to them.¡± I explained.

    ¡°A wise strategy,¡± Two remarked.

    ¡°Yeah, so let¡¯s give them a reason to meet us.¡± I said. ¡°Two, will the copies automatically do what I do, or do you have to control them?¡±

    ¡°I can give them specific commands, but otherwise they will mimic us.¡±

    ¡°Good, change of plan, we¡¯re going to smoke them out.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand, how?¡±

    ¡°Have them mimic us okay,¡± I said. Two disbanded the copy¡¯s earlier commands and made them mimic us again, and I slowed down to a stop.

    ¡°Sir Sentinel, what are we doing?¡±

    ¡°Can Neame sense mana or spells from this far? Suma mentioned once that you guys could, but she didn¡¯t say from how far that worked.¡±

    ¡°From this distance? I should think not. What spell do you¡­ oh.¡± Two said as I pulled out several steel ball-bearings from my pouch. I started the spell, and since we weren¡¯t in a rush, I did it the slow but strong way. I wanted to make sure it hit its target, and when I use the new way of picturing spells, sometimes it misses the mark a bit. Never by more than an inch, but from this distance, that would be bad. I started casting the spell, and Two confirmed that the copies were doing the same, then he looked over to the other team¡¯s crest. ¡°They are raising a barrier of some kind around their crest, one made of interlocked vines and large stones.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°It won¡¯t help them,¡± I said picturing the last of the spell, ¡°RAILGUN!¡± That thunderous crack rattled out and I saw an explosion in the distance.

    ¡°By the dragons!¡± Two shouted and flapped about trying to regain his lost balance. ¡°A bit of warning would have been appreciated, Sir Sentinel!¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I yelled with the ringing from the spell still filling my ears. ¡°Did it work?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe so. Correction, definitely so. Two of them are leaving their crest, one is staying behind. One of the two that left are heading towards us.¡± There was a moment of silence before he continued. ¡°Sir Sentinel, it seems you have done some serious damage to their crest, but it was not destroyed. Do you have the ability to cast that spell again?¡±

    ¡°You saw how long it takes; do you think we have the time?¡± There was another moment of silence.

    ¡°No, never mind, the mage will be here before you are ready to execute that spell again.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± I said and resumed running towards their crest¡¯s location.

    ¡°If we can get within range though,¡± I said picking up speed to meet the mage heading towards us, ¡°I can perform a smaller version of it.¡±

    ¡°Sir Sentinel, I will distract the mage, you focus on getting within your spell¡¯s range.¡± Two said and spread his wings to catch air and fly up.

    ¡°Jericho!¡± I said and summoned my armor. Speed is good, not getting hit in the back by a spell I didn¡¯t see coming is better.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Lauric yelled. I launched myself upwards, cutting off the spell, as one of the mage¡¯s attacks blew the vines I was perched on to splinters. ¡°Lady Suma, you must-¡± Lauric was interrupted by an attack aimed at the crest. Once again, he blocked it, but the rock columns were still severely fractured; they probably could not withstand many more hits, then our crest would be exposed. ¡°You must attack!¡±

    ¡°I am trying!¡± I yelled back. ¡°Flames, gather in my presence. Form and shape into a bolt to pierce my enemies¡­ fly Crimson Bolt!¡° I finally was able to cast a spell, and launched an attack of my own¡­ which the enemy promptly dodged without much effort. ¡°Fly, Crimson Bolt!¡± I yelled again and launched a second attack. This one was closer, but he still evaded it. Suddenly, a sound like thunder echoed in the distance; our team had begun its own attack. ¡°Lauric,¡± I shouted, ¡°I think that was Jake¡¯s attack! We do not need to win!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking ab-¡± Another interception, but not a perfect one, two of the attacks got through this time; Lauric could not catch as many now that he was nearly out of vines. Ever one of that mage¡¯s attacks burns scores of them, and once destroyed... Lauric cannot use them again. ¡°Talking about? Why do we not we need to win?¡± Lauric finished, never breaking his gaze away from the mage.

    ¡°We just need to wait for Jake to finish, then I can summon him back and we can defeat this mage!¡±

    ¡°I do not believe we will be able to do that Lady Suma! At the very least, we will not have a crest long enough to try it.¡±

    ¡°Fly, Crimson Bolt!¡± I launched another attack; this one clipped his wings. He was singed, but still flying. ¡°I did it!¡± I called out excitedly.

    ¡°Lady Suma, you rely too much on your familiar, we can do this without him!¡± Just as he said that, the mage began a dive. He was aiming straight at the crest¡¯s columns!

    ¡°Fly Crimson-¡± Before I could finish, Lauric¡¯s familiar suddenly appeared and attacked the mage with some kind of liquid from its mouth. It was camouflaged in a patch of grass, waiting for its moment.

    ¡°Agh!¡± The mage cried out and started flapping wildly, quickly losing altitude. He landed on the ground, still flapping and yelling.

    ¡°What was that spray?¡± I asked, landing beside Lauric.

    ¡°A powerful liquid that causes those affected by it to see strange visions.¡± He said as we watched the mage flap around on the ground.

    ¡°Get away, GET AWAY!¡± He yelled.

    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± I asked concerned.

    ¡°Yes, the visions will stop soon, and if we heal him, they will be over even sooner. But we should restrain him first somehow.¡± Lauric stated.

    ¡°I will do it; you should try to replace the vines you lost.¡± I suggested. Lauric agreed, and flew to the nearest bundle of them. I went over to the mage and restrained him with nature magic by engulfing his body in soil, then doing my best to solidify it. After that I healed him, and he stopped screaming.

    ¡°What¡­ happened?¡± The mage asked, finally settling down.

    ¡°You lost,¡± Lauric answered as he landed, having finished replacing his vines.

    The mage sighed, ¡°oh well, perhaps once my mind has fully cleared, I will be able to try again.¡± Truthfully, he did not seem as upset as I assumed he was going to be.

    ¡°You were a fierce opponent,¡± Lauric said.

    ¡°Thank you, but if that¡¯s what you think, I fear I may not get my chance to try again.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because I am the only member of my team who wanted to attack. All of the others decided the best way to win was to guard the crest.¡±

    ¡°So, your whole team is still at your crest¡¯s location?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Indeed, your other teammate and Sentinel have no-¡± He was cut off by another crack of thunder in the distance, this time even louder. I flew up to try and get a better view, and what I saw made no sense.

    Part 52

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Jericho!¡± I said and summoned my armor. Speed is good, not getting hit in the back by a spell I didn¡¯t see coming is better. Running to the crest wouldn¡¯t take long, despite how far away it was. All I needed to do was not get shot in the back, or front, on the way there. The other Neame were too far away for me to see clearly, but I could see them in the rapidly closing distance. I have no idea how I¡¯m going to fight them off long enough to- *CRACKATHOOM* My train of thought was derailed as a bolt of lightning hit the ground next to me. It caught me off guard and I tripped over my own feet, falling to the ground and skidding for a short distance. Once I realized what happened, I used magic to raise a boulder between myself at where I thought the shot had come from. ¡°Of course they shoot lightning,¡± I mumbled.

    I looked back, Two was still distracting the mage. It looked like he was using illusions to distract him, then dodge any of the mage¡¯s attacks. I used mana wrapping to lift up the boulder and carry it in front of me for cover as I ran. It was weighty, and slowed me down a bit, but it was better than getting fried. *CRACKATHOOM* Another bolt of lightning hit the boulder, but it held¡­ mostly. I noticed after that the rock felt a bit lighter and heard the sounds of rubble hitting the ground as I ran. The bolt must have done some real damage to the front of the boulder. *CRACKATHOOM* A third bolt, *CRACKATHOOM*, a fourth. The boulder was getting uncomfortably light, but I was almost there. *CRACKATHOOM* The boulder shattered, and its pieces shot off in every direction. Rather than raising another, I dove behind the top of one of the hills.

    ¡°A plan, a plan, a plan, a plan¡­¡± I repeated to myself desperately looking around. ¡°Can lightning be inverted? No, that¡¯s not how lightning works. Maybe if I used- no that wouldn¡¯t work¡­. Wait a second,¡± I had a plan¡­ well, an idea, well... a thought. Inversion, Wild, Energy, Nature¡­ and Death; those are the types of Chaos-Magic. ¡°Lightning is energy¡­ I have-¡± I stopped thinking and started casting the spell. Not realizing it, I was talking aloud, ¡°Lightning is an electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of energy.¡± My eyes were closed, but as I spoke, I started to hear the sounds of birds chirping, and an electric hum. I opened my eyes and saw a ball of electricity starting to form. Only one shot. I thought to myself. I needed to make sure it hit, so like the railgun spell, this one needed to be guided. ¡°Two electrically charged regions,¡± I repeated. The first region would be the origin point of the spell, the other¡­ the target. Soon the lightning was huge, the size of one of those old computers from the nineties, and it crackled and popped like it was alive. ¡°I really hope this doesn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± I said and popped up from my hiding spot, then shot off the spell. ¡°LIGHTNING BOLT!¡±

    In a blindingly bright flash, the lightning tore through the air and branched out in a dozen different directions, like a root burrowing into soil. I wish I could describe in more detail what it sounded like, but the ringing in my ears was too loud. In fact, I didn¡¯t hear much of anything for the next few minutes. I dropped to the ground, clutching my ears in pain. I looked at my hands, now covered in streams of blood, either from the spell or my ears I couldn¡¯t tell. My vision was blurred from the flash, everything was just a haze for a while. I stumbled towards the other team¡¯s crest as best as I could manage, occasionally stopping to vomit from the dizziness that came and went in waves. By the time I made it the rest of the way up the hill and to their crest, I saw it had already been destroyed. It was just a half melted and shattered pile of metal on the ground now.

    I looked around, trying to find someone, anyone, to figure out what happened. I couldn¡¯t hear anything, but my eyes went back to normal after a while. I tried calling out, but couldn¡¯t hear my own voice, just that constant ringing. I stumbled across a Neame eventually, not Two, another one; probably one of the other team. They were lying on the ground, occasionally twitching. I took off a piece of my armor and summoned a couple of daljar, then used my armor¡¯s healing runes to fix us both up. After a minute, my hearing came back, and Suma showed up.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Indeed, your other teammate and Sentinel have no-¡± He was cut off by another crack of thunder in the distance, this time even louder. I flew up to try and get a better view, and what I saw made no sense. It looked like a lightning bolt, but it was impossibly large, and longer lasting than any I had ever seen before. It hung in the air, light pouring off and pulsating as it slowly shrank down, like a tree¡¯s branch had been lit on fire, then plastered on the sky.

    ¡°Lauric, I am going to go check on Jake!¡± I called out, then flew off. I heard him try to call out to me, saying that I should stay, but I ignored him. ¡°Jake!? Jake, can you hear me?¡± I tried to contact him over our private connection. There was no answer, so I used the enhancement spell and flew as quickly as I could manage. It only took a short time for me to arrive and see the devastation. There were scorch marks everywhere, patches of grass were still on fire, several Neame were unconscious, maybe dead, and the lingering smell of a lightning storm was still thick in the air. I came to look for Jake, but I could not simply leave the Neame. I dove down and started healing everyone I saw, three in total, one of which was Two from our team, and the others were from the opposing team. Once they were healed, I started looking for Jake again; I would have asked Two which way he went, but Two did not wake up. However, he was alive; they all were actually, but scorched just as badly as the surrounding area. Their feathers were burned, some now had bald patches where the feathers, and in some cases, skin, had been blown off. Flying away from them, I saw more Neame start to arrive; the instructors and military officials, as well as additional healers. Finally, I found him. ¡°Jake!¡± I cried out and landed beside him. He had taken off parts of his armor, and wrapped it around a severely injured Neame; the healing runes were on as well.

    ¡°Suma,¡± Jake said once he saw me, ¡°I think I over did it¡­¡±

    Part 53

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Sentinel, Lady Suma, are you injured?¡± The Major asked us after finally arriving. In the last few minutes, several Neame had arrived and began treating the one I wrapped up in my armor. They said I saved her, that the runes kept her alive¡­ it wasn¡¯t as comforting as they had probably intended it to be. I was the one who did it to her after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine sir, and I¡¯ve already healed Ja- um... Sentinel.¡± Suma answered.

    ¡°Sir Sentinel¡­ did you cause this? Was that your spell we saw?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°Yes sir, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. It was too strong of a-¡± He cut me off.

    ¡°Fantastic! This spell is incredible, truly. Sir Sentinel, welcome to the Drakes.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re happy¡­ I assumed you would want to like... kick me out of the army or something.¡± I said bewildered.

    ¡°Do not confuse my words Sir Sentinel, there will be consequences to using a spell of this magnitude in a test, but this only cements what we already knew: that you are an asset. We need your strength Sir Sentinel. Both you and Lady Suma will have a place on the Drakes Brigade.¡±

    ¡°But, what about the third portion of the exam?¡± Suma asked. ¡°We are only on the second.¡±

    ¡°The third portion actually took place at the same time as the second. It was a test of ingenuity and creativity, and all of your team did well enough to pass.¡± The Major explained.

    ¡°Sir¡­ I don¡¯t deserve that.¡± I answered. ¡°I hurt so many people. I thought I could control it, but-¡±

    ¡°Sentinel, this is a war. You will kill, you will hurt, and you may die. Don¡¯t regret fighting, regret having not stood for what was worth fighting for. You have heard of the Southern Union, what they do, how they are. Our country, no... the world, needs your strength.¡± The Major said.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re right, but that doesn¡¯t make me feel any better¡­ I want to apologize to everyone who was hurt today... can you help me do that?¡± I asked the Major.

    He nodded his head, ¡°That would be possible.¡± With that, we were each escorted off the field. Our team had officially won, and each of its members was granted a spot as a Drake, as well as one of the Neame from the other team who had impressed the judges. I spent the next day visiting each of the Neame who was hurt by my spell. Two of them were mad, one said it was a risk he knew might happen and that he didn¡¯t hold it against me, and the others didn¡¯t even know it was me in the first place. Two, the member of my team who had gone with me and was caught in the blast, was annoyed, but understood that what I did got him his spot on the team, so he let it go. The Neame who I hurt worst, the one who as it turns out, was the same Neame who was shooting me with lightning, and who was the one I wrapped in my armor, actually found it funny. She said she got what she deserved shooting lightning at a familiar out of nowhere. She apparently had let the others talk her into doing it, but she herself didn¡¯t originally want to. She thanked me for saving her, and I apologized again.

    After I finished visiting everyone Suma and I had a talk. ¡°He is right Jake.¡± She said.

    ¡°Who is?¡±

    ¡°The Major¡­ I do not¡­¡± she sighed, ¡°I do not want to hurt anyone any more than you do, but this is war, and it would be foolish to think it will not happen eventually.¡±

    ¡°I know. Especially if we are a part of the Drakes.¡±

    ¡°Do you think¡­ do you regret our decision?¡± She asked.

    I thought for a moment, ¡°no, joining the Drakes was the right call. I think we will be able to do more good with them than if we had simply joined the front lines or the reserves.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps...¡± There was a moment of quiet tension, she looked uneasy about something. ¡°Jake, are you scared?¡±

    ¡°About the Drakes? Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So am I.¡± I picked Suma up and put her on my shoulder, I didn¡¯t have my armor on at the moment, so she used the loose cloth of my jacket to steady herself. ¡°I hope you are right Jake.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± I answered.

    After that Suma and I, as well as everyone else who passed the test, were released from camp and sent back to the cities we came from. We said goodbye to Vindicta and Von-Pac, and Suma offered them a place to stay if they ever came by her city. Vindicta and Suma both sang for a while, and Von-Pac and I waited quietly for them to finish from a good distance away. I don¡¯t know where the others, that being Two and Lauric, went, but Suma and I headed back to Suma¡¯s city, Zach-Ahshem. We were supposed to wait for assignment orders, then go to wherever our orders said to meet our new team. They said we should expect a summons within one week, so we needed to get ourselves ready before then. Suma sent me back home, and spent a while traveling back to hers. I spoke to my mom. I told her that I had passed the test, but left out how, and told her that our orders would be in soon. I explained that I might not be able to come around as much now. She was worried but understood.

    Suma and I spent the week getting some upgrades and repairs made to my armor, runes, and weapons from Ceil and Sela-Car; both of whom were doing well and happy to see us. Ceil¡¯s business was doing better, apparently a name raised his social rank and now more people were ordering from him. Sela-Car had spent the last few months developing new Chaos-Magic runes for me, and was eager to apply them.

    The repairs and upgrades to my armor included a lining of daljar linings on the inside layer. That way I wouldn¡¯t need to summon any actual daljars to activate my healing and stamina runes. All I would need to do was flow the mana through the layer first. The new runes were interesting too. Sela-Car said she was able to increase the efficiency and force of the runes on my weapons by changing the patterns. Meaning they would be a bit stronger for the same amount of mana.

    Suma eventually went and saw her parents, I don¡¯t know how it went, but she seemed upset afterwards, so I had a feeling not well. I tried to talk to her about it, but she just said that it was normal for them and asked to change the subject.

    Eventually, our orders arrived, and we were to meet our new team at a city called, ¡°Antonella.¡± It was one of the strongholds holding off Southern Union forces from the Island of Sangu. Suma said it would take her three days to travel there, and that she would see me then. With that, she sent me home and started traveling. I spent the three days preparing a few things. We were going to war, and I had a few items to purchase before that happened.

    Two days later, I was lying in bed waiting to fall asleep. My mind started to wonder and I, still guilt ridden, thought about how the test ended. I knew I needed to move on, that it was an accident, but I still felt bad. I decided to bring it up the next time I spoke to Dr. Maxwell. Eventually, I slowly fell asleep.

    I had hoped to dream of how things were before I disappeared that day, or even of just relaxing in Suma¡¯s world, but instead there was only darkness¡­ darkness and him. ¡°Hello Sentinel,¡± the kinder half said. ¡°You¡¯re getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. ¡°You said last time that you were my friend, and my doom.¡±

    ¡°YES,¡± the more reptilian side yelled, ¡°DOOM, DOOM TO ALL OF ATMOSIA!¡±

    ¡°Why? What did they do to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°NOT THEM¡­ the dragons¡­ THE TRATIORS¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I said.

    ¡°Then allow me¡­ TO SHOW YOU!¡±

 HDMGF What if: Part 1

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Around me all that could be heard was the scribbling of pencils filling in multiple choice bubbles. I wasn''t too stressed about the test since the engineering course I wanted to enter wasn''t particularly hard to get into, and I happened to be pretty decent at math. The class was ten minutes into the mid-year Math exam when, under me, a brightly illuminated circle patterned with lines and smaller circles appeared. Startled, I looked up, but no one seemed to notice. That¡¯s when everything went dark.

    Like a slow blink, the world came back into view again. Except, my view was full of little royal-blue colored, and almost sparkling, bird nymphs staring up at me. I staggered back in surprise before I managed to regain my balance and look around the room. The roof was just above my head, but since these little nymph things were what this room was designed for¡­ I guess it made sense. To them it probably looked more like an arena or a school gym. In fact, there were definitely some kind of gymnastics bars and other assorted climbable bars scattered around the room.

    Turning my attention back to the nymphs, I noticed a couple among them seemed to be a little larger and duller colored, like a steel-blue, and decorated in gold lace that definitely made them look more¡­official. There was one standing in front of a crowd of, what seemed to me to be, younger nymphs. They were almost holding them back behind a kind of invisible line; while behind the crowd stood three taller ones who definitely looked apprehensive.

    My attention finally rested on one bright blue bird nymph facing me and standing in front of all the others. It looked like it was fidgeting, peering up at me with upturned eyes. It chirped, and as it did I felt¡­ encouragement, demand and¡­.

    I should tell them who I am, I guess they wouldn¡¯t know. I thought to myself. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Jake,¡± I said to the large crowd while waving my hand. The group of brightly colored nymphs exploded in a cacophony of shushed chirps. Their chirps and tweets strongly reminded me of the excited whispering when someone does something amazing in a library or some situation where you need to be quiet. The four who I was starting to suspect were teachers seemed to relax a little; their feathers flattened closer to their bodies, but their gazes stayed wary. The little light blue one at the front seemed to gain a bit of confidence, holding its¡¯ head higher and walking with a longer stride.

    It chirped once again, but this time I felt authority¡­ submission and¡­

    I should go to my master.¡­

    Wait¡­ master? I thought, seemingly at odds with my own mind.

    I cannot keep her waiting.

    What? Why can¡¯t I keep who waiting?

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    In my mind, the back and forth raged. I would flip between desperation and a desire to serve, to confusion and clarity.

    No, I just have to walk to her!

    What the frick? Why am I thinking this?

    GO TO HER!

    Holy crap is this mind control?

    GO TO HER NOW!

    ¡°GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!¡± I screamed filled with frustration and unbridled rage. As I yelled, the crowd of birds shrank away, falling completely silent. Even the four teachers looked stunned, but they quickly recovered.

    In the silence, the light blue one nervously repeated her chirp.

    I should¡­

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ¡°Good Work 13,¡± my instructor told me as I made the enormous creature fall under the Rite of Dominance. ¡°If you keep up at this pace you will be a capable healing mage in no time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Now, take your new familiar and go join the rest of the class while 14 takes his turn,¡± He told me. I led this new beast to the back, and we took our place in line. We sat through a few more Neame summoning their own familiars, some of which were quite impressive, before our teacher moved on to the next part of the lesson. ¡°Okay everyone, if you will all follow me, we are going to travel to the Grand Temple to perform your binding rituals to your new familiars. The school has made reservations and they are preparing for us now, but let¡¯s try not to waste time. They have many others who need to bond with their familiars as well.¡± Once his announcement was finished, we were instructed to wrap our familiars in mana and carry them to the temple while we flew. All of the summoned familiars were larger than us, but only myself and three others had any difficulty as our familiars were abnormally large. Even still, the flight to the temple was exciting, the thought of having my own familiar exhilarated me.

    Upon arriving at the temple, we dropped off our familiars in a handling area, and were greeted by a nun, I knew because she had completely dyed her feathers white, who explained how the ritual worked and what we should expect from it. ¡°Has everyone already performed the Rite of Dominance on their chosen familiars?¡± She asked the instructor.

    ¡°Yes, we were able to have everyone do it before our departure from the academy,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Good, we expected you would, but better safe than sorry.¡± She turned to the class, ¡°Now, I am assuming this is the first time any of you have performed this Ritual outside of practicing it at school, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes madam,¡± we all replied; we were told that was the proper way to respond and address a nun of the temple.

    ¡°Well then, would you all like to watch a pairing before you actually perform one for yourselves? We have several that will be occurring soon, and I¡¯m sure one of them wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± She offered. We all happily agreed, and the nun left to check if any of the participants would mind an audience. Our little waiting room was filled with the elated whispers of my class discussing any number of things. I heard four separate conversations about what it would be like to have a familiar of their own, two conversations about how powerful their summons looked, and at least two males in the back discussing how attractive the nun was. After a short wait, the nun returned, ¡°Good news children, one man has agreed to allow you to watch his pairing ritual.¡± She led us to one of the chambers where the rituals take place, and inside was an adult Neame, several armed guards, and the familiar¡­ a drake.

    ¡°Hello everyone, I am Magistrate Gakheel. I hear you would like to observe my pairing today.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°Well, I am more than happy to help educate our future minds and mages.¡±

 HDMGF What if: Part 2

    After a short wait, the nun returned, ¡°good news children, someone has agreed to allow you to watch his pairing ritual.¡± She led us to one of the chambers where the rituals take place, and inside was an adult Neame, several armed guards, and the familiar¡­ a drake.

    ¡°Hello everyone, I am Magistrate Gakheel. I hear you would like to observe my pairing today.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°Well, I am more than happy to help educate our future minds and mages.¡±

    Our teacher walked up to the noble, ¡°Thank you Magistrate Gakheel for allowing my students to watch your pairing ritual. Do you mind if I ask which technique you will be using today?¡±

    ¡°Oh of course. Actually, I am using a more abnormal bonding ritual than I have with my other familiars. Since this drake is such a rare familiar, I am going to use a naming type pairing.¡± The noble explained.

    ¡°A naming type?¡± Our teacher asked flummoxed. I couldn¡¯t blame him, naming type pairings were mostly reserved for high quality magical items or the familiars of royals, it is unusual for anyone to use it on a familiar. Not to say that many familiars aren¡¯t named, assuming the summoner has the magical power for it anyway, but most are given names after the pairing ritual as a way of increasing the familiar¡¯s abilities. ¡°Well, I suppose it is a drake.¡± My teacher reasoned.

    At that moment, a priest landed beside the magistrate and alerted him that everything was prepared. ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± he said to the priest. He then turned and dressed us, ¡°Now children, we are about to release the drake. While I do have him under mental domination, I think it¡¯s better if you stay back. It is a rather large beast, and I wouldn¡¯t want anyone getting caught underfoot.¡± We all acknowledge his instructions and cleared the area for the drake. My classmates and I excitedly watched the ritual from the corner of the room opposite the drake. The ritual began with the magistrate casting a magic circle around both him and the creature he wished to pair with, then an exchange of power began, which was finished once the circles changed color. After that, all that was left to do was give the creature a name, which would mark it as property of the magistrate. ¡°I name you, Egoes!¡±

    I watch the whole event in fascination, but once the newly minted Egoes stood up, and the circles at their feet vanished, I knew it was over. ¡°An excellent show Magistrate Gakheel, thank you for allowing the children to watch. I truly believe this was a great opportunity,¡± our guide, the nun, said to him.

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    ¡°It was my pleasure madam. I hope you children were watching closely, because you may need to repeat it in your bonding rituals,¡± he stated.

    ¡°Students, let¡¯s all thank the magistrate for allowing us this opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Thank you sir.¡± We all said together. The magistrate then wished us the best of luck, and our group was led by our instructor and the nun to our chamber in which our class would be performing the rituals.

    ¡°Number 1,¡± the nun called out as his summon was brought into the chamber. One by one each of us completed the pairing, until finally it was my turn. I was number 13, and there were only three people behind me, so even after I finished, I would still need to stand to the side with my familiar while the rest finished their rituals. ¡°Number 13,¡± the nun called out and my summon was led out. However, something was odd, he was the only one that was chained up. There were iron bindings around his hands and neck.

    ¡°Why has he been chained?¡± I asked. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of relief came over me, but it wasn¡¯t my relief, it was his.

    ¡°Just in case.¡± The nun said, warily.

    ¡°Sir,¡± I called out to my teacher, ¡°is feeling the emotions of your familiar normal?¡±

    ¡°You already performed the Rite of Dominance on him, so some residual emotions making their way to you is a good sign. It means your bond is strong.¡± He explained. I took this as a good sign, and proceeded with the ritual. Just like I had been practicing, I started by forming a magic circle around our feet. But something was wrong, in practice and in the rituals of all the other students, the circle formed around the familiar was a single color, but this one possessed multiple colors. Then the summon dropped to the ground, and flames started to encircle him.

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± A voice like thunder demanded, but where it came from I couldn¡¯t tell. Suddenly, the flames began to morph and take shape, into something else entirely. At first, it looked similar to my familiar, but it kept changing into something else, something more like a salamander or a drake. ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± It boomed again. I had no idea what was happening, and my classmates were now all cowering behind the nun and our teacher, as well as their familiars.

    ¡°A name?¡± I asked the voice, which I believe to have come from that figure of flame.

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± He bellowed again. I thought for a moment, I hadn¡¯t planned on using a naming bond, but if I had to give it a name¡­

    ¡°Ulok!¡± I shouted at the figure, and in doing so, gave the summon a name.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Ulok cried out, sounding in pain. A magic circle had embedded itself onto his body. I knew that would happen, but I didn¡¯t expect it to hurt him. With that, the figure made of flames vanished into smoke, and the room was left with nothing but a deafening silence.

 HDMGF: What if- Part 3

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± A voice like thunder demanded, but where it came from I couldn¡¯t tell. Suddenly, the flames began to morph and take shape, into something else entirely. At first, it looked similar to my familiar, but it kept changing into something else, something more like a salamander or a drake. ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± It boomed again. I had no idea what was happening, and my classmates were now all cowering behind the nun and our teacher, as well as their familiars.

    ¡°A name?¡± I asked the voice, which I believe to have come from that figure of flame.

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± He bellowed again. I thought for a moment, I hadn¡¯t planned on using a naming bond, but if I had to give it a name¡­

    ¡°Ulok!¡± I shouted at the figure, and in doing so, gave the summon a name.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Ulok cried out, sounding in pain. A magic circle had embedded itself onto his body. I knew that would happen, but I didn¡¯t expect it to hurt him. With that, the figure made of flames vanished into smoke, and the room was left with nothing but a deafening silence.

    ¡°W-what was that?¡± A scared student hiding behind their familiar cried out shattering the quiet. The nun who had been watching us was in what I think was a prayer position, but I couldn¡¯t tell if she was praying for protection or something else entirely. I could see some of the others whispering to themselves, probably wondering the same things I was. Eventually, our instructor snapped himself out of it.

    ¡°O-okay everyone, um¡­ we are going to¡­ to take a break for a moment. Everyone who has already completed the ritual may¡­ may go home, and any who haven¡¯t but do not wish to stay may also go home.¡± He announced and almost everyone left, save a few who seemed determined to bond to their summons no matter what. They waited with a guard, one of the few who hadn¡¯t fled, until they would be allowed to continue their rituals. Then the teacher and the nun, who had pulled herself together as well, flew over to me.

    ¡°Child, what was that? What kind of pairing ritual did you use?¡± The nun questioned.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know!¡± I said confused.

    ¡°You must have done something?¡± The teacher reasoned. ¡°The magic circle was glowing multiple colors, that doesn¡¯t just happen.¡±

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    ¡°What kind of impurity have you brought into this temple girl?¡± The nun accused.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.. I haven¡¯t.. I- I don¡¯t¡­¡± I tried to say, but got overwhelmed. Just then, that same sense of protection washed over me again, and before I knew what was happening, I was scooped up by Ulok and was being placed onto his shoulder by him. However, I hadn¡¯t ordered him to do that.

    ¡°What are you doing child?¡± The nun asked. ¡°This is a complete overreaction to being questioned.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him to do this,¡± I explained. ¡°He just did it on his own.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ tell him to stop.¡± The teacher suggested.

    ¡°Put me down,¡± I ordered. Ulok looked over at me, with what I think was worry, but did as he was told and sat me down gently. ¡°Good.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, at least you have control over him.¡± The nun remarked in a snide tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry madam, but I truly don¡¯t know what that flaming creature was,¡± I told her. She seemed to relent and accepted that I was telling the truth. They asked me question after question, and I answered as many as I could, but that doesn¡¯t mean I answered very many. Until finally my teacher saw the faces of the few students who had stayed behind to finish their rituals.

    ¡°Okay,¡± my teacher interrupted, ¡°we can finish this later. Right now, these students need to take priority. 13, will you please go wait in the corner until they are finished; we can resume this in a while.¡± I did as I was told and flew to perch on Ulok¡¯s body, then he walked us over to where I directed him. Riding on him was¡­ odd. His movements are slow and lumbering at first glance, but after experiencing them firsthand I realized how fluidic they actually were. Even the gentle side-to-side swaying he has just when standing still is so slow and gentle that I didn¡¯t even notice it at first. Turning my attention back to the rituals, I watched as the last of the students bonded with their summons, turning them into familiars. Each of the familiars was so different than mine, theirs seemed so¡­ bestial, whereas Ulok seemed more refined.

    ¡°Okay boy,¡± the final student said upon completing the ritual, ¡°let¡¯s go home and show Mom.¡± It was then I realized.. I had no idea what gender my familiar was. I had just assumed Ulok was a boy because of how big he was, but I didn¡¯t know for sure.

    ¡°Huh, why haven¡¯t I-¡° I stopped myself halfway through my thought. I knew why I couldn¡¯t tell Ulok¡¯s gender. It was because Ulok was wearing garments. ¡°But why would you be wearing garments? Did you have another owner before I summoned you? Is it natural for your species to drape things over themselves?¡± I wondered aloud. I got a sense that Ulok was confused, that he perhaps didn¡¯t understand. And why would he? Familiars typically only understand simple commands, not questions or sentences. ¡°Yes, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t understand. If you did, I could just ask you if you were male or female.¡± I wasn¡¯t worried about talking to Ulok, people talk to their familiars all the time. It¡¯s treated mostly like just thinking aloud, however most familiars don¡¯t talk back.

    ¡°I¡¯m a guy.¡±

 HDMGF: What if- Part 4

    ¡°Huh, why haven¡¯t I-¡° I stopped myself halfway through my thought. I knew why I couldn¡¯t tell Ulok¡¯s gender. It was because Ulok was wearing garments. ¡°But why would you be wearing garments? Did you have another owner before I summoned you? Is it natural for your species to drape things over themselves?¡± I wondered aloud. I got a sense that Ulok was confused, that he perhaps didn¡¯t understand. And why would he? Familiars typically only understand simple commands, not questions or sentences. ¡°Yes, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t understand. If you did, I could just ask you if you were male or female.¡± I wasn¡¯t worried about talking to Ulok, people talk to their familiars all the time. It¡¯s treated mostly like just thinking aloud, however most familiars don¡¯t talk back.

    ¡°I¡¯m a guy.¡± Ulok said.

    I was stunned, ¡°You¡­ can speak?!¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°Yes mam, is that surprising?¡± He asked, to my absolute shock and awe.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a familiar speaking before.¡± I told him.

    ¡°If it pleases you mam, I can remain quiet.¡± He said.

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine. I was just surprised.¡± I said, not wanting him to be offended. Then it hit me, I had an intelligent being under my mental domination¡­. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± there was a short pause, ¡°but I do have a question. If you would allow me.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react, how to think. I was still processing the realization of the situation, so until I decided what to do I would go about as normal.

    ¡°What is your name my lady?¡± He wondered.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t possess a name.¡± He looked shocked, almost offended. I don¡¯t know how I could tell considering we were different species. Perhaps it was a side effect of the dominance rite?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a name? May I ask why?¡±

    ¡°I was never given one. My parents didn¡¯t possess the magical prowess necessary to name me, like most parents in my country.¡± I explained. He was silent for a few moments, seemingly in thought.

    ¡°Would you allow me to name you?¡± He requested.

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°I would be honored to give you a name.¡± He declared proudly.

    ¡°I¡­ you want to name me?¡±

    ¡°If you wish me to.¡± He offered.

    ¡°Your offer is enticing, but my world has laws for naming. Although, I have heard rumors that the one first in line for the position of Grand Duke has plans to relax some of those laws, as well as intensify others. Right now, those current rules must be followed, at least until the new Grand Duke is decided.¡± I explained. He seemed disappointed, but agreed to wait and drop the issue until then.

    Soon the last of the students finished their pairing rituals and we were dismissed, but I was asked to be sure to make myself available for later questioning. I needed to be alone for a while, so I sent Ulok home. I wanted to have a conversation with my parents about what happened today at the ritual, and to discuss Ulok himself. When I arrived and opened the entrance to our home, I was surprised to see that several temple officials, a nun and a priest, were already talking with my parents.

 HDMGF What if: Part 5

    Soon, the last of the students finished their pairing rituals and we were dismissed, but I was asked to be sure to make myself available for later questioning. I needed to be alone for a while, so I sent Ulok home. I wanted to have a conversation with my parents about what happened today at the ritual, and to discuss Ulok himself. When I arrived and opened the entrance to our home, I was surprised to see that several temple officials, a nun and a priest, were already talking with my parents.

    ¡°Daughter, there you are! These nice mages from the Citadel wish to have a word with you.¡± My mother said. She flew over to me and whispered very intensely, ¡°What did you do? Why are nobles and clergy looking for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I do not know how to explain it.¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°Are you the young girl who summoned the fire spirit?¡± The priest asked.

    ¡°I do not think it was a spirit.¡± I said.

    ¡°Then you know what it was?¡± The nun, who was perched in the corner of the room, asked.

    ¡°¡­ No, I do not.¡±

    ¡°What is this ¡®fire spirit¡¯ that you believe my daughter summoned?¡± My father interrupted.

    ¡°The nuns witnessed it with their own eyes. Your daughter summoned some kind of fire spirit during her pairing ritual.¡± The priest said.

    ¡°My daughter does not have the power to do something like that. She has not even finished her tenure at the academy.¡± My father¡¯s words hurt, but they were true. As far as I knew, I could not have been the one that summoned that¡­ creature. Ulok was my familiar now, but it would be another few hours, maybe even a day, before I would know how powerful he was. It usually takes somewhere between five and nineteen hours for the rituals to finish bonding our souls, and for me to know his magical attribute and strength.

    ¡°My husband is correct. My daughter couldn¡¯t possibly have summoned any spirit.¡±

    ¡°And yet one showed up, demanding that your daughter name her familiar.¡± The priest said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you summon your familiar now, so we can examine it.¡± The nun suggested.

    ¡°I-I do not know if that would be a good idea.¡± I said.

    ¡°Just do it so they can see that they are wrong and will leave.¡± My father said. I looked around the room and my parents and the clergy, and then at the room itself. Ulok was much too tall to fit comfortably in here.

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    ¡°He is too large, we would need to go outside in order to do it.¡± I said, still not truly sure what to do.

    ¡°Fine then, let us go outside so we may see the familiar with our own eyes.¡± The priest said. We all flew to the base of the mountain. They perched on a mountain, and I landed on the ground.

    ¡°I Summon you, Ulok!¡± I said, and cast the summoning spell. Slowly he appeared in front of us, although he looked different from before. Despite only an hour having passed, he was now dressed in different garments. With his new garments on, the magic circle that formed on his arm was clearly showing, and shined dimly until he fully appeared. He looked around confused for a moment, then he saw me and lowered himself before me. Through my control ritual, I felt that this was his way of showing reverence to me. It was his species¡¯ version of a bow.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my lady, if I¡¯d known you¡¯d need me tonight, I wouldn¡¯t have changed into my pajamas.¡± Ulok said. I looked back at my family, and the clergy, and saw exactly what I expected to see: horror and surprise.

    ¡°Your familiar¡­ it spoke.¡± My mother said.

    ¡°Yes, it was quite a shock to me as well.¡± I said.

    ¡°This is nearly unheard of.¡± The nun said.

    ¡°What manner of monster have you gained, child?¡± The priest asked, stunned.

    ¡°My lady, shall I kill them?¡± Ulok asked. I could feel his anger at the priest¡¯s comment.

    ¡°No, no. They are members of the clergy. You cannot kill them.¡± I ordered.

    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± He said, and lowered his head.

    ¡°How¡­ how is this possible?¡± My father asked.

    ¡°Love,¡± my mother asked me, ¡°what is this creature?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to introduce myself, my lady?¡± Ulok offered.

    ¡°Yes, that might be a good idea.¡± I said.

    ¡°I am Ulok, a human from the planet Earth, born in the country of England seventeen years ago.¡± After that, he stayed quiet for several moments.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± The nun asked expectantly.

    ¡°Yup.¡± Ulok said.

    ¡°Well, what about your magical attribute, or your family lineage, or your titles?¡± My mother asked. I expected the priest to be more vocal during this, but he was staying only quiet, and looking very intensely at Ulok. He was clearly frightened.

    ¡°My name is Ulok, but it used to be Jake Vandel. My lady changed it once she officially put me under her service. As for magic, I don¡¯t have any; no titles either.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean that you were able to rename this creature?¡± The nun asked.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®no magic¡¯?¡± My father asked. Actually, it had not yet set in, but Ulok did say that; I simply had not realized it yet.

    ¡°Until I met my lady, I didn¡¯t even know magic was real. I just assumed it was a myth.¡± When Ulok said that, I knew he was wrong.

    ¡°You are mistaken.¡± I said. ¡°While the ritual has not yet fully bonded us, it has progressed enough that I can feel some of your magic. Although, I still cannot tell what type it is.¡±

    ¡°I have magic?¡± Ulok sounded surprised.

    ¡°We need to go.¡± The priest stated suddenly. He was glaring at Ulok as if he hated him.

    ¡°But we just-¡± The nun tried to say.

    ¡°We are leaving!¡± The priest yelled, and flew into the sky; towards the grand sanctum. The nun followed quickly after.

    That night, my parents asked me quite a lot of questions, and even more to Ulok. I had to skip my attendance at the academy the next day, due to not getting any sleep. Ulok was also tired, but said he would stay awake for as along as I needed him to. I ordered him to get some rest, and sent him home. When I woke up, I chose to check the progress of the rituals, and found that it had fully bonded us. I took a moment to sense Ulok¡¯s magical attribute. I could feel it, as clearly as if it were my own, and the realization left me horrified.

    ¡°Ulok¡­ has Chaos Magic.¡± I whispered.

 HDMGF What if: Part 6

    After talking it over with my parents and the priests, we all decided that having a familiar with Chaos Magic is too dangerous. Since I have Body Magic, any time that Ulok and I used our Combination Magic, it would become some form of Death Magic. That thought frightened me. The priests contacted a noble, who agreed to take Ulok as his own familiar. Meaning I needed to learn a rite to sever our familiar¡¯s bond, and my Rite of Dominance over him. Ulok was upset, and claimed he wanted to serve only me, but I forbid him from bringing it up again, and he has not since.

    Now, myself, three High Class mages, the Nobel, who¡¯s name was Zal-Pac, a priest, a nun, and my parents were all in the summoning room, preparing to end my bond with Ulok, so that Zal-Pac could take him for his own. I think the priest only came in case that strange flaming figure reappeared.

    ¡°First, we must remove the Rite of Dominance, since it was applied before Ulok became your familiar. It is the oldest magical bond you have with him, and it is acting as the foundation of your bond.¡± The noble explained. ¡°But that is a rather dangerous things, so we will have him go into a cage first, and we have these three mages here as well; for safety¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± I said. ¡°Ulok, go wait in the cage¡­¡± I said. Ulok said nothing, but his head hung low, and I could feel his sadness through our link. The doors to the wooden cage were closed, and locked with bars of metal. Not even a Borog Beast would be able to escape from it.

    After a short preparation period, everyone was ready, and I began the rite. A magic circle formed around Ulok, the same one that was on his arm. It shifted colors, from blue to purple, to red. Soon, cracks began to form in the magic circle, and Ulok began to scream while holding his head.

    ¡°It is hurting him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Focus on the Rite, it must be performed correctly. The pain will subside soon.¡± The noble said. A few moments more passed, and the circle was filled with countless cracks, until it finally shattered, and I felt my control over Ulok¡¯s mind vanish. The first stage of the rite was completed. So now, it was time for me to sever our familiar¡¯s bond. But before I did, Ulok did what all familiars do when they lose their masters, he rampaged.

    ¡°HUUUUUAAAAHHHH!¡± He cried out, and threw himself over and over again into the cage door with so much fury and force that the metal bars began to bend. This lasted so long, that I feared the cage may not withstand it, and he would escape. But after several minutes, Ulok quieted down, and sat down in the cage, looking all around the room. The intelligence that had once resided behind his eyes and had shaken me to my bones, no longer resided within him. All that was left was the madness that comes with a familiar losing its master.

    With Ulok calm, I gathered my strength, and began the second half of the rite. This time, rather than a new magic circle forming, the one on Ulok¡¯s shoulder began to glow. Just as before, cracks formed along and inside of it, until it too shattered. Now, I felt my connection to Ulok server entirely; expect for the summoning power that I still held over him. That would not be relinquished until Ulok gained his new master.

    ¡°Excellent job, young one.¡± The noble said, and flew closer to Ulok¡¯s cage. Inside, Ulok sat just where he had been for the last several minutes, closely examining his shoulder. ¡°Yes, this has all been a fine showing.¡± The noble asked the priest, excitedly, ¡°did you see how powerful this one is? It nearly broke the cage, all on its own! Splendid! Truly splend-¡± Before the noble could finish his thought, Ulok, who had been ignoring us until now, suddenly launched himself once more at the cage door. Without warning, the door broke, and Ulok was free. With a single powerful strike, and a feather curling howl, Ulok knocked Zal-Pac out of the air to the ground. Picking him up, he then proceeded to horrifically and mercilessly slam Zal-Pac into the ground over and over again, until his head was little more than a smear on the ground. My parents, myself, and the priest, all shocked, started to fly away. While all this happened, the High-Class mages pelted Ulok with spell after spell, but he barely seemed to care.

    ¡°Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!¡± Someone shouted as those of us desperately trying to escape searched for an exit.

    ¡°Magic isn¡¯t working! Who summoned it? Send it back!¡± Another person yelled.

    ¡°Send it back!¡± My mother yelled at me. I dove to the ground, and faced Ulok, who had begun to eat the body of the noble while the mages attacked him. Parts of Ulok¡¯s body were burning, falling off, twisted in unnatural directions, or were impaled with wooden stakes from spells, but nothing caused him to look away from his meal. What was left of his face was covered in both his and Zal-Pac¡¯s blood. As soon as I landed, I reversed the summons, sending Ulok away. Unfortunately, since he was holding the noble, Zal-Pac disappeared as well. For far too long, not a single sound was heard, except for everyone¡¯s heavy breathing and my mother¡¯s sobs, but I doubt anyone noticed those.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to tell his son?¡± One of the three High-Class mages asked one of the others.

    ¡°I have never seen a familiar transfer go¡­ like this. What¡­ what are we supposed to do now?¡± The priest asked, though I think he was simply thinking aloud.

    ¡°I do not know.¡± One of the mages replied.

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    ¡°I dooooo¡­¡± A voice said, and Uloks mangled figure slowly reappeared.

    ¡°By the dragons¡­¡± The priest said.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Ulok said, except it did not sound like Ulok¡­ not really. A sickening feeling filled the room as Ulok activated a spell. His magic felt different¡­ putrid. His torn flesh and twisted limbs pulled itself back together, and what body parts he had lost, regrew after mere moments. ¡°Which of you was the master of this body?¡± It asked.

    ¡°Kill it!¡± One of the mages shouted, and began casting spells. All of their spells connected, and did in fact damage his body, but the damage was healed almost immediately; as if it never happened.

    ¡°So probably not you three.¡± It said, and waved its hand. That thing, whatever it was, cast a spell. ¡°Rot.¡± Without warning, the mages all began to die, their bodies turning black, and their feathers falling away. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Which of you was this one¡¯s master?¡±

    ¡°I-I was.¡± I answered, scared, and on the verge of singing.

    It looked at me with a disgusting gaze, like it had found something new to hunt. ¡°Good. Firstly, I¡¯d like to thank you.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ why?¡± I asked, trembling.

    ¡°Because you killed that stubborn personality. The one that was inside this body¡¯s head before. You did it twice actually. Thank you. You made taking over it sooooo much easier.¡± It said.

    ¡°What? Who¡­ who are you? What do you want?¡± My mother asked, placing herself between this monster and me.

    ¡°Ah, right. I didn¡¯t introduce myself. My name is Deyja, and I¡¯m going to kill you all. But please, allow me to reward you. As thanks, I¡¯ll let you have a completely painless death. I¡¯ll even kill you last if you want. Or first, I¡¯ll let you choose.¡±

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Deyja¡¯s POV </u>

    ¡°Ah¡­ revenge; the longer it takes, the better it feels when its finally done.¡± I said, standing atop a mountain¡¯s peak, looking over the burning remains of the last city stronghold on Atmeria¡­ or Atmosia as they called it now. After finally freeing myself from the Aether realm, and properly thanking those who helped me escape, I got back to work with what I¡¯d started before I was sealed away; destroying everything that my clan¡¯s Ashem had wasted centuries building up. But, I didn¡¯t have much time to savor my accomplishments, because I needed to leave this world and find my clan. This new body of mine is almost as powerful as my original, and it has Negative Aether as well, though it is naturally attuned to a different type. Actually, I think it is closer to what my old friend Zachariah had. If that isn¡¯t fate, what is?

    ¡°With my new body, I should be able to finally take what I¡¯m owed. Let¡¯s see, according to that queen, it has been about 1,000 years since I left. My son should be rather old now. He shouldn¡¯t pose much trouble.¡± I said, casting a spell to open a door to another world. Right now, the only one on this world was sealed years ago, and used against me. So, I need to go to another world, and find a portal that isn¡¯t contaminated or sealed.

    ¡°This body has an original world, so I¡¯ll start there.¡± I said, and stepped through the portal. I thought for a moment about going and freeing Zachariah from that trap he made for me, but I think he¡¯s probably dead by now. Without two there to keep each other alive, nothing could survive there for more than a few hours, and I¡¯ve been free for weeks.

    Stepping through the portal was just as I remembered. There was a rush of power that refreshed my mana and body as I briefly crossed through the Aether Realm, and then I opened my eyes to see a new world.

    ¡°So this is the world Zachariah is from? Bit dark.¡± I said, but then immediately noticed the overwhelming mana surrounding me. It felt like it could crush me if I was not careful. I allowed it to flow through me freely, but immediately regretted it as a wave of pain followed. ¡°Ah, too bad. This body isn¡¯t compatible with this world¡¯s mana anymore. Must have happened when it became a familiar. Oh well, it will do for now.¡± I looked around, trying to discern where I was. There was no clear access to the sky, and it was also obviously a dwelling of some kind. Light suddenly filled the room, causing a mind pain in my new eyes.

    ¡°Welcome. You must be Deyja.¡± A voice behind me said, surprising me.

    ¡°What? You know me?¡± I asked, shocked, and prepared myself for a fight. Turning around, I saw two Vyrkings, a little older than this new body I was in, and probably the same sex, but it was hard to tell with their garments on. One wore blue, and the other was covered in metal, and had one of Zachariah¡¯s ¡®swords¡¯ in hand. It was the first thing to catch my eye for several reasons. It was clearly empowered with strange magic, something I did not recognize at first. However, I realized quickly that it was Nuetral Aether, meaning it was being directly powered by the Aether Realm itself. The next thing to catch my attention was the overwhelmingly powerful magic stone the one in blue garments was holding. I shuddered to think of the kind of power one must have had to create it.

    ¡°We have a mutual friend. Your son, Ahshem. A few weeks ago, he said you escaped, and that you were probably going to come after him. So we took a few precautions.¡± The one in blue garments said.

    ¡°Ahshem? I look forward to seeing him again!¡± I shouted, and launched an attack¡­ or I tried to. The mana here was overwhelming, and with this body being incompatible¡­ the spell failed. Or rather, it was crushed by this world¡¯s mana as soon as I cast it.

    ¡°Merlin, wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to be really powerful? Like, end of the world powerful? His spells don¡¯t even work.¡± The one wearing metal garments said, mockingly.

    ¡°His magic doesn¡¯t feel right. It doesn¡¯t feel like any mana I¡¯ve encountered before. I¡¯d love to study it a bit more, but he¡¯s too big of a risk. Looks like he¡¯s a body hopper like Morgan too, so we¡¯d better take care of him quick. Excalibur¡¯s Spirit Magic should be enough.¡± The one in the blue garments said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ no! No! After all this time! You can¡¯t just-¡± I yelled, but faster than I could see, the magic sword pierced my chest. I tried to cast healing magic on it, but the spell was crushed. Over and over I tried, but each spell failed. The pain¡­ I¡¯d felt it before, but this time¡­ it was like I was being eaten alive as the Neutral Aether coursed through me. My legs gave out, and I fell down, the sword pulling out of me as I did.

    ¡°What do we do with the body, Merlin?¡± The metal one asked.

    ¡°It probably had a family. Let¡¯s try and track them down; let them know what happened to their son. For now, I¡¯ll store it in the vault, just in case. The Library is already sealed, so the soul can¡¯t escape anyway. It should be fine for now. Nice work Arthur: I¡¯ll let Ahshem know what happened later.¡± The blue one said. As my vision blurred, I felt cold, and angry, until everything faded away.

 Book 2- Part 1

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Two days after Suma and I had left camp, and she was on her way to meet the Drakes in the fortified city of Antonella. I laid in bed waiting to fall asleep. I thought about how the test ended, still guilt ridden over accidentally hurting those Neame. Slowly, my eyes grew heavy, and I fell into a deep sleep. I had hoped I would dream of how things were before I disappeared the day of the test, before I ever met Suma so many years ago, or even of just relaxing in Suma¡¯s world. I wanted to take my mind of everything, to escape, but instead there was only darkness¡­ darkness and him.

    ¡°Hello Sentinel,¡± the kinder half of that figure said. The reptilian man made of fire that I had met almost a year ago now. ¡°You¡¯re getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked while I hung in that darkness; that bottomless nothing he always appeared to me in. ¡°You said last time that you were my friend, and my doom.¡±

    ¡°YES,¡± he yelled as the more reptilian side started to take over, ¡°DOOM, DOOM TO ALL OF ATMOSIA!¡±

    ¡°Why? What did they do to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°NOT THEM¡­ the dragons¡­ THE TRATIORS¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I said.

    ¡°Then allow me... TO SHOW YOU!¡± Images began to flash in my mind: places, events, things I have never done, seen, or known. They were fragmented, twisted, even overlapping with one another, like I was seeing two sets of events that happened at the same time, from two angles, two points of view. There were emotions tied to the memories, love, protection, fear, betrayal, grief, pride, and more. It was too much, too overwhelming, I couldn¡¯t take it!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± I cried out as the images burned themselves into my head.

    ¡°Enough for now,¡± the kinder, more human side said.

    ¡°Jake! Jake!¡± Another, more distant, voice called out.

    ¡°THE MASTER CALLS ITS PET¡­ I will leave you to absorb, and learn, and grow for now, but we will meet again.¡± With that, I woke up in bed, drenched in sweat, and Suma yelling in my ear.

    ¡°Jake! Jake are you there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡± I rubbed my temples to try and get rid of the throbbing pain in them.

    ¡°Thank goodness, I have been trying to summon you for five minutes now but couldn¡¯t even contact you. It felt like you did not exist.¡± She said worried. ¡°What happened, where have you been?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t... know how to explain it.¡± I swung my feet over the side of the bed and took a drink of the water bottle I had on my nightstand.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ just give me a minute to get dressed before you summon me.¡± I said putting the bottle down and rubbing my temples again.

    ¡°Okay Jake, just let me know when you are ready.¡± Suma said, still sounding concerned. I stood up and went to the bathroom to rub a washcloth on my face. I bent down to put my face over the sink, and started washing it. Massaging my eyes, and enjoying the feeling of the cool water on my mouth and eyes. I put the washcloth down and opened my eyes, then jumped back and fell over¡­ it wasn¡¯t my face in the mirror; it was the figure in flame. I scrabbled on the floor for a second as my flight or fight response figured out what to do. Eventually, I slowly stood up and peaked over the sink into the mirror again. My face was back, and the figure was gone.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s not right¡­ even for my life.¡± I told my reflection. ¡°Another thing to talk to Suma about I guess.¡± I walked out of the bathroom and got dressed, then told Suma I was ready. I was nervous, thinking I would see the figure again after being summoned, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, it was normal. I disappeared and watched the world turn black, then suddenly reappeared on Suma¡¯s world, Atmosia.

    ¡°Jake, are you okay? You didn¡¯t answer for a long time, and I couldn¡¯t summon you.¡± Suma said, repeating herself from earlier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw that flaming guy again, once in my dreams, and once when I looked in the mirror.¡±

    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°No, he just spoke to me¡­ no, actually he did hurt me. He showed me something, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of what it was. It seemed like memories, but they were distorted and fragmented. It burned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Jake, do you need healing?¡± She offered.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay now. Suma, we need to find out what that thing is.¡±

    ¡°We will. Maybe someone on our new team or in Antonella will know.¡± She suggested.

    ¡°Right!¡± I exclaimed and started to look around. We were in a city; from my point of view, it seemed as large as the one we were in last, but I really couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Is this it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes Jake, welcome to Antonella, the shield city.¡±

    ¡°Shield city? Why is it called that?¡±

    ¡°This is the main point of defense between the rest of Sangu-Dragon, our continent, and the Southern Union forces on the Island of Sangu, remember?¡±

    ¡°I thought your country was called Ambos?¡±

    ¡°It is, but there are three other nations on our continent.¡±

    ¡°Oh right. So, where are we supposed to go now?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°The base we were ordered to report to is North of here. It is not too far. I thought we should arrive together.¡± Suma said and landed on my shoulder. Jericho, my armor, wasn¡¯t on at the moment, so she just clung to my shirt.

    When we arrived at the base, I knew it wasn¡¯t like our training camp at all. There were huge stone walls surrounding the entire camp, with familiars of all kinds perched along the walls like mounted turrets or gargoyles, and Neame flying around in the sky higher than I have ever seen a Neame fly. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know what they were, Suma had to tell me. All I could make out were small dark dots in the orange sky. ¡°This is¡­ quite different than I was expecting.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Really? It is a military base after all.¡± I said looking around.

    ¡°HOLD!¡± A voice called out. A Neame flew down in front of us, then summoned his familiar, while still in the air, and landed on it. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I am Suma, and this is my familiar Sentinel. We are reporting for duty with the Drakes Ma¡¯am.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Show me your official summons.¡± The Neame demanded. I pulled a small wooden plank out of my bag, I had been holding on to them since it was easier for me to carry it. She used mana wrapping to take the plank from us and examine it. ¡°Alright then, proceed to the main office for your orders and accommodations.¡± She floated the plank back to me and I put it away. As we were walking away, I heard her say something. ¡°So that¡¯s a Viking?¡±

    As we walked to the office as instructed, we passed several buildings made of vines, stone, and some that seemed to be built directly into the surrounding landscape¡¯s trees and hills. We also passed several Neame in a group. They were perched on sculpted vines that formed a circle around two of them. The ones in the center of the circle were surrounding themselves in some kind of magic fog. It looked similar to the fog I made when that wyvern attacked me. ¡°Suma, what¡¯s that?¡± I asked and pointed at the group.

    ¡°Oh, that is a game, and a rather tasteless one.¡± She said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°They are creating displays. It is a way of flaunting your magical prowess. Whomever can create a larger display wins, and the winner goes up against the next opponent. It gets progressively harder to maintain your display with time, so people with large mana capacities and good control will last longer.¡± She explained.

    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±

    ¡°I do not know if it has a proper name. I have heard it called many things: Mana Circle, Power Player, Display Dominate, and a few ruder variations.¡± After watching them for a bit, we left and found the main office.

 Book 2- Part 2

    The main office was huge, as large as the Royal Citadel or the Grand Sanctum back in Suma¡¯s city, Zach-Ahshem. It was shaped differently, but it has similar features, like the holes that Neame would fly through, large spires, and guards surrounding it. Its differences, however, were what told the real story of this place¡¯s purpose. It was surrounded by walls, patrolled by Neame and their familiars, on top of the spires were carvings and runes. I didn¡¯t know what they did, but probably something bad. Just like when we tried to enter the citadel, we were stopped and questioned, but this time they also demanded to see our tablets. I showed them, and we were let through.

    ¡°Suma, do all of your world¡¯s cities have citadels like this?¡± I wondered as we walked in.

    ¡°Only the largest ones. Most make do with Lesser Sanctums or Royal Embassies. Small towns and villages however are lucky to even have Temples.¡± From the names, I figured those were just smaller versions of what I had already seen, so I didn¡¯t ask any more about it. Instead, I wondered about something more relevant.

    ¡°Do you know what we are supposed to do exactly? I can¡¯t read the tablet thing, so¡­¡±

    ¡°All it said was that we were to present ourselves for inspection and assignment. Beyond that, I do not know.¡±

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not anything weird... or too formal. I don¡¯t even own a suit.¡± I joked.

    ¡°A suit?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a¡­ uh... actually, never mind. Don¡¯t worry about it; it¡¯s not important.¡± We finally arrived at what was effectively the main desk, and asked for directions. The Neame showed us some markings on our tablet, and told us that the room we were to go to would have those same markings, then the Neame pointed us in the right direction.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fly ahead and try to find it Jake.¡± Suma said and spread her wings.

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± I said stopping her and remembering what happened last time she left me alone in a place like this.

    ¡°Why not?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I don¡¯t want a repeat of last time.¡±

    ¡°Last time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later, let¡¯s just stay together for now okay.¡±

    ¡°Well, alright.¡± She said settling back onto my shoulder. It took a while, but eventually we did find the room with matching numbers. Like all the rooms here, it was made of stone and wood, with sculpted vines acting as a door. The markings were engraved into the stone part in the hallway. We entered and saw an empty room. ¡°I suppose we are the first ones to arrive.¡± Suma said and made herself a perch, then softly landed on it.

    ¡°I guess so.¡± I looked around, the floor was stone, and so were two of the four walls; the two on the east and west halves of the room. The north and south halves of the walls were made of wood, and so was the ceiling. The room itself was basically just a large square with vines strewn along the floor randomly. I took a cue from Suma and molded some of them into a seat and sat down.

    A while passed before another Neame finally showed up and made himself a perch. ¡°Hello,¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Greetings, is this the correct room for meeting the Drake Brigade?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, at least I believe it is.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Are we supposed to have our familiars summoned? I wasn¡¯t made aware of any such rule.¡±

    ¡°No, this is Jake, he is a friend.¡±

    ¡°Hey, nice to meet you.¡± I said. He seemed surprised, his feathers raised for a moment and his body pulled back.

    ¡°I did not-¡± He started.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know I could speak, yeah I get that a lot.¡± I laughed, it was actually starting to get kinda funny.

    Over the next hour, two more Neame showed up. Of the three others, two of them had names when they arrived, the other was designated nine on his official summons; apparently that meant there were already eight other nameless Neame on our team. The two others were called Odens and Rou. Odens was the tallest Neame in the room, standing about four inches higher than Suma, and his feathers were a very light blue with hints of darker reds and browns and the tips of his wings. He had no gold or jewels, but that might have been because of some kind of military rule. Rou was almost the same height as Suma, but she seemed leaner. Her beak was less rounded, and her wings came to a sharper point at the ends. There were touches of white around her head feathers, and she sparkled less brightly than the others; with the sole exception of Nine. Nine was darker in color than the others by a lot. His color was more of a royal blue, and he lacked the sparkle that every other Neame I had seen so far possessed. Nine was also the shortest in the room by about an inch and had rounder wingtips.

    We made introduction, they got shocked that I could talk, and then finally¡­ our handler arrived, Lieutenant Datahu. She was completely different from the others, for starters, she was white, not blue. And unlike the nuns I had met in the temple, she didn¡¯t even have a tinge of blue in her feathers. Instead, she was white with light gray tipped feathers on her wings, and dark gray tips on her head. She was about two inches taller than Suma, but something about her exaggerated that. She had two golden squares on her chest, which I think meant she was a Lieutenant¡­ maybe; I¡¯m still not a hundred percent sure on how their military symbols reflect their ranks. With her, she carried several gold objects suspended with mana wrapping.

    ¡°Hello everyone,¡± she announced as she landed. ¡°I am Second-Lieutenant Datahu. You may refer to me as ma¡¯am or Lieutenant. I trust that you have all had time to get acquainted, so I will skip introductions for now.¡± Lieutenant Datahu looked over at me. ¡°You must be Sentinel. I will speak to you in a moment, but first¡­ this.¡± She manipulated the golden pins so that they floated in front of each of the Neame. ¡°Privates, these are your rank emblems. While you are on base or operating within our kingdom¡¯s territory, you will wear them. They are your life, they are your family, do not lose your family! If you are caught without them, you will be punished. You may wear them wherever you want, but they must be placed in the correct orientation, and they must be visible from the front.¡± She carefully attached each of the pins to the Neame. ¡°Now that my introduction speech is over, follow me.¡±

    She spread her wings and started flying towards the exit, before stopping and hovering for a moment. She turned to me, ¡°Sentinel, we will be flying quite a distance. Your master can simply summon you once we¡¯ve arrived, please wait here.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said and sat back down. They all flew away and closed the vine door behind them. I ended up waiting for about ten minutes for them to summon me. While I did, I pulled out a sheet of paper Suma had helped me write. On it were the rules of magic that Suma explained to me. While she travelled for three days to the city, I had asked her for more information about magic, and she took the time to explain. I made sure to write down as much as I could, well actually I typed it out and printed it off later but whatever. Whenever I had a few moments, I made sure to study it.

    There were a few different types of magic: rituals, rites, and spells are all drawn from the same source, mana, but are accomplished through different means. Rituals are complicated magical events that require a minimum of two mages to perform. They are used to apply some measure of extreme control over an object, person, or environment, often with supernatural or unusual effects that normal spells can¡¯t achieve. They are semi-permanent but can be undone with great knowledge and effort. This type of magic requires the most amount of energy to perform and usually takes a significant amount of time. They also apparently require expensive magical components to perform. I guess it¡¯s essentially some combination of rites and spells being performed individually, but I didn¡¯t really understand that one too well.

    Rites are more of a cross between a ritual and a spell. They only need a single caster to perform, but often take a good bit of mana and sometimes magical components. A rite allows a caster to take more control of something than a spell would, but in return it takes longer to cast. Suma said the bonding I did with my weapons was a good example of rites. She also said it included summoning, domination, and curses.

    Spells were the one she didn¡¯t need to explain much to me. They¡¯re quick and easy to perform magical events that require minimum energy and are usually only performed by a single mage. They¡¯re used for everything from day-to-day chores to battlefield attacks. I guess spells make up most of all the magic most people do. Honestly, I just assumed they were all spells, and like different subtypes, but apparently not.

    Just as I was about to read the section on magical artifacts again, Suma summoned me. I appeared in a large cavern like place, but made entirely of vines and molded stone. In the room was about twenty-nine Neame of various sizes and colors. Most were shades of blue, then there was the Second-Lieutenant who was white, and there was Odens and Rou.

    ¡°Good, now that everyone is here, we can begin.¡± Second-Lieutenant Datahu said. She flew up and perched on a molded stone column near the front of the room. Beside her were eight other Neame, each with what I figured were high ranking symbol pins of their own. Among the Neame, was the major from our bootcamp.

    ¡°Greetings everyone, I am the major in charge of the Drake Brigade. I am the highest commanding officer in charge of your team, and my job is to oversee the entirety of this operation. You will be organized into four squadrons, each commanded by a Captain and a Lieutenant. You will receive your orders from them, and your missions from me. As a part of the King¡¯s Armed Forces, you will be sent to many dangerous locations, and as a part of the Drakes, you will be expected to accomplish the impossible. Each of your squadrons will be mostly comprised of battle mages, your familiars, and one healing mage.¡±

    ¡°Only a single healing mage?¡± Suma said over our private connection. ¡°That seems dangerous.¡±

    ¡°The reason for this is due to the nature of our operation. The Drakes rely mainly on stealth and RARR tactics. That is: Rapid Assault and Rapid Retreat.¡± The major said.

    (Hit-and-run style guerrilla warfare.) I thought.

    ¡°RARR tactics require small squadrons moving quickly and covertly to accomplish their missions. You will be sent behind enemy lines, most of your missions will be without backup, and you could be gone for months at a time on missions if needed. We are now going to break you up into your squadrons. The Captains will call your names and numbers, if you hear your name or number, go to the Captain that called it. They will be in charge of your squadron. I wish you all safety, luck, and most importantly¡­ success.¡± The major ended his speech, and the first of the four Captains began calling out names. Suma and I were in the third squad, which was led by Captain Gigoales, and Second-Lieutenant Datahu.

    Second-Lieutenant Datahu flew up to me after the major¡¯s speech. ¡°Sentinel, it¡¯s time to talk.¡± She said.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, how can I help you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You have Chaos Magic, by Royal decree, we will be giving you specialized training to allow you to utilize your skills to their fullest. This will be on top of your training along with the other new members.¡±

    ¡°More training? I thought that boot- I mean, the camp had already trained us?¡± I asked confused.

    ¡°If you were going to be a normal soldier then yes, the camp would have been sufficient, but this team will be going behind enemy lines, you need to be ready for that. Besides, even by the standards of a normal soldier, you fall short.¡±

    ¡°What? But I thought-¡±

    ¡°Your ability to use Chaos Magic granted you and your master a place on this team, but I will not allow a single untrained mage to put the rest of the Drakes in danger.¡±

    ¡°I-I understand,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°What kind of training will it be?¡±

    ¡°As I understand, you completely lack an understanding of the fundamentals, correct?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­ yes, that¡¯s fair.¡±

    ¡°Then we will start there. After you have completed your team training and live fire exercises, you will report for private tutoring with a specially chosen Magic Theory instructor we have selected.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± After our talk, Captain Gigoales brought our team together and led us to our quarters, well, the Neame¡¯s quarters.

    ¡°Sentinel, you are technically a familiar, so we did not know of any special accommodations you may need. Until we can find a more permanent solution, you will simply return home after training rather than staying here.¡± Captain Gigoales explained.

    ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Now, everyone will have one day to get settled; specialized stealth, team combat, and aerial evasion training start tomorrow.¡± With that, the Captain and Lieutenant left us to get settled in. I didn¡¯t know what they meant by that at first because¡­ nobody was carrying anything¡­ they¡¯re all birds after all, but one by one everyone started summoning large chest and boxes of supplies. The floor filled with one magic circle, after the other until everyone, even Suma, had summoned at least two boxes of materials. We didn¡¯t need to make introduction because everyone who was on our team was the Neame we met earlier in the waiting room: Odens, Rou, Suma, Nine, the Lieutenant, and finally the Captain. Once everything was summoned, I watched as they started to use mana wrapping to position everything where they needed or wanted around their beds/nests/whatever you call them.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Jake, would you mind helping me?¡± Suma asked while she carefully moved some kind of brown fabric from a box to her nest.

    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± I said and took it from her as she stopped the mana wrapping.

    ¡°Thank you, Jake; fabric is much more difficult for me than solid objects.¡±

    ¡°I find rolling it up tightly first helps keep it stable,¡± Rao said and picked up a neatly rolled tube of cloth with mana wrapping before laying it on her own nest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to try that next time,¡± Suma said. ¡°Jake, would you just lay that on my roost for me?¡±

    (Roost, I should have guessed.) I thought and laid the fabric down, carefully spreading it out in a way I thought it would be comfortable. ¡°So, does anyone need any help getting settled in?¡± I offered.

    ¡°I could use some lifting this sack,¡± Odens said. I picked it up for him and noticed it was kinda heavy, and pretty big too. At least as tall as Odens was, and a third a meter wide.

    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s in this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My favorite seeds. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to get them here, so I brought along enough to last a few months. These grow the best Iggy fruits.¡± He explained.

    I helped everyone unpack, and we all talked a bit too. They learned Suma was their healing mage, and I was a Chaos Magic user, which freaked them out a bit at first. Then they all started talking about themselves. Rao and Odens were cousins, they volunteered together a year ago and were both battle mages. Odens specialized in Fire and Lightning types of Energy Magic, while Rao specialized in Water and Plant type Nature Magic. Nine was a support mage who used Soul Magic, specifically Memory and Illusion.

    ¡°What are your specialties, Jake?¡± Nine asked. ¡°You do Chaos-Magic, right? Must have a pretty incredible one.¡±

    ¡°Uh, well I don¡¯t really have one, I don¡¯t think. I kinda just use whatever I need to, you know.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, you must be better at one of the forms more than the others.¡± Odens theorized.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m pretty good with Fire Magic.¡± I offered. ¡°But my affinity is for Inversion.¡±

    ¡°So, does that mean your fire is cold then?¡± Rao asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The flames your magic produces, are they cold? Because of the Inversion, I mean.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve definitely melted stuff before,¡± I said.

    ¡°Having been close to his flames on several occasions I can assure you they are quite warm. Almost unbearably so,¡± Suma interjected.

    ¡°I did turn some flames cold once though.¡± I added. ¡°I put some mana into a fire rune and it froze what I was trying to heat up.¡±

    ¡°So, your flames are cold then!¡± Odens said.

    ¡°Well no, what happened was my Inversion mana affected the rune, and that¡¯s why the flames were cold.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Did you not tell me you also turned the Magistrate¡¯s flames cold, Jake?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Oh yeah, so I guess that¡¯s two times then.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have cold flames? It sure sounds like you might.¡± Rao said jokingly.

    I laughed, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure. My Inversion doesn¡¯t affect my own spells, just others.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever tried?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ actually no. No, I haven¡¯t. It never really occurred to me.¡± I said surprised at my own oversight.

    ¡°You should try it during training,¡± Nine suggested.

    ¡°Huh, maybe I will.¡± I said. After talking, I asked Suma to send me back home for a bit.

    ¡°Are you sure, Jake?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I told my mum I would call her after we arrived and got set up.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Okay, I will see you tomorrow morning.¡± With that, she sent me back home, and I called my mum.

    The phone rang for a moment and I heard her voice, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hey Mum.¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh Jake, how was the base, did you finish getting settled in?¡± She asked sweetly.

    ¡°Yea, we arrived a few hours ago and had a kind of assembly with everyone. They split us up and assigned us to teams before having everyone unpack.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, how¡¯s Suma settling in then?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s good. We did find out that she is going to be the only healer on our team though, so she is a bit nervous about that.¡±

    ¡°What? Why is she the only one? That seems unsafe.¡±

    ¡°Well, we are a small team, only about six total, so I guess they figured we wouldn¡¯t need more than one?¡± I theorized. ¡°Anyway, we spent an hour setting up her things in the team¡¯s room, then she sent me back for the night. We have training tomorrow, so I¡¯m probably going to go to sleep early tonight.¡±

    ¡°What will you do until then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably just make some dinner and watch a movie.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jake, that reminds me, you got a letter yesterday, it was sent here by mistake.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s is from?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s from the HMRC.¡± She said.

    ¡°Revenue and Customs? Why did they send me a letter?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t open it.¡±

    ¡°Huh, actually, there was an issue at my bank a while back. Maybe it¡¯s about that? I¡¯ll come pick it up later, okay.¡±

    ¡°How much later, because I have my Dominos group tonight at five.¡± I looked at the clock on my phone, 3:48.

    ¡°I can be over in about twenty minutes; do you need anything while I¡¯m out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe some bread dear, whole wheat with raisins if you can find it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, see you in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Bye bye.¡± She said and I hung up. Seven minutes later I was walking around the store.

    ¡°Raisin bread¡­ Raisin bread¡­ Raisin bread¡­¡± I chanted as I searched. ¡°Rais-¡± the sounds of flapping cut me off and I turned around to see what it was. ¡°What the-?¡± I looked around the empty isle for a few more seconds before chalking it up to just a trolly passing by. Finding the bread, I put it into my basket, then Ambos landed on my shoulder.

    ¡°Do you remember the first time you gave me bread, Zachariah?¡± Ambos laughed, his sea-colored feathers ruffling as he thought about it.

    ¡°Of course I do,¡± I laughed, ¡°you acted as if it was the nectar of the heavens.¡±

    ¡°And this bread must be even better, it has those delicious raisins in it as well!¡± We both laughed as we remembered, until someone came and tapped me on the shoulder.

    ¡°Sir¡­ are you okay?¡± A store employee wondered. Suddenly, I forgot what was so funny, and who I was talking to.¡±

    "Uh¡­ yeah¡­ I-I¡¯m fine. Excuse me.¡± I said with my head filled with fog. I left the store, and the bread behind, then went out and sat in my car with the door open. ¡°Suma¡­ Suma something¡¯s- somethings not¡­¡± I said trying to contact her, but my head was spinning, and throbbing too much for me to focus. ¡°Suma, can you hear me?¡± I said and fell to the ground, that¡¯s the last thing I remember for a while.

    Sometime later, I woke up with a throbbing pain in my head, and a bright light in my eyes. ¡°Uhg.¡± I groaned.

    ¡°Mr. Vandal, you¡¯re awake; excellent. Are you okay?¡± A voice said.

    ¡°My head hurts.¡± I said. ¡°What¡­ uh¡­ what happened.¡± I moaned as I slowly opened my eyes. I tried moving around, but that only made the pain in my head worse, so I stopped.

    ¡°It seems you fell and hit your head sir. What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± The voice came close enough to see that it was coming from a doctor.

    ¡°Where am I? Is this a hospital?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yes sir. You collapsed getting into your car. A store employee called 999 for you.¡± The doctor said.

    ¡°My mum, I was going to see her.¡± I said, my mind in a confused fog.

    ¡°Yes, we already contacted her. She is on the way now.¡± The doctor said. ¡°Mr. Vandal, do you have any idea what may have caused your collapse?¡±

    ¡°It was the flaming man, the figure of flame. He did this.¡± I said, not realizing what I was saying in the moment.

    ¡°Hallucinations, he may have head trauma.¡± The doctor said. At first, I thought she was talking to me, but after the fog left my brain, I realized she was probably talking to a nurse who was somewhere I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Schedule a CT and a psych eval.¡± I don¡¯t remember much of what happened for the next ten minutes, mostly because of the haze, partially because it was just the doctor talking to the nurse about how I was probably on drugs and I needed a ¡°tox screen¡±. Soon, my mum burst into my room crying, shoved past the doctor, nearly knocking her over, and hugged me.

    ¡°JAKE! Thank goodness you¡¯re okay! What happened? Are you hurt? What happened?!¡± Mum screamed as tears ran down her face. She hugged me so hard I heard something pop, and not in a good way, in a ¡°cry out in pain¡± kinda way; which is exactly what I did.

    ¡°AH! MUM, MY BACK!¡± I yelped.

    Mum turned to the doctor, ¡°What happened to him?¡±

    The doctor, who was rubbing her shoulder after having been knocked into the wall by the charging bull that was my mum, answered. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure yet. He fell unconscious and may have hit his head. He was delirious when he first woke up. He was talking about flaming men.¡± Mum¡¯s eyes went wide, then she looked at me confused and worried, but soon her eyes narrowed, and I felt my butt cheeks pucker when I realized that she had realized what I didn¡¯t want her to ever figure out¡­ I was keeping things from her.

    She turned back to the doctor with a mask of friendliness and pleasantness draped over her true feelings. ¡°Thank you for taking care of him, how long will the tests take?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ about six hours total.¡± The doctor answered.

    ¡°Thank you, I will wait here with him.¡± Mum told her. As soon as the doctor and nurse left, Mum¡¯s mask came off. ¡°Jake¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked nervously.

    ¡°Who is are the flaming men?¡± A cold calm dripped from her voice, the likes of which I hadn¡¯t heard since that one time she caught me smoking in high school. I knew what that eerie calm meant¡­ bad things.

    ¡°Um, nobody Mum. I was just having a bad dream and was-¡±

    ¡°Jake¡­¡± She looked at me with a glare that almost begged me to try and lie to her. Sometimes my mum is really unnerving.

    ¡°Okay, so I met this guy. He did something to my head and I have been seeing things, but this was the first time I have passed out.¡± I confessed, talking quite quickly.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I was in my roost, nearly asleep, when I heard a voice. It was far away, but calling to me. It sounded like Zachariah, my familiar. I flew towards the voice, I was soaring high in the sky, and the voice was growing louder as it called out for me. ¡°Ambos¡­ Ambos!¡± Finally, I saw Zachariah. He was practicing in a field with his sword; like always. I landed on a rock next to a small sapling to talk to him.

    ¡°Hello, Zachariah¡± I said.

    ¡°Hello, Ambos. Did you need something?¡±

    ¡°The Royal Court wants to see us.¡±

    ¡°To scold us again?¡± He groaned and used a reverse summons to send his weapon away.

    ¡°Most likely, but maybe we will get lucky and they will just kill us instead.¡±

    ¡°Better than sitting through another of their long-winded lectures. Do you know what it is about?¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to ask?¡±

    ¡°Let me guess: they once again disagree with how I used my magic in battle.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We are at war, does it really matter how the enemy dies, so long as they do?¡±

    ¡°I believe they are more concerned with that new spell you used in the last battle, actually. The final one you used that looked like a cloud of fog.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if they will make it another of my, Forbidden Spells?¡± He stood up. ¡°What do you think Ambos? Was I wrong to use it?¡±

    ¡°I thought the spell was rather interesting, and your application of it was superb.¡±

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m asking, Ambos.¡±

    ¡°And you know that I do not care how the enemy dies. Watching them turn on each other like they did¡­ it is what they deserve.¡± Zachariah nodded his head and looked towards the sky for a moment.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go get into trouble again, Ambos.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yes, let us-¡± I started to say, but was interrupted by yelling.

    ¡°SUMA!¡± I jerked awake and saw Nine standing over me. ¡°Finally! You sleep deeply, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s time to wake up for training.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± I asked confused and in a bit of a haze. I stood and exited my roost, stretching my wings wide.

    ¡°Did you not sleep well then, I take it?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°I had a strange dream.¡± I said.

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. I did not recognize anyone in it, and it certainly never happened to me, so it was no memory.¡± I explained. As we flew to meet everyone else outside to eat, I told Nine about the dream.

    ¡°Ambos, wasn¡¯t he that famous hero from the time of the dragons?¡± Nine asked and we landed outside. The others were talking amongst themselves, so we simply grew our fruits and started eating.

    ¡°I believe so. In fact, I am sure of it.¡± I said taking a bite of my fruit.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know of any Neame from that time with the name Zachariah. He must have been an imagination of your sleeping mind.¡± Nine said.

    ¡°In the dream, he was not a Neame. In fact, he was a member of Jake¡¯s race.¡±

    ¡°You dreamed that Ambos was the same race as your familiar?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°What? No. Zachariah was the one who was¡­ oh, what did Jake call his species again? Hoomyns? I explained.

    ¡°Oh, well, either way¡­ it¡¯s still sounds like a strange dream.¡± Nine said, taking a bite himself. We talked a bit more, until we finished eating and the Lieutenant showed up.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. I see you are all finished eating, so we will begin today¡¯s training. Follow me.¡± She said before spreading her wings and flying upwards. We all followed behind. She led us to a large domed building with a wide-open area that was dug quite deeply into the ground. It was clearly a constructed area; there were far too many sharp edges to be natural. ¡°Welcome to¡­ the pits. Here you will be straining and training, this is where you will improve your skills so that you won¡¯t die the first time you go on a mission.¡±

    ¡°Why is it underground?¡± Odens, the tallest Neame present, and on our team, asked.

    ¡°Once you have progressed enough in your training, you will undergo a trial to be confirmed as ready for field duty and will then be allowed to go on missions. The pit was created to protect the spectators watching the trial.¡±

    ¡°Can we ask what the trial is?¡± Rou asked nervously. ¡°If you need a pit to protect the Neame who are just watching it¡­ it must be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°It will be live combat. A creature will be summoned for you and your familiar, or Neame partner if you prefer, to fight. You could also choose to fight alone, and doing so would result in a rank increase if afterwards you were successful.¡±

    ¡°Does this trial apply to even the healing mages?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, it does.¡± She said simply.

    ¡°May I ask why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Anything can happen in combat. There is no way to guarantee your survival, and relying completely on your team to keep you alive in the field will only slow them down and may get you all killed. Every one of you must pass this trial before your team is cleared for duty.¡± Lieutenant Datahu explained.

    ¡°Just like the entrance test.¡± I said.

    The lieutenant started quickly looking around the room, then stared at me. ¡°Private Suma, where is Sentinel?¡± She asked sharply.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t summoned him yet ma¡¯am.¡± I said, nervous.

    ¡°Do so immediately. From now on I want him to arrive at the same time as the rest of the team. If he is late again, there will be consequences.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I understand.¡± I said and started to summon Jake. ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡± He slowly began to appear¡­ however he was in midair again.

    ¡°Ah!¡± He yelped and landed on the floor heavily with a thump. ¡°What the heck?!¡± He sat up and started looking around. Jake was dressed strangely; his garments were thinner and more free-flowing than normal. Instead of having holes for each of his appendages, it had a single hole that seemed to have gone all the way up his back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for summoning you without warning, Jake.¡± I apologized.

    ¡°Prepare yourself, Sentinel, we are about to begin today¡¯s training.¡± Lieutenant Datahu ordered.

    ¡°Oh, right. I completely forgot.¡± Jake said standing up. ¡°Lieutenant, I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t think it will be safe for me to train today. I was being treated in a hospital for hallucinations and intermittent loss of consciousness.¡±

    The Lieutenant seemed confused. ¡°Are you saying you were in some kind of Healer¡¯s Abode, or infirmary?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± I asked, shocked. ¡°Jake, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I passed out after you sent me home, and started seeing things that weren¡¯t there.¡± He said.

    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve been summoned, the healing aspect should take effect soon, so you should be fine.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, he has been summoned nearly every day for almost a year now. If whatever is happening can continue even through that, then the healing aspect might not do anything.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Then cast some of your magic yourself, Private Suma, we need to get started.¡± She snapped.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the first thing they teach us in school is that healing magic cannot solve everything, and may only make some problems worse. If the healing aspect hasn¡¯t already healed him, then my magic will not either.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. A disease that cannot be healed with magic. You have my deepest sympathies, Sentinel. Have your healers told you how much longer you will have to make arrang-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dying!¡± Jake blurted out. ¡°I just need to get back so the doctors can fix me. My world never had magic, so we developed other ways to heal people.¡± He said. ¡°Actually, I feel fine.¡±

    ¡°Then why can you not train?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked annoyed.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Jake closed his eyes for a second, ¡°okay, so I¡¯m really strong.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She said.

    ¡°Would you want someone with my strength, and who occasionally sees things that aren¡¯t there, and who already has a history of using overpowered or uncontrolled spells, doing magic anywhere near you?¡± Jake asked. There was a moment of quiet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Rou stated; Nine and Odens nodded their heads in agreement and shifted uncomfortably on their perches.

    The Lieutenant sighed deeply, ¡°Fine, you are excused from training until you have been released to do so with your healer¡¯s approval.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°But you will still be required to take the after-training courses with the instructor that we talked about. You won¡¯t need to do magic, so you should be safe.¡± She said.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯m happy to.¡± Jake said then turned to me. ¡°Suma, could you send me back before a doctor, or worse, my mum, comes back?¡± I sent him back, and as soon as he was gone, the Lieutenant let out another deep sigh.

 Book 2- Part 3

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I slowly reappeared back in the room, thankfully without seeing that flaming figure again.

    ¡°I told them you went to the bathroom.¡± My mum¡¯s voice announced from behind me. It startled me, and I spun around.

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh, thank you.¡±

    ¡°You passed out, Jake.¡± Mum said flatly. She was sitting in one of the chairs by the window that the nurses rolled in.

    ¡°¡­I know.¡± I said unsure of why she was reminding me.

    ¡°Do you? Because you don¡¯t act like it. Why would Suma summon you, knowing what happened?¡± She asked annoyed.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know actually. I just told her, and got some time off from all the physical training, but they still want me to come in for the nonphysical stuff.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Did you tell them you passed out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but they still want me to come for their classes because it won¡¯t be dangerous.¡± Mum looked ever more annoyed with each explanation.

    ¡°Jake, Suma is a doctor, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sort of.¡± I said as I sat down on the bed.

    Mum stood up angrily, ¡°Why can¡¯t she just cast one of her spells and fix you then?¡±

    ¡°Well, she actually did try, but she doesn¡¯t understand our biology enough to fix this. A broken bone or something, sure, but passing out¡­ she can¡¯t help with that.¡± I said trying to defend Suma and calm her down.

    Mum sighed, ¡°Jake, you need to take better care of yourself. You spend so much time in that world, it¡¯s taking a toll on you. You almost let slip about Suma when you woke up, and now the doctors think you¡¯re hallucinating.¡± My eyes probably went wide for a second, I considered lying, but I knew I shouldn¡¯t, not this time.

    ¡°Actually, that wasn¡¯t a lie; I was hallucinating.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mum yelled. ¡°Wait, so is there really is a man made of flames?¡±

    I flinched, ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I forgot they told you about that.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡± I said.

    ¡°Jake, you joined a foreign military, organized and run by bird wizards, to fight a magical war in another world¡­ I¡¯m always worried.¡± Her voice sounded disappointed, scared, and a few other things that made me feel like crap.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Alright, no more secrets.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Now, what happened? Why are you hallucinating?¡± She asked and sat back in the chair.

    ¡°There was this creature, I don¡¯t know its name, so I always just called it The Figure of Flame. I first saw it about a year ago, just after I met Suma the second time. It didn¡¯t do anything then, except force Suma to give me a special familiar¡¯s name that she uses when she summons me.¡±

    ¡°A familiar¡¯s name?¡± Mum asked.

    ¡°Uh, that will take a while to explain. Long story short, names are rare on her world, so naming something is like honoring it in a way.¡±

    ¡°Why are names rare?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Because naming something makes its magic stronger, so it needs¡­ ugh, its hard for them to do. I¡¯ll explain more later. Anyway, the figure demanded she give me one, then he vanished. I didn¡¯t see him again for a while. Suma was summoning me to start training that day.¡±

    ¡°You two train a lot.¡± Mum said shaking her head.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re telling me. If it weren¡¯t for her healing magic, I¡¯d have walked my feet off. Anyway, Suma summoned me, and I saw him again then. It was like I was in space or something, like a void, and then I saw him. Once we actually started talking, I realized he was kinda crazy.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s like he has split personality or something. He switched randomly between angry, and calm, and when he does, his looks change. When he is calm, he looks more like a humanish shape, and when he is mad, he looks more reptilian.¡±

    ¡°Is he some kind of dragon then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Suma says all the dragons of her world went extinct a long time ago, or they left or something.¡±

    ¡°What is he then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and neither does Suma. The first time I saw him, was the first time she saw him too.¡±

    ¡°Is that all the times you¡¯ve seen him then?¡± Mum asked.

    ¡°No, I saw him a few more times. The last time I saw him, he did something; went into my mind.¡±

    ¡°Why does everyone from that world try to mind control people?!¡± Mum asked upset.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. It felt more like he was trying to show me something. I think it was memories.¡± I explained.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Why do you think it was memories?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what those hallucinations felt like. It was like I relived something. Well sort of. Really it was more like I was interacting with the memory itself.¡±

    ¡°What was it about?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It was of a Neame. In the memories, he felt familiar.¡±

    ¡°He was a familiar like you?¡± Mum asked confused.

    ¡°No, I mean, it just felt like I knew him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°After I was shaken out of the memory by a store employee, I passed out.¡±

    ¡°Did it hurt?¡± Mum asked worried.

    ¡°No, actually it was kinda nice. Like I said, it felt like I knew him, so it was kinda relaxing. The passing out part hurt a bit though, mostly from hitting my head.¡±

    Mum leaned forward and put her hand on mine, ¡°Jake, I¡¯m so scared for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now, Mum.¡± I said.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not, and that¡¯s what worries me. You¡¯re young, you think you¡¯re invincible, and you¡¯re going off to war. I¡¯m so scared you won¡¯t come back. That you will be killed, and I¡¯ll never know.¡± Mum was crying as she spoke. I didn¡¯t know what to say, there probably wasn¡¯t anything to say. I did my best to reassure her that I would do my best to be careful, and hugged her.

    It took a while for the doctor to come back, which Mum appreciated because it gave her enough time to dry her tears and fix her makeup. She took me to get an MRI, and a few other scans with lots of jumbled letters in their names. I was told that it might be several hours before all the scans came back, so we spent the night in the hospital. It was about three in the morning before a new doctor, this time a man, came in and explained the scans. He said they were abnormal, and that my brainwaves were unusual. They said they were going to order more tests, and that I might be here for a few days.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I sent him back, and as soon as he was gone, the Lieutenant let out another deep sigh. ¡°Now, Suma, do you have any other familiars to use during the exercises?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    "No ma¡¯am, only Jake.¡± I said.

    ¡°Fine then, while the others start training with their familiars, you will begin doing mana control exercises. Have you ever done anything like that before?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, but it was a very long time ago. Back when I was still attending the academy.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the Chatto variation?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Good, begin doing that, and once everyone has finished their training, you will join us for our next session.¡± After giving me my orders, the Lieutenant, and the rest of our squad, flew down into the pit and began doing battle drills. I found a quiet corner by myself and began my own exercises.

    Mana control exercises are exactly what they sound like, they are specific techniques meant to improve the upper limit and precision of one¡¯s mana control. There are seven basic variations, the one I was doing focused primarily on precision rather than amount. You start by forming mana into a tangible state, then shape it. I always started with a sphere when I did them in the academy, then moved on to more complex shapes like pyramids and squares.

    It was easy enough to get started, and before long I was shaping my mana into increasingly complex structures. Just as I was about to finish a dodecahedron, I lost focus and the shape erupted. There is no danger when it fails, but it does release with some force, so the feathers of my outstretched wings were ruffled slightly. I relaxed for a moment, pulling my wings back to my sides to release some of the tension before starting again. I took a deep breath and began. This time, rather than starting from the first shape, I started from just slightly before I lost control. I was able to make it a bit further this time, almost beating my own personal record from my academy days, but just as I was about to, someone shouted, ¡°SUMA, DODGE!¡± I looked behind me, then fell to the ground just in time to witness a fire spell zip over my head.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked, not sounding overly concerned that I was nearly hit by a stray spell.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± The voice yelled out. I was too preoccupied looking myself over to check, but it sounded like Nine.

    ¡°Watch your aim,¡± she chastised, ¡°now do the drill again, everyone.¡± After that, I decided to relocate myself out of their lines of fire. I started again behind a large rock wall several seconds away from the pit.

    Now that I was safely behind cover, I started the exercises again. I would like to say that I beat my own best, but I never did. I was too distracted thinking about my dream last night. Something about it was not perched right with me. I could not recall the entire thing, but I did remember having a conversation. I tried to picture it again in my mind, but the harder I thought, the further it slipped, and the more distorted it became. My eyes were closed as I tried to picture the dream, but I felt the mana exercise fail again, and started anew without bothering to open my eyes. I tried picturing that person¡¯s face again, the one who I was talking to in the dream. Whomever it was, he looked a bit like Jake. Except this man was shorter, and wore strange garments, a bit like Jake¡¯s ¡°armor¡±, but it showed less skin than Jake¡¯s. I gave up after a while, and opened my eyes to see a face staring back at me. It was made of pure mana, and it was that mystery man from my dream. It startled me, and I lost concentration, which shattered the image and the exercise. All that was left of the face was the force from the mana dispersing that quickly radiated out and away.

    ¡°How¡­?¡± I looked around, nobody was watching, so I could not ask if anyone recognized the man. I doubted they would anyway, if I did not, then they likely would not either.

    ¡°Suma,¡± the Lieutenant said landing beside me. ¡°We are starting the team training. Let¡¯s go.¡± I followed her to the pit, and landed beside the others. The Lieutenant perched in front of us, and explained what we would be doing. ¡°For the next hour, we will be doing live fire magic drills. You will not be allowed to use your primary affinity, only your secondary.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I ask why?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°If you only train in a single affinity, then situations in which that affinity is useless will cripple you. If you only learn Water type magics, then a desert will be your undoing. Alternatively, if all you can do is fight, then you will be useless at all other times. Diversify your skills, it will save your life, and your squad¡¯s as well.¡± After explaining, she created several targets by molding the ground at the other end of the pit. With a second spell, she turned the dirt targets into metal!

    ¡°Was that a transmutation spell?¡± Odens asked as shocked as the rest of us.

    ¡°Incredible, I thought only Royal and Court Mages could use such advanced levels of magic.¡± I said.

    ¡°You are correct. I learned the technique during my tenure as a Court Mage.¡± Lieutenant Datahu explained. We were all impressed, but no one had time to ask any more questions because she immediately ordered us to begin.

    One hour may not sound like a long time, but when you are casting one spell after another, it feels like a whole day. By the end, my mana was drained and I was laying on the ground, Nine had vomited and collapsed from over-exertion, and Odens and Rou were desperately trying to use what little mana they had left to continue training. I would have been impressed with them if I did not know the reason; they were competing to see which one would last longer before passing out. Odens was victorious in the end, but only by a few seconds. You might be wondering why we pushed ourselves to such extremes, why we didn¡¯t simply rest? We tried¡­ once. Nine rested for a moment, but soon after his target started moving towards him and attacking by shooting chunks of metal from itself.

    ¡°The longer you rest, the harder the training becomes.¡± The Lieutenant proclaimed. Nine began casting his spells again, and the target returned to normal. When he finally collapsed, I was sure he was going to be attacked again, but the target did not move.

    ¡°At least they know the difference between resting and dying.¡± Odens had proclaimed when he noticed it too.

 Book 2- Part 4

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    My second day in the hospital was slow, mostly waiting and having my blood drawn. They ordered an MRI, and that was sooo fun. If you¡¯ve never had one and want to know what it¡¯s like, go find a drainage pipe just large enough that you can only fit into it if you¡¯re a child or a small dog, then try desperately not to have a panic attack while they shove you in anyway. I was having flashbacks of that horrible cave the whole time while teetering on the edge of freaking out and fainting. And if you want to make your experience as accurate as possible, go find a howler monkey and have him scream in your ear while you¡¯re in that drainage pipe, that should be pretty close to what it¡¯s actually like.

    I was in the hospital for quite a while, about a week and half, and in that time, I became so familiar with the inside of those scanning machines that I probably could have built one of them myself. MRIs, PET Scans, even X-rays, and sleep studies. At one point, they attached a punch of electrodes and leads to my head and told me to say the alphabet backwards.

    ¡°Hello Mr. Vandal,¡± the Neurologist said as he walked into the room I was in. Mum was gone right now, she needed to run some errands, so it was just me an him at the moment.

    ¡°Hey.¡± I said.

    ¡°I got the results of your tests back last night.¡± He took a seat in a small rolling chair near by bed.

    ¡°Good news or bad?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Both. The good news is we didn¡¯t find anything suspicious from the MRI or the EEG, so it probably wasn¡¯t a seizure.¡±

    ¡°And the bad news?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The bad news is, we still don¡¯t know what caused your hallucinations and fainting. At this point, we are forced to conclude that your symptoms aren¡¯t biological in nature, but are probably psychological.¡± He pulled out his pen and picked up a clipboard from a nearby table. ¡°You mentioned you were seeing a therapist, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Dr. Maxwell. She has been my therapist for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, in addition to Dr. Maxwell, I am going to recommend you to a psychiatrist. His name is Dr. William Bartholomew, and he specializes in this type of thing. I¡¯ll give him your number and his office can set you up with an appointment.¡± With that final meeting, I was released from the hospital. I filled Mum, and later Suma, in on what the Neurologist said. A day later, Suma summoned me so that we could talk about my options.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what exactly does a psychiatrist do?¡± Suma asked from her metal perch. We were in her new room, the one shared by the other recruits, but they were all out at the moment. I was sitting on a chair made of molded rock that Suma taught me how to make.

    ¡°They are like healers, but for the mind.¡± I said.

    ¡°And how exactly is that different from what Dr. Maxwell does?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Dr. Maxwell is a therapist. They deal more with trauma and non-medical issues. Psychiatrists deal with medicines, injuries, and diseases that effect the mind.¡± I told her. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, I don¡¯t think I will be making an appointment with him.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Are you not worried about having more hallucinations?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t think he will be able to help me. We already know what caused them, all I wanted to know was whether or not that flaming figure did any actual physical damage. Since the doctor didn¡¯t see anything on any of the scans, I think that means whatever is happening is magical, not physical.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Suma said, ¡°you do have a point. I may have a suggestion then.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°We should perform a memory delve; on both of us.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You said that your hallucinations felt as if they were memories, did you not? If they really are, then a delve will help us to understand them.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but why do you need one?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I¡­ I have also been experiencing strange dreams, not too dissimilar from what you described your visions to be like.¡± Suma confessed.

    ¡°What?! When?!¡± I shouted.

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    ¡°I believe it was around the same time you experienced your first vision.¡± Suma¡¯s head was hanging slight lower, she was avoiding eye contact too. Even her normal glitter was slightly dulled.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± I asked confused.

    ¡°I did not wish to worry you, and at first I thought it was simply a dream. Now, after hearing your descriptions of what you saw, I doubt it was just a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°So, what did you see?¡±

    Suma looked back to me as she explained. ¡°I cannot remember clearly, but I know that there was a Neame called Ambos, and a Viking called Zachariah.¡±

    ¡°The same people I saw, or thought I was anyway.¡±

    ¡°It was the same for me. My dream took place from the perspective of Ambos.¡±

    ¡°Why does that name sound so familiar?¡± I asked, trying to remember.

    ¡°It was the name of the hero mage.¡± She said.

    ¡°RIGHT! The one with the Viking familiar.¡± I snapped my fingers and shook my hand as I remembered. ¡°So what, the flaming man somehow has their memories?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is possible he took their memories somehow; spells of that nature have existed for some time. It was thought that our ancestors, before the Ravaging, would have had very advanced and diverse magics, even compared to today.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°And you think a memory delve will help us sort out what happened?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s do it.¡± I said, ready to go.

    ¡°We will need to find someone capable of performing the spell.¡± Suma said. ¡°I do not have the ability to perform one on myself, or at all actually. I have no talent for Mind Magic.¡±

    ¡°So, who do we know who can do it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I might know one person. She was a Court Mage.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lieutenant Datahu. She might be able to help us, and if not, we can just ask around the base.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a court mage? Aren¡¯t those like the highest-ranking mages or something?¡±

    ¡°She was, but she isn¡¯t any more. You can¡¯t be a court mage and work as a Lieutenant in the King¡¯s Armed Forces.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Okay, but why not?¡±

    ¡°A Court Mage must stand ready in the capital to defend members of the King¡¯s Court, as well as be on standby should they be needed for other matters.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright then. Do you think she¡¯ll help?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It is possible.¡± Suma said hesitantly.

    ¡°What about likely?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I cannot say.¡± Suma and I left the room and went searching for the Lieutenant. We bumped into Nine on the way, and he said he saw her at the pits, which was some kind of fighting arena Suma had told me about a week or so ago. As we neared the pits, we started to hear the sounds of battle.

    ¡°She must be training.¡± I said.

    ¡°Indeed. We should wait for her to finish.¡± I didn¡¯t argue, I wanted to see what a Court Mage¡¯s training looked like; also, the Lieutenant is a little intimidating. We watched from above, Suma was perched on a metal bar, and I leaned over it. The Lieutenant¡¯s training was impressive. She was doing maneuvers jet-fighter pilots must dream about, all while casting spell after spell. Her movements were so quick, I couldn¡¯t even follow them. She would turn on a dime, do a barrel roll, then fire off successive attacks. WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM! Four shots fired of and rang out as they hit their targets. Yeah, that¡¯s targets, plural. She was facing off against three training dummies, like the kind we used back at basic, and one other thing that looked like it was made of living rock.

    ¡°Is that some kind of golem?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°Do you mean the rock dummy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I have never heard its name before, but I can attest that it is quite strong.¡± She said. ¡°What is a golem?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something that isn¡¯t alive, but can move anyway. Usually it¡¯s controlled from a distance by someone too weak to fight for themselves.¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah, then yes, it is a golem.¡± Suma said. We talked without looking away from the fight, not that it would have made much of a difference for me anyway. The Lieutenant finished the fight with a Nature Spell. Magic circles appeared under each target, and vines shot up from the ground, impaling all four of her targets. The training dummies stopped moving and fell to the ground, while the rock golem shattered and crumbled to dust. For a second, I wondered if I should applaud.

    ¡°Are you going to keep perching there like knots on branches, or tell me what you wanted?¡± Lieutenant Datahu turned to us and called out.

    ¡°I- um¡­ yes ma¡¯am.¡± Suma stuttered nervously. I have to admit, even I was surprised she saw us during all that. ¡°We had a request for you ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°A request?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, but first: do you know how to perform a memory delve?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Can you perform one on Jake and myself?¡± Suma asked.

    She looked confused. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s related to my condition. The doctors on my world were able to confirm that there was no physical damage causing my hallucinations, so we think the reason lies in my mind.¡± I explained.

    ¡°What led you to that conclusion?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°Well, we think it was caused by memories that were implanted by that figure in flame.¡± I said.

    ¡°Figure in flame? What are you talking about?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I knew I was forgetting something.¡± Suma whispered to herself. We spent the next half an hour explaining everything from the beginning; starting with his first appearance, and all the way to Suma¡¯s own visions.

    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Lieutenant Datahu sighed, ¡°you both have been seeing visions of memories you don¡¯t possess, and you are only telling me now, after all this time?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ uh, sums it up, yeah.¡± I acknowledged.

    ¡°Do you two realize how many regulations this violates? Not just keeping medical conditions secret, Lady Suma, but the cause as well? I couldn¡¯t even begin to list them.¡± She said shaking her head.

    ¡°So, can you help us?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yes and no. I cannot perform the memory delve myself, that would violate regulations, but I can put in an official request for one to be performed by our base staff. We have a few members of permanent staff who can perform the spell safely.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± I said.

    ¡°Thank me by reporting for training as soon as you are able, and by reporting any more sighting of this ¡®figure in flame¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Suma and I agreed.

    ¡°Now, Sentinel, I have a request for you as well.¡± She said.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

 Book 2- Part 5

    I was sitting on a chair made of sculpted vines, listening to my personal tutor talk about magic theory and practical applications as a part of my after-training lessons that I was supposed to do. Every day after everyone else gets done with their training, I come here and learn about a variety of magic manipulation techniques, and how to more precisely control my mana. I may not make it sound fun, but it was actually pretty interesting. Recently, I learned a mana control technique. Apparently there are a lot of variations, but he just showed me a few.

    ¡°Now enlarge the mana sphere, but don¡¯t let your concentration waver, or it will rupture.¡± My instructor, who didn¡¯t have a name, told me. He was perched on a metal pole, about ten feet behind me.

    ¡°What happens-¡± BOOM! The sphere exploded like balloon going off in my ear. ¡°In hindsight, I should have known better." I yelled and rubbed my ringing ears.

    "I literally just said to concentrate.¡± He said shaking his head.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t do that last time.¡± I said.

    ¡°That was the Noako variation, this is the Chatto. Do you remember how I described the Noako?¡± He asked.

    I thought for a second, ¡°You said it was more about output than control.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. The Chatto variation is the exact opposite. So failing here is more likely, and a little less dangerous because you aren¡¯t using as much mana.¡± The Noako version was pretty simple to do. He had me build up a lot of mana, and release it in a single blast. He said it was to improve how quickly I could utilize my mana and to improve how fast I could store it up.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean less dangerous? Was the Noako one not safe?¡±

    ¡°It was safe enough, for you.¡±

    (Well now he tells me.) I thought to myself. ¡°What do you mean ¡®safe enough for me¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Your own mana is unlikely to hurt you, but that doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t dangerous. Why do you think I¡¯m perched over here?¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, but what would it do, I mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about your inversion mana, and I¡¯m not too keen on finding out, but depending on the attribute one possesses, a rupture could have a variety of effects to anyone caught in its path. Energy is more likely to burn you, Nature causes mold to grow sometimes, other times plants in the affected area die, and Memory attribute mana once caused me to relive an entire day in my mind. So, it really depends on the mage.¡± He explained.

    As he explained, I restarted trying to form the sphere, and it popped again. ¡°You seem to be having significantly more trouble with the control variation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know why. I mean, my Railgun spell must require more control than this, so I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing wrong.¡± I said confused.

    ¡°Did you perhaps use a magic circle for your spells?¡± The instructor asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how they work.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put it in a lesson when I get a chance. Perhaps your visualizations need improvement? How are you picturing the sphere in your mind?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t. Was I supposed to?¡± I turned to him and asked.

    ¡°It would help, yes, but it isn¡¯t always a requirement. Actually, many high-ranked mages pride themselves on not needing to rely on visualizations when doing this training.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell the difference?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Using visualizations makes the sphere smooth, but using only your own manual control causes lines to appear.¡± He said. I looked at the sphere I was forming. There were countless lines moving in every direction; like a ball of yarn, but translucent.

    ¡°Can I try with a visualization then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You can, but I would prefer you to not to have to rely on them. In combat, you won¡¯t always have time for such things, so you should get used to training the harder way if you can. It will help you on the long term.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I shouldn¡¯t use them?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You can, but sparingly. Build up your abilities without them.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to use a visualization sparingly?¡± I asked confused.

    ¡°The way I do it, is by only imagining the outline of the sphere, not the finished product.¡± He explained. I turned away from him and refocused back on the sphere, doing as he suggested on picturing a hollow circle in my mind. It really made a difference; the sphere was far easier to maintain this time. I was able to maintain it for thirty seconds before it ruptured again.

    I practiced this way for about an hour. Apparently, once you are able to make the sphere and maintain it for a full minute, then you start making other shapes; I never made it past the sphere. After my training was done for the day, I found Suma and went home. I needed to prepare for tomorrow, and for the favor that Lieutenant Datahu asked me to do for her.

    ¡°Are you ready Jake?¡± Suma asked as we finished my preparations. Lieutenant Datahu had a condition for her co-operation with the memory delve: she wanted a sparring match with me.

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be.¡± I said summoning my armor, Jericho, onto my body.

    ¡°Do you have a plan to win?¡± Suma asked and perched on my shoulder armor. I started walking to the pit for the bout.

    ¡°I am not expecting to win, she is a professional with years of experience. I¡¯m just some lucky idiot with a couple pointy magic sticks.¡± I said.

    ¡°That is true.¡± She agreed, maybe a bit too quickly though. ¡°Then perhaps I should ask: do you have a plan to not be horribly maimed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to put up Aegis, and summon Destiny, then activate their runes. Hopefully that will keep some distance between us.¡± Aegis is a shield I had made for me, and Destiny is my spear. Both were fitted with magic runes by an acquaintance of mine in exchange for letting her do experiments on me.

    ¡°Jake, you do remember that she is a ranged attacker, right? It is her specialty.¡± Suma pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, but so am I. My weapons work well in case someone gets close, but all of my attack spells work best at a distance.¡±

    ¡°JAKE! You cannot attack her with your attack spells, she would be obliterated!¡± Suma shouted.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t use Railgun or Lightning Bolt. Besides, those take too long anyway. I was just going to use my fireballs and the runes on my weapons.¡±

    ¡°Even still, it seems too dangerous.¡± She said worried.

    ¡°Won¡¯t there be healers standing by?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but healing magic has its limits.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I said. A few moments later, we arrived at the pit for my match. There were dozens of other Neame perched on poles and vines set up around the pit¡¯s dome. Members from every squad had come to watch, even the Captains and the Major had come. As we got closer, Suma flew over and perched with the other members of our team.

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Odens asked.

    ¡°A little.¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably smart.¡± Nine said laughing.

    ¡°Any last words?¡± Rou asked jokingly.

    ¡°Very funny.¡± I said ducking under one of the bars of the dome and dropping into the pit.

    ¡°Please try not to get hurt too badly Jake!¡± Suma said.

    (Even you, Suma?) I thought. The Lieutenant landed on the ground at the other end of the pit. In between us, Captain Gigoales, our team¡¯s leader, landed.

    ¡°Alright,¡± the Captain started, ¡°the rules are as follows: no lethal spells, no purposefully maiming one another beyond healing capabilities, no using summoned creatures or familiars, no leaving the pit, and absolutely no hard feelings after you lose.¡± When he said that last part, his eyes cut to me for a moment. I sighed; I knew I wasn¡¯t going to win, but did they have to keep reminding me? ¡°Do you both consent to this bout?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°I do.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well then.¡± The Captain flew up and out of the ring quickly. ¡°BEGIN!¡± The Lieutenant started before I could summon Destiny, but I was already in my armor and had Aegis, so I wasn¡¯t caught off guard. She launched the attacks with fire in rapid succession. Pang! Pang! Pang! One after another they hit Aegis, but I barely felt it. I summoned Destiny and pointed the tip at her. I activated the runes and a softball sized bullet of air shot out at her. In an instant she spread her wings and bolted straight up; the bullet just narrowly missed her tail-feathers as it hit the ground behind her. As we started the fight, the cheers from the other squads began.

    ¡°You got this Viking!¡±

    ¡°Get him Lieutenant!¡±

    Fanning her wings again, and turning on a dime, she dodged a second bullet I had fired. Trying to keep track of her in flight was like trying to watch a bumblebee fly around; my eyes almost couldn¡¯t keep up. She launched two more attacks from the front. Pang! Clang! The first hit Aegis, but the second connected with the armor on my shin. That one I felt. Even through the metal, I could feel the force of the attack; like someone shoved my leg to the side. I managed to avoid losing my footing, and activated the rune on Aegis. A wave of force exploded from the shield, knocking me back slightly with the recoil, but not too severely; I had plenty of time to practice and get used to it back in boot camp while training with the attack mages. The wave hit her and sent her flying to the other end of the ring, but it didn¡¯t seem like it hurt her much.

    I dropped Destiny to the ground and shouted, ¡°Fireball!¡± I sent a weakened version of my normal fireballs at her. It was much smaller, because I used less mana, and it was a brighter purple than normal as well. I thought she would dodge it; I was wrong. Instead, she caught it with mana wrapping and did a barrel roll. The fireball changed directions midflight and was flung back at me. I had dropped Aegis to my side to cast the spell, and couldn¡¯t react fast enough to put it back up. My spell hit me square in the chest plate, knocking the wind out of me. At the time, I was surprised, but thinking back on it, I was grateful the attack didn¡¯t hit her; even holding back, I still put way too much power into that attack. It might have really hurt her.

    ¡°Vines!¡± She shouted, casting her first verbal spell of the match. Instantly, the vines that were scattered randomly around the pit started wrapping themselves around my arms and legs. I activated the runes on my armor, not bothering to think specifically about which one and simply activating them all. I knew I had one rune for times like this, but didn¡¯t have enough time to remember where it was. I felt several things happen all at once. My chest stopped hurting as the healing rune activated, I stopped breathing so heavily as the stamina rune kicked in, and a massive blast of air shot out from every inch of my armor, forcing the vines off of me. Splinters and chunks of vines shot across the arena, and I quickly stood back up and summoned Aegis while the Lieutenant was distracted with that. It didn¡¯t take her long to adapt though, she dropped to the ground and put up a wall of vines to protect her. I Summoned Mori, my sword, and activated its rune. A slash of air whipped towards the wall, leaving a gash, but not doing anything to draw her out. I thought about using a spell to create some kind of trap around the wall and her, but wasn¡¯t able to because several vines had started wrapping themselves around my legs again. I was about to activate the runes again, but the vines suddenly went taunt and I was pulled off my feet. I hit the ground and was dragged for a second before I tried activating the runes, this time nothing happened. Well, I still got the healing and the stamina boost, but there was no explosion.

    I had dropped Mori and Aegis when I was toppled, so I resummoned them and cut the vines with Mori. I stood up quickly, and cast a spell that engulfed the wall of vines that had been protecting the Lieutenant. I thought I had managed a miracle and won, until I was hit in the back five times and had my organs rattled. Clangclang! Clangclang! Clang! I fell to the ground and the Lieutenant landed gracefully next to my battered body. It felt like one of those scenes in anime where somebody gets rocked hard, and they cough up a liter of blood.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I moaned painfully. She definitely broke one of my ribs with that last one.

    ¡°Winner! Lieutenant Datahu!¡± The Captain announced.

    (Yup, that¡¯s about right.) I thought.

    ¡°Good job, Sentinel, and thank you for the bout. I will be sure to put in your memory delving request.¡± She said.

    ¡°No problem, thanks.¡± Was all I was able to strain out. She flew away, and I activated my armor¡¯s healing rune. Suma landed beside me after a few seconds, and I finally managed to gather enough strength to sit on my knees instead of laying down.

    ¡°Well,¡± she said sympathetically, ¡°at least you didn¡¯t die.¡± I was pretty sure she was teasing me, but it felt kinda ¡°touch-and-go¡± at times during the fight.

    ¡°Yeah, and she agreed to put in the request. So, that¡¯s good.¡± I said checking my ribs; they had healed, so I stood up. Rou and Odens flew down and landed beside Suma.

    ¡°I lost two Gimlin seeds on that fight, Jake.¡± Rou shook her head sadly; I don¡¯t think he was really that worried about it though.

    ¡°I made two.¡± Odens added laughing.

    ¡°Your confidence in me is overwhelming.¡± I said sarcastically.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way,¡± Odens said. ¡°I probably couldn¡¯t beat you in a bout, but you were fighting the Lieutenant. That match was decided before you ever even showed up.¡±

    ¡°Well, she was a Court Mage after all.¡± Rou nodded.

    ¡°Are court mages really that impressive? I mean, I lost, yeah, but was it really that obvious what was going to happen?¡± I asked confused.

    ¡°Yes Jake,¡± Suma said plainly. ¡°That is why I asked if you had any sort of special plan before you started.¡±

    ¡°What makes them so special? I got my butt kicked, sure, but why was everyone so certain I would lose?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, even I knew I was, but¡­ why?¡± I had been hearing people talk about Court Mages and Royal Mages for over a year now, and they were always words of praise, but I have never heard even a single description as far as I could remember. Other than that they were extremely strong and skilled.

    ¡°Well, to start, all Court Mages have battlefield experience, so right away that should tell you something.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°And they are all chosen from the best of the High Mages.¡± Odens added.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the ranking system all mages fall into, right? Suma mentioned something about that.¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Even achieving High Mage status is a feat in itself, so becoming a court mage is a rare event.¡± Suma said. ¡°As you know, I am a Medium Class.¡±

    ¡°I think most of the people here are. Although, I heard there are one or two High Class mages in second squad.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°What does someone have to do to go up in ranks?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Perform well on the battlefield; that is the main qualifying factor.¡± Suma said. ¡°But there are a set of trials as well. I do not know what they are however.¡±

    ¡°I heard you had to slay a lesser dragon single-handedly.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°No one knows though. It¡¯s a very well-kept secret.¡± Odens said.

    (So, no one knows much about the Court Mages, and rumors are all most people have to go on huh? I guess that explains why people are so quick to pretty much mythologize them.) I thought.

    ¡°Well, all that aside. You did well in your match, Jake.¡± Suma complimented.

    They all talked a bit more about stories they had heard of court mages, and they told me a legend about some famous Court Mage that fought Vikings. After that, Rou and Odens left, and Suma sent me home for the day. Good thing too, after all that healing, I was exhausted. I plopped down on my bed, and texted my mum that I was home safe, then went to sleep. There wasn¡¯t anything left to do now, except wait to see if we get approved for a memory delve. Honestly, things have been going fairly smoothly for these last few days, I should have known something was going to happen.

    ¡°Familiar Zachariah. You have been brought before the Royal Council to explain the events and your actions that occurred during the battle of Dragon¡¯s Fall Bay.¡±

 Book 2- Part 6

    <u>Zachariah¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°And here I was thinking it was just because you lot missed me so much.¡± I said.

    ¡°As impudent as ever I see.¡± Hym-Pac, one of the generals of the Royal Army, spat. He was a disciplined, and annoying, little bird.

    ¡°Actually, I think I may be getting better at it. It must be all the practice¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°Enough bickering, we have more important matters to deal with than your tiresome back and forth.¡± One of the council members interrupted.

    ¡°Indeed General, we need to get back to punishing this man who won the battle.¡± I said.

    ¡°Your actions are no laughing matter, familiar Zachariah. You have committed several heinous acts and used the magic we ordered you to never use again!¡± Another of the council members shouted.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, then you would have lost the battle, and the lives of every soldier present. My actions were not only necessary, they were justified.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, you admit to using the forbidden magic then?¡± General Hym-Pac asked.

    ¡°I did, but as I said, it was necessary.¡±

    ¡°We will be the judges of that.¡± The council member who had shouted earlier scoffed.

    ¡°Familiar Zachariah, we want you to start with the events that led up to the battle, and then explain how you came to the conclusion that your actions were justified.¡± The head of the council, Bardic Sopra, said calmly. He was a reserved man, who very rarely showed his feelings or spoke without thinking. We had met on several occasions, usually during trials such as this one.

    ¡°For me, it started when I was ordered to Dragon¡¯s Fall Bay, to reinforce the defenses against the invasion.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps start a little closer to the actual events in question?¡± General Hym-Pac said, sounding a bit irritated.

    ¡°Fine. I had received word that the battle had begun, and that the front needed reinforcements. Ambos and I decided to volunteer to assist.¡±

    ¡°And where is Sir Ambos today? I expected him to be here with you.¡± Bardic Sopra asked.

    ¡°He had personal matters that needed attending, so he was unable to join us this time.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I see. Well, his presence is not necessarily needed in this meeting, but it is not a matter that bears worry. Please continue.¡±

    ¡°The enemy had flown from their ships to shore and were beating down our fortifications. Ambos and I decided that the best course of action was to attack the ships themselves. They were striking and retreating to the safety of their ships to rest and recuperate, so we reasoned that destroying their ships would force them to land on the shore, where our defenses were strongest and could deal with them better.¡± I said.

    ¡°A wise strategy, how did it play out?¡± Sopra asked.

    ¡°It went well at first, but they broke our line a few hours later, so in the end all it did was buy us time.¡±

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    ¡°How exactly did you defeat thirty-seven transport ships? Each has enough supplies to transport over a thousand Neame; they are effectively floating fortresses.¡± One of the council members asked.

    ¡°We deemed it was impossible to attack them from above or behind, so we didn¡¯t. Ambos cast a spell that allowed us travel under the water, while I sank their ships with a rot spell.¡±

    ¡°And that was when you used your Death Magic?¡± Sopra asked.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°And was that the only time in the battle that you used it?¡±

    ¡°No, I also used it later in the battle.¡±

    ¡°Please tell us about that instance.¡±

    I took a deep breath and began. ¡°Four hours after casting the spell, all the ships had finally sunk, and the soldiers that were still residing on them had landed on the shore. My plan was going as expected, and the defenses were dealing with them accordingly. However, some of the soldiers were apparently able to overcome the defenses, and capture a strategic point. This allowed them to push back and start gaining ground.¡±

    As I spoke, I noticed several of the council members were whispering amongst themselves, clearly unhappy about something. One of them flew over to the head of the council, Bardic Sopra, and whispered something to him. He simply nodded, apologized for the interruption, and asked me to continue.

    ¡°A tactical retreat was ordered from the front to regroup and reorganize. Myself, Ambos, and around a hundred other soldiers stayed behind to cover their retreat.¡±

    ¡°And that is when you used your Death Magic again?¡± One of the council members asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°As the battle raged, the one hundred slowly started to dwindle. Soon there were only seventy, then fifty. By the time I realized what was happening, only twenty-five of us remained. We needed reinforcements, but I knew we were not getting any. So, I cast a spell that bought the survivors time to fall back.¡±

    ¡°The spell, it was a Famine type, correct?¡± Bardic Sopra asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What was its effect?¡±

    ¡°It caused the approaching soldiers to become weak with hunger. Once they crossed a threshold I had designated during the spell¡¯s casting, it would take effect. That spell saved the lives of the remaining twenty-five.¡±

    ¡°So you did use a lethal form of the forbidden magic!¡± The council member who shouted earlier shouted again, as if he had caught me in some kind of trap.

    ¡°No, the spell itself was not lethal.¡± I denied.

    ¡°Then, the soldiers who were affected by the spell lived?¡± Sopra asked.

    ¡°No, most of them died.¡± I said.

    ¡°Can you explain this contradiction?¡± He asked confused.

    ¡°The spell itself wasn¡¯t what killed them, it was most likely the fall.¡±

    ¡°Fall?¡±

    ¡°Well, most of them were flying when they crossed the threshold. The ones that were atop their familiars may have survived, but they may have also fallen off of their familiars when the weakness took hold. I speak from experience, being trampled by a familiar is not something one has a great chance of surviving.¡± I explained. The council members all started grumbling to themselves again, looking quite upset.

    ¡°He admits it, he used the forbidden magic and used it in a way that we specifically instructed him not to!¡±

    ¡°I followed your instructions to the letter. I did not cast any spell that took the lives of Neame in any way considered ¡®vile¡¯.¡± I declared.

    ¡°You just admitted to killing those Neame wi-¡± The council member yelled, but was cut off by Bardic Sopra.

    ¡°Enough. Zachariah, the council needs to consider what you have told us. Until a decision has been made, please return home and await our next summons.¡± With that, I was escorted out of the council¡¯s meeting room by several Neame guards. I contacted Ambos, and told him what happened. He summoned me, and I reappeared next to him, in our home.

    ¡°Did you finish?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I did. Ahshem is uneasy about something, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me what.¡± Ambos said.

    ¡°What could make a dragon nervous?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Very few things, and all of them are bad.¡±

    ¡°And he didn¡¯t want any help dealing with it?¡±

    ¡°No, he said that it was a private matter between the dragons.¡± Ambos said.

    ¡°Any idea what it could be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If I had to guess¡­ I would imagine it is Deyja.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is a strange one. As far as dragons go anyway.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°But nonetheless, if he doesn¡¯t want our help, there is nothing we can do.¡± Ambos said dejectedly. He was close friends with Ahshem, and has known him longer than anyone. He feels he owes him a great debt, so not being able to help him probably hurts.

    ¡°Jake¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will call on you if he needs any help.¡± I told Ambos.

    ¡°Jake¡­¡±

    Ambos nodded, but still seemed sad.

    ¡°Jake!¡±

 Book 2- Part 7

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°JAKE!¡± I was startled awake. I looked around, but no one was there.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, no one answered. ¡°Suma?¡± I asked, activating our private connection.

    ¡°Jake! Thank the dragons, I have been trying over and over again to summon you, but it wasn¡¯t working.¡± Suma shouted.

    ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°Yes, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was asleep, or no¡­ I was having one of those vision/dream things again.¡±

    ¡°I am going to try summoning you again.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted and dove off my bed to get some trousers. Luckily, I had fallen asleep too tired to take off my pajama shirt, but I still needed shoes and stuff. I had just enough time to put my hands on my trousers and a pair of shoes before disappearing. When I reappeared, I was in an uncomfortable position, my arms and legs splayed out, each one connected to some separate article of clothing.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I suppose I should have waited a tad longer.¡± Suma apologized. Well, at least I was already wearing socks, a shirt, and trousers. I stood up, collected the strewn about clothes, and got dressed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, what was the vision about this time?¡± A voice from behind me asked. I turned and saw Lieutenant Datahu.

    ¡°Oh, Lieutenant. I didn¡¯t see you.¡± I said.

    ¡°She was able to secure the memory delve faster than expected, that is why I was trying to summon you.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Yes, the major wants you to be battle ready as soon as possible, so he pushed the request through for me.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Oh good. Please tell him I said thanks.¡±

    ¡°You will be able to tell him yourself. He is going to be present during the delve.¡±

    ¡°He is?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°He wants to make sure his investment pays off.¡±

    (That¡¯s a nice way of putting it.) I thought to myself. I may not be the smartest guy around, but even I knew why he wanted to come.

    ¡°So, who will be performing the delve? Is it one of the base¡¯s staff members?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°No, actually I was told it was going to be one of the major¡¯s advisors who specializes in Memory Magic.¡±

    ¡°What about everything you said about proper procedures and following protocol when we first asked you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The privilege of the highest is that they can glide the farthest.¡± The Lieutenant said. Suma¡¯s feathers ruffled a bit, and her sparkle dimmed for a second. I guess she wasn¡¯t happy to hear that for some reason.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her over our private connection.

    ¡°I dislike the idea of one of the major¡¯s closest ally¡¯s going through your memories.¡± She said worried.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I am concerned about what else they will be looking for while they are inside of our minds.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, one way or another, someone will have to perform the delve, and they will most likely report what they find to the major for him to do with as he pleases. I dislike the reality of this situation, but we need the delve, so there is nothing we can do.¡± Suma sounded dejected, but didn¡¯t suggest calling off the delve.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m in love with the idea of someone poking around inside my head, but I¡¯m also getting kinda tired of hallucinating someone else¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°As am I.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Do you two have the ability to communicate without speaking aloud?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked, snapping us out of our private conversation.

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Should I be insulted, or impressed?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We were discussing our thought about the delve being performed by one of the major¡¯s advisors.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Well, I get the feeling you will not have much luck trying to find someone else to do it.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Meaning¡­?¡±

    ¡°Meaning he wants inside my head, and he¡¯ll throw his weight around to make sure it happens.¡± I said.

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°You are probably right. The Major is a good man, but he did not reach such a high perch by letting opportunities fly past him.¡± The Lieutenant said. The conversation probably would have continued, but the sounds of flapping stopped us. Seconds later, the Major, and three others, landed on vines nearby.

    The set up for the delve was the same as it was back when I was interviewed after killing the wyvern last year. One Neame to cast the delving spell, one to ask the questions, and one to monitor my well-being. They were only doing me at the moment, instead of doing both of us at the same time. I guess they only had one of those ¡®Memory Seekers¡¯ available.

    ¡°Sentinel, please lay down.¡± The Major said as a bed of vines formed about at knee height.

    ¡°Am I going to be put to sleep? They didn¡¯t do that last time.¡± I said lying down.

    ¡°No, but it will be easier for us this way, and less dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Less dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you do lose consciousness, you could fall. Also, this situation is rather¡­ unique. Memory delves have never been used in this way before.¡± He said.

    (Please don¡¯t fry my brain.) I thought to myself.

    ¡°Alright, I am ready.¡± The Neame who had cast the magic circle around me, and who was going to be doing the delve for us, said.

    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± I said.

    ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s begin.¡±

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Sentinel, I want you to think about the first time you saw this ¡®Figure in flame¡¯.¡± The Neame in charge of guiding Jake through the questions said. The Major, Lieutenant Datahu, and myself, were all perched near Jake, watching the delve.

    ¡°I was at¡­ that church.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Church?¡± The interviewer asked.

    ¡°I think it was called a sanctum or something. Suma and I were about to form our bonding ritual thing, and he came out of nowhere and demanded she give me a new name.¡± Jake explained.

    ¡°Ah yes, you mean the Grand Sanctum of Zach-Ahshem. Did he do anything else besides demanding a name?¡±

    ¡°No, after that he left.¡± Jake said. The interviewer looked over to the other two Neame, they each nodded and he continued the questions.

    ¡°And when was your next encounter?¡±

    ¡°A month or two later, I think. He was able to catch me in-between being summoned.¡±

    ¡°Can you explain what you mean?¡±

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    ¡°Suma summoned me so that we could name my weapons, but he interrupted it and pulled me somewhere.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Where? Do you know?¡±

    ¡°It felt like a dream¡­ I was floating in a void, and there was this light. I went to it, and it was him.¡±

    ¡°What did he do this time?¡± The interviewer asked.

    ¡°He¡­ threatened me, and told me we were friends. He really didn¡¯t make any sense that time, or any time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know one mage in the modern era capable of interrupting a summoning.¡± The Major whispered to the Lieutenant.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because none exist anymore, and haven¡¯t in several hundred years.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Did you see the being again after that?¡± The interviewer asked Jake, not minding the Major and Lieutenant¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°He interrupted a summons again, but going the other way this time. Suma was sending me back home. We had been exploring a cave during a training exercise for training camp. It was too small for me, so she sent me back.¡±

    ¡°And what did he do this time?¡±

    ¡°He said¡­ I was standing on his head.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what he meant?¡±

    ¡°We never figured it out.¡± Jake said. The Major looked nervous, and interrupted the delve with a question of his own.

    ¡°What exactly did he say?¡± The Major sounded upset, concerned even. I thought maybe it had to do with military matters, but the Lieutenant looked as confused and surprised by his sudden outburst as the interviewer was.

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t remember exactly. Just that I was standing on his head, and that I had never been closer, and then he suddenly said I was far away.¡± The Major did not look satisfied with Jake¡¯s answer, but he did not ask any follow-ups.

    ¡°About how many more times did you meet the figure after that?¡± The interviewer asked.

    ¡°A few more.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°And do any of them stand out to you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There was only one time where he actually did anything to me. That¡¯s when all this hallucination stuff started.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go ahead and move to that instance. What can you tell me about what happened?¡±

    ¡°It started off like any of the other ones. He said things that didn¡¯t make any sense, then said I was getting stronger.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°What made this time different then? Did he hurt you somehow?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He did something, and my head felt like it was going to explode.¡±

    ¡°AHH!¡± One of the assistants started to scream. She collapsed to the floor and the other two quickly flew over to her. Jake sat up and watched.

    ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡± The interviewer asked.

    ¡°It¡­ it suddenly¡­ it felt like I was watching thousands of memories all playing out at the same time.¡± The assistant answered weakly.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what it felt like it to me the first time too.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°We had theorized that the figure had implanted memories into Jake, and that is what has been causing all of this.¡± I said.

    ¡°Memory Magic being used to forcibly push memories into someone¡¯s mind? I have heard of things like that before, but it fell out of practice over two hundred years ago.¡± Lieutenant Datahu whispered. The Major nodded his head.

    ¡°So, does that mean we need to stop?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can continue.¡± The assistant, who had gotten back up, answered.

    ¡°This is what we came to do.¡± The Major said.

    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± The interviewer said hesitantly, and looked at his assistant after going back to his perch. ¡°Sentinel, I want you to focus on one of the memories that were placed into you.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°You mentioned you had already seen some of them play out. Try focusing on one of those.¡±

    ¡°The first time it happened, I was buying food at the store. I saw a Neame named Ambos, and I thought I was a guy named Zachariah.¡±

    ¡°Ambos¡­? And Zachariah you said? Can you tell me anything about them?¡± The interviewer asked surprised. I couldn¡¯t blame him; everyone knows the name Ambos. We live in the country of Ambos after all.

    ¡°Um¡­ Ambos likes raisins, and Zachariah was very sarcastic. Beyond that, not much. I know Zachariah killed a lot of Neame in the war, and in some pretty violent ways apparently. I also know he was a familiar to Ambos, just like I am to Suma.¡±

    ¡°Was he a Viking?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    ¡°He may have been. He was the same species at least, but you can¡¯t tell just by looking.¡± Jake answered.

    ¡°No?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°Could you tell what nation a Neame was just by the color of their feathers?¡± Jake asked, sounding a tad annoyed.

    The Major looked at the Lieutenant for a moment, then answered, ¡°I suppose that is a fair point.¡±

    ¡°But you could tell he was the same species, right?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    ¡°Yes, that I could tell.¡±

    ¡°Anyway Sentinel,¡± the interviewer interrupted. ¡°A Viking familiar with a master named Ambos. This cannot be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°It is true.¡± I said. ¡°I had a suspicion from the beginning, but this does confirm it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate if you guys started speaking in complete thoughts; thanks.¡± Jake complained.

    ¡°Sentinel, do you not know of Ambos?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°Um, a little. Only what Suma has told me though. He was like some kind of hero mage, who may or may not have slayed the Death Dragon. That Ambos?¡±

    ¡°Yes, most likely.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ we think I have the hero¡¯s familiar¡¯s memories in my head?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Sentinel, when someone implants their memories into another person in the way that this ¡®Figure of Flame¡¯ did, it doesn¡¯t just put their memories into them. Their thoughts, emotions, worries, even their desires. It puts a piece of them into you as well.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. Memory Magic¡­ has never been my specialty, so I was fairly lost as well.

    ¡°There were thousands of memories overlapping with one another, and then he actually believed himself to be Zachariah. That isn¡¯t just Memory Magic. This is more like Soul Magic.¡± The assistant said.

    ¡°Sentinel, I think that figure of flame put a piece of himself into you.¡± The interviewer said.

    ¡°But they were Zachariah¡¯s memories?¡± Jake said, still confused.

    The Lieutenant nodded her head. ¡°Yes. Which probably means that the figure was Zachariah himself.¡±

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Lieutenant Datahu¡¯s POV</u>

    An unwelcome revelation, that¡¯s how I would describe it. Not just for Suma and her familiar, Sentinel, but for the Kingdom of Ambos as a whole. Zachariah, an actual Viking, and the familiar of the mage who founded our country, still lives. Not only that though, but he has somehow transcended his mortality and gained unknown powers that allow him to cast spells that should have been unavailable to him. He was a Chaos Mage, but by implanting his memories, and even a portion of his own soul, he has demonstrated the ability to use both Order and Chaos Magic alike.

    ¡°What is your assessment, Datahu?¡± The Major asked me. We were perched in his private quarters, talking about Sentinel, and the newly revealed Zachariah. It was night, so we had a fire spell active to see. It didn¡¯t illuminate the whole room, but we could see each other well enough. An added bonus was that the fire kept the night¡¯s cold air at bay as well.

    ¡°On which, sir?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Either¡­ both.¡±

    ¡°Regarding this¡­ Zachariah, I don¡¯t know enough yet. From what I do know, I would say it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. How can someone use both Order and Chaos Magic? It should be impossible. Even among the dragons using both in a single individual was seen as impossible.¡± He said agitated.

    ¡°At least according to the stories anyway.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we were wrong, or perhaps the truth was lost to time. The dragons have been gone for centuries, and the Death Dragon has been gone even longer. Over time, stories get retold, twisted, even forgotten.¡±

    ¡°So, our history may not have happened like we believed¡­ it is possible.¡± He said softly and nodded his head. ¡°Do you have any theories?¡±

    ¡°None, sir.¡±

    ¡°What of Sentinel? The fight against him went well for you. Do you have an assessment of him?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°I would like to hear it.¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, Sentinel may be the most dangerous threat this world has faced in a thousand years.¡±

    ¡°Really? But you won the fight?¡± He sounded surprised. In reality, he was the one who actually requested the fight. When Sentinel first arrived at the base, the Major told me to find an opportunity to have a bout with him. He wanted to know how strong he was, and if he could be defeated.

    ¡°I did win, but I believe that was mere circumstance, or luck.¡± I said.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°A bout is not an effective method of judging an opponent¡¯s strengths. Sentinel was bound by several rules and regulations that prevented him from utilizing his most dangerous spells.¡±

    ¡°As were you.¡± The Major pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but I also have decades of experience and was raised from birth to be a mage. Sentinel had none of that.¡±

    ¡°So you are saying you think in a real fight, he could beat you?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°I am saying that I would pray to the dragons that Sentinel would not want to fight me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I would never even see him.¡±

    ¡°You are referring to the events of the entrance exam?¡± During the exam, Sentinel had used a spell he had seen only once, and with such force that it nearly killed everyone present, despite it being a long-range spell, which are typically weaker.

    ¡°I am, but not only that. During our fight, Sentinel launched several attacks at me, one of which was a purple ball of flames.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw. It was¡­ well, it was harrowing. Like watching a bad dream suddenly become reality, or the monster in a child¡¯s tale take form in front of me.¡±

    ¡°That was one of the most powerful attacks that has ever been directed at me. It took everything I had to redirect it. After that, flying caused me incredible pain. I tore several muscles in my wings, and was forced to fight from the ground until I was able to cast a healing spell.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Was it truly that strong?¡±

    ¡°I am fully convinced that if it had connected with me, I would have died. The same is true for all of Sentinel¡¯s attacks during our bout. Even an attack generated by a simple rune knocked me out of the air as if I were nothing. For him, it was a simple bout, but I was fighting to stay alive.¡±

    ¡°I will be sure to have a talk with Sentinel. He was supposed to be holding back during that bout.¡± The Major said, sounding a bit upset.

    ¡°He was holding back, sir. The spells he used were all scaled down versions of spells I have seen him use several times during training. And according to reports from several of his squad members from his tenure at boot camp, he has produced spells even larger than the ones he has displayed here.¡±

    ¡°So you believe you would lose to his overwhelming strength?¡±

    ¡°I do, but if it were an up-close fight, I believe I would stand a chance. However, as previously stated, I doubt I would get that opportunity.¡±

    ¡°His long-ranged attacks.¡± The Major said.

    ¡°His specialty.¡± I said. ¡°But not his only attribute.¡±

    ¡°His Chaos Magic.¡± The Major said with his concern showing clearly.

    ¡°And his physical strength. I landed several solid attacks to his back. I held back of course, but even with that I would have still expected to have seen more damage.¡±

    ¡°Those metal garments of his truly are formidable.¡±

    ¡°And I can only imagine how much they weigh. Yet he is able to move around surprisingly quickly while wearing them.¡± I said.

    ¡°I had heard that he was quite slow.¡± The Major said.

    ¡°His traveling speed is atrocious, but his combat movement speed is a bit faster. He is still rather sluggish, but I wonder how much faster he would be if he were not wearing those garments?¡±

    ¡°And all of this is why you believe him to be so dangerous?¡±

    ¡°The ability to deal massive attacks from beyond our striking range, a constitution able to withstand the attacks of an average mage, and access to magic so dangerous that it is illegal in almost every country on Atmosia; yes sir, Sentinel is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°What is your recommendation, Datahu?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°We take advantage of his one weakness.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°His master, Suma. Sentinel will continue to follow the orders of his master, so as long as we maintain a good relationship with her, Sentinel will remain our ally.¡±

 Book 2- Part 8

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was at home in my apartment, lying in bed. In my hands was all the magic I was able to muster while still on Earth, a single navy-blue orb about the size of a golf ball. Over a year of training and practice, and this was all I was able to create outside of Suma¡¯s world. If I switch to the new method of using my own internal mana instead of mana I collect from the environment, then the orb turns purple and gets smaller; coincidentally, about the size of a grape. If I try to summon any of my weapons, or my armor, nothing happens, but I do get a feeling that I am getting close sometimes.

    I let the orb dissipate and pulled out my phone from my pocket to call my mum. ¡°Hello?¡± She answered.

    ¡°Hey Mum, just calling to let you know I am home now.¡± I said.

    ¡°My, you stayed rather late today, didn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry for not telling you, but we met with a specialist to figure out what has been going on with me.¡±

    ¡°A specialist? Did they find out anything?¡±

    ¡°Yeah Mum, they did. Apparently that flaming guy was the cause.¡± I said.

    ¡°Do they know what he did?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he shoved a bunch of his memories into my head, and a piece of his soul too.¡±

    ¡°You know Jake, I have heard you say some pretty strange things in these last few months, but I think that may have been right up there with when you told me you worked for a bird.¡± My mum said in a unique mix of dry sarcasm and motherly concern. ¡°Do they know how to fix it?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but they said the portion of his soul he put into me might simply go away on its own.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ okay. Does that mean he will die?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I asked the same thing, but apparently no.¡±

    ¡°Then what will happen to him?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t know. They haven¡¯t ever seen something like this before. Apparently it used to be a fairly well known thing, but it stopped being used a long time ago.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Our conversations have gotten a lot stranger than they used to be, haven¡¯t they?¡± Mum pointed out. I laughed a little and agreed. I explained a bit more about what happened, and the results of Suma¡¯s delve. Since she hadn¡¯t had as severe of a reaction to the memories, they figured that what she experienced was most likely a kind of overflow from me.

    After spending a little while talking we hung up. It was about eight o¡¯clock at night now, and I was starving. I made a sandwich and sat on my couch to watch some TV. I expected to have a quiet night at home, but maybe that was hoping for too much, because a few minutes after I finished my sandwich, there was knocking at my door. I got up to see who it was.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said through the closed door.

    ¡°Are you Mr. Jake Vandal?¡± The voice outside said. It was a man¡¯s voice. I looked through the peep hole and saw two people in officer¡¯s uniforms. ¡°We are with HMRC, Her Majesty¡¯s Revenue and Customs. We need to have a word with you sir.¡±

    A while later, I was sitting at a cold metal table in an interrogation room. In front of me, were two officers; one was from HMRC, and the other was a police officer from my city. Apparently, they wanted to talk with me about some abnormalities in my personal banking account. I can¡¯t say I blamed them. If I was a banker and over a hundred thousand pounds suddenly appeared in a person¡¯s account out of the blue, I¡¯d notice and call HMRC too.

    ¡°So where did you get the money?¡± The HMRC officer, his name was Detective Harewood, asked.

    ¡°If this is about my taxes, I was pretty sure I filed them correctly. If there was any mistake, I¡¯m happy to pay the difference.¡± I said nervously.  I have fought wyverns, experienced mages, and corrupt nobles, but this was still making me sweat.

    ¡°It¡¯s drugs, right? Nobody just happens to find a hundred thousand pounds in the dirt outside. Just tell us who you were selling to, and you might get off easy.¡± The local officer said. I think she said her name was Detective Lin.

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not selling drugs!¡± I denied.

    ¡°Then how do you explain the money? Did a little birdy just leave it on your front door?¡± Detective Harewood asked.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I admit, for a second I panicked. He was closer than he realized after all. My brain kinda went blank for a second as I just sat there with a dumb look on my face and my mouth open. ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ I sold stuff. But not drugs! Just like, legal stuff.¡±

    ¡°Really? Because according to your credit card reports, you spent over three hundred quid on bulk purchases of paper in the last year.¡± Detective Lin said.

    ¡°Yeah. I sold paper and stuff. I bought it in bulk and sold it.¡± I said.

    ¡°You bought paper, and managed to sucker someone into giving you money for it? You must have been charging a thousand pounds per sheet.¡± Detective Harewood said.

    ¡°Here¡¯s what we think. You bought the paper and made cash, literally.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°You think I was counterfeiting?¡± I asked, shocked. My stomach was in knots already, and this wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°I¡­ think I want to talk to a lawyer.¡±

    ¡°And do you realize how guilty that makes you look?¡± Detective Lin said in a cold calm way. ¡°If you aren¡¯t doing anything illegal, why do you need a lawyer?¡± I suddenly remembered the advice my dad used to say when I first started driving: if you get arrested, no matter what happens, always ask for the ¡°Duty Solicitor¡±.

    ¡°I want to talk to the duty solicitor.¡± I said. I wish I could say I sounded confident, but my voice cracked halfway through.

    ¡°Hm, fine.¡± Detective Harewood said and have a ¡°follow me¡± head nod to Detective Lin.

    They called the station¡¯s duty solicitor, and he came to talk with me. It took half an hour for him to arrive though. All the while, I was stuck in that interrogation room that was at least three degrees too cold for humans to live in, or maybe that was just the chills running down my spine? The duty solicitor was an overweight middle-aged man with dark brown skin, a bald head, and a charcoal gray suit; his name was Robert. As soon as he arrived, he started talking. He went over all my rights, asked if I needed to call anyone, and asked if I had a personal lawyer I needed or wanted to call. I called my Mum and let her know what was happening and to call our lawyer, then I had a long conversation with the duty solicitor.

    ¡°Everything we say to each other is just between us. Nothing gets reported to the police.¡± He said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± I said.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. Can you explain to me what happened, then?¡± Robert asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you, that is not a great response.¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t commit any crimes. At least, I don¡¯t think I did.¡±

    ¡°So why can¡¯t you explain?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯d get put into a mental institution. Also, no one would believe me.¡± I said sighing.

    ¡°Do you think you should be put into a mental institution?¡± Robert asked.

    ¡°¡­No.¡± I said after thinking about it for a second. He didn¡¯t look convinced but moved on anyway.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t illegal, why do the police think you committed a crime?¡± He asked. Robert interlocked his fingers and placed his elbows forwards on the table. His hands and arms were now making a triangle in front of his body.

    ¡°Because it looks illegal to an outside observer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you some professional legal advice: don¡¯t say that, whether it be in court or to any of these officers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°So, let me hear some context to what is going on. I know you can¡¯t explain in detail, but what about generally?¡±

    ¡°Generally?¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°Yeah, I think I can do that. Basically, my friend Suma and I started selling things to rich people and charging a lot of money for it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is certainly not illegal. Why paper?¡± Robert asked.

    ¡°Because they wanted it. I really don¡¯t have any reason better than that.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­?¡±

    ¡°I should also note; I stopped doing this a few months ago. I had to move so I lost everyone who wanted to buy from me.¡±

    ¡°And what crime are they accusing you of exactly? None of this sounds like enough reason to suspect you of breaking the law.¡± He asked.

    ¡°They think I¡¯m counterfeiting money.¡±

    ¡°Because you bought and sold paper?¡±

    ¡°I should probably say that I made over one-hundred-thousand pounds doing this.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Okay¡­ things are starting to make sense now.¡± Robert leant back, taking his elbows off the table and dropping his hands to his sides. ¡°Do you have any proof that you made the money legally?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. There was no paper trail, no receipts, and I was paid entirely in gold coins.¡± As soon as I said that last part, I quickly added on with, ¡°but I can¡¯t explain why.¡± Robert looked at me for a second, probably questioning his life choices and wondering how he got to this point. I felt his pain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ gold coins?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, I still have some at my apartment actually.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Do you happen to have a therapist?¡± He asked.

    (Ah great, he thinks I¡¯m crazy.) I thought, but answered him anyway. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Great, I¡¯d like to get her number from you if I could. As well as an emergency contact if you have one.¡± I think he had his fill of me and wanted someone he thought was sane. I decided to go along with it, hoping maybe Dr. Maxwell could convince them I was sane at least. I gave him her number and my mum¡¯s number as well. After that, he left the room to make the calls.

    About ten minutes later, Robert came back in. ¡°She says you¡¯re mentally stable, but that you occasionally have hallucinations.¡± I had told her about everything at my last appointment. She knew everything already after all. ¡°Your mother is also on her way with your family¡¯s lawyer. My legal advice to you mister Vandal is to do whatever your lawyer tells you to do, and to not answer any questions he doesn¡¯t talk to you about first. You may have an insanity defense, but your therapist claims you¡¯re of sound mind. Personally, I¡¯d switch therapists. That one doesn¡¯t seem to be very good.¡±

    ¡°I can see why you¡¯d think that.¡± I said flatly, with my head in my hands. After that, Robert left.

    It only took an hour for my mum and Robert, our family lawyer, to arrive. We also called Dr. Maxwell and put her on speaker. I had explained the situation to her before Robert arrived, so she knew to play along. After talking, we came up with a moderate plan of action. Basically, tell the truth, let Robert do the talking, and only speak when spoken to. After we came up with that¡­ plan¡­ the officers came back, and they resumed the interrogation.

    ¡°Can you explain how you acquired the money in question?¡± Detective Lin asked.

    ¡°Legally through buying and selling merchandise to customers.¡± I said. Robert had prepared me for a few of the questions they might ask, and said I should follow a basic script even if they didn¡¯t ask those questions exactly.

    ¡°According to our records, you have been unemployed for almost a year and a half now.¡± Detective Harewood pointed out.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± I said and looked over at Robert, who nodded slightly at me, letting me know I was still on script.

    ¡°So how do you explain the money?¡± Harewood asked.

    ¡°You will find that my client¡¯s reported all of his profits from those transactions on his tax reports.¡± Robert interrupted.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t suggesting that Mr. Vandal was hiding his taxes, but rather, the means of which the money itself was gained is being called into question.¡± Detective Lin said.

    ¡°I assure you, all of the money my client has was acquired legally.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I stated.

    ¡°Right, and Mr. Vandal, can you tell us again how you were able to sell paper for over one-hundred-thousand pounds?¡± Detective Harewood asked.

    ¡°One-hundred-thousand?!¡± Robert asked, shocked.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I forgot to mention that. Yeah.¡± I apologized.

    ¡°Well, um¡­ the price of the merchandise is meaningless. The point is, that it was all acquired legally.¡± Robert said stumbling over his first few words.

    ¡°Can you prove that?¡± Detective Lin asked.

    ¡°Can you prove that it wasn¡¯t?¡± Robert asked. Detectives Lin and Harewood glanced at each other for a moment, then back to us. ¡°You have to admit, it¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°My client does not have to admit anything. You have been accusing him of illegal actions without enough evidence and he does not need to take such an affront. He came to this interview willingly and without any warrants, thus he is free to leave. Let¡¯s go Jake.¡± Robert started to stand up, but he was an older fellow, so it wasn¡¯t a quick endeavor.

    With that, we left. Mum was waiting for us outside in the carpark. ¡°Jake! Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Mum.¡± I said and hugged her.

    ¡°Thank you, Robert.¡± Mum said and hugged him too.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, but Jake¡­ they are not just going to let this go.¡±

 Book 2- Part 9

    ¡°Wait, I may be confused. You were punished for¡­ what exactly?¡± Suma asked. It was morning now, and I had gone back to Atmosia pretty early in the morning to talk with Suma about what happened. I was sitting on a vine chair in our squad¡¯s room, and she was perched on a metal bar nearby.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t punished, I was just questioned, but if they can prove I did something, which I didn¡¯t, then I will be arrested. They think I was money laundering, or hiding taxes maybe; really, I was a bit lost during the whole thing.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Why do they not simply¡­ oh, right. For a moment, I forgot your people cannot do magic.¡± Suma shook her head and ruffled her feathers like she was chastising herself for forgetting. ¡°Jake, how do people in your world investigate crimes without Memory Magic? Do people often get punished for crimes they did not commit?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, but it isn¡¯t all that common where I live. On my world, we have people who trained for years before they are allowed to become detectives. They learn how to tell when people are lying, how to find people who are trying not to be found, and how to interpret evidence they find at crime scenes.¡±

    ¡°I suppose this bears consideration, but what do we do if you are arrested by your people?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I doubt that will happen. I didn¡¯t actually commit any crimes, at least, none that I know of. Hopefully this will blow over in a few days.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Are you not worried?¡± Suma tilted her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯ve never had something like this happen to me before. Well, except for the noble thing last year, but nothing like this has happened to me on my world anyway.¡±

    ¡°But should we not have a plan, even if only as a precaution?¡±

    ¡°Look, I really¡­. I just don¡¯t wanna think about it okay. If something does happen, you can just summon me and that will be that.¡± I sighed, feeling that churning in my stomach return.

    ¡°I know that you do not, but we need to nonetheless.¡± Suma pressed the issue, ignoring my discomfort.

    ¡°My lawyer says he can handle it, and that I should try to go about everything like normal for now.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps if we summoned one of the investigators you mentioned to Atmosia, they would understand?¡± Suma suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe. I did think about that, but I¡¯m worried about the larger repercussions.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡±

    ¡°I may have mentioned this before, but my country has a habit of¡­ well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s probably better if the governments of the world don¡¯t learn of Atmosia.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, I think you said something like that before. Anyway, if we cannot summon someone here, I suppose that means we have no choice but to leave it to your layer.¡±

    ¡°Lawyer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that.¡±

    ¡°Does Atmosia not have people who memorize the law and represent others in court?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It may, but Ambos does not. If someone goes before a judge or council, they have already undergone several Memory Delves and interrogations. There is no way an innocent Neame would still be under investigations after all of that.¡±

    After our talk ended, Suma sent me back home so I could rest. I didn¡¯t sleep last night and was exhausted. I fell face down on my bed with a thump and was out in just a few minutes. I didn¡¯t dream; instead, it was just like closing my eyes and opening them again, but a lot of time passed between it. I guess I was too stressed to dream. I woke up just in time to grab a snack before Suma summoned me for daily training. Now that I was able to participate, I was getting a lot of good experience. After that was my magic classes. I had been practicing my activation speed. I was standing in a room on base, it was mostly made of gray stone, and the instructor who had been teaching me was perched on some vines about two meters away to my right. He was guiding me through a magic activation exercise.

    ¡°You are doing much better now, Jake.¡± He said. ¡°I would say your activation speed is on the level of¡­ a standard Neame child.¡± In truth, my spell activation speed is a lot faster, but I was learning a technique that merged my original style with what I learned at bootcamp. It was supposed to help me maintain power while still being able to activate spells quickly. That¡¯s why I was so slow.

    ¡°I almost can¡¯t believe children can do it. It¡¯s taken me weeks just to get this far.¡±

    ¡°It comes more natural for Neame, I suppose. While not every child will grow up to use magic regularly, we are all taught at least some.¡± He raised his wings and cast a spell that formed a few targets from some of the vines scattered around the ground. ¡°Try using what you¡¯ve learned and cast a nature spell.¡± I nodded my head and started.

    ¡°Vines.¡± I said and the vines rose from the ground. I was imagining moving the cellular structure at first, but realized I was over thinking it and settled for just picturing them moving.

    ¡°Great, now use them to attack the targets.¡± He said. I imagined them moving like bullwhips and one by one they cracked and popped, leaving huge gashes on them, and the targets alike.

    ¡°How was that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It was great. You even used a lashing technique. Have you seen it done somewhere before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, kinda.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is good. I was worried it would take a while to teach you that.¡± He flew up and landed beside the now ripped targets to examine them. ¡°You have improved quite a bit since you first started, in the basics at least.¡±

    ¡°I always heard that the basics were the most important part.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Especially where magic is concerned.¡± I stopped looking at the vines and turned to me. ¡°All in all, I would say you are about three times as fast at activation as you used to be.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve gotten stronger?¡±

    ¡°No, just faster. I might get scared if you got any stronger.¡± He chuckled for a second. ¡°A spell¡¯s strength can come from improving the basics, but the amount of mana one possesses and uses has more to do with it. If you have gotten stronger over the last few weeks, it would not be by much.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I said, nodding.

    ¡°But your magic control is far above what it was when we first met, so you should be proud of that.¡± I¡¯ll admit, that made me smile a little. ¡°Now, let¡¯s shift your training. You need to learn how to manipulate your mana with more precision.¡±

    ¡°Is that different from my normal magic control training?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Imagine it more like the next flutter in your flight. It is simply a higher level of what you have learned so far. Practicing it will give you greater control over your spells¡¯ effects, as well as make you less likely to break runes or magic channels.¡±

    ¡°Alright, what do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°We will start with mana molding, similar to the exercises you have been doing so far, but this time I want you to do them on a smaller scale.¡± He fluttered down onto the ground beside me. ¡°I will demonstrate.¡± An aura of light green magic surrounded him, then slowly moved down to the tips of his feathers. After all of it was gathered, the magic started to slide off his wingtips, like water floating aimlessly around in a spaceship. It bubbled up and twisted on itself like a snake until it finally calmed down into a ball, then it began to shrink until it was no larger than a marble.

    ¡°Cool.¡± I said, impressed. It was super neat to watch. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done something like that before, but it didn¡¯t look nearly that intricate.¡±

    ¡°That is not surprising, this training method was originally developed by children.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is one rumor I have heard anyway. Apparently, a few gifted children created the technique to help them with their magic classes many years ago, and some of the adults started doing it after the children improved a remarkable amount quite quickly.¡±

    ¡°By kids, for kids, huh? Good for them.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Anyway, it is your turn.¡± My instructor said and returned to his perch, letting the magical marble dissipate. The first part was pretty straightforward, and was similar to the body enhancement spell I learned during boot camp from Suma. Manipulating the magic afterwards was a bit harder. I managed to do it, but it took me way longer than my instructor.

    ¡°How was that?¡± I asked, still concentrating on keeping the little marble still and between my hands.

    ¡°Very good, now just one hundred more times.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± He nodded his head. ¡°I know you said that this could be useful for my runes and improving my control, but I feel like I have pretty good control of my spells already. Is there anything else it can do?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you feel like this practice technique may not be worth your time then?¡± He asked, sound rather smug, like he knew something I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± I said, unsure.

    ¡°From what I heard of your bout with your Lieutenant, you nearly killed her several times because you lacked the necessary control.¡± He said.

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°One hundred more times.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes sir.¡±

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°I see, so Sentinel is under investigation¡­ this is inconvenient.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I was wondering, would it be possible to secure the room on base Jake was originally offered?¡± I asked.

    ¡°So he wants to start living here then? I have no issues with getting him his own room. He is rather large after all. When did he come to this decision?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Actually ma¡¯am, he does not know I am asking about this. I was simply wondering if it was possible. I plan to bring it up with him later, if you would be willing to accept.¡± I explained. She stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly in thought.

    ¡°Suma, I know your relationship with your familiar is a¡­ strange one, compared to most, so I feel as though you should get his consent first. I certainly would not want one of my friends making major decisions for my life without my consultation.¡± She pointed out.

    ¡°I know, and I will. I just wanted to know whether or not asking for it would be pointless. I feel fairly confident that I could convince him to live here full time. In fact, until we joined the army, he spent most of his time on Atmosia anyway.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, if he accepts, I will make sure the room is secure, but only if he accepts. He may be a familiar, but it is clear he is no mindless servant or simple beast.¡± She looked at me seriously for a moment, as if she had a question. ¡°Private Suma, Jake is quite powerful.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I acknowledged.

    ¡°Far more so than you, correct?¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Without a doubt.¡± I nodded my head. Admittedly, it bothered me that Jake was so much stronger than I was, but I realized that my jealousness and envy was not due to his strength, but my annoyance with myself. I needed to get stronger, not to be better than Jake, but to be worthy of flying beside him.

    ¡°How were you able to¡­ no, actually, I do not want to know. If I do not know, then I can deny it.¡± With that, Lieutenant Datahu assured me once again that so long as Jake agreed, then he would have a place to live on base. I left and contacted Jake after his training classes. I summoned him to my room, and decided to have the conversation with him, then and there.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    My mum¡¯s house door squeaked as I pushed it open with my butt. My hands were too full at the moment, so we just put a towel between the door and the frame to prevent it from closing all the way. We¡¯ve been carrying boxes from my car for about ten minutes now, while movers put most of my stuff into her storage shed. The only things I am taking in is what I use regularly, like my computer and clothes. Suma and I talked, and we decided that it would be best if I moved to Atmosia full time for a while. At least until either the HMRC dropped their case against me, or until Suma and I left the Drake¡¯s training camp. At this point, I don¡¯t know which is more likely, but I doubt either will happen soon.

    Since I won¡¯t be living here full time anymore, I decided to get rid of my apartment, and legally move back in with Mum. She was fine with it since it was only a technicality, and I wouldn¡¯t be there that often, only to check in with her every few days. She wasn¡¯t thrilled about the idea of me living in Atmosia, or the idea of me leaving Earth in general I guess, but as long as I was being honest with her and keeping her in the loop, she supported me. Once every few days I will come back to check up on her, and to visit, and she would keep me informed about what the HMRC was doing. I also decided to transfer the bulk of my savings to her, since I couldn¡¯t use it in Atmosia anyway. Besides, I still have plenty of daljars full of mana, and gold coins, to spend there if I need anything.

    I sat the last of the brown carboard boxes in my room, and sat on the couch to rest. ¡°Jake,¡± Mum said from the kitchen, ¡°do you want any food before you go? The movers won¡¯t be done for another hour, so you have time.¡± Her house was small, and fairly old at this point, so I could hear her as clear as day through the thin walls.

    ¡°Sure Mum, what do you want? I can go pick something up.¡± I offered. I didn¡¯t bother yelling, but I did have to raise my voice a little.

    ¡°I have left over casserole from yesterday, does that sound good? It is sausage and rice.¡± She said, still yelling.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I answered. From outside, I heard someone shout out a curse followed by the sounds of something heavy hitting the ground. ¡°I hope that didn¡¯t break.¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°I¡¯m going to check that, Mum. Be right back.¡± I announced. I forced myself up from the couch and started outside.

    ¡°Okay, the food will be ready in a few minutes.¡± She said. As I left, I heard the phone start to ring, and my Mum answered it.

    I walked down her porch steps and saw one of the moving guy¡¯s left hand was covered in blood. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked the guy.

    ¡°Gah¡­ I gashed my hand.¡± He responded. He was cradling his hand. There was blood on the ground, and his arm, something must have cut him pretty deep. ¡°We were carrying the bedframe and I guess there was an exposed nail or something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s going to need stitches.¡± One of his coworkers told him, in one of the thickest Yorkshire scents I have ever heard.

    ¡°You might want to take him to the doctor. Don¡¯t worry about the rest of the stuff, you guys can finish it after.¡± I said. I looked over at the bedframe, it seemed fine, if a bit scratched up on the side that hit the ground. It was made of metal, so it was going to be fine.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll take him to a doctor, and call my boss to send someone else out to finish.¡± His coworker said. With that, the coworker wrapped a rag around the guy¡¯s bleeding hand, and they left. I was much stronger than I used to be, thanks to all the working out and then getting healed by Suma, so I dragged the bedframe to the shed and closed it up until their replacements arrived.

    I walked back inside. ¡°Mum, one of the movers left to go get some stitches. He gashed his hand open on my bedframe. They¡¯re going to send some replacements in a little while.¡±

    ¡°Jake, something happened.¡± Mum said nervously.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked. She looked really upset. Her face was white, like she was afraid.

    ¡°Robert called, he said that the HMRC have put out a warrant for your arrest.¡± Her hands were starting to shake.

    ¡°What?! Why?¡±

    ¡°They think you¡¯re trying to flee the country.¡± Mum said.

    ¡°Why do they think-¡± I started to ask, but then I realized that I sold my apartment, gave my mum all my money, and nobody can ever really get ahold of me. ¡°Actually, never mind. I think I figured it out.¡± Honestly, I was more surprised it took this long. Technically, they weren¡¯t wrong, I am moving to Atmosia¡­ but I did intend to sort all of this out, so¡­ moral grey area.

    ¡°He also said you should turn yourself in to clear everything up.¡± Mum added.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go up there right now and sort this out.¡± I walked into my room to grab my keys and phone.

    ¡°Do you want me to come?¡± Mum asked.

    ¡°Nah, but can you call Robert back and tell him to meet me at the police station?¡±

    The drive to the police station felt longer than it actually was. I was nervous, of course, but not as much as I was that first time. This time, I know I didn¡¯t technically do anything wrong¡­ at least not that they could prove. I pulled into the carpark and went inside. The station was busy, busier than last time. No one seemed to pay me any mind.

    (Yeah, I guess they don¡¯t expect wanted men to just walk in huh?) I thought to myself. I walked up to a police officer sitting behind a screen. He was on his computer, but looked up once I got closer. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Jake Vandal. I was told that I had a warrant placed for my arrest. My lawyer said I should come turn myself in to clear this up.¡±

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    The sky was clear above me, but I could see storm clouds in the distance. If it were day, I could tell which way they were moving, but it is too dark at this time of night. The air was cold too, which made flying harder. I was flying to my Captain¡¯s quarters; he had sent a messenger with orders that I report to him immediately. I was being escorted by the messenger, a Neame with even lighter blue feathers than my own, to the other side of the base. Once we got close, I saw it. From the air, it looked like just some stone outcropping, it blended into the landscape well, but the closer we got, the more I could tell it was molded stone. Its features were too smooth, and precise to be natural. The messenger and I landed outside. The entrance was dug out of the stone in such a way that you might miss it if you were flying, or did not know where to look. It was too small for most familiars to get through, but that was most likely by design; a way to force mages to use up their mana resummoning their familiars, and buy time as they did so.

    ¡°Captain Gigoales is waiting inside.¡± The messenger said, and he flew away. I flew in, and noticed it immediately got warmer. The Captain was perched on a metal pole, reading planks that were leaning against the wall of his quarters.

    He must have heard my wings beating; he turned around and greeted me. ¡°Ah, Private Suma, welcome. Thank you for coming so quickly.¡±

    I landed on a vine perch near to him, ¡°You are welcome, sir. May I ask why you summoned me so late at night?¡± My voice was tense. There cannot be very many good reasons to receive a summons from a commanding officer after hours, but I could certainly think of several bad reasons.

    ¡°It is about your familiar, Sentinel.¡±

    ¡°Did he do something, sir? He is still rather unfamiliar with our culture. If he has done something wrong, I will accept full responsibility." I declared immediately.

    ¡°No, no. He has done nothing wrong.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°But that does not mean my reason for summoning you here is a happy one.¡± That tense feeling returned. The Captain used mana wrapping to bring one of the planks he was reading when I arrived closer. ¡°Private Suma, can you read?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Only a little, sir. I chose Mathematics as my required secondary education while at the academy, but everyone had to take at least one runic languages class.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I see.¡± He turned the plank towards himself, and began explaining what it was. ¡°This is a request from the Royal Court, and it bears the King¡¯s Seal. They are ordering you, and your familiar, Sentinel, to appear before them. They want to talk to you both about his origins, and his magic.¡±

    ¡°Are we in trouble of some kind sir?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That may depend. I doubt you will be punished, if that is your only concern, but you may still face hardships while you are in the capital.¡±

    ¡°The capital?¡±

    ¡°Did you think the Royal Court would come here? You will have to travel to the capital. You leave in three days.¡± He placed the plank back down where it was; leaning against the wall. ¡°I will warn you; they likely also wish to know more than the request has mentioned. They may even demand Jake demonstrate his Death Magic for them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. Thank you, Captain.¡± I said.

    ¡°Private Suma. While you are in the capital, try not to let them requisition you or your familiar.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°They may try to talk you into working directly for them. Do not listen to them. Neither you nor Sentinel is ready for such things, no matter what those arrogant politicians may believe.¡± He ruffled his feathers, he seemed angry. ¡°If in a few years, you chose to leave the Drakes and join them, then so be it. But I do not recommend you do so at this time. Neither of you have enough experience yet. You would end up as nothing more than pawns in their games.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you, sir. I will inform Ja- Sentinel¡­ of this immediately.¡± Captain Gigoales dismissed me, and I flew back to my squad¡¯s barracks. As I flew, I looked back at the clouds in the distance, but it was still too dark to tell which way the storm was blowing.

    ¡°Jake, are you awake?¡± I called out to Jake over our private mental link.

    ¡°Suma, please don¡¯t summon me.¡± Jake answered quickly. It startled me.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m being arrested. If you do, then everyone will see.¡±

    ¡°What?! Why are you being arrested? Did you commit a crime?¡±

    ¡°No, but they think I was going to. I¡¯ll be let go soon; I just have to sort this out.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Okay. If you are sure, but I need to talk to you as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, not exactly. I just received a summons. I will explain once you are free to talk.¡±

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Detective Lin¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he turned himself in.¡± My partner, Detective Sargent Grayson Harewood, said. ¡°You think we jumped the gun on the warrant for his arrest?¡±

    ¡°No, even if he wasn¡¯t going to flee the country, it looked like he was. We made the right choice.¡± I told him. ¡°Which interrogation room is he in?¡±

    ¡°Room two.¡±

    At that moment, an officer named Matthew walked up carrying a stack of papers. ¡°Detective Lin, here is that financial report on the Vandal case you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Matthew. Anything interesting in it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you five quid it¡¯s mostly expenses for gym memberships. I mean, did you see the guy?¡± My partner joked.

    ¡°Actually, yeah. He does go to the gym, but that isn¡¯t the interesting part.¡± When Matthew said that Grayson was right, Grayson smirked like he had won something. ¡°The part you may want to take a look at is how often he has visited those gold for cash places. Specifically, the one closest to his house. He¡¯s been over thirty-seven times this year.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go talk to the shop owner when we get a chance. Thanks Matthew.¡± I said and took the paperwork from him.

    ¡°No need, I already did.¡± Matthew answered, proudly.

    ¡°You shooting for a promotion Matthew?¡± Grayson asked.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking my detective¡¯s test in a few weeks. I figured a little practical experience wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Matthew smiled.

    ¡°So, what did the shop owner say?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Apparently, Vandal has sold him more gold than anyone this year, and all of it was gold coins, but he stopped a few weeks or so ago, maybe a few months ago.¡± Matthew said.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he in the hospital for a while not too long ago? Maybe he stumbled onto some kinda treasure and hurt himself getting it out?¡± Grayson sat back in his chair and started to theorize. ¡°How long ago was his hospital visit, and his last trip to the gold place?¡±

    ¡°The hospital records were sealed; we¡¯re still waiting on a court order for them to be unsealed.¡± I told him.

    ¡°The owner of the store says Vandal¡¯s last visit was about three to five months ago, but he couldn¡¯t remember exactly. I asked him to email me any paperwork he found about it.¡± Matthew explained.

    ¡°Thanks, let us know if anything comes of it.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sure. See you later, I gotta get back to patrols.¡± Matthew said, and walked away.

    ¡°So, do we think he is trying to flee the country?¡± Grayson wondered aloud.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But here is a better question, where did he get all that gold?¡± I said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go ask him, then?¡± Grayson stood up and collected several of the documents before putting them into his desk. ¡°So, do you wanna question him, or me?¡±

    We started walking to where Vandal was and I told him, ¡°You can do it. I want to watch.¡± A minute later, Grayson was in the interrogation room with Vandal, and I was in the observation room next door; watching everything through one-way glass.

    Vandal and his lawyer were sitting at a metal table, handcuffed and looking bored when Grayson walked into the room. ¡°Jake Vandal. So, tell me, why turn yourself in?¡± Grayson asked.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t do anything. I just came to clear up this mess.¡± Vandal said.

    ¡°My client has done nothing illegal, and yet you issued a warrant against him without proper cause.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, you left your flat, emptied out your bank account, and changed your legal residence to your mother¡¯s house. You were planning on going on the run, weren¡¯t you?¡± Vandal¡¯s Lawyer side eyed him, like he was hearing this all for the first time.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s why I came in. I wasn¡¯t going to do anything.¡± Vandal denied.

    ¡°So why move? Why get rid of all your money?¡±

    ¡°Be-because¡­ I only put the money into my Mum¡¯s account. And I moved in with her because my dad died, and she has been really lonely. Plus, with all the legal trouble and my health, it just made sense.¡± Vandal said. But he stumbled over his words, like he was trying to think. He was lying, and he wasn¡¯t very good at it.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll answer a few more questions then. Where did you get all those gold coins from?¡± Grayson asked. Vandal looked shocked, like we had caught onto something he didn¡¯t think we would know about.

    ¡°I don¡¯t- uh. I just.¡± He stuttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Jake. You don¡¯t have to answer any more of these questions. My client complied with an unjust warrant and turned himself in to the police to clear up this confusion. Now that you have seen that he has no intention to break the law, we demand that he be released immediately.¡± The lawyer interrupted. Grayson was silent, he and I both know we don¡¯t have enough to hold him, not since he turned himself in willingly. No jury would be on our side for this. I texted Grayson to end it for now. His phone buzzed and he looked at it.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go get the paperwork ready. Would you please follow me sir?¡± Grayson said to the lawyer. They got up and left Vandal alone in the room. I stood there watching.

    ¡°Suma, you there? I¡¯m about to leave the station.¡± He was talking to someone who wasn¡¯t there. I wondered if he had a phone on him we didn¡¯t know about. ¡°No wait! Not yet!¡± He started yelling. I didn¡¯t know what to think, what to do. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, because right in front of them¡­ Vandal disappeared and I stood there like a knot on a log, just trying to figure out what just happened. I was going to call Grayson, tell him that Vandal escaped... or something, but just a few seconds later he reappeared. He quickly glanced around the room, and sighed when he didn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Okay, no one saw. I think we¡¯re good. Just tell me what you wanted to like this.¡± He said. There was a pause, like he was listening to a response. ¡°Okay, and what does that mean?¡± Another pause. He was definitely talking to someone. ¡°The king, huh? Okay, is that good or bad?... Oh, yeah, I guess they would want to see it.¡±

    His conversation continued for another three minutes, and Grayson and His lawyer came in about fifteen minutes after that to let him go. I watched him walk out the door, looking uneasy. He got bad news, I think. I wonder which of the two of us looked more freaked out in that moment.

 Book 2- Part 10

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I sighed and signed some release paperwork from the precinct, which meant that I was finally able to be let out from holding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this happened to you, Jake.¡± Robert, my family¡¯s lawyer said and handed me my stuff. The officers had confiscated everything I had when they arrested me.

    ¡°It¡¯s annoying, but at least it¡¯s over.¡± I said and slide my jacket back on. It was absolutely freezing inside the cells, and they wouldn¡¯t give me any blankets because they ¡®didn¡¯t have enough to go around¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I guarantee you, I will make sure that the officers who put the warrant out will face the proper punishment.¡± Robert said as we left the building.

    ¡°Thanks Robert, but honestly, it may be more trouble than it¡¯s worth. I kinda get why they thought I was going to flee the country. I mean, I would¡¯ve put a warrant out for my arrest to if I was in their shoes.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Yeah. But you may be able to get compensation if we do file charges.¡± He said. I was going to ask how much, but decided against it.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Besides, I make plenty of money.¡±

    He looked upset and shook his head, ¡°Yeah, about that.¡± We arrived at my car and stopped. ¡°If I¡¯m going to defend you, I need to know where you got so much money, despite losing your job nearly a year and a half ago."

    "I sell paper now, and other stuff.¡± I told him.

    He took a deep breath and held it for a moment, ¡°Drugs?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t sell drugs.¡± He sighed, relieved.

    ¡°Then what? It must be something expensive to make so much money.¡±

    I smiled, and decided to tell him the truth. It¡¯s not like he would believe it anyway. ¡°I sell sheets of paper, and what is essentially a portion of my life force, to birds, and they pay me in gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Jake, please take this seriously.¡± He frowned, not finding it funny. I on the other hand was barely keeping it together. It was the first time I had ever told anyone what it was I actually did, without leaving out any details, and it just sounded so stupid. I was snickering as he rolled his eyes, probably thinking I was just having a laugh at my own joke.

    ¡°So is it some new age stuff then? Like healing crystals or something.¡±

    ¡°You could say that, yeah. But everything is totally legal, and I reported it all on my taxes.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s good, this whole situation would have been way worse if you hadn¡¯t.¡± He pushed his glasses up and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Alright, just¡­ can you bring me some of the stuff you sell so I can keep it, in case the police come with a warrant for it, and you drop of the face of the Earth again?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ that will be more difficult.¡± I said, suddenly no longer laughing. I could get him some paper, no problem, but I couldn¡¯t exactly just hand him a daljar full of mana.

    ¡°Why? You said it wasn¡¯t drugs.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t, but it is hard to explain. Plus, it is a pretty well guarded secret.¡±

    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t force you, but they¡¯re going to get a warrant for it eventually, I¡¯m just trying to get ahead of it.¡± I groaned, he was right. I hadn¡¯t even considered that they may want proof of transactions. ¡°They may already be in the process of it right now.¡± Robert said. A stiff breeze blew past us and his tie started to flap around over his shoulder. He grabbed it and put it under his blazer, then buttoned it up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do if they do that. I can¡¯t give them anything.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t going to give you much of a choice. Failure to comply with a warrant will have you right back in those cells, and I won¡¯t be able to get you out this time.¡± He started to sound upset.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think of something.¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Something legal?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°Something that makes sense?¡± I remained quiet on that one. ¡°Great¡­¡±

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    With that, I got in my car and went home. It had only been a few hours, so I expected that maybe the moving job would be done, but they must have just arrived, because they were picking up the bed when I got there. ¡°Hey, you guys must be the new movers.¡± I greeted them.

    ¡°Yes sir. Sorry about the delay, we got here as fast as we could.¡± One of the new men said. There were only two, just like the last guys, but they were dressed in the same uniforms.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Is that guy okay? He was bleeding a lot.¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s getting stitches. The other guy is still filling out accident reports at the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, the shed should still be open, but if it isn¡¯t just knock and I¡¯ll unlock it.¡± I said and headed inside. In the house, Mum was cooking something.

    ¡°Oh, Jake. Are you okay? Did everything go well?¡± She asked as soon as she saw me. She was carrying a plate of sweets, which were still steaming.

    ¡°Yeah, everything went fine. Why are you making biscuits?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I decided to make the nice men outside some snacks.¡± She explained. I wasn¡¯t surprised, she once made a chocolate cake for a plumber that came to install her new shower a few years ago. My Mum¡¯s answer for having company of any kind was always to feed them.

    ¡°Okay, do you want me to take it out to them?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Yes please, that would be nice.¡± She said and handed me the tray. I took it out to them, explained why she made it, that she does this for everyone, and asked if they wanted me to put into their truck for them. They seemed surprised, but happy, and clicked their truck open with their key fob. I put the sweets away and went back inside to tell Mum what Suma had told me; that we needed to travel to go meet some Royal Council.

    ¡°Mum, I have some news.¡± I said, walking back into the kitchen.

    ¡°Did they not like the biscuits?¡± She asked, worried.

    ¡°What? No, no, they liked them. It¡¯s not about that.¡± She was at the sink, cleaning the dishes she had gotten dirty when baking.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She turned back to the sink and resumed cleaning.

    ¡°Suma told me that we received some kind of royal notice. We have to travel to see some kind of Royal Council.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Is that good?¡± She looked back at me, still wiping a dish with a rag.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she sounded nervous.¡± I grabbed a towel and started helping her dry the ones she had already cleaned.

    ¡°So not good then¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡± I sighed. ¡°But that¡¯s not all. Robert said that the police are probably going to get a warrant to go through my financials and they¡¯re going to want me to prove I haven¡¯t broken any laws and that all my money was acquired legally.¡±

    ¡°When it rains, it pours.¡±

    ¡°If worse comes to worse, I can just stay with Suma for a while. I mean, it won¡¯t be great, and I¡¯ll definitely be a fugitive, but you know¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we will figure this out. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want you to have to leave.¡± Mum said, her voice was breaking and she had stopped doing the dishes. I put the plate down and hugged her.

    ¡°I know, Mum.¡±

    Mum and I talked for a while, but eventually I called Suma and told her I was ready to come back. A few minutes later, she said she was about to summon me. I kissed Mum on the cheek and started to disappear. When my sight came back again, I was standing in the room that Captain Gigoales had given me, holding the twin sized mattress I bought.

    ¡°Ah, that explains why you were harder to summon this time.¡± Suma chirped, breathing heavy and looking tired. ¡°Is that your¡­ bed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, can you help me make a frame for it?¡± I asked, placing it on the ground.

    ¡°A frame? What do you mean?¡± She made a perch using one of the vines on the floor. Once she did that, I made a mental note to clean some of the vines up, or at least organize them a bit so I didn¡¯t trip over them at night.

    ¡°My bed needs to be a few feet off the ground.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh yes, I remember you told me once that you sleep elevated off of the floor.¡± I had a flashback to that one time when Suma summoned me from my bed, and I fell to the ground in front of her. That was probably what she was thinking about too.

    ¡°Yeah, can you help me make a frame?¡±

    ¡°I can help you if you need it, but you can manipulate the vines as well as I can now. It should not be a difficult task for you anymore.¡± She said.

    ¡°Yeah, I just think it will go faster is all.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± She said and started molding several vines.

    ¡°Just do on your side, what I do here.¡± She nodded and copied me. It didn¡¯t take us long. I didn¡¯t need anything fancy after all; just four legs and a few supports.

    ¡°Is this how you wanted it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this looks good.¡± I looked around the room, making the frame used most of the vines in the room, so that was one problem solved at least. The rest of the room felt empty. It was almost entirely made of molded stone, so it had an unnatural smoothness to it. The only non-stone parts were the vines on the floor, and some vines that made up my makeshift door. Originally, I was supposed to use magic to open a hole in the stone wall, but when I tried to, I accidentally turned the stone into a different color. I spent the next thirty minutes explaining to the Captain and the Lieutenant the differences between metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks, and how I imagined them during the spell. They were interested in the spell, and the explanation, but didn¡¯t want me to change the colors of the walls every time I got up to pee in the middle of the night. The vine door was added a day later.

    ¡°By the way, I told Mum about the council¡¯s summons.¡± I said.

    ¡°How was she?¡±

    ¡°Not happy, she is stressed out about everything that is happening.¡±

    ¡°That seems reasonable. I am rather surprised you are handling it so well.¡±

    ¡°Is that what it seems like? Because I¡¯m not. I think at this point I¡¯m just getting numb from it all. Or maybe it¡¯s just that I know I have an out here if I ever need it.¡± Suma nodded. I guess she understood. ¡°Suma, I¡¯m pretty tired. I think I¡¯m going to go ahead and go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Jake. Sleep well.¡± With that, she opened the vines, and left.

 Book 2- Part 11

    Have you ever heard the sound a log makes when it explodes into splinters? It starts with a bit of a creaking, then shifts into a tare, and finally it cracks like a quick bolt of lightning. Of course, it all happens in a split second, so unless you hear it multiple times, you aren¡¯t going to notice all of this. Halfway through our day¡¯s training, I must have heard it a hundred times.

    ¡°You need to predict where the targets will be, not shoot for where they are.¡± Lieutenant Datahu told me after I missed another shot. Yeah, I wasn¡¯t the one making the logs explode. Most of that was Odens; he was a crack shot as it turned out. We were firing spells at wooden dummies flying around in the air, each moving around quickly and seemingly randomly. The dummies looked like bird shaped dolls, but flew like real Neame. Their wings were wood, but had leaf-like feathers on the edges.

    Another of the dummies flew over our heads and the Lieutenant yelled for us to all fire. Some of them started their chants, others like Suma simply fired off simple fire spells, she didn¡¯t need to chant on her Crimson Bolt spell anymore, and I launched several of my railgun balls at it. We all missed, even Odens. We had been doing this same practice for six hours, and only three members of our team were still standing. It was me, Odens, and Suma, and both of them were looking shaky. Rou and Nine had already collapsed, one of them had thrown up, but I didn¡¯t see which. Lieutenant Datahu ordered us to fire again as another dummy flew overhead. Odens and I fired off our shots, but Suma fell over. She had managed to create a small flicker of a flame, but it went out just as she collapsed to.

    ¡°Uhnn.¡± She moaned.

    ¡°And that is another one down.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked her over our private connection. She didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Lieutenant, I think Suma fainted.¡± I shouted up at Lieutenant Datahu, who was safely perched above and behind us on a metal support beam. She flew down and landed beside Suma just as I walked up next to her. I picked Suma up in my hands carefully, and started flowing some of my mana into her. The first time this happened during training, I freaked out thinking she was hurt, but this was the sixth time now, so I knew what to do. She has over-extended herself and used too much mana trying to keep up with us.

    ¡°I admire her perseverance, but not her foolishness. She is the team healer, she doesn¡¯t need to push herself as hard during the battle exercises. A healer with no mana is a one-way journey to the Realm of the Dragons for the rest of the team.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    ¡°Uhnn... what happened?¡± Suma groaned and asked when she started waking up.

    ¡°You passed out again.¡± I told her. ¡°Don¡¯t use any healing for a while, I put my mana into you to wake you up.¡± She nodded her head, but didn¡¯t move beyond that. Her wings hung over the sides of my cupped hands, and her head was leaning on my fingers.

    The Lieutenant sighed, ¡°Alright team, training is over today. If anyone needs healing, go to the base¡¯s healing staff. Aside from that, go get some rest and replenish your mana. Dismissed.¡± With that, the Lieutenant flew off, leaving the team there. I felt fairly okay, a bit hungry, but fine otherwise. The rest of the team, however, were all in a similar state, if not worse, as Suma. Odens looked like he had just been kicked, and was about to fall over. He was swaying side to side, breathing heavily, and with dropping eyes. Rou was splayed out on the floor, face down, but eyes wide open as if he had just seen a ghost. His breathing was ragged and fast. Nine, who after looking closer I found out was the one who threw up, was laying on his side, one wing tucked in, and the other lying flat, like someone who fell asleep on their arm might pose. He was out cold too actually. Still holding Suma, I walked over to Nine and flowed some of my mana into him too. After a second, his eyes opened and he looked very confused.

    ¡°Did I pass out?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said.

    ¡°Am I dead?¡±

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    ¡°Nah. But don¡¯t use any magic for a while, okay. I gave you some of my mana to help you wake up. You might kill someone or something.¡± I told him. He just kind of groaned and laid his head back down before closing his eyes again.

    It took a while, but one by one they all woke up and were moving again, however reluctantly.

    ¡°I feel like I was mauled by a borog.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°Jake, is your mana supposed to make me feel¡­ tingly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jake¡¯s mana has that effect. It should pass once it is out of your body completely.¡± Suma answered Rou. ¡°It may also cause some feelings of nausea, try not to fly too high.¡±

    ¡°I was already nauseated; I won¡¯t be able to tell.¡±

    ¡°What am I, antibiotics?¡± I joked. No one laughed, either they didn¡¯t get it, or they were all too tired. Yeah, that¡¯s probably why. ¡°Anyway, I need to go to my magic classes.¡±

    ¡°How are you still moving, Jake? No, how do you still have mana?¡± Odens asked.

    ¡°Jake¡¯s mana reserves are enormous. He will be fine.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Have you ever had it measured?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°De ja vu.¡± I said quietly, feeling like I have had this conversation before.

    ¡°His life force is five-hundred Kelma and about sixty Dalma.¡± Suma said. There was a moment of silence.

    ¡°Sooooo, I going to go¡­¡± I said and started to walk away.

    ¡°How¡­ what?!¡± Someone shouted, but I didn¡¯t look back.

    ¡°Good luck with explaining that.¡± I said to Suma over our private channel, and went to my classes.

    After I got to class, late by the way, thanks to having to help everyone recover; the instructor had me do control and precision exercises for over an hour to make up for it.

    ¡°Jake,¡± The instructor said from his perch, as I was finishing the last of our session¡¯s training. ¡°I think this will be the last of our private sessions.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked, and stopped what I was doing. My mana dissipated into the air.

    ¡°You have as much control as an average Neame now, and you haven¡¯t made any more progress since reaching that point. No matter what method you use, or what technique you learn, you can¡¯t seem to improve beyond this point. I think it may be due to the fact that you are not a Neame, or maybe it has more to do with the sheer amount of mana at your disposal, but I do not think your control will improve any more than it is now.¡± He said.

    ¡°But, I need to keep up with the rest of my team.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I would argue that you are already as powerful, if not more so, than them, just due to your unique magic and own raw power. I will inform your Captain, Lieutenant, and the Major of your progress myself.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to think, or how to feel. A part of me was glad I was done with the lessons, and that I had grown enough to not hold back my team, but I also wanted to keep them up, and learn as much as I could. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Jake, it truly was a pleasure having you as a student.¡± With that, my instructor spread his wings, and bowed slightly, before standing back up.

    After leaving the training room, I went to my team¡¯s quarters to tell them all the good news. I walked down the tall stone halls with vines seemingly everywhere and heard the sounds of laugher. I walked into the room and saw all the members of my team, each perched on vines, or metal, or even wood and stone pillars, talking.

    ¡°Oh, hello Jake.¡± Suma said when she saw me. One by one, the other all said hi to me as well. ¡°How was your training?¡±

    ¡°It was good. Actually, he said I was done.¡±

    ¡°He let you leave early? That¡¯s good.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°No, I mean like, done done. I don¡¯t need to attend them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Suma said, surprised. ¡°That is excellent. Congratulations, Jake.¡±

    ¡°Good work, Jake.¡± Nine said.

    ¡°What will you do with your newfound free time?¡± Rou, who was perched on a bundle of vines a few feet away from me, asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you guys normally do when I go to class?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We either eat, rest, or get medical attention.¡± Rou joked; Odens chuckled.

    ¡°He is joking, but he is not necessarily exaggerating.¡± Suma said. ¡°Perhaps you could use your new free time to explore the base.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really familiarize yourself with the surrounding.¡± Rou said. Apparently, puns exist across every world, and they are just as bad whether it comes from a human, or a bird wizard.

    "Bad jokes aside,¡± Odens interrupted, and Rou snickered at her own pun, ¡°it is a decent idea.¡±

    ¡°That will have to wait, we are leaving for the capital tomorrow.¡± Suma interjected. I sighed; I¡¯d nearly forgotten.

    ¡°Right¡­ well then, maybe you should go to sleep early tonight. You will be traveling for several days, correct?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°At least,¡± Odens answered. He was from the capital, and made the journey himself when he first came to the base. ¡°It took me four days.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but Suma isn¡¯t as slow as us.¡± Rou said. She and Odens traveled together; they had known each other for a long time.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Suma is the fastest member of the team, excluding the Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°How long will we be there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I do not know.¡± Suma answered. ¡°It could be days, or weeks. It will depend on how long the Royal Court wishes to question us.¡± I shook my head. This was not going to be fun.

 Book 2- Part 12

    Suma and I parted ways for a few days while she traveled, but I told her to summon me immediately if she needs anything. She has called me at least once a day, via our telepathic connection, to fill me in on where she is and what¡¯s happening. On her first day, she stopped by a small village, on the second, she and her traveling companions camped on a mountainside. She said it would probably be another two days before she arrived. Right now, I was out doing errands for Mum, who was feeling under the weather today and couldn¡¯t do them herself. She had given me a list of things to do: get groceries, put gas in her car, take food donations to a local homeless shelter, and send off a package. I was about halfway done so far.

    ¡°Did you get the groceries?¡± Mum asked. We were talking on the phone after I called to check on her.

    ¡°Not yet, but I dropped off the food at the shelter and put gas in the car already.¡± I told her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Tired. Could you stop and pick me up some Benadryl?¡±

    ¡°Sure, anything else?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all. Thank you.¡± The Pharmacy wasn¡¯t far, just around the corner, so I stopped there next. It was a small neighborhood pharmacy, so street parking was nonexistent. I walked five blocks from a nearby carpark before arriving. I got what I needed, then got some of her favorite sweets while I was at it, then started walking back to Mum¡¯s car.

    I wasn¡¯t really watching where I was going, but out of the corner of my eye as I turned a corner, I noticed someone familiar. It was one of those detectives who put a warrant out for me last week; the female one, Detective Lin. Upon deciding I didn¡¯t want to stop and catch up, I went out of my way to speed up my pace and even crossed the street to avoid her. I glanced back after a minute, and she was still there, matching my pace. She was wearing a hood, and trying to blend into a crowd, but I had already noticed her. After a minute, she crossed the street too. I started to panic, trying to work out if she was going to arrest me again. I stopped, deciding it would be better if she caught up with me. (Maybe she just has a few questions.) I reasoned in my head. And then she did something scary, she stopped too. She even ducked behind a corner. (Okay, she¡¯s following me!) I thought.

    With that, I picked up my walking pace again. Well, it was more of a sprint now. (Cops don¡¯t follow you for good reasons. Why is she following me?) And then I had a very scary thought. (Does she know? I disappeared in that room, was someone watching? Crap!) I ducked into a back alley and hid behind two rubbish bins. I thanked my lucky stars they had already been emptied.

    I thought about summoning Aegis, or Mori, or even destiny, but realized I didn¡¯t want to get caught with illegal weapons by a police officer with a grudge. (Realistically, she probably isn¡¯t going to try and hurt me, or else she would have done it by now. Who knows how long she was following me.) I thought. A moment later, I heard footsteps approaching, and then a voice.

    ¡°Dang. Did he see me?¡± She said. My heart was thumping in my ear, and sweat was pouring down my back. Instinctively, I clenched my hand tighter, half expecting there to be a hilt in it. I wasn¡¯t holding my breath, but it felt like I was. For a second, I worried I might give myself away by breathing too hard. I heard a phone start to ring, and my body clenched in surprise. ¡°Hello.¡± The detective said, answering the phone. ¡°I¡¯m just around the corner, I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes... Okay, see you then.¡± After that, I heard the footsteps walking away. I stayed crouched behind those rubbish bins for another ten minutes, or at least that¡¯s how long it felt like, before checking to see if the coast was clear.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Just in case she was waiting outside the alley, I decided to take the fire-escape up the building, then went all the way to the top, and went around to the other side. I even had to summon what little mana I could muster to boost my strength and jump high enough to reach the fire-escape¡¯s ladder. Once I was sure that I was safe, and safely back on the street. I called my Mum and told her to go stay with a friend tonight. When she asked why, I told her what happened, and she told me to call Robert and file a complaint with the police department. After I hung up with her, I started walking back to my car, and called Robert, my lawyer.

    ¡°Hello, this is Robert Watterson.¡± He answered.

    ¡°Robert, this is Jake Vandal.¡±

    He sighed, ¡°What happened this time?¡± A part of me cringed, because I knew I was probably his most troublesome client.

    ¡°I caught one of those detectives following me around.¡±

    ¡°What did they want?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but when I stopped to let her catch up with me, she ducked behind a corner. And when I crossed the street and started walking faster, she followed me again. She even followed me into an alleyway. I hid there until I was sure she was gone.¡±

    ¡°Okay, do you have any proof?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no. I don¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. By now, I was about to arrive at my car.

    ¡°Without proof, we can¡¯t do much. The best we can do is file a complaint with the police for harassment. We may have a case for that, considering what happened with the warrant.¡±

    ¡°Okay, how do we do that?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow at about noon, come to my office, and we will drive there together to file the complaint.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but Jake¡­ if this is going to stick, we¡¯ll need proof.¡±

    With that, I got into my Mum¡¯s car, and hung up. I drove home, gave Mum her medicine, apologized for not picking up the groceries or shipping the package, and then drove her to a friend¡¯s house for the night. I slept at the friend¡¯s house too, on the couch. I didn¡¯t sleep well that night; I was too preoccupied thinking about what happened, what will happen, and what might happen. I think I only got about five hours of sleep, so I was pretty tired. I even locked myself in the bathroom and asked Suma to summon me just so that I could get my energy back. The summoning process heals wounds, and restores energy, so it helped me out a lot. Suma was in some forest somewhere, which was too bad, because I kinda wanted to see another Neame town that wasn¡¯t an army camp or base.

    Noon rolled around, and Mum, who was feeling better, dropped me off at home to get my own car. I drove to Robert¡¯s office. ¡°Jake, glad you¡¯re here. Ready to go?¡± Robert asked when I walked into his office.

    ¡°Yup.¡± I nodded. We got into Robert¡¯s car, a black sedan, and drove to the police station together. It took about ten minutes to get there, and while we drove, he explained what would most likely happen.

    ¡°They will question you, filing complaints against a police officer is no small thing, so we will be there for at least an hour or maybe even two.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°And we probably won¡¯t get a chance to meet with the detective in question. You said it was Lin, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, are you ready?¡± The police station was in sight now.

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be.¡± I told him.

 Book 2- Part 13

    Fire¡­ everywhere. The sky was filled with screams. What¡¯s happening? I wondered, but no words came out of my mouth. There were Neame, a lot of them. They were flying around so quickly, some were even smashing into one another. What¡¯s going on? I tried to ask one of them. One of them, who was laying on the ground, looked up at me; he looked scared. His feathers were puffed up, and his eyes were wide. The glittering shine that most Neame have was almost completely gone from him.

    ¡°Please¡­ no.¡± He begged. Was he talking to me?

    Are you talking to me? I asked him, but once again, there were no words. But something did happen. His pale blue feathers turned black, and he fell flat on the ground; dead. What the-? I tried to yell, and move back, but my body wouldn¡¯t move, or rather, it was moving, but I wasn¡¯t in control. The screaming kept getting louder; everything was growing more chaotic with each passing second. Without warning, my head turned and I saw several Neame, each decorated with fine jewels and gold lace, but it was different from what I had seen on the nobles I knew. Their gold lace was more like strings, wrapped around their wings, like a spider¡¯s web. They darted around me, and there was a pain in my side. I didn¡¯t even see them do it, but they must have cast a spell. I wanted to see how bad the damage was, but I wasn¡¯t in control, so there was nothing I could do. Instead, my eyes tried keeping track of the Neame that were flying around me and attacking.

    ¡°You beast! Just die!¡± One of them shouted, but they were moving too quickly for me to see who it was. Before I knew what was happening, I had spun around in time to see a wall of fire consume me. It hurt, worse than anything I have ever experienced before, but my body, or whoever was in control of it, didn¡¯t even seem to care. The flames died down after a second, and I saw the Neame who cast the spell, perched on a nearby building, looking satisfied. I was still writing in pain, but after a moment, it started to fade, and the Neame¡¯s look of pride turned to terror. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± The Neame started to say, but as his sparkling feathers turned black, he fell quiet, and dropped off his perch dead.

    Stop, please stop. I begged. I wanted this nightmare to end. I didn¡¯t want to see this¡­ evil. If I¡¯d had control of my body, I would have been in tears, or throwing up. My body didn¡¯t listen to my begging, no matter how much I did it. It simply kept on its rampage, never bothering to block attacks, or even dodge them. It simply took them, endured the pain, and then the pain went away. It killed and killed for what felt like hours, and I was forced to watch it all happen. It didn¡¯t stop with just the Neame, it killed the animals, the plants, even the insects on the ground. Only once the entire town and everything in it was gone, did my body finally stop, and the world begin to fade away.

    Why¡­ why was I¡­ why do this to me!? I screamed. With the nightmare over, I felt like I was floating in an endless void. There was nothing to my left, or my right; not up or down. There was just darkness. I wanted there to be something, anything. Normally when this happens, he shows up, but not this time. This time, I was jerked awake, back in my mum¡¯s house; lying in bed. My eyes popped open, and I immediately rolled off the side of the bed. I was throwing up and crying before I knew what was happening. My whole body drenched in sweat, and I couldn¡¯t stop shaking.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I sobbed.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    The sun was beating down on us all day, we had to keep stopping to rest in the shade because it was so hot. Even high in the sky the temperature was unbearable. The breeze, while flying, helped, but not so much that we could bare it for longer than an hour at a time. ¡°If we don¡¯t pick up the pace, we won¡¯t arrive at the capital on time.¡± One of the Neame I was traveling with said; it was one of the Lieutenants. There were ten of us; one guide, six privates, two Lieutenants from other squads, and one Captain. Among the group, only two of us had names, myself included. The other Neame with a name was the Captain in charge of our voyage, Captain Razoen.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t rest, this heat could kill one of us.¡± Our guide said.

    ¡°Is it normally this hot near the capital?¡± One of the privates asked.

    ¡°No, this is strange; especially for this time of year.¡± The guide replied.

    ¡°Lady Suma, how are you holding up?¡± One of the privates asked. I was the only healer in the travel group, so everyone was going at my pace.

    ¡°I am well, though quite warm.¡± I said. We were currently in a small stream, drinking and cooling off. One of the privates used magic to create shade by molding the ground into a small shelter.

    ¡°Then we will rest a bit longer, before continuing our journey.¡± The guide said. We were all sitting in the water, it was moving, but unfortunately it was warmer than I would have liked. ¡°If everyone is okay with it, traveling at night would be easier.¡±

    ¡°Is it safe to fly in this area at night?¡± Captain Razoen asked.

    ¡°In this area, yes. There are no native species here that can fly, and the dangerous ones wouldn¡¯t be active in this heat.¡± The guide replied.

    ¡°Then we will travel at night.¡± The Captain turned to the rest of us, ¡°everyone, get some rest, we will be traveling tonight, so sleep while you have the chance.¡± With that, I settled deeper into the stream, and let the waters cool off my feathers. I took a moment to look out at the scenery. I had never been this far east before, and so this entire area was new to me. It was a desolate wasteland of sand and rocks. In the entire previous day of our journey, I had not seen a single plant or animal. When I asked what this place was called, the guide told me it was known as The Evil Sands. I watched the desert for a while. The heat made the sand shimmer and distort the area, and occasionally the winds would sweep through to cause small dust storms, but that was the extent of it.

    The stream itself was fairly nice, but not so much that I could have fallen asleep in it. For that, I went and rested under the shelter. Once everyone was inside, the entrance was sealed shut, and we all went to sleep.

    Hours later, we were awoken by the guide, who said that night had fallen. We all got up, ate, and took to the skies again. The moon was out, but it was not full tonight, so we simply kept in a tight formation and made do with what little light it produced, and the glimmer of our besmears.

    At night, the heat was not an issue, but the cold was quickly becoming one. ¡°Why did the weather change so drastically?¡± I asked the guide.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal for this area, but the cold is usually worse this time of year. We seem to be having a heat wave, be glad for that. We wouldn¡¯t be able to travel at night if the temperature were normal.¡±

    ¡°How cold does it normally get here?¡± One of the privates asked.

    ¡°Cold enough to kill in the winter, and hot enough to turn sand into glass in the summer. This area is very dangerous. There is no vegetation to hide under or perch on, and the only way to keep warm because of that is to use fire magic all night.¡±

    (The heat is the reason we must travel at night, and that same heat is the only reason the cold is not killing us¡­) I thought.

    ¡°Is that why there are no animals here?¡± Another of the privates asked.

    ¡°There are a few species in the area. They are nocturnal in the summer, but not in the winter.¡± The guide said.

    ¡°I have not seen any vegetation since entering this desert, what do they eat?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Each other.¡±

    ¡°What a happy conversation this turned into.¡± One of the Lieutenants said.

    The night passed, and we did not need to stop for the rest of the journey. The Sun started to rise just in time for us to see the capital of Ambos peak over the horizon. ¡°There it is everyone, not much longer now.¡± Our guide announced. When he said that, I remembered something important. The capital city does not have a set name, it changes with the current ruler¡¯s name. Traditionally, it would be his name first, followed by the country¡¯s name, but there have been instances in which the country¡¯s name came first.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What is his majesty¡¯s, that is¡­ the King¡¯s, name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Queen actually. King Ompet died last year; his daughter inherited the crown. Her name is Ompera, and the capital¡¯s name has been placed before her name, at her request.¡± Captain Razoen explained.

    (Ambos-Ompera.) I thought. ¡°How large is the capital?¡±

    ¡°You mentioned you are from Zach-Ahshem, right Lady Suma? It is about twice the size of that city in terms of occupied land, and it has at least three times the population.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Is Zach-Ahshem a large city? I¡¯ve never been.¡± One of the privates wondered.

    ¡°It is, we even have a Grand Sanctum.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Alright everyone, prepare to land, and summon your documentation; we need to register our arrival.¡± The guide said, and started flying towards a large dome like building outside of the walls of the city. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    He dived down, and we all followed suit. The dome¡¯s top had several holes built into it, and we entered through one. Landing on the ground, I noticed we were surrounded by several other Neame, some of which were mounted on very large familiars.

    ¡°State your business.¡± One of the Neame said.

    ¡°We are here to enter Ambos-Ompera. We have our documentation here.¡± We all summoned our individual permits and notices. Several of the Neame glanced at one another, and then flew off their familiars¡¯ saddles to land in front of us. They each began examining our documents, and confirming the different seals that marked them.

    The capital is not like any other city in Ambos, not even nobles are allowed to enter it without permission. Only permanent residents are allowed to enter and exit with relative ease. The capital is the cultural, religious, and political center of Ambos, so its security is taken quite seriously.

    ¡°Your documents are in order, you may proceed.¡± One of the Neame said, and flew back to his familiar¡¯s saddle. The guide bowed, and we all left.

    ¡°Who were they?¡± One of the privates asked.

    ¡°Guards,¡± another of the privates replied.

    ¡°Obviously, but were they city guards, or something else?¡±

    ¡°Neither; we will still need to present our documents to the city¡¯s guards once we arrive at the walls.¡± The guide said.

    ¡°But then-¡±

    ¡°Those were Royal Court Mages.¡± The Captain said. ¡°They simply determine whether you are a threat to the royals. If they had decided that we posed a threat to her majesty, they would have killed us, then and there.¡±

    ¡°Well then, why do we still need to report to the city¡¯s guards if we have already been cleared?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Their job is not to worry about the dangers we may pose to the city, only the royal family. As far as they are concerned, we could burn down all of Ambos-Ompera; they would not even beat their wings to put out the flames. However, if they suspect we are threats to the Queen, we will die horrible deaths.¡±

    The rest of the journey after that was uncomfortably quiet. I suspect the lingering threat of being killed weighed on everyone¡¯s minds after the Captain¡¯s revelation. We arrived at the city without incident, I took in the sights of the city. From the top of the walls, I could see thousands of Neame below, all going about their business. The ground was filled with different types of structures. Some Neame flew through wooden buildings that greatly resembled the market district of Zach-Ahshem. Most of the buildings were uniform in size and shape, with little variation; predominantly large rectangular structures with a hole on one side. Other buildings seemed to have the same essential layout, but were made from twisted vines rather than stone. I also noticed that no one was flying higher than the walls of the city, and was later informed by the city guards that it was a crime to do so.

    The Lieutenants led the privates to their separate responsibilities, while Captain Razoen and I made our way to her majesty¡¯s castle. It was easy to see from the air; it was the tallest building by far. It looked like a tree made of interwoven stone and vines. The top bottom of the castle was even reinforced with metal beams that wrapped around its base like a web. It was an impressive sight, and so I decided to summon Jake and show him.

    ¡°Jake, I have arrived at the Capital. It is a very strange place. Do you want to see?¡± I asked Jake over our private connection. There was no response. Upon realizing he was most likely asleep, I started praying to the dragons that the royals or the royal court did not want to see him yet.

    The Captain and I arrived at the tree-like castle. Once we were closer, I was able to see the beams that wrapped around the castle¡¯s base in greater detail. In reality, they were cages built around the only entrances, acting as a simple barrier to block large familiars from getting through. Inscribed on them were various runes, most likely their function would be to make the cage-like structure painful or even deadly to come into contact with, but we were too far to tell. We landed on the dirt just outside the cage structure, and several Neame wearing red-lace clips flew down from their perches on the sides of the castle.

    ¡°They are the city¡¯s guards. Show them respect, answer their questions clearly, and do not anger them.¡± Captain Razoen told me. The guards landed in front of us, and immediately summoned their familiars. Under them, appeared two hound like beasts, with long tusks. The beast¡¯s bodies were long and slender; one had dark grey fur, and the other¡¯s was brown. They were very intimidating creatures; they both stared at us, their gazes never leaving our bodies for even a moment.

    ¡°State your reason for business.¡± The Neame on the brown one demanded.

    ¡°I am Captain Razoen, and this is Private Suma. Our presences were requested by her majesty¡¯s Royal Court.¡±

    ¡°Present your documents.¡± The guard on the grey beast ordered. The Captain and I summoned our documentation and presented them to the guards, who reviewed them for several minutes. ¡°You may enter, but while inside, you will cast no spells, rites, or rituals unless ordered to by the Royal Court. You will not summon any familiars without prior authorization. While inside, you will be escorted by members of the Royal Mages. You will not attempt to leave their presence, nor will you go anywhere without their approval. Failure to follow these instructions may have fatal consequences. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°We do.¡± The Captain acknowledged. After hearing his instructions, I felt myself growing increasingly more nervous.

    ¡°Wait here for an escort.¡± They said, and then flew back to their perches. Their familiars stayed behind, and continued to watch us, until our escort arrived. A reddish-brown Neame with a Royal Mage¡¯s insignia on each of her wings, made of golden lace, landed; she told us to follow her. The cage¡¯s runes began to glow, and then we watched as the opening to the entrance twisted and reshaped itself until it was wide enough for us to fly through.

    The inside of the castle was impressive, a fortress taller than the citadel in my home city, and as wide as the base I have spent the last few months training in. But if the outside was a fortress, then the inside was a palace. The walls were still made of molded stone and vines, but interwoven with them were gemstones, as well as precious metals like silver and gold. Even the vines themselves were more ornate, having been dyed a verity of bright colors, mostly whites, purples, and reds. It was beautiful.

    We flew through the hallways of the castle, and landed outside of an entrance. The Court Mage began to explain what would happen. ¡°The Royal Court is convening inside at this moment. For some reason, her majesty has decided to preside over today¡¯s hearing. You will not address Queen Ompera unless she does so first. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. You have a moment before they request you, I suggest you use that time to calm yourself, or go over any information you wish to present to them.¡±

    ¡°We know what we are going to say, but thank you for the advice.¡± The Captain said. The mage nodded, and turned her attention to the room before us. ¡°Private Suma, you need to calm down.¡±

    ¡°Is it obvious?¡± I asked, nervously.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I will try to remain composed.¡±

    ¡°You know¡­ I was in your place once.¡± Captain Razoen said.

    ¡°You were once questioned because your familiar is one of the only beings alive capable of utilizing the most dangerous magic our world has ever seen?¡±

    ¡°Do not make jokes once we are being questioned.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°What I mean is, I was once questioned by the Royal Court as well.¡±

    ¡°About what sir?¡±

    ¡°It does not matter. What does matter, is how I got through it.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I stared at a single point, no matter what was said, or who was talking, all I did was stare at that single fixed point.¡±

    ¡°Did that work?¡±

    ¡°No, they thought I was crazy.¡±

    ¡°I do not see how that-¡±

    ¡°What I am trying to say is, just treat it like a conversation between yourself, and your squad Captain. Do not overthink it, because that is when you will go wrong.¡±

    ¡°They are ready for you.¡± The mage said.

    ¡°I¡­ thank you, sir.¡± I said. His advice did not make me feel any better, but it did take my mind off of the situation for a moment.

    We followed the mage into the room, and saw dozens of Neame, all perched in a crescent-moon shape focused on a single point. That point is where we landed. We were perched on two golden bars wrapped in vines, whereas the Royal Court were perched in a sloped manner, allowing me to see all of them. To the right of the room, being guarded by six mages and their familiars, all of which were as strong as or stronger than drakes and black serpents, was an ornately decorated Neame. She looked to be about my age, maybe a bit younger, and her eyes were transfixed on me.

    ¡°Are you Private Suma, from Count Thecoma Izabal¡¯s domain, master of the familiar called Sentinel?¡± One of the members of the court, a male Neame with a golden broach on his chest, asked.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°And have you been informed of the reason why you were brought here?¡±

    ¡°You wish to inquire about my familiar, and the nature of his magic.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, however those are not the only reasons for your appearance before us today.¡± The court member looked around the room for a moment. ¡°You have not summoned him yet?¡±

    ¡°I-I was told not to do so without express permission by the court.¡± I said. Captain Razoen was perched quietly by my side, but he was constantly looking back and forth between myself and the court member who was talking.

    The court member turned to the Queen, ¡°With you permission, Queen Ompera?¡± The young Queen gave a small nod. ¡°Private Suma, you may summon the familiar called, Sentinel.¡± The mages around the Queen all looked tense, their feathers puffed up, and their familiars started to show fangs, if they had them that is. I flew to the ground, and started the summoning. A magic circle formed on the ground below me, ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡±

 Book 2- Part 14

    As the magic circle faded, Jake slowly appeared. He was lying on the ground, and breathing very heavily. Due to our connection, Jake has the ability to sense my desires, and sometimes, even my emotions, but that is normally a one-way ability; however, there have been a few exceptions during extreme circumstances. Despite that, I have grown rather skilled in my ability to decipher how he is feeling. I could not tell why, but Jake was clearly distressed. He looked around the room, and summoned his armor and one of his weapons; the ones called Mori, and Aegis. ¡°Suma, what¡¯s going on?¡± He asked. His voice was ragged, and his breathing had not yet slowed down.

    ¡°Private Suma, get control over your familiar this instant, or we will use lethal force!¡± One of the guards surrounding the Queen demanded. Their familiars had already encircled her majesty, and were in threatening postures.

    ¡°Jake, calm down! This is the capital, and these are the members of the Royal Court. It is time for our meeting with them. Do you remember?¡± I said, trying to calm him down.

    ¡°Private Suma!¡± One of the guards yelled. Jake looked around for a moment, and then lowered his weapons. In a flash of light, they disappeared from his hands, as did the armor from his body.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jake said. He seemed shaken, the same way he did the day the wyvern attacked him. The Royal Mages around the Queen settled their familiars, but they all kept careful watch over Jake for the rest of the meeting.

    The room was tense, but the questioning from the council of the Royal Court continued. ¡°We were informed that your familiar was capable of speech, it seems this was true. Private Suma, we take it that this is the familiar known as Sentinel; the one capable of Chaos Magic?¡±

    ¡°He is.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Jake said. He had not yet looked directly at the council, only glanced towards, but had not yet turned and faced them completely after walking to my side.

    ¡°Sentinel, this court has several questions for you, some of which are regarding your unique magical attribute. While answering these questions, you will be truthful, not withholding any necessary information, and you will not cast any more spells without our direct permission. Do you understand?¡± The court member asked.

    ¡°I do.¡± Jake said, now sounding calmer, but I could still tell he was distressed.

    ¡°With the court¡¯s permission, I would like to take a moment to speak with my familiar.¡± I asked.

    ¡°For what purpose?¡±

    ¡°When he arrived, he was clearly distressed. I wish to make sure he is ready to answer the court¡¯s questions.¡± One by one, the members of the Royal Court¡¯s eyes began to glow faintly.

    ¡°Agreed. You may have three minutes.¡± The Court member said. I thanked the court, and Jake and I were escorted out of the room, and into the corridors. With us, came Captain Razoen.

    ¡°Private Suma, what happened in there? Why did your familiar react like that?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Jake, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Then explain your actions.¡± The Captain demanded.

    ¡°I overreacted; I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Jake, I apologize for not alerting you before I summoned you. I did try, but I could not get into contact with you.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was asleep. I was¡­ seeing one of Zachariah¡¯s memories.¡± When Jake said that, he seemed to be in pain, or extremely uneasy at the least.

    ¡°Was it important?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No¡­ maybe¡­ I don¡¯t-¡± Jake was cut off by Captain Razoen.

    ¡°I do not understand what the two of you are talking about, and I do not care to, but what I do care about is this: are you able to control yourself for the Court¡¯s questions?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Jake?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jake still looked unnerved, but I accepted it for the time being, and we reentered the courtroom. We took our places once more, and Jake continued to stand next to me.

    ¡°Are you ready to begin the questions?¡± The court member asked.

    ¡°We are.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sentinel, explain to us where you are from.¡±

    ¡°I am from a country called England, and my planet is called Earth. I was born and raised in the city of Manchester.¡±

    ¡°How long have you been the familiar of Private Suma?¡±

    ¡°Approximately two years; although we met years before that.¡± Jake spent several minutes explaining the original circumstances of our meeting, making sure to leave out my inability, and unwillingness, to cast any sort of mental domination rite or ritual on him.

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    ¡°It seems the two of you have quite an unusual history. Moving on to your abilities, we request that you demonstrate your magical attributes; specifically, your Death Magic. Bring out a test subject.¡± The court member said, and a large piece of Iggy fruit was brought out. When he said that, I immediately felt cold, and my stomach turned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My deepest apologies to the Royal Court, but I will not now, nor will I ever, use any Death Magic.¡± Jake denied.

    ¡°And why not?¡± The court member asked, sounding both surprised, and annoyed.

    ¡°Because I have seen what it can do, and I never want to see it again.¡±

    ¡°We must also deny your request.¡± One of the Queen¡¯s Royal Mages announced. ¡°It would mean far too great of a risk to her majesty¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I suppose that the wellbeing of Queen Ompera is something the Court failed to consider. Our deepest apologies, your highness.¡± The Queen nodded once, but did not speak. ¡°Sentinel, our records indicate that your specific attribute is the rare ¡®Inversion¡¯, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, with Queen Ompera¡¯s permission, we would like you to demonstrate that ability, and we will hold the discussion of your Death Magic for a later date.¡±

    ¡°We are still uncomfortable with-¡± The guards around the Queen tried to protest once again, but were stopped.

    ¡°Hold¡­¡± The Queen, for the first time, spoke. ¡°I too wish to see this ability. I grant you my permission.¡± The guard who protested looked annoyed, but kept silent.

    ¡°Sentinel, please demonstrate to us your ¡®Inversion¡¯ abilities.¡± The court member said.

    ¡°May I ask how?¡± Jake said.

    ¡°In a manner that poses no threat to the court, or the Queen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid my experience with my attribute is lacking.¡± Jake said, trying to sound formal. He was answering the court¡¯s questions the same way he spoke to the Major, or any other of our commanding officers. ¡°While I have used it in the past, I have never taken the time to experiment with all of its potential options.¡±

    ¡°You have not mastered your own attribute?¡± The court member sounded confused. I could understand why. To any normal mage, the mastery of your attribute was the most basic step when learning magic. Jake however, had not taken the standard path when cultivating his abilities.

    ¡°Sentinel¡¯s ¡®Inversion¡¯ abilities seem take effect on other¡¯s spells, rites, and rituals, not necessarily his own.¡± I interjected.

    ¡°I could summon-¡± Jake started to say, but the Royal Mages did not let him finish.

    ¡°No.¡± One of them said.

    ¡°¡­ I could¡­ invert a spell one of you cast?¡± He said hesitantly.

    The Royal Mages looked at one another, and spoke quietly amongst themselves, ¡°Agreed.¡± The one that denied Jake earlier, flew closer. ¡°If I cast a spell that produces a flame, what will happen to it?¡±

    ¡°In the past, rather than the flame being hot, it will be cold; it¡¯ll still look like a flame though.¡± Jake said. The mage nodded, and produced a flame. Jake then shrouded the flame and himself in a small cloud of mana, and kept it there. ¡°Throw it at me.¡± Jake said, surprising the mage. After a moment, the mage nodded, and launched the flame at Jake. Jake flinched, but did not move, and the fire impacted his body. Once the spell dispersed, everyone saw that Jake was unharmed. Jake crossed his arms and shivered, then the cloud of mana around him dissipated as well.

    ¡°Impressive.¡± The mage said.

    When I looked back at the Royal Court, I saw that all of their eyes were once again glowing. After the glow disappeared, the court member spoke, ¡°Private Suma, Sentinel, this court wishes to offer you a position working for the Royal Court.¡±

    ¡°May my familiar and I have a moment to talk about your offer?¡± I quickly asked.

    ¡°The court will issue a recess for a period of one day. We will reconvene tomorrow at noon. We await your decision.¡± With that, we were escorted out of the courtroom, and out of the castle itself as well.

    ¡°Well, that is not good.¡± Captain Razoen said.

    ¡°I know, they give me the creeps.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°You cannot accept their offer.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°I agree. Jake, I think you did the right thing denying their request for a demonstration of Death Magic. After what happened with the noble¡­ I do not blame you for never wanting to use it again.¡± When I said that, the pain returned to Jake¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Suma, I need to tell you about the memory I saw¡­¡±

    ¡°This is starting to feel like a conversation I do not want to be a part of. I will give the two of you some privacy.¡± The Captain said, and flew away. After he did, Jake spent the next few minutes explaining the horrors he experienced in Zachariah¡¯s memory.

    I was stunned, Jake told me about the dream, or rather memory, he witnessed. It must have been like something out of a nightmare. ¡°I¡­ I do not know what to say, Jake. I did not realize Zachariah was capable of such violence.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel real, honestly. Everything I¡¯ve seen and heard about him up till now¡­ it just doesn¡¯t match. But then again, he was a Viking warrior, and was no stranger to killing.¡± Jake was sitting on a log, and I was perched beside him; we were not far from the castle¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°I do not doubt you, or the dream itself, but I do agree with you, it simply does not make sense. Zachariah was Ambos¡¯s familiar, he could not have done something so horrible without his master¡¯s permission, and I doubt the hero mage who defeated the Chaos Dragon would have agreed to slaughter innocent civilians in masse.¡± I thought quietly for a moment, while Jake and I sat in silence. ¡°Even if he was a Viking, I feel as if some important detail is missing.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe, maybe not. It doesn¡¯t matter, it was a long time ago, right?¡± Jake sounded somber; he did not lift his head as he spoke. ¡°What matters is, I never want to see that ever again. I¡¯m never going to use magic like that; not for anyone or anything.¡±

    ¡°Jake, do you remember anything else from the memory?¡±

    Jake was quiet for a moment. ¡°Yeah, I think he was using runes.¡±

    ¡°Why do you believe that?¡±

    Jake turned and looked at me, his eyes looked tired. ¡°He kept healing himself. He would allow himself to become incredibly injured, and then the pain would just vanish. I never saw how it happened, but I guess he was doing the same thing I do; using runes to make up for his weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, confused. What Jake was saying could not have been possible.

    ¡°No, I guess there could¡¯ve been some other way.¡±

    ¡°I think perhaps there was. At that time, rune scrying was not nearly advanced enough to heal a mage of Zachariah¡¯s caliber during combat.¡± I explained. Runes as Jake knows them, were not developed until long after Zachariah¡¯s supposed death. ¡°Jake, you summarized the events of the memory for me, but could you please explain in greater detail everything you saw?¡±

    ¡°Suma, I don¡¯t really want to think about it anymore.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°I know Jake, but please. I feel as if we are missing something important.¡±

    ¡°No, Suma¡­ I just¡­ I just can¡¯t. Okay?¡± Jake said, his voice was barely a whisper.

    ¡°Okay Jake, never mind.¡± I said, after hearing his voice. I had not seen Jake like this in quite some time. ¡°I think it would be a good idea if you talked to Dr. Maxwell again. Will you please?¡± Jake did not reply, but he did nod his head that he agreed. I sent him home, and flew to the place that myself and the other members of my travel group were staying tonight.

 Book 2- Part 15

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I reappeared back in my Mum¡¯s house, in the room I had been staying in whenever I asked Suma to send me back to England. Because Suma was staying in another city at the moment, I had been here for a few nights, rather than my room at the base. At the moment, I was lying flat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I opened my phone and scrolled through the contacts until I saw Dr. Maxwell¡¯s name. I pushed it, and waited for her to answer.

    ¡°Hello.¡± She said.

    ¡°Hey Doc. It¡¯s Jake.¡±

    ¡°Hi Jake, how are you?¡± She asked. I stayed quiet for a moment; I honestly didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    ¡°Do you have any appointments available for today?¡±

    ¡°Do you need to come in right now?¡± She asked, concerned.

    ¡°I¡­ Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, come anytime, I¡¯ll stay late and send Veronica home.¡± I thanked her, and hung up, then drove to her office.

    It was about five in the evening at this point, and because it was winter, the sun was already starting to set as I pulled into the carpark of her office. Walking in, I noticed most of the lights had already been turned off, and the receptionist was already gone. I walked to her office and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Jake?¡± She called out.

    I opened the door, ¡°Yeah. Thanks for letting me come so late.¡± Dr. Maxwell was sitting in a chair across from the couch, reading a magazine.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. What¡¯s going on?¡± She said.

    I sat on the couch, ¡°Suma suggested that I should come see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that she is keeping your wellbeing in mind. Did something happen?¡± She asked, and put the magazine down.

    I sighed, ¡°yeah, sort of.¡± I spent a few minutes explaining what happened, and the dream, and I even started talking about the problems with the detective. It was like as soon as I started talking about what was going on, everything just started pouring out of me all at once. When I finally finished, I felt better, lighter even.

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    ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯d nearly forgotten how good it feels to come and talk with you. Thank you.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m always happy to listen, but if you don¡¯t mind, I do have a question.¡± Dr. Maxwell said. I nodded for her to go ahead. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to tell me more about this dream. Are you sure it was a memory, and not just that, a dream? I know you said that, in the past, you¡¯ve been worried about what will happen when you do eventually go to war, and how it might affect you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure it was a memory, and not just my imagination. Over the last two years, I¡¯ve had to get pretty good at telling the difference. But yeah, I guess I¡¯m still worried about that.¡±

    ¡°Jake, it¡¯s okay to not fight. Not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier. I¡¯m sure Suma would understand if you did ask to leave.¡± She said.

    ¡°I know she would, but I don¡¯t want to leave Suma alone¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t? Can you explain what you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m her familiar, and that¡¯s playing into it somehow, or maybe it¡¯s just because we are friends, but the thought of leaving her behind¡­ I just can¡¯t do it.¡± Dr. Maxwell nodded her head, and wrote something down in a notebook she had on the coffee table beside her chair. ¡°Do I sound crazy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No Jake. That makes sense to me.¡± She put the notebook back down.

    ¡°Thank you again for letting me come so late.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Besides, it¡¯s probably better to have these kinds of conversations alone.¡± She smiled. ¡°Do you want to make an appointment for next week while you are here?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and we set a time for another appointment, one in which she would go to Suma¡¯s world and talk with her too. After that, I drove home. Nearly three hours had passed since Suma sent me back to England, and night fell over an hour ago.

    ¡°Man,¡± I whispered to myself while driving, ¡°I sure let time get away from me in there.¡± Eventually, I arrived back home, and noticed something was off. There was a grey Sedan parked outside the neighbor¡¯s house. At first, I thought it was just that they had guests, but when I drove by, I saw someone in the passenger seat duck down. I couldn¡¯t see into the car, but I could guess who it was. ¡°That detective again.¡± I groaned. I thought about getting out of the car, and confronting her, but realized that was a bad idea. Instead, I pulled into my Mum¡¯s driveway, went inside, and called the cops. About a minute and a half after I hung up with 999, the Sedan drove away, and three minutes later, the police arrived. They took my statement, asked a few questions, and even talked to the neighbor¡¯s whose house the car was parked in front of. Apparently, a lady matching the detective¡¯s description and saying she was a police officer told them that she was posted here for a few nights to watch out for someone who was breaking into houses in the area. The police then stationed a patrol car outside my house for the night, in case she returned. After all was said and done, I called my lawyer, Robert, and told him what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, Jake. You made the right decision calling me.¡± Robert said after I explained what happened. ¡°She won¡¯t get away with blatant harassment like this. Trust me on that.¡±

 Book 2- Part 16

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I reappeared back in my Mum¡¯s house, in the room I had been staying in whenever I asked Suma to send me back to England. Because Suma was staying in another city at the moment, I had been here for a few nights, rather than my room at the base. At the moment, I was lying flat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I opened my phone and scrolled through the contacts until I saw Dr. Maxwell¡¯s name. I pushed it, and waited for her to answer.

    ¡°Hello.¡± She said.

    ¡°Hey Doc. It¡¯s Jake.¡±

    ¡°Hi Jake, how are you?¡± She asked. I stayed quiet for a moment; I honestly didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    ¡°Do you have any appointments available for today?¡±

    ¡°Do you need to come in right now?¡± She asked, concerned.

    ¡°I¡­ Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, come anytime, I¡¯ll stay late and send Veronica home.¡± I thanked her, and hung up, then drove to her office.

    It was about five in the evening at this point, and because it was winter, the sun was already starting to set as I pulled into the carpark of her office. Walking in, I noticed most of the lights had already been turned off, and the receptionist was already gone. I walked to her office and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Jake?¡± She called out.

    I opened the door, ¡°Yeah. Thanks for letting me come so late.¡± Dr. Maxwell was sitting in a chair across from the couch, reading a magazine.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. What¡¯s going on?¡± She said.

    I sat on the couch, ¡°Suma suggested that I should come see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that she is keeping your wellbeing in mind. Did something happen?¡± She asked, and put the magazine down.

    I sighed, ¡°yeah, sort of.¡± I spent a few minutes explaining what happened, and the dream, and I even started talking about the problems with the detective. It was like as soon as I started talking about what was going on, everything just started pouring out of me all at once. When I finally finished, I felt better, lighter even.

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    ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯d nearly forgotten how good it feels to come and talk with you. Thank you.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m always happy to listen, but if you don¡¯t mind, I do have a question.¡± Dr. Maxwell said. I nodded for her to go ahead. ¡°I¡¯d like for you to tell me more about this dream. Are you sure it was a memory, and not just that, a dream? I know you said that, in the past, you¡¯ve been worried about what will happen when you do eventually go to war, and how it might affect you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure it was a memory, and not just my imagination. Over the last two years, I¡¯ve had to get pretty good at telling the difference. But yeah, I guess I¡¯m still worried about that.¡±

    ¡°Jake, it¡¯s okay to not fight. Not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier. I¡¯m sure Suma would understand if you did ask to leave.¡± She said.

    ¡°I know she would, but I don¡¯t want to leave Suma alone¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t? Can you explain what you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m her familiar, and that¡¯s playing into it somehow, or maybe it¡¯s just because we are friends, but the thought of leaving her behind¡­ I just can¡¯t do it.¡± Dr. Maxwell nodded her head, and wrote something down in a notebook she had on the coffee table beside her chair. ¡°Do I sound crazy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No Jake. That makes sense to me.¡± She put the notebook back down.

    ¡°Thank you again for letting me come so late.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Besides, it¡¯s probably better to have these kinds of conversations alone.¡± She smiled. ¡°Do you want to make an appointment for next week while you are here?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and we set a time for another appointment, one in which she would go to Suma¡¯s world and talk with her too. After that, I drove home. Nearly three hours had passed since Suma sent me back to England, and night fell over an hour ago.

    ¡°Man,¡± I whispered to myself while driving, ¡°I sure let time get away from me in there.¡± Eventually, I arrived back home, and noticed something was off. There was a grey Sedan parked outside the neighbor¡¯s house. At first, I thought it was just that they had guests, but when I drove by, I saw someone in the passenger seat duck down. I couldn¡¯t see into the car, but I could guess who it was. ¡°That detective again.¡± I groaned. I thought about getting out of the car, and confronting her, but realized that was a bad idea. Instead, I pulled into my Mum¡¯s driveway, went inside, and called the cops. About a minute and a half after I hung up with 999, the Sedan drove away, and three minutes later, the police arrived. They took my statement, asked a few questions, and even talked to the neighbor¡¯s whose house the car was parked in front of. Apparently, a lady matching the detective¡¯s description and saying she was a police officer told them that she was posted here for a few nights to watch out for someone who was breaking into houses in the area. The police then stationed a patrol car outside my house for the night, in case she returned. After all was said and done, I called my lawyer, Robert, and told him what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, Jake. You made the right decision calling me.¡± Robert said after I explained what happened. ¡°She won¡¯t get away with blatant harassment like this. Trust me on that.¡±

 Book 2- Part 17

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I was flying through the air above the city of Ambos-Ompera, keeping well below the tops of the city¡¯s walls, searching for my traveling group. After spotting them near one of the city¡¯s gates, I landed beside them on the ground. ¡°Alright, now that Private Suma is here, our group is complete. It is time to go back to base. Fly in synchronization everyone.¡± The Captain said, and led us to the city gates to go through the city guard¡¯s check again. One by one, we showed them our orders, and were allowed to exit the city. I was the last to exit, and just before it was my turn, I noticed one of my companions, another private, regularly look behind our group. I looked around as well but did not know what he was looking at.

    After we had all made it through, we flew in a tight formation to the desert and met with our guide once more. Following the guide, we flew for two hours through the desert. I noticed the private talking to the Captain at the front of our formation, but I could not hear what they were saying. Eventually, I saw the private look behind him again. Once more, I searched for what he was looking at, and this time I saw it; a large group of twenty or thirty Neame.

    ¡°Land.¡± The Captain ordered, and dived to the sand below. We all followed him and landed in the desert as well. ¡°We are being followed.¡±

    ¡°I noticed them watching us in the city.¡± The private said.

    ¡°They are most likely bandits. Everyone, take battle positions! Create barriers, and summon your familiars!¡± The Captain ordered, and began his own summoning spell. Before I realized what he said, the Captain¡¯s salamander was already beside him, and preparing itself for battle. I was about to summon Jake when one of the others, a Lieutenant, made an announcement.

    ¡°Hold! Captain, it looks like those Neame following us are court mages.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Confirming¡­¡± The Lieutenant said, and cast a spell. His eyes shimmered a dull yellow for a moment. ¡°Confirmed sir. They¡¯re court mages.¡±

    ¡°Hold everyone, we do not want to start a fight with court mages. Let¡¯s see what they want.¡± We all waited tensely as the mages drew closer. Within moments, they were close enough to see, even without a spell to improve eyesight.

    ¡°Sir! One of the mages is-¡± The Lieutenant did not finish his sentence, because from the direction of the mages, a bolt of flame tore through his body, killing him. What was left of him fell to the ground, and caught fire.

    ¡°Counterattack!¡± The Captain ordered, and launched a bolt of lightning towards the attacking mages. ¡°Summon your familiars!¡±

    ¡°I summon you!¡±

    ¡°I summon you!¡±

    ¡°I summon you!¡± One by one each of my companions called their familiars, while I was left in shock of what was happening. ¡°Lady Suma!¡± One of the privates, who had just summoned his own familiar, said and raised a wall of stone between us and the attackers. ¡°You need to- AHHH!¡± An attacking mage had flown over the private¡¯s hastily built wall, and launched an attack from above. It tore the private¡¯s wing from his body, and he crumpled to the sand screaming in agony.

    ¡°Healing!¡± I said, getting myself orientated and quickly tried to stop his bleeding. The wound slowly closed, but his wing was never going to be able to be reattached now. Not that it mattered anyway, as it was currently burning to cinders in the sands nearby.

    ¡°Lady Suma, your familiar! Summon him!¡± The private yelled, still in pain.

    ¡°Y-yes! I-I summon you, Sentinel!¡± Normally, summoning Jake is more difficult than summoning anything else. Perhaps it is due to him coming from a different world, or because his world has no magic; I never knew the answer. However, this time summoning him felt as if I were trying to uproot a tree with mana molding; it was like he was stuck. In the end though, I watched as he appeared, and for a moment, I was relieved. But as soon as he appeared, I knew something was wrong.

    ¡°Finally.¡± Jake said, and took a deep breath. He stood motionless, eerily calm even, as the sounds of death echoed around him.

    ¡°The target has arrived; focus your attacks on it!¡± One of the attacking court mages shouted. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, three of the mages began flying around Jake, and attacking him relentlessly. Summoning him had taken all my strength, so I was too weak to move or help him. I was forced to watch as attack after attack pummeled Jake¡¯s body; ripping his flesh away each time. The first attack took off a large section of his face, revealing the bones underneath. The next ones were aimed at his body, and burned holes through his stomach and ribs. The final attack was an explosion that threw his body through the air, and against the stone wall that was meant to protect us. As he slammed into the wall, I heard the terrible sounds of breaking bones.

    ¡°NOOOO!¡± I screamed.

    ¡°The Viking is dead, clean up the rest and-¡± One of the attackers said, but was interrupted.

    ¡°Hahahaha! Very good! I see the court mages of this era haven¡¯t lost their spirit!¡± Jake said from the ground. Without warning, his body was surrounded in a mass of mana, colored blue and purple. With several loud pops, his broken limbs realigned themselves, and with a sickening squelch, the flesh on his body regrew and once again covered his bones. Jake slowly stood up, his garments ripped and covered in burns and his blood, and smiled. The mana around his body began to swirl and twist violently, like a funnel cloud. ¡°I don¡¯t have long, so I think I will enjoy myself.¡± He raised one hand to the three mages who had attacked him. ¡°Rot¡­¡± He said simply.

    ¡°How is he¡­ what is?¡± One of the attackers tried to say, but his feathers suddenly turned brown, then black. His beak corroded, and his feet curled in on themselves. His body began to bloat, until the Neame fell to the ground. His terrified allies all looked on in horror, before they suffered the same fate.

    ¡°Jake?!¡± I yelled, horrified, and not knowing what to say. ¡°That- that was Death Magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and so is this.¡± He answered, and turned to the next nearest court mage. The mage tried to fly away, to escape, but failed. ¡°Starve.¡± Jake said, and the Neame shriveled up, and fell to the ground. He was barely more than bones and feathers mere seconds after hitting the ground.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± One of the remaining Neame ordered, and what was left of the attacker all started to fly towards the capital. There were only three of them left, now that Jake had slaughtered the rest.

    Still smiling in that same sickening twisted way, Jake cast one final spell. ¡°They are your enemy.¡± At first, nothing seemed to happen, but as the three court mages retreated, one slowly started to fall behind. Without warning, the mage cast a spell that engulfed all three of them in a cloud of lightning. I imagine they were dead before they hit the ground, but if they were not, they were afterward. The cloud of mana around Jake stopped spinning, and dissipated.

    ¡°Jake¡­ what have you done?¡± I asked, looking up at Jake.

    ¡°My name, little Neame, is Deyja.¡± Jake, or Deyja, raised one hand in front of him, and a black flame ignited above his hand. It was so turbulent, and hot, that I could feel it even though I was several wingspans away. It was so hot, even the skin on his hands was blistering as he generated it. He raised it above his head; he was going to throw it at me.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    (I¡¯m going to die.) I thought, terrified.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± Deyja screamed, and a red magic circle appeared on his shoulder. It was the magic circle that appeared when Jake became my familiar, and it was spreading across Deyja¡¯s body, burning him as it did. However, for some reason, the burns healed as soon as they appeared. A moment later, the circle disappeared, and Deyja was left breathing heavily, and angerly examining himself. ¡°A familiar¡¯s curse?¡± He turned to me. ¡°Oh, you must be Suma; I should¡¯ve guessed.¡±

    ¡°Who are you? Where is Jake?!¡± I demanded.

    ¡°Shhh, he¡¯s slee-¡± Suddenly, Deyja seemed very upset. ¡°That¡¯s not- I have more time!¡± He clutched his head, and mumbled to himself. ¡°YOU! NO! NOOO!¡± With that, I felt a summoning activate on Jake¡¯s body, but I was not the one performed the spell, despite being able to sense it as if I were, and Jake vanished. This time, the summoning felt normal again.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± A voice behind me asked, startling me; it was Captain Razoen.

    We were left alone in that desert, surrounded by the bodies of our murdered comrades. After a far too brief count of who had survived, we discovered that only four of us remained; myself, Captain Razoen, one Lieutenant, and the private whose wing had been¡­ removed in the attack. I was still in shock, but while everyone began discussing what to do, I was treating the private to the best of my ability.

    ¡°What happened, why were we attacked?¡± The now anxious Lieutenant asked.

    ¡°Are we sure they were court mages?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Yes sir, they were wearing the symbols of the court, and they were certainly powerful enough.¡± The Lieutenant answered. I saw the Captain glance at me for a moment, but I was too distracted with the dying private, and my own thoughts, to think about why.

    ¡°Captain, this private needs a full team of healers, not one. He will likely not survive if he does not get proper treatment.¡± I said.

    ¡°We will carry him back to the capital.¡± The Captain answered.

    ¡°Captain, are we sure that¡¯s wise? What if more mages-¡± The Lieutenant interjected, but the Captain cut him off.

    ¡°Those mages, whomever they were, attacked us in the wasteland, after waiting for us to leave the city. They will not risk attacking us in a major population.¡±

    ¡°How do you know, sir?¡± I asked.

    Captain Razoen looked at me, ¡°I do not, but that Neame needs healing, and you cannot do it alone. We have no choice.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure he will survive, even if we do take him to the city, Captain.¡± I said. I looked down at the private, who was covered in his own blood. Where his wing was once attached now existed only a bloody stump, scarred over by healing magic and burnt feathers. The glow from the private¡¯s besmears was nearly completely gone. ¡°If I had not started healing him¡­ if I had waited even a moment longer¡­¡±

    ¡°You did well, Private Suma. Your familiar saved us. I will have to give him my thanks.¡± The Captain said.

    (Jake?) I thought. (No, that was not Jake.) I decided not to bring up what had actually happened; not yet. After wrapping the wounded private in their mana, the Captain and Lieutenant carried him back to the city. I flew closely to him and monitored his wound, occasionally casting healing spells as needed. The private was of course light enough that only one of them actually needed to carry him, but in order to keep his body as stable as possible, both worked together. We flew quickly, but carefully, and we all watched the skies for any more mages that may have survived, or simply been waiting. Eventually, we landed in front of the guard¡¯s station, and one of them flew over to us.

    ¡°What happened to this Neame?¡± The guard asked.

    ¡°I am Captain Razoen, and this is my Lieutenant, and these two are privates. Our squad was attacked. This Neame needs the immediate attention of healers.¡± Upon hearing the Captain¡¯s brief explanation, the guard¡¯s eyes glowed yellow, and a magic circle formed on the ground around him. I felt my feathers stand up, but nothing happened. A moment later, the guard¡¯s spell was over.

    ¡°The healers are on their way. Explain what happened. Do you know who attacked you?¡±

    ¡°We were attacked by mages bearing the symbol of the Royal Court. They killed several members of our group in the desert.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Court Mages? What? Why would they attack you?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. We were their invited guests just yesterday.¡±

    ¡°How did you escape?¡± The guard asked. At that same time, three Neame landed beside the private, whom I was still treating, and cast several spells on him. While four other guards landed beside the first who was already interrogating us. Some of the guards cast mana wrapping spells around the private, and prepared to carry him off with the healers.

    ¡°We will take it from here.¡± One of them said. I fluttered back, and out of their way.

    ¡°We did not escape. We summoned our familiars and fought them off. They retreated, but I saw one of them cast a spell as they flew away that killed all of their survivors, and himself.¡±

    ¡°Killed themselves? Why?¡± The guard asked.

    ¡°I believe,¡± Captain Razoen glanced at me, ¡°that a spell was cast on them that effected their minds; making them turn on each other.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who cast the spell?¡±

    ¡°It was one of our familiars.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The guard said. ¡°You all will need to follow me, so we can confirm your story.¡±

    The guard led the three of us to a local station, a large structure formed from molded stone and reinforced with sculpted trees. It was half buried into the side of the city¡¯s wall; a well defended location. Admittedly, I became nervous at the thought of going into the station. Even to the point that the Captain took notice.

    ¡°It will be fine. The city guards are not under the supervision of the council. They are controlled directly by the Royal Mages, and a local judge.¡± He reassured me.

    ¡°I¡­ yes. I am sorry, Captain.¡± I said. We were led into a room, and a single guard joined us, along with two mages, one of which introduced herself as a memory delver. Immediately, I was struck with a sense of familiarity, and I realized I had been in this situation before, one and a half years ago, when Jake and I were attacked by those nobles.

    First the Captain and Lieutenant were questioned by the memory delver and the guard; while the second mage cast a spell that linked the three of their minds together. He asked them both the same questions, and both the delver and the guard seemed to agree that neither was lying. Finally, it was my turn. The mage cast her spell on me, and the guard began asking his questions.

    ¡°How did the attack begin?¡± He asked.

    ¡°One of the Lieutenants saw mages in the distance, and then they attacked us.¡± I said.

    ¡°How many attackers were there?¡±

    ¡°Many, twenty or more. Everything happened so fast, it all became a blur during the chaos.¡±

    ¡°After you summoned your familiar, the one who drove off the attackers, what did you do?¡± During the Captain¡¯s and Lieutenant¡¯s questioning, they had discussed ¡°Jake¡¯s¡± actions.

    ¡°The private¡­ he lost his wing; I cast a healing spell on him.¡± I said. The three looked at one another, most likely talking privately through their connection. They seemed confused.

    ¡°Your familiar, you are conflicted about him. Why?¡± The guard asked.

    ¡°I- he was not¡­¡± I looked away for a moment, and towards the Captain. The memory delver seemed concerned, and soon that demeanor was shared by the other two as well. ¡°I do not believe the thing I summoned was Jake.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°It looked like Jake, it sounded like him, but it did not act like him.¡± I said, nearly singing. After everything, I was only barely able to hold myself together. My breathing was ragged, and I can only imagine how I must have appeared. It took some time after the battle, but I eventually noticed I was covered in the private¡¯s blood, and sand from the desert.

    ¡°The image of your familiar, and what you saw in the battle are conflicted within your mind, Private Suma. At the very least you believe what you are saying.¡± The guard said. ¡°Please think about the events you witnessed.¡±

    I thought about how I watched ¡°Jake¡± cast those spells, mutilate those mages, and eventually try to turn on me. ¡°The familiar¡¯s curse stopped him from turning on you.¡± The memory delver spoke for the first time since she introduced herself.

    ¡°Yes. I do not know what it was that I summoned, but Jake would never try to harm me, and he would never use Death Magic to kill people.¡± I said, and the image of that noble in the alley way appeared in my mind.

    ¡°You have had an experience with Death Magic; it still haunts you.¡± The guard said, after a moment of silence. Suddenly, the mage maintaining the memory delve ended the spell. ¡°We have all the information we need. Your group was attacked by mages, apparently from the Royal Council, and you defended yourselves. That much is clear.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I assume the city guards will pursue the proper course of action and get my fallen soldiers the justice they deserve?¡± Captain Razoen asked, intensely. As if he were asking if the guards would not simply forget about this to prevent themselves from entering the poor graces of the council.

    ¡°I assure you, we will investigate this matter fully, however it seems that since everyone who attacked you was slain, that may end up a more difficult task that you or I may wish.¡± The guard turned to me. ¡°However, Death Magic, in all its forms, is illegal by royal decree. Private Suma, you will need to remain here for a while longer. Until a decision can be made on whether the actions of your familiar violate the decree.¡±

 Book 2- Part 18

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    My head felt like it was going to explode, and then I heard Suma¡äs voice, and the pain stopped. I expected to appear beside Suma, but instead something bad happened; my body disappeared, but I stayed behind in that black void.

    ¡°Jake.¡± A voice from the darkness said. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I asked, which was weird because I didn¡¯t have a mouth at the moment. Without a sound, the image of a flaming man slowly appeared in front of me, like an ember that kept getting bigger. It was the flaming figure again, but he was different this time; he was missing his reptilian half.

    ¡°My name is Zachariah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a friend.¡± He moved closer to me, and wrapped his hands around where my head was.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, what¡¯s happening?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°Why did you attack me again, where is my body?¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t get angry, or even scared, despite this being a pretty good excuse to be both.

    ¡°I did not attack you¡­ well, I sort of did. Your body is in Atmeria, your master¡¯s world.¡±

    ¡°You mean Atmosia?¡±

    ¡°Is that what they¡¯re calling it now? It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ what does matter is that Deyja is in your body, and is trying to keep it that way.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Deyja?¡±

    ¡°Focus, your master is in trouble.¡± He said urgently, but for some reason, I still couldn¡¯t get upset.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll focus.¡±

    ¡°If what I think is going to happen, happens, then we will only have an instant to get you back into your body.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to try to kill Suma.¡± He said, the flames that make up his mouth lowered into a frown. Like one of those theater masks with really exaggerated features. Actually, speaking of features, he didn¡¯t have many. He had a standard human shape, although it was made of  flames, two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, but it all moved around, like I was trying to look through fire.

    ¡°I would prefer if he didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Focus Jake, when he tries to kill Suma, the familiar¡¯s curse will activate. It will give us just a moment to pull your body back here, and put you back inside it.¡±

    ¡°How do we do that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to invert your summoning.¡±

    ¡°How do I do that?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t learned? But I gave you all those memories! Everything you needed to learn should have been in there!¡± He yelled, and his face started to look angry.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen most of them. They made me sick, too. Why did you do that?¡±

    He groaned, ¡°Alright, fine. I will invert your magic for you, but you still need to perform the summoning.¡±

    ¡°But, I can¡¯t summon Suma.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to summon her, you need to summon yourself to her.¡±

    ¡°How do I do that?¡± When I asked that, his head lowered slightly, and his face looked sad.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be stuck in here forever¡­ you have weapons, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen the red thread?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good! When I tell you, picture the red thread that connects you and your master, and imagine the half of it that connects to you drawing closer to her.¡±

    ¡°And that will summon me to Suma?¡±

    ¡°It would, but I¡¯m going to invert it. That will draw your body back here.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°Then you need to go back into your body, and I¡¯ll send you home.¡±

    ¡°And he won¡¯t be able to do this again?¡±

    ¡°No, he will try again the next time you come through this place.¡± He shook his head.

    ¡°Then how do I prevent this from happening again?¡± I wondered, confused.

    ¡°By never crossing the boundary between worlds again. If you do, you will unleash Deyja again, and he will not make the same mistake twice.¡±

    ¡°So, I can never see Suma again?¡± I asked, still unable to feel sad, but I knew this was going to make me feel very sad later.

    ¡°I could send you to live with your master, or I could send- Jake, It¡¯s time! Do it now!¡± He shouted. The image of the thread came into my mind, I saw it stretched between myself, and Suma. Connecting at the center of our heads. I pictured that thread going taunt, and my half drawing closer to Suma. Then I felt a power flowing around me, and the thread turned blue. My body appeared next to me, and it was screaming.

    ¡°NOO! NOOO! How?!¡± Zachariah reached into my body, and pulled from my chest the flaming figure of a flaming western-style dragon. He wrestled it for a moment, before the two rejoined together, and formed the familiar image of the figure in flame that I knew before. Its body twisted in onto itself as I moved closer to my body, and like a blink, I was back inside it somehow.

    ¡°Go¡­ JAKE!¡± The figure said, and reached out with a human hand, pointing at me. ¡°And never¡­ RETURN!¡±

    Darkness surrounded me again, and Zachariah¡¯s voice faded away. When I opened my eyes, I wasn¡¯t at home, but I wasn¡¯t with Suma either. I was lying in the desert, surrounded by dead Neame.

    Looking around at all of them, I started to feel nauseous. I quickly picked myself up off the ground and ran away from the carnage. After making it about twenty feet however, I was suddenly wracked with exhaustion and soreness. My face was back in the sand before I knew what happened. ¡°Suma¡­ Suma, are you there?¡± I said, weakly.

    ¡°Jake! Is that you? The real you?¡± She said over our private connection.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯m in a desert, and everyone¡¯s dead...¡±

    ¡°You are still in the wasteland, but I saw you disappear? Do you remember what happened?¡±

    ¡°The dragon, he took my body. Oh my- did he¡­ did I?¡± Looking back at the bodies, my stomach tightened, and I suddenly threw up.

    ¡°Jake, are you okay?¡± Suma shouted.

    ¡°No¡­ can you summon me. I really don¡¯t want to be here.¡± I said, looking away from the dead Neame, but still too weak to move. I was lying on my back, looking up at the bright pink sky with dull orange clouds hanging above me.

    ¡°I do not think that is a good idea at the moment. Do you really not know what happened?¡± She asked, sounding very worried.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at the bodies again, but they still appeared in my mind nonetheless. ¡°Did I¡­ he¡­ kill those people?¡±

    ¡°Most of them, yes. Jake, tell me what you know.¡±

    I spent the next few minutes collecting myself, and telling Suma what happened from my point of view. After that, she told me what the dragon did with my body. She did not go into much detail, but she didn¡¯t have to; I¡¯d gotten a pretty good look at the aftermath. That dragon, Deyja, was brutal¡­

    ¡°Can you get me out of here now? There is something wrong with my body. It¡¯s as if I just went through ten rounds of your healing followed by ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer.¡±

    ¡°I still do not think that is a good idea. Jake, the city guards want you arrested. Do you feel as if you need medical treatment? If so, I will summon you immediately.¡±

    At that moment, I felt lightheaded, and despite remaining motionless, everything started to spin. I heard distorted voices, like they were underwater, but were slowly surfacing and growing clearer. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­. I don¡¯t feel¡­¡±

    ¡°Jake? Jake!¡± Suma shouted. With that, everything went dark. I expected to pass out, but instead, for a moment, it felt like I was waking up. My eyes opened, and I looked around. The only thing was, I wasn¡¯t the one who opened them, and I wasn¡¯t the one looking around. After what just happened, I started to panic, thinking maybe that the dragon had taken control of my body again, but it didn¡¯t feel anything like that. Instead, it felt more like I was dreaming.

    (I¡¯m hallucinating again? Now?) I thought. Emotions and thoughts started flowing like a river, as if I was the one actually thinking them, expect I knew it wasn¡¯t me. It was a memory of some kind. (I¡¯m going to get such a sunburn.) I thought. I would have shaken my head, but I didn¡¯t have one at the moment.

    The memory started with darkness, like a summoning spell. When my eyesight came back, there was a bird standing on the ground looking up at me. ¡°Did he say how long he would be?¡± The person, who was probably Zachariah, asked the Neame.

    ¡°He will arrive shortly. I do ask that you be on your best behavior. This is not like our meetings with the Royal Court, or even the King. Ahshem is a close friend of mine, and a very important figure to the dragons. Please be courteous.¡± The Neame, who was probably Ambos, said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be nice.¡± Probably Zachariah said.

    ¡°Thank you. Did your experiments with magic on your world go well?¡± Probably Ambos asked.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t work there. At least not like it does here.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps if you improve your skill with it here, it will become easier there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; maybe.¡± Probably Zachariah¡¯s head turned to the side, and he looked around for a moment after hearing an odd noise. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Hear what?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like someone shaking a cloak out.¡± Probably Ambos looked around for a moment, then nodded his head while looking off into the horizon.

    ¡°Ah yes, here he comes now. He should not be much longer.¡±

    ¡°I guess that is your people¡¯s amazing sight?¡±

    ¡°As strong as your magic is Zachariah, I still do not understand how a species could possibly get by with such poor eyesight.¡±

    (Zachariah¡­ I knew it.) I thought.

    ¡°Axes and bows.¡± Zachariah answered mockingly. Less than a minute later, the source of the strange noise became visible. It was two dragons¡­ and the noise was one of their wingbeats. They were both massive, but one was colossal, a dozen times larger than the horse sized drake I fought. It was an eastern style dragon with a serpent-like body, long whiskers that made up a kind of beard shape, four legs with claws at the end, kinda like a cat, and a row of short fins down its back. I don¡¯t know how it was flying, probably magic, because it actually didn¡¯t have any wings.

    The smaller one was about two thirds the size of the bigger one and was a stereotypical western style dragon. It had four legs, huge wings, a long neck, a horned head, and a long tail. It looked more bestial in nature, whereas the larger one looked more refined.

    ¡°By Valhalla!¡± Zachariah said once he realized how huge they were.

    (Dang, that¡¯s big!) I thought, just as amazed as he was. When the two dragons landed, the winged one kicked up a dust storm and landed with a thud, while the wingless one slowly spiraled down until it landed fairly gently.

    "Greetings, Ahshem, and greetings to you as well, Deyja." The Neame said.

    ¡°Hello Ambos. It is good to see you again. And you must be Zachariah. I have heard so much about you from Ambos.¡± The larger eastern style dragon said, and lowered his massive head down closer to us.

    ¡°Good greetings, Ahshem. It is a pleasure to meet the both of you.¡± Zachariah said.

    ¡°I did not realize Deyja would be joining us today, but another dragon is always welcome.¡± Ambos said.

    The smaller western dragon did not lower his head down to Ambos¡¯s or Zachariah¡¯s level, but he did speak. "I was told your familiar had an impressive amount of negative Aether. I was intrigued, and asked Ahshem for permission to join him today.¡± Deyja was watching me, or Zachariah, very closely. His voice was raspy, and shrill. It was definitely not what I expected to come out of such a powerful looking body.

    ¡°Aye, I do. But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve got no talent for it.¡± Zachariah said.

    Deyja cocked his head, and lowered it down closer towards Zachariah. ¡°Talent is overrated. I have always preferred skill gained through¡­ practical application. You are the only other being I have met with the ability to use Negative Aether. My name is Deyja. It is a pleasure to meet you¡­¡±

    Without warning, the area around me in the dream shifted like a heat-haze over pavement, and I became aware of the passage of time. I somehow knew nearly a year had passed, maybe longer. Now we were in a colosseum of sorts, and Deyja¡¯s darkly-scaled head hung over and behind me; watching as Zachariah performed a spell. A small purple fire formed on the ground in front of Zachariah as the two looked on.

    ¡°You are improving. Your speed increases with each lesson, but let us see if it was successful.¡± Deyja said, and formed a ball of water with his own magic. He floated it into the fire, left it for a moment, then slowly brought it out. I expected it to be smaller, but instead it had grown in size, and was completely frozen solid. ¡°Excellent work, I¡¯d say you¡¯ve mastered this technique. Your understanding of Negative Aether is impressive for only studying it for a single year, and it only took you a matter of months to learn the inversion method unique to negative mages.¡±

    ¡°A student is only as good as his teacher; thank you, Deyja.¡± Zachariah said. Deyja dropped the ball of ice to the ground, shattering it to pieces. The purple flames that Zachariah had been controlling slowly died down turning a normal orange and yellow, until finally snuffing itself out.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Zachariah, may I ask you a question?¡± Deyja asked, laying on the ground in front of Zachariah. In a way, he looked like a lion on the savannah in some old documentary or Disney movie. Despite laying down, his head still towered over me, or Zachariah technically.

    ¡°What weighs on your mind?¡± Zachariah asked, looking up at the dragon¡¯s head.

    ¡°What is your opinion of Ahshem?¡±

    ¡°He reminds me of my Jarl, Sten. He was the leader of my people, Clan Hrafn Bj?rn.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°He is a dragon of heavy words, and mighty ideals, but not one of swift action.¡±

    Deyja nodded his head. ¡°I find myself agreeing with that.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t ask me because you wanted to hear my opinion.¡± Zachariah said, putting his hands on his axe hilts, which hung on his hips.

    ¡°Did I not?¡± Deyja said, cocking his head.

    ¡°No, you asked me because you wanted to tell me our opinion of him.¡±

    Deyja chuckled, ¡°perhaps I did.¡±

    ¡°So, what is your opinion of Ahshem?¡±

    Deyja inhaled deeply, ¡°he is too sentimental. It has held us back.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Our people should have left this world centuries ago, but Ahshem¡¯s sentimentality for these Neame has kept us here.¡±

    ¡°Is it wrong to love this place, these people? This land is full of life, why leave?¡±

    ¡°It is not wrong to love life, but¡­¡± Deyja swung his massive head to the side, and looked at the mountains in the distance. ¡°I would hardly call this place alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This world, it has grass, and trees, and beings to eat them, but they are mere facsimiles of life.¡±

    Zachariah looked around, ¡°it all looks real enough to me.¡±

    ¡°Tell me Zachariah, do your people have the ability to sense Aether?¡± Deyja asked, looking down on Zachariah.

    ¡°No, although I am aware it is possible for the Neame.¡±

    ¡°We dragons are also able to sense the Aether, far more so than them, and this world feels like the driest of deserts to me.¡± Deyja moved his head closer to Zachariah, ¡°you¡­ you are alive with Aether. It pours off of you, like it should pour off of all truly living beings. The Neame however, they are like whisps, or bones left to dry out in arid sands. The world you came from Zachariah, it must have been so full of Aether¡­ so full of beauty.¡±

    ¡°Aye, it was beautiful, but I had never seen magic like this world has while I was there.¡± Zachariah said. ¡°And to me, this world looks just as majestic.¡±

    Deyja snorted in response. ¡°You should have seen this world when we first found it. It was a baren wasteland. We made it what it is today.¡±

    ¡°If you made this world, then why do you hate it?¡±

    ¡°I do not hate it; I feel no more for it than you would feel for one those axes you craft. This world was an interesting experiment, but it is one that should have ended by now.¡±

    ¡°If you feel so strongly, then why not speak with Ahshem? Surly he would hear you.¡± Zachariah said.

    ¡°He would let me go, I am no one¡¯s captive here. However, he and all those loyal to him would stay, which would be most of the dragons.¡±

    ¡°Are there no more dragons out there?¡±

    ¡°There are, but just as you have your ¡®clan¡¯, I have mine.¡±

    ¡°So, you do not wish to leave your people, but you can¡¯t stay here any longer. Why not take the others who feel as you do and go home? Wait for the rest of your people to join you there.¡±

    ¡°If we go home without Ahshem, we may never find our way there. Only the Ahshem knows the way.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Zachariah said.

    As I watched this conversation, the haze reformed around me, and the memory shifted away again. (Dang it.) I thought. (That was getting interesting.) When the haze finally disappeared, I was in a new memory, and I think I was several years in the future from the last one. It was dark, and I could smell the sea. I was in a wooden room, slowly moving up and down. (Am I in a boat?) Zachariah was lying on a mat on the floor, but eventually he stood up and walked outside. There was no door, instead there was simply a circular opening large enough for the Neame to fly through, but for Zachariah it was a bit of a squeeze.

    Leaving the sleeping Neame, Zachariah went to the top deck of the ship. I hadn¡¯t heard it before, but as we got closer to the deck, I heard the sounds of rain. I readied myself to get wet, but it was pointless. The rain wasn¡¯t hitting the ship. Small glowing runes on the floor were projecting a bubble that deflected the rain. Inside that bubble, Neame flew around hurriedly; each doing some task.

    ¡°Zachariah, what are you still doing up? Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± A voice from above him called out. He turned and saw it was Ambos; who softly landed on a pile of wooden boards left on the deck.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my mind is racing with what¡¯s ahead.¡± Zachariah said, leaning over the side of the ship. He stuck his hand outside the barrier and let the cold rain pour over his arm. ¡°Ahshem, dead¡­ it almost seemed impossible.¡±

    ¡°I do not wish to believe it myself, but the messenger was clear.¡±

    ¡°Why would Deyja do this? I know he and Ahshem held their differences, but to kill one¡¯s Jarl, his friend¡­ I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°Of all the dragons, Deyja is the most¡­ incomprehensible.¡±

    ¡°I feel as if this were somehow my fault. That if I had given him better advice, or¡­ I do not know.¡±

    ¡°Deyja¡¯s actions, while villainous, were his own. You supported him as best as you could; you must not take responsibility for his deeds.¡±

    ¡°My mind knows this, but my heart does not believe it.¡± Zachariah shook his head, and pulled his hand back from the rain.

    The haze returned, filling my field of view again. When it cleared, I was standing in the middle of a city; like an actual city. It was different from my world, but it was also unlike anything I had ever seen in this one. In every Neame city I had seen so far, the buildings were sculpted, like art. They were equally made from living materials, and molded stone, but these were concrete. Sure, it had some artistic element, some had runes engraved, others had flowers growing in small patches, but they were far more akin to what I was used to.

    ¡°They¡¯ve made good use of my people¡¯s runes.¡± Zachariah said, admiring a fountain that used runes to flow the water around in the air. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that your people took to them so quickly.¡±

    (His runes?) I thought. (What?)

    ¡°I admit, when you showed me this magic, I never believed it would ever become this widespread.¡± Ambos said, fluttering alongside Zachariah, who was still watching the flow of the water. ¡°It is impressive how versatile these runes are.¡±

    ¡°I only did it to see what would happen, I never expected it to work.¡± Zachariah laughed as he and Ambos left the fountain.

    (Wait, what?) I thought, shocked. (Zachariah invented runes?)

    ¡°So, Ahshem¡¯s successor, what¡¯s he like?¡± Zachariah asked.

    ¡°I do not know; I have never met him before. Although I am told he is quite young.¡± Ambos answered. ¡°And I am not sure why, but apparently his ascension to Ahshem is somehow controversial.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve never met him, and I¡¯ve never met him, why did he ask to see us?¡±

    ¡°I assume is it because our relationship with the previous Ahshem, or with,¡± Ambos stopped for a moment, then sighed, ¡°with the Chaos Dragon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange thing, to take a man¡¯s, or rather a dragon¡¯s, name from him as punishment.¡±

    ¡°Names have power, taking them away is a punishment.¡± Ambos flew over and landed on Zachariah¡¯s shoulder, then looked up to the sky. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Zachariah looked up, and saw in the distant sky three figures. They were silhouetted in the sky; two large serpentine shadows on either side of a much smaller, winged, shadow. I expected them to land like last time, where the winged one landed hard, and the serpent one landed gracefully, but instead they all slowly spiraled downward to a soft landing. The winged western style dragon was small, very small for a dragon actually. It was the same height as Zachariah, though clearly larger in other aspects. Its body was broad, and its wings made it look even more so. The smaller dragon was a pale green color, and the two larger ones were both shades of grey, with darker and lighter accents on their bodies and heads.

    ¡°Greetings, I take it you are Ambos and Zachariah?¡± The little dragon asked, in a young sounding voice.

    ¡°We are, I am Ambos, and this is Zachariah. May we assume that you are Ahshem?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± The dragon, Ahshem, bowed its head, spreading its wings. Ambos did the same. Even Zachariah kneeled; which surprised me, because I didn¡¯t know that was something Vikings did.

    ¡°Ahshem, please remember your position,¡± One of the larger dragons protested as he bowed.

    ¡°Showing respect to the trusted allies of my predecessor supersedes normal formalities.¡± Ahshem said. The larger eastern style dragon sighed.

    ¡°Your kindness is appreciated, but your attendant may be right.¡± Ambos said.

    ¡°I disagree, it is a wise leader who can humble himself when he sees fit.¡± Zachariah said.

    ¡°You speak truth, Zachariah. A truth my predecessor took to heart as well.¡±

    ¡°Lord Ahshem, may I ask why you summoned us here today? Is there some sort of problem, or do you need assistance?¡± Ambos interrupted.

    ¡°Straight to the point; you are as was described to me many times, Ambos.¡±

    ¡°My apologies for any rudeness Lord Ahshem.¡±

    ¡°No need, I value directness.¡±

    (Dang, this kid¡¯s more mature than half my coworkers were back on Earth.) I thought to myself.

    ¡°If you will be direct, then so shall I. My ascension has been difficult, and there are many who wish it had not happened. I would like your support in the future, regarding my decisions with the Chaos Dragon.¡±

    ¡°What decisions?¡± Zachariah asked, bluntly.

    ¡°To leave.¡± Ahshem answered, just as the haze filled my view again.

    (Frick this¡­) I groaned, annoyed that I haven¡¯t been able to properly finish a single memory. (OW!) I was suddenly overcome with pain, emanating from my arm. The haze faded again, and I was surrounded by fire, looking up at the chaos dragon.

    ¡°LEFT BEHIND?!¡± He roared.

    ¡°Did you expect anything less?¡± Zachariah asked, glancing down to his arm, which was covered in blood and burns. However, it was healing quickly; faster than even Suma¡¯s healing magic. Beside Zachariah was an unconscious and bloodstained Ambos.

    Deyja looked around at the burning forest that surrounded us. ¡°They left me behind¡­ to be forgotten.¡± He raised a claw towards the trees, and extinguished the fires with magic. ¡°But if my brethren refuse to remember me, I will ensure this land will.¡± Without lowering his claw, he started casting a spell. A purple cloud poured out of him, and engulfed the trees. It left a purplish-silver coating on them, which was absorbed rapidly by them.

    ¡°What was that? What did you do?¡± Zachariah asked.

    ¡°Made a memorial.¡± The dragon answered, spread his wings, and flew away. Picking up Ambos, Zachariah turned around, and ran towards a nearby city at the edge of the previously burning forest. By the time he arrived, Ambos was just starting to wake up.

    ¡°Zachariah?¡±

    ¡°Ambos! Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have felt better. What happened. Did the dragons¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they left Atmeria. After their¡­ portal¡­ closed, Deyja appeared and laid waste to everything. He did something to the sacred forest, then flew away.¡±

    ¡°Which way?¡±

    ¡°North-west.¡±

    ¡°The settlement.¡± Ambos said, upset.

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°But there is nothing left there. What could he be after?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is after anything but revenge now.¡±

    ¡°His own son led the dragons away, left him behind, and even ordered an attempted assassination on him. Who knows what he will do now.¡±

    ¡°He and I are a lot alike¡­ I think I know what he will do.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll go raiding.¡±

    ¡°To what end?¡±

    ¡°To the end of everything.¡± Zachariah said. While listening, Ambos looked at his injured chest and wings, then cast a healing spell on himself. Zachariah continued, ¡°We need to go to the settlement.¡±

    ¡°You want to fight him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not going to give us much of a choice. He attacked the sacred forest, just killed dozens of your people, and who knows what he plans to do next.¡± Zachariah said, setting Ambos down, then standing back to his feet.

    ¡°Two mages cannot beat a dragon, especially not a master of Negative Aether. We would need an army.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go ask the king for one.¡±

    ¡°Jake!¡± Suma¡¯s voice screamed loudly, breaking the memory, and waking me up. The next thing I knew, I was in a stone room, tied down by vines, with several Neame and their familiars around me.

    As I looked around, realizing I was actually able to control my body and that I was awake, it became very clear that I was not in a good situation. ¡°Familiar Sentinel, you stand accused of violating royal decree, and illegally using the forbidden Death Magic to kill several members of the Queen¡¯s Royal Mages.¡± One, large and bright blue, female Neame said, loudly. She was perched next to another Neame, who was surrounded by several large familiars; the Queen herself.

    ¡°Jake, are you injured?¡± Suma asked, over our private connection. She sounded very worried.

    ¡°Um¡­ yeah. I¡¯m sore, but I think I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Does the defense have any opening statements before the memory delve begins?¡± The large female Neame asked.

    A voice I think I recognized spoke up from behind me. ¡°I would like to remind the court, that we have already proven by a voluntary memory delve performed on lady Suma and myself that the mages that were killed illegally attacked my team first, killing several members of my squadron. What took place was justified self-defense; not murder.¡±

    ¡°Is that the Captain who was with us?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°Yes, he survived the attack, and offered to operate as our legal defense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on trial?¡± I asked, my brain finally starting to catch up with the sudden shift.

    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°What happens if we lose?¡±

    Suma stayed quiet for a moment, ¡°we may both be executed, or worse.¡± When she said that, my first instinct was to try and break out of the vines that were holding me in place. I jerked against them, trying to get free, but they barely budged.

    The female Neame next to the Queen must have noticed, because she spoke up. ¡°Those bindings have been reinforced with magic, and were created specifically to hold physically powerful familiars. Even one as strong as you will not be able to escape them. And should you attempt to use your magic to break the bindings, the four Royal Mages around you will not hesitate to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Jake, please do not fight them.¡± The Captain said. ¡°Just cooperate and this will all be over soon.¡± I thought about it for a moment, sighed, and relaxed.

    ¡°Good. With all parties now present, we will begin the memory delve.¡± The Neame said, and several others flew over and landed beside my head. They started to perform the ritual, but this time, I noticed something different. There was a large crystal ball looking thing near the Queen, and when the ritual started, it began to glow.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked Suma, out loud this time, nodding towards the ball.

    ¡°It is a magical device that will allow everyone to see the memories in question.¡± She answered. ¡°A viewing crystal.¡±

    ¡°Familiar Sentinel, you will answer every question asked you to the best of your ability, and without lies. Do you understand?¡± The Queen said.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Good, then we will begin.¡±

    ¡°Sentinel, did you utilize Death Magic?¡± The female Neame asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± A voice to my right shouted, but was silenced by the Queen. She looked at one of the Neame performing the ritual next to me.

    ¡°I see no memories of the event in question, your majesty.¡± The Neame said.

    ¡°And I cannot find any evidence of tampering within his mind.¡± Said the other.

    ¡°We saw the battle during the memory delves of Lady Suma and the other survivors.¡± The angry voice said, but not as loudly this time.

    ¡°Sentinel, can you explain this? Did you alter your memory in some way?¡± The Queen asked, confused.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack anyone, Queen Ompera. My body was being controlled.¡± I said, looking up at the Queen from the floor. She turned to the crystal ball, and watched it as memories from my conversation with Zachariah in that void played. Actually, everyone was watching that crystal intensely.

    ¡°What is this? Who¡­¡± When Zachariah said Deyja¡¯s name, the Queen lost all of her glittering glow, and all her feathers pressed down to her body. She and everyone else continued to watch the crystal until the end of the memory played, and Zachariah and Deyja reformed back into a single being.

    ¡°A dragon?!¡± Someone behind me yelled. The room filled with confused and panicked voices, until the Queen silenced everyone.

    ¡°Enough!¡± She shouted, and a large pylon that I hadn¡¯t seen hidden behind her ¡°throne¡± magically lifted into the air, before slamming itself back down with a crash. The room fell dead quiet in an instant. ¡°This memory delve is over. Everyone, get out.¡± She declared.

    ¡°Your majesty?¡± The angry voice from earlier asked.

    ¡°Out!¡± With that, a dozen Neame I hadn¡¯t seen behind me all flew out of the room, leaving only Suma, me, and the Queen, as well as her guards; even the female Neame next to the Queen and the Captain left. ¡°Sentinel¡­ that dragon, do you know who he was?¡±

    ¡°Yes Queen Ompera, and I guess you do too?¡± She didn¡¯t answer me, but instead, her eyes began to glow, as well as the eyes of all the guards in the room that I could actually see.

    ¡°Jake, what do you mean? I do not understand. You met a dragon, is this not a reason to celebrate?¡± Suma asked, confused and slightly worried, over our private connection.

    ¡°That was the Chaos dragon.¡± I answered. Her glow vanished, just as the Queen¡¯s had, and I felt her emotions as she became very worried. I looked around, and one by one, each of the guards were starting to look worried as well.

    The Queen¡¯s eyes stopped glowing, ¡°Sentinel. Tell us about these memories that this flaming figure ¡®Zachariah¡¯ mentioned.¡±

    I explained the memories I had seen, about how Zachariah and Deyja met, and everything else. They listened closely, occasionally asking questions.

    ¡°Why not continue the memory delve? You could see everything for yourselves.¡± Suma pointed out after a few minutes of me talking.

    ¡°This matter is¡­ sensitive. A memory delver is not to be trusted with it. Not yet anyway.¡± The Queen said. ¡°Please, Sentinel, continue.¡± I resumed explaining, and after about fifteen minutes, I had told them everything I had seen up until I was summoned here. A heavy silence fell over the room again as the Queen¡¯s eyes resumed their glow.

    ¡°Jake-¡± Suma said through our connection ¡°-does this mean you cannot return to your home?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah.¡± I said, the reality of it finally dawning on me. ¡°Oh man, my mum is going to freak out. Oh frick.¡± I said, and felt my heart starting to race. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡± I said out loud, starting to panic. The vines suddenly felt like they were choking me, I was getting claustrophobic. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± That drew the attention of everyone in the room.

    ¡°Jake?¡± Suma asked, not sure what was happening.

    ¡°Loosen his restraints.¡± The Queen ordered. The vines that were holding me in place loosened, and in my panicked state, I started pulling at them again. In hindsight, I was probably having a panic attack. I struggled against the vines, and unlike before, they didn¡¯t feel as strong. My right arm broke free, and immediately I started pulling the vines off of my head and neck as well.

    ¡°He broke his restraints?!¡± One of the guards shouted, sounding confused.

    ¡°HOLD! Do not attack him!¡± The Queen shouted as some of the guards in the room began casting spells. At this point, my breathing was ragged, and heavy. I don¡¯t remember when, but at some point, I¡¯d started sobbing.

    I heard someone once say that crying helps your brain release and process emotions, and that¡¯s why you don¡¯t feel them as strongly after you cry. What a load of crock¡­ I didn¡¯t feel any better by the time I was finished, just numb, empty, and tired. After I broke down, Suma and I were moved to another room. The Queen came in, followed by three others. She talked to Suma, and I listened, sort of. By the end of it, their voices were more like background noise to me as I thought about my mum.

    (What¡¯s mum going to think? She¡¯ll think I¡¯m dead.) I thought to myself. (She¡¯s going to come in my room, see it empty, and worry. She¡¯ll probably¡­ oh man, she¡¯ll freak out. What if she goes faint, or falls, and I¡¯m not there? What if she dies while I¡¯m trapped here? What if-)

    ¡°Jake?¡± My spiraling thoughts were interrupted by Suma, and I snapped back to reality.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, my voice cracked and broke like dropped glass.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked, concerned. I hadn¡¯t noticed it, but I was gripping the vines I was sitting on so hard they had splintered. My hands, well really my whole body, were lightly shaking, and my breathing had gotten heavier again.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t- um.¡± I took a deep breath, and dropped the splinters from my uneasy hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

 Book 2- Part 19

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    After being led to a private room, Queen Ompera wanted to talk with us a while longer. However, I believe she actually wished to ask them of Jake, but he was still¡­ unable to answer any questions. Of all of us, these events had been hardest on him. He was used as a weapon, placed on trial, lost control of his mind and body, and had his family, his whole world, stolen from him. Instead, the Queen asked her questions to me, while Jake silently listened. Although, I suspect he was not. At one point during my conversation with the Queen, Jake had begun breathing heavily again, and even damaged the vine perch I made for him to rest on. When I asked how he was, he clearly lied and said he was fine.

    ¡°Lady Suma, Sir Sentinel, I need to know what your plans are for the future.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, I truly do not know.¡± I said. There was a moment of quiet, and just as it looked like the Queen was going to speak again, Jake said something instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± When he said this, the guards, and their familiars, looked on edge.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Deyja.¡± Jake said again. His voice sounded different; colder, more intense than I was used to hearing. It didn¡¯t sound like it did in the desert though, when he was being controlled. Then, he sounded joyful, even while killing all those mages, but now¡­ it was the hours before a big storm.

    ¡°Killing the Chaos Dragon-¡± Queen Ompera said ¡°-is tantamount to impossible. Not even Ambos himself was able to do it.¡±

    ¡°As powerful as you are Jake, he is a dragon. It will not be so simple.¡± I said.

    He was silent for a moment, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to training, back to the army. Or I¡¯ll stay here in the Royal Capital and train. I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°The dragons were powerful beings, whose magic surpassed even the greatest mages from their era. The spells once used to subjugate rogue dragons were lost during the great-¡± The Queen tried to explain, but Jake cut her off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±

    ¡°Hold your words, Asha!¡± One of the Queen¡¯s guard yelled.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Queen Ompera said calmly. ¡°Sir Sentinel, how would you kill him? Where is he? Have you considered these questions.¡± The guard¡¯s puffed feather lowered slightly, but he was still obviously upset.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know, but I think he is near Dragon¡¯s Hoard Mountain.¡± Jake said.

    I was surprised, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that he is in the country?¡± The Queen wondered.

    ¡°Something he said once, when we were there last time, I saw him, and he said I was standing on his head. I¡¯d been wondering about it for a while, and I¡¯m still not sure, but I think¡­ maybe.¡±

    ¡°It was said that site was once the home of a long-forgotten dragon, but it has been empty since the Chaos Dragon¡¯s rampage.¡± The Queen said.

    ¡°I have never heard of that.¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°It is a well-protected secret of the royal family.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To keep the temple¡¯s power in check. Having a massive site of religious importance so close to a major city, and so far from the royal family¡¯s sphere of influence is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t empty. There are creatures living deep inside.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Inside?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, large reptiles. We found them when we were training on the mountain.¡± I added.

    ¡°I have not heard of these creatures, but no one has gone inside the mountain in centuries.¡± She turned to one of the guards, ¡°Go and check the archives. See if you can find anything related to reptilian creatures inside of Dragon¡¯s Hoard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± The guard said, sent away his familiar, opened a hole in the wall, and flew away.

    ¡°Well, assuming that the Chaos Dragon is truly in Dragon¡¯s Hoard somehow, that still leaves the issue of actually killing him.¡± The Queen said.

    ¡°Zachariah fought him, so did Ambos. If they could do it, then so can we.¡±

    ¡°Both of them lived in an era when even a standard mage would have been considered powerful and skilled enough to be recognized as a middle-class, or even high-class mage. Ambos himself was said to possess magic stronger than even Royal Mages do now. It would take years for you to reach that level.¡± The Queen said.

    ¡°Zachariah already thought of that.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the memories?¡± I asked, and Jake nodded his head.

    ¡°He said that the memories he put in me could teach me how to use Chaos Magic. Maybe he included more than that though.¡±

    ¡°You think he also gave you a way to kill the Chaos Dragon?¡± The Queen asked.

    ¡°I would, if it were me.¡±

    Queen Ompera was quiet for a moment, ¡°Awakening the dragon could prove dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Is he not already awake, and trying to come back?¡± I asked. ¡°He attempted to do so through Jake, but what is stopping him from using anyone else?¡±

    ¡°He has not tried anyone else. Perhaps it is only your familiar that allows it to be possible?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe he needs someone with mana as powerful as his was?¡± Jake suggested.

    ¡°There are no Neame with mana that powerful, and familiars with mana like that are practically nonexistent.¡±

    ¡°Jake is the only one I have ever even heard of with such powerful mana. Not even lesser dragons like drakes, salamanders, or wyverns possess anything close.¡± I said.

    ¡°It would seem, Sir Sentinel, that you are necessary for the dragon¡¯s return.¡± The Queen said, sounding very serious. ¡°Thinking logically, killing you could ensure my kingdom¡¯s safety.¡± The guards at her side looked tense, their familiars began baring fangs, and they all looked as if they were ready to fight. I could feel my heart beating in my wingtips as I looked over at Jake. He stared coldly at the Queen, glancing occasionally at the guards. The tension in the room felt as if it might choke me. Queen Ompera broke the silence. ¡°But what stops any other Neame from any other country doing the same as Lady Suma did, and summoning another Viking?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ will you help us?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Yes, you will have my support.¡± Queen Ompera said, as I finally started breathing again.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was sitting in a room the Queen prepared for me in her castle, while talking to Suma over our private connection. ¡°I¡¯m arriving now. Should I summon you?¡± She asked. Suma had spent the last few days traveling with escorts, and the Captain she arrived at the capital with, Captain Razoen, back to the base.

    ¡°No, not yet. There are still a few things I want to do here first, and who knows when I¡¯ll be here next.¡± I said.

    ¡°How is your training going?¡± She asked. Knowing that I needed to do everything I could to prepare, the Queen set up sparring matches between me and some of the Royal Mages; at my request.

    ¡°It hurts, and I haven¡¯t won a single time, but I think I¡¯m getting the feel for how Neame fight. Between my match with Lieutenant Datahu, and these guys, I¡¯ve noticed a few things.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°I noticed you¡¯re all a lot better at three-dimensional combat than me. In the air, I can¡¯t hit anything. I¡¯ve been trying to think of ways to knock Neame out of the air, or slow their movements down.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­.¡± Suma said, hesitantly. ¡°Jake, how have you been these last few days?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said.

    ¡°You have not spent too much time training, have you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only had a few days here; I needed every second I could get.¡±

    ¡°Jake¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I repeated, then changed the subject quickly. ¡°How¡¯s your journey been?¡±

    ¡°Uneventful; thank the dragons. Flying through the wastelands was as bad as it was last time, however. Did you find what you were looking for in the Queen¡¯s archives?¡±

    ¡°Nothing useful, and not a word on those reptile things.¡±

    ¡°So, either no one has ever encountered those ¡®echoes¡¯ before, or no one lived to tell anyone.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready, Sir Sentinel?¡± A voice from behind me asked. I looked behind me and saw three Neame landing.

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± I answered. ¡°Suma, I gotta go, it¡¯s time for the delve.¡±

    ¡°Alright, please contact me afterward.¡± She said, still sounding concerned.

    ¡°I will.¡± I said.

    ¡°Please lay down here.¡± The Neame, who I noticed lack their normal glitter, just like my teammate Nine, said, gesturing to a magic circle he was creating. I laid down on my back, and took a deep breath. I was about to undergo a spell that would help me control when the memories given to me by Zachariah appear. For my training, I need to be able to access them whenever I need, and not just randomly. The other two Neame joined him, and the magic circle tripled in size. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then we will begin.¡± In unison, they began to cast a spell. It took them about a minute to finish; a long quiet minute. Once they did, I felt a tingle inside my skull, followed by a few seconds of dizziness. ¡°We are finished.¡± The Neame said. I sat up at the dizzy feeling and the tingle went away.

    ¡°When will I know if it worked?¡±

    ¡°You should be able to find the memories now, feel free to try it at any time. Although, I do recommend lying down when you do so.¡± I nodded my head and thanked them. With that, they left my room. I laid down on the vine bed again, closed my eyes, and tried to see one of the memories.

    (I need to find something about fighting.) I thought. With that, I started to see moments in time flash through my mind, but they were moving too fast to see clearly. (I need something about fighting Neame.) I tried again, more specifically this time. Once again, memories filled my mind, but much more slowly this time. I looked through them like I was swiping on my phone, until I found one that kinda felt right. Focusing on it, I was brought into the memory, as if it were just like any other time. I was still locked into Zachariah¡¯s point of view, and I still didn¡¯t have any control over what happened, but now I could control when they happened. (Finally, some good news.)

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    ¡°It is an impressive weapon.¡± The voice of Ambos said from outside my field of view.

    ¡°My aim needs improvement.¡± Zachariah said, and wrenched an arrow free from the far right side of a wooden target. He turned and walked back to Ambos, who was perched on a wooden post. Strangely, the post looked man-made, not like something the Neame would build.

    ¡°Why not simply use magic for your ranged attacks?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as good with magic as you are, yet.¡± Zachariah said, and slung the bow over his back.

    ¡°Your, what did you call them, ¡®runes,¡¯ suggest otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Runes cannot be used to kill an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ambos asked.

    ¡°Because¡­ because¡­ hmm?¡± I felt something touch Zachariah¡¯s chin and hip. ¡°How would that¡­?¡±

    (I already know how to use runes.) I thought, and started to end the memory, before getting an idea. But how are they made? Once again, I sifted through the memories, searching for one about making runes. It took a moment, but I found one. The environment shifted again like a heat-haze over concrete, and I was suddenly sitting at a table full of dyes, clay, scrolls, and stone working tools.

    ¡°What are you making?¡± Ambos asked.

    ¡°Futhark runes. Before we go to battle, I want to make a spell of protection for us.¡±

    ¡°I have never heard of these ¡®runes¡¯, what are they?¡±

    ¡°The language of my people. We write our desires into the stone, and the ley inside of the earth makes the desire come forth.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that your people¡¯s magic was different, may I watch?¡±

    ¡°I can make you one as well my friend, if you want it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Ambos answered.

    Zachariah pulled one of the scrolls, and some dyes towards him. ¡°I will make yours on parchment, so that it is lighter. We can tie it to your leg before the battle. Zachariah dipped a blue quill into the ink, and drew on the scroll. ¡°This rune means strength,¡± he finished and moved to another spot on the scroll, ¡°and this one is body.¡± He drew a line connecting the runes at both their tops and bottoms, ¡°When they are connected, they will give your strength in combat.¡±

    ¡°How do I use the spell? You mentioned something called a ¡®ley¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Magic does work differently here. The ley seems to be all around us in your world. Perhaps some of your magic would make it work better?¡± Zachariah suggested. Ambos nodded his head, and placed a wingtip on the rune. A moment later, the rune was glowing faintly red.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Ambos said.

    ¡°I have never seen this before. Should we tie it to you?¡± Ambos agreed, and Zachariah tied it to him with a small string. The glittering white sparkle Ambos once had was replaced by a slightly brighter red one.

    With that, the memory ended. (His language? Are runes just writing?)

    With that revelation in mind, I pulled myself out of the memory, and woke up. Sliding out of the vine bed, I used magic to open the room back up, and spotted one of the guards that was posted outside of my room. ¡°Hey,¡± I said to the guard, ¡°can you get me something?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The guard asked, sounding confused.

    ¡°I wanna to try making a rune, and I need some materials.¡±

    ¡°You have a Rune-Maker¡¯s permit?¡± The Neame said from his perch, his head tilted slightly to the side.

    ¡°Uh, no. I didn¡¯t know I needed one.¡±

    ¡°It is illegal to create runes without a permit. It is a dangerous profession.¡± He explained. ¡°Although I do not expect a familiar to know this, let alone actually be able to make one. Even an Asha should know that.¡±

    ¡°Frick off.¡± I said, rolling my eyes, and closing my room in the smug sounding jerk¡¯s face as hard as I could. Although really, it was just a slightly louder slurping and cracking sounds as the rock-wall and vines reformed. (Fine, I can probably make some stuff myself.) I thought.

    Sitting on the floor, I summoned my backpack, and started looking through it. Inside were a few gold coins, a spare daljar, the broken rune inscribed rock I got from bootcamp that I keep forgetting about, over fifty meters of rope, and an emergency medical kit, but not one piece of paper. (I guess that¡¯s too much to ask.) I thought. (Of course, even if I did have it, I wouldn¡¯t use it for runes. I¡¯d write my mum a letter.) Breaking myself out of those thoughts before I started to spiral again, I instead picked up the rock and looked it over. Inside the grooves where the runes had been, was a sticky residue, probably the remnants of the clay or whatever it was the rune was originally made using. ¡°Not enough.¡± I muttered. For a second, I considered using magic to melt the rock and turn it into clay, but since I didn¡¯t know what it was made of, or what clay is made of, atomically, I couldn¡¯t imagine it working.

    Rather than risk punching a hole in an atom, I put everything back into my backpack before sending it away, and decided to just go ask the Queen directly for both permission and materials. While I was staying in her castle, I was granted free roam of the place, so long as a guard was with me, and I was allowed to see her as needed; either by her request or mine. We¡¯d met four times already since Suma left, and talked about various things. She wanted to know more about my world, and I wanted to know as much about her¡¯s as I could. Suma knew quite a bit about her country, but the Queen definitely knew more.

    I opened the room again, and walked towards the Queen¡¯s court to ask for an audience with her. As I did, the guard spoke up again. ¡°Ah, back for some mo- wait, where are you going. Get back here! You can¡¯t just- stop!¡± He shouted, getting annoyed, and started fluttering behind me as I walked.

    I smirked, ¡°no, you follow.¡±

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°To ask to see the Queen.¡±

    ¡°The arrogance¡­ you have taken up too much or her majesty¡¯s time already!¡± Instead of replying, I ignored him and continued walking. ¡°What are you doing? Are you not going to say anything?¡±

    ¡°What would a predator like me have to say to you?¡± I asked, sarcastically.

    ¡°Predator?¡± He asked confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you called me right? Asha.¡±

    He laughed, ¡°is that what your master told you that meant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll correct it.¡± I had figured Suma and Sela-Car, the Neame who put the runes on my weapons and armor, and told me what it meant originally, had given me a watered-down translation.

    ¡°It means: the beast who eats you and enjoys every moment.¡± The annoying guard said with spite and cruelty dripping from his fat snobbish beak.

    ¡°Did I do something to you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You killed Neame, and flew away without ever touching the ground.¡± He said, sounding genuinely angry this time. At that point, I stopped walking and faced him in time to see him landing on a perch a few meters away. ¡°You killed all those Court Mages.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I heard the lies, but those weren¡¯t the first Neame you killed, were they?¡± He said. I stayed quiet, remembering what happened in the alley that day. ¡°Years ago, you killed a Magistrate¡¯s son; tortured him to death.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.¡± I denied.

    ¡°You used Death Magic, and the Grand Duke covered it up. Everyone just turned their feathers away because they think you¡¯ll be useful in the war, but I know what you really are.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I said, angry.

    ¡°You are a killer. A monster. A Viking.¡±

    I turned and walked away without another word. He didn¡¯t bother following me.

    After fifteen minutes of walking around, and trying to calm myself down, I made it to the Queen¡¯s court. There was a Neame in the room, basically the castle¡¯s chief gardener I guess, using magic to fix and rearrange the decorations on the pillars and walls. He came here every day to do it, so I had seen and spoken with him a few times. ¡°Hey,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, greetings, Sentinel.¡± He bowed and spread his wings. I¡¯d told him a few times he didn¡¯t need to do that, but he insisted. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Can I speak with the Queen about getting some materials for making a rune. I¡¯ll also probably need permission to make one since I don¡¯t have a permit.¡±

    ¡°I shall inform her majesty¡¯s attendants immediately.¡± I thanked him, and he flew through one of the holes in the roof. While he was gone, I started thinking about what that guard said, despite the fact I was trying not to. My mind was wandering, so I didn¡¯t notice when two Neame, one of which was the gardener, the other was one of the Queen¡¯s personal attendants, flew up and landed beside me; startling me as I suddenly heard flapping sounds behind my back.

    ¡°Greetings Sentinel. Queen Ompera sends her apologies, but she is unable to meet with you today. However, she was made aware of your requests, and has granted the use of materials, and permission to craft a rune under the supervision of myself.¡± The attendant, whose name was Cisco Von Sopra, said.

    ¡°Okay, sounds good to me.¡± I said, and nodded my head. Then I had another thought, ¡°also, could I get a different guard?¡±

    Back in my room, several Neame were finally delivering materials so I could try making a rune¡­ under the supervision of one of the Queen¡¯s attendant, Talik Sopra, who was apparently a distant relative of the Grand Duke. The materials included a few scraps of leather to place the runes on, clays, dyes, some containers to mix things in, a daljar for storing mana, and a special syphon for mixing the mana into the clay.

    ¡°This should be everything we need, are you ready to begin, Sir Sentinel?¡± Talik asked.

    I picked up the daljar and started putting some mana into it, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Within half a minute, the daljar was full.

    ¡°I had heard your mana capacity was quite large, but you filled that daljar in mere moments.¡± Talik said, impressed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see royal mages all the time, I can¡¯t imagine this is that impressive?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°True, but they do possess large capacities as well, but even they take several minutes to fill a daljar. I wonder, do you know your life force density?¡±

    ¡°I used to, but I forgot. It was over one hundred kema or something.¡± I said, attaching the syphon to the filled daljar. ¡°I haven¡¯t had it measured in a couple years. Suma might remember, I can ask her if you want?¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate that.¡± He said. I contacted Suma over our private connection, and she remembered.

    ¡°She said it was five-hundred Kelma and around sixty Dalma, and my mana reservoir was over nine-hundred, but she couldn¡¯t remember exactly.¡±

    ¡°I was actually wondering¡­ could I remeasure it? If it has been several years, it may have increased due to your training.¡± Talik asked.

    ¡°Sure, I guess. Can it wait till after this though?¡±

    ¡°Of course, let us continue. Have you properly attached the syphon?¡± I held up the daljar with the syphon on top. He shook his head slightly. ¡°It is on backwards.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I corrected the syphon, and held it up again.

    ¡°Would you like me to put it on?¡± He asked. I sighed and put it in front of him. Using magic, he turned the syphon, and leaned it slightly to the side. I heard a clicking noise, and he gently sat the daljar back down. ¡°Have you ever made runes before?¡± He asked, hesitantly?

    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve seen it done. A Neame named Sela-Car showed me, and I also have memories of Zachariah doing it¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, then please show me what you know.¡± Talik said, flapping his wings a few times and flying to a perch above where I was working.

    ¡°Um¡­ well, runes are effectively writing, I think. So, I was just going to mix some dyes up, and write-¡± I stopped and realized a problem. ¡°Oh yeah, nothing to write with.¡±

    ¡°You cannot simply write a rune onto leather. The ink will not stay in place. You must embed the inks and dyes into the hide.¡± Talik said.

    (Oh yeah,) I thought, (writing on parchment and paper are super different. You have to basically tattoo the ink into place on leather.)

    ¡°Here is a tool you can use.¡± Talik said and used magic to levitate a small scalpel like thing to me.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Start by mixing mana from the daljar into the ink and dyes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, how do I do that?¡±

    ¡°Place the material of your choice into the syphon, then seal it. It will immediately begin the mana infusion.¡± He said. I picked up the bowl of ink and poured some into the syphon, then closed the metal lid. Immediately, an ear-piercing super high frequency sound started screaming from the syphon.

    ¡°AH! Frick!¡± I yelled and covered my ears, but it didn¡¯t help much.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Talik asked, surprised.

    ¡°You could have mentioned the noise!¡± I yelled, trying to be louder than the syphon.

    ¡°What noise?¡± He asked, confused.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hear that?¡±

    ¡°I hear nothing.¡± Suddenly, the syphon stopped, and glowed a faint red. ¡°Ah, it is finished.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± I said, opening the lid and pouring the ink into a bowl. Talik spent a few minutes explaining how to use the scalpel thing, and then I got started.

    The word I chose was ¡®cold¡¯. It seemed simple, and I didn¡¯t want to accidentally burn anything down. Once I was finished, Talik looked it over.

    ¡°This does not look like any rune I am know.¡± He said, sounding worried, with his head tilted slightly. ¡°None of the symbols are even connected. I doubt it will work.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will either, but I want to try.¡± I said, and laid the leather strip I had been tattooing for the last half an hour on the ground.

    ¡°What is this rune¡¯s intended function?¡±

    ¡°It is just a test to see if this works, but hopefully it will become cold.¡± Touching the letters, I tried to activate them, but nothing happened. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You will need to connect the symbols. Otherwise, the mana cannot flow properly,¡± Talik said, and I got back to work. Another ten minutes later, all the letters were connected; like cursive.

    ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, that is an unusual pattern, but it should work.¡± Once again, I touched the letters, and tried to activate them. This time, it worked¡­ sort of.

    ¡°HOT!¡± I yelped and jerked my hand away. Thankfully, there was no visible burn to my hand, but I still cast a spell to make a water ball and stuck my fingers in it. ¡°Ah...¡± I sighed. Looking back at the makeshift rune, I saw that the only thing left of it was a smoldering strip of charred leather. ¡°Right, forgot about that,¡± I said, remembering the inversion thing. It¡¯s been so long since it happened, it slipped my mind.

    ¡°Your symbols were not precise enough.¡±

    After an hour of preparing materials and tattooing another piece of leather, this time with more specific instructions, I was ready to try again.

    ¡°And will this rune become a very hot form of cold as well?¡± Talik asked, chuckling.

    ¡°Hopefully not. This one is more specific. It says: Make this leather strip freeze solid.¡± I told him, and placed it on the floor. ¡°Do you want to activate it for me? My mana is inversion, so it won¡¯t work right if I do it.¡±

    ¡°You must test your own runes. Use the daljar itself to activate the rune if you must.¡± Talik said. ¡°Never mind the fact that I would rather not visit a healing mage today.¡± I faked a laugh, and summoned my backpack again, then got my spare daljar out. Once it was filled up, I touched the tip of it to the rune and it activated. Thankfully, mana is stripped of its natural properties once it enters a daljar, so it worked as expected.

    I touched the leather strip carefully, then jerked my hand back suddenly when I felt something. ¡°It¡¯s cold!¡± I said, excitedly. Picking it up, I realized it was as hard as a rock. ¡°It worked.¡± I said and tapped the frozen strip against the stone wall with several loud clinking sounds.

    ¡°An excellent second attempt. I must say, I have not seen such odd runes, but they seem to work well. Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I want to try a few more things, but this is cool.¡± I said, unintentionally making a pun. ¡°When I get back to base, I think I¡¯m going to do a few more experiments.¡±

    ¡°You will need a Rune-Maker¡¯s permit for that. Her majesty only gave permission for you to learn while you were under supervision.¡± Talik thought for a moment, ¡°however, you could start officially taking classes while on base. It would take some time, but many Neame receive Rune-Maker¡¯s permits while serving in her majesty¡¯s royal army.¡±

    I nodded my head, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but I¡¯m done for right now. Besides, I need to go home soon anyway. Suma has been waiting for hours.¡±

    ¡°I see, do you still have time for me to test your life force density?¡± Talik asked.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, and I want to say goodbye to Queen Ompera as well.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, please follow me.¡± Talik said. With that, we left my room.

 Book 2- Part 20

    <u>Queen Ompera¡¯s POV</u>

    My kingdom, my people, my family¡­ are all under threat. War with the Southern Union has killed countless of our soldiers, risked our solidarity, lost our territory, ravaged our farmlands, and put centuries old treaties under scrutiny. The only thing that kept my kingdom together for a time was my father, the previous king, and when he died, I feared I would lose everything¡­ until he came; the familiar of a middle-class mage, Jake the Sentinel. In less than a month he took down one of my father¡¯s biggest obstacles, and ended their noble house¡¯s influence. With the backing of Grand Duke Sopra, the way for me to take the throne from my family members was opened.

    At first, I surmised that it was a mere coincidence, and that I should simply be grateful for the opportunity. So, I granted him a pardon for any crimes he had committed while doing it, and left it be. I never expected him to join the military, or the Wyverns, or to be a Viking. The familiar who had given me the opportunity to save my kingdom from my foolish family, was now the most dangerous thing I had ever seen.

    I orchestrated an inquiry with my Royal Court and his master, all so that I may see him for myself. I later regretted that decision when one of my brother¡¯s supporters bribed members of the court to kill the familiar. But their foolish mistake allowed for greater insight into the threat, and for one more opportunity.

    ¡°Your majesty, I have performed the measurement, as you requested.¡± My attendant, Talik, said as he flew into the room and landed on a golden perch beside my roost. He sounded distressed.

    ¡°The results?¡± I asked. We were currently in my private chambers, which had special runes engraved into the walls to prevent anyone from hearing what was discussed.

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    ¡°It is as you feared; his abilities have increased from our last report, given by the researcher Sela-Car.¡±

    ¡°By how much?¡±

    ¡°Sentinel¡¯s new Life Force Density is six hundred Kelma and ninety-three Dalma. His mana reservoir has also increased to one thousand and seven.¡±

    ¡°In less than three years, he has achieved the same growth as most Neame strive their whole lives for.¡± I said, and took a deep calming breath.

    ¡°Your majesty, did you get a good look at him?¡± Talik asked. He was talking about ¡®Mana Gaze¡¯, an ability only some members of the royal family, and the highest class of mages can use. It is an ability gifted to us by the dragons that allows one to physically see the mana one possesses.

    ¡°I did, during his interview with the Royal Court. The image was¡­ disturbing.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Surrounding him was a purple and blue miasma; it poured off his body like a waterfall. To me¡­ it looked as if he were a living mass of mana.¡±

    ¡°Do the records of the Viking¡¯s rampage match what you saw?¡±

    ¡°Yes. According to the records, Jake has roughly the same amount of mana as Hel.¡±

    ¡°Was¡­ was it wise to spare him; if he is such a threat?¡± Talik asked, shaken.

    ¡°For now. But if the rumors from the front lines and the reports of Deyja¡¯s potential awakening are true¡­ we will need him.¡± There was a moment of silence as we both thought, then I broke it. ¡°How did his experiment with runes go?¡±

    ¡°Very well, your majesty. He learned the basics, and even developed new rune symbols, and a new method of weaving them.¡± Talik sounded excited; he has always loved rune-smithing and rune-craft.

    ¡°It was a Viking who originally created them, so I should not be surprised.¡±

    ¡°That is the end of my report your majesty.¡± Talik said and bowed.

    ¡°Then you are dismissed. Have a good night, Talik.¡± He bid me a good night, and flew out.¡±

    Glancing over to a small silver statue of my father, which I had created after his passing, and kept in my chambers, I wondered what he would do in my position. Would he worry more about the rumors from the front lines of the war, the dragon¡¯s return, or the Viking in our midst? ¡°A monster, a Viking, a war, and the Chaos Dragon¡­¡± I said to myself aloud, but did not finish the thought.

 Book 2- Part 21

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    After letting Talik measure me, I visited the Queen one last time, and said goodbye. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Queen Ompera.¡± I said, bowing down to her in her throne room.

    ¡°I hope you have found the answers you needed from my family¡¯s archives during your stay.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, well¡­ most of it, but I think I got everything there was to find.¡±

    ¡°If you ever wish to return, please do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, your majesty. Well then, I guess it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± I said, and started standing up. I had told Suma what I was doing before the meeting, so that she would be ready to summon me. All I needed to do was call her.

    ¡°Hold one moment, Sentinel,¡± the Queen said, ¡°I want you to understand something.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Whether it is fair, or right, I do not know, but you have become the most important person in this kingdom in a matter of days; possibly the whole world.¡± She said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s-¡± I tried to say, but she cut me off.

    ¡°It is, I assure you. And for your own protection, I suggest you keep our arrangement, our meetings, and this matter with Deyja to yourself. I already informed Lady Suma before her departure, and now I am telling you. For your own sake, tell no one of what has happened during your visit here. At least, nothing regarding the dragon.¡± Queen Ompera said seriously.

    Thinking for a moment, I agreed. ¡°I understand. Suma and I won¡¯t say a word.¡± She nodded, and dismissed me. With that, I called Suma, and she summoned me back to our base.

    As the darkness of the summoning spell overtook me, I held my breath, and my heart pounded like a drum. For what felt like minutes, I hung in that void expecting to see him again, but he never showed up. Reappearing back at base, I let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Welcome home.¡± Suma said. It¡¯s weird, those two simple words really hurt. I looked around and realized I was inside the room the that had been assigned to me a few weeks ago. It was smaller than I remember.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said, sadly. (I guess this is home, for now.) I thought to myself. ¡°Did anything happen while I was away?¡±

    ¡°No, but we do have our first patrol duty tomorrow, and our first in-field exercises.¡± Suma said. ¡°You should get some rest before then.¡±

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    ¡°Nah,¡± I said looking around the cramped room still littered with vines I had been neglecting to clean, ¡°I¡¯d rather go say hi to everyone first.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Our team is in the pit gambling over sparing matches.¡± Suma flew up and landed on my shoulder. While we walked, I told her about the rune experiment I ran. She seemed interested, but also confused. We were just arriving at the pit by the time I finished explaining, but I couldn''t see the team.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Up there,¡± Suma said, motioning a wing towards the perches near the top of the dome around the pit. ¡°Also, I was told by the Queen to keep what happened a secret, so they do not know that we were attacked by the court. I told them that our mission went as planned, but that we were attacked by marauders on the way.¡±

    ¡°Queen Ompera talked to me too. Thanks for keeping me in the loop though.¡± At that moment, one of them flew down from the perches and landed in front of me.

    ¡°Jake!¡± Rou said, as she flapped her wings excitedly. ¡°You are back! How are you feeling? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah; I¡¯m fine.¡± I said. One by one the rest of the team flew down and said hi. They all asked how I was feeling. Apparently, Suma told them that I spent a few days recovering after the attack, and that¡¯s why I stayed in the city longer than Suma.

    We gathered around the pit to watch the matches. At the moment, one of the other squad¡¯s Lieutenant was training with her team with mock battles; a regular form of training for us in the last few weeks.

    ¡°Jake, about the rune experiment you mentioned, do you plan on continuing it on base?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but I need to get permission and a professional to teach, or maybe babysit, me.¡± I said.

    ¡°You have an interest in runes?¡± Odens asked. ¡°I knew you had some on your garments and weapons, but I did not know you enjoyed crafting them.¡±

    ¡°I just started. It¡¯s new.¡±

    ¡°Is that not rather expensive? How do you afford it?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°I used to sell paper, so I¡¯ve got plenty of gold coins, and a spare daljar.¡±

    ¡°You sold paper?!¡± Oden asked, shocked. ¡°Do you have any now?¡±

    ¡°No, sorry. I used to carry some, but I don¡¯t anymore. My backpack weighed too much when it was full of paper. I wish I¡¯d kept some though.¡± I said, sadly. Those scraps of leather weren¡¯t enough, and writing a letter to my mum without paper would be really hard anyway.

    ¡°I heard that Captain Gigoales got a shipment of paper recently.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°What, when?¡±

    ¡°While you were gone.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Do you know where he is right now?¡± I asked, urgently. (If I have paper¡­)

    ¡°Probably his room.¡± Nine suggested.

    ¡°Suma, would you mind going there and summoning me? I really need to talk with him.¡± I said.

    ¡°Right now? I suppose I do not mind.¡± Suma said. I thanked her, and she flew away.

    ¡°Are you going to ask for some paper?¡± Nine wondered.

    ¡°Yeah, I just need one piece.¡±

    Jake¡¯s Letter

    Hey mum, it¡¯s Jake. I want to start by saying I love you, and I¡¯m so sorry for disappearing. A lot has happened, and I only have one piece of paper to say everything that I want to. First, I need you to send me more paper, and pencils and pens. Second, I¡¯m fine, but I can¡¯t come back home for a while. I¡¯m stuck here in Suma¡¯s world. That figure in flame tried to take over my body. If I come back, he¡¯ll try again. I miss you so much, and I will find a way home, but it will take a while. I hope you¡¯re safe. I hope the police aren¡¯t bothering you. If you need anything, use the gold coins I have hidden under my bed. If you want me to have anything, just put it into my backpack, and I will grab it when I summon it again.

    PS. Please try not to worry too much, I¡¯ll be fine.

 Book 3- Part 1

    <u>Jake¡®s POV</u>

    I was sitting on the wall surrounding the Wyvern¡¯s Base, looking out into the surrounding area. My eyes were on the sky, and I saw several Neame flying high up in a grid pattern, each doing their patrols. While we, the familiars on the wall, watched the sky, they watched the grounds for miles around. You¡¯re probably wondering why they don¡¯t watch the sky, since they¡¯re already up there, but it¡¯s harder to do than you think. Besides, they can see more of the ground from up there than we can from down here. From where I was sitting, yes sitting, not standing, the Neame looked like little dots. To be honest, I don¡¯t think our real job is to watch the skies. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s to act as a last line of defense against ground attacks, but I don¡¯t know why they would bother lying about that.

    One of the other familiars, a big hairy thing called a skeker, but not named, came over and sat beside me. He looked like a mountain goat crossed with a bulldog, and he was just as friendly. I put a hand on his back and started petting him, and he started to purr; which surprised me the first time it happened. I asked his owner if I could name it, but she felt uncomfortable with that, and refused.

    That¡¯s been a trend lately; Neame feeling uncomfortable around me. For the past four months, ever since the attack by the court mages near the capital and the team Suma traveled with died, I have noticed a lot of the Neame have been treating me differently. They¡¯ve been treating Suma differently too, but she lies and says it doesn¡¯t bother her.

    ¡°See anything, Jake?¡± Suma asked over our private connection. The connection was something only she and I could hear, and allowed us to talk without speaking aloud.

    ¡°Everything still looks clear. What about you?¡± I asked back, still petting the skeker.

    ¡°I see something to the east. About fifteen seconds.¡± She said. That¡¯s one of the ways the Neame denote distance, by how long it would take them to fly from one point to another. If the distance is short enough, they¡¯ll use wingspans instead. Every second is about twenty or thirty meters. ¡°It is small and trying to hide. Can you see it?¡±

    I looked up at the sun, and quickly found east, then looked about where I thought she was talking about. ¡°No, I don¡¯t see anything. Should I go take a look?¡±

    ¡°No, I will alert the others.¡± She said, and ended the connection. I watched as two of the four dots dived down in the distance, before hovering above a patch of trees, but I couldn¡¯t tell who they were. They stayed there for a few minutes, before flying back up. ¡°False alarm, it was just a wild animal.¡± Suma said, and I sighed. Leaning against the skeker, my eyes started to get heavy.

    Before I knew it, I was hearing Suma¡¯s voice again, but it wasn¡¯t in my head this time. ¡°Jake?¡± She said. I opened my eyes, and saw her, as well as three others, perched on the wall¡¯s railings nearby.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Were you asleep?¡± Nine, one of the Neame with Suma, and a member of our squad, asked.

    ¡°No, I was¡­. resting my eyes.¡±

    ¡°For how long?¡± Odens, another member of our squad, wondered.

    I looked up at the sun, which had moved about three inches in the sky, then back at them. ¡°Not long.¡±

    ¡°If I do not get to sleep during a patrol, neither do you.¡± Rou, another member of our squad, joked.

    ¡°When you did not answer, I decided to come check on you.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I stood up, accidentally waking the skeker too. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m not the only sleepy-head.¡± Giving the skeker a pat on the head, I sent it back to its post. It was surprisingly smart, despite its goofy look.

    ¡°We need to get back to patrol.¡± Odens said, and glanced over to Suma. ¡°We¡¯ll give you a moment.¡± With that, the three of them flew off, leaving Suma and I alone on the wall.

    ¡°Are you still not sleeping well?¡± She asked. I shook my head. ¡°Is it more nightmares?¡±

    I took a deep breath, ¡°it¡¯s always the same one.¡±

    ¡°Jake, you know if you ever want to talk about them, I will listen.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I know. Would you mind summoning me real quick, so I can wake up?¡± I asked, and she agreed. She quickly performed a summoning spell, causing me to fade away for a moment, then reappear beside her. With that, the magic of the summoning restored my energy, waking me up.

    ¡°Jake¡­ I have summoned you at least twice a day, for several days now. When was the last time you slept?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to sleep if you keep summoning me.¡± I pointed out.

    Suma sighed, ¡°please try to sleep tonight. Going this long without it cannot be healthy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Jake.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll sleep tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I need to get back to patrol. Will you be okay?¡± The glittering sparkle that normally surrounds her, and every other Neame, was dulled.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake now; go ahead.¡± I said. She flew away, towards the squad¡¯s direction. Just in time too, because as soon as she was gone, I sat back down, already tired again, and with horrible cramps in my legs.

    I fought through the pain, and the exhaustion, until our squad¡¯s patrol was over. Suma flew to my room on base, then summoned me. I thanked her, and she left. Summoning my backpack, I pulled out some food my mum had put in for me, and had dinner while reading over her latest letter.

    It started the way all of our letters do, with some details about our day, then any requests we may have for the other, but I¡¯m usually the only one who has any, then that¡¯s followed up with anything we feel the other needs to know. Apparently, in the four months I¡¯ve been gone, the local police have put out an official arrest warrant for me, because I missed a court date for former Detective Lin¡¯s stalking charge. That led to the charges against her being dropped, and the HMRC case against me getting reopened.

    After writing a quick response to my mum¡¯s letter, and pulling my phone out of my backpack, I sent my bag away with my letter in tow. This is how we have been communicating for the last several months. It¡¯s slow, but it works. I told her to be careful with the bag, because she can¡¯t touch it when I¡¯m summoning it, or she might get pulled here too. She knows about what happened with Zachariah, and that it¡¯s too dangerous for either of us to travel to the other right now.

    Clicking my phone on, I turned on some music, and laid on my bed. I fought it, but eventually I did fall asleep. Just like every time before, I had that same nightmare.

    It always starts off the same, I¡¯m floating in an endless void, and forced to watch from a distance as my mum cries alone in her bed, slowly getting older and older, until she turns to dust. Then it usually moves on to Suma, who¡¯s getting burned by purple flames; my flames. But it isn¡¯t me who¡¯s doing it, it¡¯s the figure in flames, Deyja, the Chaos Dragon. And then, just like every time before, I jolt awake, sweating cold bullets, with my heart pounding so hard in my chest it hurts.

    My phone¡¯s still playing music, its charge says sixty percent battery remaining. Only two hours have passed since I fell asleep. (That¡¯s enough, right? Yeah, for tonight¡­) I thought.

    The night went slowly, and my phone died before the sun rose, so I cast a small fire spell to light up the room. In the blue glow of the small fireball, I resumed working on a project I started a few weeks after I began experimenting with making my own runes. Summoning all the materials I needed for rune-crafting, I started mixing ink with my mana to write the runes with. I dipped the homemade quill into the finished ink, and picked up where I had left off last night. Unsurprisingly, it was extremely easy to find loose feathers to make a quill in a world ruled by magic bird-nymphs.

    My hand shook as the quill ran across the paper, and I had to use my other hand to steady myself. Runes work differently than I had originally believed. They aren¡¯t just writing, but more like written spells. You need to be specific, and to have a clear image in mind while making them, or it won¡¯t turn out as you expected. I¡¯ve tried a few different methods for writing them out, but thinking of them like computer code worked best for most of my needs. Unfortunately, I never learned how to code on a computer, so I had to invent my own version for the runes. In the end, I usually use a combination of what I call ¡°Runic Coding¡± and just very specific writing.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    At the moment, I was working on a wind rune, trying to get something that could fire a controlled stream of fast-moving air that was strong enough to lift a few hundred pounds for a prolonged period of time, but it was more difficult than it sounds. Firstly, prolonged rune usage drains the mana really quickly, and overstuffing the rune with mana breaks it. Secondly, I have to write everything as the opposite of what I want if I plan on directly inserting the mana. I could use a filter, but I don¡¯t want to rely on it in an emergency. Once, I tried mixing my mana into the ink directly, without going through the daljar first, but it didn¡¯t work, and the rune was overstuffed immediately and crumpled to dust before it even turned on. For now, I just don¡¯t understand how the daljars work enough to replace them.

    ¡°How did a Viking invent this the first time?¡± I thought aloud, getting irritated. Of course, I already knew the answer because I¡¯d spent the last few months looking though the memories Zachariah¡¯s put in my head. He did it by accident, and the Neame started perfecting it; probably after he died.

    I started fiddling with the rune-code, which ended up looking like this.

    [1. Intake air at two-hundred kph.] [2. Expel stored air at two-hundred kph.] [3. Repeat.]

    After writing that out, and connecting all the letters and symbols so the mana could flow, I used a daljar to turn it on. There was a loud whirring sound, like a fan turning on, followed by a small but insanely fast spinning tornado that formed just above the rune. I felt the wind run along my skin as it was pulled towards the tornado, and the room grew cold¡­ too cold¡­ and it was getting hard to breath! I reached out to try and pick up the paper I wrote the rune on so that I could break the rune, but the tornado above it was so strong it felt like it would rip my fingers off. As I gasped for air panicking, I did the only thing I could think to do an summoned my hammer, letting it fall down directly onto the rune as it appeared. Twilight, my hammer, was thrown backwards and clean out of my hands as the rune shattered, releasing all of the stored air. It was flung into the wall with a massive crash, breaking the handle off and embedding the metal end into the stone.

    ¡°Huhg!¡± I gasped as the air filled the room, and my lungs, again. Kneeling on the ground, trying to catch my breath, confused shouting voices came from outside.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°It came from this way!¡±

    ¡°Check the rooms, find out what that was!¡± The voices started overlapping as everyone frantically tried to figure out what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get in so much trouble...¡± I sighed, and I was right. As soon as they figured out it was me doing a late night, or really early morning, experiment with runes, I got chewed out by the incredibly grumpy major, who they had to wake up and explain what happened. Then they woke up Suma, so that we could all have a friendly conversation together.

    ¡°And if I ever have to get woken up three hours before sunrise again just to deal with this stupid situation again, I will make the two of you do mana exercises and physical training until MY wings get tired! Do I make myself clear?!¡± The Major shouted at us.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Suma and I said.

    ¡°Private Suma, since Sentinel is your familiar, I consider this your issue as well, and I expect this situation will never happen again!¡± The Major shouted.

    ¡°Never again, sir.¡± Suma said, sheepishly. The Major turned to me.

    ¡°Familiar Sentinel, do I need to remind you of the rules regarding making runes on base?¡± The Major asked.

    ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°Then why were you performing unauthorized rune crafting in your room?¡±

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t sleep sir.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± He angrily repeated my words. ¡°You nearly blew up my base because you could not sleep?! Well¡­ I guess it is a good thing you were not hungry too! Who knows what you might have done!¡±

    ¡°Sir, I guarantee nothing like this will ever happen again.¡± I said.

    ¡°As do I, sir.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°It better not. Now, until further notice, when you are off duty Sentinel, you will confine yourself to quarters. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Dismissed.¡± He said, and Suma and I left his office.

    Suma didn¡¯t say anything on the walk back to our squad¡¯s quarters. She silently sat on my shoulder, but I could feel her emotions through our connection. She was angry, sad, and very worried. ¡°Suma¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said as we arrived at the building.

    She didn¡¯t answer right away, but let the silence hang in the air for a few moments. When she did finally speak, her voice broke. ¡°Goodnight, Jake.¡± With that, she flew inside. I went back to my room, and laid on my bed in the quiet, dark room.

    Later that day, our entire squad was attending a briefing about an upcoming field training exercise between different Drake squads. Our team, third squadron, was going to face off against fifth squadron in a mock battle, to prepare us for our last rounds of training before we are evaluated for ¡®mission readiness¡¯. We had been told it was going to happen a few days before, but we were going to learn the details that day.

    The room was packed full. Not only was the entire team there, even Lieutenant Datahu, but so were all their familiars. Suma was perched on my shoulder, still quiet from earlier. Before the meeting, some of the squad, namely Rou and Nine, were talking about the explosion last night. Apparently, they knew something happened, but Suma, who had been called by the Major after the event, hadn¡¯t told them anything and went straight back to her roost. They asked if I knew what happened, and I explained everything. Nine shook his head disappointedly, and Rou laughed until she fell off her familiar¡¯s saddle; her familiar was actually the nameless goat-dog thing that likes to sit with me on watch.

    ¡°I know you have been learning more about runes, but what made you think experimenting on your own was a good idea?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I just didn¡¯t see the problem with it, and I didn¡¯t have anything else to do.¡± Just as Rou picked herself up, Captain Gigoales flew into the room carrying a rolled up sheet of paper behind him with magic.

    ¡°Alright squad, listen up,¡± he said, and the room went silent. ¡°The details for the mock battle have been worked out. Here is what everyone needs to know. First, our entire team will be participating; as will theirs. Second, only the winning team will be deemed ¡®mission ready¡¯. The losing team will need to complete an additional six weeks of training, and then repeat the test. Third, the objective of this mock battle will be the same as our missions: personal elimination. Our goal is to defeat the other team by any means necessary. We are not expecting casualties, but we do expect injuries. We will have healers on standby, however, once injured, you are considered ¡®dead¡¯ and will be removed from the exam. That being said, no matter how many of the other team are defeated, so long as one remains, that team can still achieve either victory or defeat. Whichever team runs out of personnel first, loses. Finally, we will have one hour to prepare before the start of the battle, and we will use that time to come up with a plan as a team. Does anyone have any questions?¡± The Captain finished.

    Odens spoke up, ¡°does that mean that even if we defeat all but one member, and then that member somehow defeats us, that we will still lose?¡±

    ¡°Correct. As I said, the only goal is personnel elimination. This is meant to simulate battlefield conditions.¡±

    (The team that comes back is the one that wins.) I thought.

    ¡°Are there any spell types that are off limits?¡± Suma asked. Hearing her speak made me a little happy, since she hadn¡¯t spoken a word to me since last night.

    ¡°Only Death Magic,¡± the Captain said looking at me. ¡°Other than that, we need to ensure that no spells with the ability to outright kill an opponent are used. This is only training after all.¡±

    ¡°You and the Lieutenant will also be participating, correct?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Lieutenant Datahu answered. ¡°But so will the other team¡¯s officers.¡±

    ¡°This change will be a part of our team¡¯s training going forward. From now on, all training exercises will include the team¡¯s officers. Assuming we are the winner, that is.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°When will the training take place?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In one day.¡± He answered. ¡°But before that, I¡¯d like to take a moment and congratulate all of you. For the last several months, you have all put in the effort, and improved your skills considerably. Some of you have faced real combat-¡± he paused for a moment and glanced at Suma and I ¡°-but you took those hardships  with unfurled wings, and flew higher. I am confident in your skills. Whether we win this exercise or not, I am proud to be your Captain.¡±

    ¡°Well said, sir.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said. One by one, each member of our team thanked him. With that, our meeting was dismissed, and we left.

    The rest of the squad flew back to our quarters, but Suma stayed perched on my shoulder as I walked. She looked like she had something to say, and so did I. ¡°Suma¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You got in trouble with the Major because of me. You have every right to be angry about it.¡±

    ¡°I am, Jake, but not because of what the Major said.¡± An icy breeze blew through, stinging my skin and ruffling Suma¡¯s feathers. ¡°You said you would sleep.¡±

    ¡°I did¡­ I tried to, anyway. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You do not need to apologize. I simply¡­ I am concerned for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I said, trying to reassure her. But I barely believed it myself, so how could she?

    ¡°After all we have been through, all you have been through¡­ it is okay to not be fine. I want you to be okay, but if you are not¡­ I will listen.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Please, Jake. Tell me what you are feeling.¡± At this point, I¡¯d stopped walking, and Suma used magic to make a perch for herself. We stood in the empty blue field as the cold wind chilled us both.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I¡¯m not feeling anything.¡± I finally said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just numb. At first when I got stuck here, I was so sad, and then I was just angry all the time. But now¡­ I don¡¯t feel anything.¡± Suma stayed quiet. She probably didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Suma, I miss my mum, and I¡­ I just feel trapped.¡±

    ¡°And that is why you cannot sleep?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You want to go home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°When you do, will you come back?¡± She asked. I stayed quiet, but shrugged, because I really didn¡¯t have an answer for her. ¡°I see.¡± There were a few more moments of quiet between us, with the only sounds being the wind blowing past us and the occasional rustling of the tall grass. ¡°You-¡± Suma¡¯s voice broke in a way that told me she was trying not to start singing; something her people do instead of crying. ¡°Your dream, will you tell me about it?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I told you, I want to listen, and help. Maybe talking about it will help?¡± I sighed, and started to explain the dream again. I told her about the part with my mum, and with her getting burned. ¡°Purple flames; like the Vikings?¡±

    ¡°Like mine.¡± At some point my cheeks started to burn. Assuming it was the wind, I¡¯d put my hands on my face to warm it up, and instead felt something wet. Without realizing it, tears had been running down my cheeks, making the wind worse. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help you Suma, when he took my body. I was helpless then, and¡­¡± I gasped suddenly, catching my breath, ¡°and he made me-¡±

    ¡°That was not you, Jake. You know that.¡± Suma interrupted.

    ¡°But it could have been. You said yourself that I nearly hurt you.¡±

    ¡°The dragon nearly hurt me, but he was stopped. By that strange magic, remember?¡± She said, and I placed a hand on my shoulder. She¡¯d told me about what happened. How the circle on my shoulder stopped me from killing her. ¡°That circle protected me. And if something happens, and you lose your body again, then the mark will protect me again.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± I said.

    ¡°I do. But the point is moot, because it will not happen again and because I know you would never hurt me.¡± Suma flew over to my shoulder, and rested the front of her head against my temple. ¡°Jake, you are hurting so much, and I do not know how to help you. But please, let me try.¡±

 Book 3- Part 2

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Some conversations are difficult to have, to process, and to end. I had a conversation like that with Jake yesterday. He has not been the same since the attack, or rather, since he became trapped in Atmosia. The morning after our conversation, we needed to go and join the planning meeting for our mock battle.

    ¡°Jake?¡± I asked, flying to the meeting site in the nearby forest alongside Rou, Odens, and Nine. It may have been morning, but it was abnormally hot, so we were flying through the steam drifting upwards from the forest¡¯s dew evaporating, making it difficult to see.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Did you sleep?¡±

    ¡°A little bit.¡±

    ¡°Was it enough?¡±

    ¡°About five hours.¡± He said, not directly answering my question.

    ¡°I am almost to the meeting site.¡± I said, spotting it and tilting downwards.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, don¡¯t worry.¡± He said, as I landed after spotting both Lieutenant Datahu and Captain Gigoales waiting for us on the ground.

    ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡± I said, summoning Jake beside me. The others summoned their familiars as well. Jake appeared, already wearing his metal garments; his armor as he calls them.

    ¡°Now that everyone is here, we can begin planning. Remember, we only have one hour before the mock battle begins.¡± Captain Gigoales said. The planning session began, but I closely monitored Jake as everyone talked. He still seemed tired. Normally, summoning a familiar refreshes them, even heals their injuries to a small extent, but lately it has not worked as well for Jake. Listening to the team talk about our strategy, I saw Jake shifting his armor as it sagged on him. It did not do that before, but Jake had gotten smaller over the last few weeks. Not by much, but it was beginning to become noticeable if you looked for it.

    ¡°Sentinel,¡± Lieutenant Datahu said, ¡°I think it would be best if you stayed near the Captain and myself. Your ability to contact Private Suma over distance will be invaluable.¡±

    ¡°You, Private Suma, will splinter off with Privates Rou and Odens to scout, then report to Sentinel what you find, and he will report it to us.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Jake answered. ¡°However, if the goal of the battle is to eliminate targets, shouldn¡¯t I-¡±

    The Captain cut him off, ¡°No. In normal combat, that would be a valid strategy. However, your spells are far too lethal to use during this exercise. Please refrain from using any attack spells, for the sake of our fellow Drake members.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Jake answered, nodding his head. ¡°But what should I do if I¡¯m cornered?¡±

    ¡°If our sparing sessions have taught me anything Sentinel, it is that unless one of the enemy team¡¯s officers battle you, then you will be fine simply relying on your defensive abilities.¡± The Lieutenant answered. Over the last few months that Jake has been here, he and the Lieutenant have sparred several times; maybe even more than a dozen. While he has not won any of their bouts, he has lasted longer each time; despite the numerous injuries he would sustain.

    I remembered their last bout not because of how close Jake came to winning, but because of how many injuries he had afterwards. There were holes the size of Gimlin seeds all across his body, always between the gaps of his armor. At times, I even wondered if he would lose his appendages, but he always made a full recovery. I asked him why he did not give up the match once, and all he said was that he ¡®needed to get used to it.¡¯

    ¡°Remember your training team, use the RARR tactics we taught you to disorientate the enemy, do as much damage and quickly as possible, and then retreat.¡±

    ¡°And always stay below the treetops. It is hard to kill you, if they cannot see you.¡± The Lieutenant added.

    ¡°Perhaps a distraction could draw out the other team? That would make scouting far simpler.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°What kind of distraction?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°Maybe a trap?¡± Jake said.

    ¡°A trap?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°I could use magic to make myself an obvious target, and you and the Lieutenant could take them down as they approached.¡±

    ¡°An interesting idea.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said. ¡°What kind of magic?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it would have to be big.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°What about a display? But a really big one.¡± Odens said.

    Rou hit him with the back of her wing in his chest; making Odens nearly fall over. ¡°Do not be so crass, this is serious.¡±

    ¡°Ow! I was being serious! Jake, have you ever played display dominance?¡± Odens asked. Nine shook his head, and continued to listen quietly as Odens explained what he meant. We all knew Odens loved the game, and played it with other teams after training was over; mostly because none of us enjoyed it.

    ¡°Uh, I think Suma told me about this one, but I don¡¯t-¡± Jake started to asked, but the Captain interrupted.

    ¡°What does this have to do with the distraction, Private Odens?¡±

    ¡°Sorry sir. I just bet he could make a really big display. That would probably draw in someone.¡± Odens said, then quickly explained what a display was.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve done that before actually. I got attacked by a wyvern once, and that happened to me during it. I don¡¯t know how to make it happen on purpose though. Last time, it was an accident.¡±

    ¡°Are we really planning to have him create a display?¡± Nine asked. He sounded as put off at the thought as the rest of us were, excluding Odens.

    ¡°Are there any other suggestions?¡± Captain Gigoales asked.

    ¡°Maybe he could cast a spell that could get their attention? Like a lightning bolt spell.¡± Rou said. Jake flinched, and declined the offer. Likely remembering his injuries from his first, and last, attempt to use lightning.

    ¡°Alright then, any other ideas?¡± The Captain asked, and was met with no replies. There was a collective feeling of disappointment and shame in the group, excluding Jake, who was confused, and Odens, who was practically singing with joy.

    The rest of the hour was spent teaching Jake how to produce a display, a task Odens happily took upon himself, and planning for any possible counterattacks from the other team. We knew the hour was expended when a large bolt of blue magic streaked across the orange sky and pink clouds, then exploded with a sound like thunder.

    ¡°Alright scouts, get moving.¡± Captain Gigoales said. Just as planned, myself, Odens, and Rou all took flight in formation, and began searching the forest from below the canopy.

    The canopy above us rushed past as we flew. Half an hour had passed since we split from the rest of the team. As we went, I gave regular updates to Jake, who gave them to the Captain. Odens was far to my left, and Rou was flying ahead of us and to the right. Our search was slow, but thorough.

    ¡°We have not found any signs of the other team yet.¡± I said to Jake over our private connection.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been long enough; we¡¯re going to start the display now.¡± He said.

    ¡°Jake is going to start his display now.¡± I said to the others. They needed to know so that they would not think it was from the other team. A moment later, we all felt a sudden burst of magic coming from the north of us.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Rou said surprised, looking towards the direction of the mana, ¡°that¡¯s all from one familiar?¡±

    ¡°You know, I have noticed this before, but it is quite obvious now; Jake¡¯s mana feels¡­ strange.¡± Odens said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell with all of them, but I always notice it when he casts his ¡®Railgun¡¯ spell during drills.¡±

    ¡°Odens!¡± Rou snapped.

    ¡°I am not trying to be rude. I just-¡± Odens started, but I interrupted him.

    ¡°I understand. Jake¡¯s mana does feel¡­ different that most. I noticed it myself years ago. Over time, I have simply grown¡­ accustomed to it.¡±

    ¡°Look, I think you can see the edge of his display over the canopy in the distance.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°We need to focus. Has anyone seen anything yet?¡± I asked, shifting the conversation. Displays are not easy, and producing one requires giving into an assortment of uncomfortable emotions. So the thought of Jake do so, especially with everything he has gone through recently, was an unpleasant thought.

    ¡°Nothing yet.¡±

    ¡°Nothing here either.¡± They both reported. Minutes later, the sounds of fighting rang out in the distance.

    ¡°It sounds like the trap worked.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°And we still have not yet found any signs of the other team.¡± I sighed, worrying about Jake.

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    ¡°Should we spread out? It would make the search faster.¡± Odens suggested.

    ¡°No, it would defeat the purpose of having me here. We need to have instant communication between the groups.¡± I said.

    After a short time, the fighting stopped, and the overwhelming feeling of Jake¡¯s mana faded away. ¡°Did the trap work?¡± I asked Jake through our connection, and our group stopped flying for a moment and landed among the tree branches to rest.

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± He answered.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°We have not found any signs of the other team yet.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Still nothing.¡± I told to the Captain.

    ¡°Then we will begin your display.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been long enough; we¡¯re going to start the display now.¡± I told Suma, and ended the connection. According to Odens, a display is strongest when you¡¯re angry, so after he taught me to keep one stable, he said I needed to keep myself upset. (Easy.) I thought. With everything that¡¯s happened lately, I knew exactly what to think about to get myself angry. (The only hard part would be choosing which one from the obscenely long list: getting stuck in this world, my mum, the stupid dragon, Zachariah nearly blowing up my head, getting body-snatched, those arrogant nobles, the-)

    Before I could finish my thoughts, Lieutenant Datahu¡¯s voice snapped me out of it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s an unpleasant feeling.¡± I opened my eyes and realized the display had already started, and we were standing in a massive cloud of blue and purple fog, just like when Suma and I were attacked by those nobles and his wyvern.

    ¡°Quite.¡± The Captain agreed. Both were perched nearby, inside the fog. They seemed uncomfortable, and the natural sparkle the Captain had even seemed duller. Of course, the Lieutenant barley sparkled, so that was nothing new. I looked for Nine, but his feathers were basically the same color as the fog, so it took me a minute to spot him, especially since he was the only Neame I knew that didn¡¯t possess that sparkle. After a moment, I found him off to the side, looking very uneasy.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do not worry about us, Sentinel. We will be fine. Focus on keeping the display up, and we will hide.¡± The Lieutenant said, and flew away into the trees. I lost Nine quickly, but saw the Captain hide under an outcropping of tree roots before disappearing. They¡¯d been warned beforehand about the inversion effect, so they knew what to expect, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d get sick from it.

    With them gone, I just focused on maintaining the display, which meant focusing on staying angry. It was weird, after all these months, I thought I¡¯d just gone numb to it, but laying it all out in my mind, one after the other, I was furious all over again. Like it had just happened yesterday.

    Without knowing how much time had passed, but it somehow still felt like an instant, and an eternity, I heard a voice I didn¡¯t recognize yell, ¡°by the dragons!¡± Whoever it was, they sounded pretty surprised. Looking around to find them, I realized the fog had gotten so thick that you couldn¡¯t see more than a meter away, let alone find a voice in it. A sudden bright flash above me erupted, and I heard a scream, followed quickly by the thump of something hitting the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡±

    ¡°Just like the Captain said!¡± Two more voices yelled. All of this was followed up with more flashes. ¡°THEY¡±RE NOT GOING DOWN!¡± A sudden crack of thunder echoed out, and another thump fell behind me. I looked around, and saw a Neame laying in the blue grass. After confirming he was still alive, just knocked unconscious, I refocused on maintaining the display. But it became a lot harder to do with the sounds of battle all around you.

    ¡°There you are!¡± A voice above me said. I looked up and saw a Neame dive-bombing straight for me. Just before I had the chance to cast a spell, one of the roots of a nearby tree shot out of the ground, and slammed into him. He hit the ground with a thud. Without warning, Nine flew past me, checked the Neame, then disappeared back into the fog.

    ¡°We are clear!¡± The Captain¡¯s voice yelled. ¡°You can stop your display.¡±

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± I yelled, finally letting myself calm down.

    ¡°Cold,¡± Nine said. ¡°They kept using fire magic.¡±

    ¡°Good to know lightning cannot be inverted.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said, just as the fog started to fade. They all landed beside me, each on different perches made from twisted vines and roots. ¡°Though I am surprised we did not encounter more resistance.¡±

    ¡°They would have known-¡± the Captain said, then stopped without warning, and looked off in the distance. Just as I looked, I felt a surge of pain, and fell down.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± I yelped, and my body seized up. With that, I blacked out.

    I don¡¯t know how long it was before I woke up again, but when I did, Nine was sitting on my chest. ¡°You¡¯re out.¡± He said, then motioned with a wing to a nearby tree. ¡°You can go sit with the others if you want.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°The other team¡¯s Captain hit you with a bolt of lightning, then flew off. Captain Gigoales chased after him, but he has not come back yet.¡± I looked over to the tree that Nine had pointed at, and saw several Neame perched on the branches. Some were just watching, others were receiving medical attention from healers.

    ¡°Did we win?¡± I asked, not yet wanting to move.

    ¡°We took out most of their team with our trap. All that is left is their Captain, and one private.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Did we lose anyone?¡±

    ¡°Just you.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Are you not going to get up?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°In a minute.¡± I groaned. After about five minutes of working the stiffness out of my body, I finally got up. Just in time to see the Captain fly overhead and land next to Lieutenant Datahu. I walked over to the tree, and one of the Neame cast a healing spell on me. A moment later, the Captain flew over and landed in front of me.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Better. Did you get the last of them?¡±

    ¡°No. I was defeated. While fighting their Captain, the private landed a hit on me. It is up to the others now.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°Did the trap work?¡± Suma¡¯s voice suddenly asked over our connection.

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± I answered.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Jake¡¯s news caught us all off guard. ¡°Our two best weapons were both taken out by the enemy team¡¯s Captain?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°It would appear so. The Lieutenant asked us to return, and to be on the lookout; just to be safe.¡± I told her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she is nervous.¡± Odens said. ¡°There are five of us, and only two of them. If we work together, I¡¯m sure we can win.¡±

    ¡°I do not know,¡± I said, and spread my wings, ¡°but we only need to follow orders for now.¡± We all flew straight for the area that Lieutenant Datahu and Nine were, being careful to not run into the remaining members of the other team as we did by staying in the higher tree-branches. Hidden by the leaves, and moving slowly, we arrived safely.

    ¡°Ah, good, everyone made it.¡± The Lieutenant said, seeing us as we perched. Nine and her were beside one another, but facing away, to keep watch on both sides.

    ¡°Is everything okay, Lieutenant?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°Without the Captain, this became much harder.¡± She said.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, there are five of us. Surely, we can-¡± Oden said, but was cut off.

    ¡°The five of us may not be enough to stop a squad Captain. Without our Captain, our fighting strength has been cut into one-third of what it was when we began.¡±

    ¡°Was the Captain truly that strong?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°While he may not have been as physically impressive as Sentinel in terms of life force density and mana reserves, our Captain still had decades of experience in combat.¡± She answered.

    ¡°But you were a court mage!¡± Rou said.

    ¡°And he was a royal mage, much like our opponent.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°Do not be confused, though our numbers may be greater, that is currently our only advantage. I would estimate that our team is currently out matched.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it will be hard?¡± Odens asked.

    ¡°Yes, but our numbers can help us.¡±

    ¡°What can we do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Attack from all sides, and hope to catch him by surprise.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°But first, we need to take out the private that is assisting him.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°We will need every advantage we can get. Leaving him without a partner could prove to be what allows us to succeed.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Nine asked, speaking up for the first time.

    ¡°We draw out the private, separating him from the Captain, and take him down. After that, we might be able to use the private as bait to lure the Captain into an ambush.¡±

    ¡°What do we use as bait? One of our familiars?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be enough. It has to be one of us. Private Suma, you are the fastest member of our team besides myself, you will do it.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Me?¡± I asked surprised.

    ¡°We will set up an ambush, and we will spring the trap as soon as the two of you are in position. You need to lure him in as quickly as possible. If you do not, then the Captain could show up, and that will be our defeat.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am.¡± I said, accepting my role.

    Our team spent a few more minutes scouting out the best area for an ambush, and going over details on how best to capture the private. Once we were all ready, I set out in the direction that the Lieutenant saw the Captain come from and retreat to during our team¡¯s original confrontation. Less than half an hour later, I spotted, or rather was spotted, and the plan was put into motion. Casting a spell to enhance my speed, and I flew away as quickly as I could and hoped the Neame who spotted me would follow.

    Behind and below me, I sensed a build up of mana; a spell was being cast. I adjusted my course, and barely avoided a fire spell that detonated merely a wingspan and a half from me. With a deafening explosion, the force of the spell stunned me for a moment, and the bright flash blinded me. I felt my wings brushed past branches and leaves rapidly until I regained my sight, just in time to quickly close my wings and dive so as to not fly beak first into a branch. Looking over my shoulder, I could not find the private who had been chasing me, nor did I sense any more spells being cast. However, I did not slow down. Reapplying the enhancement spell, I resumed course for the rest of my group, and the ambush location.

    (Nearly there). I thought, but sensed a massive buildup of mana below me. Without looking down, I gained as much altitude as I could, and veered to the left; rolling over in the process to try and see where the attack might come from. I flew into the densest part of trees so that the leaves could provide me with some cover, but just as I thought I was safe, another explosion went off beside me, burning my right side, and destroying a large section of the foliage around me. My cover was gone, my right wing was numb, and I was falling!

    Panicking, I tucked my wings again, and dove, then flared them and corrected myself. Casting a healing spell while flying was not easy, but doing so while being chased was impossible. So instead, I simply kept flying; straight for the team. My heart was racing, my wings ached, and to make things worse, I sensed another, larger, buildup of magic. Without warning, I heard an explosion, but this time I did not feel it. In fact, it came from behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my team all attacking the private!

    ¡°Land and heal, Suma!¡± Odens shouted. ¡°We got him!¡± One by one they cast spells, most of which the private was able to evade. He even managed to cast anther of those exploding spells, which Nine was caught in.

    ¡°AHH!¡± Nine yelled, and fell to the ground. Once I finished healing my own wing enough, I flew over and healed Nine. He was unconscious, and therefore out of the exercise. In the end, the private was taken down by a spell from the Lieutenant, and I treated his wounds as well.

    ¡°You did well, team.¡± The Lieutenant congratulated us. She turned to the private, who I was casting a healing spell on, ¡°and so did you, soldier. Do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°Lika-Pac.¡± He answered.

    ¡°Pac?¡± I wondered. ¡°Do you know a Von-Pac?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is my cousin.¡± He looked at my wing, which was still numb from his earlier spells. ¡°Is your wing okay?¡±

    I looked down it; it was singed from the flamed, and sore, ¡°I am fine.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I need more practice.¡±

    (He is certainly Von-Pac¡¯s family.) I thought.

    ¡°You did well, Lika-Pac. Even when outnumbered and being attacked from all sides, you still managed to take out a member of the opposing force while avoiding their spells. You have been trained quite well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant.¡± He answered. ¡°I will take leave of the field now.¡±

    ¡°Not yet. You are our hostage now.¡± She looked to Nine, who had just woken up. ¡°Off the field Private. Go fill in everyone on what¡¯s happening.¡±

    Nine was rattled and disappointed at being outed from the exercise, but he was well enough to fly. Once he was gone, Rou tied up Lika-Pac with a spell to manipulate the surrounding roots and branches of the trees. Now secured, Odens portion of the mission was to begin.

    ¡°Roar of thunder, and the wingbeats of flame, gather before me and cry unto the heavens!¡± He said, chanting a spell. A ball of red lightning formed in front of him. For a moment, the lightning pulsated with a high-pitched ring, and then shot into the air. It gave off a noise like a screeching borog beast, before exploding like thunder. Just as I thought the spell was over, several smaller bolts shot out from it, each crackling like a snapping branch as they fell from the sky and faded away.

 HDMGF Book 3- Part 3

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was sitting under the tree that all the other members of today¡¯s exercise were perched on. So far, only two members of our squad had been taken out, but most of the enemy team was already here, with the exception of their Captain and one private. Captain Gigoales was perched in the branches, talking with the members of the other team, giving them advice on their future tactics and a lecture on ambush preparedness protocols; seeing as almost their entire team was taken out in an ambush, most of them were paying attention.

    Sitting in the shade, I started to sense Suma¡¯s emotions; anxiety, pain, and exhaustion. Whatever she was doing, she was scared and hurting. ¡°I think they¡¯re about done!¡± I called up to the others.

    They all looked down before one of them asked, ¡°how do you know?¡±

    ¡°Suma¡¯s hurt, scared, and tired. They¡¯re probably in the home stretch.¡±

    ¡°How hurt?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Not very¡­ but she is rattled. Her wing, I think.¡± I said, focusing on the sensations. I¡¯d gotten pretty good are reading them, but only when her emotions were strong.

    ¡°You are Sentinel, correct? The Viking familiar?¡± A brownish colored Neame asked.

    ¡°Not a Viking, but yes; I¡¯m Sentinel, a familiar.¡± I answered, looking up at them.

    ¡°I see, well¡­ how are you aware of what is happening to our comrades? Is it some kind of spell that allows you to see them?¡± The brown one asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what it is really, but I can sense Suma¡¯s emotions if they get strong enough. It¡¯s probably a familiar¡¯s thing.¡± I leaned back against the tree, and Captain Gigoales flew down to the ground, landing beside me.

    ¡°Sentinel, may I have a word with you in private?¡± I nodded my head, then followed him as he flew out of earshot of everyone else. Once we were several meters away, he landed on some roots, and asked me to sit with him. I molded a chair out of roots, and sat. ¡°At this point, I do not know which team will be victorious, but I wanted to discuss what would happen if were our team that is.¡±

    ¡°You said we would be going on missions, right?¡±

    ¡°That is correct. From this point onwards, the team would be receiving missions, one of which has already been selected, and will be given to the victor. But that is not what I wanted to discuss with you.¡±

    ¡°No?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Our missions are deadly, going on one insures that someone will die, whether that be you, or an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, I am aware.¡± A lump formed in my throat, and I tried to swallow it.

    ¡°If I gave you an order to kill someone, would you?¡±

    My chest tightened, but I thought about my mum, and what I would do to get back to her. Killing was something I knew I was going to have to do. I always figured that in the moment, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate, but after everything that happened, I¡¯d started to wonder about that. ¡°I-¡±

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    ¡°Your hesitation worries me.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°I would do whatever it took to protect the squad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡± He said.

    ¡°I guess it would depend on who it was.¡±

    ¡°A target. Someone that the team is sent to kill. It could be an enemy general, or a foreign dignitary.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I answered. ¡°I would need to know why.¡±

    ¡°Because you were ordered to.¡± He said. His voice remained even through our discussion. The Captain wasn¡¯t mad, he just needed answers.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a good enough reason.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I suppose it is not.¡± The Captain sighed. ¡°It is rare to receive an assassination mission, especially one without a reason. Your answers were not unexpected. Most would say the same things as you.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean you don¡¯t want me on the mission?¡± I asked, nervous.

    ¡°No, I would be more worried if you agreed to kill someone only because you were told to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you wanted to talk with me without Suma, this seems like the kind of thing she would need to be here for.¡±

    ¡°I will be conducting the same questions with each member of the team in private later, but I did consider doing the both of yours together.¡± He shook his head, and rolled his wing like he was working out some stiffness.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Because I know that her answer and yours may not be the same. You are not like other familiars after all. Most would simply do whatever their master commands, but you are not even under the Rite of Domination.¡± He said, to my surprise.

    ¡°How did you-¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant Datahu had a suspicion, which you just confirmed.¡± He said. I kicked myself inside my own head, and Captain Gigoales sighed. ¡°At this point, it does not matter. You have your own reasons for joining the army, so I will leave it at that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°However, none of this was the point of our talk.¡±

    ¡°Is wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No, Sentinel¡­ Queen Ompera has made a decree. You, and you alone, are being given special permission to use Death Magic in combat however you see fit.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, shocked.

    ¡°You are also being ordered to begin practicing Death Magic on base, under strict observation.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± I said, stunned.

    ¡°Did you, or did you not explicitly say that you would do whatever it took to kill the Chaos Dragon?¡±

    My eyes went wide, and my blood went cold. ¡°How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I received notice from the Queen of your mission.¡± Now his voice was colder, like even the mention of the dragon scared him. ¡°You said it, did you not?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Did you not mean it?¡±

    ¡°No, I meant it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you will begin training.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Good, I will let the rest of the team know of this development after the exam, whether we win or not, your training will begin.¡± He said, but I stayed quiet; unsure what to say. I felt as cold as he sounded at that moment anyway. ¡°One more thing Sentinel, the mission the winning team will be going on: it is an assassination mission.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir¡­¡± I lifted my head, which had sunken down as I thought. ¡°May I ask who the target is?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, if we win, I will tell everyone then.¡± With that, he flew off, and I was left sitting in the forest alone with my thoughts.

    My hands, now cold and clammy, shook. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself, but it didn¡¯t help. I knew this order would be coming soon, to start practicing Death Magic, but I¡¯d almost convinced myself otherwise. I¡¯d hoped it wouldn¡¯t at least.

    Get it together! I shouted at myself in my head. This is war! You knew this would happen. Just hold it together for Mum! Just¡­ I just want¡­

    Memories of a dream cut off my thoughts. Well, not really a dream, but a memory. The heat of the fire, the smell of charred and rotting Neame, and the pain; it all came rushing back. Like I was experiencing it all over again in a brief moment.

    ¡°Zachariah, how did you¡­ how could anyone be okay with that?¡± I needed to know. Opening the memories, I searched for the one I was looking for, and found it quickly. I watched it again, but stopped when I felt myself getting sick. Just as I started searching for what happened before and after that, I felt something from Suma: pain, and a lot of it. Then, nothing. I still felt her, so she wasn¡¯t dead. ¡°Knocked out.¡± I thought about going to her, and making sure she was okay. I¡¯d been practicing it recently, and wanted to try, but decided against it. Instead, I calmed myself down, left the memories, and went back to the group to tell them the news. There¡¯d be time for answers later¡­ Right now, I just wanted to get this exercise over with.

 Book 3- Part 4

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Our plan failed. The enemy Captain didn¡¯t care that we took his squad-mate hostage. As soon as he found us, he went on the attack. There was no warning, no demands for the hostage to be freed. Instead, a bolt of lightning shot directly towards us, striking the hostage, Odens, and Rou all at once. Leaving Lieutenant Datahu and myself alone to fight him. Panicking, and with no real plan, I began casting spells over and over again in the direction that the lightning came from; causing the forest around us to burn.

    ¡°Dive!¡± The Lieutenant shouted. Without thinking, or knowing why, I tucked my wings and dove. Another bolt of lightning, this time from behind, cracked past and struck a tree, narrowly missing me. ¡°Eastward!¡± She said, and cast a spell in that direction. It was the same spell she used against Jake in their match half a year ago. Small but quick orbs darted around, seemingly tracking something I couldn¡¯t see. I cast a spell of my own, trying to aim for where I saw the darts were going. A crimson bolt streaked across the forest, casting just enough light for me to finally catch a glimpse of a single Neame, weaving between the trees at high speed. After trying and failing to hit him with a spell, I lost sight of him again. The Lieutenant however, somehow managed to continuously track the Captain, all while warning me and casting spells of her own. It did not register during the fight, but afterwards, I realized just how large the skill gap was between us.

    A moment later, I saw the Captain again, but only because he was flying straight for me! The Lieutenant shouted for me to escape, but I was not fast enough. He was still coming for me, as if he were planning to ram into me. I tried to dive, but the Captain was beak to beak with me before I could even fold my wings or turn. He stopped less than a wingspan from me. There was no slowing down; he simply stopped, and floated in the air without even needing to beat his wings. His eyes began to glow, a sickly yellow fog surrounded them, and he spoke a single word. ¡°Fear.¡±

    With that, darkness surrounded me, and my body grew too stiff to move. I fell, but I do not remember hitting the ground. What I do remember, is the over-whelming sense of dread rising inside me.

    ¡°Suma,¡± a voice in the darkness said. I looked around, and Jake was standing there.

    ¡°Jake!¡± I shouted¡­ except it was not him. It was that thing again; the monster that killed those Neame.

    ¡°Hello Suma.¡± The monster in the darkness said. Stepping out of the shadows, he raised his palm, and a roaring black flame appeared in his hand, burning the flesh away just like before. Only this time, the flame did not stop at his hand. It spread across his body, causing his ribs, stomach, and even his jaw to burn and fall off; until he looked more like a corpse than Jake. ¡°There¡¯s no circle to protect you this time.¡± He said, raising his flame above his head.

    I screamed, and started falling deeper into the darkness, leaving the monster above me and behind. ¡°Suma, where were you?¡± The voice of my mother said. She and my father flew out of the darkness, and flew beside me as I fell. ¡°Why did you leave?¡±

    ¡°We waited for you to come home! But you died!¡± My father accused me. Looking down, I saw it; my death tree. The branches pulled back, and a wide hole opened up in the center, and I was falling straight towards it! Fell through the hole, and landed hard in the tree¡¯s stump. Flapping wildly, I tried to escape, but the hole I fell through closed before I could get out.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll never see my mum again.¡± Jake¡¯s voice said. I turned and saw him laying on an alter in the center of my death tree, where I was supposed to be. ¡°I¡¯m all alone, because of you!¡± He shouted, as he began to age rapidly, until he turned to dust, and blew away.

    ¡°You stole my son! You took him from his home, and killed him!¡± Jake¡¯s mom¡¯s voice said, but I could not see where she was. She echoed from the shadows, like a wailing spirit. ¡°Worse, you turned my son into a killer; a monster! It¡¯s all your fault!¡±

    Below me, water started to pour into my death tree from cracks in the roots, and Jake¡¯s voice came out of the water. ¡°You think I wanted to be here with you? I was happy! You stole me away, forced me to become your familiar! For what? So you could be special? Oh, look at the amazing Suma everyone! She¡¯s got a Viking familiar!¡±

    Without warning, more voices started to chime in. ¡°You are not special,¡± my mom said, ¡°you are a medium class mage.¡±

    ¡°Low class is more like it. Never had any talent.¡± My dad said. Suddenly, I felt something floating in the water behind me, bump into me. It was Jake. He grabbed me by the wings, and lifted me up.

    ¡°All my power, I could have been someone! But you held me down! If it weren¡¯t for you!¡± He shouted. ¡°I should have killed you the day we met!¡± He screamed, and dunked me into the water. I could not breath! His grip¡­ I could not¡­ I was going to die!

    ¡°Please¡­ no¡­¡± I begged, choking on the water.

    ¡°SUMA!¡± Everyone shouted. ¡°SUMA!¡±

    I tried to yell, but the water was filling my lungs¡­ ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡°SUMA!¡± The voice of the Lieutenant said, and I snapped out of the darkness. My breathing was fast, and ragged; I could even feel my heart pounding in the tips of my wings, and the base of my tailfeathers. ¡°By the dragons, are you alright?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked again.

    ¡°W-what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Captain Nexen cast his spell, and you fell¡­ far. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± I stammered.

    ¡°My most sincere apologies, Private Suma. I did not realize your defense against mental attacks was so low. Are you injured?¡± The Captain who had been attacking us earlier asked, now calm and docile.

    ¡°N-uh¡­ what?¡± No matter how hard I tried, I still could not force myself to form a complete sentence. I was still in shock.

    ¡°We should have her looked at by a few healers, she may have hit her head.¡± Captain Nexen suggested.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send up a flare.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said, and cast a spell similar to the one Odens had used earlier. Moments later, two Neame arrived, and began casting healing spells on me, while I continued to lay stunned and motionless on the forest floor.

    ¡°One broken wing, and a bad cut to her head, but nothing lethal.¡± One of them said, and cast a spell on my wing. I heard a sickening crunch and my wing, which had been bent almost completely backwards and twisted unnaturally, slowly drug itself back into place. Strangely enough, I felt none of this; not until my wing untwisted itself, and then I felt all of it.

    ¡°Ahugh!¡± I shouted as soon as the pain set in, and threw up from the sudden sensations.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that means the spell is working.¡± One of the healers attending to me said coldly.

    Once I was healed, I found the strength to speak again. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I cast a spell to show you what you feared most, and you fell rather far.¡± Captain Nexen said.

    ¡°So, we lost?¡± I asked, as one of the healers helped me stand up by placing her head under my body for support.

    ¡°No, we won.¡± Answered the Lieutenant.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°When Captain Nexen cast his spell, I attacked him from behind. You gave me the perfect distraction Private Suma. Good job.¡± She explained.

    ¡°It was a gamble. I suppose I¡¯m not as quick as I once was, but you are quite skilled nonetheless, Lieutenant.¡± Nexen said.

    ¡°But¡­ we lost almost every member of our team¡­ Should we really-¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant, don¡¯t tell me your squad has not had ¡®the talk¡¯ yet?¡± Nexen asked.

    ¡°The Captain wanted to wait until our team was ready.¡± She said.

    ¡°The talk?¡± I asked, still feeling lightheaded, and still grappling with what I saw.

    ¡°Do not worry, Private. I am sure, now that our squad has won, you all will be receiving it very soon.¡±

 Book 3- Part 5

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    The sounds of wingbeats announced the arrival of the last few participants of the exercise. The remaining members of our team, and the last two members of the other team landed with their groups. Suma and the Lieutenant landed by the Captain, while Rou, and Odens landed by Nine, who had shown up earlier.

    I walked up to Suma and asked, ¡°are you okay?¡± But she didn¡¯t answer. She was staring off into space. The sparkle around her was dim, and she seemed distracted. ¡°Suma?¡± I reached down and placed a hand in her wing to get her attention.

    ¡°Ah!¡± She shouted, and flinched. A pang of hurt hit my heart for a second, but she quickly said she was sorry. ¡°Oh, Jake, I am so sorry. I am still a bit anxious for some reason.¡±

    ¡°My sincere apologies, Private Suma. That may be the lingering effects of my spell.¡± The other Captain said, fluttering down next to us.

    ¡°Your spell?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, I cast a spell on her during the exercise. It appears she has a low tolerance for Mind Magic. She will likely feel uneasy for a few more hours; until the effects dissipate.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked Suma again.

    ¡°I¡­ yes. I will be fine.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Who won?¡± A member of the other team suddenly called out. For a moment, I held my breath for a moment, nervous to hear the answer.

    ¡°It was our loss.¡± The Captain of the enemy team announced, and I sighed, relieved. Captain Gigoales nodded his head respectfully, while the rest of our team, minus the Lieutenant, celebrated.

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry, Captain.¡± One of the other team member said.

    ¡°Do not be. You all performed admirably. Tomorrow, we will resume our training, and seize victory next time.¡± The Captain said proudly, and ordered his team into formation before flying away with them. With that, our team was left in the forest.

    ¡°Squad three.¡± Captain Gigoales said, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Good job. You all performed your role to the best of your ability, and accomplished the mission. Because of that, we won, and will proceed to the next step: our first mission.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­ are you sure we are ready?¡± Rou asked. ¡°We lost almost every member of your team in this exercise.¡±

    Instead of answering her question, he asked one to the Lieutenant. ¡°Lieutenant Datahu, how many teams have you been a part of during your time with the Drake Squads?¡±

    ¡°Seven, sir.¡± She answered.

    ¡°And how many missions have you been on?¡±

    ¡°Fifteen, sir.¡± A quiet confusion settled on us, but it was Odens who broke it.

    ¡°I do not understand sir. What was the point of asking her that question?¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant Datahu, of those fifteen missions, how many were successful?¡± The Captain asked, ignoring Odens.

    ¡°Fourteen, sir.¡±

    ¡°And how many of your former teammates have you seen recently?¡±

    ¡°Three, sir.¡± That one, she answered¡­ coldly; solemnly even.

    ¡°And why is that?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Because of the thirty-five teammates I have served with, only three survived our missions, sir.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Rou asked; her voice sounded both confused, and horrified.

    ¡°We expect a high mortality rate in the Drakes. We lay our lives down with each mission we accept. Not because we expect to live, not for glory, but because if we do not do these missions, if no one does them¡­ Neame die. Innocent hatchlings, mothers, fathers¡­ they are why we fight, they are why we die. You each had your own reasons for joining. Some because you knew that serving a year with us fulfilled your military requirements. Some because you wanted to make a difference. Whatever your reason was¡­ this is it now. Not for yourself, but for them. For the mission.¡± The Captain said. As he spoke, I felt cold. There were no chills running down my spine. Instead, my palms got clammy, and my mouth went dry. I tried and failed to swallow that same knot that has been showing up more and more recently in my throat.

    ¡°How high of a mortality rate?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fifty percent per mission.¡± The Lieutenant answered.

    ¡°Why¡­ why did you not tell us about this?¡± Rou asked quietly.

    ¡°This is the Drakes; the most dangerous covert operation teams in our kingdom. You already knew.¡± Gigoales answered.

    Yeah¡­ but I sure didn¡¯t like to think about it. I thought, finally facing reality. ¡°Sir, we won. What¡¯s our mission?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Before we move on, does anyone have anything they¡¯d like to say?¡± The Captain asked. No one spoke up. They were probably either in shock, or just didn¡¯t know what to say. I felt Suma¡¯s emotions though our link. She was confused, scared, and angry; she was well within her rights to be, I guess. ¡°Alright then. Our first mission it to move behind enemy lines, to the island of Sangu.¡±

    ¡°For what purpose?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    ¡°Assassination.¡± Captain Gigoales said. ¡°Our scouts report that the Southern Union is utilizing a powerful weapon. Which is how they were able to take the island in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you said it was an assassination. Did you mean sabotage?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No. The weapon is a powerful familiar.¡±

    ¡°What familiar could be powerful enough to take and hold a whole island? Some kind of lesser dragon?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°The reports suggest the familiar is called Harbinger¡­ and that it fits the description of a Viking.¡± The Captain said.

    There were other questions asked, and I think some of them were even asked to me, but I couldn¡¯t hear them. All I could hear was a single thought, repeating in my head. A person?

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Lieutenant Datahu¡¯s POV</u>

    Luminous braids, hung from the ceiling of Captain Gigoales¡¯s office, cast a dim shadow on the three of us; myself, Captain Gigoales, and Captain Nexen. It had been four hours since our teams concluded the exercise, and resumed normal duties around base. ¡°Your assessment?¡± Gigoales asked.

    ¡°Your team is impressive. They came up with a good, if a bit odd, strategy, and executed it fairly well. For the most part, I¡¯d suggest more evasion and maneuverability training, but I do think they are ready.¡± Nexen said.

    ¡°And what of Sentinel and Suma?¡± He asked, this time to me.

    ¡°Suma is fast, and a highly skilled healing mage to be sure, though her attacks still need work.¡± I said.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Nexen said. ¡°That familiar though¡­ he is impressive.¡± He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°That display he made was immense. I have never seen anything like it before. Controlling a spell inside of it proved more difficult than I assumed it would be. I felt like as soon as the mana built up inside me, it changed somehow and threw the balance of the spell off. In combat, that is a dangerous thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I noticed that as well. Speaking of your lightning, how much did you hold it back when you hit him?¡± Gigoales asked.

    ¡°I did not. There were healing mages on standby, and I heard he was much more durable than most mages, so I hit him with my normal attacks. The fact that he was barely injured, and merely rendered unconscious is astounding. An attack of that caliber should have been enough to kill any unprepared Neame.¡± Nexen said.

    ¡°You attacked a member of my squad with full force?¡± I asked, irritated.

    ¡°We need to know what he can do Datahu. Even if it means getting that information in unpleasant ways.¡± Gigoales said, his voice growing intense. ¡°That being said¡­ I specifically requested you to test my team, not try and kill them.¡±

    ¡°It is a Viking, Gigoales. It is not a teammate. If it dies, then so be it. But if I am expected to trust-¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Captain Gigoales said, not so calmly. ¡°He is not your teammate, he is my subordinate, and if you ever do something like this again, I guarantee you will not live long enough to regret your mistake.¡±

    ¡°Age has not tempered your blood any, I see.¡± Nexen sighed. ¡°Fine, his actions are on your head¡­ for now.¡±

    ¡°Back to the debriefing. Regarding your spell against Suma; why did you not hold back your spell against her?¡± I asked, trying to defuse the situation.

    ¡°I did. When I told you that I simply made a mistake, that was no lie. She really is quite sensitive to Mind Magic. Harming her was truly an accident.¡± He said. ¡°It was a good thing I caught the mistake early. As sensitive as she is to it, she might have suffered permanent harm, or gone catatonic.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some training for resisting mental attacks is in order for the squad?¡± I suggested. Captain Gigoales nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Any further statements about the rest of squad three before we move on?¡± Gigoales asked Nexen. He had nothing, so we moved on to our opinions about Nexen¡¯s squad.

 Book 3- Part 6

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was sitting on my bed, the room illuminated by the new glowing strings that had been added recently. In their dull white light, I held the two broken halves of Twilight, my hammer, which I had accidentally snapped during a rune experiment a few days ago. Earlier, I¡¯d been told that my team was going to kill someone¡­ a person, not a Neame. For three hours, I¡¯ve gone back and forth in my head. Wondering if it was a mistake, thinking that they¡¯d been wrong. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a human?

    (I¡¯m in the army, I knew I was going to have to kill someone eventually.) I thought. (Two years here, and I still can¡¯t bring myself to get over this already¡­ Why not?) Sending away Twilight, I laid on my bed, and checked the time on my phone: 8:43 pm. A new letter from my mum was sitting on my desk, but it was still unopened. (How am I¡­ could I, explain this to her? What would Dad say?) My father was in the army, he fought in Iraq during the Gulf War for a year when he was my age, almost thirty years ago. (How did he deal with this? Why is it bothering me so much? It didn¡¯t used to¡­) Years ago, when I first met Suma, I¡¯d come to terms with the idea that I might have to defend myself, and took classes for it specifically. Dad even took me to a shooting range for the first time and taught me how to use a gun, once I was old enough. But I couldn¡¯t ask my dad anymore, and I didn¡¯t want to worry Mum, so instead I decided to search Zachariah¡¯s memories for an answer, or some way to cope with everything.

    His memories had been useful. My magic control is better, I¡¯m starting to figure out how he was able to invert his own spells, and I already learned how he created the runes. Closing my eyes, I opened the memories, and wondered how I was supposed to find a memory on being okay with killing something. (Death.) I thought, and several memories appeared in my mind. Starting with the strongest one, I braced myself.

    I was crouched in a bush, looking at a white fox through the branches. The fox was barely visible, hidden by its fur in the glistening snow. Its head poked out slightly from a burrow, before it jumped out and started walking away. Though I couldn¡¯t see them, I knew there was someone behind me. ¡°Do you see it?¡± The man behind me asked. His voice was rough but quiet. Even though he wasn¡¯t speaking English, I knew what he was saying anyway.

    ¡°Yes, Faeir.¡± Zachariah answered, whispering.

    ¡°Good, then take aim, and kill it.¡± The man said, and handed Zachariah an arrow over his shoulder. Moments later, the arrow was piercing the side of the fox, and Zachariah left to bush to pick it up. ¡°You did good, my son.¡± The man said, and placed a hand on Zachariah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell me, do you know why you killed this fox?¡±

    ¡°To eat?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We eat the fox, because we are stronger. The fox eats the shrew, because the fox is stronger. We kill because that is our way. The strong kill, the weak kill, because we all must survive.¡±

    With that, the memory ended, and I was back in the void, searching through the memories again. ¡°Well¡­ that was helpful.¡± I said sarcastically to myself. ¡°I need something that doesn¡¯t feel like it could fit into a Disney movie.¡±

    Changing my desires from just the memories about ¡®death¡¯ to ¡®dealing with death¡¯, a new group of memories appeared. Opening the next memory, I was transported to a small, cabin style, room. In front of me, laid a woman on a bed. ¡°M¨®eir¡­¡± Zachariah said. It sounded like he was crying, and waves of sadness washed over me; not my own, but his in that moment. Another woman walked up behind Zachariah, followed by his father. She examined the woman on the bed, and told them that she had died. Still holding her hand, Zachariah cried.

    ¡°J?rm, Zachariah, I am sorry for your loss.¡± The woman said, placing a cloth over the woman¡¯s eyes.

    J?rm, wiping his eyes, thanked the woman for trying, and asked that the chieftain be called to perform her ceremony tomorrow.

    The memory faded away, leaving me reeling from the overwhelming emotions. (Okay, I wasn¡¯t ready for that...) I said, and moved to the next memory.

    Now Zachariah was standing in front of a crowd of people, still very upset. Beside him was the woman who had died in the last memory, laying on a ship, with a large blanket draped over her body. On his other side stood a vase of some kind, with fire coming from the top, and his father, facing the ship, while holding a bow and arrow. J?rm was speaking. Telling a story of the woman, named Cewn, and how they met. After he finished talking, several men stepped forward, pushed the ship into the water, and J?rm placed the arrow into the fire. I ended the memory early, not wanting to subject myself to it anymore.

    (I need something more related to battle.) Once I knew what I was searching for, the memories changed again, and I opened one.

    Before the memory became solid, I could already hear shouting. When everything took shape, I saw that Zachariah was running through a town, holding an axe. In front of him were two men, both carrying spears and shields. Zachariah was fighting for his life¡­

    (Nope.) I thought, and immediately closed the memory. (I¡¯m not mentally prepared for that today.) Without paying much mind to time, I searched through more memories, until I found one that felt strange. Confused, I opened it, and immediately knew something was off. Firstly, I was very high up, watching the sun through a tree¡¯s branches. While looking off, I knew there was someone else there.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Your people are quite long lived, right? What are your funerals like?¡± Zachariah asked. but there was something wrong with his voice. It sounded wrong, and I couldn¡¯t feel him talking.

    ¡°They are humble affairs. Why make a spectacle of the inevitable?¡± A voice I remembered all too well said. Normally, hearing the dragon, Deyja, sends shivers down my spine, but this time my blood ran cold. Because I didn¡¯t just hear his voice, I felt him speaking.

    (Please no¡­) I thought, suddenly becoming sick to my stomach, and praying with every fiber of my being that I was wrong about who¡¯s memory this was. (Please¡­ please no.)

    ¡°What do they normally entail?¡± Zachariah asked.

    ¡°For dragons, what you call funerals are normally celebrations of life. First, we entomb the-¡± Cutting the memory off, I woke myself, and got up from the bed.

    With cold sweat pouring off my body, and my stomach in my throat, I started to panic. ¡°Why do I have that monster¡¯s memory in my head?!¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I had been in Captain Gigoales¡¯s private quarters before, but whenever I am, bad news follows. Perched on a vine, across from both the Captain and Lieutenant Datahu, I prepared myself for another bout of whatever misery awaited me. By the dragons, Jake and I were already drowning in it, what else could clip our wings?

    ¡°Thank you for coming, Private Suma.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°My pleasure, sir.¡±

    ¡°The Lieutenant and I simply wanted to inform you of the role Sentinel will be expected to play in our upcoming mission.¡±

    ¡°We also wanted to ask you about his mental state, following the briefing about the mission¡¯s goal.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Should Ja- umm¡­ Sentinel not be here for this then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Perhaps, but we wanted to discuss it with you privately first.¡± She replied.

    ¡°As per the mission specifics, Sentinel will not be the one expected to kill the target, though he should prepare himself for that possibility, should it become necessary.¡± Gigoales explained.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I think he will be pleased to hear that¡­ somewhat, anyway. But what will be expected to do.¡±

    ¡°At the moment, we plan on having him fulfill a support role, using his inversion magic to neutralize enemy attacks. Additionally, after having read the reports from one ¡®Specialist Von-Pac¡¯, Sentinel will provide his mana to our team members while in the field.¡±

    ¡°Specialist Von-Pac?¡± I asked confused. I knew the name, he was the noble that Jake and I trained beside regularly at basic-training camp. To think, he became a specialist so quickly, whereas I am still a private. ¡°May I ask what reports, sir?¡±

    ¡°The reports suggest that an infusion of Sentinel¡¯s mana can massively increase the effectiveness of a spell, as well as completely revitalize a Neame for a short time. As you can understand, that kind of support would be extremely useful in combat.¡±

    ¡°Although we will need to take into consideration the drawbacks also stated in the report.¡± Datahu said. ¡°Extreme lethargy, and an inversion of all spell effects could do more harm than good in many situations.¡±

    ¡°Which is why, in the field, you are forbidden from accessing any of your familiar¡¯s mana. If your spells are inverted, we will lose access to our main source of healing magic.¡± The Captain added.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good, now moving on to Sentinel¡¯s mental state. He seemed to have an extreme reaction to hearing that the target was a member of his own kind.¡±

    ¡°I would think anyone would, Captain.¡±

    Lieutenant Datahu interrupted, ¡°that is not the point, Private. Since Sentinel is not under the Rite of Dominance, your control over him is not total. Our question is: will Sentinel side with his own kind over us, should he be faced with the choice?¡±

    A wave of guilt washed through me, because admittedly¡­ I had asked myself the same question, more than once. ¡°This will be tough for Jake. Killing in battle is different from planning to kill someone specific, especially if he is not prepared for it. Assassination and murder are illegal for a reason; it is cold, calculated, and antithetical to the morals of most of his, and our, kind. To kill someone in battle is to kill while full of emotions, without thinking, without processing. You simply move, fly, and fight, or you will die. But to assassinate someone¡­ there can be no emotion there, except the anxiety of failure, and the understanding that you are actively choosing to kill someone, even if they are not choosing to kill you. Anyone can fight a battle, but taking a life without the need to? That is¡­ well, there is a reason most could never do it, even if they knew they needed to.¡±

    ¡°That is not the answer we had hoped for.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    ¡°Nor did it answer the question.¡± Captain Gigoales pointed out.

    ¡°I believe he would never betray us, but I do not know if he would kill a member of his own kind for us either.¡± I answered.

    ¡°A rather non-committal answer, but it is fine for now. We will do our best to not put him into that situation, as per the original plan.¡± The Captain said. ¡°Changing topics, Datahu, rather than your recent simple sparing matches with Sentinel, I want you to help him develop a defensive spell. He is sorely lacking one.¡±

    ¡°It is true. While his long-range attacks have no equal, as he is now, in close or even medium range combat, he would be outmatched by any medium or upper class mage with combat experience.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°And try to find a way to increase his speed. Moving the whole squad as slowly as he does is not viable, and would get us all killed.¡±

    ¡°Actually, he told me that he was already working on that.¡± I interjected.

    ¡°He already has a spell for it? Excellent.¡±

    ¡°No sir, it was the project he was working on when he accidentally caused that explosion.¡± I said.

    ¡°The rune experiment? I ordered him to cease tho-¡±

    ¡°He has not restarted sir,¡± I interrupted, not wanting to give him the wrong impression. ¡°But he was nearing completion when he stopped. If you allowed him to resume, under careful observation, perhaps he could be ready by the time of our departure?¡±

    ¡°And he could use this rune to increase his speed?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°I believe he said it would be ineffective in combat, but that it would allow him to keep pace with us during travel.¡± I explained, doing my best to remember what Jake had told me about the project.

    Captain Gigoales sighed, and his feathers pressed down against his body. ¡°Fine. He can resume working on the rune experiment, under close supervision.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant, your orders stand. Find Sentinel a spell to defend himself with.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±

    ¡°You both have three days before we deploy for the Island of Sangu. Work day and night if you need to.¡± He added.

 Book 3- Part 7

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    When Suma was told I would have to work day and night by Captain Gigoales, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d mean it so literally. I was just getting used to sleeping normally again, only to be forced to stay away for twenty-four hours straight either training or finishing my project. Less than ten minutes after I had finished my morning training, I was summoning pieces of a bicycle to put them together in Atmosia. I¡¯d written a letter to my mum, asking her to get the pieces of my dad¡¯s old bike from storage, and tie them to my bag so I could bring them here. Six summons later, I got what I needed to make my idea work; including a few spare parts.

    While I was lifting the bike with vines and solidifying them to keep it aloft, Suma flew into my room. ¡°Are you finished yet?¡± She asked.

    ¡°The runes are done, mostly. I still need to make a few for noise cancelling, but it will fly. Now I just need to put everything together.¡± I explained, picking up my rune-crafting tools.

    ¡°Cancelling a sound? What do you mean?¡± She asked. While I mixed the ingredient and carved channels into the bike¡¯s frame for the runes, I tried to explain the concept of soundwaves to Suma. She didn¡¯t really get it, but that may be just because of how bad a teacher I am. Suma stayed with me for a while, watching me work and listening to me talk about how it worked.

    The clays I used for the bike were different from my normal ones. These had to be sturdy enough that they wouldn¡¯t come off if the bike was hit, either by accident or by a spell. A feat I assumed would be difficult, and was. Hours of trial and error, and over twenty daljars worth of mana later, I finally found a method to make a pseudo concrete. Really, it was more like red bricks, but it worked well enough, and held mana enough to let the runes operate.

    ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s it. Would you like to do the honors?¡± I asked Suma, gesturing to the only exposed section of the runes so that she could fill it with mana. She flew up and landed on the seat, then placed one wing on the rune. It glowed a dull green, and a loud noise like a plane¡¯s engine filled the room. The bike, with Suma still on top, lifted ten centimeters off the ground.

    ¡°It is so loud!¡± Suma yelled over the roar of the runes.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very proud! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°What about a crowd?¡± She yelled.

    ¡°Will one of you turn that infernal thing off!¡± Someone yelled behind us, near the doorway. Whoever it was, they were louder than the bike. Turning it off, I turned around and saw Lieutenant Datahu.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t installed the runes to make it quiet yet.¡±

    ¡°It is time for your afternoon training.¡± She said, and I suddenly felt the full force of twenty-four hours without sleep hit me all at once.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I have time for a nap?¡± I asked, yawning.

    ¡°You suppose correctly. Follow me.¡± She said, and I followed her to the pit.

    Once we¡¯d arrived, she cleared the other trainees out, and created several practice dummies. ¡°Your attacks were fine this morning, but you still need defense spells. I will teach you one that can protect yourself, and one that can protect others. However, I am fully aware of your¡­ unique insights¡­ regarding magic, so I encourage you to think of your own variations.¡± Datahu flew behind the dummies, and cast a spell. ¡°This spell manipulates the ground to form a defensive wall.¡± She said, as a rock clade in yellow light shot up from the ground, directly in front of each of the dummies. ¡°It is useful when taking a defensive position on the ground, or protecting a stationary object. However, it is impractical for most other things.¡± The rock slid back into the ground, leaving behind a patch of disturbed dirt, and the yellow glow faded away.

    ¡°I used something like that to defend against a lightning spell once.¡± I said, remembering the entrance exams to get into the Drakes.

    ¡°I am not surprised. It is a fairly simple method of defense. Most Neame know it. Now I will show you the method I prefer, and you will practice using it.¡± Her natural sparkle, what little of it she had anyway, turned green, and the air around her spiraled like a tornado. ¡°This method works extremely well, and can protect you from most fire and wind based attack spells. However it will do little against physical attacks or lightning, so layering it with other spells is the best solution.¡±

    ¡°Does it use a lot of magic?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, though I doubt that would be a problem for you.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you maintain it?¡±

    ¡°I have learned to use it only when needed. Using it while flying can be difficult after all.¡± Her green sparkle when back to white, and the air stopped spinning. ¡°Now you try, and once you have learned how to use it, I will attack you.¡±

    After some practice, I was able to mostly recreate the second spell she showed me, though mine wasn¡¯t as refined as hers. ¡°Good, now I will attack you.¡± She said, and something hit me on the side of the head.

    ¡°OW!¡± I yelped, and the spinning wind around me exploded outward as the spell ended abruptly.

    ¡°It needs to be faster, or attacks like that will get through.¡± She said. I looked, and a sliced-up chunk of one of the countless vines in the base was laying at my feet. ¡°The attack was interrupted, but not stopped, so it still hit its mark. It even caused you to lose focus. In combat, that would kill you.¡± Datahu said, and took control of another vine. ¡°Try again. Feel the magic moving the wind, and push it forwards more quickly.¡±

    ¡°Except that I can¡¯t feel magic, remember?¡± I complained, holding my head. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m always wearing armor. I don¡¯t need to worry about-¡±

    ¡°Are you wearing your armor now?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you are not always wearing armor. Nor will you always wear it on missions. Your metal garments are loud, and the Drakes almost entirely rely on stealth. There will be many missions in which you cannot summon your armor to protect yourself. And even when you can, those garments cannot protect you from lightning, or fire, correct?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah¡­¡± I said, defeated. ¡°Okay, but I still can¡¯t feel magic.¡±

    She turned her head away for a moment, and ruffled her wings; something I¡¯d seen Suma do plenty of times whenever she starts thinking. ¡°That is true.¡± She turned back to me. ¡°How do you normally control your spells if you cannot feel the magic?¡±

    ¡°I just kinda picture it, and it happens.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Then how would you ¡®picture¡¯ an attack being repelled? Would you think about your mana pushing the attack away?¡±

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    ¡°I don¡¯t know. For my Railgun spell, I think about magnetism pushing and pulling the ball. But that would only work on metal.¡± I said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because only metal is magnetic.¡± The moment I¡¯d said that, a thought popped into my head. (No, that¡¯s not true. Metal is more sensitive to magnetism, so it¡¯s easier, but everything is magnetic. Everything had a north and south pole.) ¡°Wait¡­ actually¡­¡±

    ¡°One of your ¡®unique insights¡¯?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Just give me a second.¡± I said, and she nodded. I came up with a few criteria for a spell. One, it must repel anything at the atomic level. Two, it would need to create a thick enough area-of-effect to repel larger objects, like chunks of vines aimed at my head. And three, I¡¯d need to repel both north and south poles at the same time. (Maybe I could layer it, like the Lieutenant suggested? One layer of repelling north, and one of south? No, just one would be fine. I¡¯ll focus on the north poles. But it¡¯ll still need layers. Just one wouldn¡¯t be very strong.)

    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at the dirt for ten minutes, are you nearly done?¡± The Lieutenant called out, snapping me back to reality.

    ¡°Uh, yes. I think so.¡±

    ¡°Good, then cast your spell, and I will attack you.¡± She said. I pictured a dome of north aligned magnetism around me, twenty centimeters thick, and as powerful as I could make it.

    ¡°Ready!¡± I said, once the spell was cast. There was a pause, and nothing happened. ¡°I said I¡¯m ready!¡±

    ¡°I already attacked.¡± Datahu answered. ¡°I must say, it is quite impressive. I cannot seem to pull them free.¡± Confused, I looked around, and there, about a meter away from me, were two vines suspended in the air. The tips of the vines were completely motionless, while the rear, the part that was outside the dome, thrashed around violently; trying to break free.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it worked!¡± I said, surprised.

    ¡°And I cannot believe you created an entirely new form of defense magic in less than ten minutes, and with only one cast of the spell. You know, I practiced that wind spell for two months before I perfected it¡­¡± Lieutenant Datahu said, sounding annoyed.

    After practicing and experimenting with it, I learned a few things. Firstly, I learned that it does not protect against fire spells, which was a painful lesson. Secondly, I learned that the spell uses so much magic that I wasn¡¯t able to maintain it for longer than ten minutes; which really surprised me. Especially since that was the first spell I cast that actually drained my mana enough to tire me out.

    ¡°Okay, now I really am tired.¡± I said, laying on the ground, unable to move or open my eyes. ¡°I mean, I was tired before, but I feel like I do after Suma heals me.¡± Suddenly, I felt something touch me on the stomach, but I was too tired to open my eyes or care what it was. Then a sensation like water was being poured into my body came over me. It started in my stomach, but slowly moved to my ribs, and chest. A few moments later, I started to feel some of my energy come back. I opened up my eyes, and saw the Lieutenant standing on the ground beside me, with both of her wings on my stomach.

    ¡°By the dragons, you are like a mana sponge. Your body is pulling in my mana faster than I can give it to you.¡± She said, then pulled her wing away. ¡°That should be enough. Can you move?¡±

    ¡°If I can, does that mean I have to train again?¡± I asked, only half joking.

    ¡°No, your mana is depleted. Between all the runes you made before training, and that spell, I suppose you finally hit your limit. I almost started to believe you did not have one to hit. Well, either way. Go eat and sleep. We will resume your training in the morning.¡±

    Before I could stand up and climb out of the pit, she¡¯d already flown away. ¡°Hey Suma, where are you?¡± I asked, over our private connection.

    ¡°Eating with the team in the trade center. How is your training going?¡±

    ¡°I just finished. Can you summon me? I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Jake. Actually, I think they have something here you may wish to see.¡± She said. A few moments later, I was standing, albeit shakily, in the trade center of the base. The trade center¡¯s purpose was exactly as one might guess, a place for people to trade good from outside base to the Neame who live here. Whenever a shipment of something arrived, our Captains let us know about it, and we could buy it if we wanted. Unlike normal however, these traders only accepted coins as payment, never mana; which was probably a military rule to keep the soldier¡¯s ready for combat at all times or something.

    Suma, Nine, Odens, and Rou were all perched on wooden posts sticking out of the ground. They were holding fruit in their foot/claw/hand things, and eating happily. ¡°So, what did you want me to see?¡± I asked, looking around for food. There was a plant with some kind of fruit on it in the middle of the team. While I may not have known what it was, I knew I was about to eat it.

    ¡°Over there.¡± Suma said, pointing a wing towards a merchant perched on a large wooden box.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, stuffing as much of the fruit into my mouth as I could without unhinging my jaw like a snake.

    ¡°Paper.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, over our private connection, so that I could eat.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She replied, aloud; garnering confused looks from the others.

    ¡°Who¡¯s selling it?¡±

    ¡°I do not know them. Perhaps it is someone we sold paper to in the past?¡± She said.

    Nine looked at Suma confused, then down at the half-eaten fruit he was holding. ¡°Dragons¡­ I hope she¡¯s just going crazy. This is too good to spit out.¡±

    ¡°She is doing that Mind-Magic thing she has with him. It is a bit rude to leave us out though.¡± Rou said.

    ¡°Sohhey.¡± I said, with a full mouth.

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s gross. Go back to the Mind-Magic thing.¡± Odens said, looking away.

    ¡°We sold paper to a lot of people. I figured one or two would resell it. Didn¡¯t a few shipments get sent to the Major a few months ago?¡± I said over our private connection again.

    ¡°That is true, but those were only for command officers. These are available for everyone.¡± Suma said. ¡°That said, they look strange.¡±

    ¡°Strange how?¡± I asked aloud, picking another fruit from the plant.

    ¡°They are a different color. Did we ever sell yellow paper?¡±

    ¡°Like sugar paper? No. Normal paper can turn yellow, but that takes longer than two or three years.¡± I said, privately again.

    ¡°Perhaps they made it themselves and it turned yellow that way. Did you teach anyone how to make it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°One or two people, but only the basics of what I knew. Just a noble and a farmer.¡±

    ¡°Is that Neame either of them?¡± She asked.

    I looked closer at the Neame, pretending like I could tell the difference between them well enough to know either way. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Jake, can you tell the difference between Neame?¡± Odens asked.

    ¡°Can you tell the difference between Vik- I mean¡­ hoomens, Odens?¡± Rou asked.

    I swallowed. ¡°Humans.¡±

    ¡°Sorry; humans.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever met one.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°That is a no then?¡± Rou teased.

    I nodded my head and agreed with her. ¡°Sounds like a no to me.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer the question either, Jake.¡± Nine pointed out.

    ¡°I can¡­ with enough exposure to them over time.¡±

    ¡°So, you do not recognize the Neame selling the paper?¡± Suma asked. I shook my head no. ¡°Then you should go and talk to them. Perhaps they will recognize you?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Swallowing the last of my second fruit, I stood up and walked over to the Neame on the box. His gaze met mind, and he shifted uncomfortably on the box.

    ¡°Oh no. No, no, no. Good little fella. Stay over there please. Is this someone¡¯s familiar? He¡¯s getting a bit close.¡± The Neame called out. I heard several Neame start to snicker and hold back laughter from all around the room at the trader¡¯s reaction. Now smiling myself, I got a bit closer. ¡°Please! Someone! Collect this-¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this paper from?¡±

    ¡°AH!¡± He shrieked and fell off the box, and laughter erupted from behind me¡­ probably from Odens. ¡°It speaks!¡± The trader asked, his head poking up from behind the box.

    ¡°It does. So about that paper?¡±

    After talking with the trader, and explaining who I was, he became very excited. ¡°So, you are the familiar who originated this wonderous product?!¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°I must say, it is an honor. My apologies for earlier. I had no idea.¡± He bowed deeply and spread his wings.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it. Anyway, where did you get this paper? It doesn¡¯t look like the kind I sold.¡± I said, looking inside at the stacks of yellow paper inside the wooden box.

    ¡°Ah, yes. This paper was purchased from the Ambos Paper Consortium.¡± He said.

    ¡°The who?¡±

    ¡°They are a company owned by Baron Knek and his family. They produce paper and other assorted goods like this wonderful beverage called tea, and a kind of food that has been treated with fire to change its taste. They really are a wonderful company with so many revolutionary ideas!¡±

    ¡°Baron Knek? I know that name. He bought paper from me years ago. I sold a lot to him, but not enough to start a company.¡± I looked at the paper again. It was not just yellow, but it was also rougher, more ragged along the edges, and the thickness was uneven in different spots. ¡°This looks homemade. He must have started making his own.¡±

    ¡°I would not know. But I¡¯m certain he has made a vast fortune from it. Though there are rumors that he is secretly being helped by a rich farmer.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second¡­ I taught him how to make tea too, and I gave him biscuits!¡± I thanked the trader for talking with me, and went back to Suma and the team. ¡°We¡¯re suing the Knek noble family when we get back to your hometown, and a farmer.¡±

    Suma looked confused. ¡°¡­Why?¡±

 Book 3- Part 8

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    After flying for six hours straight, our squad finally landed on the eastern coast of the Island of Sangu. We spent the last several days preparing ourselves, and saying our goodbyes to our friends, just in case the worst happens. Now, myself, Captain Gigoales, Lieutenant Datahu, Nine, Rou, Odens, and Jake were all on the island. It was the dead of night, with only the light of the moon to help us see, but most of the light was being blocked by the rising smoke from the mountain, or volcano as Jake called it, at the center of the island. Landing in the jungle, we all immediately got to work making temporary cover for ourselves. Using different spells, we molded the rocks and dirt to form a hollowed-out space underground and covered it with the local trees and plants. There were two exits, and both were hidden with shrubs and tree roots. Captain called it a ¡®dugout¡¯.

    One by one, the other summoned their familiars, and they left to scout the forest. Jake went with them, but he landed with us so there was no need to summon him.

    ¡°Alright everyone, start sense sharing. Except you Suma; you keep watch.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I said.

    ¡°Keep your eyes on both the sky and the ground Private. SUFs could be hiding anywhere, and we cannot be sure we were not seen on descent.¡± The Lieutenant said; a SUF was short for Southern Union Forces. With that, the eyes of the rest of the team all started to glow as they began to share their familiars¡¯ senses. I left the dugout and waited in a tree branch, constantly switching between watching the sky, the land, and what little of the beach I could make out from the trees. During training, the squad had been taught various ways to hide at night while being on lookout, but the only one I was good at was the ¡®tuck-and-press¡¯ method. It is exactly what it sounds like. I was pressing myself against the tree as closely as I could manage, with my wings and head tucked in, trying to hide behind and under the canopy.

    After an hour, and three wing cramps, Jake contacted me over our private connection. ¡°Suma, everything okay there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, nothing has happened yet. Have you found anything?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s dark as crap, so I can¡¯t see a thing. Plus, I had to send the bike back. It doesn¡¯t turn it well, so flying it through a jungle didn¡¯t end up working. I¡¯m walking right now. Only thing I¡¯ve found is a black-sand beach, but I can see a light in the distance.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take you to reach it?¡±

    ¡°A while, and I doubt I can get close. It might be a city, so they¡¯d have guards.¡±

    ¡°Okay Jake, avoid it for now.¡±

    ¡°Have the others found the contact yet?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°I have not spoken with them in an hour. Are their familiars still searching?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We all split up a while ago. Some of them are pretty fast, even in a jungle.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me know if you find anything.¡± I said, and the connection ended. Looking up towards the moon, it had not even reached the first quarter point in the sky. Sundown happened only an hour before we landed, and we have only been here for two. Nine hours till sun-up. I thought to myself. It ended up being a long night.

    Just before sun-up, we all summoned our familiars, or sent them home, and I went back into the dugout. Actually, I was the only one who summoned their familiar, and Jake was not overly happy with being summoned into another tunnel. Luckly, I remembered to make him a larger space for him to sit down in, but he was still very uncomfortable.

    ¡°Alright, situation reports. What did everyone see?¡± The Captain asked, as we all sat in the dirt, with only the light from a single luminous braid to help us see. Roots hung from above us, occasionally dripping water down. Thankfully, we were several feet underground, so it would not get hot for several hours. Unfortunately, that also meant it was almost freezing cold.

    ¡°Cities?¡± The Lieutenant asked.

    Nine answered, ¡°one village, not a lot of Neame living there. It looked like it had been attacked, more than once. About a day¡¯s travel if we stay low. If we fly, we can be there in a few minutes. To the northwest.¡±

    ¡°I saw something that could have been a city, to the south.¡± Jake said. ¡°There was a lot of light. I got as close as I could, and I think I saw buildings. But I spotted something that looked like a guard tower, so I left.¡±

    ¡°You did the right thing. We¡¯ll send one of the familiars better suited for stealth back tonight.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°I found two villages to the west. One was abandoned, but the other was being occupied by SUFs.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°How could you tell?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked.

    ¡°Some were riding familiars, and using villagers to grow food. The people growing looked half-starved, and the ones on familiars were wearing emblems like the ones we wear on base.¡±

    ¡°Anyone find our contact?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°I did Captain.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°He was at the north shore of the island at midnight, just like he said.¡±

    ¡°Did he have the information?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Our target is most likely stationed in the capital city. Most of their forces are there. I believe it is the city Sentinel saw; to the south of the island.¡±

    ¡°Good work.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more sir.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°The contact has been working with a small Roshia resistance. They have been trying to free some of the occupied villages, but with little success.¡±

    ¡°Roshia?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what the island¡¯s natives call themselves.¡± I told him.

    ¡°I wish the wind beneath their wings, but that is not the mission.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°Understood sir, but I think they may have valuable knowledge about the island. If we can make contact with them, it could prove useful.¡±

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    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Private Suma, Sentinel, and I should go meet them, and learn what we can. The religion of the island includes Vikings, or Viki as they are called here, as a punishment from the Chaos Dragon.¡± The Lieutenant started to say.

    ¡°Not a Viking... or a Viki.¡± Jake mumbled, but he was ignored by the Lieutenant.

    ¡°Maybe we can use that to our advantage.¡± She finished.

    The Captain sighed, ¡°Fine. You leave at sundown. You have one day to learn what you can, then get back here as soon as you are finished. Good work squad. Now get some rest. I¡¯ll take first watch.¡±

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Night fell once more, and the three of us thankfully left the hideout. I don¡¯t know how they felt, but finally being able to leave it made me feel like I could take a full breath again. Being stuck inside another cramped cave gave me flashbacks, and anxiety all over again. To save Suma¡¯s energy, I summoned my rune-bike, which was an experiment I¡¯d been working on for a few months, but finally finished, with plenty of help, before we left. It was a bicycle frame, attached to rounded metal sheets that had runes engraved into it with mana infused metal etchings. The runes were basically designed to create a simple hover effect by using wind. Other runes were added to help with balance, speed, and to eliminate the noise created by what were effectively gale-force winds under it. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but it worked well enough. Actually, it looked like a pile of garbage, and without the runes to cancel out the sound, it would be as loud as a jet turbine. I tried to explain the runes to the army researchers who helped me build it, but they couldn¡¯t wrap their minds around the though of sound being a wave and a sphere, or what it meant to cancel a soundwave, in the time we had left on base before our team took off.

    Under the cover of darkness, Suma, Lieutenant Datahu, and myself flew as quickly, but quietly, as we could to meet the contact in time. However, we made it¡­ barely. Our meeting location was a sandbar off the coast of a beach.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see him.¡± I said, still sitting on the bike. I took the daljar off its mount and away from the runes; effectively turning the bike off.

    ¡°He¡¯s already here.¡± The Lieutenant said. At that moment, what looked like a cloud of dust in the shape of a Neame suddenly appeared, then started to blow away, leaving a real Neame behind. It looked like dirt-clods were stuck to his body, but as they fell off, they turned to dust. With each clod that fell, more of him became visible.

    ¡°What the?!¡± I said, surprised.

    ¡°Sometimes I forget that you cannot sense mana.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Did you know he was there?¡± I asked Suma.

    ¡°I knew something was there, but did not know it was a Neame hidden by an illusion spell. I assumed it was simply stagnant mana pooling together.¡± Suma said, as surprised as I was. It was dark, so I could barely make anything out, but that was mostly due to the Neame¡¯s natural color. At first, I thought he was black, but as my eyes adjusted to make more of him out, I saw his feathers were actually just a really dark shade of blue. So blue he was nearly invisible in the dark. The only reason I could see him at all was the incredibly faint yellow sparkle he had, and his vibrant yellow eyes, both of which were weird. So far, with the exception of a few of my team members, and some priests, every Neame I¡¯d seen had brighter blue feathers, a white sparkle, and more human-like eyes.

    The Neame looked up at me, and chirped like a bird. Admittedly, it caught me off guard. ¡°What is he saying?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t understand him either?¡± I asked. ¡°But you¡¯re¡­ actually, never mind. Dumb question.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°Well, I was going to ask why you can¡¯t understand one another if you¡¯re both Neame, but I realized that was dumb.¡±

    ¡°Can you understand all of your people?¡± Suma asked, confused.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s why I realized it was dumb.¡± I said.

    ¡°If you two are finished?¡± The Lieutenant said, annoyed. ¡°He is greeting us.¡±

    ¡°Can you ask him to share a few memories with me?¡± I asked Lieutenant Datahu, remembering how Suma helped me, my mum, and Dr. Maxwell understand her by doing the same thing.

    ¡°For what purpose?¡± She asked.

    ¡°So I can understand him too. It would take too long to explain.¡± I said. She tilted her head in confusion for a moment, then chirped like a bird at the Neame, who hadn¡¯t stopped staring at me since he showed up. Hearing her chirp threw me off again, but I saw the Neame cut his eyes away from me for a moment towards her, then nod his head.

    A scene of a small village filled my mind. A few years ago, this probably would have been pretty amazing, but with everything that¡¯d happened lately, a sense of dread washed over me instead. The village was filled with Neame, all going about their daily lives, flying around, growing food, and other things. Until a large spell was cast, killing a great many of them. Things spiraled quickly from there. The emotions of the memory had already started: fear, anger, mourning, and a desire for revenge. As the memories progressed, some of the villagers began to fight back, this Neame among them.

    A little more time passed, and a voice began to come from the memories. ¡°Our spells were weak, and most of us had no familiars, but we fought until death; ours or theirs. My comrades, my friends, my family, they all fell. But as time passed, we learned, and grew stronger. Now, for each of my comrades that dies, seven soldiers of the Southern Union die with them. We are Roshia; we endure.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I can understand him.¡± I said. Both the Lieutenant and Suma looked surprised, but the Lieutenant a good bit more so.

    ¡°What? Did you just learn his language?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked.

    ¡°I had nearly forgotten you could do that.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°As expected of a Viki.¡± The Neame said before spreading his wings and bowing. I groaned internally for a second, but let it pass.

    ¡°Wait, you can speak our language too?¡± Suma asked the Neame.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid I cannot speak the language of the mainland.¡± The Neame said, standing up straight again. This confusing conversation went on for a few more minutes, until we realized that Suma and I had both learned his language. Or at the very least, we could understand it. According to Lieutenant Datahu, who spoke both languages, all of us were speaking in our native tongues.

    ¡°Can we focus?¡± The Lieutenant asked with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Nok, we need you to take us to your resistance¡¯s main base. We want any information they might have that could help us complete our mission.¡±

    ¡°I can, but first¡­¡± He turned back to me, and bowed again. ¡°Great Viki, I know not what my people did to earn the wrath of your kind, but I beg of you, please forgive us. Spare my people from any more of the Great Purifier¡¯s punishment, please.¡± The Neame, Nok, said. My stomach sank when he said ¡®Great Purifier¡¯, because I knew exactly who he meant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± I said, uncomfortable, and shaking my head.  ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°A Viki has descended upon us, and brought with it Southern Union forces. And now, another descends, and brings mainland forces. I do not know what these signs mean, but please spare us. We will-¡±

    ¡°Stop! J-just stop¡­ The Viki aren¡¯t descending. You didn¡¯t do anything. We¡¯re not¡­ I¡¯m not here for you.¡± I said.

    ¡°But¡­ the Great Purifier has sent-¡±

    ¡°The Chaos Dragon didn¡¯t send anything. And we don¡¯t have anything to do with him anyway!¡± I snapped, sick at the thought of being compared to him. My mind flashed back to the memories I¡¯d seen from him, but I shook them off. ¡°My people don¡¯t work for him, we never have. He¡¯s a monster! A violent psychotic monster! I would die before ever working with him!¡±

    ¡°This is heresy!¡± Nok yelled, clearly upset.

    It was the Lieutenant who stepped in. ¡°Sentinel, get some altitude and calm down. I will talk to him.¡± I plugged my daljar back into the mount, and flew to the coast. Suma went with me.

    About twenty minutes passed before the Lieutenant came to talk with us. ¡°What was that?¡± She snapped.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just-¡±

    ¡°You could have cost us the information. I understand that you have a history with the dragon, but personal feeling can never come before the mission. Do I make myself clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± I said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Good. He has agreed to lead us to the resistance, but your words made a mark on him. You¡¯ve shaken his beliefs, his faith in why he was fighting, to the core. If you do that while at their base¡­ they may lose the will to fight. Should that happen¡­ then they have already lost. In the future, just play along.¡±

    ¡°You want me to say I¡¯m working with the dragon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, then yes. These people have nothing, but if you can give them even a little hope, then do it. Even if it means lying.¡±

 Book 3- Part 9

    We were flying above the camp, heading for the center to meet the village¡¯s chief. It was a refugee camp, so I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but it wasn¡¯t this. There was a smell everywhere we went in the camp, like the air itself was stained with it; everything smelled like smoke. So far, no matter where I went in this world, I always had the faint smell of something like fresh cut grass hanging in my nose, probably from all the vines littered on the ground, but the smokey smell pushed that aside and hit me across the face with every step I took in the camp. There were Neame in the camp, plenty of them too, but they looked like children mostly. Very few of the Neame I could see were as large as Suma, Datahu, and Nok. Almost none of them were flying around like the ones back at base or in the cities. They were sitting or lying on the ground, so still I thought at first they might have been dead. Their feathers were a dark blue like Nok¡¯s, but covered in so much mud, soot, and ash that you could mistake them for brown at a glance.

    ¡°Why are there so many children?¡± Suma asked, quietly.

    ¡°Because the only mercy the Southern Union showed them was to keep them as slaves rather than killing them like their parents.¡± Nok spat. ¡°Our fighters freed them from camps like this one on the other end of the island. We captured this one first, and made it our base.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad strategy, but why hasn¡¯t the Southern Union come to reclaim it yet?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°They tried. But we know this jungle better than them, and pushed them back. At least, until Harbinger came.¡± Nok said. We landed a few meters away from the trunk of a large, hollowed-out tree, and Nok told the three of us to wait outside for a moment. While we waited, a few Neame of various sizes started to gather around and look at me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Suma over our private connection.

    ¡°I do not know, but-¡±

    ¡°Are you a Viki?¡± A small voice called out from the crowd. It was a small blue kid. Younger and smaller than Suma was when we first met.

    ¡°I- uh¡­ yeah.¡± I said, remembering what the Lieutenant had told me about playing along.

    ¡°Are you here to kill us?¡± The kid asked, sounding scared.

    ¡°No¡­ no. I¡¯m not going to hurt anyone. I just came to talk with your leader.¡± I looked over the Neame, and he seemed to be letting one of his wings droop. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked, kneeling down. I started to take of a piece of my armor, one of the parts with a healing rune in it. ¡°I can heal that for you if you want.¡±

    ¡°That is not a good idea Sentinel. He is very skinny. He may not have eaten in a while. If you cast a healing spell on him, it could do more harm than good in that condition.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said. I pulled a few seeds from my bag and placed them on the ground. The ones I placed on the ground were called Red-Kuyu. They tasted like apples but had the consistency of an overly ripe pear. Since getting stuck here, I¡¯d been mostly eating these and a few others; meat was in short supply unfortunately.

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    ¡°Here, you can have these.¡± I said.

    ¡°You should grow them for him¡± Datahu said. ¡°He does not have enough mana.¡±

    ¡°She is right. I can barely feel any mana from any of the Neame around us.¡± Suma said to me privately. I reached out my hand to the seeds, and grew them how I usually did for myself. A few fruits appeared on a small tree that¡¯d sprouted where the seeds were, and I plucked them off.

    ¡°You got this many from one seed?¡± Someone in the crowd asked.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. I have Chaos Magic, so my mana grows stuff better.¡± I said, remembering how I used to make money from it a few years ago. ¡°If anyone has any daljars, I¡¯ll fill them up with mana so you can grow more.¡± A few of the adults flew off, but came back a few moments later with several daljars and seeds.

    By the end, I¡¯d lost count of how much food I¡¯d made, and how many daljars I¡¯d filled. ¡°They¡¯re desperate, thank you for that.¡± Nok said, landing behind me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just glad I could help.¡±

    ¡°Food and mana have been scarce for a while. You need to eat to produce mana, and you need mana to make food. We have had our wings clipped for a while now when we started to run out of seeds, and when we got cut off from our fishing spots; this should help with that. Thank you again, really.¡± I nodded, and looked at the Neame who were all eating, or passing out fruits to others. ¡°Anyway, the chief is ready to see you.¡±

    We went inside the tree, and found the chief waiting for us inside. It turned out to be an elderly female Neame, with a short cracked beak, feathers white at the ends, and a very feeble sparkle, though still brighter than Nok¡¯s.

    ¡°Are you the Viki?¡± She asked with a frail voice.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m Sentinel.¡± She was on the ground, being supported by a younger Neame, so I sat down in front of her so that I wasn¡¯t looking down at her.

    ¡°You speak our language well. Only the one called Lopt, son of F¨¢rbauti, spoke with us before, and he was a trickster. Are you?¡±

    ¡°No ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a guy.¡±

    She scoffed, ¡°I want to perform a spell to link our mind. If you are no threat, will you agree to this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too weak for that, chief.¡± The Neame holding her up protested.

    ¡°Quiet down, I know what I can handle. I was water knocking and keeping the peace between tribes when your mother was still an egg!¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m worried. Because you¡¯ve already got one wing in your death-tree as it is!¡± The younger Neame said. I heard someone stifle a chuckle, and felt Suma¡¯s growing discomfort through our connection as the other two continued.

    ¡°Um, why do you want to do that?¡± I asked, interrupting them.

    ¡°To see if you¡¯re lying.¡± She said. I agreed, and she, much to the dismay of the younger Neame, started to form a magic circle at my feet. There were a few moments of quiet before she said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re not lying about wanting to help.¡±

    ¡°Good, then we can get started.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve come here to kill Harbinger, the fallen Viki?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We have, and any information you can give us would help.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°These two hunters have seen it and got away; they¡¯ll tell you what they know.¡± The chief said, and motioned to two Neame perched nearby. We thanked the chief, and the two hunters agreed to let Datahu use a simple version of a memory delve to see the events.

    ¡°Thank you for the help.¡± She said as the magic circles faded away.

    ¡°Did you see anything useful?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡­ do not know what I saw. You may need to see it instead¡­ or hear it.¡± Datahu said, confused. She cast a spell, and I started to see memories. The hunters were hiding in a tree, waiting for Southern Union troops, when a sound started to ring out though the jungle. They listened and watched in horror as the sound grew louder, and one by one their comrades fell to the ground. The remaining two flew away before the sound got too close, and never actually saw what was causing it. But I recognized it immediately.

    ¡°What is that noise?¡± Suma, who was seeing the same memories as I was, asked.

    ¡°It sounds like a violin.¡± I answered.

 Book 3- Part 10

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°So, what did you learn?¡± Captain Gigoales asked. After finishing our business with the village, and their chief, Lieutenant Datahu, Jake, and I stayed in the village until nightfall, then flew back to the dugout under the cover of darkness. At the moment, we are all giving our reports to him and the rest of the team; with the exception of Odens, who was on watch.

    ¡°Harbinger is, according to the memories we saw, and Sentinel¡¯s explanation, most likely a Viking as we suspected. It used some kind of sound manipulation magic to kill from a distance. Sentinel recognized it as something referred to as ¡®violin¡¯.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°It was some kind of stringed instrument at least.¡± Jake added.

    ¡°It is an instrument? For music?¡± Gigoales wondered.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know how she killed someone with it.¡±

    ¡°It is possible she engraved Death Magic runes on the instrument, and is using it to amplify the effects of the spell.¡± Datahu suggested.

    ¡°I know what a string is, but how to you string and instrument?¡± Rou wondered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have those?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°I have never heard of them either.¡± Nine added.

    ¡°The report.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Right, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Any idea how to neutralize the spell?¡±

    ¡°We would first need to know what the spell is, and its effects.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°And we do not have any clues on how it works.¡±

    ¡°I have a theory.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Assuming it isn¡¯t Death Magic anyway.¡± He added.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Based on the memories we saw, I think Harbinger is using resonant frequency to kill, and is producing that frequency with the violin¡­ maybe.¡±

    ¡°Can you explain?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°Assuming I¡¯m right, they are producing a specific sound that is harmful to Neame. Like breaking crystal by singing, but stronger.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand.¡± I admitted. ¡°How can sound break a stone?¡±

    ¡°By vibrating it until it tears itself apart. Which is what I think happened, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°If it is a sound, how can we counter it? Do we cover our heads?¡± Nine asked.

    I doubt the solution would be so simple.¡± The Captain said. ¡°Do you have a plan, Sentinel?¡±

    ¡°Calling it a plan would be¡­ well, it would be a lie, but I have an idea. Suma, do you remember when I was building my bike, and how loud it was?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was deafening.¡± I said, remembering how it sounded like flying through a thunderstorm, or turning my head into the wind while diving. ¡°It had such an awful screaming sound.¡±

    ¡°So you think you can silence the spell in the same way you did your rune machine?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really silence the bike, or the runes. Instead, I made a new rune to cancel out the noise.¡±

    ¡°Right, you tried to explain it, but I still do not understand.¡± Jake had spoken at length about ¡®soundwaves¡¯ and ¡®opposing frequencies¡¯ when he was designing the runes before we left, but it all dived faster than I could.

    ¡°Do you have the materials needed to make runes for all of us?¡± Captain Gigoales asked.

    ¡°I doubt it. There¡¯s plenty of stuff in my bag, but I used most of my materials finishing the bike and repairing Twilight. Maybe I could make one or two?¡±

    ¡°Designing a new rune is not a simple process, even for you Sentinel. There would be several failures before success, which would reduce the amount of materials even further.¡± Datahu pointed out. ¡°Perhaps we should return to the refugees in the village, and ask for help from them? They may have the materials.¡±

    ¡°From your report, they will likely pressure us to assist them before they help us.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Yes, they already asked for our help in killing Harbinger, they may want us to free more of their people in exchange for materials.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Again, this is just assuming I¡¯m right. I could be completely wrong, and they¡¯re using Death Magic instead of manipulating the sound. Death Magic can do pretty much the same thing from what we saw in the memories.¡± Jake said that last part a bit more quietly. He was probably remembering the dreams and memories that he experienced from the Chaos Dragon.

    ¡°Assuming it is Death Magic, what do we do?¡± Rou asked. Often, she is so quiet during these briefings, I forget she is there.

    ¡°We retreat, or press the attack. Just like our training. Hopefully using Sentinel¡¯s mana will give us an edge, but killing Harbinger is the main objective.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Bear in mind, his mana will make your spells more powerful, but you will only have a limited supply in your system. Once it is gone, you will feel incredibly weak.¡± Lieutenant Datahu added.

    ¡°Will our spells¡¯ effects be reversed too?¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll give you the mana after I run it through a daljar¡¯s lid first. That will neutralize its effects.¡±

    ¡°Speaking from my experiences, as soon as you feel the mana start to run out inside you, you should retreat immediately. Once you reach that point, you will only have moments before the exhaustion sets in.¡± I told them.

    ¡°We should discuss the plan of attack.¡± The Captain said, changing the subject. ¡°While you three were gone, I scouted the largest of the settlements occupied by the southern Union. There fortifications are strong, and I estimate they have at least three thousand Neame stationed there at any time.¡±

    ¡°A distraction large enough could lure many of them out, but not all.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Why would they leave their fort?¡± Jake asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they just send their familiars?¡±

    ¡°About half of the forces they send would be familiars, but there is only so much a familiar can do.¡± Rou said, then quickly added. ¡°Present company excluded, of course!¡±

    ¡°She is right. We should expect at least one familiar for every Neame on base, but most will be patrolling the area around it, rather than be inside.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°How are we going to sneak through that many Neame?¡± Nine wondered.

    ¡°I doubt we could, so instead we should cause a disturbance big enough that we do not need to. Big enough to draw out Harbinger. From there, Sentinel can use his long-range spells to kill it.¡± Captain Datahu said.

    I looked over to Jake, who had gone quiet. His head hung down, and his shoulders slumped as he stared at the ground. There were only three people in our squad capable of killing one of his kind, and Jake was the only one able to do it safely.

    During the rest of the briefing, it was decided that we would travel to the Roshia village to bargain for materials, and then plan our attack from there. Everyone spent the rest of the day resting until night fell, but while lying in the dugout, I contacted Jake over through our private connection. He was curled up in nearly a ball on the ground, not moving much. To me, it seemed like an uncomfortable way to sleep, but I had seen him do it many times before during training, so I knew he was fine.

    ¡°Jake?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± There was a moment of silence.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to kill a lot of people, aren¡¯t we?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I believe so.¡± Jake was always so gentle. I knew the idea of killing had been hurting him for a long time, since before we even joined the armed forces. He did not even kill the magistrate who attacked us years ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kill a person.¡± He said, the voice in his mind was hallow, that is how it always sounds over our connection. Like it is devoid of emotion, a synthesis of someone speaking. But I knew how it would have sounded if he had said it aloud. I did not know what to say to him, and doubted if anything I did say would help. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Suma.¡±

    ¡°You do not have anything to apologize for.¡±

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    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    We awoke when the sun set, and flew straight to the Roshia village. They agreed to provide us with materials, if we traveled to a nearby Southern Union camp and freed the prisoners. The Captain and Lieutenant expected this, and agreed to go personally while the rest of us stayed behind. Jake was brought the materials right away, and immediately got to work making the runes. As for Rou, Odens, Nine, and I, we helped the Neame of the camp as much as we could growing food, casting Healing Magic, and other assorted tasks.

    We have been waiting in the Roshia¡¯s sanctuary for a full day now. Jake is busy transcribing runes to protect us from Harbinger¡¯s spells, while Lieutenant Datahu and Captain Gigoales have been upholding our end of the bargain for the materials Jake needed by assisting their hunters in defending this place. They left yesterday morning, and should be returning today or tonight. After spending the day assisting the refugees and guards in any way I could, alongside Rou, Odens, and Nine, we flew back to the small dwelling the Roshia¡¯s chief is letting us use. It is a simple place, mostly comprised of a pit dug underneath one of the many large trees, using the roots and stump as both protection and camouflage.

    Spreading the roots apart and flying inside, we saw Jake exactly where we left him, sitting on the ground, surrounded by scraps and shards of materials, and working on the runes. He had taken his metal garments, his armor, off, and was sat in the dirt staring intently as several rune-engraved animal leathers.

    ¡°Is it going well?¡± I asked, perching on his shoulder. The others landed beside the scraps, and began looking them over; except for Odens, who landed several feet away and immediately got to work growing himself a snack. It had been a while since I had been on his shoulder like this, it felt comfortable in a way to be here. Nearly a week or two had passed since we last had a quiet moment.

    ¡°I think so, I¡¯m about to test this new one. Wanna see?¡± He asked, holding up a strip of animal leather with hundreds of his strange runes on them. I nodded, and he began casting a spell. The dirt below us shook and began to float upwards. Small grains like sand were pulled from the dirt, and what was left fell down.

    ¡°Jake? What are you doing?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m pulling the silica out of the ground to make glass.¡± He said. ¡°Now to heat, shape, and cool it.¡±

    ¡°Glass, why glass?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°That is the colored mineral nobles use to make art with, yes?¡± Rou wondered. She was right, I had heard of it as well, but never seen it personally. The grains Jake had pulled from the dirt gathered together and grew hot. So hot that even Jake needed to stand up and take several steps back. Rou and Nine joined Odens, who was happily eating and watching everything from a few wingspans away. As the grains grew hotter, they changed to colors to vibrant yellows and reds, melting together like waterdrops in a puddle or wet clays in a mound.

    ¡°Okay, now to shape.¡± Jake said to himself as he carefully used magic to pull the molten material apart. Rather than tearing, it pulled apart like sap, with long strands hanging off, then getting pulled back into the three new, smaller, balls. ¡°And to cool.¡± Jake said, and the balls of yellow slowly changed. Hardening, they lost their radiant glow and became clear like ice. ¡°Perfect.¡± Jake said, and slowly set them down.

    ¡°So that is how glass is made.¡± Odens said, his words slightly muffled by the food in his mouth.

    ¡°I did not realize it would be such a dazzling process.¡± Rou commented, drawing closer and admiring the glass balls.

    ¡°Where did you learn such a fine craft?¡± Nine asked, impressed.

    ¡°I used to watch ASMR glassblowing videos on the internet to help me sleep. Also, science class.¡± Jake said, picking up one of the balls and tying a strip of leather around it.

    ¡°What¡¯s the internet?¡± Odens asked.

    ¡°What is ASMR?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Both of those are hard to explain.¡± Jake said, and set the ball down, then picked the other two up and put them into his bag. He unsummoned his bag, and stepped away from the glass ball after filling the runes with mana. ¡°You guys should cover your ears¡­ wait do you have¡­ never mind. Just get ready because this is about to be loud.¡± The others and myself quickly landed behind Jake.

    ¡°Why did you send the other balls away?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In case the runes don¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°What happens if the runes do not work?¡± Nine wondered.

    ¡°The glass will explode.¡± Unanimously, we all decided that the safest place was not behind Jake, but on the other side of the dwelling¡­ behind a stone pillar Rou created. Jake said that would not be necessary, but we disagreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m about to start.¡± Jake said, covering the holes on the sides of his head. ¡°It is about to get really loud!¡± Several seconds passed, and I sensed Jake cast a spell, then he winced like he was in pain, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Do you guys see anything?¡± Jake suddenly shouted.

    ¡°What are we supposed to see?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°What?¡± Jake shouted, as if he could not hear me.

    I yelled back, but felt foolish for doing so, ¡°What are we supposed to see?¡±

    ¡°Vibrations, do you see the glass vibrating?¡± Jake yelled.

    ¡°Yes, but only slightly. Not enough to-¡± Nine tried to say something else, but the sudden and frightening detonation of the glass ball on the other side of the room interrupted him, and surprised us all. ¡°By the dragons!¡±

    ¡°Dang¡­¡± Jake said, uncovering his ears. ¡°I guess I messed something up.¡±

    ¡°What just happened?!¡± Rou asked.

    ¡°That was awesome! Do it again!¡± Odens laughed.

    Jake began rubbing the holes on his head, and picked up another strip of leather with a different assortment of runes. ¡°Alright, attempt number two.¡±

    ¡°No, seriously, what just happened?¡± Rou asked again.

    ¡°Those runes didn¡¯t work, and the spell shattered the glass.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°You said that like it explained something, but I only have more questions.¡± Nine said.

    ¡°Those vibrations you saw in the glass. If the runes had worked, those wouldn¡¯t have happened. But because they didn¡¯t work, they broke the glass.¡± Jake ¡®explained¡¯.

    ¡°But those vibrations were so small, could they have really done that to the glass?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Glass is hard, so they didn¡¯t need to be big to break it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this with glass. If these runes are enough to protect the glass, which is easy to break with this spell, then it should be enough to protect us.¡±

    ¡°About that spell, what was it? I sensed you cast it, but nothing happened, and then you started screaming.¡± Nine pointed out.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t hear that?¡± Jake said.

    ¡°Hear what?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, you guys can¡¯t hear the noise from my rune making tools either.¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°Dey¡­ wait. Oh great, now that expression is ruined for me.¡±

    Jake repeated the experiment with all three balls, and several more strips of leather, until all the balls had been shattered and recreated at least twice each. The whole process took over an hour. ¡°Frick!¡± Jake threw the last of his leather scraps at the pile of glass shards. ¡°None of them worked.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if you tried using multiple instead of doing them one at a time? They might work better together.¡± Rou suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± Jake said, disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ll try it in a bit. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you slept, Jake?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Before we arrived here.¡±

    ¡°That was over a day ago.¡± Odens said.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve just been busy.¡±

    ¡°Get some sleep. The Captain and Lieutenant probably will not arrive until tonight, so you have some time.¡± Roud said.

    ¡°Okay, fine. I guess it can¡¯t hurt.¡± Jake said, and sat on the ground, then put his bag under his head and covered his eyes with his arm.

    ¡°If you need anything, just let me know.¡± I said, before we all left Jake to sleep.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Dreaming is weird, but when most of your dreams are nightmares, then dreaming is stressful. Since becoming Suma¡¯s familiar, I¡¯ve had more nightmares than ever before, and even more in the last four months. But most doesn¡¯t mean all; tonight, I had a good dream. Nothing fancy, no flying or anything crazy, I get enough of that when I¡¯m awake. It was simple, I was having a meal with my mum at her house. We talked about our days, as if I never came to Atmosia, never met Suma, and never got stuck here. I told her about a promotion I got; from a job I quit three years ago. I told her about how I wanted to propose to my girlfriend; whom I never had a chance to meet. My dad was there too, and for a few great moments I forgot he died of a heart attack years ago. He gave me advice on what kind of ring to buy, and where to propose because it had to be special. I¡¯ve had this dream three times in the last four months, and I doubt I¡¯ll ever get tired of it.

    Something woke me up, and opening my eyes, I saw Suma standing beside me. ¡°Oh, my apologies Jake, did I wake you up?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What time is it?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°The sun just set.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Are the Captain and Lieutenant back yet?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡±

    ¡°Half the day, but that is not a problem. You can go back to sleep if you want.¡±

    ¡°No, I gotta finish the runes.¡± I said, rolling over and yawning. Catching a whiff of myself, I decided I needed a bath. ¡°Suma, is there a river or a stream nearby?¡±

    ¡°I believe so. Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I haven¡¯t had a proper bath since we landed on this island, and I don¡¯t want to make one right now.¡± I said. She led me about a fifteen minute walk from our little hole in the ground to the edge of the village. There was a small, maybe half a meter deep and one meter across, stream. Sticking my hand in, I felt the cold water; it was surprisingly clear too.

    ¡°Will this work?¡±

    ¡°Looks safe enough. Thanks Suma, I¡¯ll be back in a little while.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to clean myself off a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh I see. My feathers do not need cleaning yet, so I will go back to our dwelling. Be careful.¡± She said, and flew away.

    I followed the stream a little further away from the village, for privacy, and summoned by bag. Pulling out some toiletries Mum keeps packed in it, I took a cold bath, shaved, and brushed my teeth. After four months stuck here, I¡¯d gotten used to this kind of thing. Though normally I have access to a bath I¡¯d made back at base, and a mirror Mum stuck in there once. The bath was actually just a molded stone pit, but at least I could fill it with hot water. As for a loo¡­ well, trees in the forest outside of base worked for most things, and I kept a few bog-roll in my bag. While I was at it, I changed into the outfit Mum put into my bag. She packed a fresh change of clothes for me every day, and a new letter too. This had become my new routine.

    Walking back through the pitch-black forest, with only a small fireball for light, I heard a sound coming from the darkness¡­ a violin.

    Without warning, Suma started yelling over our private connection. ¡°JAKE! Captain Gigoales and Lieutenant Datahu are back! They said the hunters were all killed, and that the Southern Union is pressing the attack again on the camp! I¡¯m going to summon you!¡±

    ¡°Wait no! Suma, Harbinger is here! I can hear them in the forest!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go investigate, but be ready to summon me just in case. And let the others know too.¡± I said.

    ¡°Jake, no! It is too dangerous.¡± She argued.

    ¡°I need¡­ I need to see, Suma. I need to know if Harbinger is really a human.¡± I said, cancelling my fireball and moving closer to the music.

    ¡°Fine¡­ but do not try to fight it on your own.¡±

    Closer and closer I drew to the music, moving carefully between shrubs and trees in the dead of night. A small light shimmered between the trees, and for a moment, I thought about summoning my armor and a weapon, but I knew if I did that then any Neame that was with Harbinger would sense me, so I got closer without them. Besides, they were kinda clunky and loud anyway. Once I was close enough, I hid behind a tree, and looked around. What I saw surprised me. About thirty meters away, draped in shadows cast from a small yellow flame suspended in this air next to her, was a woman playing a violin. I couldn¡¯t see any Neame, but they may have simply been hiding. The woman wore clothes that looked like an amateur tailor tried to sew together modern fabrics by hand, tore them, and repaired them with animal furs. Her hair was cut short, choppy like it was done with a knife. The only clean thing she had was the violin, which looked almost new.

    (Caveman chic.) I thought to myself.

    She pointed her violin in my direction, and I felt my body begin to vibrate like I was in standing in front of the speaker at a rock concert. It felt weird, but it didn¡¯t exactly hurt. However, I immediately got dizzy and fell down.

    ¡°Suma, summon¡­ oh.¡± I said over our private connection.

    ¡°Sound collection magic.¡± The woman called out. ¡°I knew you were there before you got close. You Neame always send your familiars first to scout me out. Last time it was a giant dog-like creature. I wonder what I caught this time?¡± She said, walking closer. A moment later, as I was laying in the dirt trying to regain my sense of up and down, the light of her fire got brighter, and we locked eyes. ¡°What?¡± She whispered. That was the last thing I heard before the darkness overwhelmed me, and I reappeared in front of Suma.

 Book 3- Part 11

    <u>Harbinger¡¯s POV</u>

    Musicians with brass, wind, and stringed instruments played around me to the beat of my country¡¯s national anthem. The sounds carried out of our practice room and down the empty halls. I played my violin, lost in mine and the other¡¯s familiar rhythm. Suddenly, and without any sort of warning, everyone stopped all at once; like the sounds of the whole world had suddenly been muted.

    ¡°Why¡¯d everyone stop?¡± I asked, but no one answered. Looking around, I saw they¡¯d been frozen in place. Keys half pressed, stings pulled taunt, halfway through their vibration and bending in unnatural ways. Below me, a circular pattern of lines made of light formed, and my vision grew dark.

    When I could see again, I realized I¡¯d moved from the practice room to some sort of chapel or auditorium. Around me were seven small strange reddish-brown bird-like creatures. One of them stepped forward, a short one with golden lace draped around its thin neck. Looking up at me, it chirped and tweeted. As it did, I felt it wanted something. It was encouraging me to do something, or maybe it was demanding something from me.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked the little creature, unsure of what else to do. A few of the other creatures chirped back and forth between each other quietly. Once again, the creature tweeted and chirped, and¡­ I felt new sensations; this time it was authority, and it wanted submission.

    I should go to my master¡­ I thought, as a haze clouded my mind. Without really thinking about it, I stepped closer to the creature. I cannot keep her waiting.

    No, I can¡¯t. Not for a moment. I thought. The creature chirped again.

    I should sit beside her.

    What a good idea¡­ Feeling a bit dizzy, I sat beside the creature.

    I must serve her.

    Yes¡­ I must.

    ¡°Congratulations, Lady Lokaria. I¡¯ve never seen a familiar like this before, it must be quite rare.¡± as one of my master¡¯s associates said.

    Lokaria¡­My master Lokaria. I thought. Perhaps I should have been surprised that they could speak, but since they are the same as my master, it seemed only natural. Deep within me, I could feel a connection had formed between her and I, as if by magic. Her emotions were as clear to me as my own, and her desires were like whispers in my ears. I knew to stand before she gave me the order, and I knew to extend my arm before she¡¯d even spread her wings that she wanted to perch on me.

    ¡°Ah, your control over it is superb. As expected of General Frey¡¯s daughter.¡± One of the attendants said.

    ¡°Yes, though I wonder, why is it wearing garments? And what is that strange contraption in its hand?¡± Another asked, gesturing a wing toward me and my violin.

    ¡°Maybe it had another owner before me?¡± Lokaria said. I tried to answer her, to explain, but no words would form. Like my tongue refused to move. Though I could understand them, I couldn¡¯t speak with them yet. ¡°Well, it does not matter now. Is everyone prepared for the ritual?¡± My master asked.

    ¡°Yes, Lady Lokaria. Shall we bring them in?¡±

    ¡°At once. And send word to the castle of my new familiar.¡± She commanded. Two of her seven attendants left, and one returned with two more, however these were different. As soon as Lokaria laid eyes on them, I could feel her suspicion and caution. Though I knew she would not want me to do anything, I made sure to keep my eyes on them as well. The two newcomers flew over to her, and landed beside me. They looked up at my lady, who was still perched on my outstretched arm, and bowed slightly to her.

    ¡°Lady Lokaria, I am a priest from The Church of the Three Great Dragons. This is my assistant, who will be observing the ritual today. Thank you for-¡± Lady Lokaria, distrustful of his words, knowing full well how practiced his speech was, cut him off.

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    ¡°Are you ready to begin?¡±

    ¡°We are.¡±

    ¡°Then do so.¡± She ordered. They bowed, and flew to the other side of the room. After a few minutes, a strange magic circle, like the one I saw earlier, appeared on the floor.

    ¡°The preparations are complete, Lady Lokaria. You can begin at any time.¡± The priest said. My master left my arm, and landed on one side of the magic circle. I knew what she wanted, and took my place on the other side, opposite to her. She began chanting, and a second circle appeared under my feet, and one under hers. The new circles shrank and reshaped themselves until they matched the faint outlines of each of our shadows. A heaviness suddenly came upon me, like it could drag down my soul, and I fell to the ground. Just as the weight lifted, a small voice called out in the back of my head. Until I heard it clearly, and it became incredibly loud.

    ¡°A NAME IS REQUIRED!¡± The voice demanded.

    ¡°A name?¡± My master asked, apparently able to hear the voice too. A small ember formed between us, and grew quickly into an inferno. It twisted and shifted until it was in the shape of a man, and continued to change again, into something like a dragon. From there is quickly and randomly morphed between the two forms. I felt her confusion, or maybe it was just mine? I tried to shout, to answer the voice, but still no words would come out. To my surprise, it was lady Lokaria who answered the voice. ¡°I name it, Harbinger!¡± She yelled. The figure faded back into an ember, and I felt a searing pain in my shoulder. Rolling up my sleeve, I found that a magic circle, surrounded by some sort of symbols, had been etched into my skin like a brand.

    A day later, after I finally regain the ability to speak, and was able to have a proper conversation with master Lokaria, I found out why she summoned me. She was to join her mother on the front lines of the annexation of new lands. The country she lived in was more of a federation of smaller territories, similar to how America works. It is called, The Union of the Caldonso Nation States. Unlike the other continents in this world, theirs was hot, arid, and mostly inhospitable. Most of their people lived in densely populated pockets along the shores, or in cities that had somehow managed to make the soil usable. Still, they had too many people, and not enough habitable land. Currently, the Southern Union has taken an island from one of the northern continents, and a small chain of island nations to the east called Taldre. We were being sent to train in the Caldonso military, and then to the Island of Sangu.

    ¡°Identification number, rank, place of birth, magic specialty, and number and type of familiars.¡± The recruitment officer asked, ready to engrave master Lokaria¡¯s information onto an identification ring.

    ¡°My name is Lokaria. I am the daughter of General Frey. I was born in Fafnir. My specialty is Healing-Magic. I have only a single familiar, type ten, with Nature-Magic.¡±

    ¡°Type ten? That¡¯s rare for one so young, even for a general¡¯s child.¡± The officer said, molding the stone band so that the words were clearly visible, and then wrapping it around my master¡¯s leg. ¡°Fair warning: don¡¯t use ocean-water to clean that. It¡¯ll get itchy.¡± If Master Lokaria had teeth, she would have been gritting them as she thanked the officer.

    During our time at the training camp, I learned how to use magic, and what kind I had. Apparently, while my individual magic type was not rare, my application of it was superb. I taught myself how to use my violin to create vibrations that her species, the Neame, were affected by. Mostly, I practiced on prisoners and slaves, so as not to hurt our comrades by accident. I could do anything from stun them to even kill them; all in a matter of moments. And while I possessed no ¡°mana¡± of my own, I was apparently highly skilled at manipulating the mana in the environment around me, even when compared to class four or class five mages.

    Everything was going well, until the strings on my violin finally broke. Now, for the first time since my arrival, I was forced to leave my master¡¯s side, and return home to retrieve more strings. Being away from her pained me, so I requested to always be by her side. However there was no way around it. It had been six months since I arrived, but I was not looking forward to returning. Before, I¡¯d had little in the way of family, or friends. My life almost entirely revolved around playing in the orchestra. But now that I have Lokaria, I feel like I have so much more in my life.

    Just like before, my vision went dark, however this time I felt like I was falling. As I fell, there was a voice in the distance, and I saw a flickering light in the darkness that kept drawing closer. Soon, I could make out what it was; that strange flaming man-dragon thing.

    ¡°A GOOD BACKUP! But Sentinel must be the priority.¡± It said, shifting between its two halves. Suddenly, it seemed like something took its interest away from me as it turned its head sharply. ¡°AH! SPEAKING OF¡­ my salvation.¡± I began to fall away from the strange creature, and out of that dark void.

    Regaining my senses, I heard the sounds of the orchestra playing my national anthem. I was back. Right back where I had been originally six months ago. In the same chair, listening to the same song, surrounded by the same people. Like the last six months had never happened, except for the fact that my clothes were tattered, my violin needed repair, and, based on the reactions of the people around me, I was in desperate need of a wash.

    After searching for a few minutes, and while ignoring the confused and concerned questions of my orchestra members, I found everything I needed, and contacted Lady Lokaria; ready to return.

 Book 3- Part 12

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Jake! Are you injured?¡± Suma shouted once I¡¯d reappeared beside her. I was back in the village. Around em were several members of the squad, but not everyone. I saw Nine, Rou, and Lieutenant Datahu. Behind them were other Neame of various sizes, none of which I recognized. Some were wounded, others were dead. Their blueish-green blood shimmered in contrast to their dark-blue feathers. Dust and dirt hung thickly in the air, mixed with a smell like burnt hair and wood-smoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, where are the others?¡± I asked, the dizziness leaving me as I stood up.

    ¡°They are helping hold back the enemy while we evacuate the civilians.¡± She said.

    Another Neame landed beside us heavily, clearly in a rush. ¡°Lady Suma, Sir Viky; the enemy are pushing past the defenses! We must leave now!¡±

    ¡°Where are we evacuating them to?¡± I asked, summoning my armor, Jericho, and shield, Aegis.

    ¡°For now, out of the village. Getting them to the forest will make tracking them more difficult. Everyone here knows to go to one of the other strongholds, or how to hide.¡± Nine said.

    ¡°They should leave the island. We all flew here. They can fly away, back to the mainland.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°This is our home. We will not leave it. Not yet.¡± One of the injured Roshia said.

    ¡°But you could be safe.¡± I said. An explosion outside vibrated the ground.

    ¡°They are getting closer. We do not have time for this. Everyone! Prepare to leave! If you can fly, help those who cannot!¡± The Lieutenant said. The room turned to chaos as Neame either flew away, or started casting spells to lift others up with magic. ¡°Sentinel, you are coming with me. Follow close.¡±

    ¡°But Suma-¡±

    ¡°Your master will be fine. She is assisting evacuations. We are going to fight. You heard the messenger. They broke through the line, so we must form a new one to buy time.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I said, summoning Mori and following Lieutenant Datahu outside. The smoke was thicker outside the hole we were in; a lot of something, or several somethings, was on fire nearby. From the front, strange and loud sounds echoed. Thunder, cracking, screaming; all of it mixed, slurred, and mushed together to form one singular magnanimous noise. Like how a waterfall is made up of thousands of drops of water hitting themselves.

    ¡°Be ready to cast defensive magic, and wide attack range spells. Remember all that training I put you through.¡± Datahu said, and created twenty dummies from the ground, wrapping them in vines, tree limbs, and roots. After she finished that, she looked up and locked eyes with me. ¡°Sentinel¡­ give me your mana.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡± I asked, kneeling down, and placing a hand on her.

    ¡°I will tell you when to stop.¡± I began pushing my mana into her. At first, she seemed fine, but after a few moments, she began to wince, and I slowed down. ¡°No, keep going.¡± Returning to my original speed, she winced again.

    ¡°You¡¯re in pain.¡±

    ¡°It is necessary.¡± What felt like a minute later, but probably wasn¡¯t, she told me to stop. Despite gasping several times, she claimed she felt amazing.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked, putting my shield between myself and the direction of the noise.

    ¡°Now we wait.¡±

    Truthfully, less than two minutes probably passed. But when your heartbeat is shacking your eardrums, when your knuckles are turning snow white because you¡¯re gripping your sword too hard, and when your breathing is so heavy you could pass out at any second¡­ two minutes doesn¡¯t feel like two minutes. And I spent those stretched out minutes thinking. (Is Suma still alive? Did she escape? Will I ever see Mum again?) I wondered.

    About that time, an explosion occurred. Not one of fire, or lightning, but of flesh. Specifically, of feathers and beaks and claws. Horrified, I watched as Neame poured out of the nearby forest like a living tidal wave. They flew up and down and twisted around each other. It looked like a blue splotchy cloud, and sounded like flapping thunder. Lights and sounds came from that living cloud and it quickly drew closer. Bolts of lightning and balls of fire spewed out. That cloud was at war with itself. The burnt, broken, and mangled remains of Neame were ejected from the cloud like rain in every direction, but they always hit the ground in the end¡­ if there was enough left of them to make it that far anyway.

    ¡°By the dragons¡­¡± Datahu whispered.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let it get closer, and avoid friendly fire as much as possible. Our only job is to buy time, remember? Enough for the evacuation to finish.¡±

    ¡°How can I tell who is friendly?¡±

    ¡°If they are trying to kill you, kill them instead.¡±

    ¡°Is that supposed to be a joke!?¡± I yelled, frightened.

    ¡°Not at the moment, no.¡± A few dozen Neame pulled out of the cloud and flew straight for us. ¡°Defensive spells, now!¡± Datahu said and two of the dummies she made placed themselves in front of her. I cast a spell I¡¯d come up with during training. Using magnetism, I created a bubble of North polarity around myself, strong enough to stop something, almost anything, at the atomic level. Just a half-second later, three bolts of lightning and a ball of fire tore them apart. She bolted up into the sky in a blur. As for myself, nothing hit me; not for a lack of trying, however. One of the Neame had attacked me with lightning, which was what I was hoping for. The lightning was caught in the magnetic field and danced around me like tree branches made of light before popping into the ground with a crackle.

    Outside of the magnetic field, I created fireballs, as many as I could. I¡¯d killed before; in the alleyway I killed a familiar, in the desert Deyja made me kill those mages. But this time, when those fireballs launched at my whim, when they connected with three of those Neame, I¡­ Jake¡­ Sentinel¡­ chose to kill them. Their blood was on my hands. Knowingly, and intentionally. There was no running from it anymore.

    I repeated that, throwing fireballs, over and over again. Until they were too close to throw fire at. Then I swung Mori. What happened next was a blur. Later, I would remember every disgusting moment. But at the time, it was just a blur of blood, fire, and screaming. The next clear memory I have is of stabbing Mori into a Neame I¡¯d hit with my shield after I ran out of magic and my defensive barrier faded away. One solid blow with Aegis¡¯s edge probably killed him, but in that blur I still stabbed him. Stepping back from the broken, burned, and gutted bodies, and from the shattered remains of almost all of Datahu¡¯s dummies, I looked around, dazed. My ears were ringing so much that I barely even heard Lieutenant Datahu fly down and land beside me.

    ¡°Are you alright Sentinel?¡± She asked. I didn¡¯t answer. How was I supposed to? I could barely even breathe or think. ¡°Sentinel? Are you alright?¡± She asked more firmly.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ lived?¡±

    ¡°You are covered in blood. Are you injured?¡± She asked. Looking down, I saw the blood. I was covered in it. Mori, Aegis, Jericho, and me were dripping blueish-green and red blood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I looked off to the cloud, and saw it had thinned out. Below it laid countless bodies, like a trail of death marking where it had been. Not only had it grown smaller, but it was quickly getting further away. ¡°They¡¯re pushing them back?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No¡­ that doesn¡¯t make sense. They had us outnumbered. We should be-¡±

    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± I asked, as the sound of a violin slowly grew louder. Without warning, the cloud suddenly dispersed. Thousands of Neame flew in a single direction, away from the sound. What Neame remained cheered, and shot attacks at their retreating enemies. ¡°GET BACK!¡± I shouted at them. ¡°FLY AWAY! GET AWAY!¡± But they did not listen, or could not hear me. A dozen or more at a time went silent, and fell out of the sky right to the ground. Like a wave they moved slowly closer to us.

    ¡°Harbinger.¡± Datahu said.

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    ¡°The runes! We need to get the runes!¡± I said, and summoned my bag. As soon as it appeared, I opened it and pulled out every rune engraved leather strap I had made, whether they worked or not. I tied one of every kind to her leg, and to my wrist, then activated them with a daljar.

    Lieutenant Datahu looked down at the slightly glowing bands, then at me. Her beak moved up and down, but no sound came out. I tried to say something too, but just like her, there was no sound. Her eyes glowed, and I felt something.

    ¡°Hopefully, this means these runes work.¡± The Lieutenant¡¯s voice inside my mind said.

    ¡°That would be good, yeah.¡±

    In the distance, maybe one-hundred meters away, a wild looking woman with a violin stepped out of the forest. She walked among the corpses, looking around carefreely until she spotted me.

    ¡°Kill her, kill her now!¡± Datahu shouted in my mind. I knew it was time. There was no getting around it, not really. I could pull out a ball-bearing, cast Railgun, and end this mission then and there. But I had to try one more time.

    ¡°Please, can I¡­ can you do to her what you¡¯re doing to me know. I want to talk with her. I can get her to stand down. I know I can.¡±

    ¡°That is not the mission.¡± She said.

    ¡°Frick the mission. Just let me try to save her. Please. I know it probably won¡¯t work. I know what happens when someone becomes a familiar. But maybe she¡¯s like me. Maybe she still has her own mind.¡± I begged, never letting my eyes leave Harbinger. She started walking closer, her violin under her chin, being played the whole time.

    The Lieutenant stayed quiet for a moment, but eventually said, ¡°fine, but I need to pull back. We cannot be sure these runes work. I will look for her master.¡± Datahu spread her wings, and flew upwards. As she got further away, she added, ¡°You have three minutes. If she is not dead or on our side by then, I will kill her myself.¡±

    At that moment, I felt a third presence enter my mind. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I asked, and Harbinger stopped walking, and looked around.

    ¡°Is this you?¡± She asked. But the voice in her mind sounded wrong. When someone speaks to your mind, you feel them. You feel their presence, their soul even. But Harbinger echoed, like she was hollow. Something was missing from her mine, and I could feel it.

    ¡°Yes¡­ What is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s quite the question to ask, isn¡¯t it? But really, there is not a single thing wrong. In fact, I¡¯m better than I¡¯ve ever been.¡± She said, drawing closer, still playing the violin the whole time, even though I couldn¡¯t actually hear it.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re broken. Please stop this; let me help you.¡±

    ¡°How come you aren¡¯t dying?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I should be vibrating your brainstem so hard it pulls itself apart. Even at this distance you should still be in agony. But you¡¯re fine.¡±

    ¡°Is that Death-Magic?¡±

    ¡°Death-Magic? No¡­ I¡¯d wanted that because I thought it might please my master, but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t use it. Master Lokaria was sooooo disappointed. I cried for half an hour over that, but it ended up fine, because I learned how to use my music to fulfill her desires.¡±

    ¡°Your master; are you under her spell? If not, then you don¡¯t need to serve her. You¡¯re trapped here like me, but if we work together, I¡¯m sure we can-¡±

    ¡°Trapped? No, I¡¯m not trapped. Why would I be?¡±

    Because of the dragon. You haven¡¯t seen him?¡± I asked. Harbinger was closer now, maybe only fifty meters away.

    ¡°Dragon? You mean the fire guy? I wondered about him. I saw him like six months ago, but that was it.¡±

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s no reason to fight. If you¡¯ll just surrender, this can all end.¡± I pleaded. She was forty-five meters away now.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be working at all.¡± She said, looking down at her violin. ¡°How are you doing that?¡±

    ¡°Please surrender.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked angerly. Forty meters.

    ¡°Because that isn¡¯t what my master would want.¡±

    ¡°Frick your master! What do you want?¡± The moment I said that, she put her violin back against her chin, and struck one of the cords hard. My feet vibrated, and for a split second the ground to my left, right, and directly in front of me shook so hard it cracked.

    ¡°How dare you! You blaspheme Lokaria? I will rip out your tongue and-¡± At the thirty-five meters mark, Harbinger suddenly stopped. I felt a new mind enter my own. ¡°Master, are you okay!?¡±

    ¡°I am being attacked!¡± A new woman¡¯s voice shouted.

    ¡°Please summon me!¡±

    ¡°I cannot! It would take too much time. I am flying in your direction!¡±

    ¡°Are you the Neame that took over her mind?¡± I asked, angry.

    ¡°What? Who is speaking?¡±

    ¡°Just another human. Don¡¯t worry master, he will be dead soon.¡± Once again, Harbinger resumed walking. With every step, she struck her violin, and with every strike, the ground tore itself apart. I felt the other voice, Lokaria, leave my mind.

    ¡°Stop this, your violin clearly isn¡¯t working.¡±

    ¡°Clearly¡­¡±

    ¡°Just talk with me. I¡¯m sure-¡± I was interrupted by a forceful shock to my side. A large rock had slammed into my armor, knocking me to the ground. I cried out in pain for a second as a few of my ribs broke, but of course no sounds were working around me at the moment. Silently screaming was trippy though. I flowed mana into my armor, and the runes began to heal me. Twenty-five meters now.

    ¡°So, whatever is protecting you is only affecting sound then? They aren¡¯t my forte, but I can use other spells.¡± She said. I threw a fireball at her. It connected, and she writhed and shouted for a moment. She even threw her violin to the ground, and rolled around until the flames were out. For a second, I thought I¡¯d killed her, but she slowly stood back up. When she turned around, her clothes were burned, but the area of her face I¡¯d hit was already healing.

    ¡°Stop this.¡± I said.

    ¡°Is the one attacking Lokaria your master? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m going to liquify her guts in front of you.¡±

    ¡°Please stop this. Or I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡± I said, one final time. She started running. Ten meters. I cast Railgun. The ground beside her exploded. (A miss?!) I thought. A second shot, another miss! Her body slammed into me, knocking me back. She was on top of me now, caught in the rune¡¯s area of effect. Her mouth was open, her face was contorted. Was she screaming? She just body-slammed a guy wearing full-plate armor, she could be screaming¡­

    I hit her, tried to push her away. Each of her blows vibrated me; shook my brains out. Both of us were probably screaming, but there was only quiet and pain. I was bigger, stronger. I pushed her off, summon Mori, and stabbed. Once, twice, three times. She never slowed down. Something hit me from behind, another rock. It made me drop Mori. She hit me in the nose, it broke. Hot blood poured down my mouth. I summoned Aegis, and hit her with that too. She still didn¡¯t slow. It was like fighting the wyvern all over again. She wasn¡¯t afraid of being hurt, she didn¡¯t stop just because she¡¯d been stabbed. I may have been bigger and stronger, but she fought like a trapped animal.

    Suddenly the whole world filled with sounds again all at once. ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± She screamed, or maybe it was both of us. At that point we were just beating each other senseless on the ground. Neither of us was even trying to use magic anymore. But almost as soon as the sound turned back on, I felt dizzy.

    ¡°Finally!¡± She bellowed, and got back to her feet. I tried to stand up, but quickly fell over again. My whole world was spinning. Looking at my wrist, I saw that some of the rune engraved straps had come off in the fight. Two of the five were lying almost ten meters away on the ground. Picking up Mori, she stood over me. I launched a fireball, but couldn¡¯t see straight and missed entirely, even though she was just a few feet away. She swung, and I put my hand up in front of me, then it fell to the ground beside me.

    ¡°ARRAGGGHHH!¡± I screamed, and spurts of my blood flew from where my left hand had once been and into the air. ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± I continued to scream. She raised Mori up again, but I cast a spell. One I¡¯d told myself I¡¯d never use. Spells are cast by putting magical power, mana, into one¡¯s thoughts or intentions. And when she swung that sword down at me again, I could only have one thought, only one intention. I¡¯d been fighting her. Fighting to survive. Fighting to kill. That was my intention. And the spell cast¡­ was Death-Magic.

    I spoke no words, I didn¡¯t need to. The moment the spell was cast, I almost regretted it. She dropped Mori behind her and started screaming. Worse than she did when my fireball had hit her. Worse than anything I¡¯d heard since the alleyway that day, all those years ago. Blood poured from her face where no cuts had been. Her limbs contracted and bent in unnatural ways. She just screamed and screamed, until she stopped. Her face frozen in agony, and discolored in blood. And I just laid there, frozen. Still bleeding from my stump, but unable to put any mana into my armor. Unable to do anything, except regret my spell.

    I think I passed out. Everything went from all too real, to more of a dream. For the next little while, my memories got a bit fuzzy as I slipped in and out of consciousness. One clear memory I have is how clammy and dizzy I felt. Cold, that¡¯s what I was. No matter how hard the sun beat down on me, I was freezing. It was probably a side effect from blood loss. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t. Maybe I was just dead, and that¡¯s why I was cold.

    ¡°Sentinel?¡± Lieutenant Datahu called out. I didn¡¯t answer, but she found me anyways, and landed on the ground in front me of. ¡°Sentinel! Can you hear me? Are you¡­ by Ashem. Your limb¡­ hold still. I may not be the greatest healer, but I can stop the bleeding.¡± She cast a spell, and the pain in my wrist faded, but it didn¡¯t go away. After my wrist was healed, Datahu surveyed the area and contacted the rest of the squad. That¡¯s about when my head started to clear up.

    ¡°Lieutenant?¡± I asked from the ground, lying on my back and still in my armor.

    ¡°Sentinel, good. I was worried my healing spell was ineffective. Do you remember what happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­I killed her.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You completed the mission and killed the target. Good work.¡± She said. Hearing her congratulate me made my stomach turn.

    ¡°My hand.¡± I said, looking at my stump.

    ¡°Yes, it seems you lost it in the fight. I do not know much about healing magic, but perhaps your master can reattach it for you?¡±

    ¡°Where is Suma? Is she alright?¡±

    ¡°Captain Gigoales said that he regrouped with Privates Suma, Rou, and Nine. They were able to finish evacuating the survivors before they retreated. However, Odens did not survive the enemy¡¯s assault.¡±

    ¡°Dang it.¡± My cheeks grew hot and soon tears were streaming down my face. Between my hand, Odens, and Harbinger, I really don¡¯t know which one of them I was crying for most. I just sobbed quietly and whispered swears and curses under my breath; until I heard flapping sounds getting closer. Suma landed on my shoulder. The others all landed nearby, except for Nine. He stayed in the sky, and circled around; keeping an eye on the surroundings. The enemy had retreated, but only because of Harbinger. With her gone, they¡¯d be back sooner or later.

    ¡°Jake! Thank the dragons, you are okay!¡± She said, and gently placed her head against the cold metal helmet I hadn¡¯t bothered to send away yet.

    ¡°I lost my hand.¡± I said, raising up my stump. Her eyes went wide, and her feather pressed flat against her body when she saw it; I even noticed that natural sparkly glitter-like glow she always had got a little dimmer.

    ¡°I found it over there. Can it still be reattached?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m so sorry Jake. Once a wound has been healed, severed limbs cannot be reattached.¡±

 Book 3- Part 13

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    We left the Island of Sangu quickly after the battle, and with one less member of our team than when we¡¯d arrived. All of us were hurt, some worse than others. Jake lost his left hand. He has not spoken much since it happened, though when I found him after the battle, it was clear how upset he was. The journey back to base was quiet and long. I thought about Jake¡¯s hand, and wondered if there was anything that could have been done. For hours I pecked at every corner of my mind, until finally I remembered something; though I highly doubted Jake would take kindly to the idea. Instead, I decided to bring it up with him later, in private.

    Six hours later, we landed on base. A squadron of Neame met us in the air, and guided us down to verify our identities. Night had already fallen, but the process was swift. It was not long before Captain Gigoales dismissed us and told us to get some rest. We were relieved of duty for the next three days to recover. He and the Lieutenant flew away, they had to report our mission to the Major. Nine stayed with Rou, he felt like leaving her alone right now would hurt her. She and Odens were the closest ones in our squad, to the point where Nine and I suspected they may have been in some sort of relationship. I flew with Jake to his room. Once we were there, I felt it was time to discuss my idea with him.

    He sat on his bed, and I perched on the table he used when crafting runes. ¡°Jake, I¡¯m so sorry about your hand.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± He said, holding it up and looking at it once again, just as he had done countless times during our journey home.

    ¡°If I had not¡­ you are in the army because of me. I was supposed to take care of you. This happened because I could not protect you. I should have-¡± I tried to continue, but Jake cut off my sentence.

    ¡°Suma, stop¡­ The Queen offered me the deal too, and I turned it down right alongside you. We could have both gotten out, but I was so blinded by rage¡­ this happened because I went off to fight. Because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to just kill Harbinger the moment I saw her. I had the opportunity, but I wanted to¡­¡± Jake sighed deeply. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to kill someone. But at least I survived. Odens wasn¡¯t so lucky.¡±

    ¡°Jake, there may be a way to heal your hand.¡± I told him.

    ¡°But you said-¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I remembered something. Though I doubt you will like it.¡±

    ¡°I would try anything. Just tell me what it is.¡± He said, leaning forward on this bed. Jake was cradling his injured wrist close to his belly with his other, now only, hand.

    ¡°When the dragon took over your body, you were injured.¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything that happened personally, but I do remember seeing that in the crystal ball thing.¡±

    ¡°Your body was torn to pieces by the Royal Mages¡¯ spells, but the dragon somehow healed himself in mere moments. He regrew entire parts of your body. If we can discover how he did it¡­¡± I let my words hang in the air, and Jake looked down at his wrist again.

    ¡°Zachariah put all those memories in my head. One of them has to have an answer.¡±

    ¡°Did you not once tell me that Zachariah told you during that same event that he put memories in your head regarding magic inversion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, so?¡±

    ¡°When you give me your mana, my Healing-Magic becomes Death-Magic. If you could learn that inversion, perhaps you could use the same healing spell that the dragon used?¡± I suggested. This is the part I knew Jake would be hesitant about. He has resisted using Death-Magic ever since-

    ¡°Suma¡­ I used Death-Magic to kill Harbinger.¡± Jake said, and looked away.

    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°We were fighting and I just¡­ She was going to kill me! I had no choice!¡± Jake said.

    ¡°I know you did not. Jake, I¡¯m not blaming you. She was under her master¡¯s control. She killed countless Neame. Killing her was our mission.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ but it wasn¡¯t just that I killed her. I used Death-Magic. Just like him.¡±

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    ¡°You are nothing like the Chaos Dragon. He was a monster. He ravaged the land. Killed millions. And he never regretted any of it.¡±

    ¡°She screamed so much¡­ it must have been agony.¡± Jake said. He began to do something I¡¯d seen him do a few times since we met. Water, or tears, came from his eyes, and the magic that normally surrounds him became more turbulent. Not so much that it was visible, or that it caused any physical phenomenon, but enough that I could sense it becoming active. Jake¡¯s body poured magic constantly, and over the years I have become more able to tell how he was feeling by its ebb and flow. When I first met him, I never even noticed it, but now feeling it was almost second nature to me. However, I did not need to feel his mana to know how upset he was.

    ¡°Jake, I am so sorry. Being here burdens you so much. We can still accept the Queen¡¯s offer, if you want. There is nothing preventing us from doing so.¡± I told him.

    ¡°No¡­ no we can¡¯t¡­ If I¡¯m ever going to go back home, to see my mum again, then I still need to get stronger.¡± He said, wiping his garments on his face. ¡°And to do that, I¡¯m going to need my hand.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded my head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start searching through the memories, both Zachariah¡¯s and Deyja¡¯s, for anything more regarding magic inversion. I know the basic, but I¡¯m still not great at it. It took Zachariah a while to learn, so there¡¯s probably a ton to look through.¡±

    ¡°You should get some rest. That can wait until tomorrow.¡± I suggested, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t listen. I left his room, and went back to the squad¡¯s room, where I found Rou had already laid in her roost, and Nine was perched over Odens¡¯ belongings. For the rest of the night, I helped him sort things out, and decide what would be sent back to his family, and what belonged to the camp.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was sitting on my bed, and Suma was perched on the headboard. Around us, littering the sheets, were simple diagrams of cell structures, as well as handwritten notes I¡¯d made that detailed what I could remember from my high school biology classes. ¡°What is a powerhouse?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°It is like¡­ where all the cells energy is stored.¡± I said, drawing a little bolt of lightning on the diagram.

    ¡°Is that where magic is stored in humans then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ maybe? Remember humans in my world¡­ but then again I can do magic over there, but¡­¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Jake, I believe a break is in order. My beak is beginning to ache.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Besides, this is all¡­ quite a bit to learn.¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I looked down at my stump of a wrist, ¡°if I can¡¯t learn how to use my Inversion-Magic on my own spells, then you will be the only one who can regrow my hand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, but I need a break. Your people¡¯s anatomy is complex, and you know so much about it. To think, all life is made up of smaller life! Why did you not tell me of this the last time you taught me about your world¡¯s healing? This is already more information than what I learned during my entire first month training as a healing mage. This is all too much at once.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Okay, we can pick this up again later.¡±

    Standing up, I said goodbye to Suma and we parted ways. She went to the rest of the squad¡¯s room, and I headed for Captain Gigoales¡¯ office. There was something I wanted to ask him, but hadn¡¯t had the time, or really known how to approach it, until now. His office had no door, but a large array of molded vines that I parted with magic.

    ¡°Captain, requesting permission to enter.¡± I announced, waiting in the doorway. A few weeks ago, I¡¯d barged in on him without doing this, and got chewed out for it, so I haven¡¯t forgotten since.

    ¡°Granted, Sentinel; enter.¡± He said from his perch, turning around to face me as I walked into the room. ¡°This is unexpected. Was there something you need?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I wanted to request some time off, for my injury.¡±

    ¡°Understood. How much time do you need?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. Maybe a few weeks. Suma and I are trying to find ways to regrow it, and¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, soldier. Loosing a limb; it is not something I have ever experienced, though many Neame I have served with have been through similar events. Losing wings, talons, whole legs even. If you feel like you need some time off, then arrangements can be made. Officially, you are only registered as Private Suma¡¯s familiar, so the army cannot mandate that you be present. Though you well know how¡­ important you actually are. I can approve some leave for Private Suma, and thus you in turn.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± I said.

    ¡°I will make the arrangements, and have Lieutenant Datahu inform you of the details later. But Sentinel, if you need to talk with a specialist in what you are going through, the army has resources for this. Others who have been through it; I believe talking with them may help you.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that, sir, but I still believe that I can regrow my hand.¡±

    ¡°Is that an ability your people have?¡±

    ¡°No sir, but my people don¡¯t have access to magic.¡±

    ¡°Well, mine do, and I have never heard of someone using it to regrow their limbs. Manage your expectations. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Unless there is anything else, dismissed.¡± He said.

    ¡°I actually had another question, sir. About Odens.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    ¡°What happened to his body? We didn¡¯t bring it home with us, and I just¡­ our cultures are very different. I suppose I was just curious about that how the dead are treated. Was he buried?¡±

    ¡°Buried? What? Of course not!¡± The Captain yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir. My people bury our dead, so I just assumed.¡±

    Captain Gigoales sighed, ¡°I see. No, we do not bury our dead, and I did not bury Odens. To do such a thing is taboo for our country; for the county¡¯s religion as a whole.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you do? Suma mentioned a dying tree once.¡±

    ¡°A death tree, yes. I entombed what was left of Odens¡¯ remains in the trunk of one.¡± He said, and my heart ached hearing him say ¡°what was left¡±.

    I thanked him for answering me, and left; reclosing the vines behind me. Now it was time to do something I had been dreading¡­ writing to my mum.

 Book 3- Part 14

    The blue colored grass around me waved in the wind. I was sitting in a field somewhere between the army base we¡¯d been stationed at and Suma¡¯s home city of Zach-Ahshem. We¡¯d been traveling for hours and needed a rest. Suma was in my lap, eating a piece of sponge cake mum had sent for me in my bag. A few days ago, we left the base for a while. With my hand, losing Odens, and¡­ well everything really, neither one of us has taken a rest in a while. Actually, come to think of it, I think the last time we were alone with nothing to do was before we¡¯d joined the army one and a half years ago.

    ¡°Mmmmm, the only thing that could make this better is if I had a piece of raisin bread too.¡± Suma said, eating the last of her sponge cake.

    ¡°Want some water?¡± I asked, offering the opened bottle to her.

    ¡°Yes please.¡± She said, and I poured some of the water into the screw on cap for her. I felt bad about doing it this way at first. Like I was watering a pet, but her beak is too big to fit into the bottle, and the last time I tilted it into her mouth she nearly drowned.

    ¡°How much further?¡± I wondered, putting our things away. Doing it with one hand was hard, but Suma taught me a few tricks on how to use mana molding to do simple stuff like this¡­ at least until I can get my hand back. As bad as losing my hand had been, using magic to move stuff around without touching it did make me feel like a Jedi sometimes.

    ¡°Another four hours. How is your mana holding up?¡± Suma asked, standing up from my lap, then flying over and landing on the hoverbike.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I said, filling up four more daljars for the rest of the flight, and sending my bag away. Suma had been saving her strength and stamina by riding on the bike with me. However, since there was no real perch for her to hold on to while it was in motion, she¡¯d mostly been either on my shoulder, or in my shirt.

    ¡°Traveling without needing to fly is quite nice, but I do wish that it was a bit faster.¡± She said, landing on my shoulder as I climbed on the bike and inserted the daljar. For a moment, before the noise cancelling runes could turn on, a high-pitched whirr cried out as the wind runes turned on, and then they were suddenly silenced.

    ¡°I guess I could create a tailwind, but you or I might fall off if it gets too turbulent.¡±

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    ¡°Yes, I know. Best not to risk it.¡± With that, we were back in the sky again, cruising along for her hometown. We were about fifty meters above the ground, and moving one-hundred kilometers per hour. Below us were windswept hills, some barren, some rocky, and others covered in blue-grass and vines. In the distance was a forest, and beyond that were the wastelands.

    ¡°Are you excited to be going home again? We haven¡¯t been back since before joining the Drakes.¡± I asked. There was no need to shout, since most of the wind and noise were being suppressed by the runes.

    ¡°It would be good to see my friends again. It has been too long.¡±

    ¡°What about your family?¡±

    ¡°¡­ They will also be there, yes.¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t made amends with them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nor have they attempted to make amends with me.¡± She said, sounding sour at the thought of her parents.

    ¡°You should be the bigger man¡­ er, bird¡­ Neame and try first.¡±

    ¡°I already know what they will say. They will say they were right about me joining the army, and about you being too dangerous, and¡­¡± She complained.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re right?¡± I asked, not even thinking about why I was asking.

    ¡°What? No. Of course not. At least¡­ not about you.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ but Suma¡­ listen. I¡¯ve been thinking, and I think we should get out.¡± I said, swallowing the nervous lump in my throat.

    ¡°Out? Of the army?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What do you think about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I agree. We have been in the army for a rather long time, and it has cost you so much. I can understand why you want to leave. And I have thought about the Queen¡¯s offer more than once, and whether or not it was right to turn it down.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, I was worried you might disagree and want to stay in. With what you told me about why you joined, I just assumed you might want to stay.¡±

    ¡°I do not regret joining, but I do regret dragging you into it with me.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t drag me anywhere. I followed you here.¡±

    ¡°And if you had not, if I had simply asked you to stay, then you would still have your limb.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll get that back. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± I said.

    ¡°But Jake, what about the dragon? I thought our plan was to train in the army to defeat him?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°It still is. I can¡¯t go home with him still around. But I don¡¯t think I need the army to get stronger.¡±

    ¡°Then how?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, really. I guess we¡¯ll have to figure that out too.¡±

    ¡°Is this why you asked for leave away from the base?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°Yes and no. It was a part of it, but I really did just need some time off to look into my hand.¡± I said.

    ¡°Have you found anything about that in Zachariah¡¯s memories?¡±

    ¡°No, as far as I can tell, Zachariah didn¡¯t know anything about the spell Deyja used in my body. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d seen one before, but I was wrong. It wasn¡¯t Zachariah¡¯s memories, it was Deyja¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°So, the only one who knew how to do it, was the Chaos Dragon himself?¡±

    ¡°I think so. Which means if I want to learn how to get my hand back, I have to look through his memories too.¡± I said, feeling sick to my stomach at the mere thought of it.

 Book 3- Part 15

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    Jake and I arrived in my home city late in the day, nearly nightfall. The moon was full, and had already begun to show itself over the horizon. We decided to go to my house for the night, and Jake could stay there until his usual arrangements at the familiar¡¯s stable house could be made again. My home, being constructed in the side of Mount Fafnir, has little space; certainly not enough for Jake to land his rune powered ¡°bike¡± inside. He landed at the base of the mountain and waited for me to summon him. With a spell to open an entrance, I landed, filled the luminous braids with mana, and nostalgically watched as the room filled with light. Sighing, I looked around. Everything was as I left it. Less than a year and a half had passed, but it felt so much longer than that since I last stood here. The room was still clean since I had cast a spell to purify the room and air before I sealed it closed when I left.

    ¡°I have arrived, Jake.¡± I told him over our private connection.

    ¡°Ready here.¡± He said, and I summoned him. Slowly he appeared, crouched down because he was taller than the ceiling, and holding his bag.

    ¡°It has been quite some time since you were last here.¡± I said.

    ¡°I remember. Especially that big first step out the door. That made an impression.¡± He joked. For the first time in a very long while, I saw the smallest hint of genuine happiness, what his people called a ¡°smile¡±, from him.

    ¡°My apologies, Jake; I keep fairly few Yggdrasil vines in my home. Certainly not enough to make you a roost, or bed, for the night. But I could barrow some from one of my neighbors if you want.¡±

    He was still crouched, but turned towards me as best he could. Sitting down, he began to pull out the portable roost he had slept in during our trip. ¡°It¡¯s not big deal I can just use the tent again. What¡¯s one more¡­ night¡­ Did you say Yggdrasil?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I could gather some. My neighbors are kind, and would surely not mind lending me a few. Enough to make a frame for your bed.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Um, no, it¡¯s really fine. I don¡¯t want to impose on them. But seriously, Yggdrasil? That¡¯s what those vines are called?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Why?¡±

    ¡°Well first, I didn¡¯t even know they had a name. But really, Yggdrasil? As in the world-tree Yggdrasil?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I am not familiar with any world-tree.¡± I told him, confused.

    ¡°It is a Viking myth. Yggdrasil was the tree that held the world together or something like that.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you saying that Vikings thought these vines, which grow wild throughout this whole kingdom, were holding the world together?¡±  I asked, slightly amused. It was a humorous misconception. The thought that the Vikings could have gotten something so wrong was-

    ¡°Or your people got the name from their myth? Didn¡¯t they invade like a thousand years ago or something? I mean, I¡¯ve seen a few other remnants from their influence since I¡¯ve been here.¡± Jake said.

    ¡°I suppose it is possible. Runes were created by Zachariah, and he was a Viking¡­ so maybe he left other influences during his life.¡± It was a disconcerting thought, one I did not wish to dwell on.

    ¡°Yeah, that could be it too.¡± Jake nodded, pulling some tools and food from his bag with mana wrapping.

    ¡°Nonetheless,¡± I said, trying to switch topics, ¡°what are your plans for tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to Ceil¡¯s. My stuff needs more TLC than I can give it right now.¡± Jake said, raising his former hand. ¡°I¡¯ll probably visit Sela-Car after that, and show her my new runes, and ask her to tend to the ones on my stuff that got beaten up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that seems prudent.¡± I said. ¡°How have you been adjusting? Without your hand, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Stuff¡¯s harder. Mana wrapping helps, but it¡¯s still difficult with some things. Picking up fabric is a pain. Which makes putting my clothes on a pain too. But overall, I guess things could be worse.¡± Jake explained.

    ¡°That is an excellent positive outlook on it. You seem to have taken the loss of your hand with both wings unfurled. Most Neame would still be wallowing in self-pity at the loss of a limb.¡± I thought about the Neame I saved when my group was traveling back from the royal capital. Even though he lived, he lost his wing. I could only imagine what he must have been going through. For years, I had assumed that such a loss would render most incapable of living a normal life, but Jake has not been nearly as affected as I would have imagined.

    ¡°Can I be honest with you, Suma? Really, losing my hand¡­ wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal.¡± Jake said, to my surprise. ¡°Sure, I was pretty upset for a few days, but it wasn¡¯t even close to how bad I felt when I got trapped here, or after losing Odens.¡±

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    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe it¡¯s because I still plan to get it back, or maybe I¡¯m just going numb to all this crap that keeps piling up, but¡­ I just don¡¯t feel as strongly about it as I did those first couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Flying around on the hoverbike drew plenty of attention, one Neame, who wore the emblem of the Citadel¡¯s guards, even stopped me to make sure I wasn¡¯t a threat. I knew there were police of sorts here, but I didn¡¯t know much about them. Once the guard was satisfied I wasn¡¯t a threat, he warned me not to fly close to the citadel, and left.

    Landing outside of Ceil¡¯s blacksmith shop, I hopped off the bike, but didn¡¯t send it away yet. Walking inside, I announced myself. ¡°Ceil! You here?¡±

    From the back workshop, I heard something metal clatter like it fell on a stone floor, and a ragged elderly voice called out, ¡°By the dragons! Is that Jake I hear?¡± Loud wingbeats rang out, and Ceil, with his blue and grey feathers a bit bluer than the last time I saw him. His beak was still curled inwards, but now it was a bit shinier and pointed. ¡°You¡¯re back from your conscription! Returned alive and well! Just as I¡¯d prayed for at the temple so many times. Please, come in! How are you, how are you?¡± He said, excitedly and landed on the wooden counter-like table in the shop¡¯s lobby area.

    ¡°Alive.¡± I said, faking a smile, and modeling some vines into a chair.

    ¡°That bad then?¡± He said, his voice had not lost any of its cheer, but he did sound more sympathetic. I raised my lost hand, and his feathers pressed down against his body a bit, and lost some of their sparkle. ¡°Oh my¡­ Jake, I am so sorry that this has happened.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Suma and I are hopeful that I can regrow it with magic.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I have never heard of this, but your master is a Healing-Mage, yes? She would know more than me.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± I said, changing topics, ¡°I was hoping you could help me repair my armor and weapons. It¡¯s a bit harder to do right now for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can be my last customer, my friend.¡± He said.

    ¡°You¡¯re closing this early in the day? The sun just rose a few hours ago.¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°No, my last customer ever. I am retiring, and leaving Zach-Ashem.¡± He said.

    ¡°What? Why? Did something happen? When I left, your business was booming.¡±

    ¡°Ah well, it did for a time, but you know the nobles. When they found out who named me, they put up a fuss. I decided to leave and go live my final years with my son in the Royal Capital, Ambos-Ompera. He is a blacksmith too, so I can help him with his shop.¡±

    ¡°Can I help somehow? I know the Grand Duke, and her Majesty the Queen. I could talk to someone, I¡¯m sure.¡± I offered.

    ¡°No, no. This didn¡¯t just happen. I have been thinking about this since before we even met. Lately I just felt like it was time. The only reason I stayed this long was because of how much Grand Duke Udoka Sopra has done for me, keeping the nobility in check so I could run my business without worry. He was the only reason I was even recognized as a named Neame in the first place. He fought for me against some of the nobles who did not like you, or me, or commoners.¡±

    ¡°Oh man, I¡¯m really going to miss you.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could always come to visit. I¡¯m sure we could find somewhere for you to stay, even if it is a little cramped.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Now then, enough sadness. Let¡¯s see those wonderful creations I made.¡± I summoned everything and laid it out. But the moment he laid eyes on each piece, he looked more and more upset. ¡°Every time. Each and every time you leave, you come back and my creations are nearly destroyed!¡±

    ¡°Well, they did save my life.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°For that I am glad, because now I can kill you myself! Look at this! Everything is tattered, poorly maintained, and on the verge of breaking; if not already broken. Twilight is effectively ruined and needs to be reforged and rebuilt. It looks like the head broke off somehow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that was an-¡±

    ¡°Mori is chipped and dull. Jericho is full of holes, the heat treatment has been ruined, and it has rips up and down the inner filter lining. Destiny is rusty, bent, and dull. Aegis is nearly broken in half, and looks like it has been hit with a boulder.¡±

    ¡°It kinda was¡­ two or three times.¡± I told him. His head and wings drooped sadly. ¡°So how much will it cost to fix everything?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Effectively, I need to completely remake some things. Several daljars of mana, as well as fifteen gold coins, at least. And none of this will be quick. It will take a week or two.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I could use some help with.¡± I added.

    ¡°Something else? I don¡¯t remember making anything else for you.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s something I made. It¡¯s right outside.¡± I said. He landed on my shoulder, and I led him to the bike. He looked at it with¡­ let¡¯s call it confusion.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked. Hoppin on, I started it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s powered by mana? Interesting- WOAH!¡± He shouted as we lifted a meter into the air.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I see, it is a magic tool that allows you to fly. And you want my assistance with it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the frame needs improvement. Right now, it looks like a pile of garbage hastily welded to a metal table. I was hoping you could help me smooth it out a bit.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but why go through so much trouble? Could you not simply use magic to fly instead?¡± Ceil asked.

    ¡°I tried that once, as an experiment before starting this.¡± Suddenly, I was having a flashback to some training I did a few months ago. I had been on base, and cast a spell to manipulate gravity, wind, and electrostatic-repulsion to simulate flying. That single spell used so much mana, I was only able to get a few meters off the ground for about a minute before I was completely drained, and falling. After three broken ribs, a concussion, a twisted ankle, six broken fingers from landing on my hands, and a lot of throwing up, I decided to build the hoverbike. ¡°It didn¡¯t work out, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I am no expert in rune-craft, but if all you need is a new frame, then I believe I can do something about that. I will add it to your bill, can you leave the¡­ what was its name?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a proper name. I¡¯ve just been calling it my bike.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Seems a bit unlike you to not name something, but very well. Leave this with me if you can, and I will prioritize making the new frame first.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ceil.¡±

    ¡°Jake, you named me. This is the least I could do. But that still leaves a problem, do you intend to reapply the runes yourself? Can you do that with only a single limb?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know just the Neame who can help.¡±

 Book 3- Part 16

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    The darkness faded and I was standing in front of Suma¡¯s old school. To my left, was Suma, perched on a metal bar in a row of other jungle gym-like bars. Over a year had passed since the last time I¡¯d been here, and over five years since the first time.

    ¡°It looks different.¡± I said, glancing up at the twisted metal and wood supports, and molded stone walls.

    ¡°Really? It looks the same to me.¡± Suma said, not really bothering to look. From what I remember, her memories of this place weren¡¯t great.

    ¡°Do you want to come inside with me?¡± I offered.

    ¡°No. I am going to visit with a few old friends. Contact me when you are ready, and I will summon you to meet them as well.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t wanna see Sela-Car?¡±

    ¡°I do not care to, no.¡± Suma said. For some reason, Suma and she never got along, but I doubt even Suma really knows why. She once said it was something about her personality, but I can¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± With that, Suma flew away, and I walked inside.

    Since I¡¯d been here before, I knew, in a general sense, how to find her lab. Thankfully, it seemed school was out at the moment, because no one was around. A few corners and a long hallway or two later, and I found Sela-Car. She was standing on the ground, wingtips pressed against a complex magic circle. Moments later, light began to bend and twist inside the circle, like heatwaves coming off hot pavement. A mirror image of Sela-Car appeared in the circle, except she was not touching the circle itself. It was more like a still image actually, but three-dimensional.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Sela-Car cried out.

    ¡°Finally!¡± The illusion repeated in the exact same way as the original had said. Sela-Car began to flutter around excitedly, and sing happily.

    ¡°Asumu da jonn nis ah! Asumu da jonn nis ah!¡± She sang, until she locked eyes with my stupidly grinning face, and the camera phone I¡¯d pulled out to record. After that, she froze in place, halfway through a wingbeat and fell to the floor clumsily. ¡°How long have you been watching?¡±

    ¡°Since, before finally.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you saw everything?¡±

    ¡°Everything.¡± I smiled and nodded.

    She stood back up and straightened her ruffled feathers as elegantly as she could, given that she had just faceplanted¡­ beakplanted onto the floor moments ago. ¡°It is good to see you are well and that you have returned safely.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I am uninjured.¡± Sela-Car said.

    ¡°Except for your pride.¡±

    ¡°Was there something you needed.¡±

    ¡°I could use some help reapplying and repairing the runes you put on my weapons. They got pretty beat up, and I can¡¯t fix them myself right now.¡± I raised my wrist. She saw it, and her feathers around her neck raised slightly, while the ones on her tail flattened themselves a bit.

    ¡°I see. You have my sympathy. I would be happy to reapply your runes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°In return, I want two things.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Firstly, you never tell a soul what just happened¡­ ever.¡± I chuckled at that, and agreed. ¡°Second, I need two more daljars of your mana.¡±

    ¡°I gave you quite a bit when I left, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that lasted a few months. I made several interesting discoveries, and shared my findings with other researchers, but I ran out before I could continue my experiments.¡±

    ¡°Easy enough.¡± I said. Looking around the room, I saw several more strange rune engraved metal, wood, and stone pillars. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been busy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the capital found out about my research, and her majesty the Queen allocated funding for me to continue it, so long as I share my finding with her first.¡±

    ¡°Queen Ompera?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    (Hmm, I don¡¯t like that. She was smart, this feels like she¡¯s looking for something.) I thought to myself. ¡°Did she have any other conditions?¡±

    ¡°Only that my findings were to be kept from the nobility, until she cleared it.¡±

    (She knows about my struggles with nobles in the past, maybe she¡¯s just looking for weaknesses to use against the dragon? Or both of us?)

    ¡°Sir Jake?¡± Sela-Car asked.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, snapping myself out of my thoughts, ¡°I was just wondering: do you happen to need a research assistant?¡±

    ¡°You wish to be my assistant?¡± Sela-Car said, very confused. ¡°Do you have any experience with the runes that I am unaware of? When you left, you seemed rather unknowledgeable about them.¡±

    ¡°A lot has happened. Long story short, I made my own runes.¡± I said, and summoned my bag.

    ¡°You made a rune of you own? Well, that is certainly well done, considering your lack of formal education, but I do not think that qualifies you to-¡± I pulled out the leather straps that I¡¯d used to mute Harbinger¡¯s music, and showed them to her. ¡°What is that?¡± She asked, intrigued.

    ¡°My runes.¡± I placed them down in front of her, and activated them. I¡¯d already accounted for any inversion in these runes when I made them, so I didn¡¯t need to use a daljar to power them. The sound around us cut out, as she tried to talk. Her beak opened, but no words came out. I watched as she pecked the ground, shouted, and spoke, until I finally pulled the mana back out.

    ¡°This- I have¡­ what are these symbols?¡± Now she was interested.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    I lied to Jake, telling him I was on my way to see old friends. In truth, I was fling to my parent¡¯s home. I told Jake that I did not want to see them, and at the time, I meant it. But the more I thought about it, the more I missed them, even if all we did was argue the last time we spoke. So, landing outside their home, I cast the spell that untangled the vines, and flew inside.

    ¡°Mother, Father!¡± I called out.

    ¡°Daughter of mine? Suma?¡± My mother called out, then probably remembered that I had a name. She came out from her roost, and greeted me singing happily. ¡°By baby, you have come home!¡± She pressed her head against mine, and let out shaky sigh. ¡°I have missed you so much, Suma.¡±

    ¡°I-I have missed you too.¡± I said, caught off guard. Pulling my head from hers after a moment, I asked, ¡°Is father here?¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Um, no. Your father and I have decided to end our relationship.¡± Mother¡¯s voice was tired, yet full of emotion.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am afraid we could not reconcile after an argument.¡±

    ¡°You two have been together since before I was hatched. What was the argument about?¡±

    ¡°It was about your familiar, and the army. What else?¡± She said.

    ¡°But I thought you two disliked both of those things?¡±

    ¡°We did, but in time, I changed my mind. I said that we should have supported your decision more, and accepted your familiar, as strange as he was. Your father-¡±

    ¡°Thought he was right, and heard nothing else about it?¡± I asked, knowing my father well enough, despite his efforts to the contrary, to feel assured that is what happened.

    ¡°Yes. Perhaps it is for the best? Ours was always an¡­ unorthodox pairing.¡± She said. Mother was right. By most Neame¡¯s standards, staying with a single partner for longer than two years was abnormal. Jake once mentioned that his people often mate for life, but in this kingdom at least, it was not. Normally, a couple only stays together until a child is hatched, and then the two separate. If the child is male, they stay with the father. If they are female, they stay with the mother.

    ¡°I do not know. He was cold to me, but nonetheless, I did still have an affection for him.¡± I said.

    ¡°Suma, my child, I am sorry for the way we left things off the last time we saw each other. I regretted it more than you could ever know. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I forgive you.¡± I placed my head on hers again.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ I could meet your familiar? He protected you in the army, so I wish to thank him properly.¡±

    ¡°He would like that.¡± Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. ¡°Mother, would you like a name?¡±

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°So each of these symbols corresponds with a sound, and those sounds form the basis of your language?¡± Sela-Car asked looking over the paper with letters written all over it. We were still in her lab, only now I was teaching her about the cursive alphabet I modified to make writing runes easier. Her attention was fully focused, and she seemed to be absorbing everything. ¡°Fascinating, what a brilliant system!¡± Her feathers sparkled brighter than I¡¯d ever seen them before, which still wasn¡¯t overly bright, but she was clearly excited. ¡°And your people use this for communication?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, not everyone, but in my country they do.¡± I told her. ¡°Other countries use their own systems, or multiple systems mashed together.¡±

    ¡°Sir Jake, I would be interested in visiting your country some day.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. I think you might have some trouble communicating, but one day, sure.¡± I avoided the awkward explanation of how and why I was stuck here, and just agreed before changing the subject. ¡°You know, you¡¯ve gotten the alphabet pretty quickly. It¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°While more complicated than runes on the surface, this system is inherently simpler. Even the symbols themselves are less complicated. Memorizing them and their associated sounds did not take long.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you already did? Like, you memorized the whole alphabet in the last hour we¡¯ve been talking?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It was exhilarating! I cannot wait to begin experimenting with them.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose I will begin with sounding out simple instructions, perhaps then I will-¡±

    ¡°No, how did you learn them so quickly? Do you have an eidetic memory?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that normal for Neame?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No. But I was hatched with it. Applying it to my research is quite useful.¡± Sela-Car explained. ¡°Speaking of which, it is time for me to return to my experiment. Thank you for teaching me this Sir Jake. I cannot thank you enough. This changes the direction of my research entirely!¡±

    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re welcome.¡±

    After that, we said goodbye, and I started walking back to Suma¡¯s house/cave thing. ¡°Suma,¡± I said, over our private connection, ¡°I¡¯m done at Sela-Car¡¯s lab. She agreed to fix and help improve my runes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Jake. Actually, I have some good news, and a favor to ask.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I went and saw my mother, like you suggested.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ how did that go?¡±

    ¡°It went well, for the most part. But she would like to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to meet her! Does this mean you¡¯ve made up?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡±

    ¡°And what about your dad?¡±

    ¡°Father and Mother have¡­ ended their relationship. He left their home and has begun living on the other side of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Oh man. Suma, I¡¯m so sorry. Are they getting a divorce?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°Like, are they ending their marriage officially, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Marriage? What is that?¡±

    ¡°Do Neame not get married?!¡± I asked, shocked.

    ¡°I do not know what that it.¡±

    ¡°Do your people go to a courthouse, sign some documents, and swear to live together forever?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ do humans?¡± She sounded equally shocked.

    ¡°But wait, doesn¡¯t Sela-Car have a husband?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is that what a husband is?¡±

    ¡°What did you think it was?¡±

    ¡°I had assumed it was something akin to a mate, but I did not realize it was some sort of legally enforceable arrangement.¡± She said, confused. ¡°Is your mother married?¡±

    ¡°She was, but my dad died a few years ago.¡±

    ¡°They stayed together until one of them died?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty normal.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. How long were they married?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five years, I think.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s Mother¡¯s POV</u>

    It¡­ Jake appeared in my home a few seconds after Suma finished summoning him. He was tall, much more so than I had expected. Even though he was bent over, his head still touched the ceiling. Suma was standing on the ground beside him, and I was also on the ground, but facing him. Before his arrival, my daughter warned me of a few things. She told me to not borrow any of Jake¡¯s mana. To speak to him like I would any Neame, because he was very intelligent and might get offended if I spoke to him like I speak to my own familiar. She asked me to not mention his left upper extremity, his hand as she called it, because he had suffered an injury and lost it in a battle recently. And finally, she told me that he speaks rather rudely; that he constantly uses contractions, and I should just try to ignore them.

    ¡°Ow!¡± He said, rubbing his fur covered head with his long extremities after hitting the ceiling. His limb proportions were so distorted, like he had been stretched out from four directions. I saw his missing limb, and compared it with his other, then felt sympathy; it must have been quite painful.

    ¡°Jake, this is my mother. Mother, this is Jake.¡± Suma introduced us. Her besmears shined erratically. She was never good at hiding her nervousness.

    I bowed respectfully to him, then righted myself. ¡°Greetings, Sir Jake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you can just call me ¡®Jake¡¯. You don¡¯t need to add ¡®sir¡¯.¡± He said, folding his long legs under himself, and sitting down.

    ¡°Well then, Jake. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we finally got the chance.¡± He said. I heard no Sunece in his voice, but I was sure Suma had informed him of my previous opinions.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I would like to apologize for my shameful behavior, and for taking so long to finally greet you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were worried about Suma. In your place, I¡¯d have probably done the same thing.¡±

    (Suma did not lie about his language. Four contractions in half a minute; wow.) I thought to myself. ¡°Thank you for that, but I do not deserve it. I was wrong about you. You protected Suma while she was away, and you were there for her when her father and I were not. My debt to you is... immeasurable.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it. I was going to do that anyway. I¡¯m just happy that you and Suma made amends. And I would like to extend my apologies for my role with wat happened between you and your hus- uh¡­ between you and Suma¡¯s father.¡± He said, stuttering during the final part of his sentence.

    ¡°Thank you, but it was not your fault. Ours was always an unusual relationship. It was bound to end eventually.¡±

    ¡°Suma explained some of it to me. Things are different on my world. Breakups like this aren¡¯t rare, but they are uncommon, and always sad.¡±

    ¡°Have you experienced this yourself? Suma told me that your ages were relatively the same, so I had assumed you also had not mated yet.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ ummm.¡± Jake¡¯s face changed color slightly, and I could sense that he began to emit more mana than he had been before.

    ¡°Mother! Please do not. Jake does not like to discuss such matters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve uh¡­ no. I¡¯ve never been in a serious long-term relationship. I mean I¡¯ve dated! But nothing serious. No kids yet.¡±

    ¡°Suma is the same. Even though I have asked her multiple times to meet with my friend¡¯s son.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Well, it was a pleasure doing this. But Jake is quite busy. Right, Jake?¡± Suma protested, embarrassed.

    ¡°You know, on my first day as her familiar, she had me chase away someone who was trying to flirt with her.¡± Jake laughed.

    ¡°That does indeed sound like my daughter.¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°NAMES! My mother wanted a name! Jake, would you mind giving her one?¡± Suma cried, desperate to change the subject.

    ¡°Suma!¡± I said, surprised at her rudeness. ¡°You cannot just-¡±

    ¡°No problem. I¡¯d love to.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any preferences for the name?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°Like, how it should sound, I mean. Or if you want to have a special meaning.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, you two don¡¯t have a family name. Do you want me to give you both one?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°Only nobles are allowed to have family names.¡± Suma said, as if he had just offered her a Morgi fruit seed, and not a family name like some distinguished noble family would have.

    ¡°Oh, dang. Just a normal name then. Unless we could get the Grand Duke to make an exception?¡±

    ¡°Even Grand Duke Udoka Sopra cannot change that. It is an ancient law, nearly a thousand years old.¡±

    ¡°Would you truly give me a name?¡± I finally managed to say, after spending several seconds stunned.

    ¡°Sure, if you want one.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Thank you!¡±

    ¡°So, any preferences?¡±

    I thought for a moment, ¡°Yes, one. I would like it to sound similar to my daughter¡¯s name. I want everyone who hears it to know that I am proud to be her mother.¡± Jake nodded his head.

    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Suma said, surprised.

    ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment, and rubbed the bottom of his face. ¡°What about¡­ a name that means ¡®moon¡¯ on my world? The name is Luna.¡±

    ¡°Luna.¡± I said, stunned. ¡°It is beautiful. I would love that name.¡±

    ¡°Well then, it is nice to meet you, Luna.¡±

 Book 3- Part 17

    <u>Udoka Sopra¡¯s POV</u>

    Perched in my office, I could hear wingbeats and subtle chanting from outside the wall. It was Lariz, my attendant. The vines pulled themselves back and he flew in, landing on the perch opposite of mine. At the moment, I was eating, but knew he would be stopping by with an update on Lady Suma and Sir Jake, who had recently come back to the city from their tour in the army.

    ¡°Grand Duke Sopra, I have a report.¡± Lariz said. He was new, and was still overly formal with me. I¡¯d told him to just call me Sir Sopra, but he was uncomfortable with that. Even though he was a noble as well, he was of a much lower station, and doubted himself too much.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± I said, swallowing, and turning away from my meal. It was a special treat today too, the first meat I¡¯d had in months.

    ¡°Lady Suma and Sir Jake have spent the last two days going around town. So far, they¡¯ve¡­¡± He stopped himself, catching his contraction, ¡°I mean, they have visited a few people. Jake has seen two named peasants, one blacksmith, Ceil, and one researcher, Sela-Car.¡±

    ¡°What kind of research?¡±

    ¡°Recently, she began studying the effects of Inversion-Mana on runes. Jake was likely there to sell more to her. However, she put in a request today to change her topic of study to a new runic language.¡±

    ¡°More of Jake¡¯s influence, no doubt. I look forward to hearing more about what she is able to discover. What about this blacksmith?¡± I asked, glancing over to my borog meat.

    ¡°An elderly Neame, close to retirement.¡±

    ¡°Probably the one who the nobles harassed last year. He was the Neame who made Jake¡¯s weapons, if I remember right.¡±

    ¡°It seems he brought his weapons to the blacksmith for repairs.¡±

    ¡°And what of Suma?¡±

    ¡°She visited her parent. Nothing abnormal there, however Jake later also visited her, and now the mother is going to appear before you to declare her name.¡± Lariz said.

    ¡°That sounds right.¡± I chuckled. I¡¯d kept tabs on Jake and Suma, even while they were in the army, so I knew that even in basic training, Jake was still naming Neame, though for some reason he¡¯d started to go by his familiar¡¯s name for a while. However, once they joined the Drakes, having them watched became impossible. Thinking about what had happened with Ceil and how I had to fight back the nobles¡¯ constant protests at him being named by a familiar, suddenly my appetite began to fade. No Neame would look forward to going through that again, and surely it would be a hundred-fold worse the second time. Nobles love to do two things, whine and preen. While I was a noble, now with my position as Grand Duke, I no longer have any claim to my former title. But that is fine with me; I was never suited to it anyway. (I wonder how good an ally they would make? Their meeting with the Queen ended well, though they¡¯ve made more than a few enemies in the Royal Court.) I thought, remembering the rumors about a failed assassination attempt. (They have few friends here, but having the Queen on their side, and thus on mine, would be immensely useful.)

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Your order, Grand Duke Sopra?¡± Lariz said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°No changes, but send them both an optional request to speak with me here at the Sanctum; after Suma¡¯s mother¡¯s ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Very good, sir.¡± Lariz said, and spread his wings.

    ¡°Before you go, what was the mother¡¯s new name?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I believe it is Luna.¡±

    ¡°A good name.¡± I said, With that, Lariz left, and I resumed my meal. Though it no longer tasted quite as good as it had before. ¡°So, he named her mother¡­¡± I said aloud, thinking to myself of my own family, and what led me to become the Grand Duke of Zach-Ashem.

    Before, I was the only son of Earl Onkar Sopra. An evil, spiteful, and hate-addled man that could never be pleased. The only times I can recall ever seeing my father pleased, was when it was with himself. For the first two years of my life, he forced my mother to raise me, then on my second birthday, he brought me to his estate, and I never saw mother again. She was a nameless Neame, and he had her killed afterwards, but because of his station, he faced no punishment¡­ at least, not until I gain my position.

    The day I became the Grand Duke, I ordered several investigations to be opened into my father¡¯s affairs, all of which I knew about before hand from years of living with him. Over fifty counts of theft, ten counts of murder, including my mother¡¯s, and nineteen counts of fraud and bribery. For his crimes, I pushed for the death penalty. Not to protect myself, but for revenge. Revenge for myself. In truth, I barely remember my mother, I was so young when I was taken after all. There were several reasons that could have applied, and did in a small way, to my seeking revenge. His abuse, his corruption, his mistreatment of everything¡­ but in truth, it was really about what he did when he found out I¡¯d mated with a peasant.

    He''d said he was protecting me from making the same mistake as he did. He told me to be grateful, because if the other nobles had found out, they would have ridiculed me, or shunned me. I never found her body, or the egg, but what I did find was a group of transmutation specialists to perform his execution. They turned him to stone, and I buried his statue at the base of Mount Fafnir, just north of the peasant¡¯s homes. Sure, dozens of other nobles were also arrested and executed, alongside him, but they all got death-trees and funerals. My father will get what he deserves when the dragons return¡­ nothing. Of course, after all of that, I was left with more enemies than friends.

    ¡°Yes, maybe they would make good allies.¡±

 Book 3- Part 18

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    I was in the audience, sitting on a chair of vines, watching as the naming ceremony took place. Today was busy apparently, with twelve individuals participating and declaring their names. The Grand Duke had sent us a request yesterday to see him in his private chambers after the ceremony, and had given permission for me to attend it as his guest, since familiars weren¡¯t normally allowed. Just as one Neame left, Luna, Suma¡¯s mother, flew up, and took her place before the Grand Duke. He was sitting on what looked to me like a gold and wood pillar, reminiscent of a throne.

    She landed on a perch in the center of the room, and spoke. ¡°My name is Luna, and I reside in Count Thecoma Isbala¡¯s domain.¡±

    ¡°Tell me Luna, who was it that gave you your name?¡± The Grand Duke asked.

    ¡°My name was given to me by a human called Jake, known to the court as Sentinel.¡± A series of quiet groans echoed in the room, to my confusion.

    ¡°This court knows of this Sentinel, you are not the first Neame to receive a name from him. For what reason did he give you this name?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It was at the request of my daughter and his master, Suma.¡±

    Nearby, I heard several Neame scoff, and one mumbled, ¡°you¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Again?¡±

    ¡°It seems you have made quite the impression, Jake.¡± Suma said, using our private connection.

    ¡°I thought that might be the case. Thank you, Luna; you have been seen and your name is recognized by the court. A record of your name shall be made and stored in the city¡¯s library. You may take your leave.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Grand Duke.¡± With that, she flew out of the ceremony hall, and was escorted to the waiting area with the others. Suma and I stayed to watch the rest, which lasted another twenty minutes for six more Neame. Grand Duke Sopra took his time with some, asking one Neame fifteen questions before sending him out. But finally, we all met together again outside the waiting area.

    Congratulations, Mother!¡± Suma said, landing beside her.

    ¡°Thank you, Suma, and you as well Jake. I have not been this happy since the day Suma hatched.¡± Luna said, her voice high and cheerful. She reminded me a lot of my own mum, but you know¡­ smaller, and a bird-nymph.

    The sounds of wingbeats behind me drew my attention. ¡°Are you Jake, the familiar called Sentinel?¡± A brownish-blue Neame, only slightly larger than Suma hovered in the air, beating his wings furiously to stay in place.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Please follow me to Grand Duke Sopra¡¯s chambers, he is waiting for your meetings.¡± Suddenly, he pivoted and darted down a hallway.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Okay,¡± I said, and Suma landed on my shoulder, followed by Luna on my other. Even with the both of them, I hardly noticed any weight. Together, they probably weighed less than three kilograms. Walking there, I noticed the little Neame shake his head, land on the ground, and sigh lightly. ¡°Everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am fine. Please take your time.¡±

    ¡°Jake, perhaps it would be best if Mother and I flew ahead, and summoned you to us?¡±

    ¡°The Grand Duke is a busy Neame, we should not keep him waiting for long.¡± Luna added.

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah. That¡¯s probably smart. But, actually, I wanna try summoning myself. I¡¯ve been trying to remember the feeling of when I did it in the desert, and I wanted to give it a go.¡±

    ¡°A fantastic idea. We will see you in a moment then.¡± Suma said, and flew off my shoulder with Luna. The Neame guiding them once again took off, and they all were out of sight less than two seconds later.

    Fifteen seconds later, Suma told me that they¡¯d arrived. Closing my eyes, I recalled what Zachariah told me in that void five months ago. To picture the red string that bound me to Suma, and pull on it while inverting the spell. In my mind, that string appeared, and I took a hold on it while using my mana. However, as soon as I tried pulling on it, my shoulder burned like someone had stuck me with a fire poker. Pulling up my sleeve, I saw the magic circle tattoo on my arm was glowing a necrotic black, and the skin around it was seared like cooked steak.

    ¡°Jake, what was that?¡± Suma asked over our connection. ¡°Everything began to get dark, and I somehow felt it was you who was causing it, then it suddenly stopped.¡±

    ¡°Suma, I think you need to summon me. I guess I don¡¯t quite have the inversion thing down yet. Also, I could use a healing spell.¡± I told her, clutching my burnt arm. The pain was as bad as the time that wyvern¡¯s fire breath cooked my elbows and fingers. Somehow, it was even worse than when I lost my hand. Everything faded to black, and I reappeared in the Grand Duke¡¯s chambers.

    ¡°Jake!¡± Suma said, seeing my shoulder, and immediately cast a healing spell on me. Slowly, my shoulder uncooked itself, and the pain went away.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The Grand Duke asked, sounding concerned. He was standing on a table, next two Suma and Luna. ¡°Were you attacked?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what that was. All I did was try to summon myself. Must have really messed something up. My tattoo even glowed.¡±

    ¡°It looks like what happened when Deyja¡­¡± Suma said, then went quiet. ¡°No, never mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was thinking about that too.¡±

    ¡°The Familiar¡¯s Curse.¡± The Grand Duke said.

    ¡°Ah, Grand Duke Sopra, my apologies for this.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°It is no issue. As long as you are alright.¡±

    ¡°But why would the curse hurt me? All I did was try to summon myself to Suma¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°And yet, it was Suma whose body began to fade away. By performing the summoning spell incorrectly, and in reverse, the curse must not have been able to distinguish between an accident or an attack. Thus, punishing you accordingly.¡±

    ¡°Grand Duke Udoka Sopra, you have my sincere apologies for all of this. We have been so rude. Despite being in your presence for so long, none of us have greeted your grace properly.¡± Luna said, bowing to the Duke with her wings spread wide.

    ¡°Please, that is unnecessary. Suma and Jake are old acquaintances, and I am the one who invited you all here. Be at ease. Could I offer you anything to eat? I can have my assistant bring you fruits, or even meat.¡±

    ¡°Your kindness knows no bounds your grace, but we could not impose.¡± She said, still bowing.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but must decline.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take some juice if you got it.¡± I said, half joking, but really¡­ some juice sounded great. Getting healed still makes me tired, even though I was getting used to it, and something sweet would have been awesome. He didn¡¯t know what juice was, and we continued with the meeting.

    ¡°I wanted to discuss a matter of your name, lady Luna. It is of the upmost importance.¡±

    ¡°My name?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem with storing it, or perhaps something else that prevents its registry?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes. As the two of you well know, the nobles in this area are dissatisfied that Jake has named so many commoners, even going so far as to have attacked you years ago.¡± The Duke said, shaking his head. ¡°Unfortunately, the problem has not improved much in your absence. One of the other Neame you named, a blacksmith commoner, was harassed by the nobles for some time, until I put a stop to it. I fear you, Lady Luna, will face similar pestering.¡±

    ¡°What? I do not understand. Why would they be so offended by my receiving a name?¡± Luna asked.

    ¡°Because they are selfish, entitled, and- oh¡­ my apologies Grand Duke. I did not mean to imply you were-¡± Suma said, and began to stutter upon realizing she had accidentally insulted the Duke as well.

    ¡°No offence taken, Lady Suma. I am not nobility any longer, and was happy to free myself from that title years ago. Besides, you are correct. They are many things, not the least of which is deplorable.¡± The Duke said, cold hatred in his voice. That was something Suma had told me once; that the Grand Duke was a title only obtainable if you relinquished your noble title, and served the Grand Sanctum until your death. Apparently, it was more of a religious title, with an official position within the government. Some Grand Duke¡¯s opposed the crown, others appeased them, but they were all free to choose. ¡°I would suggest that you leave Zach-Ashem for a while, to let their tempers cool, and for me to navigate my way through them to protect you. I have had some experience with this in the past, so it will only take a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Where am I to go?¡± Luna asked, concerned.

    ¡°Well, Suma and I were going to travel to the Royal Capital next week. You could join us.¡± I offered.

    ¡°An excellent idea.¡± The Duke said. ¡°But if I may, why are you going to Ambos-Ompera?¡±

    ¡°We plan to resign from the army.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I see, but that is easier said than done. Why do you need to go to the capital for that? It is normally done on you assigned base, or by proxy.¡± He said.

    ¡°We have¡­ another method.¡± I added.

    The Duke nodded, ¡°so I take it the rumors are true then? You have met with her majesty, Queen Ompera.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said.

    ¡°You met the Queen?!¡± Luna nearly shouted in surprise.

    ¡°Loud!¡± I said, holding my ear. From where I was sitting, she was basically next to my head. ¡°Why do people always scream in my ear? This keeps happening.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, but¡­ the Queen¡­¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°And I take it you cannot tell anyone why?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Pretty much.¡± I said.

    He sighed. ¡°Well, either way, it is a good idea to leave for a while.¡±

    ¡°Well, unless there is anything else you wanted to discuss, I need to see a Neame about a flying rune-powered bicycle¡­ which sounds like a euphemism, but I assure you, it isn¡¯t.¡±  I said.

    ¡°Thank you for your warning, your grace.¡± Luna said, and both she and Suma bowed. With that, the Duke bid us farewell, and we were escorted out by the assistant again.

    Later that day, back with Ceil, it was time to pick up my orders. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Ceil asked, having just presented me with the newly reconstructed version of the hoverbike I left him a few days ago. We were standing in his workshop, next to the forge.

    ¡°It looks totally different.¡± I said, surprised. Before, the bike looked exactly like that, a bike, but with scrap bolted to where the wheels should be, junk and glass jars hastily welded to the bars and seat for mana storage, and engraved with runes to make it work. Now, it was sleek, refined, and looked more like something made by someone who actually knew what they were doing. All in all, a massive improvement.

    ¡°Well, get on. Power it and try it out.¡± Ceil said, impatiently.

    ¡°What about the weapons?¡± I asked, sitting on the seat, which was the same as the original, only because Ceil couldn¡¯t figure out how to make cushions.

    ¡°They are already finished. That scholar friend of yours, Sela-Car, came by yesterday and installed the runes on everything; you can get them later. But who cares about them, let¡¯s see how this contraption works.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I said, summoning a daljar filled with mana, and inserted it into the power slot. A blue haze I¡¯d never seen before swallowed the bike, then vanished as the bike lifted itself off the ground. Just like before, it was almost completely silent once it got started. She must have altered the runes, because this time there was not ear-splitting screech before the silence fell. It simply quietly turned on, and started hovering.

    ¡°Now take it up.¡± Ceil instructed, excited to see how it performed. Before, there were handlebars, but those were just to make it easier to ride. Since I only had one hand for now, Ceil instead installed something akin to a seatbelt for me; at my request. The bike itself, the old version and the new one, was controlled by six runes. Putting power into them made it go forwards, turn left and right, stop, raise, and lower. With my left arm, I managed the speed, and with my right hand I controlled the direction. The bike slowly rose from the floor. First one meter, then two, until I finally was close enough to the ceiling to touch it.

    ¡°Maybe we should be doing this outside?¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Can¡¯t. It does not fit through the entrance. You will need to summon it to get it out, and you neglected to bring Lady Suma with you to forge that connection.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right.¡± I said, landing the bike.

    ¡°Speaking of which, have you decided on its name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to name it Pegasus, or maybe Sleipnir.¡±

    Ceil sputtered, ¡°Why would you ever call it that? Bit cursed I¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Pegasus?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, Sleipnir. That¡¯s bad luck, naming a summon after a beast like that.¡±

    ¡°You know what Sleipnir is?¡± (First Yggdrasil, now Sleipnir. How long did the Vikings stick around for exactly?) I wondered to myself.

    ¡°Of course, they were the shadows of death that the Vikings rode when they hunted Neame.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Have you never heard the stories?¡± He asked. ¡°Actually, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t have, being a familiar from¡­ wherever it is you¡¯re from.¡±

    ¡°My world has stories of Sleipnir too, but it wasn¡¯t like what you described; not exactly anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well, here, it¡¯s bad luck. So, I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, chariot?¡±

    ¡°That is a good one. Does it mean something?¡± Ceil asked.

    ¡°No, it is just a type of horsedrawn wagon use for transporting people.¡±

    ¡°Right. Yes, indeed.¡± Ceil said, nodding his head.

    ¡°Do you¡­ do you know what I just said?¡± I asked, surprised that he knew what a wagon, or horse for that matter, was.

    ¡°No, well not a wagon anyway, but horses are a type of familiar.¡±

    ¡°They are?!¡± I shouted, surprised.

    ¡°Sure. In fact, my father¡¯s father had a flame-horse when he was young. And a friend of mine has a stone-horse. To think they could be used to move things around though. I always took them to be much too fearsome a beast to do anything more that fight in battles.¡± Ceil said.

    ¡°¡­Right. Anyway, now that you¡¯re retired, will you be traveling to the capital soon?¡± I asked, changing the subject, and landing the, soon to be named, bike. Hopping off, I pulled the daljars free, and stowed them in my bag.

    ¡°Yes, within a day or two at most. Sorry to see this shop closed, but when you get as old as I am, you just want to spend time with your son and his son.¡± Ceil said.

    ¡°What will happen to the smithy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It was already bought up for twenty gold coins and twenty large daljar by some lower ranked nobility. He is letting me stay here for five more days and six nights.¡±

    ¡°How about this then, I¡¯ll be traveling to the capital soon too, with Suma and her mother. We¡¯re leaving the day after tomorrow. Wanna join us for the trip?¡±

    ¡°Now there¡¯s a great idea. If you don¡¯t mind having a rude old Neame like me along, I¡¯d love to join you for a few days.¡±

    Ceil and I spent a little while longer talking before Suma arrived, and did the summoning spell for us. I told her about Ceil joining us, and she said she would tell Luna. After that, we left the smithy for the last time, and made plans to meet Ceil by the Citadel in the morning the day after tomorrow. I also stopped by Sela-Car¡¯s lab and told her that I was traveling to the capital, explained why, and said that I would return in a few weeks. She wished me a safe journey, in her usual formal way, and I went back to Suma¡¯s.

    The next day passed really slowly. As big as the city was, that¡¯s only by sheer distance between things. In actuality, it was pretty boring, with not much for me to do. Finding ways to pass the time was a challenge. For the first half of it, I spent hours combing through Zachariah¡¯s memories, still holding out hope of finding more information to teach me how to invert my own spells, but was once again disappointed. During the second half, I tried to find meat. Like real meat, not bugs or fruits. Mum packs meat in my bag every day, usually sliced deli chicken, or a wrapped burger, but she can¡¯t exactly fit a roast beef or rack of ribs in it, unfortunately. Once again, I was met with disappointment.

    Finally, the day came, the four of us met in front of the Citadel, and left the city of Zach?Ashem. I don¡¯t know why, but I expected us to be flying in formation. That was not what happened. Once Luna and Ceil found out they could get there without flying, just by riding on Chariot with me, the two of them, and Suma, immediately climbed aboard. I spent the bulk of the next several days with three birds either hiding under my shirt, or perched somewhere on my body. One time, Ceil tried perching on the outer rings of Chariot¡¯s base, but the wind runes sucked him off his spot and launched him straight down; very quickly and with a loud, surprised, squawking sound. He flew back up a few seconds later missing some feathers and suggested we take a break for a bit.

    Thankfully, since we were approaching from a different direction, we didn¡¯t have to cross the wasteland to get to the capital this time. On the fourth day, at sometime around noon, we saw the castle-tree peaking over the horizon. We had once again arrived at the capital, Ambos-Ompera.

    A dome, that¡¯s how I would have described it from afar. It was a little dome made of metal, wood, and stone bars, all interconnected, like a child¡¯s toy on a playground. It was just a little ways outside of the city¡¯s walls. From a distance, fifty meters in the sky and kilometers away, it looked small, but close up, it was much taller and wider than I¡¯d expected.

    ¡°Fly there.¡± Suma instructed, gesturing towards the dome.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°An inspection point. We need to go through it before entering the city. My traveling group did this on our previous trip here.¡±

    ¡°What happens if we don¡¯t pass the inspection?¡± I asked.

    ¡°According to what I was told last time, we die.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They are not the city¡¯s guards, this inspection point is operated exclusively by Royal Mages, the Queen¡¯s guard. If they deem us a threat, they will kill us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± I said. The dome¡¯s top had several holes built into it, and we entered through one. Landing on the ground, I noticed we were surrounded by at least a dozen Neame; five of them were mounted on a verity of tough looking familiars. Now, with dozens of eyes watching and surrounding me and the others, I still thought it was crazy.

    ¡°State your business.¡± One of the Neame ordered.

    ¡°We are here to enter Ambos-Ompera, and seek an audience with her majesty, Queen Ompera.¡± Suma said, and turned to me. ¡°Jake, the documents.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± I said, and pulled from one of the pouched I¡¯d strapped to my bike, which I¡¯d ended up naming Chariot, several wood tablets with mana-less rune engraved on them. Holding them out, the Neame used magic to draw them to him, and examined them intensely.

    ¡°You seek an audience with her majesty? For what purpose?¡± The Neame asked.

    I could feel Suma¡¯s nervousness through our connection, and it was not well hidden outside of it at all either. When she spoke, her voice cracked at first, and the feathers on her neck and chest were pressed flat against her body. ¡°We seek to end our contracted time within her royal military. We have discussed this with her before, and have come to accept an offer she made us during our last visit.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I remember the two of you. About four or five months ago, you had a meeting with Queen Ompera.¡± The Neame said.

    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±

    The Neame¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°If I am not mistaken, that meeting ended with many dead Neame. Including Court-Mages.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± I said, hesitantly.

    ¡°Discussion.¡± The Neame said simply, and one by one all of their eyes began to glow. For what felt like an eternity, but was probably just a minute or two, everything was deadly quiet. ¡°You will be allowed to proceed, and we will inform the Queen of your arrival, and intension, but while you are in the city, you will be closely monitored.¡± He said, and returned the tablets with magic. I took them from the air, and placed them back into the pouches.

    ¡°We understand.¡± Suma said, and bowed. With that, we flew out of the dome, alive, but much sweatier. At least I was, anyway.

    Getting through the next inspection point was much easier. All they did was check our documents, then send us on our way; no questions, not even an inspection, despite the name. None I could see anyway. Although Chariot did turn a few heads as we landed and took off again. Once inside, Ceil split off from the rest of the group, going to see his son. We made plans to meet up again tomorrow at noon, to meet his son. Suma also suggested that Luna and I go explore the city while she searched for a place we could stay.

    ¡°I could help you.¡± Luna said.

    ¡°No, it will be fine. I can contact Jake as soon as I find somewhere, and then summon him to me. If he holds onto you when I do that, then you will come with him.¡± She said.

    ¡°I would rather help you search.¡± Luna protested.

    ¡°Are you certain? It would be much more interesting to explore the city with Jake.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Luna said. Suma relented, and they flew off, leaving me with some time to myself. I decided to search for some food, and ended up flying around on Chariot for a while. It was pretty nice, but I had to make sure not to fly too high, because Suma said flying higher that the city¡¯s walls was illegal. At the center of the city was a gargantuan tree that made up the castle. Since it was so big, most of the city was shaded by its branches, which kept everything cool. Eventually, I spotted a crowd gathered near the tree¡¯s base, and decided to check it out.

    Landing on the ground, I sent Chariot away, and found someone to talk to; a young looking Neame with a mix of brown and blue feathers, and less than a head¡¯s height tall. ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s going on? Why are so many people gathered around?¡±

    ¡°It is the¡­¡± She turned to look at me, then stopped talking and looked up to meet my gaze, ¡°¡­ restoration festival.¡± The glitter she had before suddenly dimmed, as she spoke those last two words just barely louder than a whisper.

    ¡°Oh, a festival? Can anyone join?¡± I asked, kneeling down to get a little closer to her size so as to not freak her out so much. She nodded without saying a word. ¡°Can¡­ you tell me a bit about it?¡±

    ¡°It is to celebrate the Yggsdrasil tree, and everything it¡­. Are you someone¡¯s familiar?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°You can talk.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You good?¡± I asked.

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°You were saying about the tree?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, yes. The Yggsdrasil tree. The festival is to celebrate it and its restorative magic that saved the country.¡± She told me a story about how the dragons made the tree before they disappeared, to restore the country back to what it was before the Chaos Dragon¡¯s rampage. It had slowly made the country¡¯s soil fertile again, and its sap could cure sicknesses. The festival is held every year now, and had been since the city was founded. It was also the only day that the noble district was open to the public, which meant that the citizens could buy things that the nobles used like meat, jewelry, fabrics, and other things.

    After she finished explaining, I thanked her and went inside the festival myself. Everyone was flying all around, shouting to advertise their products, and generally having a good time. I walked around until I caught the smell of something cooking, and followed my nose to a Neame perched on a stone, cooking meat using a fire spell. I gave him one of the gold coins I had, and he gave me a slab of flame broiled meat. Taste wise, it was bland and gamey, but I was starving, and had eaten more fruit and vegetables in the last four or five months than I even wanted to think about.

    Walking around with my meat slab, suspended with magic because I didn¡¯t want to hold it with my hand, I found another Neame who was selling jewelry. There were different kinds, like things that hung from wings, necks, or even around a Neame¡¯s clawed feet, but none of it would fit me. Instead, I bought some fabric to use as a blanket. As I paid, this time with mana and a daljar the vender had, I noticed a Neame in the distance was watching me. Deciding that it was probably just because I looked strange to them, I ignored it and went about my day. Until I saw the same Neame again, I think, still watching me a while later. Honestly, I could have been wrong, I still have trouble telling them apart sometimes.

    ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s what they meant when they said ¡®closely monitored¡¯.¡± I said, finishing off the last of the meat slab.

 Book 3- Part 19

    <u>Queen Ompera¡¯s POV</u>

    Perched around the war-stone, my advisors updated me on our country¡¯s situation. Today was hot and sticky, a rarity in this part of the country. It had rained earlier, but the Sun continued to shine, which filled the castle with fog. The castle¡¯s staff cleared it out as much as possible, but more poured in too quickly for any satisfactory fix. Mages under my family¡¯s employ even took to casting spells to cool the air as much as possible, but in a desert, that was a temporary solution at best.

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± General Trygve said, drawing my attention back to the discussion and away from my burning tailfeathers.

    ¡°I am still listening.¡± I lied.

    ¡°Right, shall we move on to the situation of The Island of Sangu?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How are things proceeding?¡±

    ¡°After the Viking was killed by the Drakes, the front lines of the battle have shifted in our favor. Reinforcements landed and began to take territory from the invaders. Most of the survivors of the occupation were starving and diseased; aid was rendered once each of the sectors were cleared. But by our estimates, the island¡¯s population has been reduced by eighty percent.¡±

    ¡°Is the island still viable for use?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but some of the residents have requested permission to leave.¡±

    Another of the war council members, Viscount Sune Von-Pac, spoke up. ¡°Roshia valks. They¡¯d drain our resources further. We should confine them to the island.¡±

    ¡°Her majesty¡¯s citizens cannot be left to suffer.¡± General Trygve said sternly.

    ¡°They are isolationist who only ever make contact with the mainland when they need something, and rarely ever pay taxes. We should have left them to the Southern Union. Maybe then we could have finally-¡±

    ¡°Mind your words, Viscount Sune.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡­ did not mean to offend, your Majesty. I simply meant-¡±

    I cut him off again. ¡°Enough. Your intentions were clear. But surrendering any of my lands to invaders is not an option.¡± Turning to the General, I nodded my head, and told him to continue the meeting.

    ¡°We have taken almost the entire island back. Only the main city still remains. The Southern Union built a stronghold into it, making sieges impossible, and forward attacks difficult. Even with the Viking, Harbinger, dead, they are still a significant force. I suggest redeploying the third regiment to the island to bolster our forces, and then attempt Grand-Scale magic.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°That would leave the city unusable for a decade. Can the Roshia survive that long without access to the resources of the city?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not without aid from the mainland.¡± The General said, and the Viscount huffed, but said nothing. ¡°Alternatively, we could relocate the Roshia until the land is usable again. Somewhere near the northern archipelago. Its lands are mostly untamed, but we could give it to them tax free for now.¡±

    ¡°So, they get tax free land, and when they leave, we get the land back and cleared, with prebuilt settlements. A fine idea, but make sure they understand that they will begin paying their taxes again once they either choose to stay on the lands permanently, or return to the island. We will give them twelve years without taxes.¡±

    ¡°And the ones that choose to stay, even after the Grand-Scale magic?¡± Another member of the council asked, Lady Fey; a Duchess with a sterling reputation for both battle and diplomacy.

    ¡°I doubt there will be any, but¡­ perhaps aid could be rendered to the unaffected sections of the island?¡± General Trygve said.

    ¡°We cannot force them away from their home.¡± The Duchess said firmly.

    ¡°We won¡¯t¡­ my apologies. We will not be. If any should wish to stay, they can.¡±

    ¡°But you are suggesting Grand-Scale magic. That kind of destruction will force them off, whether they want to or not. Any who stay will die.¡±

    ¡°My mages are skilled. I am confident the damage will be limited to the city¡¯s area.¡±

    ¡°With magic of that power, it does not matter how skilled one or two mages are. It takes hundreds to cast, and quickly becomes uncontrollable. Everyone here knows what happened to the border lands of the Seabeak Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°That was over two hundred years ago. Our mages are far more skilled than the Seabeak Kingdom¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°My Kingdom will not be responsible for another Glass-Sea, General Trygve. I permit your forces to be reinforced by the third regiment, and I permit the use of Tactical-Scale magic, but you will not use Grand-Scale.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Yes, your Majesty. I understand.¡± The General replied. Honestly, that is probably all he wanted to begin with. But that is the game. He knew I would never allow him to use Grand-Scale magic, and he knew Duchess Fey would protest its use as well, but he needed to satisfy his own advisors by asking, even if it meant looking cruel and getting rejected. Forward two wingbeats, and forced back one. ¡°Mobilize the regiments immediately.¡± I ordered. They bowed, and left to fulfill their tasks.

    Back in my private chambers, one of my attendants was waiting for me by my roost. ¡°Did the meeting go well, your highness?¡±

    ¡°We are alone, Svend.¡± I said, and landed beside him.

    ¡°Did the meeting go well, Ompera?¡±

    ¡°Viscount Sune is still insufferable, but he is the son of an important figure, so I can¡¯t get rid of him yet.¡± I complained, leaning my head against his, and letting the tension in my wings fade. Svend was a trusted friend, and more. We have gotten to know each other well since he entered my employ six years ago, and we have grown closer than ever this year.

    ¡°How a Neame like him could be the son of a respectable Neame such as the late Viscount Arne, I will never understand.¡±

    ¡°Well, when two Neame love each other very much¡­¡± He and I both chuckled.

    ¡°You know what I meant.¡± He pulled his head away, and tilted it somewhat. ¡°So, what was decided?¡±

    ¡°Tactical-Scale magic, and reinforcement from the third.¡± I said, and laid down in my roost. My head rested on the soft fabrics, and I tucked my wings in tightly.

    ¡°What did they ask for to get that?¡± Svend asked, surprised.

    ¡°Grand-Scale.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Anything else I should know about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it is too hot to pay attention.¡± I told him, and closed my eyes. The meeting had taken hours, and I was exhausted.

    ¡°Goodness, Ompera. Whatever will I do with you?¡± He sighed.

    ¡°I permit you to worship me at my wingtips.¡± I taunted. He scoffed and laughed.

 Book 3- Part 20

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    After leaving the festival, I flew around aimlessly for a while on Chariot. Without any real destination in mind, I just enjoyed the feeling of wind in my hair while flying. Staying well below the tops of the city walls kept me close enough to the ground to spot Ceil, flying towards a gate on the wall alongside another Neame. ¡°Ceil!¡± I called out, and waved. He spotted me, and stopped the other Neame so that I could catch up. They beat their wings, like slightly slower humming birds, to stay suspended in midair. A gentle, red, mist-like aura wafted off of them as they did.

    ¡°Hello Jake, did you all find yourselves a place to stay yet?¡± Ceil asked, perching on the back of Chariot. His friend followed suit, but looked at it wearily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Suma hasn¡¯t told me yet.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, allow me to introduce my son. Son, this is the one I told you about.¡± Ceil said.

    Ceil¡¯s son bowed, both wings spread how Suma did when we first really met, or when we met the Queen. ¡°It is my great honor to meet the one who has done so much for father. Not only to name him, but to personally escort him between cities, and support his business with such grand purchases.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all of that. I just helped him a little, and naming is easy for me.¡± I said, not wanting to be praised. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s nice to meet you too. Ceil has told me a bit about you. He said you were a blacksmith too? If I need any work done while I¡¯m in Ambos-Ompera, I¡¯ll stop by your shop.¡± He nodded and thanked me.

    ¡°My son and I are going to the forest of death to perform a remembrance ritual for my late and oldest son, Ivor. Would you care to join us, Jake?¡±

    Curious, but hesitant to intruded, I said, ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I don¡¯t know the ritual. What if I mess it up?¡±

    ¡°The ritual is simple. You can watch my son and I do it first, and then you can do it. We would be very happy if you came along.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯d love to.¡± I said. Ceil¡¯s glitter glow brightened a bit, and he and his son flew off Chariot. Following closely behind them, we talked a bit about his son.

    ¡°Ceil, when you talked about your son a second ago, you said he had a name?¡± I realized.

    ¡°Yes, he was given a name during his time in the city¡¯s guard; Ivor.¡±

    (Sounds Norse.) I thought. ¡°Why was he given one?¡±

    ¡°For acts of valor. His name was given to him after his death however, in recognition of his deeds.¡±

    ¡°What did he do?¡±

    ¡°While on his normal patrol, he saved a group of travelers crossing the wastelands. They¡¯d been attacked by a pack of sand-snatchers while resting in an oasis to the North.¡±

    ¡°Evil bugs.¡± Ceil¡¯s son spat.

    ¡°Have you ever encountered them before, Jake?¡± Ceil asked.

    ¡°No, what are they?¡±

    ¡°They are large insect-like creatures, with a hard shell and many tentacles. They lay in wait under the sand, and when something comes close, they wrap it up. On the tentacles are spines and barbs, ripping you up if you try to wiggle out. Even just getting hit once can be deadly.¡±

    ¡°But, don¡¯t your people have magic? Why not just cast a fire spell and fly away?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Sand-snatchers are resistant to magic, especially fire magic, so to attack them you need to be close.¡± Ceil¡¯s son said. ¡°Not as magic resistant as a borog beast, but still enough to pose a major threat to any normal Neame with no experience fighting, like seed farmers and stable-mages.¡±

    ¡°Ivor saw the attack, and flew straight in to help, killing six of the bugs, and allowing most of the Neame to escape, but he died fighting.¡± Ceil explained. He was clearly sad, but he didn¡¯t sound like his voice was breaking, or that he was on the verge of crying, or rather ¡®singing.¡¯ No, instead it was a cold, quite sadness that made his voice feel hollow. Like something he¡¯d come to terms with a long time ago, but still hurt to think about.

    ¡°How long ago was this?¡± I asked, trying to be respectful.

    ¡°Over twenty years ago. He was hatched thirty-six years ago today. That is why we are going to visit his death tree.¡± Just as Ceil said this, we arrived at a gate leading outside the city walls. A guard stopped up, questioned us, and then let us pass. This wasn¡¯t the gate we entered the city though, and it didn¡¯t lead into the desert, but to a grassland. We flew for about fifteen minutes before the forest was within sight. Once we got closer, I could see that almost every tree here had carvings in them. Most were just empty, but the further into the forest, the more often the carvings had clay or paint in them. They were runes.

    ¡°It is that one.¡± Ceil said, folding his wings and diving downwards. Less than ten meters from the ground, he flared his wings and landed safely, his son just behind him. It took me a little longer since Chariot can¡¯t really do dives well. We landed at the base of a tree with wispy yellow flowers in its branches. I stepped off Chariot, and unsummoned it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful tree.¡±

    ¡°The flowers have already yellowed. It must not have rained much this year.¡± Ceil said.

    ¡°Yes, it was a very dry season. A month¡¯s worth of water has gone from one-fifteenth to one-tenth a daljar.¡± Ceil¡¯s son said.

    ¡°Speaking of, we need the daljar.¡± Ceil said, and his son nodded before summoning a small daljar. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°About halfway. That was all I could spare this year.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine. Hopefully we will have some good rain this year to hold the tree over. Besides, thanks to Jake, I have much more mana to spare myself. I can make another trip in a few months.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need mana?¡± I asked.

    ¡°To replenish the tree¡¯s strength. When it is healthy, the flowers turn a vibrant red, but when it is weak, they shift to yellow.¡±

    ¡°Could I add some mana?¡± I asked. ¡°It would need to be in another daljar, but if that¡¯s okay, then I have one you could use?¡± I summoned my bag, and pulled out a smaller daljar filled up with my mana.

    ¡°Father mentioned that you have Chaos Magic. Will that hurt the tree?¡± Ceil¡¯s son asked.

    ¡°I doubt the tree will care. As long as it gets plenty of mana, it should grow strong.¡± Ceil said, happily.

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. For some reason, plants seem to love my mana. Whenever I grow anything using it, it comes out better than using normal mana. Fruits tastes sweeter, seeds grow faster, taller, and make more fruits.¡±

    ¡°Is your affinity for Nature Magic then?¡± Ceil¡¯s son asked.

    ¡°No, mine is inversion.¡±

    ¡°Well, it should be fine then, I suppose.¡± He agreed. I set the daljar from my bag in front of him, and he used a spell to pick both of them up and carry them to the base of the tree. Surrounding its base was a tangle of roots, woven together like a pie crust or a knitted sweater. Using magic, Ceil parted the vines, revealing an empty daljar, with dozens of tiny web-like roots wrapped around it. His son placed the two daljar inside the opening, and fluttered back to his father¡¯s side.

    ¡°Okay, Jake, we are ready to begin the ritual. Please watch my son closely. After he has performed it, then I will, and then you.¡± Ceil said.

    The ritual itself was simple, and easy to do. It started with saying Ivor¡¯s name, and then pulling a root from under the ground with a spell wrapping that root around the daljar that was placed into the opening we made earlier. Once that was finished for all three of us, the two of them removed the roots from the old daljar, and offered it to me to replace the one I¡¯d given them. I thanked them, filled it with mana, and put it into my bag. With that, Ceil closed the opening we made, and the ritual was finished. Looking up at the flowers, I noticed they were still a sickly yellow.

    ¡°They won¡¯t turn red for a little while. It will take time for the roots to drain all of the mana from the daljars, and longer still for the tree to get healthy again.¡± I nodded, not really knowing what to say. ¡°Thank you, Jake. You mana is strong, I¡¯m sure the tree will still be red when we come again next year.¡±

    ¡°It was my-¡± I started, but got cut of by Suma¡¯s voice in my head.

    ¡°Jake, we found a place to stay.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure.¡± I finished. ¡°Sorry, Suma is talking to me over our connection.¡± Through the connection, I replied, ¡°okay, just give me a few minutes. I¡¯m with Ceil at his son¡¯s grave.¡±

    ¡°Oh no! His son died before we arrived?¡± She said, horrified.

    ¡°No, his late eldest son. I¡¯ll let you know when we are finished.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright then. My apologies for the interruption.¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± Ceil¡¯s son said, ¡°I think I will stay for a little longer. You and Jake should go back to my home.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Are you sure? I could stay as well?¡± Ceil offered.

    ¡°There is no need for that. Suma is ready for me anyway. So, I can¡¯t stay much longer. You two should stay.¡± I told them. Ceil¡¯s son nodded, and I said my goodbyes just before getting summoned to Suma and Luna.

    Darkness enveloped me, which has always been disconcerting, but now a knot forms in my stomach whenever this happens. Thankfully, nothing has happened since the incident in the desert. Just darkness. However, this time I felt something. I cold shiver ran down my whole body, expecting the worst. Around me was darkness, just endless darkness. No lights, no half-man half- evil dragons, and no voices calling to me. But there was a feeling like something was there. Like eyes watching me from a distance.

    Swallowing a lump in my throat, I called out to those eyes. ¡°Is that you? Zachariah?¡± No response, and the feeling didn¡¯t change. Whatever it was, was keeping its distance. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I called out, afraid. My body was suspended in the darkness, helpless, feeble. Alone? ¡°Answer me!¡± I demanded, starting to freak out. Focusing on the feeling, I realized that I¡¯d been wrong. It wasn¡¯t watching me, it was just¡­ there, somehow. Like, it was just a passive presence. ¡°I was in a graveyard. Are you a ghost?¡± I called out. ¡°Ivor?¡± No, it was bigger than a Neame. I don¡¯t know how I knew that, but just did. That feeling in my gut turned into a steady churn as I worked up the courage to call out the name I¡¯d been dreading. ¡°Deyja?¡± The presence shifted, but didn¡¯t get closer. More like, it was roused from a nap after hearing a startling noise. At that point, I felt it focus on me, and me alone.

    But, just as quickly as the darkness came, I was pulled out of it, and was now standing in a room that kinda looked like a log cabin. ¡°Well, what do you think, Jake? Will this be a good place for you to stay for a few weeks?¡± Suma asked from behind me somewhere, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to turn around at that moment.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Jake?¡± I asked, concerned that he had not spoken for a moment.

    ¡°Sorry, I was just¡­ are ghosts real here?¡± He asked suddenly.

    ¡°What? Ghosts? I do not¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I think I just met one.¡± He said.

    ¡°By the dragons.¡± My mother muttered. She was not religious, but did have a healthy respect for some Ashimda values. One of which was to be weary of ghosts, since they were signs of Death Magic being used.

    ¡°So, ghosts are real here?¡± Jake asked, his eyes widening.

    ¡°Yes, but why do you think you have met one? Was it during the summoning?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I felt something watching me. At first, I thought it was¡­ him.¡± He said, glancing at my mother, since we had neglected to tell her about Deyja by order of her majesty the Queen. My mother was preoccupied however, saying a prayer, that she probably learned from a nun when she was young, and casting a spell to Ahshem to ward against ghosts. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to explain it.¡±

    ¡°According to the church, ghosts can only last for a few hours before they disappear, and no one besides you is capable of even performing such a spell. At least, not anymore, and before Harbinger, not for centuries; maybe longer.¡± I explained, trying to reason everything out.

    ¡°So, not a ghost?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sure.¡±

    ¡°She is not.¡± Mother said. We were interrupted with a scratching on the outer wall of our room.

    ¡°Come in.¡± I announced, but there was no answer, and no one entered. Fluttering to the wall, I cast a spell, and opened a hole large enough to fly through comfortably. But rather than a Neame, a large, black and red furred, shadow-hound leapt through, and landed inside the room, frightening all of us.

    ¡°What the?!¡± Jake shouted, and summoned his metal garment, his armor, Jericho, as well as his sword, Mori. ¡°Suma back up!¡±

    On its neck, I spotted a metal ring, with the symbol of the royal family engraved on the side. ¡°Jake, wait! This is a familiar.¡±

    He looked the beast over for a moment, realized that it had not taken an offensive posture, and sent his weapon away, but not his armor. ¡°It¡¯s a gigantic black wolf with completely black eyes and red ¡®go-faster¡¯ stripes on its mouth that look like blood stains; forgive me for freaking out a bit.¡±

    ¡°What does it want?¡± Mother, who in a panic had perched herself on the other side of the room as high as she could, asked.

    ¡°Probably waffle fries.¡± Jake answered, sarcastically.

    ¡°Jake, if this beast kills us, I would prefer the last thing I hear to not be a joke. Especially one I do not even understand.¡±

    ¡°Should I tell ¡®knock-knock¡¯ jokes instead? Just to be safe.¡± The hound¡¯s eyes began to glow, and it lowered its head while opening its mouth. A small wooden tablet with runes engraved on the flats dropped out of its mouth, and a voice started to speak.

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Suma and her familiar, Sentinel. Your request for an audience with Queen Ompera has been approved. Please follow this familiar. It will guide you into the palace.¡± A voice from nowhere said.

    ¡°Ah, a voice recording. Neat.¡± Jake said, just as the eyes of the familiar stopped glowing. The hound turned back to the hole in the wall and looked back at us expectantly. We were to follow it, immediately, it would seem. I widened the hole for Jake, and he walked out. We tried to leave Jake at the stable, but the hound refused to move unless he followed as well. As Jake walked behind the hound, we rode on him.

    ¡°Jake,¡± I started, ¡°the next time we think our lives may be in danger, and you tell a joke to ease our tension, could it please be one I can laugh at as well?¡±

    ¡°Suma, I¡¯m in my early twenties, and British. All of my jokes are centered around memes and sarcasm. If those aren¡¯t funny to you, we¡¯re both out of luck, because that¡¯s all I have.¡±

    ¡°What is a meme?¡± My mother asked, and Jake spent the rest of our journey trying, and eventually failing, to explain the concept to her.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake POV</u>

    Arriving at the tree-castle, the wolf familiar led us through the entrance. I expected us to get stopped like last time, but despite a few of the guards glancing our way, they left all of us alone. Unlike last time, no one met us to guide us in, rather, we just kept following the wolf. We went straight past the meeting room that we¡¯d used last time we met with her, and went down a long, tall hallway.

    ¡°Is this what happened the last time you were summoned to the castle?¡± Luna asked, sounding nervous.

    ¡°No, this is very different. During out previous visit, we attended a formal audience with her majesty, Queen Ompera, in the room we just passed. The time after that, I believe the meeting was in her personal chambers.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met with her quite a few times, usually in her room, since we discussed private matters.¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait¡­ are we about to meet the Queen?¡± Luna asked, suddenly very aware of what was happening.

    ¡°I think so.¡± I said.

    ¡°Most likely.¡± Suma agreed. Both of them were still perched on each of my shoulders, but Luna was starting to shift around worriedly.

    ¡°You nervous?¡± I asked Luna.

    ¡°Are you not?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as I was the first few times, but a little. She is a queen after all. But I¡¯ve met with her five or six times now, so I¡¯m getting used to it at least. What about you, Suma?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is it too late to ask to go and relieve myself before meeting her majesty?¡± She said, half joking. I snorted, trying to stifle a laugh, and Luna shook her head.

    Getting close to a wall, the wolf stopped without warning, and pawed at it with its claws. The sounds of creaking and splintering, the wooden wall split apart wide enough for us to crawl and fly through. Inside, three Neame, one of which was Queen Ompera, were perched on a stone table.

    ¡°Oh, Suma, Sentinel, and you must be Luna, welcome.¡± The Queen said. Suma and Luna flew down to the floor and bowed. I got down on one knee as well.

    ¡°It is good to see you once more, Queen Ompera.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°And you as well. Please, rise. This is an informal meeting. I received your request to see me, and sent for you immediately. I am told you wish to leave the army, is that so?¡± Queen Ompera asked.

    ¡°Yes, my Queen. Sentinel and I have discussed it, and if your offer to leave the military is still available, we would like to accept it.¡± Suma said, speaking as formally and respectfully in tone as she could manage.

    The Queen turned to me, ¡°Is this true, Sentinel?¡±

    ¡°It is, Queen Ompera. When we last met, I was so angry about what¡­¡± I stopped talking and looked to the other two Neame and Luna, who had been quiet so far. Queen Ompera noticed my hesitation.

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡± She turned to the two Neame. ¡°Leave us for a moment. Lady Luna, would you please follow my attendants? They will see that you receive food and water while I speak with your daughter and Sentinel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, your Majesty!¡± Luna said, still bowing. She quickly followed the other two Neame as they flew out of the room in a hurry.

    ¡°Please continue, Sentinel.¡± She said.

    ¡°When we met last time, I was so angry, all I could think about was revenge. And I do still want that, but¡­¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not a warrior. I¡¯ve never been one. And being on that battlefield, it just reminded me of that. I got my butt kicked by another person, not even a dragon. I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of ever beating Deyja.¡±

    ¡°What will you do, then? Suma, you are a healing mage, you have a future ahead of you once you leave, but you Sentinel? Do you have any plans?¡± She asked, her tone neutral, and her sparkling glow was unwavering.

    ¡°I am going to start working with a runic researcher named Sela-Car.¡±

    ¡°Have you given up on retuning to your home then?¡±

    ¡°No, your Majesty. I think, perhaps if I find a way to improve my runes and my magic, I can find another way home; without having to risk fighting Deyja.¡± I explained.

    ¡°I see.¡± She looked away from us, and to her stone table. ¡°I will accept your request to retire from the military.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, your-¡± Suma said, but was cut off.

    ¡°On one condition.¡± The Queen¡¯s eyes did not break from the table as the stone shifted and molded itself. ¡°Come, look at this.¡± I stood up, and Suma flew and perched on the table, opposite of the Queen.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, and the table settled into a series of shapes, then parts of it began to change colors. It shifted from stone gray, to blue, and green. Forming Islands and oceans.

    ¡°The Eastern Isles of Taldre. A coalition of island nations directly south of Sangu-Dragon.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask what your condition was?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°One of our spies was on the main island, Taldre itself, when a large force from the Southern Union invaded. He sent word beforehand that he had found important information, and that he needed to deliver it to me personally.¡±

    ¡°So, you want us to find him, I guess?¡± I asked, annoyed and nervous.

    ¡°No, I assume he died during the invasion. The Union does not tend to take survivors, and while he may have been excellent at infiltration, he was unequipped to be a warrior.¡±

    ¡°Then, you want us to find the information he had?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°No, he had an assistant, a guardian. She may have survived. Find her, she might also have known the information.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just send it with someone else? Someone trusted. I know he was behind enemy lines, but he was still able to get a message to you, right? What could it have been?¡± I asked.

    ¡°His message was encoded. It was meant to resemble a decorative statue, but the inside was engraved with runic symbols. We received messages this way at regular intervals, but complex communication was nearly impossible. His message was just four symbols. Urgent, return, danger, and dragon.¡± She said. A chill immediately ran down my body as a cold sweat dripped down my back.

    ¡°No,¡± Suma whispered.

    ¡°It may not be what you believe. ¡®Dragon¡¯ was a code word that meant a level of danger. He was saying that there was a threat to the country.¡± Queen Ompera explained. I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°However, due to recent events,¡± she glanced at me for a moment before returning her gaze back to the islands, ¡°the possibility cannot be ruled out. Go to the island on one last mission with the Drakes, find the guardian named V?lundra.¡±

    ¡°What if she is dead too?¡± I asked. ¡°Should we try to find the information?¡±

    ¡°That, and all other options, have already been explored. If we cannot find V?lundra, we must consider the information lost, and hope that we can find rest in the eye of whatever storm may be coming.¡±

    (Awesome, I ask to get out of the army, and her response is ¡°sure, but go on this mission behind enemy lines first. Oh, and our whole nation may depend on it.¡±) I thought. ¡°No pressure.¡±

    ¡°Actually, a fair amount of pressure. Our whole nation could depend on your success.¡± She said, and I sighed.

    ¡°If we do this, you will let us leave the army?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If you do this, I will personally ensure that you are retired with honors, and if you do manage to locate the information, I will give special assurances to the researcher you wanted to begin working with.¡±

    Using our private connection, Suma asked, ¡°Well Jake, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we don¡¯t really have much of a choice.¡± I responded, also through the connection.

    ¡°We accept.¡± Suma said. ¡°When do we leave?¡±

    ¡°Preparations will take three days. Word has already been sent to the Drakes. Your team is on the way here as we speak.¡± The Queen said, her sparkling glow getting slightly brighter, and the feather around her neck puffed slightly. She knew we would agree, and was smug about it.

 Book 3- Part 21

    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to this, Familiar Sentinel.¡± A Neame General named Trygve said.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. Besides, you¡¯re helping me out too. Oh, and you can just call me Jake.¡± We were going to a training hall in the castle. General Trygve asked me to assist in training the Royal Mages. He¡¯d heard of how strong my magic was, and wanted his soldiers to get experience fighting humans, just in case of another Harbinger. I agreed on the condition that I was allowed to continue my runecraft while in the royal capital. Since I will be working with Sela-Car soon, I will need that Rune-Maker¡¯s permit anyway, and this was a good excuse to cut through some red tape; especially since it would be a lot harder to get one outside the army.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± General Trygve. He¡¯d been perched on my head, an apparently favorite spot for Neame to choose for some reason, as I walked into a large outdoor area. There was a court with a floor made of easily two dozen different materials. Some spots were stone, dirt, vines, metal, water, grass, wood, and some stuff I couldn¡¯t place. Surrounding the court were metal beams, with fifteen Neame of various sizes, colors, and heights perched in a few groups of five.

    ¡°Squads, listen up!¡± General Trygve loudly shouted from atop my head. ¡°This is Sentinel. He is a Viking.¡± There were some murmurs from the squads, and more than a few icy stares. ¡°Not only is he a guest of the Queen, and has generously agreed to help train you all today, but he is also a soldier in her majesty¡¯s army. He will be treated as an equal. He will not be ridiculed for purging those Court Mage traitors. You will give him the respect he deserves, or you will get your tail feathers plucked in this match. Mountain Squad, you are first!¡±

    (Could¡¯ve done without the Court Mages remark, but alright¡­ Wait, traitors?) I thought, just as General Trygve left my head, and five Neame landed on different terrains around the court.

    ¡°Sentinel, please choose your preferred terrain.¡± The General said, and landed on a metal beam nearby.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have one.¡± I said.

    ¡°An all arounder? Good. That means better training. Stand anywhere then. The match starts on my signal.¡± The rules had been explained to me before I¡¯d even agreed to do this, so I knew what to expect. And I¡¯d already summoned all my gear, so I was fully armed and armored.

    ¡°Okay. Wait, what¡¯s the signal?¡±

    ¡°BEGIN!¡±

    ¡°Was that the signal?!¡± I shouted, and pulled my shield up just in time for a massive spike of ice to slam into it and shatter. ¡°FRICK!¡± Without much time to think, four more attacks slammed into my shield, armor, and legs. As quickly as I could manage, I cast my magnet shield spell, just in time to catch and trap another entire round of attacks. Whispers came from the sidelines, but I was too distracted to pay attention to them. With a few seconds to breathe, I cast fireballs. The purple flames formed in the air, and launched at their targets without hitting a single one. Each of them spread their wings, and took to the skies. Like bees they zipped around, some too fast for me to even keep track of. All the while more and more attacks pelted the magnet shield, but none made it through. I found out in an experiment that launching a fireball from inside the shield ended with me surrounded by plasma, and getting bad burns in the resulting uncontrollable inferno, so I made sure to create my attacks outside my spell.

    ¡°How is he doing that?¡± One of the Neame flying around me at Mach-ridiculous asked. ¡°Nothing is getting to him.¡±

    ¡°Ground level.¡± Another shouted.

    ¡°I tried. But nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Did he even notice?¡±

    ¡°I did not!¡± I shouted, mockingly. Then cast fireball again, but this time I did it with a plan. Since I clearly wasn¡¯t going to be able to hit them with singular attacks, I would just have to attack the whole area instead, and hope the shield, my armor, and my actual physical shield, could protect me.

    ¡°We got a funny one here, Capt¡­ does anyone else feel a whole lot of mana suddenly?¡± One of them shouted.

    (Oh yeah, I forgot they could sense mana.) I thought, as I filled the whole area with a cloud of my Inversion mana. Odens taught me this game when he was alive. He called it ¡®Display Dominate.¡¯ It rushed out of me like a rolling fog cloud in the wind.

    ¡°I lost sight of him!¡±

    ¡°Up!¡± Another shouted, but it was too late. I used that mana to cast a wind spell that created a massive downdraft. After hearing five meaty impacts, someone on the sidelines called for a healer. Once the dust settled, I noticed I was surrounded by five injured Neame. Two unconscious, one with a broken wing, and two moaning from injuries I couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°I may have overdone it.¡± I whispered, shocked that a little wind was so effective.

    ¡°Nonsense. They underestimated you, and paid the price.¡± General Trygve said, suddenly beside me as if he¡¯d just appeared out of thin air. I jumped slightly from surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t mean to hurt them so much.¡± I said, feeling guilty as one of the Neame¡¯s wings popped back into place with a crackling, crunching noise and a loud scream.

    ¡°You may not have noticed, seeing as how slow you were moving behind that barrier spell, but they were casting powerful magic at you. If you had been hit by any of them, you would not be in much better shape. This may be training, but we train for real combat. Besides, Odinthian breaks his wing every time. Is that right Odinthinan?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes General Trygve sir.¡± One of the Neame, the one who¡¯d screamed a few second earlier, replied with a groan.

    ¡°He is a good soldier. Has a bad habit of landing wings first, but we think we can beat that out of him before he gets put into active rotation for Queen Ompera¡¯s private guard.¡±

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    ¡°General Trygve¡­¡± I said, uneasy.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You are a very frightening Neame.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Odinthinan groaned.

    ¡°Desert Squad, you are next!¡±

    As they flew up, I heard a bit of their conversation. ¡°That round was so long, but they barely did anything to him.¡±

    ¡°After the first few attacks, nothing landed. Did you see what he did?¡±

    ¡°No, but I felt several massive waves of some really weird mana, one of which never left him.¡±

    ¡°Enough squawking, BEGIN!¡± The General said, and I was immediately slammed in the back by a whip made of vines. It bounced off Jericho, but still pushed me a bit. I felt something hit my knee, making it bend in the wrong direction, a split second before my magnet shield went back up.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°Got him!¡± One of the Neame said, and landed on the ground. By then, the healing runes in Jericho were almost done fixing my knee, so I cast a wind spell, and knocked some of his feathers off.

    ¡°Warned you.¡± General Trygve said simply from the sidelines.

    ¡°Healing-Magic!¡± One of the Neame called out. I started to cast the down draft spell again, but just as I was getting ready, they all dived down to the ground and landed.

    ¡°You won¡¯t catch us with that trick.¡±

    (Fine.) I thought, and cast another spell instead. Slowly, I began to cover the entire court in a thin layer of water. While I did that, the Neame went back to attacking me from all angles while making me dizzy by zipping around. Once that was done, and the ground was coated, I got ready to cast a spell. Just like before, they all quickly dove and landed.

    ¡°He only had one trick- AHHH!¡± They all cried out sharply and clenched up as a small bolt of lightning hit the wet ground.

    ¡°Healers!¡± Someone shouted, and once again, a swarm of Neame crowded the court, tending to the injured.

    One of them flew up to me. ¡°How is your limb? It broke, yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My armor healed it. Thanks though.¡± I said. The Neame nodded, and flew to one of the others.

    This time, I saw the General fly up to me, and we talked while the others were being treated. ¡°Good thinking. They were too focused on attacking, and missed the subtle spell with the water. Though, I am not sure if I can blame them too harshly, I almost missed it too. Good work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you, sir.¡± I said, panting. After two rounds of using the magnet shield, I was almost tapped out. It may have only been less than seven minutes since we started, but that spell uses a lot of mana. ¡°I¡¯m just happy it didn¡¯t explode in my face¡­ again.¡±

    ¡°Right, I was told about that training accident when you were in basic training. Half a year ago now, yes?¡±

    ¡°More like a year.¡±

    ¡°Fourteen months ago.¡± He said.

    ¡°So, a little more than a year.¡± I said.

    ¡°How many months are in Viking years?¡±

    ¡°Not a Viking. They¡¯re an extinct culture, not the name of our species. Twelve.¡±

    ¡°Twelve?¡±

    ¡°How many do Neame years have?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-three.¡± He said, to my shock.

    (Well, this explains why Suma and I can never agree on how long ago something was unless we talk about it in months.) I thought, and a lot of things began to make more sense.

    One more, rather intense, sparing session later, and I was back in Suma and Luna¡¯s room. I was being treated for the injuries I¡¯d received during the third round. It was a simple place. Stone walls, those glowing braids sewn into the walls and hanging from the ceiling. The furniture, if you call it that, were just metal and wooden bars and poles placed around the room. In the corner of the room were two boxes, with drapes hanging over the only opening, and a cushion made of animal pelts to sleep in. Lying on the floor, Suma was standing at my side, casting healing spells.

    ¡°Jake, these injures are terrible! What happened?¡± Suma asked. Luna was out with Ciel and his son at the moment, getting seeds and other things from the local market.

    ¡°I ran out of mana in the third round of training, and got hit by easily thirty spells in less than ten seconds; from all sides.¡± I groaned, wincing in pain with every other breath.

    ¡°Well, after training with the Royal Mages, I suppose I cannot be surprised that you were injured. How did your other teammates fair?¡±

    ¡°No, it was just me versus them.¡± I said. Suma gasped snorted in shock.

    ¡°W-what?! Then it is no wonder you were injured so badly! Why did they not stop after the first round if they were not going to at least heal you?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt until the end of the third round. Actually, they ended it because I was injured. They had healers there, but I wanted you to heal me instead since you know-¡± I coughed hard, feeling my chest rattle and bringing my hand to cover my mouth as I did. Pulling it away, I saw some blood and a cold chill ran straight down my spine and into my stomach. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s probably not good.¡± Suma immediately fluttered over to my chest, and started another healing spell.

    ¡°Never before have I been so grateful for all those confusing lessons on your people¡¯s anatomy.¡± She said in a frustrated huff.

    ¡°Just wish I could have made it through that final round. If I hadn¡¯t run out of mana, my magnetic barrier spell would have stayed up.¡±

    ¡°Jake, it is nothing short of a miracle that you lasted one round, let alone two. And alone no less!¡±

    ¡°You know I won those first two rounds.¡± I said, smugly.

    ¡°You have a head injury, Jake.¡± Suma said, unfazed. ¡°Once you have stopped spitting up blood, I will treat that too.¡±

    ¡°No, really!¡± I protested. ¡°And I think I could have won the third one too.¡±

    ¡°If they had not pelted you relentlessly with attack spells?¡± Suma asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Reaching a hand into my pocket, I pulled out a small wooden plank, engraved with runic symbols and the Queen¡¯s seal, and showed it to Suma. ¡°Got this though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, a Rune-Maker¡¯s permit?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Totally worth it.¡± I said, just before my toe suddenly popped back into place, sending a sharp and stabbing pain through my entire foot. ¡°AHH! Son of a¡­ ow!¡±

    ¡°That was the last of your injuries. Please, in the future, if you plan on breaking every bone in your body again¡­ change your plans.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t every bone.¡±

    ¡°But it was quite a lot of them.¡± She shook her head, probably annoyed. ¡°What are your plans now that you have your license?¡±

    ¡°Nothing immediately, but when we get back to Zach-Ashem, it¡¯ll help with my work with Sela-Car.¡±

    ¡°And what about for the rest of the day? Not another sparring session, I hope?¡±

    ¡°No, but I wish it were.¡± I said, suddenly feeling anxious. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°To learn how to heal myself.¡± Holding up my missing hand, she suddenly realized what I meant.

    ¡°Ah, do you want me to stay with you while you do?¡± Suma asked, trying to be gentle, but I¡¯m sure she was still nervous after what happened in the desert. She was no more excited about this than I was.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡­¡± A deep guttural sigh escaped my lip, almost without me even noticing. ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±

    Lying down on the floor, Suma by my head for moral support, it was time to delve into Deyja¡¯s memories. Falling into darkness, I felt that haze wash over my whole body. Searching for information about how he healed himself, despite famously having Death-Mage, I opened the first memory I found. Slowly, everything came into focus as the memory took shape. The first thing I noticed was how high up I was; Deyja was tall. On my, or rather his, left, stood Ashem, who looked different from the last time I saw a memory with him in it. He looked younger, smaller. Both were in a field of rolling hills, surrounded by flowers; some of which came up to their knees. He was using magic to create illusions, and they both were watching them.

    ¡°Let us begin our lesson.¡± Ashem said, his voice rolling like thunder, even despite his youth.

    ¡°Thank you again, my friend. I have been wanting to learn to dual-cast for a century now, but have had little time while managing my sections of the project.¡±

    ¡°It is my pleasure, Deyja. I know how hard you have been working with the Neame, and am more than happy to help.¡± The illusions began to take shape, however it was not pictures, but words written in a language I did not know, floating in the air.

 Book 3- Part 22

    <u>Queen Ompera¡¯s POV</u>

    ¡°Leave us.¡± I ordered my staff. ¡°Svend and I must have a private conversation regarding important matters of state.¡± Immediately, they all left my private chamber, leaving myself and Svend alone; finally. We laid down in my roost, my head resting on his wing. It had been a long day, full of boring military and diplomatic talks and meetings. All I wanted now was to rest and enjoy my time with him alone.

    ¡°Important matters of state? I am certain they all know the truth by this point. Why bother keeping it secret from them further, Ompera?¡±

    ¡°Those gossips would tell our whole kingdom if I ever actually confirmed anything. Let them keep whispering rumors quietly.¡± I told him, closing my eyes and relaxing.

    ¡°Did anything interesting happen today?¡± Svend asked.

    ¡°The campaign to push out the Union from Island of Sangu has officially started. Forces left today, prepared to use Tactical-Scale magic. Evacuations will begin immediately. But I do not want to talk about that.¡± I told him.

    ¡°Okay, then what about the Viking familiar. You went and watched his training today, yes? What did you think?¡±

    I stopped for a moment, unsure how to answer. ¡°He terrifies me.¡±

    ¡°Someone is scary enough to frighten you? He must be quite the intimidating fellow then.¡± Svend joked.

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    ¡°Never once in my life have I met someone with so much mana, and such complex and powerful spells. When I requested the General to test him under the guise of training the Royal Mages, I knew what to expect somewhat. I¡¯ve used my Mana Gaze on him before, but I have never seen his complex spells in use until today.¡± Images of the training flashed into my mind.

    ¡°What did he look like?¡±

    ¡°The sheer amount of mana that the spell he used to protect himself with was staggering. It would burn through the entire mana reservoir of the Royal Mages in less than a minute. Yet he sustained it for almost ten minutes. Maybe longer. It looked like wave after wave of mana was just devoured by the air itself. Mana flickered in the air like lightning. Regarding complexity, the only thing I have ever seen even come close to it was Ritual-Magic, and Tactical-Scale magic. But none of that was what truly frightened me.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡± Svend asked, listening intently. Clearly uneasy with my descriptions.

    ¡°He won.¡±

    ¡°His team won?¡±

    ¡°He fought alone, and still overwhelmed an entire attack squadron of Royal Mages, twice. He was only defeated because he ran out of mana; sacrificed to that monstrous spell. And even when he was finally hit by attack magic, the injuries he suffered minimal injuries; until all of the remaining mages seized the opportunity to attack him all at once. But still he refused healing, preferring to have his master heal him instead. Despite how severe his wounds were, he was able to contact his master and left without complaint after receiving his permit.¡±

    ¡°Is this true?¡± Svend asked, then after a moment of silence he had another question. ¡°Permit?¡±

    ¡°He went through all of that just so that I would issue him a Rune-Crafter¡¯s permit.¡±

    ¡°So, he is insane?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ But still, to use spells so advanced that they outclassed rituals, and were more powerful defenses that most of the spells used by the dragons; if the records are accurate that is.¡± I said, suddenly very sure that asking him to go to the islands was the correct choice. ¡°His Drake Squadron should arrive tomorrow. I look forward to seeing the results of his mission.¡±

 Book 3- Part 23

    <u>Suma¡¯s POV</u>

    (Another mission inside enemy controlled territory.) I thought, perched and watching the horizon as the sun moved behind the Yggsdrasil tree, causing its green and orange leaves to shimmer like a sunset. (Hopefully not like the last.)

    ¡°Suma,¡± Jake said though our private connection, ¡°squad¡¯s here; at the base of the castle. Ready to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered and flew down to meet them. All the while, wondering how Rou had handled Odens¡¯ passing in the past week and a half. Would she be there? Spotting Jake, and landing on the perch in his armor, I got my answer after looking around. I saw Captain Gigoales, Lieutenant Datahu, and Nine, but Rou was nowhere to be seen. However, there were two new faces. Perched on a Black Serpent was Lauric Isbala, and one other Neame I did not recognize.

    ¡°Lady Suma.¡± Lauric said curtly.

    ¡°Sir Lauric?¡± I asked, surprised to see him again. I knew he had joined the Drakes just as Jake and I had, but not once in all our training had we encountered him.

    ¡°You are well it seems, as is your familiar.¡±

    ¡°Hey Lauric.¡± Jake said hesitantly. He and Lauric had never gotten along, and neither had we.  ¡°How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± Lauric said flatly. ¡°Shall we take our leave and begin the mission?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. The team has already been briefed on the mission, and each moment we stay here, our objective grows further away.¡± Captain Gigoales said. ¡°We can make proper introductions while we travel. Third Squadron, get into tunnel formation.¡± One by one we all followed after the Captain as he took the lead. Flying into the sky, our formation was single file. Captain in the lead, then the Lieutenant, followed by Suma, Nine, Lauric, Fourteen which was the designation of the newest team member, and finally, Jake; who was riding Chariot.

    The reason we traveled like this was to increase our speed as much as possible. The one in first position, in this case our Captain, was to cast and maintain a wind spell that created a tube of air that would push all turbulence aside, while also creating enough lift and directional winds to pull anyone inside forward faster than most could fly. Since Ambos-Ompera was so far away from the coast, every moment counted. Jake was the only one outside the wind tunnel as we traveled, since he was too large to fit into it, but he kept up with us by using fire magic to create what he called a ¡®jet stream¡¯ for himself. Apparently, it was already similar to what the runes on Chariot did, but more effective.

    Due to the wind tunnels excessive noise, Lieutenant Datahu cast a Mind-Magic spell that allowed us to communicate. It was Jake who used it first. ¡°I know we are already in the middle of a mission, but I guess I just wanted to properly introduce myself. You said your name was Fourteen? Mine¡¯s Ja¡­ Sentinel.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, Sentinel. It is a pleasure. Though, I have no name, my current number is fourteen. I was transferred to your squadron just a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Lauric and Fourteen are Odens and Rou¡¯s replacements.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    ¡°Does this mean Rou is leaving the Drakes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, she is on modified-assignment. Until further notice, she will remain on guard duty at base. It was by her own request.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°She took Odens¡¯ loss hard. Really hard.¡± Nine said.

    ¡°Fourteen was sent to fill Odens¡¯ role, and Lauric volunteered to fill Rou¡¯s for this mission.¡± Datahu said, to my surprise.

    ¡°Lauric, you volunteered to be on the same squad as me? Really?¡± Jake asked, rather tactlessly and equally surprised. Though I could not blame him. The last time we spoke to Lauric Isbala, he effectively called Jake a monster, best used for war. ¡°You¡¯re not still worried I¡¯m a danger to the country, are you?¡±

    Without looking back at anyone, Lauric responded, ¡°No. After reading the reports and having the events explained to me firsthand, I believe you are neither a danger to the Drakes, nor a hindrance. My reasons for joining this mission are personal.¡±

    ¡°Reasons that I expect you will not allow to interfere with the mission.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said sternly.

    ¡°Never, Lieutenant. The mission comes first.¡±

    ¡°So, Fourteen. How did you get that¡­ designation?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Probably the same way I got the number Nine. He was the fourteenth nameless Neame to join the Drakes this year, and the number was available.¡±

    ¡°Quite so. My skills with both battle and support spells allowed me to join, and I was placed on Seventh Squadron. Until recently.¡±

    ¡°Why did you leave?¡± Jake asked.

    ¡°Seventh Squadron was dissolved after a mission gone wrong, and all remaining members were reassigned.¡±

    ¡°If I might ask, how many survivors?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°Two.¡± The Captain said, finally interjecting. ¡°Their Sargent, and Fourteen. Now let the singing dive. I need to focus on maintaining the spell. Keep all nonessential communication to a minimum until we arrive at the sea-flyer.¡±

    We flew for hours in silence, except for the sounds of winds roaring just a wingspan away, going so fast just touching it could break bones and rip out feathers. Just as the sun began to set in the distance, Jake said something strange.

    ¡°I think I smell the ocean.¡±

    ¡°We must be getting near our transport.¡± The Captain said. ¡°Keep an eye out. We should be able to see it soon.¡±

    ¡°Captain, there it is. Forward left, under the sun and just above the horizon.¡± Nine announced. The Captain readjusted our formation, and soon we were landing on the shore by the ocean.

    ¡°A dockyard?¡± Jake asked aloud, now that we did not need the wind tunnel anymore.

    ¡°Indeed. I shall go and speak with the dockmaster, they will know which sea-flyer will be our transport. Wait here.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°These are sea-flyers then?¡± Fourteen asked. We all examined them. They were colossal things. There was no stone anywhere in them that I could see, despite their large size. Rather, they were made entirely of wood, with large swaths of fabric strapped to and hanging from a set of, what appeared to be, comically large perches. The shape reminded me of the pit of a walgo flower if it was cut lengthwise, but brown instead of red. Along the top of the ship were runes engraved into perches and filled with clay.

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    ¡°On my world, we call them ships.¡± Jake said. ¡°Or, sailboats.¡±

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Of course we would hit a storm less than an hour after setting sail. The waves were choppy, and despite being several feet above the water thanks to runes that made the ship float while its sails were open, the waves were still tall enough to reach the hull and beat against it; causing the ship to rock back and forth violently. I clung on to one of the many birdbox like structures scattered around the deck, because not one inch of the ship had railing, and below deck was where the cargo was haphazardly stored. All the Neame were lying in their boxes, looking more green than blue, but I doubt I looked any better. Not a drop of rain made it to the deck at least, thanks to runes carved into the sails which created a sort of bubble of fresh air around us. For that, I was very thankful, because I doubt I would have been able to hold on if everything was wet. That deflection did result in a sort of thin film of water flowing down around the ship, like a pane of wet glass surrounding us. Suddenly, I was reminded of one of Zachariah¡¯s memories, when he also traveled on a ship, after Deyja lashed out and lost his name.

    ¡°Jake, are you okay?¡± Suma asked. Her¡¯s was the box I was clinging onto, so she was just above me.

    ¡°No.¡± I said.

    ¡°Neither am I.¡±

    ¡°Suma, on the way back, you can just summon me once you arrive, because I am never doing this again.¡±

    ¡°How do the crew of this sea-flyer make a journey like this every time?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± A voice inside a nearby box called out, but I couldn¡¯t see it from where I was. ¡°The voyage is rarely like this. Actually, we knew this one would be rough, so only the experienced crew came this time.¡±

    ¡°You knew, how?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°The clouds and the waves?¡± I guessed, remembering a show on TV about sailors I¡¯d seen a few years ago.

    ¡°Good guess. The clouds came in quick, and the waves were regular. Our Captain tried to warn yours to wait a day, but it seems you group was in a rush.¡± The voice said.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be, I don¡¯t know, flying around and keeping the ship sailing or something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In the middle of a storm? The runes will keep the ship on course, and the rain off us, but they won¡¯t stop a bolt of lightning from turning our feathers from blue to black.¡± The image of Zeus wearing Colonel Sanders¡¯ red and white apron and black bowtie flashed in my head.

    ¡°Yeah, good point.¡± Without warning, a wave swell collided with the back of the ship, causing us to turn almost a full ninety degrees in two seconds. My head smashed into the pole I was holding hard enough to daze me. My grip loosened, and I fell flat. Stunned, and limp, I didn¡¯t even notice myself rolling.

    ¡°JAKE!¡± Suma yelled, just as the wood of the deck splintered apart, and wrapped itself around me. Once I could see straight again, I noticed Lieutenant Datahu hanging halfway out of her box, with both wingtips pointed at me. Then I looked around and saw I was less than a foot from the side of the ship. The wood let me go, and went back in place.

    ¡°Thanks, Lieutenant.¡± I said, and Suma cast a healing spell on me. Apparently, I¡¯d started bleeding from the nose without realizing it. She nodded, and pulled herself back into her own box. Once I was healed, Suma did the same.

    ¡°Maybe your familiar should go below deck?¡± The voice asked, his head now popping just barely out of the box. ¡°We don¡¯t normally transport anything as large as he is, so we have nothing prepared, but at least below deck he can¡¯t fall into the sea.¡±

    ¡°No thanks, I didn¡¯t see you strap down a single thing when you were loading up the ship¡¯s supplies.¡± I protested.

    ¡°Well of course we didn¡¯t. Who uses straps anymore? What is this, a fisher¡¯s sea-perch? We have runes that keep things in place.¡±

    ¡°Jake, I think it would be a good idea. What would have happened if you had fallen off the boat?¡± Suma asked.

    It was the Neame in the box that answered. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t stop and raise the sails in a storm like this, so he would have gotten left behind, and you would have had to resummon him, assuming he didn¡¯t drown before you could, or die as soon as he hit the water. He doesn¡¯t exactly look like he can swim; no offense.¡±

    ¡°I can swim¡­ I might still go below deck though, if it really is safe.¡±

    The ship was rocking back and forth too much for me to stand and walk to the hatch at the back of the ship, so I had to spread my arms and legs out like a starfish and crawl on my belly to make it. On the way there, I heard what sounded like Nine¡¯s voice, moaning, only to be quickly followed by the sounds if retching and another pained moan.

    Below deck wasn¡¯t much better, but at a glance, it seemed nothing was moving around; despite the obvious lack of anything keeping even a single box down. The only thing that was different between this room and one on land is that you couldn¡¯t stand up or you¡¯d fall down, and the glowing silver runes that lined the walls. Suddenly, the ship lurched again, and I felt like I was about to fall, but some kind of force pushed against my entire body in the opposite direction, and kept me upright. Hardly even moved a centimeter.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I said, surprised. After only an hour of this, I was ready for it to be over, but the journey was scheduled to take several days. (Gotta at least make it through this storm.) I thought to myself. Deciding to pass the time by diving into Deyja¡¯s memories, I laid down, and waited for another sharp turn to make sure that I wouldn¡¯t move, even if I was flat on the floor. Once I¡¯d confirmed it, I told Suma what I was doing, and opened the memories.

    As soon as I fell into that hazy darkness, the feelings of the choppy waters disappeared, bringing a nearly overwhelming sense of relief. The memory I dived into was one I¡¯d seen before, but hadn¡¯t yet finished. It was of Deyja teaching Zachariah what Ashem had taught him years ago, how to dual cast spells.

    ¡°The secret is to perfectly master both spells, and then perform them at the same time. Your body already knows what to do for both, as does your mind, but now it must learn to do them together. Daily practice is key.¡± Deyja said, in his creepy voice. From context, I gathered that this was before whatever happened between him and Ahshem that caused them to fight, and Ahshem to die, but after the battle of Dragon-Fall Bay, which nearly got Zachariah arrested by that council.

    ¡°Rot.¡± Zachariah said, casting a Death-Magic spell on a tree. As the bark turned black, and the leaves fell off in droves, my stomach sank, remembering both the first Death-Magic I ever saw in the alley, and the first I ever cast on Harbinger.

    ¡°Good, now using the residual magic, cast a spell of inversion.¡± Deyja said, his massive head hanging over Zachariah like a looming shadow. With a wave of his hand, but without any words, the tree began to regain its color. New leaves sprouted, and the bark healed slowly. However, before it was fully restored, the spell stopped.

    ¡°I used all of the magic that was left, but it did not turn back to how it was.¡± Zachariah said, frustrated.

    ¡°This is only practice, to help you understand the process. Casting both spells at the same time will fully heal the tree, because the magic that is inverting will not be residual, but active.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand. You speak of tiny creatures that split in half, and that we are made of them, but this sounds impossible to me. I am sorry Deyja, perhaps you are wasting your time teaching me your world¡¯s magic.¡±

    ¡°Zachariah, do not be so distraught. Look how far you¡¯ve come after only a few lessons! If you had known of this technique when you fought at the Warring Grounds, then you could have killed that army by yourself. You must not give up!¡± Deyja waved one of his massive claws in the air, and restored the tree exactly how it was before.

    Zachariah sighed, ¡°Fine. Still, as awful as I am at this, it is still far better than what Ambos is doing now.¡±

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    ¡°He is with the twins, Kukulkan and Indra.¡±

    Deyja scoffed. ¡°Yes, preferable indeed.¡±

    The memory continued for a while, and I took careful note of what was happening. Without realizing how much time had passed, Suma eventually woke me up. ¡°Jake, the storm has passed. Thank the dragons.¡±

    Ending the memory and waking up, I went back to the top deck. Most of the Neame were flying around, some were perched as high as they could get without actually leaving the ship, and others were leaning over the side, still more green than blue.

    ¡°How long was I down there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Four hours. Did you learn anything?¡± Suma said.

    ¡°Yeah, a bit. I need to practice it though.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have the next few days, and a whole ocean as a target.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, the Queen gave me special permission to practice Death-Magic. Now I need a target.¡±

    ¡°What spell are you going to cast?¡±

    ¡°Well, going by what Zachariah and Dey¡­ he were doing, I think the rot spell inverts to Healing-Magic.¡±

    ¡°So, you need something that can rot?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Just be careful not to accidentally sink the boat.¡±

 Book 3- Part 24

    I sat on the deck of the ship, the storm fully passed and the water calm again. The ship was finally sailing, or I guess flying, steadily. Neame flew around, fixing things with magic that got damaged from the storm, growing food for the crew in the giant dirt pit at the center of the deck, or just cleaning up. It was just after noon, so the pit was still filled with the plants from everyone growing their seeds, and they were getting ready to clear away the shrubs. Then, an idea occurred to me.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I said, interrupting one of the crew members who was about to pull the various vines, shrubs, and small trees out of the dirt with magic.

    ¡°Yes? Oh sorry, did you want to grow something before I rip everything up?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No, actually. I already had a sandwich. What do you usually do with the plants after ripping them up?¡±

    ¡°Sand¡­? Um, we just toss them overboard. Why?¡± She seemed confused. Either at not knowing what a sandwich was, or over why I asked.

    ¡°I was hoping I could keep some of them. They¡¯re still alive, and I want to practice some spells on them.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re willing to toss them over after you finished. Wait, they are not fire spells, right? Or anything that could hurt the very wooden ship we are currently perched on?¡±

    ¡°No. Not fire spells. And I will be careful not to hurt the ship.¡± I assured her.

    ¡°Okay. You probably need the Captain¡¯s permission first, but I will wait to throw them off until you get a yes or no. Captain is in his quarters below deck on the tail side.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said, and made my way to the back of the ship. There was a large, open well in the deck, near the ship¡¯s directional sail; which I heard someone call a ¡°tilt-sail.¡±

    Crawling inside the well and dropping about three feet to the deck below, and falling on my butt in the process, I heard a male voice call out from somewhere behind me. Through the dim light of one of those glowing braids, I saw a small head pop out from behind a tiny curtain covering a box. ¡°What was that? Sounded like a borog fell over.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Captain. That was me. I can¡¯t fly, so I had to fall.¡± I said, standing back up.

    ¡°Well, tell me what you want already, so I can go back to sleep.¡± He said, gruffly.

    ¡°Can I use the left over plants from everyone growing lunch to practice my spells?¡±

    ¡°Are they fire spells?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t care. Now get out.¡± He said, pulling his head back into the curtain.

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Looking back up to the edge of the hole above me, I realized how far away it was. So much so that even raising my hands above my head and jumping several times, I still came up short.

    ¡°Will you quiet down?!¡± The ship¡¯s Captain shouted.

    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± I said, and looked back up at the ledge just out of my reach.

    From behind the curtain, a very small, annoyed, and tired voice asked, ¡°You¡¯re stuck, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What? Me, stuck? No. I¡¯m not stuck. What would make you think that?¡± I told him, then immediately contacted Suma using our private connection. ¡°Suma, can you summon me? I¡¯m stuck.¡±

    ¡°Then leave already!¡± The Captain shouted from behind the curtain, just before I disappeared.

    I reappeared back by Suma¡¯s box, just a short walk away from the plants and ship-bound garden. ¡°Captain agreed.¡± I told the worker.

    ¡°All yours then. Just be sure to toss them when you are finished.¡± She said, and flew away to her next task.

    I spent a few hours practicing using a rot spell. I¡¯d do one that affected the whole plant, then try and focus it so that only a single leaf withered; with varying success with everything. Sometimes the spell would cause the whole plant to turn black and crumble to dust. Other times it would go gray and get stiff, like it was petrifying. Once a plant was used up, I¡¯d toss it overboard, which resulted in me accidentally smacking a Neame who was flying past with a bouquet of rotten leaves once. He squawked and started chirping loudly, but I couldn¡¯t understand him. According to another crewmate, he was cussing me out in his native language. Suma healed him, I apologized, and he gave me the stink-eye before leaving. Suma and I decided it was probably best not to ask to learn whatever language he was using. After that, dropping the used plants overboard became standard for me, rather than tossing them.

    Just as I was on the last of the plants, one of the crew approached me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your magic?¡± He asked. It was a reddish-blue Neame, a bit taller than Suma, who sounded apprehensive.

    ¡°You mean the spell?¡± I asked, thinking he meant the rotting effect.

    ¡°No, I mean your mana. When you cast a spell, it feels wrong somehow.¡±

    ¡°Um, I think Suma and the others have mentioned that once or twice. I have Chaos-Magic, and they say it feels weird to them. But I can¡¯t feel magic at all, so...¡±

    The Neame looked down, his feathers puffed up, and his glitter dimmed. ¡°My sincere condolences. I did not mean to bring up such a sensitive topic. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t-¡± Unfortunately, he flew away in a rush before my sentence was finished; almost leaving some of his feather behind trying to get away from a perceived awkward situation. ¡°Whatever.¡± I said, and dropped the last of the plants into the water below. By then, it was nearing sundown, and my stomach was growling. Looking through my bag, all that was left for today was an orange apple looking thing Suma gave me that she grew an extra of by accident, half a bag of crisps, and one breath mint. I ate those and sent the bag home with today¡¯s letter for mum. The letter was basically just a recap of today¡¯s events, and an update on how I was doing. But there wouldn¡¯t be any more food in it until tomorrow, after mum woke up, found the bag, and read the latest letter.

    After thinking very hard about how I could catch something, I asked the group. ¡°You guys want any fish?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ as a familiar?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°That does not seem like a useful choice. Maybe if one fought over the ocean regularly, but for most cases, would it not simply die upon summoning?¡± Fourteen said.

    ¡°Are you considering getting a familiar of your own? There are better choices, certainly.¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked.

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    ¡°Do you know the summoning spells for familiars?¡± Captain Gigoales asked. ¡°That could open up an entirely new way of fighting for you, but a fish seems a poor choice.¡±

    ¡°Jake, I highly doubt you are asking about fish because you want one as a familiar. Why do you ask?¡± Suma wondered.

    ¡°I was just hungry, and thought I¡¯d ask if anyone else wanted some.¡± I explained, caught off guard by all the sudden questions. Suddenly, Fourteen flew away. As he did, I heard a faint gagging noise.

    ¡°Eat a fish?¡± Nine said, horrified, like I¡¯d offered him a severed head.

    ¡°Jake. That is¡­ no. Jake¡­ please tell me you are making another of those jokes I do not understand.¡± Suma said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with fish?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s fish.¡± Nine said. ¡°They are slimy and weird and gross.¡±

    ¡°I would like one.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°As would I.¡± Lieutenant Datahu agreed.

    ¡°What!?¡± Nine and Suma both yelled.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°I ate them on a mission a few years ago, and was surprised how good it was. As did the Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and since both the base, and Royal Capital are landlocked, finding anyone who both has a fish, and knows how to prepare it is essentially impossible.¡±

    ¡°Do you know, Jake?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I grew up going fishing with my Dad. Plus, I live on an island, so we eat a lot of seafood.¡±

    A few minutes later, while I was using magic to lift large amounts of water to search for fish, I heard a small voice behind me. It was Suma. ¡°Dragons, I know I have not prayed to you since I was very young, but if you are listening, please come back and take us to your perfect lands before Jake makes me try fish.¡±

    Turns out, Neame are fans of sushi, because both Captain Gigoales and Lieutenant Datahu assumed we would be eating the fish raw, and were very surprised when I started boiling water in a pot made of sculpted wood. Since I couldn¡¯t use fire, I had to directly heat the water with magic, which caused warping in the wood and poured boiling water onto the deck, but thankfully no one was hurt. An hour later, my belly was full of wild caught, boiled fish, and two Neame asking for seconds of raw fish. I did think about asking for permission to use fire magic, but on a wooden ship, it seemed to be a bad idea. Besides, most Neame start to get nervous whenever I use my purple fire, which is what I¡¯ve gotten used to using in the last year.

    Just after fixing the sculpted wooden pot I¡¯d made, ready for another round, a call above our heads rang out. ¡°Pirates! Sunset side! Three minutes away! One scout spotted!¡± Everyone flew around, calling out orders in a rush. Dozens of Neame all around began casting spells. Some of the spells turned the outer hull into a spiked mess, with hundreds of twenty-centimeter-long wooden stakes pointing outward. The eyes of all the crew glowed with a multitude of colors. The only ones left with nothing to do were our squadron.

    ¡°Captain Gigoales, should we do something too?¡± Fourteen asked.

    ¡°No, this is their ship, and their fight. They know how to handle it. We would only get in their way.¡± He said. So there we all sat, or perched; like knots on a log. I tried to look for the pirates, but saw nothing in the distance. The seconds felt like minutes, the minutes like hours. Until finally, the whole ship shook suddenly.

    ¡°Contact, below the water!¡± Someone nearby shouted.

    A group of six Neame flew into the air and began circling the ship, then shouted back, ¡°Three familiars, one D.O.H.!¡±

    The ship¡¯s Captain flew up at that time, or maybe he was already there, and I simply hadn¡¯t noticed in the chaos. ¡°Teams one and three, drive off the familiars! Two and four, begin anti-ship spells! Team five, give us more speed!¡± As he was giving orders, I noticed something in the water. A fin, easily a meter long, broke through the surface.

    ¡°Brace! Brace!¡± A voice above the ship called out. A moment later, the rest of the monster broke through the water, and threw itself onto the ship, impaling its body on the spikes. It had a shark¡¯s fin on its back, but a body like a humpback whale. Rather than a head, it had something like a squid¡¯s beak, which violently bit and gnawed at the hull like it didn¡¯t even feel the dozens of spikes ripping huge chunks of its flesh off with each twist and turn of its increasingly mangled body. The impact threw me to the ground, and caused the still boiling water to spill out again, this time completely overboard and right onto the snapping maw that was less than two meters from me; it didn¡¯t seem to care. Without warning, a bolt of lightning struck its body, causing it to seize, stopping its attack momentarily. Using that opening, I took the opportunity to put my practice to the test.

    ¡°Rot!¡± I yelled, and the yellowed beak and gray skin of the sea-monster quickly darkened. At the same time, massive chunks of the ship¡¯s hull split off, and reared back, like they¡¯d suddenly come to life. They moved like tentacles. Very thick, strong, and pointy tentacles; which wrapped up the beast like a constrictor snake, before squeezing it so tightly an audible crunch echoed across the ship. By the time the wooden tentacles loosened, letting the dead whale thing fall into the sea, the Neame above had already announced that the last familiar was retreating.

    With the battle over, the Neame all cheered, and immediately started fixing the ship back to how it was. Three more minutes later, and you wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell there was ever a battle; except for the steam rising from the now empty pot, and the smell of rotten fish in the air. However, there was one other sign. Now, in the distance just cresting over the horizon as it fled, I could barely make out the tiny silhouette of a ship, sailing away. A Neame landed next to us, and spoke with the ship¡¯s Captain.

    ¡°Sir, the familiar and its ship are taking distance. Should we pursue?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯ve chased them away. That will be enough for today. Our mission for this voyage is not to hunt pirates, but to deliver this squadron. And we cannot delay their mission.¡± He replied. My mind wandered for a moment, like it was being guided by something else. The memories of Zachariah¡¯s battle on Dragon¡¯s Fall Bay, and how he sank the ship appeared in my mind, like I was reliving them again. Standing up again, albeit slowly as the ship was still slowly rocking back and forth, I turned to both my Captain, and the ship¡¯s.

    ¡°I might have an idea.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Jake?¡± Suma said.

    ¡°What if I sunk it from here? I could use my Chaos-Magic to rot the hull.¡±

    ¡°Is such a thing possible?¡± The ship¡¯s Captain wondered.

    ¡°From this distance¡­ even for you, that seems a bit¡­ infeasible. Perhaps your long-ranged magic would be best. Your ¡®Railgun¡¯ spell would be better.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°Captains,¡± Lieutenant Datahu, who¡¯d been nearby, quietly listening, interrupted. ¡°There would be no harm in letting him try. And it would be a good test of his current abilities.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Just don¡¯t sink my ship.¡± Captain Gigoales also nodded, and I thanked them. Looking out at the quickly disappearing ship, I took a moment to imagine the spell, and how it would play out. Like when I first used ¡®Railgun,¡¯ the picture of a long stream of mana connecting myself and the ship appeared in my mind. Then, images of the ship¡¯s wooden hull rotting away, turning to mulch, and falling apart played out. The rot would start at the contact point between my mana, and the ship. Any metal, as I pictured it in my mind, would rust and crumble. It would spread to Neame touching the rot too, like a plague. And then, I cast the spell.

    ¡°Rot.¡± I said simply, and felt a split second of dizziness, but decided to ignore it for now as it quickly vanished; chalking it up to either sea sickness or the spell using more mana than I¡¯d thought it would. There was a moment of silence before the ship¡¯s Captain ordered one of the crew to go scout the outcome.

    ¡°That felt like quite a lot of mana being released just now. Are you okay?¡± He asked.

    ¡°A bit dizzy for a second, but fine now.¡±

    ¡°Jake¡¯s mana reservoir is plentiful.¡± Suma said, but really, I could feel through our connection she was proud to say it, and I could hear a bit of smugness in her tone to boot.

    A minute later, the scout returned. His feathers were puffed up, and he¡¯d lost almost all of his glittery sparkle. ¡°They¡¯re sinking, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Are you alright, crewman? You look like you¡¯ve seen the Black Wyrm, ready to pluck you.¡± The ship¡¯s Captain said. ¡°What about the ship¡¯s crew. Are they setting their sails towards-¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dead, sir. Almost all of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, looks like your spell did more than sink the ship then, familiar. Good work. What of the survivors, crewman?¡±

    ¡°Headed towards land, sir. Maybe Cambren, or part of Taldre?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that might not be good. If they are working with the Southern Union, then word of our arrival could spread.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think they will make it to the mainland, sir.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°They did not look very healthy. Like they were getting ready to fall out of the sky just from flapping their wings.¡±

    ¡°By the dragons, familiar. What kind of spell did you cast?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ just¡­¡± I started to say, suddenly feeling very ashamed. I knew what had to be done, and why I was doing it, but still¡­

    ¡°That will be quite enough. My team needs rest, and after that battle, so must your crew. I suggest we all prepare to roost for the night.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    My mouth opened, and a few words somehow managed to stumble out. ¡°Captain¡­ did-¡±

    ¡°Get some rest, soldier.¡± He ordered.

 Book 3- Part 25

    <u>Captain Gigoales¡¯ POV</u>

    The luminous braids hung loosely from the deck above, putting out just enough light to not strain the eyes. This ship¡¯s captain, one of his crewmen, and my Lieutenant were in the ship¡¯s Captain¡¯s Quarters.

    ¡°Tell us what you saw on the sinking pirate ship.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to order my men around, Captain Gigoales. This is my ship.¡± He said, then turned to his crewman. ¡°Tell us what you saw.¡±

    ¡°A lot of dead bodies, sir.¡± The crewman said, obviously shaken. ¡°It was bad.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Lieutenant Datahu asked.

    ¡°The ship, it was falling apart. But so were they. It was like everyone had died months ago, and they¡¯d just been floating on the water.¡± He explained, shaking his head. ¡°Their mana felt wrong too. Like it had spoiled, somehow. All the bodies looked like they¡¯d been pulled apart. Some had exploded, with their guts splayed out on what was left of the deck. It was awful, Captain.¡±

    ¡°What about the ones that got away?¡± The Captain asked. ¡°You said they looked sickly.¡±

    ¡°They looked like flying corpses. Black feathers, curled beaks and not a single spark of life left in their besmears. Just¡­ wrong. Sick and wrong.¡± The crewman said, his eyes tightly shut.

    ¡°Thank you for this, Captain. And you as well, crewman. It was enlightening.¡± I told them.

    ¡°That familiar, does it got a name?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°Sentinel. Though his master calls him Jake.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sentinel? Bit gawdy. Well, just do me a favor with Sentinel, Captain Gigoales. Make sure that its master does not lose control of it. At least not while its onboard my ship.¡± I nodded in agreement, and Datahu and I took our leave. Back on the main deck, far to the tail of the ship, where we could be alone, we had a chat.

    ¡°He¡¯s getting stronger.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°That is good for us.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ¡°A whole ship, and its crew¡­ in one spell?¡± I sighed, and while I may not worship the dragons anymore, I did find myself praying inside my mind that we were right about him. Otherwise, there would not be much we could do.

    ¡°At least he is still ridiculously slow.¡± Datahu said, probably making a joke, or perhaps it was an impromptu tactical analysis.

    ¡°He is, for now.¡±

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Landfall for the ship never happened; why would it on a secret mission? Instead, we got a few miles away from land, just enough for us to fly there. The squad was flying low and close to the water, so close I could taste the salt in the air, even through Chariot¡¯s wind shield. Careful not to be seen, we waited until night, and the ship never came within visual distance of the mainland; the Island of Taldre. The only light around was the moon, and the faint glow of the runes from Chariot, which I¡¯d covered with a tarp for now. Captain Gigoales placed us into a formation, and forbid anyone from using magic to prevent any risk of detection by patrols. Silently, each of us flew in the dark, until a whisper from the Captain ordered us to land in the water and wait for a patrol to pass by. The blue of their feathers blended in with the water, but I had to send Chariot away, and tread water until the Captain gave the all clear; which was more difficult with only one hand.

    If you¡¯ve never seen a Neame swim, you¡¯re missing out, because it is a very funny sight. At first, you might expect them to rest in the water like ducks, geese, but nope. They just float there like drowned parrots. At least their blue feathers blended in, except for Lieutenant Datahu, who had to submerge her white and gray body into water, with only her beak sticking out, while the others used their wings to cover her. This far offshore, the waves were manageable, if a bit tall from the recent storm. Everyone was already wet from the splashing waves, but now we were all dripping. I never saw the patrol, but the Captain said it was a squad of four, flying high.

    By the time we made it safely and undetected to the shore, everyone seemed tired, and looked like wet feathered rats. ¡°I smell like the sea.¡± Nine mumbled.

    ¡°Flying with wet feathers must be hard.¡± I said, pulling my shirt off and ringing it out, using my knees in place of my left hand, and then sending Chariot away.

    ¡°Indeed, and it makes us too loud.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°Time for a sand bath, squad.¡± ¡®Sand bath¡¯ was a type of training I¡¯d watched them do a few times at base. It was a method for quickly drying off, so that you can resume flying, or to hide yourself from familiars who track by scent.

    A few muffled moans echoed out, and they all fell flat to the ground, spread their wings, and flapped them until their whole bodies were covered in sand. It was quite a sight. A minute later, the Captain straightened himself out. ¡°Alright squad, summon your familiars, and begin recon. Fourteen, you are on watch. Familiar Sentinel, avoid using your flying ¡®Chariot for this. The foliage here isn¡¯t thick enough to hide you, unlike on the Island of Sangu. It will stick out too much.¡±

    ¡°Captain, without his rune creation, he is much slower. Perhaps too slow for recon duty. I suggest he stays in the dugout for now.¡± Lieutenant Datahu suggested.

    The Captain thought for a moment. ¡°Agreed. Suma, you are on watch. Fourteen, summon your familiar once the dugout is finished. Sentinel, you stay in the dugout until it is time to move.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I said. Immediately, we all got to work digging out a pit underground, far away from the shore line, and hidden in the forest. I made sure to make the sleeping area as wide as possible. The dugout trench on Sangu was miserable, and nearly gave me a panic attack getting in and out of it without being summoned. The excess dirt we piled up, and used it and local foliage to blend the entrance into the area. Once that was done, and well hidden, Suma summoned me into the base, since the entrance was too small.

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    Inside the dugout, I settled down alongside everyone else, who had already summoned and sent their familiars out. Fourteen broke the silence first. ¡°So Jake, or do you prefer Sentinel? Your master calls you both, sooo¡­¡±

    ¡°Jake is fine. Sentinel is more of a legal name than anything.¡±

    ¡°Legal name? What do you mean? Do you also have an illegal name?¡± Fourteen asked, surprised.

    ¡°No¡­ what¡¯s an illegal name?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t an illegal name!¡± Suma suddenly shouted, sounding very defensive. ¡°I would never!¡±

    ¡°I also have been curious about this.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said. Even the Captain nodded in quiet agreement.

    ¡°It¡¯s the name my mum gave me. And Sentinel is the name Suma gave me when I became her familiar.¡± I explained, a little confused.

    ¡°Wait¡­ you were renamed, but you still use your former name, rather than your current one?¡± Fourteen asked, shocked. Lauric glanced my way, rolled his eyes, and went back to ignoring me.

    ¡°Uh, yeah? I think of Sentinel as a kind of government name here, and Jake as the name my friends call me.¡±

    ¡°Aside from whatever a government name is; Suma, how did you manage to rename a Vi- I mean¡­¡± Nine started to ask, but stumbled over the word ¡®Viking¡¯ and glanced and the dirty look I was giving him. ¡°¡­a powerful familiar such as Sen¡­ Jak¡­ uh?¡±

    ¡°Jake is fine.¡± I said.

    ¡°How did you manage to rename Jake?¡± Nine corrected himself.

    ¡°Well, he had no magic when we met. That made it easier.¡± Suma said. Captain Gigoales, Lieutenant Datahu, Nine, and Lauric didn¡¯t react much to that, they already knew, but Fourteen looked as close to slapped maceral as a Neame could.

    ¡°No magic? As in, he could not use spells, or that he simply lacked training?¡± Fourteen asked.

    ¡°None. My world doesn¡¯t have any.¡± I said.

    ¡°But¡­ your spells are unbelievable¡­¡± Fourteen asked, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Thank you?¡± I said, not sure if it was a compliment.

    ¡°Then, just renaming you was enough to give you such powerful mana?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer him, without telling him that I also learned from watching the memories of a dragon and a real Viking. ¡°No¡­ I just figured it out really. My world has science, so that helped.¡±

    ¡°Alright squad. Our familiars should be far enough away to begin recon. Everyone connect with them, and begin search-pattern-one.¡± Captain Gigoales said. I sighed in relief. Suma went outside to keep watch, and everyone else connected to their familiars. ¡°Sentinel, if you need to use magic, it should be fine so long as you stay underground. But keep the spells small and simple. You should remain undetectable that way. Only use it if you need to though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I said. ¡°Would a summoning spell be okay?¡± He said it was, and connected to his own familiar. Everyone took various positions when connecting. Lauric, Captain Gigoales, and Lieutenant Datahu were sitting, with the only things denoting that anything was different about them being their glowing eyes, whereas Fourteen and Nine were laying like dead bodies sprawled out in the dirt. Summoning my bag, I pulled out my phone to listen to music, and eat. Turing it on, what I expected to find was a fully charged phone, more food, and a new set of clothes. What was actually inside was nothing.

    ¡°Guess it is pretty late¡­ or early. She probably hasn¡¯t had time to put everything back.¡± I mumbled, and sent my bag back. Now without anything to do, a nap seemed the best idea.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    <u>Lauric Isbala¡¯s POV</u>

    Loyalty, my Black Serpent familiar, slithered quickly through the grass, guided by my commands. At the moment, I had opted to allow Loyalty to retain control of its body, and make its way on its own, while I simply watched everything through its eyes. Weaving through the foliage and brush, it eventually came upon a river, and began to follow it at my order. However, it instinctively keeps a distance from the water¡¯s edge, as it cannot swim. While moving, the patterns on its skin change to match the surroundings, hiding itself as much as possible.

    Suddenly, a shadow from above moved along the ground, sending panic through Loyalty¡¯s mind. It tried to hide in a patch of tall grass growing near the riverbank, but I forced it to turn and face the source of the shadow. Three Neame were flying in a tight formation, and perhaps due to Loyalty¡¯s camouflaged hide, had seemingly not yet noticed him. If they had, then they would have immediately attacked him from above, knowing that he was a familiar as Loyalty¡¯s species are not native to this island at all; it would be like seeing a Leviathan in a desert. Under my direct control now, I followed the three, allowing Loyalty to control its camouflage to keep us hidden. Although my physical body was safely hidden underground in my squad¡¯s dugout, losing Loyalty would be inconvenient, and perhaps even sad.

    They landed outside a village, and summoned their familiars, Vedel Cats. A mid-sized, dangerous, and decently strong familiar. However, their sense of smell was the real threat now. Loyalty¡¯s eyes are not great, so I¡¯d kept it close to see, but these Vedel possess a powerful sense of smell. Pulling Loyalty back, I settled for a bit of blurriness rather than allowing it to be caught. The three rode their familiars into the village, and were met by only a single Neame, who summoned a crate to his side. One of the Neame left their familiar, and inspected the contents of the crate. Meanwhile, the other two surrounded the single Neame, but made no move against him. Once the third Neame was satisfied, it cast a spell on the crate, and sent it away by unsummoning it. Afterward, the three Neame left without incident, and the single Neame returned to its home.

    (A tax collection, perhaps?) I wondered. Once they¡¯d gone, I used Loyalty to investigate further, sneaking it into the village¡¯s fields. There I found that it was a farming village, growing seeds and raising low-grade familiars. None of the familiars were high quality. Just beasts of burden, meant to be used in field work, or sold to those who could not perform summoning spells. None of them were considered combat familiars, or familiars meant to display some kind of status. While searching, I also found evidence of a battle outside the village. A Southern Union soldier¡¯s silver emblem chain, worn on their bodies to indicate their rank, just as our soldiers wear pins, laying in a patch of burnt grass. The ground around the chain was also greatly disturbed, like a Nature-Magic spell had been cast. Nearby was a small and freshly planted death tree forest.

    From there, I began to form a theory. (Three Neame, using lower grade familiars, sent on a menial task. These three could represent the overall state of the bulk of the SU¡¯s forces, on this island at least. They were well fed, and their masters seemed well preened. Which indicates they have already crushed most of the resistance forces, and are not actively fighting.) I sighed internally, this was not a good sign. Not for the squad¡¯s mission, or my own. Unfortunately, the three were too far for me to gauge their mana, otherwise I could form a more complete understanding of the SU¡¯s average force. (Either way, it is safe to say that this island is well and truly captured, and under their command now.)

    Releasing my control over Loyalty, I gave him new instructions to continue searching the area, and resumed passively watching. Allowing my mind to wonder, I came to a single thought. (Returning without him would be difficult to explain to his family, but under these conditions, it is unlikely he survived. Even as skilled with words as he has become since his assignment here, surviving this invasion would be nearly impossible.) I thought of my friend, assigned to be a spy in these lands, while my house aided him in watching over his daughter during his absence. He and the child¡¯s mother stayed together, even after the young one¡¯s hatching, a rarity¡­ but still¡­ (The spirits of these survivors have likely been broken by the Southern Union¡¯s violence, so we should not expect much help from them, if any. But maybe¡­ hopefully you managed to survive.) I feared the worst, but no matter what, intended to discover Von-Pac¡¯s fate.

 Book 3- Part 26

    <u>Jake¡¯s POV</u>

    Ever been woken up because of screaming? It isn¡¯t fun. In a jolt, I was awake. Wish I could say that my armor was on and a weapon in my hand in a split second, but that would be a lie. Rather, there was a lot of floundering and confusion for a solid five or six seconds before I even considered it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± I yelled. After a moment of fear, the screaming stopped. There were no explosions, no spells being cast, none of the others even seemed to notice what was happening. Actually, only Nine was even moving. He was still on the floor like he was earlier, but now he was flopping around, trying to get up. He¡¯d been the one yelling.

    ¡°My¡­ my familiar!¡± He whined.

    ¡°What? What happened?¡± I asked, still groggy from being woken up.

    ¡°My familiar died¡­¡±

    ¡°Just now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I was guiding him through a forest area, and he got attacked by wild animals. My connection with him was just suddenly cut off while he was fighting.¡± Nine said, in shock.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, buddy.¡± Realizing I wasn¡¯t about to be able to go back to sleep, I rolled onto my butt and leaned against the wall.

    ¡°It all happened so fast. Maybe¡­ it¡¯s still alive?¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­ maybe, but I don¡¯t know much about how familiars work¡­ ironically.¡± His familiar was probably dead, but how was I supposed to know for sure? Didn¡¯t wanna hurt his feelings. But still. ¡°Does the connection sever for any other reasons?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°How long has he been your familiar?¡±

    ¡°Since about a year before I joined the Drakes.¡±

    (Okay, so two years my time.) I thought. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Nine. Losing a pet¡­ uh, familiar¡­ can be hard.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Jake. I just wish I¡¯d taken you up on your offer to name him.¡± Not knowing what to say, I stayed quiet. As Nine spoke, his voice cracked a few times. Neame don¡¯t cry, they sing, and he sounded on the verge. ¡°It might sound dumb, but I was really close to my familiar. Sometimes I would even fall asleep on its head. It always seemed to really enjoy whenever we spent time together.¡±

    ¡°No, I get it. Besides my mum, Suma is the person, or Neame, I¡¯m closest to. We¡¯re pretty much always together.¡± I looked around, no one else had moved even an inch. ¡°I doubt anyone else can hear you, and I¡¯m not going to judge. Frick, I broke down crying in front of Queen Ompera and a bunch of Royal Mages.¡±

    I spent some time consoling Nine, he told me stories about his familiar. Really, I never realized or even thought about how other Neame besides Suma treat their familiars, unless it was happening right in front of me. A while later, the others ¡®woke up¡¯ from their spells. Nine said that they can¡¯t hear or see anything while in that state, which is why they have a lookout. Apparently, their job is to cast a spell on everyone if something happens, which will wake them up. For his sake, hopefully that¡¯s true, because he was very distraught.

    Once everyone was awake, the Captain wanted us to debrief on what we found. The only person who wasn¡¯t participating was Suma, since she was still on guard. Captain Gigoales went first. ¡°I found nothing of substance. Only the burnt remains of a single village, but that is to be expected. What of you Lieutenant?¡±

    ¡°There was a patrol of autonomous familiars. That could indicate a base nearby. We should avoid it if possible.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°What is an autonomous familiar?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is what you are.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Meaning?¡±

    ¡°A familiar that a master does not directly control. But simply gives orders to and allows it to follow them in its own manner.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Oh. Wait, how could you tell they were autonomous?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Their eyes were not glowing.¡± The Lieutenant said. ¡°If they were under direct control, their eyes would glow.¡±

    ¡°Did you find anything else?¡± The Captain asked.

    ¡°No sir.¡± He nodded, and Lauric went next.

    ¡°While traveling near the river, Loyalty happened across a surviving village. They were recently attacked by Southern Union forces, but were not destroyed. Instead, they have begun paying a tax of sorts for their continued survival. Three Neame and three Vedel cat familiars were sent to collect the tax. I believe we can infer the strength of the average forces using this as a reference.¡±

    ¡°Excellent work. We will go over that in more detail later.¡± Captain Gigoales said. ¡°Nine, your turn.¡±

    ¡°Um. My familiar was attacked by wild animals, and didn¡¯t survive, sir.¡± Nine said sheepishly.

    ¡°I see. You have my sympathy. The loss of your familiar is a blow to our fighting strength as well. Do you have a secondary familiar?¡± The captain said.

    ¡°I do not.¡±

    ¡°Then you will need to summon a new one. We will need to make preparations beforehand, but we can manage it.¡±

    ¡°Begin considering your criteria. If you have preferences in mind, the process will go quickly.¡± The Lieutenant said.

    ¡°Now then, Fourteen. Report.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. I found a group of what I think to be survivors from the initial invasion hiding in the forest. They have made hollowed out trees their homes, and were using native animals as pseudo-familiars to do patrols and guard the area.¡± They all looked at me like they expected me to ask another question.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Moving on.¡± The Captain said.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Did you guys expect me to not know what a pseudo-familiar was? I¡¯m not completely uneducated, you know.¡±

    ¡°Moving on.¡± The Captain repeated, more sternly.

    Over our private connection, I contacted Suma. ¡°Suma, what¡¯s a pseudo-familiar?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh¡­ it is a familiar that you can control, but not summon, and has not yet been permanently bonded to a master. Only Neame who do not possess enough mana to regularly summon a familiar use one. Traditionally, all familiars start out as them.¡± Suma explained.

    ¡°Does that make me a pseudo-familiar?¡±

    ¡°No. I can summon you, but not control you. Technically, you are a rogue familiar. Why?¡±

    ¡°No reason, it just came up. Thanks.¡± I said, turning my attention back to the group and ending the connection.

    ¡°So, we have two main goals. One, investigate the survivors in the forest, and find clues to locate the guardian, V?lundra.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°And two, capture a member of the Southern Union to interrogate.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    (I missed something.) I thought. (Something important.)

    Suma switched out for watch duty with Fourteen after a while so she could sleep. Once everyone had rested, we began traveling under the cover of darkness the next night. We grew enough fruits to last the day, and I was asked to store them in my bag so they did not need to risk using magic again. Crossing the island wasn¡¯t easy. We all had to stay low to the ground, which meant no flying. So, after summoning their familiars, we started walking. Well, I walked. Everyone else rode. Suma and Nine were both perched on my shoulder as I trapesed through the mud, bushes, and thickets. My trousers had more holes than a net by noon, and more rips than Van Winkle in a graveyard.

    It took a while, but eventually we arrived at the village Lauric found. Hidden past a hill, under the cover of night and foliage, they all started surveying. Small lights flickered in the village, which Nine said were small fires.

    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We need to make contact. Lauric, you know the village¡¯s situation best. You will enter the village, claiming to be a survivor looking for food for his family. Gather as much information from the locals as you can.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Sir, I recommend sending Jake as well.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said, to my surprise.

    ¡°Why?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I can handle it alone.¡± Lauric said.

    ¡°He will act as another set of eyes, and no one will question a familiar, as long as you do not speak and do not wear your metal garments.¡± She explained.

    ¡°What about his normal-¡± Nine started to ask. I did not let him finish.

    ¡°You can stop right there, because I am NOT going naked.¡± We were all whispering, but I whispered a little louder that time.

    ¡°It will be fine. Some Neame like to decorate their familiars, for a variety of reasons.¡± The Captain said.

    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Lauric said. Suma and Nine flew down, and Lauric landed on my backpack.

    ¡°We will wait here until sunrise, and then move to the tree line. May the winds meet you.¡± The Captain said.

    With that, we went into town. As we got closer, the light helped me see better, since there was no moon out tonight. The village was a mess. Nothing like Suma¡¯s hometown. Actually, it was more like a war-torn village from some bad Hollywood depiction in movies. And the smell was strong like burnt charcoal and wood ash. There may not have been any smoke, but the smell itself was enough to make me choke and water my eyes just getting close.

    ¡°Was it like this last time you visited?¡± I whispered to Lauric. We were still far away from anyone, but to be safe I kept my voice down.

    ¡°No, it has gotten worse.¡± He whispered back. ¡°I wanted to take a look around, but now I think leaving you alone would be a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There are signs of an attack. If I leave you, they may mistake you for an invading familiar, and kill you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s stick together then.¡± I said. Soon, we heard singing in the distance. Turning a corner, there were a half dozen Neame gathered around several small fires, all singing.

    ¡°May your tree catch Ashem¡¯s eyes, my child.¡± One of the voices said, standing over a body, and then cast a spell that caused roots to grow out of the ground, and wrap around it. Where the body was, a small tree grew, until it was around the same height as I was.

    ¡°Jake, follow my lead, but remember not to talk.¡± Lauric said, leaving my head and fluttering forward. He called out to the mourning group. ¡°Azhdaha¡¯s blessings.¡± Many of them looked startled as their feathers puffed up, and some screamed.

    ¡°Are you with the Southern Vikings? Have you come to slay what is left of us?¡± One of the elders asked, angrily.

    ¡°I mean you no harm. I heard the rite, and offer my mana and my familiars mana for their trees.¡± He motioned for me to come closer, and there were some murmurs in their small group.

    ¡°We have nothing to offer. Not anymore.¡± The elder who made the tree from the body said.

    ¡°I¡¯m searching for someone. A Neame named V?lundra. She might be with a younger Neame.¡± Lauric said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we do not know any named Neame.¡± The elder said. But when he did, I noticed one of the other Neame, younger looking, in the crowd looked away, towards one of the few remaining intact buildings. But they quickly looked back, refocusing on Lauric. ¡°But if you are still willing to offer your mana, we would greatly appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Lauric looked to me, ¡°my familiar, put some mana into their death trees.¡± I walked over and put a hand on the small trees, then flowed mana into them for a few seconds, then repeated this with each of the nearby trees. Not really sure how much to put in, I just did it until the leaves changed color.

    ¡°Your familiar¡­ seems to be quite extraordinaire. To be able to imbue so many trees with a season¡¯s supply of mana each¡­¡± The elder said, sounding nervous. ¡°Are you a Magus of some kind?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lauric said. His voice was uneven; upset in some way. ¡°I was just blessed with a rather magically strong familiar. Regarding my request,¡± he said, changing the topic back, ¡°is there anyone in the village who might know where we could find someone capable of helping us locate our friend?¡±

    The elder looked at me, his natural glitter dulled significantly. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry we could not be of any help. All we can give you is our thanks.¡± He said, bowing and spreading his wings. Although, unlike what I¡¯ve seen Neame do before when they bow, he pushed his wings straight backward, rather than to the sides.

    ¡°I see. Then we shall take our leave. Be well.¡± Lauric said, and fluttered up, landing once again on my backpack. ¡°Come my familiar, let us go to the next town.¡± With that, we walked away. Once we were far enough that I could talk again, I did.

    ¡°Lauric, did you notice that Neame in the crowd¡¯s reaction earlier, when the elder said they didn¡¯t know any named Neame?¡±

    ¡°I did not.¡±

    ¡°They looked over at that building. It was in pretty good shape, despite the rest of the town looking like it had been bombed.¡±

    ¡°Bombed?¡±

    ¡°Uh, like ruined.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He thought. ¡°Perhaps- wait¡­ shhh. Someone is coming.¡± Lauric said, suddenly whispering and looking behind us. Through the darkness, I heard flapping and saw the faint outline of a Neame flying up. It landed nearby, and called out too us in a hushed tone.

    ¡°Stranger! Stranger!¡± He loudly whispered. ¡°You said you were looking for a named Neame?¡±

    ¡°Yes, V?lundra.¡± Lauric said.

    ¡°Our elder did not lie, we do not know this Neame, but I must know¡­ are you an enemy of the Southern invaders?¡±

    ¡°And if I am?¡±

    ¡°Then you could not be an enemy of mine.¡±

    ¡°Why did you come here, young one?¡± Lauric asked.

    ¡°Yesterday, our village rebelled. Those Vikings took everything we had. Food, daljars, even our mages, all to feed their war. What few of us were left fought back. You saw the result.¡± The Neame said.

    ¡°Admirable, but why tell me this?¡±

    ¡°Because we may have lost, but we did take something from them. We have two of their soldiers held in our old familiars¡¯ pen. They may know where your friend is.¡±

    ¡°You did not answer my question. Why are you telling me this? What do you stand to gain?¡± Lauric asked, more intensely.

    ¡°Your familiar¡­ one of the trees he filled was my mother¡¯s. She was the one who captured one of those two. We were just going to kill them, or ransom them back in trade for seeds and supplies. But you¡­ you know that is pointless.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. The SU would never trade supplies for men, unless they were the ones getting the supplies. They would simply ignore you. Or, upon realizing you had their people held hostage, would send a force to kill everyone in the area.¡±

    (Frick,) I thought, (these Southern guys really don¡¯t play around.)

    ¡°Take them. Find your friend. At least that way my mother¡¯s sacrifice will not go to waste.¡±

    Lauric nodded, and told the Neame we would be back by morning, with a few others to take the hostages. The Neame agreed to help us sneak in and out of the pen.

 Book 3- Part 27

    Suma¡¯s POV

    Jake and Lauric returned after some time, but before the sun had risen. They told us that the village had been attacked, that there were few survivors, and about the hostages being held in a makeshift prison.

    ¡°Alright then, squad,¡± Captain Gigoales said, ¡°we leave immediately. Jake, you remain here for now. We cannot take our familiars on this one, but if a fight breaks out, be ready for Suma to summon you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jake said. With that, we all flew straight for the village as low to the ground as we could manage, and arrived just over a minute later.

    ¡°That went much faster without needing to ride on a familiar¡¯s saddle.¡± Lauric said. I sighed internally, because I knew first hand how slow Jake¡¯s travel speed was.

    ¡°Neame spotted, forward left. Is that the villager you spoke to, Lauric?¡± Datahu asked.

    ¡°Yes, Lieutenant, it is.¡± In front of us a short distance was a young Neame girl, barely more than a child. As we got close, I saw through the darkness that she still had some of her down feathers.

    ¡°A hatchling? That is who is sneaking us into a prison?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°It is a familiars¡¯ pen with farmers and shepherds as guards, hardly a prison, but yes.¡± Lauric answered. We landed, and it was the captain who spoke first.

    ¡°Take us.¡± He said simply.

    ¡°R-right, yes. Follow me.¡± She said, and led us around the village, then through a series of death-trees, larger buildings, which were half crumbled to the ground, and down a deserted street. ¡°This is it.¡± She said. We hid behind the side of the building that faced away from the large open areas, and was relatively dark. ¡°There are runes inside to prevent magic from being used. How will you carry them?¡±

    ¡°Some familiar have magic, so a pen for them would need to have measures to protect the other familiars, just in case.¡± Lauric said.

    ¡°We expected this.¡± The Captain said. ¡°Are they tied up?¡± The child nodded, and Captain Gigoales turned to us. ¡°We carry them. Three per hostage. Lauric, Datahu, and myself will take one. Nine, Fourteen, and Suma will take the other.¡±

    ¡°Wait here, I will distract the guards.¡± The child said, and flew away. I could not hear what they spoke about when the child landed, but a few moments later, she and the two guards flew away towards the center of the village.

    ¡°Go.¡± The Captain ordered. We all flew through the door, and saw two Neame tied up with vines, surrounded by over a dozen runes carved into scraps of wood and leather. The Captain looked them over. ¡°Not the best rune design I have seen, but it works. Nine, grab as many in your mouth as you can.¡± He ordered, and picked up three of the leather strips in his own mouth.

    ¡°Alright everyone, lift and fly.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said. Nine grabbed a plank with a rune, and flew over to the hostages; who had been asleep until several Neame started grabbing them in their claws.

    ¡°Wait, what? What is happening?!¡± One shouted.

    ¡°Quiet down, we are moving you.¡± Datahu said.

    ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± He yelled again.

    ¡°Outside the village. No one is going to hurt you, so just quiet down.¡± The hostages were clearly uneasy, but stayed quiet.

    It took a lot of flapping and struggling to stay a mere wingspan off the ground, but we somehow managed to move both hostages out of the village, unseen by anyone. By the time we were far enough away that I could summon Jake, all of us, even the Captain and Lieutenant, were essentially gasping for breaths.

    ¡°What was the point of all those high-dive drills if we are still this tired?¡± Nine asked.

    ¡°Aireal control.¡± The Captain said, through his wheezing rasps. ¡°Private Suma, summon Jake.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I said.

    ¡°Jake, I am about to summon you, but we are not in a fight.¡± I told him through our connection.

    ¡°Okay, ready.¡± He replied. I performed the spell, and he appeared a moment later. ¡°Why is everyone breathing so hard?¡± He asked, after looking around for a moment.

    ¡°Carry the hostages. We will fly away, and then resummon you at a safe location. Keep them safe until then.¡± The Captain ordered.

    ¡°More flying? There are faster methods of execution, Captain.¡± Nine joked. Fourteen chuckled.

    ¡°Yes, there are, Private. Such as complaining during a mission.¡± The Captain replied, and for the very first time, I heard a small laugh come from Lieutenant Datahu. But she quickly apologized, and the Captain ordered us to follow him. With that, we flew away, leaving Jake to watch the prisoners.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jake¡¯s POV

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    As everyone flew away, I was left alone with the two tied up Neame, who¡¯d been bound with ropes and had leather strips with runes hanging from multiple parts of their bodies. It was quiet for a bit, until one of them spoke, probably not realizing I could understand them.

    ¡°I think their gone. Could you reach my bindings with your beak or talons if I managed to get closer?¡± One said.

    ¡°Maybe, but untying the knot might prove difficult. I could try to cut it?¡± The other replied.

    ¡°What about that familiar? Think it would realize what we are doing, and stop us?¡± The first one asked.

    ¡°I do not know. It doesn¡¯t look too smart¡­¡± The second said.

    ¡°Frick you.¡± I said, indignant. That startled both of them, and they began looking around.

    ¡°Did one of them stay behind?¡± The second asked, panicked.

    ¡°Sarge, I think it was that familiar.¡± The first said. The second one, a sergeant apparently, stared at me in disbelief. It was dark, but from this close, I could see his glitter in the dark, and it got dimmer. Some of the feathers on his chest and neck puffed up.

    ¡°Indra¡¯s eyes¡­ it is a Viking.¡± The sergeant said, horror in his tone. The other, hearing this, puffed up as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a¡­ never mind.¡±

    ¡°Can¡­ you¡­ understand¡­ us?¡± The first one asked, speaking slowly.

    ¡°Yeah, I can understand you. Do you understand that if you try to escape, I¡¯m going to have to stop you?¡±

    Despite being very tired from the long walk here, and being called a Viking again, I did my best to sound intimidating. The sergeant glanced at his subordinate, whose eyes were firmly fixed on me, then spoke again.

    ¡°So, the reports were true. There¡¯s another Viking.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± I said.

    ¡°Did you really kill Harbinger?¡± The subordinate asked, almost whispering.

    I sighed. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And did she do that?¡± The sergeant motioned with his head to my missing hand. I nodded. ¡°Ha! Well, at least that monster went down talons out!¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t a monster!¡± I snapped, suddenly very upset, but quieted down, realizing I could be heard. ¡°She was a victim. Captured and mind controlled by your people. Turned into weapon by the Southern Union¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ she was weak.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I hissed.

    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you are not strong enough. You get perched on by everyone. There¡¯s never anything left for the Neame at the bottom. At least she died with a full stomach. What a waste.¡±

    ¡°Sarge¡­ I think maybe we should not provoke the big angry Viking. You heard what he did to Harbinger, right?¡± The subordinate said.

    ¡°Oh yeah. I heard how he cast Death-Magic and killed her.¡± A white-hot flash of heat ripped though my heart; guilt. I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°Real slow too.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ it wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. I made a mistake.¡± I said, suddenly feeling short of breath, like there was a noose around my neck. ¡°She was trying to kill me. I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. Let me ask you something, Viking. You ever been hungry?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Hungry. Like, ¡®you have not eaten in weeks, and suddenly your dying friends are starting to look appetizing¡¯ kind of hungry. You ever been that hungry?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.

    ¡°Well, I have. And so has this blithering skiddler here.¡± He motioned with his head to the other Neame. ¡°And so has my whole unit. Until we came here.¡±

    ¡°What does this have to-¡±

    ¡°This place is nice. Plenty of food, clean water, it even has forests!¡± The Neame chuckled. ¡°You know, I had never seen a forest until I landed on these islands. At least not one that wasn¡¯t poison. Sure, I saw a few trees, but a whole safe forest? I had no idea there were so many trees in the whole world. And the water! It is clean! Just clean. Anyone can drink it, and not have to pull the bodies and feathers out first.¡± He stopped talking for a bit, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I know I¡¯ll die on this island. Probably soon. Guess what I think about that.¡± He said. I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Because when I die, it will be with a full stomach, preened feathers, and the peace of mind knowing that no one will be looking at my corpse like they would have in the union.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it like there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was a slave, so all in all¡­ it could have been worse. At least there was one person who would have cared if I died, even if it was just because it cost them money. Most Neame do not have such a privilege. When they die, they are just moved into the nearest sandpit, and forgotten. You want to know what my home was like? We have five different words for dead. One for all the worst ways to die.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ how did you get here, then?¡±

    ¡°I was sold to the army. Best day of my life. If any of my friends had still been alive, we would have sung together.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re still a slave?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sixth slave front fleet. Or, as our master calls us, the shield squadron.¡±

    ¡°Why did you come here? The Southern Union? Why invade this island, or the Island of Sangu?¡±

    ¡°Do you have sand in your head? I just told you, because I was sold. But you¡¯re asking why the union invaded. Probably one of the warlords got himself a notion of conquering the whole world; who knows.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re fighting?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, I know why I¡¯m fighting. Because my master said he would give me a better understanding of two or three of those five words I mentioned if I didn¡¯t, and he would give me a few seeds if I did. Same for the skiddler.¡± The other Neame nodded solemnly.

    ¡°Why not run away? You could. They already think you¡¯re dead. Nothing can stop you anymore.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°What a fantastic idea! Just let me go, and I¡¯ll fly away, you¡¯ll never see me again. Really.¡± The sergeant said, sarcastically. ¡°If it were that easy, there would be a lot more warlords, and a lot less slaves.¡± He looked over to the other Neame. ¡°Turn him over. Look at his back.¡± I picked up the Neame carefully, he squawked a bit, surprised, but did not resist. On his back were burn marks that glowed a different color than his glitter. ¡°Know what that is? I bet you have one just like it, somewhere under all those garments and all that muscle. A slave crest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a slave crest.¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe not, but I bet you do have a familiar¡¯s circle.¡± He said. Glancing at my arm, I could picture that magic tattoo I got years ago, hiding just under my sleeve. ¡°Our slave marks are the same as those circles, with a few tweaks. If we disobey our masters, or try to escape, we are punished¡­ severely.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned warlords. What did you mean? Is that like a noble? Or a rank in the military?¡± I asked, changing the topic abruptly with a shake of my head as I place the Neame back down.

    ¡°Do you really care? Or are you just trying to avoid-¡±

    ¡°JUST,¡± I took a breath, ¡°tell me.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Warlords are the ones in charge. They control the food, the slaves, and the mages. You wanna be a warlord, you need those. A lot of those. If it is a warlord with enough supplies and slaves, they might try conquering another warlord¡¯s territory. Maybe it will even be a nice territory without too many deserts, no poison forests, and a few towns.¡±

    ¡°Jake,¡± Suma said over our private connection, ¡°we are almost there. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I answered her, and picked up the two Neame.

    ¡°Undo their anti-magic runes, and toss them aside. But hold them tight. I will summon all of you.¡± She said.

    I picked up the Neame, which caused them both to panic, but they calmed down when I removed those leather straps.

    ¡°You are freeing us?¡± The sergeant asked.

    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s time to go.¡± I said, and heard Suma¡¯s voice as she summoned me.

    ¡°I summon you, Sentinel!¡±

 Book 3- Part 28

    <b><u>Jake¡¯s POV</u></b>

    We were in a burned down building, made of stone and charred wood. Twisted metal poles were scattered about, half-melted from whatever spells or fire destroyed the place. As soon as we reappeared, the others flew over and encircled us, holding planks and scraps of leather with runes on them.

    ¡°Bring the sedative.¡± The Captain ordered, looking to Nine, who flew away, then came back a minute or so later dragging a wooden bowl, with a pink liquid sloshing around inside, across the ground with his beak; with great effort.

    ¡°Want some help?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, please.¡± He said, panting and wheezing. Lieutenant Datahu and Fourteen tied up the prisoners, and I carried the bowl for Nine.

    ¡°Drink it.¡± The Captain ordered them.

    ¡°You think I¡¯d drink a sedative? Let you scratch around inside my soul? You drink it.¡± The Sargeant said, turning his head away, and ruffling this feathers.

    Captain Gigoales was cold. Ice cold. He didn¡¯t react, didn¡¯t shout or scream. Didn¡¯t even think twice about it. He just turned to the subordinate and made a simple declaration. ¡°We only need one of you to drink this. By force or otherwise. The other is useless.¡± His voice was even, sterile of tone, hatred, or anything that might give away what he was thinking. ¡°I do not keep useless things alive.¡± The Captain looked at me, then the bowl I was holding, and motioned with his head for me to set it down in front of them. The subordinate looked at the sloshing goopy pink stuff in the bowl, to me, then to his rebellious Sargeant, and finally to the Captain. Quietly, he lowered his head, and began to drink.

    ¡°Skiddler.¡± The Sargeant spat.

    ¡°Lauric, kill him.¡± Captain Gigoales said. Lauric glanced over surprised, then fluttered next to the captive.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I asked, stunned.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¨C¡± The Sargeant started to say, but was cut off. Something you need to know about Neame. They look like a cross between Blue Macaws and people. They have vaguely human shapes, but with feathers, wings instead of arms, and most importantly for what happened next, large talons on their bird-like feet. Well, large for their bodies I suppose. When Suma or any other are perching on my shoulder, the worst the claws usually do is poke me, or break the skin. But to another Neame¡­ Lauric place the three large talons to the Sargeant¡¯s feathered neck, and pressed hard enough for blood to start trickling. ¡°ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! Indra¡¯s eyes¡­ I¡¯ll drink it.¡± The Sargeant leaned his head down, and began to drink.

    ¡°Skiddler.¡± Lauric said, mocking him.

    ¡°Enough, Lauric. At ease.¡± The Captain said. Lauric spread his wings, and flew back to the twisted metal perch he¡¯d been resting on earlier next to Suma.

    They were a fair distance away, but I could faintly hear the two of them talking. Suma asked if Lauric would have actually done it, and Lauric just nodded his head. Through our connection, I could feel Suma¡¯s discomfort and fear. Not of Lauric, not exactly. But something I couldn¡¯t quite place.

    Turning my attention back to the prisoners, I noticed the bowl was nearly emptied, not that it was very full to begin with. ¡°Now what, Captain?¡± I asked and kneeled down next to him, half sitting on my own leg.

    ¡°When the sedative takes effect, it will last several hours. Enough time to perform a memory delve, and find information about V?lundra.¡± The Captain turned his head to me, looking up. ¡°Sentinel, you and Lauric will go into their minds during the delve, while myself and Lieutenant Datahu cast the spell on you both.¡±

    My eye crooked. ¡°Me? Why?¡±

    ¡°We need someone mentally strong enough to pry out the information from their minds.

    Yourself and Lauric are our best choices.¡± He said.

    ¡°I get Lauric, but seriously¡­ me?¡±

    ¡°Your mind is strong. Your own master could not even force you under her command with the Rite of Dominance.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh.¡±

    ¡°You know?¡± Suma asked, sounding as shocked as I probably looked.

    ¡°You two do not hide it particularly well.¡± Lieutenant Datahu remarked. ¡°It is easily the most well-known secret on base.¡±

    ¡°Plus, you didn¡¯t go insane when you lost your hand, so that¡¯s something!¡± Nine added, perched a few meters away on a burnt up wooden beam.

    ¡°There is also the matter of your soul.¡± The Captain added, ignoring the others.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You have had a portion of another soul inside of you for as long as we have known one another. Yet, not once have you shown any symptoms. Except for when you would occasionally

    hallucinate, but that has not happened in a while.¡±

    ¡°Any normal Neame not skilled in Soul-Magic would have lost their minds, or had their personality changed so dramatically that they would effectively be a different mind altogether. But you? You cannot even use Soul-Magic, and still you have not changed in the slightest.¡± Lieutenant Datahu added.

    ¡°Exactly, Lieutenant. Which is why you, Sentinel, will be the one to perform the delve.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thank you, Captain.¡± I said, and agreed.

    It was another hour before the sedative took effect, and the Neame were unconscious. We untied the Neame and moved the runes away, then the Captain and Lieutenant began the spell. Lauric and I laid next to the prisoners, as a Magic circle formed around us, and a second under our heads; mine obviously being much larger than his. Lauric went into the Sargeant, and I went into the subordinate.

    As the spell began, my mind felt foggy, like after just waking up from sleep. Nothing felt real, but distorted and stretched, like pulled taffy. Images passed in my mind, warped memories. Suddenly, my whole body was under water, or that¡¯s what it felt like. Everything went cold, fluid, and a little unreal. This was different from when I looked through Zachariah¡¯s or Deyja¡¯s memories. But I could think clearly enough and knew why I was here.

    ¡°V?lundra.¡± I said, focusing on information I wanted. The images slowed down, and took shape. Became more solid, more real. Unfortunately, the first thing I saw was a dead Neame.

    Lichtenburg marks etched all over her body, and smoke rising from different feathers, some of which were still smoldering. Her beak was cracked, part of it missing and exposing burnt black flesh. One eye hanging from its socket. If I¡¯d had a mouth in this void on memory, I would have thrown up. Instead, the memory kept going.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The voice of the Sargeant said, as the point of view turned away from the dead body, and I saw him. Von-Pac, my old friend from basic training, looking worse for wear. He was covered in blood, and missing one of the talons on his left claw-foot thing. He was being held down by a familiar, his wings spread out and pinned down by its paw and snout. ¡°I heard you have training with Healing-Magic. That right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He said, clearly in pain.

    ¡°Good. Then heal yourself.¡± The Sargeant said, and the familiar released his wings, but kept his mouth close to Von-Pac¡¯s head. Von-Pac healed his claw, then the familiar quickly pinned his wings closed with its mouth.

    ¡°AHH!¡± He cried out. My stomach dropped watching this. All I wanted to do was end the memory, but I needed to see what happened.

    ¡°Easy there. We don¡¯t want him dead¡­ yet. Say, that Neame over there called you Von-Pac earlier. Are you a noble? What am I saying, you were a diplomate for the Kingdom of Ambos. An ambassador, even! Of course you¡¯re a noble. I¡¯ve never met a noble before.¡± The Sargeant said, and gave a fake mocking bow.

    ¡°Who are you? Did the¨C¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡¯d heard that Ambos was secretly supporting one side in the island¡¯s little power struggle. Guess that was true. Wanna tell me which one Ambos had their seed sacks on?¡± Von-Pac stayed silent. ¡°Oh well. We will get all the information we want, later.¡± The Sargent turned to face me, or rather, his subordinate. ¡°You, go let the master know we found a healer, with plenty of secrets.¡±

    Seconds later, the memory stretched and warped, then was overwritten with new distorted memories, all playing at once.

    ¡°Von-Pac¡­¡± I said, shocked.

    ¡°Jake.¡± A voice said, echoing in my mind. A cold chill ran down my spine. For a moment, I thought it was Deyja¡¯s voice. Suddenly, all the warped memories faded away, leaving me in blank white space. ¡°Jake.¡± The voice repeated.

    ¡°Datahu?¡± I asked, looking around.

    ¡°No.¡± It said.

    ¡°Deyja?¡± A lump formed in my, nonexistent at the moment, throat. If my hands were visible, and I wasn¡¯t just a floating consciousness in a void, they would have been clammy.

    ¡°Thankfully not.¡± The voice said. A moment later, there stood a big, burly man; wearing chainmail, furs, and leathers. On his hip were two axes, and a wooden shield hung from a strap over his shoulder.

    ¡°Zachariah?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, little vikingr.¡±

    ¡°How is this happening?¡± I asked, confused. There he was, right in front of me. Not made of fire, not half dragon, not even blurry. Just¡­ there, floating in a void, moving like he was standing on solid ground that didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I overwrote the spell that is connecting you and this feyling.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡±

    ¡°This will be the last time we ever speak, young Jake.¡± He said, putting his hand on my shoulder. That¡¯s when I noticed, I had a body. Every time I¡¯ve looked through his or Deyja¡¯s memories, I¡¯ve just been watching through their eyes, but now, I¡¯m not. ¡°I¡¯m burning up what is left of my soul inside yours, so we do not have much time.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve given up.¡±

    ¡°Given up?¡±

    ¡°On your hunt, on your revenge.¡±

    ¡°Deyja¡­¡±

    ¡°That is not his name anymore, but yes.¡±

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± I pulled away from his hand, suddenly feeling very defensive.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m dying, and when that happens, he will be free.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°In less than one month, I will be dead, the crack between the Aether and this world will open, and the dragon will step out. And when that happens, this whole world will be destroyed. Unless you stop him.¡±

    ¡°NO no no no, back up.¡± I began, talking quickly and in shock. ¡°What? You¡¯re dying, there¡¯s a crack in the world, and Deyja is coming back?¡±

    ¡°Jake, when that happens, you have to kill him, no matter what it costs you.¡±

    ¡°STOP, just stop! I was done, free. I¡¯d accepted the fact that I was never getting home, and now¡­¡±

    ¡°The Norns rarely smile for the wants of men, and they do hate loose threads.¡± He chuckled to himself, and I was immediately overcome with a desire to punch him as hard as I could.

    ¡°Why are you laughing?! You just said you¡¯re dying, and the world was going to end!¡±

    ¡°Not if you sly the dragon.¡±

    ¡°I can barely hold my own against Neame, and you want me to fight the most deadly monster the world has ever seen?¡±

    ¡°Hardly,¡± he scoffed, ¡°he was outclassed by quite a few dragons. Like Nidh?gg, and Fafnir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point!¡±

    ¡°No, you are little virkinr. He is not some all powerful monster, nor is he unstoppable. You can sly him.¡±

    ¡°Well, how did you do it? How did you beat him?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What, but I thought¨C¡±

    ¡°You think if I¡¯d beaten him, I¡¯d be trapped in the Aether with him, dying? Instead of going to Valhalla?¡±

    ¡°Then, what¨C¡±

    ¡°I trapped him and myself, and I¡¯ve been using magic to keep him there this whole time. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, but that¡¯s what happened. Like I said, the Norns do not smile often.¡± He shook his head, and sat down. To me, it looked like he was floating on a non-existent chair.

    ¡°What changed?¡±

    ¡°When he took you from your body, and left the Aether, I was left alone there.¡± He looked pained, and took a steading breath. ¡°The Aether is not a gentle thing. It exists in a realm that is a chaotic storm. Any Aether, what you call mana, that enters this storm that is not in line with its own nature, is¡­ remade.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°That is fine. When I am gone, my memories will remain, and you can learn everything you want to know from them.¡± He looked down at his hand, as it began to fade away. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s almost time. You have to kill the dragon. Swear to me that you will.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have what it takes.¡±

    ¡°You killed those Neame, when you were surrounded and fighting on the Island of Sangu, did you not? You have what it take, virkingr!¡±

    ¡°I am not a viking!¡± I yelled, half of his arm was gone now, like smoke drifting away. No blood poured from his wound, no bone poked out; just a hollow shell hiding a deep darkness.

    ¡°No, but you have the soul of one. Damaged though it may be, it still cried out for revenge.¡±

    ¡°Damaged? And who¡¯s fault is that?! You and Deyja both forced yourselves into my mind!¡± I yelled, then a sickening thought came across my mine. ¡°Wait, is he still inside me too? With you gone, what will¨C¡±

    ¡°He took the portion of his soul from you when he took your body. But it was not us that damaged you soul. It was you master, Suma.¡±

    ¡°Suma¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°When you first met. Remember? How she tried to force you to become her servant? I have some experience with that myself, so I know how it feels. He looked down at his shoulder, which was starting to disappear, and reached out his good arm suddenly, forcing it through my chest like a ghost passing through a wall. I seized up, frozen, unable to move. Like fire, pain spread through my whole body, eating me alive! I tried to scream, but could only manage to gasp and grunt, struggling to even breathe through the pain. ¡°So long as you are bound to your master¡¯s soul, your will shall bend to hers. In your words, she has¡­ I think you say¡­ reprogrammed you.¡± As he pulled his hand free, I collapsed, breathless, to the nonexistent ground. ¡°She wanted a familiar, one who was perfect in her eyes. That¡¯s what that Rite of Dominance does. It replaces the familiar¡¯s desires with that of the master¡¯s. While she was not able to finish the rite, that does not mean it had no effect.¡±

    I looked up to him, panting, the pain not left gone, but dulled, ¡°¡­ she wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°With what little knowledge of the ley remains in this era, I doubt she even knows what the spell does, beyond allowing a master to control a familiar. Either way¡­¡± both of his legs were gone now, and he was a floating torse with one arm. ¡°It¡¯s time, Jake.¡±

    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°Prepared you for this.¡± He said, and flung what was left at himself at me. I put my hand up to block him, but his whole body passed right through them. The moment his head touched mine, the pain returned, but worse. If last time was fire all over my body, this was lightning, focused and pure. Every kind of pain you can imagine hit me all at once. There were bounders on my limbs, crushing them. Needles in my eyes, digging into my brain. Every inch of my skin was being pulled apart, flayed like fish, and stitched back together.

    ¡°Jake!¡± Suma yelled, downed out by my own screams.

    ¡°AHAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± I yelled, curled up in the fetal position and dripping sweat. The pain was gone now, but the memory lingered on my tingling skin.

    ¡°Jake, are you okay? What is wrong?¡± Suma asked, one of her wings was bent in an unnatural direction, clearly broken. The Neame that I¡¯d been connected to was lying still a few feet away, right where he¡¯d been earlier when the delve started.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, my hands clenched into fists so tight my knuckles turned white. A trickle of red blood fell from my swollen right wrist. It hurt, but nothing like the pain before.

    ¡°You just started screaming, and flailed around wildly.¡± Lieutenant Datahu said.

    ¡°Suma, are you alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I will be fine.¡± She said, and began to cast a healing spell on herself. Her bone pulled itself back into place with a sudden and sickening crack. Suma winced, and stretched her wing out slowly to test it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said, wiping the sweat from my head with my left hand. ¡°Wait¡­ my hand!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°It grew back while you were screaming.¡± Captain Gigoales said.

    ¡°It was disgusting.¡± Nine added, looking more green than blue for a moment.

    ¡°Jake, what happened?¡± Suma asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know where to start.¡±