《Panthia: A World Divided》 Prologue A party of four stands at the entrance of a quiet, dark cave. The party leader, a Kitsune named Iskra, wears his leather armor with pride. He quietly waves the party inwards, his hands covered with weathered runic gloves to help hone his magus skills. A small catfolk leans on her arcane staff. ¡°Zisya, please stay present with us. We need your magic to help this quest, and please be careful not to trip on your robes this time.¡± the Kitsune says matter-of-factly. Zisya, embarrassed, replies ¡°I won''t¡­ I got them tailored back at the Kai Manor. It shouldn¡¯t happen again.¡± Two dwarves let out a chuckle, one wielding dual-tower shields and the other hefting a crossbow over his shoulder. ¡°Haymitch, don¡¯t you think that this quest just seems a bit off?¡± Yuna cautiously asks her brother. His heavy plate armor tinks together as he turns to her and shakes his head slowly. ¡°Even if that is the case, we have to trust our party mates, for they will not betray us and leave us to die like our last majority elvish party.¡± A quiet hiss comes from Iskra as he sheathes the obsidian-black short sword he was inspecting and pushes forward into the mouth of the daunting cave. Iskra overhears the two dwarves'' quiet conversation and simply offers, ¡°We have a warrior, a ranger, a mage, and a magus, no one will be dying today. This is a simple reconnaissance mission, in and out.¡± As the party enters, the light vanishes quickly and the four progress deeper into the narrowing cavern. The opening evolves into a set of rough-hewn stairs that worm their way deeper underground. Zisya halts the party as she pulls a solid black metal rod out of her bag and begins chanting words of power. ¡°Let this rod act as an anchor, providing a safe area to return.¡± The rod slammed into the ground and was absorbed by the stone. ¡°This will act as our recall point if we find ourselves out of our depths. Once I begin the recall spell, rush to me quickly.¡± the catfolk states adamantly. The party descended the stairs, noticing the stairs and walls getting smoother. The shielded dwarf, Haymitch, lets out a growl, ¡°This isn¡¯t natural, looks like the stone has been smoothed with heat or acid. I gather that something built this area down here.¡± After hours of walking down the seemingly endless stairs, the party reaches the bottom and steps onto an unnaturally smooth landing, cloaked in heavy darkness. Besides the three tunnels extending from the North, South, and Southeast, the foot of the staircase is bare of anything resembling sapient intervention. As the party walks toward the southern exit, Iskra reaches out to clasp the shoulder of the crossbow-hefting dwarf, ¡°Let me go ahead Yuna, my enhanced vision will make short work of this darkness. Set up a defensive position with your back to this wall.¡± He says as she points to the wall to the right of the opening. Before Iskra could move off into the tunnel, Zisya hands Iskra a small engraved pebble. ¡°Telepathic Pebble - pretty useful. Use it if you run into trouble, yeah?¡± she advised. ¡°Of course, Zisya. After the last lair, I won¡¯t go against your advice again,¡± Iskra states softly, staring at the half tail that the kitsune has left. Iskra takes a stealthy stance, making no noise, as he heads off into the tunnel. He could hear slight whispers from his party as he took step after careful step, and after 30 paces the party¡¯s sound faded away. For a few dozen yards, the kitsune could only hear the sound of his heart, thumping in his chest as he scouted out the tunnel. There are multiple offshoots, branching off the main tunnel like an ant hive. I hope it''s not giant ants, I hate those things. Iskra thought to himself, remembering one of his first adventures that occurred before the Institute started training adventurers. Iskra, while distracted by the memories of that encounter, was unaware of the *thing* crawling on the ceiling towards him. The creature, slowly making its way above Iskra, knocked loose a rock, causing the kitsune to pull himself from the daydream.. As he inspected the rock, Iskra noticed that it looked more like the rotting foot of some amphibian. He looked up to the ceiling just in time to see the four-foot-long, scaly creature dropping down on him. Immediately, Iskra rolled to the right, dodging the initial attack of the stonekin salamander. In this specific tunnel, the roll carried him to the wall, where he used the momentum of the roll to stand up, his back to the wall. Iskra faced off against this salamander, but something felt unnerving. The head of the salamander looked like half of its scales had been flayed off, leaving the skull exposed. The creature lunged in Iskra¡¯s direction as he let out a word of power, ¡°Shock.¡± electricity began to coil up his arm as he dodged to the left, brushing his hand on the back of the salamander. The spell sent a convulsing shock through the salamander''s body, stunning it briefly. The momentum of the salamander sent it careening into the tunnel wall, cracking the hard stone wall. The lull in combat gave Iskra enough time to unsheathe his sword. Iskra took a fighting stance with his black blade held in one hand above his head, and his free hand still conducting electricity from the spell behind his back. Instead of lunging at the adventurer, the salamander chomped on the wall, using the crack it made as a leaver point, the creature broke off a large stone and spit it at Iskra. While Iskra was busy dodging the projectile, he, unfortunately, could not avoid the acid splash the stone made as it collided with the wall. The acid hit the back of Iskra''s left leg, and the salamander rushed in. On the ground, Iskra released another word of power, ¡°Chiling '''', as frost rose up his blade. The salamander opened its jaws for a vicious bite, only to be parried by Iskra¡¯s blade. The salamander reeled back as the frost from the blade transferred to the inside of its mouth. Iskra took this opportunity to lean into the parry and counterattack with a thrust into the top of the salamander¡¯s open mouth. His blade sank into the salamander''s brain and left the creature limp on the ground. Iskra pulled out the Telepathic Pebble and sent a message to his party. ¡°Get down here, I don¡¯t know if I can continue alone. Come prepared.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The party quickly arrived with weapons drawn. Upon seeing the dead salamander, Zisya commented, ¡°You coulda let us do some of the work¡­ Did we rush here just to see your victory?¡± Iskra responded with a cocky grin as he pulled himself up, ¡°Well I do have the highest body count, maybe you could be faster next time?¡± ¡°You called us AFTER it was dead¡­ AND you cut half of its face off?!¡± exclaimed Zisya. Iskra, with a serious expression, matter-of-factly replied, ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t me. It came at me like that.¡± Zisya and Yuna, intrigued instantly by the news, begin using mundane and magical diagnoses, fervently prodding and poking the now-dead creature. ¡°It''s been¡­cursed? No, not cursed, but something similar.¡± Zisya says, still casting a spell, ¡°It¡¯s almost like a sickness, a plague.¡± ¡°Its back foot fell off, that''s what alerted me to it,¡± Iskra replied. Yuna shoots back while pointing to the back of the salamander, ¡°The foot didn¡¯t fall off, it was replaced. Seems like the wee lizard was eating the excess.¡± Iskra notices a metallic foot in place of the original. ¡°Let''s keep scouting, the mission was to find the cause of the sickness up above, maybe this salamander just got infected and someone was trying to help it,¡± Haymitch said, lifting his shields back into defensive position. The rest of the party gathering their belongings, continued down the main tunnel, ever watchful for another surprise attack. No other attack came; however, the party felt like they were being watched as they walked further into the dark tunnel. Iskra held up a hand, ¡°I see something coming toward us, about 30 yards down. Against the walls, now. Hurry!¡± He commanded. The party, two to each side, hugged the walls with their backs, listening as the footsteps and scrapes came ever closer to them. Iskra was the first to make out the figures - a few humanoid beings, five to be exact, all wearing hooded long cloaks. As the figures hobbled closer, the party heard the magical whirring of machines. The five figures stopped about 15 feet away from the party, peering into the tunnel behind them. The figures rushed towards the party without any signal, as they let out a screech that sounded like squealing metal, their words barely intelligible, ¡°Non-C.O.R.E. entities found. Proceed with indoctrination.¡± Haymitch launched from the wall, both shields raised, and slammed them down on the first of the five beings, his shields creating a miniature wall. Yuna deftly slid up behind him, shooting her crossbow twice before reaching him. One of the arrows veered off down the tunnel, while the other slammed into the figure at the back of the pack, momentarily stopping their movement forward. Zisya lets out words of power herself, with more power soaking each word, ¡°Great energy of destruction, find my enemies, and not my allies, Fireball!¡± The magic ball of fire flew past the shield wall, over the heads of the two enemies engaged with the wall, landing between the enemy¡¯s ranks. The spell exploded outward, and the tunnel was engulfed with hungry flames. The fire spread out rapidly like a disease, swallowing the five enemies in a bath of heat and fire. When the flames reached the rest of the party, the fire flowed around them like water, excluding them from the harmful effects of the spell. Iskra joined the formation, the sword once again held parallel to the floor, now held above his head. In the light of the fire, the party could finally see what their foes looked like. Three of the creatures were heavily enchanted metal golems, while the other two were humans; yet, somehow their silhouettes did not match that of a human. One of the humans had a leg made of metal and metal shimmering on its chest, invoking the image of an individual being taken over by living metal. The other human didn¡¯t look quite as infected by the metal, having a hand of metal attached to their organic arm and their leg looking like the chest of the former. The group of five attackers gathered themselves up, forming a line in front of the shield wall. The three golems'' arms whirred as their hands pulled back revealing an empty hole. Iskra''s intuition was telling him to run, but before he could get a word out, the golems let loose with a torrent of acid from each of their mouths, soaking the party. Zisya tried her hardest, but to much avail, she could not cast a shield spell in time to block the acid launched at them. The sound of splattering acid hitting her party mates filled her ears. As Zisya looked down, her gaze fell upon Yuna. The dwarf staring back up with one remaining eye, the stare vacant and lifeless. Zisya¡¯s eyes trailed down to Yuna¡¯s now exposed heart and witnessed the final slow beat of her party mate¡¯s heart. Holding back tears she starts to chant a recall spell, the final goal being the anchor at the top of the stairs. As she tries to concentrate, the screams of both Iskra and Haymitch invade her ears. Halfway through the spell, one of the Humans lets out a grunt as they heft up their arm and fire a crossbow bolt right at Zisya¡¯s head. The bolt explodes before it even hits her shield, knocking her back and breaking concentration on both of her spells, which in turn causes a mana backlash. The Mana floods her system, causing mind-rattling pain as it causes internal damage to her organs and brain, as well. Spell-shocked and on the floor convulsing, Zisya takes her last breath as a golem rushes up and pierces her with a spike coming from its hand. Haymitch tried to leave his shield and run, but couldn¡¯t. The shields had been melted at the bottom, and his feet along with them. He looked up to Iskra, mouthing an apology as he plunged his knife through his own heart. Iskra, with a burning arm and acid running down his back, knows his fate is sealed. He casts his last spell, ¡°Swift Step¡±, and appears 100 feet back the way they came. He sheaths his sword and removes the scabbard from his belt. ¡°Return home, you belong to her now. Guide her, help her. Don¡¯t let her end up like me.¡± As Iskra hears the footsteps pounding down the tunnel, an arrow flies from the darkness. The sword, levitating, deflects the arrow, and for a moment floats there. ¡°I¡¯m already dead, Osada. Please listen to me. I don¡¯t want you falling into the wrong hands.¡± Two more arrows fired from the golems fly straight at Iskra, both being deflected. The sword, black as night, leaves its master groaning on the floor, dying, as it flies out of the underground and toward its home, already planning on how to honor its master''s dying wish. The Young Fox The mountains surrounding the fortress estate were beginning to defrost in the early Spring, and the river was beginning to rise, the current growing stronger daily. The dead grass again becoming green and vibrant with the mineral-rich water nourishing the ground it comes into contact with. Yukialways enjoyed taking her time out in the wilderness beyond the estate¡¯s compound. Oftentimes, her instructors will find her out in the trees, practicing the sword positions of her father¡¯s training. All of the estate''s workers knew very well what Yuki wanted to be, as the hallways and courtyards of the estate rang out with her words. ¡°I¡¯m going to be an even greater adventurer than my Father!¡± She screamed at every opportunity. Since she was little, no more than a kit, Yuki has strived towards becoming one of, if not, the most famous adventurer. Most of the townspeople, and even those who work closely with the Kai Family, would say that the ambition was born out of the weight of the family name. If you ask Yuki though, she will tell you the real reason is that more people should be able to become adventurers. It''s too hard to break into the work without having generations of those who have done it before, she will tell you adamantly. It is her goal to make it a prosperous occupation for anyone who wants it for themselves. Outside of the estate wall, Yuki was training in the forest, listening closely for the sound of her enemies. Yuki crouched down behind a bush, training sword in hand. She closed her eyes and began to focus on the sounds around her. The birds chirping in the branches high above, the wind rustling the leaves, and the slight sound of footsteps in the distance behind her. The footsteps grew more prevalent as a whistle, different from the wind, headed right at her. Yuki¡¯s sword came up instinctively, deflecting a training dagger thrown at her back. Yuki spun to face her attacker, a larger Kitsune with black and red fur covering their arms and legs. Their hood covered their face making it hard to tell exactly who she was facing. The two circled one another, Yuki with her sword, and the hooded figure with a set of daggers. The hooded fox threw another dagger, as he rushed into melee range. Yuki avoided the dagger with a quick step and lunged her sword into the hooded figure''s path. They quickly sidestepped around the blade and went for a lung of their own, which Yuki failed to prepare for. She took a shallow cut to her left side as she counter-swiped her sword at the attacker''s head. The red and black kitsune was able to dodge the swipe, but only just barely so that it hit their hood, knocking it back and revealing a middle-aged male. He took his stance again and said to Yuki, ¡°I see you are still one for an aggressive offense. Your defense leaves a lot of room for the enemy to strike.¡± Growling, Yuki replied, ¡°My offense is my defense.¡± She then charged him again. Hours later, the sun was setting behind the forested hills in the distance. Yuki was lying on the ground out of breath and covered in shallow cuts. ¡°How did you learn your fighting style Uncle I¡¯Kira? Daggers never were part of our family training regiment.¡± I¡¯Kira laughed heartily, ¡°It was a unique circumstance. I had the opportunity to train with a different family and combine both sets of teachings to better utilize my body structure. You see, Yuki, I do not have the capability of magic within me.¡± I¡¯Kria¡¯s voice dropped down to a melancholic whisper. ¡°Brother was always much better at that side of our training.¡± Mimicking the saddened tone of her Uncle, Yuki asked, ¡°Have you heard anything of Father¡¯s mission? The letters stopped coming about 2 weeks ago. I know he is talented and strong, but I do worry about how reckless he is sometimes.¡± I¡¯Kira met Yuki¡¯s eyes and took one of her hands in his. ¡°Your father is the strongest Kitsune I know. There is nothing that would stop him from coming back if he had any breath left in him. Come now, it''s almost supper time. You know how Hiromi worries about you, more than you worry about your father even.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The two training partners picked up their belongings off the ground and dug several daggers out of trees. After a short time, they were on their way, walking down the stream back into the compound proper. ¡°Uncle?¡± Yuki started, uncertainty clinging to the word, ¡°How do others start adventuring? I can only assume that not every single individual spends their childhood training to fight¡­¡± I¡¯Kira hummed in response and then went quiet for a few moments. ¡°The others who you speak of, do they not have family traditions to uphold? Some are adventurers by blood, and others are blacksmiths.¡± Yuki glared at I¡¯Kira, and he smiled back knowingly. ¡°Yes, yes, I know young one, ¡®But what about those who don¡¯t want to do what their families have always done?¡¯ I know that''s the question on your mind. For that, we have the new G.U.I.L.D. system, employed by the six pantheon kingdoms. It now trains those over the age of responsibility on how to hone their natural skills.¡± ¡°What did everyone do before the new system?¡± Yuki questioned, thirsty for more knowledge. ¡°Well,¡± I¡¯kira sighed, ¡°Mostly, no one did anything. Those within the Panthetic City¡¯s walls had no need to fear anything outside. The rest of us¡­ had to do what we could to protect ourselves and our loved ones, most who tried died. Although a few, like our family, had the gift of magic to help propel ourselves into the position of defenders that we are now.¡± Yuki cocked her head to the side and looked her uncle up and down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the other families teach the rest of the people how to defend themselves? Why did the non-magical folk have to rely on others for protection?¡± Another deep-chested laugh came from I¡¯Kira, ¡°It''s how my great-great-grandfather made his living. Would a Blacksmith show strangers their craft? Would a Tailor, or Boyer? Then why would we?¡± Silence took grasp of the conversation, as Yuki started reliving the stories told by her father, Iskra. She remembered the times when he, I¡¯kira, and a few other members went out on commissions. Yuki thought to herself how terrible it must have been for those people who required the assistance of someone else more powerful than themselves. How much of their livelihood went into hiring her father, or other parties for that matter? There were many times, now that she thought about it when her father wouldn¡¯t accept the payment for a contract. Often, when he did take the payment, he found a way to place it back into the hands of those who hired him. Those actions were the kindness and altruism that she aspired to have. The stories that her father brought home, the ones of daring deeds and close calls, spurred Yuki on in her training. Her drive and desire to become an adventurer were motivated by the acts that she witnessed. She would chase the dream of safety for all, or at least all that her blade could protect. ¡°Yuki? Hey, come back to Panthia. Yuki!¡± I¡¯Kira teasingly snapped his fingers in front of the young kitsune¡¯s face. Yuki roughly was returned to reality as a carriage came rumbling past. Yuki dodged to the ground, falling hard on her knees. ¡°You alright?¡± I¡¯Kira said with concern consuming his face. ¡°Yeah, I''m fine,¡± Yuki said, pulling herself up from the dirt of the road. ¡°Look out for the carriages next time. Don¡¯t get all lost in thought right before the gates, you never know what''s coming in or out.¡± The pair continued past the gated walls surrounding the medium-sized town of Matari, the closest town to the Kai Estate. They continued their walk, Yuki no longer lost in her own thoughts. She gazed out over the rolling hills that were spotted with trees, hiding the walls of their compound. With the last of the sunlight fading, they arrived at the gates of the estate. The Kai Guards nodded to both I¡¯Kira and Yuki as the gate fell open. An enticing smell of roast wafted on the breeze that blew out of the manor. Both I¡¯Kira and Yuki¡¯s stomachs made loud rumbles as that scent encouraged them forward. ¡°Oh yeah, nothing like Hiromi¡¯s Roast after a good day of training! The first one to the table gets to pick portions?¡± I¡¯Kira said with a smirk dancing on the corners of his lips. The second he was done speaking, Yuki took off up the slight hill towards the manor, simply stating, ¡°I¡¯d love to pick first, thank you very much.¡± The Kai Estate Hiromi Kai whirled around the large kitchen with grace and ease. Her three prehensile tails chopped vegetables while her hands stirred a large pot hanging in the wood-burning oven. The scent of herbs and lamb filled the air of the entire fortress, the Kai Main House that is. Hiromi looked out the window down the hill to the estate gates, the sun just starting to set over the wooded hills. Whispering to herself, she sighs, ¡°If they are even one second late, I will skin them both for the next meal.¡± The house matron threw the three knives into the counter below her, each thudding into the wood in a rhythmic pattern. She whipped around and scooped up the chopped potatoes, carrots, and celery and dropped them in the boiling stew. As the pot sputtered and popped, Hiromi started to hum a soft tune while she cleaned up the mess of preparation. Once again she checked the window, the sun hiding behind the hills, letting out its last rays of glistening light. Hiromi started to grab utensils and tableware but was startled by the sound of the front door slamming against the wall of the house. ¡°Yes! Told you! You might have me in a fight right now, but I''ve got speed on you, old man!¡± I¡¯Kira raggedly replied, ¡°Fine, yes. I am not the spry young one I once was¡­ But I am not old. I¡¯m barely 54.¡± Hiromi took that opportunity to slink around the corner, out of her daughter''s sight line. Silently, Hiromi stealthily glided into the entryway and whispered in Yuki¡¯s ear, ¡°If I am older than Uncle I¡¯Kira, and you called him old¡­ Does that mean you are calling me old, Yuki?¡± Turning slowly, Yuki¡¯s coat absently drifted to the ground revealing her white and red accented fur standing on end. With a creek in her bones, Yuki turned to see her mother''s glaring purple eyes an inch away from her own, piercing their way into Yuki¡¯s soul like a spear. ¡°Of course not, Mother! You are so youthful and full of life! Old is not a word that adequately describ- remotely comes close to anything that you are!¡± Hiromi cracked the wooden spoon against her open palm, which sent a bolt of anxiety coursing through Yuki. ¡°Good save Daughter. Your Father would be proud of your linguistic ballet. Come, dinner is hot. Don¡¯t track mud through my house, I just removed the last of it from yesterday.¡± As the stealthy matron meanders her way into the kitchen, she called out to the pair, ¡°The heating glyph for the hand basin has been repaired, now go wash up.¡± I¡¯Kira had already beaten Hiromi to the punch and walked out of the washroom with a clean face and hands. ¡°Better hurry up, it might be that I still win this race.¡± He said with a wink in the direction of the young Kitsune. Yuki glared daggers at her uncle, ¡°Yeah right, I won already, you can¡¯t move the finish line after I¡¯ve crossed it.¡± Bumping into his side with her shoulder, Yuki stiff-armed past her Uncle, sauntering into the washroom and returning soon after. Yuki started to round the corner into the kitchen when she overheard what her Mother and Uncle were discussing. ¡°Hiromi, I haven¡¯t heard anything, I just sent a messenger bird two days ago, but I haven¡¯t received word back,¡± I¡¯Kira told her, trying to hide the concern in his tone. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a letter from Iskra for two months now. It is quite unlike him to not have a backlog of written letters. The last I received was dated as written a month before its arrival.¡± Her tails twitched as her whiskers stirred. ¡°I know you are worried, but it doesn¡¯t help to do nothing all day but cook and hope he walks through the door.¡± He said, insistently. ¡°Do you know what his mission was? He wouldn¡¯t tell me before he left¡­ That makes me think it was very dangerous, or at least not safe. Did he ask you to go with him?¡± Hiromi¡¯s voice grew quieter as the thoughts of what could have happened consumed her mind. ¡°No, Hiromi, I don¡¯t know what his mission was, and I offered to accompany him as a Shadow should, but he refused to let me. G.U.I.L.D. apparently has some stringent rules, and being one of the first official parties of the organization means heavy scrutiny.¡± Yuki chose the pause that followed to join in the conversation. ¡°Father¡¯s missions are normally a couple of months, but he has been gone for six now. How long could this mission take? Uncle, tell me about G.U.I.L.D. and what it means to be an adventurer to them. Please.¡± Her eyes pleading as she stared at her Uncle. I¡¯Kira sighed and glanced over at Hiromi, ¡°It¡¯s up to you right now, if she gets this knowledge.¡± An additional sigh from Hiromi, ¡°Like her father wouldn¡¯t have started prepping her upon his return¡­ Go ahead, but first, let''s get some food while it''s hot.¡± I¡¯Kira approached the steaming pot and Yuki quickly inserted herself before him. She swiftly took the ladle and served herself, smiling mischievously at her Uncle. After the three had served themselves, they all sat down as I¡¯Kira began to explain. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yuki, let''s start from the beginning. I know you already know some of these things, but I want to make sure there are no gaps in understanding. When this world was first formed, there were eight deities. The six we know of for sure are Sethra, the Burning Passion, and Deity of Fire. Apason, the Restorer, and Deity of Water. Calhoun, the Immovable, and Deity of Earth. Rihan, the Undecided, and Deity of Air. Lux, the Luminous, and Deity of Light. Lastly, but not to be forgot, Nox, the Forgotten One, and Deity of Dark. The other two deities mentioned in the old texts from before the formation of the six panthetic kingdoms are highly debated, although primarily there are only two sides. These people are either on the side of nonexistence or on the side of Supreme Deities. The former is self-explanatory, but the ladder is the idea that these two Supreme Deities created the other six. The two debated deities are Adam, The First - the Deity of Law, and Luscious, The Choice - the Deity of Chaos. During the first era of this world, the Deities created the races of people we know and even chose to live among them. However, war soon broke out, or so it is said, and the races became separated, following their own deity and forming the six kingdoms. As the Fire, Water, Air, and Earth Deities all left Tyria, the Light and Dark fought for control of the area. This was thought until just recently when the Kingdom of Dark and their capital city disappeared. The War died down, and all the hostile races that lived and breathed war, who acted as mercenaries for either side, spread out looking for more places to dominate. The Orcs, Kobolds, Goblinkin, and many others took to the seas and began making long treks across the land. Soon, these creatures were attacking villages and towns. This is where your great-great-great-great-grandfather and others like him started to appear. G.U.I.L.D., or Global Unified Institution of Learned Daredevils, was an organization set up to ensure cooperation between the five remaining kingdoms. Those who visit the two current G.U.I.L.D. Academies get special tattoos and permission to cross borders on official business, with the understanding that they are not to start a new war. If you are a certified adventurer, you guarantee that the public good is greater than oneself.¡± Lost in his own thoughts, I¡¯Kira took a drink from his goblet and paused for reflection. ¡°Let me see if I understand this, the six kingdoms made a city guard for the world, and called them adventurers?. One can only adventure inside kingdom borders if one has the accreditation, this accreditation also provides additional resources to help out on missions. For someone to earn said accreditation, they must attend an academy and follow the teachings to a T. Did I condense it adequately?¡± Yuki summarized for her Uncle. I¡¯Kira silently nodded his head in confirmation. Yuki continued, ¡°Good, good¡­ but that sounds awful. They stripped the adventure out of the adventurer. Another issue I see, only the wealthy will be able to become accredited. We will say goodbye to the common hero!¡± I¡¯Kira and Hiromi both chuckled and Hiromi, still giggling, said, ¡°Oh honey, you are wealthy; I don¡¯t believe it is your place to speak on behalf of those you don¡¯t represent.¡± Yuki shot back with passion, ¡°If those with privilege never speak to the injustices of those without, how can the ones behind those locked doors of privilege ever hear the plight of those outside?¡± Her mother, eyes wide in surprise, replied, ¡°That may be true, but words of wisdom from the inexperienced often fall on deaf ears, even when correct. You must choose the timing of your battles wisely. Isn¡¯t that a main tenant of the Kai Fighting Code?¡± Yuki grimaced at the implication of her Mother''s words. ¡°Does my age matter when it comes to ideas for the common good?¡± Yuki faltered, wanting to say more, yet somehow the words eluded her mind''s grasp. Uncle I¡¯Kira spoke up at that moment, ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter if you find the people who believe in the message. Surround yourself with like-minded people and there is no limit to the accomplishments to be had.¡± Yuki stared at her Uncle and instantly nodded her head in understanding and agreement, ¡°Okay! My goal in life is now clear - I¡¯m going to start the first inclusive academy, one that doesn¡¯t base its admissions on wealth, but on skill and merit instead. It will accept all forms of life, from training age and up, and courses will last as long as the applicants need them to ensure their survival. This way, anyone who wants to can become the adventurer they always wanted to be.¡± Hiromi gazed at her daughter, both with inspiration and trepidation. How awe-inspiring it was to watch her create a wholesome idea and think it would work; however, it was equally as worrying. What enemies would she make if this idea was put into practice? Would enough people follow her lead? Hiromi thought of how she wasn¡¯t alone in these thoughts. All parents had these questions about their children, especially after caring for them and watching them grow. Then suddenly, they are out on their own, making the decisions that the parents were making just a few years prior. The urge to want the best for them lingers even after they have left. Hiromi remembered watching the faces of the people in her hometown express the exact emotions she was feeling as she left with her future partner, her child¡¯s Father, Iskra. ¡°I hope Father returns before next week! I want to tell him this idea on my birthday. My hopes are that he will help me as a gift.¡± Yuki¡¯s declaration spurred Hiromi out of her thoughts and she smiled fondly at her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will love the idea, it sounds just like something he would do himself.¡± Extracurriculars Chapter 3 - Extracurriculars With her belly full and her goal firmly placed at the forefront of her mind, Yuki went to her room to complete her nightly rituals. As she entered her room, she spoke a simple word of power, ¡°Illuminate.¡± and two lanterns in the room came alight with a soft glow. She started toward the bookshelf in the corner of the room, planning on retrieving her training journal. As she neared, however, she became distracted by the souvenirs of her Father¡¯s adventures that took residence there. There was a pendant from a maiden who was saved from a bestial lair, said to have protective magic. Another item, a preserved pincer taken from a giant ant, still speckled with the blood of her father, which he would still shudder at whenever he saw it. A multitude of letters of thanks, framed by Yuki, from the legion of villages saved from orcish raids. Lastly, Yuki¡¯s most prized memento, a charm from the hilt of her father''s obsidian-black sword. The charm was a mithril-gilded four-loop infinity knot with three rubies set inside the top, left, and right loop and a black diamond set in the bottom loop. If one were to set the runic symbol of protection, ?, into the center of this charm, it would produce the Kai family sigil. Every individual who worked for the Kai family has this sigil emblazoned on their clothing. Her father gave her this charm right before he left for his current assignment. She remembered what Iskra had said as he handed the charm to her - ¡°This holds great power and has even greater sentimental value than the entirety of our estate. Keep it safe until I return.¡± Since that day, Yuki had spent at least an hour a day polishing the charm and ensuring its safety in her room. Her eyes glanced over her journal and she was broken out of her reverie. She plucked the journal off the shelf and took it to her writing desk, which was covered in all manner of crafting instructional guides. Her mother had told her that fools practice only combat skills and that she should find a craft that she enjoyed to enhance her combat ability. Yuki had been studying various crafts until she discovered enchanting. When she had found the instructional book in the family library, it had almost called to her - begging her to take it out of the dark and dusty room, pleading with her to learn all of its secrets and use them for her own purpose. As Yuki read and learned more about enchanting, she found it mesmerizing. All other thoughts of the different crafts had left her mind, only enchanting could maintain her attention now. Although she had not completed even one enchantment yet, Yuki knew that this was the craft she was born to use. She cleared a space on her desk and set her journal down. Pulling open a drawer on the side of the desk, Yuki retrieved an inkwell and quill and began to write about the day¡¯s training exercise. She detailed every action that both her uncle and herself had taken throughout the day, from the preparation of sparing to the retrieval of the weapons scattered around the forest. Her father and uncle had strongly advised, bordering on outright commanding, her to write out every battle she ever encountered whether she was a participating party or not. They told her that every experience held value for the encounters to come in the future and that ¡°You never know what information will help you win a fight.¡± Yuki scoffed as she continued writing. I don¡¯t see how a brawl in the tavern or the fighting of beasts could help me in the future. Nevertheless, she did as she was instructed, and her journal was becoming full of countless entanglements. As she finished reliving the day¡¯s training, she stored her ink and quill back in their proper place and returned her journal to her bookshelf. She returned to her desk and pulled a tome into the center of the desk, ¡°A Beginners Guide to Enchanting¡± it was entitled. She spent some time reviewing the material she had read many times before finally reaching a place in the book that she hadn¡¯t read yet. ¡°An enchanter¡¯s goal is not to make the most powerful magical items, in fact, if an enchanter only focuses on the power of the item they are creating, the item itself will always be perceived as a waste of materials. Instead, an enchanter should focus more on WHO the item is for. A weak enchantment that is cohesive with the individual¡¯s abilities will produce better results than a strong enchantment that is at odds with the abilities of its wielder. For example, a simple ¡®Produce Light¡¯ enchantment in the hands of a mage whose talents lie in phosphoromancy will be exponentially stronger. This mage could use their own ability to enhance the enchantment, making it stronger.¡± Yuki had yet to have her magical abilities inspected and gauged. While she believed her latent magical talent was in the field of evocation, the school of magic that manipulates unseen energies, there was no proof. Often, those who had magical abilities wouldn¡¯t know what area of magic they were best suited for until a Master Mage had evaluated them. Getting a master to evaluate any individual was an expensive affair and many never have the funds to get this done. However, Yuki had heard rumors recently that those who had received acceptance into the G.U.I.L.D. Academies would automatically be evaluated by the mages who taught there. I guess that''s why enrollment is also so expensive. She thought to herself. Yuki continued to read the tome in front of her, but her focus was waning. Thwack. The noise made Yuki look behind her at the door to her room, expecting it to be open, but it was still shut tight. Thwack. Thwack. Her eyes locked onto the direction of the sound, it was coming from the window above her desk. As she was staring out the window at the night sky, dotted with stars, the half-moon shining down through the partially cloudy sky, another rock slammed against it. Thwack. Crack. This rock had been big enough to create a splintering across the pane of glass. She could make out a very hushed ¡°Ah shit¡­¡± coming from the courtyard outside her window. It''s the middle of the night, what is he thinking¡­ Yuki opened the window and looked down into the courtyard, seeing a short figure dressed in plain linen clothes. They were wearing white shirt that was stained off-yellow from sweat and spotted with gray ash, brown pants that had been cut off below the knees revealing tanned, burnt, and scarred legs, and simple shoes that had a few burn holes on the top. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Igris¡­ What are you doing? You broke my window with that last rock!¡± Yuki half whispered and half shouted. ¡°Remember what happened last time you were sneaking around here this late? Father almost took your arm off.¡± ¡°I know, I know. But¡­ He¡¯s not here, is he? I don¡¯t have to worry about him. On the other hand, your mother terrifies me more than he does. Maybe I should have thought this through more¡­¡± Igris said, losing confidence in his words halfway through his thought. ¡°Besides that though, there is a new bard at the tavern and his first show starts in an hour, I thought maybe you¡¯d like to accompany me?¡± Igris¡¯ voice turned sincere, ¡°I figured you could use some mindless fun and a relaxing time with a friend?¡± ¡°That does sound like a good time.¡± Yuki looked back to her door, thinking about asking for permission to leave. Forgiveness over permission is sometimes the way to go. ¡°I¡¯d love to, let me grab my pack.¡± Yuki turned away from the window and grabbed her pack, containing a few coins, a dagger, and a journal. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll meet you at -¡± Igris was interrupted before he could finish the sentence as Yuki dropped from the window and rolled to her feet. He back-pettled away from her landing, ¡°Well I was going to say, meet you at the front door, but this works too.¡± Igris smiled at Yuki and nodded his head towards the town. ¡°Windows, doors, same difference. Why walk all the way through the house when you¡¯re right here?¡± Yuki laughed as they walked around the outside of the estate hugging the walls. They reached the gate of the estate and Yuki looked back toward the manor, ¡°Let''s just hope we can leave the compound before -¡± ¡°Before what Yuki?¡± I¡¯Kira said, materializing out of the shadows beside the gate. ¡°Igris, you need to work on your stealth. I saw you coming from a mile away. Iskra told me to watch out for¡­¡± he let out a slight cough, ¡°Vagabonds entering the estate.¡± ¡°Oh, well, Master I¡¯Kira. I, um, thought you would be asleep already?¡± Igris said with a half-hearted smile. ¡°And you thought it would be okay to steal away into the night with young Yuki here?¡± I¡¯Kira cocked his eyebrow, staring daggers into Igris¡¯ soul. ¡°I just thought she might want some time away from the estate. Spend some time with the people her family protects? Enjoy a drink with them! Some comradery. Yeah, that''s it!¡± As the words slipped out of Igris¡¯ mouth he was already trying to make his escape through the gate. ¡°Uncle, we are just going to the tavern to see the new bard¡¯s performance! I¡¯ve been doing nothing but studying and training for the last six months!¡± Yuki blurted out trying to preemptively stop any more commotion. ¡°Oh, a new bard huh? Well then, I would also like to accompany you! It''s been a year or so since I have heard a good tale.¡± I¡¯Kira said with a slight smile. He knew just how to get under Yuki¡¯s fur. ¡°Fine, but when we get there, leave us alone? Just sit in a booth and enjoy the show, there is no need to chaperone us like we are still children.¡± Yuki huffed knowing well that she wasn¡¯t going anywhere without him now. ¡°I¡¯ll be a fly on the wall, you won''t even know I¡¯m there,¡± I¡¯Kira stated with one hand raised and the other across his chest in a mocking pledge. ¡°However,¡± his eyes flicked over to Igris, ¡°You, boy, know very well that the Kai family has a few enemies in town. How many times have we told you this? If I hadn¡¯t been here watching and you two got into trouble, how would you explain it to Hiromi? You are still in training to be a Shadow of House Kai, but you are not prepared to take on this role just yet.¡± Igris looked at the ground in admonishment, ¡°I didn¡¯t really think about the danger, just that Yuki needed to get away from the training and rules of the estate for a night of fun.¡± I¡¯Kira laid his hand on the Igris¡¯ shoulder, ¡°I know that you were trying to relieve Yuki of the stress she currently faces. A true friend wouldn¡¯t do any less. All I¡¯m saying is that you need more caution. I¡¯d hate to see one of my most promising students end up in Hiromi¡¯s stewpot.¡± Igris¡¯ eyes darted up to I¡¯Kira¡¯s, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t actually do that would she?¡± I¡¯Kira shrugged, ¡°Probably not, but she threatens me with it enough.¡± He let out a quiet chuckle and Igress a nervous one. ¡°There will be consequences though, Igris. Our next training session will focus on stealth. You best be ready for one hell of an afternoon. As for now, let us take our leave, we don¡¯t want to miss the start of the show, do we?¡± Igris once again looked down at the ground as the three of them headed into town, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Night in Matari The road to the town felt much longer, while staring into the black void of the night. This made the impromptu exercise I¡¯Kira had pressured the pair into seem much worse than it was. During the normal training regiment, a run to the town and back was the warm-up to start the day; however, in the light of the stars and moon, the journey to the town was filled with doubt and uncertainty. I¡¯Kira convinced the two young trainees to race to the town with the promise of an ale upon victory, which in this case was to not be the last drink of the evening. Within a single second of their agreement, I¡¯kira took off into the swallowing blackness leaving the other two in his dust. While the road between the estate and the town, as well as the surrounding area, was relatively safe, the beasts and monsters that ruled the night had no hesitation in preying on their next meal traveling on the road during their waking hours. The patrols normally found two or three beasts lying in wait as they made their routes. They were more than capable when taking on these intruders, but an average villager would have no chance against most of the nocturnal creatures. Bats, wolves, and jackals were seen almost every night, or at the very least one could hear them in the distance. The real danger was the Temagyr, these canine-like creatures measured eight feet long and weighed almost 500 pounds. Yuki had seen a corpse of a Temagyr lying on the side of the road once before, and while the monsters appeared to be large, hairless dogs from a distance, their eyes, or lack thereof, had been the defining feature that burned into her mind. The dark and hollow voids that existed where their eyes should have been, even when dead, were endless. Yuki had stared into those orbs of dark energy for too long and even though it was a corpse, she felt like they were looking into her soul. These creatures had appeared around Matari with the disappearance of the Kingdom of Dark, the closest Pathetic Kingdom to the town. It was assumed that they were once guardians of the Lost Kingdom and when their charge mysteriously vanished, they began to roam the countryside. Yuki, with a moment''s hesitation, had taken off after I¡¯Kira and gained a minor lead on Igris. The road wasn¡¯t smooth, by any means, and it took concentration to maintain her footing on the uneven ground. When her foot hit a slight divot in the terrain halfway to the town, her ankle rolled over itself and sent Yuki to the ground. She was able to recover quickly but the loss of momentum had given Igris the chance he needed to catch up and pass Yuki. As he passed her, Igris sputtered through deep breaths, ¡°Looked like a nice trip! Hope you got me a souvenir!¡± Igris had the stamina of a workhorse, but he wasn¡¯t faster than Yuki. He excelled at long-distance running, keeping pace with a slow-moving cart for miles on end. Yuki on the other hand, was more adept at sprinting and her speed was only bested by her father and uncle. She regained her normal speed quickly and was on the heels of Igris moments later. She would not let her soon-to-be shadow beat her in this race. For the remainder of the run, Yuki sprinted as fast as her legs would let her. It appeared to her that Igris was also giving this race his all, but he was slowly losing his slight lead. Within 500 yards of the town''s gray-stone walls, Yuki had managed to overtake Igris and gain a two yard lead before slamming herself into the rough wall surrounding Matari, not wanting to give Igris another chance to potentially catch up and touch the wall just before she could. The cool still air felt icy as Yuki took in deep gulping breaths hunched over with her hands on her knees. Igris slowed his pace as he approached the wall and gently placed a hand right next to where Yuki had hit. ¡°First a tumble then a slam, Yuki. You sure are making it hard on yourself for tomorrow morning. I''d bet a silver that you will have at least two bruises when you wake up.¡± he commented, raising his arms and placing them on top of his head. ¡°You know, it''s easier to catch your breath in this position rather than hunched over?¡± Yuki glared at Igris and she rose and copied his stance. ¡°I believe I still won though, I get the free drink tonight!¡± She celebrated in between breaths. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a bit faster, Igris, not like when we were kids. I¡¯Kira must be running you ragged during training.¡± Igris laughed, ¡°Yeah, running is about half of what we do most days. I¡¯Kira has always said, ¡®If Yuki is anything like Iskra, you will be chasing after her often.¡¯ I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have it any other way though. I never was one to lead the way, I much prefer following. That way, I have a better idea of what is ahead of me.¡± Yuki stared at Igris curiously, ¡°Very cautious of you. Also very fitting¡­ of a COWARD!¡± On the last word, Yuki slammed her fist into his left arm. ¡°You let others go ahead and find the danger!¡± Igris yelped, ¡°Ouch! What was that for?!¡± ¡°It was for the trip comment you made while passing me - that was your souvenir.¡± She calmly stated while looking around the outside of the gate to Matari. ¡°Where is Uncle? I don¡¯t see him past the gate.¡± The pair walked through the gate, Igris bowing slightly while Yuki nodded at the guards with their passing. The guards bowed back in reply, bidding them good evening. They stood just inside the walls searching the area for I¡¯Kira and found nothing but buildings and stone, the glow from magic torches on the walls of the buildings giving them light. The duo jumped as a hand landed on Yuki¡¯s shoulder with an accompanying voice, ¡°Took you long enough.¡± They whirred around coming to face I¡¯Kira with two mugs in his left hand. ¡°You took so long in fact, that I was able to go to the tavern and pick up the winner''s drink.¡± The red fur at the corner of I¡¯Kira¡¯s mouth gave away the smirk on his face. That smirk always irritated Yuki. ¡°How long were you waiting? It only took us 20 minutes to get here?! That''s half the time it normally takes!¡± Yuki sneered. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Oh, about 10 minutes. Actually, I''m quite impressed with Igris here. He was only a few yards behind you. I thought for sure you would outpace him by at least ten.¡± I¡¯Kira taunted, giving Igris a wide smile. ¡°I fell, that''s the only reason.¡± Yuki seethed in reply. Stifling a laugh, I¡¯Kira took one mug from his left hand and offered it to Yuki. ¡°Anyway, here is your prize!¡± Yuki took the wooden mug from her uncle and raised it to her mouth greedily, swiftly draining half of the beverage inside. The drink tasted of honey, cherries, and alcohol as she savored and welcomed the quenching beverage. Yuki let out a mocking sigh of relief directed at Igris after the long pull from the mug. Igris rolled his eyes in return, crossing his arms before his chest and putting all his weight on his right foot. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enjoy it. I¡¯ll get you next time, I¡¯m certain of it.¡± he murmured. Yuki rarely got the opportunity to see the Matari at night, mostly from being exhausted at the end of her day. The dark wooden buildings towered overhead, the light from torches and windows spilling out into the dusty streets of the town. There were many townsfolk wandering about the area in front of the gate, as shops were closing for the night. Some of them were on their way to their homes, others were making plans to head to the tavern, and more were talking with the others around them quietly. The soft murmurs of the townsfolk created a comforting background and a sense of welcome in the air. Yuki noticed that some of the people were carrying mugs themselves, having already been to the tavern after a hard day. I¡¯Kira walked ahead of the pair and waved them to follow. As they were heading towards the tavern, Yuki took in the sights of Matari and its people. The shop buildings close to the gates appeared old and it showed in the deep gouges on the wood of the doorframes where many had assumedly hit them carrying items they had just purchased. Heading deeper into the town, the materials that buildings were made of began to vary. Some are made with a combination of wood and stone, others of only stone. The stone buildings were the first to be constructed according to I¡¯Kira and had been built a century ago. Those buildings appeared well maintained, compared to the newer wooden buildings. If Yuki didn¡¯t know better, she would say that they were built after the shops closer to the gate. They continued to the tavern, as the sound of footsteps and wagon wheels clacking on the cobblestone streets echoed through the town. Many of the people the group passed bowed in respect to them, directed more towards I¡¯Kira and Yuki. They weren¡¯t the governing family of Matari but they were well known and respected for the protection they had provided the town. Yuki¡¯s father held a seat on the council of Matari, acting as an advisor to the mayor. It was well known, however, that if the Kai family had a disagreement on what was happening inside of Matari that the people would, for the most part, side with them over the current mayor. In recent years, there were talks amongst the townsfolk that the Kai family, specifically Iskra, should be the mayor. The justification was how much he had done since his arrival to this area, while the mayoral family had only let the town plateau in its growth. Her father hated the idea of being chained to a desk though, he would rather be out and about helping those who were in need. The trio entered into the square of Matari, the gathering place for announcements made by the mayor and his advisors. Directly opposite them, on the north side of the square, stood the town hall, made of smooth gray stone and looming large over the surrounding residential houses. Yuki made an educated guess that most of those houses belonged to the mayor¡¯s family and his advisors. On the east side of the square, there were smaller specialty shops, including the herbalist, apothecary, and tannery. There was also a single magic item shop hidden in the middle of these various shops, but it wasn¡¯t front and center on the square. This had always surprised Yuki as she would have made sure this was on display, not tucked back in the alleys. Turning to face west, the well-lit tavern was shining brightly. The sign hanging from the roof read ¡°The Kindled Hearth¡± an appropriate name for the lively tavern. No matter the time of day, or night, the tavern was full with customers all having a glorious time. While it wasn¡¯t the only tavern in Matari, it was certainly the most well-known. Many traveling musicians, performers, and bards would travel through this town on their way to Hallow Port, the port city offering the closest launch point to the continent eastward, Yutera. The Kindled Hearth was the obvious choice for those traveling to stay; it was in the center of the town and was the first a traveler would find when entering the town. All of the main roads, which led from the entry gates, ended at the square, thus ensuring the tavern with a steady supply of weary people looking for rest and food. I¡¯Kira led the way to the door of the tavern, gently placing his hand on the shoulders of drunken patrons blocking the entry and guiding them away from the path that the group was walking. One of the patrons off to the side of the building fell as his comrade playfully shoved him during their conversation, spilling the remainder of his mug onto the well-swept street in front of the tavern. Yuki tapped I¡¯Kira in the square of his back, a signal in the Kai family for ¡®wait here¡¯ or ¡®give me a moment¡¯ then moved to the fallen man. She grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet, offering the rest of her beverage to him once he had regained his footing. ¡°It appears the street has stolen your beverage, here finish this one off. I¡¯ll go grab myself another before the show starts.¡± Yuki said, smiling at the gruff and intoxicated individual. ¡°Mistress Kai! Thank you very much. That''s just like your *hicc* family! Always lookin¡¯ out for us! CHEERS TO THE KAI!¡± the man extolled. The crowd around the tavern sent cheers into the air. The fur on Yuki¡¯s face rippled as she pulled at the collar of her shirt and shuffled her feet. The man bowed to Yuki as she retreated to her uncle''s side, the cheers continuing behind her. ¡°Very well done Yuki, as always.¡± her uncle praised as he patted the top of her head. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ thanks,¡± she muttered in reply. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside before they ask me to drink with them. I always overdo it when I¡¯m in a situation like that.¡± With a nod to Yuki, I¡¯Kira waltzed to the door and held it open for Yuki and Igris to enter. The Kindled Hearth The Kindled Hearth was a warm, welcoming place, with fires burning behind the bar and next to the performance stage, keeping the cool spring air outside. The interior was filled with polished oak tables, comfortable padded chairs, and intricate designs adorning the walls. Thick wooden supports stretched up to the ceiling containing trophies of passersby. These trophies were a variety of items - rare pelts of creatures, signed pictures of performers, retired weapons and armor, and even some currency from distant lands. These adornments told Yuki of the far reaching reputation of the tavern, it made her question just how far the tales of The Kindled Hearth reached. The scent of the famous Kindled Stew tickled her nose and her mouth began to water. Not many aromas could match that of her mother''s kitchen, but the Hearth¡¯s was a serious contender in her mind. Yuki had never seen the tavern as occupied as it was tonight. Every seat in the house was taken, and some patrons were even sitting on the floor in front of the stage. The Kindled Hearth had a rule that after 10 Bell, children were not allowed in the main hall; however, on this night that rule had apparently been suspended, as Yuki counted twenty children dotted throughout the establishment. Whoever was performing tonight must be influential, or at least well-known in the performance community. The Kindled Hearth¡¯s atmosphere was electric with the anticipation of the upcoming show and the air was filled with speculation of the subject that would be on display. Many bards were singers, instrumentalists, and storytellers. Some of these performers would use certain magics to enhance the act, this was seen as tacky within the ranks of the performers. An individual who needed magic to maintain the attention of their audience often meant that their talent in the performance subject matter was lacking. Yuki, Igris, and I¡¯Kira pushed through the throng of patrons to the bar at the back of the main hall. Many of these customers were heavily impaired by the strong drinks the tavern produced, which unfortunately meant that during their push Igris received a new stain on his shirt from bumping a large dwarf causing his ale to spill from his mug. ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that Lad!¡± the dwarf called out over the noise of the bustling tavern before turning back to his group. Igris waved the apology away and retrieved a small cloth from his pouch trying to soak as much of the beverage as possible out of his shirt. As they finally reached an empty pocket by the bar, I¡¯Kira raised his hand to get the attention of the barkeep. ¡°Oi, I¡¯Kira!¡± the barkeep yelled, noticing who was waving them down. ¡°Been quite some time since I¡¯ve seen you here! Welcome back, you be havin¡¯ your regular drink?¡± ¡°Most certainly, Tyrian, I¡¯m surprised you remember what that is with all the customers you serve.¡± I¡¯Kira smirked. ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought the young mistress wit ya, welcome Yuki. What will you be having tonight?¡± the barkeep bellowed. ¡°Well, I think I''ll be having some of that stew and a large pint of your local brew. One can¡¯t go wrong with the popular choices.¡± Yuki smiled back at the disheveled half-elf. Tyrian was tall, muscular, and unkempt. His gray-blond hair was tied into a messy knot with a black ribbon, stragglers of uncaught strands hanging over his face. His blue-gray eyes constantly flicking between the group at the bar and across his domain, always vigilant of trouble brewing. He kept a close watch of the patrons that visited his establishment. Nary a few fights broke out inside the Kindled Hearth, but it did happen and Tyrian stopped them with swift precision. Yuki had heard tales of Tyrian from her father. Before he was a tavern owner, he had fought for the protection of the Southern region of Tyria. He was neither on the side of Light or Dark, but rather, fought for those of the unclaimed villages -villages having no Panthetic Lineage. ¡°Very good choices! I¡¯ll have it prepared and sent to your table. The second floor has a few open seats I believe. You all can take the server¡¯s stairs up there if you do not wish to cross the sea of drunken idiots.¡± Tyrian chuckled, waving his hand to the aforementioned masses. ¡°I think we will take you up on that Tyr. Thank you.¡± I¡¯Kira said, sliding payment across the bar. ¡°Igris, do you want anything? Or did you get your fair share of liquid from the splash?¡± Igris glared at I¡¯Kira and replied, ¡°I¡¯d have an ale, no food though, I¡¯m still stuffed from dinner tonight.¡± Tyrian nodded and yelled back to the kitchen. ¡°Enjoy the show! I hear it''s going to be a good one tonight! Some chap by the name of Quillrick I believe. Although I haven''t heard of ¡®em, lots of folks apparently have. Haven''t seen a crowd this big since the Great Yuske came to town years ago.¡± Tyrian hollered while showing the trio to the stairs behind the bar. The barkeep bid them fairware as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. It wasn¡¯t as packed up here as it was down below, but there were still many people clamoring around the railings trying to get the best view they could of the stage. The group found an empty booth to the right of the stage, offering a good view that was slightly obstructed by the individuals around them. Within a few minutes of being seated, their food and drinks arrived. Yuki scarfed the stew down quickly, unable to hold back her aggressive hunger, while the other two sipped their drinks and waited for the show to start. Suddenly, the tavern went pitch black and silent. Two dancing lights illuminated the stage as a halfling appeared from the darkness with a lute in hand. The void receded slightly as the halfling took center stage, allowing the fires to bring a soft glow around the tavern. ¡°Hello Matari, my name is Quillrick Goodbarel! It is a pleasure to be performing here tonight and I hope you find my stories riveting, my songs inspiring, and my jokes to your liking.¡± Quillrick plucked his lute as he was talking, producing a soft melody that gave his words a calm serenity. The bard began his set with a song about a wayward adventurer in the Dragonsplane of Yutera. The song detailed this adventurer¡¯s time wandering the land, coming across dragons and their kin. There were no battles, no conflict, only humorous reflections of the conversations this adventurer had with the dragons. Quickly following the song, he moved to jokes about dragons, their gold, and their unwillingness to share. The crowd laughed whole-heartedly at his act, cheering the bard on for more and throwing coins on stage to show appreciation to the masterful performance. More songs were played, more jokes were told, and more coins were given. The air of his performance shifted, with his lute playing a melancholy tune. The shift in tone quieted the room as the bard spoke. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°This next tale is still unfolding, the ramifications of the hero¡¯s actions still being felt. It hasn¡¯t come to its conclusion yet, but the partial story is worth telling until its end is made clear. It begins in Gracefell, the capital city North of here, just East of the Caol Mountains.¡± Quillrick continued to play a soft, sad melody behind his story allowing his words to take front stage. Yuki had enjoyed the performance so far, but up until this point, I¡¯Kira had been less than attentive. As the name of the city fell from Quillrick¡¯s lips, I¡¯Kira¡¯s ears instantly twitched and he became utterly engrossed in the story. ¡°As many of you are aware, the Panthetic Seat of Darkness has disappeared from the lands North of here. While Gracefell wasn¡¯t the Panthetic Capital, it did act as the trading hub for the kingdom. The dwarves being the lineage of the Dark Deity, their main cities exist in the mountains and the Panthetic Capital was no different. During my stay in Gracefell, I wandered across a group of adventurers, the first official G.U.I.L.D. party I have ever encountered. Curious as to what they were in the city to accomplish, I asked them to tell me about their assignment. The individual I assume to be their leader was very kind and open about what they were there to accomplish, ¡®Discover the cause of the recent plague spreading out from the mountains.¡¯ he said. I doubt the news has reached this far south, but the area around the mountain has become a desolate place. The grass has turned gray and sharp to walk on without metal-lined boots, the trees have wilted and died, the animals have become crazed and rabid, and the lakes and rivers have become toxic with their inhabitants turning as vicious as those on land. Personally, I no longer felt safe traveling on the western side of the mountains. Luckily the plague hadn¡¯t spread far east, allowing travel to Gracefell relatively securely. I was happy that there was a party going to discover what had happened, what had started this sickness spreading. The citizens of Gracefell were equally grateful to these adventurers, so much so that there was a massive festival wishing them luck in their expedition. I had never heard such a passionate speech like the one from the leader of the group. I believe this town knows this individual very well actually. His fur is the color of snow, stained with red patches around his eyes and the tips of his ears. He wore a set of fine leather armor and gloves carved with intricate runes. I believe his name was Iskra Kai¡­¡± Quillrick paused his story, the sound of cheers and applause drowning out the lute¡¯s melody. Yuki turned to I¡¯Kira and stared adamantly at his face, watching his expression flick from hope to worry. She attempted to get his attention, but it was useless with I¡¯Kira currently enthralled by the story unfolding on stage. ¡°Iskra was determined to discover not only the secrets of the plague but the cause of the Kingdom of Dark¡¯s disappearance. With many dwarves in attendance of this festival, he was met with cheers as loud as your own. They had lost their ancestral birthplace and were excited to hear that there were people ready to uncover the mystery. The festival went on into the night with dancing, music, and free flowing ale. In the morning, before anyone could wish them farewell, they had departed.¡± Quillrick¡¯s lute let out a moan-filled melody, turning the atmosphere in the room from cheerful to daunting. The crowd silenced as the mood shifted and Quillrick continued to play that haunting tune in the void. ¡°I awaited their return, hoping for a story to bring hope to the masses of this area. I waited and waited, then I waited some more¡­ They have yet to return to this day. They left two months ago and not a word has come from the mountains. Communications to the Dwarven Capital, Caol, and the smaller village of Dirthmire in the southern mountains have also ceased. The plague has begun to spread to the east slowly, however, it has extended now into the Dyster Forests to the south. The Elven city that lies hidden in those leaves has also sent no word, no trade to Gracefell, and no signs of life are sensed by those who walk near. Soon, Matarians, the plague will reach here too, I pray that you are ready. I pray that the adventurers are currently fighting the perpetrators and perpetrators of this curse. I do not tell this tale to scare or dishearten but to inspire and ask for aid. Those who can fight, I beg of you please, be ready. Those who cannot, I advise you to find a new land to call home for the future. I have seen the madness this curse causes, I have seen the devolution of people into beasts. For the sake of your family and friends, leave when the time comes.¡± With his final words spoken, Quillrick¡¯s lute ends its desolate tune and he walks off stage, the coins left on stage untouched by the bard. In the silence, he walks to the exit of the tavern and before leaving, he speaks quietly to no one, ¡°I hope Master Kai returns to you unharmed.¡± The tavern was still, no one daring to break the tension in the room. Even the children understood the gravity of the words that fell from the bard''s lips, despite being so inexperienced. Most of the patrons left quickly after the performance ended, a somber air following them home. Murmurs from those left in the Kindled Hearth could be heard and as Yuki listened closely, she could make out the beginnings of plans from those who heeded the advice of the bard. Plans to leave this region and travel to a distant place plans to train and prepare themselves, plans to enroll at the academies before it was too late to learn. Yuki turned her eyes from the stage and the people below to I¡¯Kira, who was staring in shock at the door of the tavern. She had never seen her uncle look as terrified as he did now. The emotion in his eyes matched the feeling she had in her soul and as I¡¯Kira¡¯s dissociative eyes turned lazily towards hers, he whispered to her and Igris, ¡°We must leave. Now.¡± The trio rose from their booth and stumbled out of the tavern. Those watching them leave might have assumed they had fallen under the Kindled Ale¡¯s spell, all three swaying in a daze as they retreated home, the stars in the night sky illuminating their way. The trip to the manor took a lifetime as the story from the bard remained firmly ingrained in their minds. Yuki only realized they had arrived when a manor guard acknowledged their presence at the gate. I¡¯Kira invited Igris to stay in the guest room, wanting to speak with him in the morning. Igris absently agreed and headed into the manor. I¡¯Kira solemnly gazed at Yuki as she walked ahead of him toward the manor entrance. She turned around upon reaching the door and met his eyes as he held his ground ten feet away. The look they shared spoke volumes as they understood that each had the same question circling their head, begging for an answer. Is Iskra¡­ Is Father¡­ Still alive? An Unaddressed Present As the sun rose over the rolling hills of the countryside of the Kai Estate, Yuki groggily rolled out of her bed. The night¡¯s sleep was anything but restful, as it was plagued with nightmares of her father. Various scenarios viciously tormented the young kitsune, showing hundreds of ways her father may have met his fate. Getting dressed and stumbling down to the dining area, Yuki was met with two faces that must have had similar experiences during the night. There was one shining smile to break through the gloom, her Mother, humming the same familiar tune as she worked on breakfast for the three disheartened individuals. Yuki sat next to Igris, his face turned to the floor trying to hide the huge bags under his eyes. I¡¯Kira sipped at his steaming mug filled with what smelt like lavender tea, his eyes betraying that not a wink of sleep was had. They sat in silence for a while, only the sounds of Hiromi¡¯s cooking occasionally prompting them to look up. Hiromi sat plates filled with fruit, bread, meats, and jam on the table, breaking the three out of their stupor. ¡°You three must¡¯ve had quite a night. It¡¯s never been this quiet at the table.¡± Hiromi said, studying the faces that occupied her dining table. ¡°What happened to make you three so stoic this early in the morning?¡± she asked, while turning to get the teapot off the stove. She poured three cups of the tea, placing them down in front of Yuki, Igris and her seat before sitting down at the table. I¡¯Kira cleared his throat and glanced at Yuki and Igris, both at a loss for words and unable to answer Hiromi¡¯s question. ¡°Igris here,¡± I¡¯Kira started, tilting his head towards the young man, ¡°Thought It would be a good idea to see the new bard that had arrived in town last night and decided Yuki¡¯s company was required. I agreed and we all went to see the show at The Kindled Hearth.¡± ¡°Well that sounds like fun, however I fail to see why this prompted all of you into this sour mood.¡± Hiromi jested. ¡°Most of tales the bard told were full of fun and jokes, but the last tale he spun sent worry through the entire town.¡± I¡¯Kira trailed off, letting silence engulf the Kai Manor. Hiromi¡¯s smile faltered and she looked closer at her daughter and Igris, both unable to meet her eyes. I¡¯Kira continued recounting the night to Hiromi, ending his retelling with a summary of the last tale the bard had in his act. Hiromi¡¯s face fell, now understanding why gloom had settled over the residents of Kai Manor. ¡°If a bard¡¯s tale can be considered true, we must do something! We must let the G.U.I.L.D. know!¡± Hiromi cried out, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°I plan on just that Hiromi, I¡¯ve spent all night preparing. I will be going across the sea to Maketi, the closest academy location, and filing a report. As well, I will be applying for expedited accreditation so that I may begin my search.¡± I¡¯Kira declared, adding under his breath, ¡°I never should have let him leave by himself.¡± ¡°You cannot blame yourself for something out of your control, I¡¯Kira. You would have gone with him, and he would have had you too, if not for the stupid rules they have to follow.¡± Hiromi stated, her voice cracking as she held back sobs. ¡°Yuki. Igris. I will leave your training in the hands of my second, Nobri. She will be able to continue the regiment that has been left in Iskra¡¯s sted. As well as the modifications I have made that include the two of you training together.¡± I¡¯Kira said as he stood from the table making his way to the door of the manor. ¡°If you think for a second I¡¯m staying here and not coming with you to Maketi, you best think again!¡± Yuki roared. ¡°I will not sit by and let father go unfound!¡± ¡°Yuki, I understand your outrage, but you are nowhere near ready for this. I will find him, I swear this to you as the leader of the Shadows of Kai.¡± I¡¯Kira responded, bowing to her with his hand across his chest. He turned to Hiromi replicating his actions and without letting Yuki refute his declaration I¡¯Kira left the manor and headed to the stables. ¡°Mother, this isn¡¯t right! I should be going with him! Is it not my duty to find Father?¡± Yuki shot up from her seat and pleaded to her mother. ¡°No! It isn¡¯t!¡± Hiromi exclaimed, the words sending Yuki back into her seat. Realizing her voice was raised, Hiromi calmed herself and continued, ¡°It is your Uncle''s duty, that is what the shadows were formed to do. Continue your training like he instructed.¡± Hiromi switched her attention to Igris, ¡°Igris, with this new information, I believe it is time for you to move to the estate. You are to be Yuki¡¯s shadow, yes? Please inform your family of this transition. I know you help around the smithy so we will be sending one of our family smiths to help lighten the load now that we are moving forward.¡± Igris replied with a nod and moved to leave the manor. He looked back over his shoulder at Yuki, guilt and sorrow written across his face. Yuki noticed something else there, a strong determination, almost like the news had given Igris the motivation to move forward with his training in earnest. Yuki wondered if he felt responsible for the change happening on the estate. As the door to the manor closed, Igris could still hear the two women arguing inside and with a sigh he slowly walked back into Matari to inform his family of his fate. The next week was filled with excruciating training for Igris and Yuki. Nobri was cut from the same cloth as I¡¯Kira, unforgiving and ruthless during training, but caring when it was over. The days were longer now, starting training before the sun had risen and ending well after it had set. The pair worked on their coordination with each other with Nobri instructing them how to cover each other, how to use their individual strengths to bolster their weaknesses. The training was extensive and grueling. They spared with each other, against pairs of shadows, and against groups of shadows. Every day the number of opponents increased, so far they had bested a group of six as a pair. During the week, Igris and Yuki had discovered how to work together, sharing an innate sense of where the other was in combat. They no longer needed words to communicate during their matches, instead they had hand signs and glances that told them what they needed to know. Every night they spent their last waking hours journaling the day¡¯s training session and incorporating each other¡¯s notes on how to perform better. The determination of the pair was fueled by the bard¡¯s plea for help, pushing them past their limits, helping them grow. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Although the training was rough, especially for Igris, the pair used each other to lean on. Igris hadn¡¯t had the upbringing that Yuki had endured. His childhood was full of wandering the town and getting into mischief with his friends. The care free life of one who didn¡¯t have responsibilities looming overhead in the future. When he got older, his father, the town¡¯s smith, had made him into his apprentice and Igris began his training in metal work. His muscles grew every day, along with his endurance for the heat. By chance, he met a young Yuki on a sunny summer day. She was following her father to a town meeting and their eyes met for just a moment. That day he skipped out of his work and snuck into the meeting to have a chance to talk with her. Also on that day, Igris met I¡¯Kira, who more proficiently took Igris by surprise. I¡¯Kira took Igris under his wing, seeing the potential of a new shadow for the family. Since then, Igris had been working towards the goal of being Yuki¡¯s Shadow when she came of age. The end of the week came fast, and as the two were headed back to the estate after ending the day¡¯s training early, they found no one was out on the estate grounds. It was eerily quiet as they approached to front door to the manor. Igris and Yuki looked at each other, questioning silently with their eyes. Yuki took hold of the handle and pulled it open to the shouts of ¡°SURPRISE!¡± Knocked back into Igris with the sheer volume of the cheers, Yuki peered inside to find all of the manor¡¯s staff, the different shadows, and her mother clapping and welcoming them inside. The foyer of the manor was decorated for a celebration, but Yuki¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t remember what the celebration was for. The pair walked inside just as Hiromi snuck off into the kitchen and retrieved a cake with an 18 written out with fruit on top. Right, it''s my birthday¡­ how could I forget? Yuki thought, mentally slapping her forehead. There were cheers and congratulations from all in attendance; however, Yuki painfully noticed the two figures lacking in the room, her Uncle and her Father. Putting on the mask of a gracious hostess, she continued the celebration, and even so, her heart wasn¡¯t in the festivities. Many of the manor¡¯s staff brought gifts for her, leather equipment from the armorer, a new bag from the seamstress that had engraved runes, flowers from the gardener, and other gifts that would just sit on a shelf somewhere in her room. Yuki didn¡¯t mind the non-useful gifts, but she was always more of a pragmatist, enjoying the gifts that could be put to use and not just decorative nonsense. All in attendance drank merrily and ate of the buffet that was supplied by her mother, telling stories of Yuki and her upbringing, reminiscing the growing pains that she and all those in the manor held in their memory. She thanked everyone for coming to her last adolescent birthday, and excused herself outside where she found Hiromi staring off into the sunset. Yuki sat next to her mother and put her head on Hiromi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Mother. It was a very nice party. I appreciate the work you put into it to show me a happy time.¡± Yuki sighed, letting her weight fall onto her mother. ¡°Of course, dear. If only your father was here to see you come of age, I''m sure he would have a wonderful gift for you, and some words of advice for your future.¡± Hiromi said as she placed her arms around Yuki and gave her a gentle hug as they both closed their eyes enjoying the embrace. After the long embrace concluded, Hiromi looked behind Yuki and spotted all the gifts she was lugging around. ¡°Let''s take a look at the Loot you have accrued.¡± she suggested. The two of them sat and inspected the items Yuki was given. ¡°Looks like you have your first oversized bag¡­ I wish I had one when I was your age.¡± Hiromi said with the bag the seamstress had given to her daughter in her hands. Hiromi traced the runes with her fingers and said, ¡°It needs an activation word still. Personally, I¡¯d go with ¡®Store¡¯ and ¡®Retrieve¡¯, but it¡¯s up to you. The leathers you got from Treck also have a few hardening runes on the back. These will last you a while if you take care of them. Ooohhh, and what''s this?¡± From the pile of items that Yuki had deemed useless, Hiromi grabbed a quill and inkwell. The inkwell was completely empty and the quill looked like the one Yuki already had in her desk upstairs. ¡°Someone gave you a ¡®Never-Empty Well¡¯ and a ¡®Remembrance Quill¡¯, do you remember who?¡± She asked her daughter. ¡°I cannot say that I do.¡± Yuki muttered back. ¡°What do they do?¡± Hiromi placed them down and drew out a piece of parchment from her bag, ¡°The inkwell may look empty, but if you open the lid,¡± she said while performing the action, ¡°The ink will start to appear in the vial. As for the Quill, it will remember anything that has been written with it.¡± Hiromi dipped the quill in the ink and wrote a quick note. I love you very much, my daughter. She gave the page to Yuki and said, ¡°Now the quill will be able to write that back out on any surface. You can, of course, remove remembered lines from the quill by focusing on it and using the ¡®Forget¡¯ activation.¡± Yuki looked at the writing devices with a new sense of appreciation as she took the letter from her mother and placed it in her new bag. ¡°I think I will follow your advice, Store.¡± As the words flew from her lips, the letter was sucked into the bag, disappearing from this plane of existence and into wherever the bag had placed it. Ka-Thunk. The sound in the courtyard brought them out of their inspection of Yuki¡¯s new possessions. Standing straight up in the dirt of the yard, a sword sheathed in pitch black scabbard was waiting. It was familiar to both of the women sitting on the stairs of the manor. The hilt, made of silver steel, the pummel housing an onyx gem, and the sheath itself wrapped in a silver tie-cord. Is that Fathers sword?! Yuki internally screamed. Yuki bolted to the sword, gingerly retrieving it from the dirt and wiping it clean. She barely unsheathed it, seeing the obsidian black blade that rested inside. Her eyes darted to her mothers, ¡°Why? Why is this here? How did it get here?¡± she asked her mother, dread coating her questions like a venom. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hiromi breathlessly replied. I have come at the will of my master. He has entrusted me to you, Yuki. Now I give my allegiance to his next of kin. I am yours and yours alone. My name is Osada, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Daunting Future Yuki¡¯s world darkend, not because night had fallen, although that didn¡¯t help, but because of the implications that came with the sword''s appearance in the courtyard. She had never seen her father without his sword. She knew it held some magic as she had seen it float along beside her father when he let go of it during training. The voice in her head also came as a surprise, as her father had never mentioned it being alive, but it did explain why her father was always talking to nothing. Yuki spoke with baited breath, ¡°Osada, what happened to my father. Where is he?¡± Iskra and his party ran into something unexpected during their mission. He decided it was best to not let me fall into the hands of those monsters. I was sent away before I could see the outcome of the battle. I fear for his life, however. He was injured along with the rest of his party. Yuki looked back to her mother with tears in her eyes as she repeated what Osada had told her. Hiromi¡¯s hands rose to cover her mouth, as a soft sob escaped her lips. Both of them let the information hang in the air as they tried to come to terms with what it all meant. Yuki broke the silence with a steadfast declaration, ¡°Mother, I know you don¡¯t want me to leave. I''m now 18 and currently unfit to protect this land. I must gather as much strength as I possibly can, in knowledge, skill, and experience. I think I should head to the Academy in Maketi. No, I must go to the Academy. As much as I would like to have your permission, it is no longer an option for me to wait for you to give it.¡± Hiromi tearfully stared at her daughter standing with her husband''s sword in her hand, new armor in the other, and her bag on her hip. She was the spitting image of Iskra and her words mimicked the same vigor that Iskra had in his. Hiromi wanted to protest, wanted to keep Yuki here, and wanted to ensure her safety within the walls of the estate. She knew however that the Kai family had a tremendous responsibility and with the evidence before her, she knew that Yuki was partially correct. She did have to receive more training, to get stronger in every aspect of her life. ¡°You are correct, you don¡¯t need my permission as of today.¡± Hiromi started, ¡°However, I am still your mother and I hope you understand how this makes me feel.¡± Hiromi stood and walked over to Yuki, once again pulling her into a tight hug, ¡°I believe you should go as well, but I have one condition I would like you to consider. Take Igris with you, he has trained by your side for a few years now and it will be helpful to have him learn more beside you also.¡± The mother and daughter stood in the courtyard, crying and comforting each other. They lingered long enough for Igris to walk out of the door. The two women looked over to him as he said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve interrupted something, I¡¯ll go back inside.¡± Igris went to turn around, but Hiromi stopped him with a cough and continued, ¡°No. It¡¯s alright. Just getting in a few more moments with Yuki before you two head off.¡± Igris looked utterly confused, ¡°What do you mean ¡®Head off¡¯? Where are we going?¡± After the words left his mouth he saw the sword in Yuki¡¯s hand. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that your father¡¯s sword? How did you get that?¡± Before replying Yuki cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ll tell you on the way to Maketi. Pack your bags we are going to the Academy.¡± ¡°The Academy?! I don¡¯t have the funds to get into that place! I don¡¯t have the funds to even attempt the trek there! How will my parents react to this? What am I even going to say to them?¡± Igris¡¯ questions flowed out like a waterfall in the height of the river months. Hiromi answered, ¡°The Kai family will cover the costs of travel and tuition. It was always in the plan for you both to go, the time table has just been pushed forward a little, that''s all. As for your parents, they knew this day would come. Do you think we just abducted you into our training? We got their permission for you to join our estate a while ago, before you started your first day of training even.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to take on the Academy! I barely made it through this last week of training with Nobri.¡± Igris exclaimed. ¡°You best get prepared for this, then!¡± Yuki shot back, her gaze filled with determination. Igris just stared back at the pair, wracking his brain for any way to postpone the trip but coming up with nothing. Igris had never been more than 30 miles away from the town of Matari. It was a terrifying world outside of the walls of the town and the estate. The roads that led to and from the estate and reached off into the distance were indicative of the horrible things that lay in wait for those who travel this vast world. The fear of the upcoming journey was clear on Igris¡¯ face. He didn¡¯t want to leave this town and the safety it provided. He didn¡¯t want to leave his parents, worrying like he had seen Yuki and Hiromi worrying about Iskra. To his dismay, he didn¡¯t have a choice now though, he had signed up for the training willingly and knew this would happen, but it was too soon for him. He sighed and slumped his shoulders in resignation, as Yuki came up and clasped his shoulder. ¡°We will be alright! We have trained for this, to go out into the world and overcome its obstacles. Besides, it¡¯s not like we are going to be completely alone. We will have a caravan that takes us to Hallow Port, and Mother will probably want a few other shadows to follow us to Maketi.¡± Yuki stated as she looked over her shoulder to her mother, who was nodding her head in affirmation. Yuki pushed Igris towards the Manor with her mother following behind. ¡°How about we enjoy the rest of the night, and tomorrow we can plan our trip out? Less to be scared of when we know what we have to do, right?¡± Igris sullenly nodded his head, outwardly showing the hesitation he was feeling. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The festivities continued well into the night, most of the attendees becoming downright sloshed, Yuki and Igris amongst them. Games were played and songs were sung, by the end of the night Igris had completely forgotten what lay ahead of them. Yuki, however, even in her inebriated state, kept thinking about Osada and her father. Osada had said that the ending of the battle was unknown to them, so there was a chance that her father was still alive. Yuki clung to that hopeful thought like a liferaft. Although very slim, there was a chance he could come back, that I¡¯Kira would be successful in finding another party to search for them. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be the one to find him, not now that she had the next three years of her life dedicated to the Academy. There was a fear that she wouldn¡¯t be accepted into the Academy. That she wasn¡¯t skilled enough or that the year''s applicants had already been decided and she was too late. Yuki wasn¡¯t worried about the money, but the Kai name didn¡¯t hold much weight outside of the southern portion of Tyria, so she couldn¡¯t rely on reputation. She tried to clear those horrid thoughts from her head, as she continued to enjoy one of the last nights she had on the Kai Estate. One by one, the party guests left the manor, going back to their homes on the estate or traveling back to Matari. Slurred farewells filled the entranceway of the manor, as the last of the guests shut the door. Hiromi had long since retired to her room, and Yuki and Igris were left alone sitting in front of the fireplace. Igris stoked the fire after putting another log on, ruminating on something Yuki couldn¡¯t figure out. She watched him stare into the fire, poking at it absently, but decided to leave him to his thoughts. She only noticed then that Osada had been floating on her back the entire night, however no one said anything about it. The sword seemingly acted as though the sheath was attached to her back. She double checked that it wasn¡¯t and found she hadn¡¯t mistaken this assumption. She retrieved the sword from behind her and held it close to her chest, hugging it like she wished she could her father once again. Yuki and Igris stayed there for a couple of hours, sobering themselves through their thoughts. As the fire turned to ash, Igris got up from his spot directly in front of it and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to sleep, don¡¯t be up too late Yuki. Apparently, we have a long couple of weeks ahead of us.¡± Yuki nodded to Igris as he retreated up the stairs and to his room. She laid the sword across her lap and unsheathed the blade slightly. The obsidian black blade was well polished and razor sharp. She noticed runes scrawling up towards the tip, but didn¡¯t understand runescript enough to know what they did. As she stared at the sword, its voice entered her mind. Are you curious about my runes? Did my former master not teach you about them? ¡°No, not really. He was more interested in training my physical abilities than my mental ones.¡± She replied. Ah, that makes sense. He was quite¡­ lackluster about it, wasn¡¯t he? Yuki let out a small chuckle. ¡°Yeah, he was. Have you always been able to talk to him?¡± Not always. There needs to be a certain connection between an item like myself and the welder of it. I''m actually quite surprised that you could hear me straight away. ¡°Why is that?¡± Normally, it takes a few battles or years of comradery to be able to attune with an item with my capabilities. Although, I do sense that we have not become completely attuned. Our starting point is farther along than most others would be however. In time, we will both discover how to better pair with one another. ¡°I have seen Father use you to channel his spells and magic through. Are you telling me that I will be able to do that as well?¡± Potentially, but not necessarily. There might be a better way we work together. You see, I have a special ability to conform to my wielder. Before I was your fathers sword, I was a trident for one of the merfolk of Aquaris. Before that, I was a dagger for a gnomish rouge. ¡°How is that possible? You just magically transform when you are found by another person?¡± Yes and no. I have my own mind and my own sense of right and wrong. I also have a keen ability to sense the intentions of those who touch my handle. There have been those who have found me and intended to use me for purposes I deem¡­ unworthy. With those individuals, I have generally found a way to become displaced from their other possessions. ¡°So you can escape, for lack of a better word.¡± Correct. But it takes time and mana that I have to cultivate. I also have limits to this ¡°escape¡± as well. I cannot repeat these actions more than once every 50 years. I have to choose carefully when using my abilities that do not require a wielder. ¡°What do you think of my intentions? Do I seem worthy to you?¡± Yuki questioned the blade. She feared its response. If her intentions did not align with Osana¡¯s, would the last piece of her father escape her grasp? From what I can tell, you and Iskra share a heart. Your will and his will feel similar to me. Maybe that''s why our attunement is farther along than that of others who have tried to wield me. Do not worry. I will be with you for as long as you will have me. I promised Iskra. Yuki let the sword''s words linger in her mind before standing and retiring to her room. Upon entering, she let her bag fall from her waist and crawled into bed, placing the sword down beside her. Her arm rested across the black scabbard as she drifted to sleep, her future uncertain and daunting.