《The Price of Knowledge》


 001. Fire

    Cold night air stung Sirius''s lungs like daggers, but he couldn''t afford to stop running through the forest.


    Fire was spreading behind him, hot wind scorching his green robe. Like a wild animal running for its life, Sirius sprinted away, dodging tree after tree, stumbling on roots, loud heartbeat drowning the sounds of the crackling wood. Once again boy turned back, his golden eyes catching a glint of the blaze. Master Verden said he will join him after he deals with a problem. He was a powerful mage, so it shouldn''t take too long.


    Sirius felt a strong pull of mana in the air, as if a lake was being sucked into the ground. His soul was being torn away from his body, and he fell to his knees, clutching his heart in his desperate attempt to stay alive.


    Then came the flash.


    The bright purple and green light illuminated his back, his skin burning from its radiance. Then the shockwave. It forcefully pushed Sirius forward, almost impaling him on a branch. Sirius tumbled to the ground and witnessed what happened to his home.


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    The darkness was the first what he saw. Fire was blown away by a blast, extinguished into nothingness. Then his eyes adjusted. Trees were fallen and charred, dry autumn grass flickering with fire all around him. Embers were lifting into the sky, drawing the outline of enormous tree that appeared in place of his home, menacingly hanging above, hiding the night sky behind its wide canopy.


    "Uncle..."


    Not a sound.


    "Master Verden! Where are you!" In desperation he cried out.


    He continued to call out his uncle, but alas. After an excruciatingly long minute, his throat gave up, reducing his pleas to a whisper.


    Tears began swelling in his eyes, blurring his vision, and he fell to the ground. His head rung like a bell, each heartbeat sending painful pangs all across his body. Sirius tried to calm down, but nothing went his way. Under his robe something moved, and a pearly coloured serpentine head appeared from under his wide collar. Sensing the boy''s distress it licked his chin covered in tears.


    "Not now, Seth, we need to go..." Sirius said, his voice a shivering whisper. He stood up, pulling a cape over his golden hair, and weakly stumbled towards the village. The long walk awaited him.

 002. Rivervale

    The sunrise is due in an hour, but the village was already bustling. This night everyone in Rivervale was awoken by a thunderous explosion from somewhere in the woods, away from the capital. Guards and priests of the church were on standby, in case it was the attack from the east. The end of the Kingdom''s influence was less than a day of travels that way, so the distress was very tangible.


    Every villager expected troops from that direction, but one man. Father Gregor was the only person in the Rivervale who knew that east of the settlement was a hut of Verden, his old friend. Verden intentionally was making a detour to enter the Rivervale from south to avoid suspicion, so Gregor was guarding southern gates, hoping to see a familiar face in the woods. The lantern he held didn''t give off a lot of light, and it was barely enough to notice a movement from behind the trees. What he saw gave him shivers.


    He saw a teen, no more than 15 years old, every inch of his body covered in dirt. His hair was soiled so much, it was impossible to deduce its color. The robe was torn in many places and drenched in mud, hanging on his small frame.


    Gregor began walking forward, warning the guard that he knew this person. First he walked slowly, but the worry pushed him forward faster and faster, until he reached the boy.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement."Sirius, it''s me Gregor. Where is..." He said, lifting the lantern. As soon as light touched boy''s face, Gregor gasped. The golden eyes of the boy were bloodshot and wide open, his gaze unfocused, streaks of tears marking his dirt covered cheeks.


    Not saying a word he tightly hugged the boy. Only then the strength left Sirius'' body and he collapsed into Gregor''s arms, and he began wailing, finally giving into his emotions. Gregor gently lifted the boy and carried him towards the village.


    "Who''s that, Gregor?" A guard asked him, ready to defend his friend in case of the trap.


    "Verden''s disciple" He answered calmly "He is in state of shock, I need to bring him to the church to rest."


    "Verden? Didn''t know this hermit had any disciples"


    "It''s not like he kept it a secret, you know. If you talked more with people you would know that such a renown healer had an apprentice."


    Their dialogue was cut short by terrified shouts from eastern wall. Someone spotted a tree made entirely out of crystals in the distance, as the sunshine refracted in its multifaceted surface. It towered over the surrounding forest, dwarfing even the highest trees. Its trunk was extremely windy, like it was made of ropes. It curved from side to side and threatened to fall every minute, but the hard material stood strong, unmoving, like a mountain. And, the most terrifyingly, it stood where Verden lived.


    Gregor shook his head, chasing away a whirlwind of thoughts that took place in his head, and hurried to the hospital. Internally he began connecting the dots, and he didn''t like what was the result of his reasoning.

 003. Hunt

    Sirius once again shook of the dizziness, brought by the warm sunlight piercing the canopy. Wind carried the smell of moist soil in between trees in a forest older than history itself. Among the rustling of bushes a faint chirp revealed a quail. Sirius remembered his mission.


    "Finally some game..." He thought.


    Sirius didn''t dare even mouthing those words, he felt that his thoughts were already too loud and could scare away the bird. Without sound the boy extended his hand and pointed at his prey. He opened his palm, prepared to grasp at something, and stalked the quail from behind the foliage. There was still a couple of strides between him and the quail, but it was outside of his concerns. He was focused on something else entirely.


    Suddenly he clenched his fist and the bird floated away from the ground, tightly squeezed by invisible force. Seconds later, the prey fell silent.


    Sirius winced a little. He was used to the sight of animals losing life, but it was still an unpleasant scene to witness. He stood upright and walked to the motionless bird, now not afraid to make noise.


    "Come out, Seth. Let''s see if there is something for you too."


    The air simmered and a translucent snake materialised mid-air near Sirius, blue and purple glow shining between its pearly scales. The boy removed his cape, revealing his shortly cut golden hair adorning the tanned face. He and the manasnake were together for as long as he could remember, it could be called his pet, but to him it was his companion and only friend in the woods. Sirius gave a small pet to the animal and went to search for eggs that would be the Seth''s reward for a successful hunt. While walking past the bird, he casually tugged the air with his hand, manipulating some of the mana in the air, throwing the prey into his hands. Then he collected several eggs from empty nest, immediately feeding one to Seth and storing the rest in a belt pouch.


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    Now that everything was taken care of, they went home. This part of the forest was well known to them, but Sirius still took time to double check their direction. As a present for his fourteenth birthday he was allowed to go hunting alone, and the excitement from the first success of his own was overflowing.


    Soon in the forest opening Sirius saw the all-too-familiar wooden hut. A man was relaxing on the porch, awaiting the return of his disciple. The bushy brows covered his eyes, and a neatly cut beard fluttered from his calm yet powerful breathing. His pale white skin contrasted greatly with jet black hair littered with white hairs. Noticing the boy coming out of the grove, he stood up, his face bearing a smile of a proud teacher.


    Sirius, unable to contain his excitement, began sprinting towards the hut waving his hand high in the air, showing off his trophy to Verden.


    "Uncle! I''m home!"


    "It''s master Verden for you!"


    "Yes Uncle!"


    "Why am I even trying?... Let''s go, I want to know what spell you decided to use. You didn''t ask Seth to catch the bird, didn''t you?"


    "Not really..."


    "Didn''t you?"


    "I did..."


    "Then the next time you will go alone."


    "Yes, master Verden..."


    "Now-now, I''ll make your favourite stew. Either way, you earned it."


    They went inside and into the kitchen, where Sirius put the quail on the table and began watching his master kindle a fire in a stove. Verden twisted his wrist in the air, his index finger leaving a green trail, filled with warm sensation. Sirius enjoyed watching his master cast spells, no matter how simple they were, but something felt wrong with this colour and mana inside. Sirius felt distress and fear when looking at the arc, but he was too slow to stop his master. As Verden completed the circle, something imploded and filled the air with mana, sucking it from outside. A blazing wave rushed in every direction, drowning the hut in fire and burning the lungs with intense heat.


    Then Sirius woke up...

 004. Hospital

    Sirius jolted from sleep with his heart pounding like a hammer, threatening to shatter his ribcage. He tried to sit up, but his whole body ached, so he remained lying in an unfamiliar bed. He felt a gentle touch on his chest. The male hands were rough, but their movements were careful and precise, that of an experienced mage. The man''s wrists were decorated with bracelets - white for his right hand and black for his left - as sign of a priest of Twin Gods church. He wore a black robe with white floral snakes on the edges and high collar, ending under his dark hair. Sirius knew this person. Father Gregor often visited his master''s home and taught Sirius some magic of the church. With that, the memories of yesterday began surfacing in his foggy mind.


    "Father Gregor... Uncle..."


    "Good morning, kiddo. You are in dire need of rest, so don''t overexert yourself. The body is still healing."


    "Have you met?.."


    "Verden? Sorry, but I did not."


    Sirius closed his eyes.


    "Explosion..."


    Gregor stiffened. "What explosion?"


    "Uncle said... to run... But... He was still there..." Tears seeped from behind his eyelids.


    "Was there anything else?"


    "I don''t remember..."


    Gregor felt silent and thought for a minute about all these details. He then got up and went for the door.


    "Then let it wait for when you are healthy. I will bring breakfast."


    "Not hungry..."


    "I will bring it anyways. Try to eat anything, treat that as a medicine."


    Sirius heard the door close. He tried to think of yesterday, but the only thing he could remember was soul-shatterring thunder, blazing fire, bright flash and pain. Deep, dull, gnawing at his heart pain.


    Trying to distract himself he tried to meditate. With his eyes closed, Sirius'' mind wandered around him, touching the mana in the air, feeling its gentle movement like a breeze. When he felt acquainted with the surrounding mana, he began trying to pull and push it around in tact with his breathing, like he did hundreds of times when practicing. The moment he felt mana pass through his body, terror flooded his mind. He saw everything again. Flash. Thunder. Fire. Crystals. Powerful pull of the surrounding energy, like a vacuum, tearing his mind apart. He lost concentration and control of his emotions, as intense feelings sent mana around him in disarray. In fear his arms and legs were tense, his unfocused eyes tried to find shelter, and his mind tried to save itself from the danger.


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    The door opened with a loud bang, bringing Sirius back to reality. Gregor tightly hugged the boy, despite all the ice that appeared around him, sharp spikes poking in every direction. In daze, Sirius looked around. The room was covered in frost, the temperature dangerously close to freezing point. Candles were extinguished, thin strands of smoke lifting up, irritating smell filling up the room. The bed he was sitting on froze stiff and was no longer comfortable as it was just a minute ago.


    "Are you all right?"


    Sirius flinched.


    "I don''t know..."


    "Did you remember something?"


    "I do now... Green and purple flash. Verden asked me to tell you something about flashing silver."


    Gregor released the boy and held him by his shoulders. He looked directly in the golden eyes.


    "Are you sure? Did he said the words Silver Flash?"


    "I think so..."


    "I need you to promise me something."


    "I mean... Sure... What is that?"


    "Not a soul will hear that phrase again. Neither from you nor me. Got it?"


    "Yes... But why?"


    "There are many dangers in this world and in the Kingdom, so we had a number of emergency codes and plans for resolution. Silver Flash was one of them."


    Sirius gulped. "And what does this one mean?"


    "I will tell you that when you will recover. For now, you are in safety. All I can say is - some bad people wanted to take you away."


    "Is that it?"


    "And..." Gregor took a deep breath. "Verden could not protect both you and himself."

 005. Recovery

    A couple of days passed. Seth have finally forgiven Sirius for the icy outburst in the infirmary. As a snake, he wasn''t so fond of cold temperatures. However, not everything changed. Nightmares became an integral part of Sirius'' life. Past followed him out of the hospital bed and was haunting his mind in the Father Gregor''s house. Gregor also told Sirius about the "bad people" that came after him - it was the Silver Order, they control the church and access to magic. Sirius concluded they didn''t like that Sirius studied magic, but Gregor didn''t comment on his thoughts, just asked not to talk about it in the village. He also promised to tell him about Verden, when Sirius will be ready to handle this story.


    Today was the day when Sirius has regained some strength, so in the morning Father Gregor asked him to help in the church, in an attempt to distract boy from dark thoughts. So right after the breakfast they went there. As a Priest, Gregor lived just beside the church, so the path was not that long. Sirius have seen this Twin Gods church before, but didn''t really took time to marvel at the architecture. The chapel was of a hexagonal foundation, staying distinctly from the usual housing in the Rivervale. Symmetric features adorned the walls, black and white emblems on sturdy walls drawing in the attention. Front wall had a twofold doors with one half painted black and another - white. Two towers raised above the roof, also made of black and white stone.


    "Taking in the view?" Father Gregor said from behind Sirius.


    "Something like that. Why not make the church more colourful?"


    "The church is a place for people to look inside themselves. To see yourself you need to appear on a blank canvas. Only by looking at a painting without the background can you notice mistakes. Now, let us go inside. It is much more inviting there."


    Sirius walked and thought about these words. What would remain of him if only he was left in the world. Without anyone to rely on, like in a void, what could he create by himself? Will his life even have meaning then?...


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."You need to pass through the black half" Gentle voice pulled Sirius from contemplation.


    "Why? Isn''t there just one door?"


    "True, but it is considered a ''male'' half of the entrance. It is said that men and women are halves of a humanity as a whole, and so are both entrances a halves of the door. I find this tradition a bit tedious, but it was there long before us, so people abide, and so should you."


    "Fine..."


    Inside the church everything apart from the altar was rather ascetic, almost empty even. A couple rows of pews lit by candles were separated by a main pathway. Altar, standing in the depth of the church had black and white shapes separated by thin golden lines, a rare spot of colour in the whole place. Above it stood two statues made of white and black marble.


    "Are these Twin Gods?"


    "Correct. Did you study them?"


    "Not really... Uncle... he..." He made a deep breath to calm down. "Uncle Verden... didn''t tell me about the church. He taught me about the world and a bit of medicine."


    "Understood. Then I shall tell you in his stead. Sit besides me." Said Gregor while taking a place in a front pew. "Look at these statues, what do you notice?"


    "They are very similar."


    "Yet they are the opposites. That is because the world is a place of duality. Where there is a disease, there is a cure. When war ends, peace begins. For order, we need to remove chaos, but there is no shadow without light, and no happiness without sadness. Today will be sermon and I would like you to listen carefully."


    "But why? I don''t believe that some powerful creature rules us."


    "Curious and defiant, like your master. It is a religion of our Kingdom, to blend in you need to go to church. Not only that, it allows people to use magic."


    "I don''t want to."


    "I thought you liked learning? What changed?"


    "..."


    "We are here alone, you can tell me. I promise to keep everything a secret."


    "I need more time. That''s all."


    "Sure thing. Then while you are waiting I have a task for you to do. Maybe you will change your mind. Can I ask you to polish chandeliers?"


    "Sure..." Sirius stood up.


    "Let me fetch the tools and you can begin."

 006. Sermon

    At first Sirius was skeptical, but polishing metal turned out rather pleasant. Not a thought entered his head during that day, just calm glint of iron, illuminated by dancing flames, soothing his mind. These flames were so different from... those. Never could Sirius believe that fire was that scary. He knew that it could scald your skin if you are not careful, but now he truly understood the danger... Choking sensation sometimes stirred in his mind when he carelessly touched hot wax of a candle, but the calm atmosphere quickly dispelled his worry.


    Eventually, all chandeliers were clean. Just now Sirius noticed that people were gathering on the pews. Some were solemnly whispering under the breath, reading a prayer, others were admiring the interior or reading a book, relaxing after a long day. In the end, Sirius decided that he deserved a bit of rest and picked a spot for contemplation on the last pew, closer to the exit.


    Statues of Gods towered over people, easily thrice their height. Sirius began observing the towering figures, trying to understand what was opposite between them. Mythos, the black statue to the right of the altar, had a sword on his hip and carried a staff with a snake coiled around it. Mythra stood opposite him, sword replaced by herbalist''s pouch and staff was coiled with vines.


    Surprisingly, other details didn''t match their characters. Mythos was gently smiling, his robes flowing like in water, and Mythra was frowning, her clothes creased and jagged along the edges.


    "Let us start." Male and female voices sounded in unison. It was Father Gregor and some other woman in white robes, their outfits mirroring that of Gods. Both priests in high-collared shirts and flowing, almost weightless robes on top were holding hands, sooty-black garments of Father Gregor contrasting with snowy-white ones of a priestess.


    They began reading the prayer. They thanked the gods for their gifts, thanked Mythra for the era of peace she upheld, and asked Mythos to postpone his reign. They praised both Twins equally, so as not to bring their wrath upon their homes. Sirius listened to the prayers, looking at the rhythmical pulsing of flames. The words said were filled with calm and bliss, and these intense emotions of all the people in the church unwillingly mixed into mana around them and seeped into the environment. Sirius began observing and feeling the surroundings with great interest. No wonder he felt so calm in here, over the years the whole building was overflowing with calmness and cured the minds of the people.


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    Suddenly, he felt a pull at his soul. His thoughts shattered in disarray. In panic he looked around. He was scared. Everyone chanted. What was happening? His soul is in agony. He needs to run. Now! In panic he falls from the pew.


    The shake gave him enough lucidity to stand up and stumble from the church. He slowly went outside and sat on the bench. His clothing is soaked in cold sweat, as if he was dunked in a river. He tried catching a breath, but his body refused, like it was still running.


    "You alright?" A female voice asked


    "Huh?"


    "Are you ok? You look pale." It was a girl, a couple of years older than Sirius, who walked out of the church after Sirius.


    "I''m better..."


    "You are shivering, do you need a coat?"


    "No-no, I''m fine, really..."


    "Nah, I don''t believe you." She said and pulled a coat over Sirius'' shoulders.


    "Thank you..."


    "Can I sit?"


    "Sure..."


    She sat beside him. Her long red hair swayed on the wind, giving off a smell of mint and lavender. The evening sun refracted in the facets of green crystal of a windy rope-like tree, its purple leaves soaking in the last sunlight of the day.


    "Breathtaking, isn''t it?"


    "Maybe..."


    "I didn''t know a Cardinal was traveling in these places."


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Only the highest mages of His Majesty the King could pull such a feat? Whoever created this tree overnight must be a Cardinal, not less!"


    "Why would he go such a places just to place a tree?"


    "I don''t know. But how can someone be this powerful without being a Cardinal?"


    "The border of the Kingdom is that way. Maybe it was outsiders?"


    "Pfft! Don''t be silly! There are only barbarians to the east! Such a beautiful creation MUST be made by Kingdom''s mage for sure!"


    "Sirius, how are you? What happened?" Gregor was rushing towards the boy from the church.


    "I''m fine. It''s just... nothing to worry about."


    "Melissa, thank you for checking out on him, what would I do without you."


    "Yeah, he seemed sickly when he left the church. So you are Sirius, huh? Anyways, I should go. Nice to meet you!" Saying that she waved to Sirius and went home.


    Sirius weakly smiled and waved back, still a bit uncomfortable from the interaction. At least he has finally calmed down from the earlier.


    "She is a nice girl, helps here when she is not occupied in a bakery. Now that we are alone, what really happened, Sirius?"


    "The flow of mana scared me and I panicked."


    "The flow of mana? The one from all the people?"


    "Yes..."


    "Understood. I guess, something traumatised you that night."


    They sat in silence for a minute. Eventually, Gregor made a decision.


    "Let''s go fetch Seth and come to a tree. I hope it will help you."

 007. Tree

    The path was not long, a couple hours at best, but for Sirius it was bringing back painful memories. We grew up here, learned magic, hunted, helped his master around, played with Seth. Manasnake was giving him some courage, tightly tied around his body. Something about its behaviour made Sirius feel like nothing had happened. However, it was not the case.


    The closer Gregor led Sirius to the hut, the more pronounced changes were. Thick roots sprawled for kilometers around the trunk, bulging the earth in some places and opening a pitfalls in others. Gregor carefully threaded the path, leading Sirius closer and closer to the epicentre. Seeing the boy''s distress, he decided to distract him with a stories of the past.


    "Sirius, did you know that Verden was a member of the clergy?"


    "What?"


    "In Kingdom it is forbidden to practice magic if you are not in the church."


    "But why he was not a believer? I thought everyone is."


    "The thing is, he wasn''t born in the Kingdom."


    "Seriously? I thought you two were old friends."


    "Well, we knew each other for a very long time, but we met when we were adults. I was born in Rivervale, and we was a child of druids."


    "Who are they?"


    "Oh, he didn''t tell you. Figures, they exiled him for his specialisation. Some old fart decided that healing is ''against the will of the world'', huh."


    "Wow..."


    "Yeah, Verden invented the healing by studying his own body and the flow of mana. He was given a choice either to stop studying medicine, or be exiled. Of course he decided that other people will be more grateful and left."


    "Is it when you met him?"


    "Yes, I was stranded in the forest, my lungs filled with fluid and I was dying alone, far from home. He found me when I was losing consciousness in these areas. Back then I was young and rather zealous young man, so at first I was terrified. But we talked and I gave up the idea of selling him out to the Order."


    "Why? Wasn''t he a mage as well? And he wasn''t going against their belief."


    "Oh no, he did. He studied magic by himself."


    "And that''s it? Is it enough to be sentenced by Order?"


    "Not only that. Did he teach you about astral bodies?"


    "He only told that it is like a soul and mages can build their souls to become stronger, or something like that."


    "Almost. Astral body, just like your physical one has a number of organs, and mage can condense them when their control of mana reaches a certain point."


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings."What did Verden do wrong with his Astral Body?"


    "In the church Mana Pool must be the first, it is a requirement to become a part of the clergy. Without it a regular person cannot store mana, and townsfolk needs it to participate in sermons. The ritual you witnessed today at sermon was people donating their own mana and recharging the church''s reserves. The sudden flow of mana scared you, I think."


    "Yes, it did. But that night a mana was sucked from the world. It was very painful as well."


    "I can not imagine. Your soul is also made of mana, so it have been pulled as well."


    "So... What did Uncle Verden do?"


    "Oh, yes, of course. Verden, just like any druid, possessed a Mind''s Eye. It is an organ which heightens one''s perception of mana and astral world. That is how he studied human body and why I can''t learn it, since I have no Mind''s Eye."


    "And what happened after you met?"


    "We became friends and after he condensed a Mana Pool I introduced him to the church and the village. He didn''t live there because he was used to living alone, but he often visited Rivervale and cured diseases. Needless to say, for his help he was accepted. The Order was not happy, but they were willing to close their eyes this time, since he helped the townsfolk. They only forbade him from travelling, but either way he didn''t want to."


    By this time they have finally arrived. From below the view was even more terrifying. Thick trunk hanged over them, blotting out the sky, purple leaves shimmering in the last rays of light. From up close, green wood emitted dim light, as if a small suns were trapped inside translucent crystals. Being here was hard for Sirius, he felt the mana move inside these massive branches and in the roots, carrying a powerful flow of world''s energy. Seth was also drawn towards the crystals. Perhaps, as a manasnake that fed of energy, he viewed this whole tree as a nourishment. Not that he could bite into the hard rocks, but clinging to it gave him a lot of pleasure. As for Sirius, he wasn''t as scared like earlier, and it took him a moment to understand why. The whole tree emanated a familiar aura, that of Master Verden''s spells.


    "So it was him..." Whispered Sirius, falling to the knees.


    "What?"


    "It is his spell... He wasn''t killed by the Order... He did it himself..."


    "I knew you would notice that. Yes, it was his Final Flash, an extremely potent spell which united him with the world, like he believed. I even helped him to perfect it."

 008. Final Flash

    Knowledge was painful. Everything inside Sirius'' mind turned upside down. Master never told him about his past, and now his entire person was full of secrets. Gregor rested on a root near Sirius, patiently waiting for boy to take in the revelation. After calming down a bit, Sirius'' curiosity took over. He felt that whatever happened was very important.


    "Why?..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Why did they come here? Wasn''t the Order fine with uncle?"


    "They did not come after Verden. I am afraid they were looking for you."


    "But why me?" Sirius was dumbfounded.


    "The Silver Order has some sort of prophecy about a person of unrivalled magic talent who should play a huge role in the world''s end, be it beginning or ending. No one knows what exactly it means, but they are on their toes about anyone with a talent for magic. You, as you might have guessed, are more capable than you think. You have talent from birth, and Silver Order have somehow found out about you."


    "What do they want?"


    "Control. They want every talent to join their ranks. However, if they can''t control, they must kill them, lest they will go against their rule."


    "So, you think a prophecy telling is about me?"


    "I don''t believe it is real."


    "Why?"


    "The number of people who can not interact with mana decrease over time. In times of my grandfather a mage was a rare occasion, but now, more than half of a village can become a mage, if they want. I think that the Order is afraid of losing control over people, and those who are too capable are deemed dangerous."


    "Are they going to kill me?"


    "Do you want to join them?"


    "No..."


    "That''s good. Their strict teachings will only hinder you. If you want to learn, you must do your own research. They won''t kill you if you won''t stand out too much. So, keep your spells to yourself."


    "Fine."


    "But for now..." Gregor stood up and stretched. "For now you need to stop fearing mana flow."


    "But how?"


    "Well, only time and practice can heal your mind. If you are willing to let go of the past, the ghosts won''t be able to follow you into the future."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more."Let go.. of the past? you mean forget what happened?"


    "No, you must not forget the past. It is an important part of you and your experience. You just need to learn to live with it and use it as a lesson of life. Do not let your master''s efforts be in vain."


    Sirius thought for a bit, listening to small cues of his mind. He was still afraid of that night, and the pain of a loss was still fresh, but now he was ready to try.


    "Yes, you are right. Thank you Father Gregor!" He said and bowed to a priest.


    "While we are away from the prying eyes, do you want to try doing some magic? Just to make sure you are on the path of healing."


    Sirius nodded with determination. He took a wide stance and breathed out. His focus was on his body, not the mana around him. He didn''t have any mana organ condensed yet, so he used his body movements as a guide. With each deep breath, he gradually increased the amount of energy under his control, as he felt it enter and leave his lungs with air. Distress tried taking control of his focus, images filled with terror appeared in Sirius'' mind, but here, in a familiar forest with aura of his master surrounding him, he felt like the most powerful mage in existence. He freed his mind from any thought and tried to cast the first thing that came to mind.


    Sirius moved his arms in circular patterns, stirring the mana around him. The tiny amount of energy he controlled right now would not be enough to move existing matter, much less manifest something into reality. What he could do, though, was control the state of the world. He forged his spell on the go, changing the amount of energy inside mana and separating "hot" mana from "cold", like he did thousands of times during his training. Eventually when there was too much to control and his focus began wavering, he applied the spell to the damp soil, evaporating the water, and freezing it right after. When he opened his eyes, he met a proud gaze of Father Gregor, surrounded by dancing snowflakes.

 009. Guest

    Sun rose once again, showering Rivervale in green flickers from the ''World Tree'', as the townsfolk called the crystalline giant to the east of the village. Somehow getting used to its presence life went on its way, with the usual preparations for winter troubling people a bit. Sirius for the first time in the last two weeks was enjoying the sleep without a nightmares about forest fire and his soul shattering into pieces. But of course the peace could not last forever, as he was awoken by the knock on the front door. Whomever came here this early must have urgent matters to discuss with Father Gregor, Sirius thought. He lazily rolled over from the straw bed on the attic in Gregor''s house and peeked through the floorboards. Father Gregor hastily put the priest''s robe and opened the door.


    "Priest Gregor, may I come in?"


    "Brother Inquisitor, I am honored by your visit! Pardon my manners, please come in."


    Gregor opened the door wider and a person in a robe, divided vertically into black and white haves, came inside. Beautiful patterns of snakes and vines adorned his clothes and his face was covered by a black mask with holes just for eyes. The clothes were just like Father Gregor described the members of the Order. Sirius shuddered and without a sound went back in bed. He closed his eyes and strained his hearing to listen to the guest.


    "Priest Gregor, I come from the Ravenloft Chapel. Half a month ago our people should have visited your church. Did you attend to them?"


    "Truthfully, Silver Brother, I did not meet them. Last time members of the Order visited us in the last week of summer."


    "You are saying the truth. Say, Priest Gregor, what do you know about the tree to the east of your village?"


    "It appeared overnight just around two weeks ago, Silver Brother. Was it the Order''s experiment?"


    "Has anything else happened in the village?"


    "That day was the last when healer Verden came to our village. Also, now that I think about it, some boy appeared in the village from the south the following morning."


    "Describe him."


    "He was around 15 years old, with golden hair."


    "Where is he now?"


    "Why do you need him?"


    Metal singed. Slowly, the blade was unsheathed from under the man''s robe. Sirius'' heart was pounding. He had to do something.


    "Do not defy my order, Priest. Answer me, where is the boy?"


    "I..."


    "Father Gregor, good morning..." Sirius imitated a sleepy voice as hard as he could in his position. He walked down the stairs, rubbing his eyes and then feigned surprise and hastily bowed. "Oh... Greetings, esteemed guest."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."Good morning, Sirius. I didn''t want to wake you up, but now that you are awake, can you please show yourself to our visitor. He is a very important person from the church!"


    Without sheathing the blade, a person looked at the Gregor and then at the Sirius. He lowered his blade, but the arm was ready to strike any second. He walked towards Sirius.


    "Stay still."


    He pulled off his left glove with a pinch of an armed hand and placed his palm on Sirius'' forehead. Sirius felt his astral body bound in shackles.


    "Now tell me, did you learn magic? Do not you dare lie to me, though, as your soul is now in my grasp."


    "Yes, I did."


    "How old are you?"


    "Fifteen, sir."


    "Why did you not condense a Mana Pool?"


    "I did not want to."


    "Why did you not condense any other organ?"


    "I too, did not want to."


    In confusion the man tilted his head.


    "Why? Did you not want to become a mage?"


    "I never knew what magic I wanted to pursue, so I never made a choice."


    Sirius felt a relief as man lifted his hand. He sheathed a sword and began putting his glove back.


    "Your goodwill nearly cost you your life, Priest. The boy is two years late to become a mage. Next time I advice you to follow the Codex and not lie to an Inquisitor. Farewell."


    With that the man went out of the house and closed the door. Long seconds passed in silence. Then, when Sirius was sure the Inquisitor won''t come back, he let out the air he was holding in all this time. A cold droplet of sweat rolled down his forehead, as he slumped down on a staircase.


    "What did he mean?"


    "What?" Gregor fell on a chair, also in a daze.


    "About being two years late to become a mage."


    "On a royal couple birth days every capable twelve-year old is baptised. During the ritual they condense a Mana Pool. If a child misses the day, they miss the chance to become a mage under the church."


    "What about condensing without a ritual?"


    "Any home-condensed Mana Pool is also a bit different from the one achieved during the ritual and is viewed as inferior. Why did you not condense an organ? You are old enough already."


    "I never settled on something in particular."


    "Did you consider Thought Constellation? It will act like a second brain inside your astral body."


    "I did, but then I lose the Mind''s Eye advantage of seeing the unseen of the ability to store mana in Mana Pool. They all seem... I don''t know how to say... Wrong? And my body just doesn''t feel right. I can''t describe it, it''s just a feeling I have."


    "And yet you are still able to cast spells, even if just simple ones."


    "I know how to, but I don''t have loads of experience..."


    "People can''t do that."


    "What?..."

 010. Nature

    "What do you mean people can''t do that?..." Sirius asked again.


    "The astral body is too weak without organs. One can not hold tools without hand or with baby''s arm. There is not enough power to manipulate mana."


    "But I can..."


    "Usually, first training goes towards just feeling its existence, but you are already skilled in that. Only after that can a person learn to shift mana around, without deeper manipulation like you did before."


    "Really?.." Sirius could not believe he was that special.


    "Since when are you with Seth?"


    "I dunno... Since forever? Why are you asking?"


    "The manasnake must see you as a fellow, a member of a pack. And since you was with Seth since you were a kid... It might mean that your talent is innate."


    "Like, from birth?"


    "Yes, from birth. Let''s do an experiment. Stand up in the middle of the room, close your eyes and guess what I am casting."


    Sirius did as he was told. He felt mana move and condense into a rapidly spinning ball. He pointed in the direction of the spell.


    "There! It is... mana is fast and cold. Maybe freezing projectile?"


    "And now?"


    Sirius felt and extremely weak movement above.


    "Above me, something weak, I can''t sense more."


    "What about now?"


    Sirius now felt that the place where Father Gregor just was became empty. He wanted to open his eyes, but heard Gregor''s voice.


    "Don''t open your eyes. Try to point in my direction."


    The voice sounded ethereal, as if coming from every direction at once. There was no sound of footsteps and Sirius felt no movement, but there was some inkling in the back of his mind he could barely fathom.


    "Are you behind, Father?"


    "Dear gods..." Came a voice from behind, and Father Gregor appeared again.


    "Is everything fine?"


    "You may open your eyes, dear. Oh Verden, just who did you find..."


    "What did Uncle do?"


    The expression of Gregor was replaced by fear as he held his mouth.


    "What did Uncle do?" Sirius repeated his question, now slowly saying word after word. Whatever Gregor did not want him to hear was now out of the box.


    "My tongue is my enemy. I am sorry for that, I wanted to keep it a secret for a bit longer. but now it''s too late, isn''t it?"


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator."What secret?" Sirius was feeling uneasy, a tension hung in the room.


    "How to put it lightly... When I and Verden achieved a dignity of Deacon, I gave him an advice to find an apprentice. His skills as a healer were invaluable here and if it could give Kingdom an edge in case of a war or a plague. We searched far and wide, but none was skilled enough to inherit his work. One day when we were visiting a church in Ravenloft we stumbled upon a church''s orphanage."


    "No..."


    "In desperation we went in. Just as Verden crossed the porch, he instantly made a decision. He adopted an infant, still in a crib. He did not tell me why, but he said he was sure that an apprentice will be capable of inheriting his craft."


    "So he is not?..."


    "As far as blood relations go, Verden and you are not related."


    "I don''t believe you..."


    Words stung. Sirius wanted to run away, to wake up, or to fall through the ground right then and there. But he couldn''t. In his mind, pieces of a puzzle that were his life shattered and rearranged. In silence he stood in the middle of the room while Gregor was trying to tell him something he could not hear. Internal turmoil was so great, the world around him began shaking and moving, reflecting the intense feelings of the boy. Sirius was suddenly shaken by the shoulders.


    "Listen here, Sirius!" Words finally entered boy''s mind and made him focus. "Whatever you are thinking now, throw that away. Now answer me without thinking. Did Verden raise you?"


    "Yes..." Images of Uncle making his favorite rabbit stew appeared in his mind, pleasant fragrance of vegetables and filling meal making Sirius salivate.


    "Did he care about you?"


    "Yes..." The robe Sirius wore was made by his Uncle''s hands.


    "Did he teach you?"


    "Yes..." Sirius could read and write thanks to his Uncle''s self-made books.


    "So tell me. Does it matter that much that you are not blood related?"


    "It does not..."


    "Correct, my dear." Gregor hugged Sirius, now that the boy wasn''t tense like a rock. "I could call Verden my brother. I also mourn his death, like you do. Let''s not disappoint him, and remember him for who he was, not who he wasn''t."


    "Yes, you are right." Said Sirius, hugging Gregor in return and shedding tears on his shoulder. "He will forever be my uncle."

 011. Peace

    Life went on its merry way. All his life Sirius studied how to live in the forest, manage household and, in the last several years, basics of magic. Now he was living with Father Gregor in the village, interacted with people and made friends, so overall he liked the change of pace. He was also helping Gregor in the church and was learning the ways of the Twin Gods'' teachings. Sometimes he would partake in rituals and pester Father Gregor with questions he had. Surprisingly, a lot of rituals carried a meaning hidden from non-initiated townsfolk, usually benefitting the church. In return the church allowed them to use magic at home, just by setting up a ritual and following some relatively simple steps.


    Sirius was always told that to cast a spell he needed to know how to separate a hard spell into simple steps of altering the world, like he did with a snow spell. But now, he saw that people drew magic circles with some chalk, recited incantations and prayed for Gods'' help in their ritual. While Sirius found this way strange and overly complicated for something like creating a fire in a stove, he was also incredibly intrigued and wanted to learn more. It allowed people with no mana organs to do magic, after all! So, it was a perfect reason to get access to church''s library where he could learn more of these rituals.


    Winter in Rivervale arrived early and was colder than usual. Fortunately, food preservation efforts lasted all summer, and once again the church provided for the village. Vast cellars stored grain, cheeses and enchanted barrels of vegetables and meat, that remained fresh all winter. Sirius once again noted why the church was so important for villagers. He never looked this way on this village, but magic was tightly woven into their daily life, allowing people to worry less about survival.


    The winter was now in full blow, the blizzard raging outside the stone buildings of Rivervale, threatening to bring to their knees whomever dared to go outside. Sirius listened to the howls of the wind from the safety of the library, where he enthusiastically searched information on magic circles. As a village, the number of books in possession of church was extremely limited, so every diagram was researched to its very last detail.


    "Whatcha doin''?" The sudden voice from behind almost scared Sirius to death.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it."Oh Gods... It''s you, Mark. Please knock next time, or you''ll give me a heart attack."


    "Actually, I knocked. You were so invested in... Whatever you are doing. I didn''t know you could read."


    "Of course I can... Don''t you? I saw you in library before."


    "I only read the sermon texts because we had to learn them by heart. Other than that I liked looking at pictures. So what is that, rituals?" Curly brown hair covered the Sirius'' view of the books. Mark was sun-touched as always, his freckles surrounding sky blue eyes. He was just a year younger than Sirius so they would often hang out after doing chores at homes, eventually becoming friends.


    "Well yeah, I was thinking..."


    "You can do that too!?" Mark teased and they both laughed.


    "But of course! Yeah, so, I looked at these circles and I think I am beginning to understand how they work."


    "What?... does Father Gregor know that you are studying them?"


    "I never told him, but he knows I like magic, so he might have guesses."


    "But... Aren''t these rituals bestowed to us by the Gods themselves? Aren''t you gonna anger them by trying to uncover their secrets?"


    Sirius thought for a moment. He would always forget that to average villager the magic was something of divine nature. A rare person would think of these miracles as some science, like he does.


    "Then I will be smitten from this world. At least I got closer to the miracles during my short life!"


    "Don''t say that! It is no joking matter!" Mark tried covering Sirius'' mouth lest he will really be struck by lightning along with this heretic.


    "No-no wait! I can explain! Look here!" Sirius pulled a piece of wood he was using to experiment.


    "If I will be damned along with you it''s your fault. What is that?"


    "So I tried different stuff... " Sirius took a compass and charted a circle using a black chalk covered in thin leather. "The ritual is a circle and some lines and arcs inside right? And I noticed that whenever the ritual is about fire it has this part..." He than picked a silvery-white chalk and began drawing different circles, lines and arcs, alternating between the two and commenting on his actions.


    "I don''t recognise this ritual... What is is going to do?"


    "You''ll see..." Said Sirius, while finishing the last small circle. He then looked at a rather complex diagram, more complex than any of the diagrams Mark have ever seen in the books. Under the astonished gaze of his friend Sirius took a yellow chalk and began adding symbols by hand, carefully charting mystical runes. In satisfaction he checked everything.


    A knock to the door stopped his inspection. The door immediately opened and Father Gregor walked inside, with the Silver Inquisitor in his wake.

 012. Blasphemy

    Sirius was so stunned and scared, he could not move an inch. He still hated the Silver Order for what they did to his uncle, but did not dare oppose them. Covering everything up now would only bring the anger of Inquisitor upon himself. In panic he got up and bowed, clenching his hands on his chest in the ceremonial gesture of the church - interlocked curled fingers. Mark did the same, but faster, almost inhumanly fast even.


    "Greetings, Silver Inquisitor!" They shouted.


    "You may lift your heads, pupils." He was still wearing that two-coloured robe and a black mask. Despite not seeing his eyes through the abyss-like holes, Sirius knew that the Inquisitor was looking at the board he just finished. "What is that behind you?"


    "It is the ritual I devised, Silver Inquisitor." Sirius asked calmly, trying to remember if there are any rules he broke by doing what he did.


    "Show me."


    Sirius took the smooth board covered in chalk circles and presented it to the Inquisitor with a bow. A man took it and carefully inspected every line.


    "Indeed it is not the ritual from the books." His voice lacked any intonation, not giving any hints whether he was angered or impressed. "And you say that you created it yourself."


    "Yes, it is true."


    "You are not lying. And you say that you know what it will do?"


    "I do, Silver Inquisitor."


    "Tell me."


    "When presented with a piece of coal it will create a fire suspended in the air that will burn for longer than usual."


    Instead of an answer Inquisitor walked to the extinguished fireplace and took out a piece of coal the size of a fist. He placed a board on the empty table and laid a charcoal on top. Golden lines glinted a bit and dimmed, fizzling out.


    "I apologise, Inquisitor, I didn''t have time to test it."


    Inquisitor was silent. Sirius began fearing for his life, for real this time. Mark was still bowed, cursing Sirius in his mind for being dragged into his blasphemy.


    "It needs more energy to start." Finally said Inquisitor. He took a charcoal in his hands and instantly set it aflame. He rested the charcoal above the diagram and it snapped into place, diagram coming to life. Fire flashed a couple of times and stabilised aloft in the air.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Sirius was joyful. It was a complex mechanism he developed for the last week, spending every minute thinking about the problem and fixing mistakes. His work was made more difficult by the fact that he only had access to final diagrams for rituals, without knowing what any of the individual components did. It made his accomplishment ever more impressive. Sirius looked at Father Gregor who was still near the entrance and reality dawned upon him. Father Gregor was pale and scared, his eyes darting between Sirius, Inquisitor and magical flame. Maybe he even regretted ever allowing Sirius to come into the library.


    Inquisitor stood still, inspecting the work of the diagram a mere fifteen-year-old did without an access to detailed manuals and without astral body. His left hand was resting oh the pommel of his sword, scaring everyone in the room to death, but Inquisitor himself was oblivious to that, like everyone else was oblivious to his thoughts. Finally, the coal began flashing and was extinguished. Then the silence was finally interrupted.


    "I have judged your deed, Pupil Sirius." He said and turned towards the boy. "It is against our Codex to delve into the realm of divine. Kneel." He pulled out his sword.


    Sirius fell to his knee, lowering his head.


    "By defying the Codex you went against the will of the Order. Only initiated must be allowed to converse with Gods and learn their mysteries, for the ignorance of yours could spell death for the whole village. Those like you threaten the rule of King and the peace of simple folk." In the end his thunderous voice made the windows rattle. "But... While what I said is true, the Order also understand that our goal is to guide fellow believers to a better future. You showed your passion and ability in your sin. For that your life may be spared, but only under the circumstance of joining the Order. Think carefully, for there will be no second chance."


    Sirius'' mind was racing. He still hated the Order''s guts, but with his life on the line he was forced into a corner. He had to think, and think fast.


    "I cannot allow myself to do that." He quietly said, drawing the gasp of fear from Father Gregor.

 013. Deal

    Sirius took a deep breath seeing that the Inquisitor was waiting for an elaboration. "The Codex states that only a true believer is allowed to be initiated. While I am humbled by your invitation and grateful for giving me a chance, I missed my baptism and, like you said yourself, esteemed Inquisitor, can not become a mage. So, therefore I can not be a part of the Silver Order. I assure you that my research of the rituals provided in these books was not something only I could do, since these books and materials are available for everyone. I believe that there is no wrongdoing in my attempts to be useful for the fellow members of the church. If you are not convinced, I shall be banned from the library and not allowed any study from now on, but I beg you to spare my life."


    Cold metal hanged over Sirius'' head, his words echoing in the room. Everyone waited in fear and prepared for the worst.


    The world was spinning in Sirius'' eyes. He felt as if hours passed without anything happening, and every second could be his last. He was only fifteen, but it was the third time in the last months that he had to come face-to-face with death. And now, he could not do a thing and had to wait, while his life was hanging on a thread with this person holding a blade dangerously close, ready to cut it any moment.


    "You are a brave one, Pupil Sirius." A tint of admiration coloured his praise. "Not every person dares to say a word against my order. For that you have my praise. You also never said a lie in my presence, meaning you believe in what you stated with your very soul. You are such a unique case, Pupil, that you made me falter. And you found a mistake in my judgement, earning yourself a favour. So, I, Silver Inquisitor, hereby declare the verdict. Priest Gregor and Pupil Mark shall bear the witness."


    Inquisitor lowered his sword, allowing its end to enter Sirius'' view.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "I have found your explanation acceptable. As a punishment for your misconduct you shall be denied the entry into the library starting tomorrow morning. Additionally you shall not be granted the materials for the rituals, lest you will try to study them on your own. You shall be attending the church every day and pray for forgiveness until it shall be granted by the Order. On these terms your life shall be spared. In several weeks the Observer will arrive in Rivervale to monitor your behaviour. In case of another misconduct you will be executed immediately. You are now dismissed."


    Without another word the sword was sheathed and the Inquisitor left the library, ignoring the stunned villagers.


    "You... Why would you do that?..." Gregor asked weakly.


    "What exactly?.." Asked Sirius, falling to the ground and breathing heavily.


    "Like... Everything... Why did you study rituals? Why did you defy the Inquisitor? Is following the rules that hard?"


    "They killed uncle Verden. They nearly killed you last time. And you are fine with that?"


    "They are peacekeepers, and they are making sure everyone follows the rules."


    "And whenever I met them I was not killed due to a miracle. Three times in the last months." Sirius sat up, leaning on the table leg. "Three times out of three the Order held a blade to my neck. And look who I am. Just a kid who can not cast."


    "You know that it is not true."


    "Then should I have pretended to be happy to join the cult?"


    Gregor was silent. He did not know the answer. Every path he thought of ended up in Sirius being executed as a heretic. A loud thud resounded in library, shattering the silence. Mark lost consciousness from holding the breath for so long. Everyone forgot that he was still here, bowed like he was when Inquisitor appeared in the library.


    "Listen Sirius, I am not happy with your behaviour, and be it my will, I would punish you. But I am not your father, so I will leave it to your conscience. I will say only one thing: if you play with fire, you will eventually burn yourself. Understood?"


    Sirius nodded.


    "Now, help me carry Mark to the hospital, I am afraid he hit the floor too hard."

 014. Boredom

    Sirius'' conscience weighed on him, so on the very next day he asked Father Gregor for a punishment outside of the limits imposed by the Inquisitor. For that he was tasked with shovelling the streets from the snow for the remainder of the winter. The news of his interaction with the Silver Inquisition quickly spread through the village, quickly changing the attitude of people around him. Some were sympathetic and happy that Sirius survived, while others called him a sinner.


    When winter ended, from time to time he would sill be called a heretic by the most zealous of the villagers, but no one tried to punish Sirius themselves. The Observer would often follow Sirius around the village, her presence unnerving everyone around and protecting Sirius from the most angry ones. Other times she was residing in the church, overlooking the order in the main hall. With no snow left, Sirius was relieved from his shovelling duties and, during the Inquisitor''s spring visit, was allowed to read fairy tales and a small list of select non-religious books.


    In the spring, with nothing more to do, Sirius was helping in the fields, planting the seeds and weeding out the gardens. The life of an ordinary villager was boring to him. Not just sometimes boring, but constantly so incredibly dull, he began thinking he was losing his mind. Every day he would work to the bone simply to spend his time doing something. He read every book on his allow-list multiple times, memorising them word by word, meditated every free minute he had and pondered about his future as a mage. He felt we was wilting. One day, when the forest was dry he went for a walk into the woods after gaining the permission of Father Gregor. This inevitably garnered attention of the Observer.


    Sirius was strolling between trees, remembering the times when he was living here. He did not know anything outside this forest, spending all his time with Seth and Verden. He was walking along the known path, sometimes calling out Seth''s name. Manasnake woke up from winter hibernation and was following him around scaring small wildlife and hunting for its pleasure. In his thoughts Sirius arrived at the foot of the tree. Bright spring sun was shining through the ever so green trunk, spreading the pleasant warmth around. Purple leaves mostly remained on the branches, but some of them fell to the ground, torn away by winds and snow. Out of interest, Sirius picked as many of them as he could in order to inspect them later. Near the very trunk, where his old home once was Sirius sat on the roots and reminisced in silence.


    "What are you doing here?" The Observer asked, seeing that her target finally stopped. She was hidden using some kind of spell, her voice ethereal and coming from every direction at once.


    "I knew you would follow me."


    "You did not answer my question."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation."I lived in this place with my Uncle. He adopted me, but I always called him Uncle. This tree appeared here when assassins came."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I was nearly killed that night. By Order''s people, as far as I am aware."


    "Why?"


    "If only I knew. In the end I am alive because Inquisitor allowed me to. But they took Uncle Verden from me."


    "Why are you telling me all that?"


    Sirius lightly smiled and looked at the canopy of the tree near him.


    "To find out if every single person in the Silver Order has no heart."


    Observer was... scared. This boy was looking directly into her eyes, his golden eyes shining with some mystical glint, peering into her soul. He was young, but faced death so many times, that he was not afraid anymore.


    "For what I''ve seen, I am inclined to believe my notion." Sirius said.


    Observer jumped down from the tree without making a sound. Sirius followed her movement with his cold gaze, like a snake following its prey. Observer felt a shiver along her spine. She dispelled the stealth and walked out in the opening, wearing the same black and white cloak of the Order and a white mask.


    "How did you know where I was?"


    "And why should I answer you?"


    "I have the right to execute you if you will not answer."


    "But will you? I know that you are not a senior member of the Order, you have no holy amulet on your neck and the robes are not as decorated as the Inquisitor''s. This means that you are a novice in there, so you were sent to follow a country bumpkin who was too curious. I had a lot of time to study all the religious texts in my possession, that''s how I know."


    "... So... The answer?"


    "The answer? I guessed. It''s a kind of intuition I have, nothing more. It''s not like I have anything else." Sirius chuckled and began laughing, tints of madness seeping out in his voice. "Whatever I find interesting, I am stripped of it right away! Do you even know how hard it is, when your whole world is destroyed!? When your family is killed in front of your your eyes!? When you are left alone and deemed unworthy of becoming a mage! The only thing I was fascinated about in this life, torn away from my future!" He screamed and laughed with teary eyes full of immeasurable sadness, all while looking directly into the Observer''s black eye holes. "All because someone decided that I am unfit to live! Without investigation, just because of some damned prophecy, mind you!" Sirius threw a pile of leaves with a force to the ground, shattering them into pieces. He calmed down a little and whispered. "Nightmares of forest fire burning my home with my uncle inside still follow me..."


    Finally he fell silent and turned away. Observer was stunned. She did not expect such madness coming from the kid, his outburst was shattering the mana around. It was not something ordinary non-mage could do. She was told this kid was simply a bit more talented, nothing more. Now she was thinking about what to tell her superiors.


    "Are you going to give me out? Or kill right here and now?" Sirius asked weakly.


    "You are wrong. Today you went to the grave of your adoptive father and I did not interact with you." She answered calmly, emotionless as always. With these words she turned around and hidden in the foliage, the stealth spell erasing her presence.


    "Thank you..."

 015. Summer

    Sirius was grinding the herbs with a mortar and pestle, sweat dripping from his forehead due to the strain. Spring was coming to an end, and the temperature outside became hot and mildly uncomfortable. Inspired by the World Tree leaves, he asked permission to study medicine. For that he needed a blank notebook and a book covering the basics. Due to his acceptable behaviour in the last half a year and with a bit of help from Father Gregor, he managed to get the Inquisitor''s approval and his request was approved. As an apprentice of a healer he learnt some of the basics from master Verden, but it would be better to revise his knowledge from the start and consult some additional reference materials.


    Unsurprisingly, the World Tree was not something anyone has ever seen. Therefore, Sirius could only gain experience walking the threaded path, getting experience bit by bit. Every day he would go into the forest and gather whatever caught his eye or prepare the ointments and herbal mixes for villagers'' needs. Today he was preparing the tea for Melissa, who had a severe case of hay fever. Usually, he would give some of the prepared mixes he dried out in the sun, but they were of no help. After walking around the village and asking for dried sea-buckthorn and dill, he was ready to make a new attempt. He took the newly-minced paste along with dried stinging nettles from his stores and went to the bakery, where Melissa lived. Her father, John Eyethorn, accepted the medicine and gave Sirius a fresh bread in exchange.


    Money was only something big cities used. For a small village like Rivervale the exchange of goods or favours was a way to go. Now that Sirius was done with his duties as a healer, he could return to what he was enjoying the most - research. Whenever he had to do something without thinking, he would run the environment mana through himself, in an attempts to master whatever little control he had. One day he noticed some changes in the mana around him when he minced the blackleaf root. It led him down the rabbit hole of experiments on any herb he could find, classifying them in his notebook. What he found out made no sense to him: dill or chamomile would give no effect when mana passed through them, blackleaf''s flowers would make mana just a tad colder, while roots made it barely noticeably hotter, mint leaves made mana shoot with a bit more speed, but drying it on the sun stopped mana from passing entirely. He found a lot of examples of this but neither of them had any connection from medicinal point of view. Worst of all, he could not ask about it from other people, lest it would be another Codex misconduct.


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    Observer would often enter his home-made lab or peer through the window to make sure Sirius was not "delving into the realm of divine". He hated this phrase, to him it made no sense: people used the magic with no thought, following the steps given out freely by church, but this same church forbade walking out of the line in regards of magic. What Sirius found the most fascinating is that the same spell could be made using three different methods - with manipulating the energy around with your mind, making a magic circle, and now, theoretically, with the mix of herbs. And there might be other ways he was not aware of. He pondered about this conundrum for almost a week, thinking about how to ask the Inquisitor about this without offending the church. When he composed a plan and was ready to go to sleep... A knock to the hatch.


    "Good morning, Sirius!" Father Gregor knocked on the steps from the first floor.


    "Hello?" Sirius was stumped, but nonetheless went downstairs. "Why morning? Oh..."


    The green light shone through the windows, a new symbol of sunrise for the people of Rivervale.


    "You did not sleep? In your own birthday?"


    "My birthday?" His groggy mind was catching up to speed. He grabbed his head. "I did not sleep!?"


    "Well, congratulations, I guess!" Laughed Father Gregor. "Let''s get ready, I have a present for you."


    "Thank you... A present? For me? Thank you very much Father Gregor!" Sirius hugged him in excitement. "What is it?"


    "First get ready, then everything else."


    "Sure!"

 016. Birthday

    "Where are we going?"


    "Will you wait for just a moment? We are already near, calm down."


    "How near? What is this?"


    "It is a travelling market. While you were in your lab dealing with greenery, merchants set up a fair. I made a deal with a farmers and they agreed to lend us one of their horses to travel to Ravenloft along with the traders. We will spend a night there and head back on our own the next day."


    "When are we moving out?"


    "In a couple of hours, merchants are almost packed up. Right now I am going to fetch a horse, and you should ask the church for travel package I prepared."


    "Of course! But... What about Seth?"


    "Sorry, but this little fellow has to stay behind. Unless he will hide in a backpack, of course."


    "Thank you! You are the best!"


    With that they went to deal with preparations. Sirius excitedly ran to the church, almost knocking Mark to the ground.


    "Hi Mark! Do you know where Gregor''s packed stuff is?"


    "You? Any new perpetrations?"


    "Did I not apologized enough?"


    "Did I not warn you?"


    They looked at each other and laughed.


    "Of course I forgave you, it''s just fun to mess with you. Yeah, the package is in the storage, near the barrels."


    "Thank you, Mark! Oh, wait. Is your head alright? Did the concussion heal?"


    "Wow, you still remember about it. Thanks for worrying, I am fine, apart from a few serious headaches from time to time."


    "When I will return I will look into the possible painkillers I have in stock. Take care!"


    Sirius went to storage room and took the backpack. On his way back he stopped near the library entrance. He sighed with regret and went towards the merchant caravan that should be taking off sooner than later. While waiting for that he met up with Father Gregor and asked the question that made his night restless.


    "I have a thing I found out while making medicines, but I am afraid Order is not going to be happy." Sirius said in half-whisper.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there."What? Again?" Gregor asked in a hushed tone.


    "I literally stumbled across it, honestly. I meditated and noticed how mana passing through some of the plants changed its properties. In theory it can be a method of spellcasting."


    "In what way?"


    "Did Verden told you about how a spell is manipulating the properties of mana, which will change how it affects the world?"


    "Yes, he told me that before I was taught this by the church."


    "So the church knows that?" Sirius asked, bewildered.


    "Of course. But only priests and higher, deacons and townsfolk are not taught the details, just the rituals."


    "I found out that magic circles everyone uses for rituals in their daily life just change properties of mana passing through them."


    "That is how you got in trouble, I reckon."


    "Yeah, right, sorry I didn''t tell you earlier that time. That is why I am telling you this. I can''t control a lot of mana, but I can feel its properties quite well. So when I experimented with herbs, I wrote down their effects on passing mana. I wanted to tell that to the Inquisitor, but I am afraid he will kill me on the spot."


    "Sure. I haven''t heard about such things you described, so I can''t guess what he might do either."


    "But if I hide my findings and it will be found out later..."


    "He will certainly view you as a heretic."


    "That." Sirius confirmed. His future was deeply uncertain. Gregor sighed.


    "It is dangerous for you to be in this country, my dear. The rules will only hinder your progress. But you are only sixteen, and you still haven''t managed to condense the organs. You won''t survive without spells in the wild."


    "If only..."


    "Yes." Gregor said without stating the obvious. "As for the herbal magic... Do you have a name for it yet?"


    "I think alchemy suits well. I read about it in fairy tales."


    "Seems fine to me. As for the alchemy, I think it is better to disclose to Inquisitor. We will stop by the chapel and I will see what I can do."


    "I think so too."


    "Let''s hope for the best. Maybe it will garner their interest."


    "Caravan! Gather up!" The merchants shout pulled them out of their thoughts.


    "Let''s go."


    "Yes."

 017. Journey

    The path from Rivervale to Ravenloft was lying through the safe areas of the forest, despite being close to the border. Order seemed to extend their influence to these areas, warding away any possible bandits, so the journey promised to be uneventful. Sirius have fallen asleep on one of the carriages, while Gregor was riding a raven horse alongside. Suddenly everyone stopped, horses disturbed by something to the side of the road. Merchants drew their weapons. Sirius was woken up by the jolt of stopping carriage and sat upright. Gregor and merchants were looking to the sides, trying to pinpoint the disturbance that stopped the caravan. Then Sirius and Gregor felt the mana shifting to the right and instantly looked that way.


    A dozen of meters in front of them a mist was crawling along the ground, spreading towards the front row of carriages and scaring a horse. Seth peeked from the backpack, also drawn by the mana movement. Small snake looked conflicted, unsure of the predator-prey dynamic. Finally, an animal appeared from the woods.


    The noble stag pridefully walked out of the woods, without a care for puny little humans. His head was adorned by cyan glassy-looking antlers, exuding the coldest temperatures anyone in the caravan has ever felt. Its hooves were of the same material, freezing the grass with its every step. The mist from the antlers and hooves followed it, highlighting its magnificent stride. Whenever the stag saw the plant that did not freeze, it slowly plucked it and went on its way.


    Everyone was fascinated by this rare encounter, apart from Seth, who decided to hide deeper in the backpack. Magical animals were not uncommon, but to meet them in the wild was a rare sight. To Sirius though, this animal was also interesting for a variety of reasons. First of all, this stag actively froze the ground around it, and Sirius was somehow sure it could direct his intention wherever it wanted. Second, it fed on the harebell, blue dandelions and blackleaf flowers, all of them interacted with mana by lowering its temperature. Sirius felt a strong link between his observations and he wanted to know more. Unfortunately, such in-depth information was not easily available.


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    While Sirius was lamenting his limited access to books, the stag crossed the road and walked away, as slowly as it appeared. Every merchant let out a sigh, the encounter with a wild animal could destroy their wares and carts, inevitably delaying their travels.


    "I thought the damn icehorn was about to end us all." One merchant from the front row exhaled.


    "Well, we were lucky our horses didn''t provoke him."


    "Is it strong?" Sirius inquired.


    "But of course!" A merchant from the cart behind them answered. "Every year a couple salesmen get frostbite after meeting the icehorn. If someone is rash enough to scare it, then the caravan might acquire a freshly made meat popsicle."


    "Are there any other magical animals that you have met on your way?" Sirius asked again.


    "Hmm, I personally did not. Marcus, what magical critter wiped James'' caravan?"


    "Ironbear I think."


    "No, it leaves metal spikes lying around. I believe it was just the pack of direwolves, nothing more." Some other trader joined the discussion.


    "You are saying ''just'' as if you see jet black wolves the size of a horse every single day!"


    "At least they are not casting magic. The southern guild is complaining about salamanders burning the carriages."


    "Sure, but animals are no bandits, they are much more predictable than humans. Simply don''t provoke some of them or scare away using suitable magic."


    "Are you a priest, Marcus?"


    "Yeah, I got initiated in the church and then changed jobs after working for them. Joining the Order was not something I wanted in my life, not enough adventure for my liking."


    At this point they continued the journey, still talking about gossips from the guild and other rumours roaming around. Sirius listened for a little, but fell asleep, still tired from the lack of rest last night. When he was woken up, they were already arriving into Ravenloft.

 018. Ravenloft

    The landscape changed from dense forests to vast fields, cultivated by people living on the outskirts of the city. Stone houses stood in the farmlands and pastures, with sturdy roofs and stables in some of them. In Rivarvale only select few of the families were rich enough to hire a mage architect from the church. Here though, none of the homes could be called a poor man''s hut. Farmers walked around the field or rode on household animals, using staves to move water from irrigation channels and spreading them over the farmland.


    "How come simple farmers are using magic so freely? They are not even using rituals."


    "Farmer is a noble profession in Kingdom. It became apparent that mages are more efficient than a regular person. In big cities, like Ravenloft, every farmer you see is at least a deacon. The church teaches them about agriculture and gives tools, both simple and magic ones. In return they have to work in the fields or wherever their skills benefited the city for a decade or something." Gregor told Sirius.


    "But what if they will run away or teach magic others?"


    "The Order has its ways, as always." Cryptically said Gregor.


    After passing the fields they entered the outskirts where market stalls surrounded the busy roads, filling the main entrance with smells of sulfur and spices. Traders invited everyone to look at high quality metal ores or fabric, precious stones, try out the fresh pies and fruits. Sirius was overwhelmed by the amount of people, excitedly looking to sides. The caravan stopped near the guild headquarters and Marcus began talking to Gregor.


    "We are staying here. If you need, we have stables available for your stallion."


    "It would be great! What is the fee?"


    "Last time it was a crown a day. I''ll try to get a discount for our precious partner and a churchman." Marcus said with a wide smile and went inside the guild, giving out some orders on his way.


    Not a minute later he went out and led the Gregor''s horse into the stables, saying that the stay is on the house, along with a free room. Gregor and Sirius quickly dropped their backpack with Seth in the room and, after making promise to repay his dept with any favour, went deeper into the city.


    The market seemed endless, but after some time Sirius noticed that temporary tents were replaced by tall three-storey stone and wood houses with counters outside, on which bakers and blacksmiths displayed their wares. Passing by a smithery Sirius noticed a burly man working on a piece of iron, but his workshop had no smoke bellowing out like it would be in Rivervale. Gregor allowed him to watch a little, so they slowed down. When iron cooled down, blacksmith took a piece of coal and placed it on a circular table in a small pit. He then took a piece he was working on and held over the table, where the iron began glowing orange and then brilliant yellow, threatening to overheat and drip.


    "So that''s what you noticed. It is a blacksmith''s altar. I heard from a friend they aren''t for sale, so you won''t see them outside a city. This artisan must be one of the few who proved their skill and their goods are of an outstanding quality."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."It functions similar to the magic circle I made, when Inquisitor walked in. It''s a bit disappointing such a thing already existed."


    "You shouldn''t be, your feat is still outstanding, otherwise Inquisitor''s punishment would be less harsh. We should be going, though. The earlier we arrive to the chapel, the better."


    "Sure..." Sirius was reminded about the inevitable meeting with the Inquisitor.


    Their path soon led them into the very heart of the city. Wide paved streets with sidewalks stretched from the centre outwards like a spokes on a wheel, sometimes connected with narrow alleys and winding pedestrian paths. But they were going straight without turning until from behind a bending line of houses Sirius saw the chapel. Involuntary he stopped, baffled by the sheer size. Like the Rivervale church, it was hexagonal, built with brilliant-white and onyx-black bricks, with columns extending upwards, holding seven large domes. On the corners were what looked like castle towers, topped with spires piercing the skies. Stained glass windows let the sun rays through, painting the city below in rainbow of colours. Around it was a sudden lack of densely-packed buildings. Instead, the last ring of the road circled a lush garden, where members of the Order and scholars of the church spent their time, roaming around in peace, reading on benches, or having sermons or lectures for people to attend.


    Father Gregor urged Sirius to move and they crossed the street, walking through the garden right towards the main entrance. Double-door gate, easily triple a person''s height was divided into black and white sides. After passing through the black entrance, they entered a main hall. Gregor was prepared to catch Sirius, whose gaze was guided upwards by massive columns adorned with patterns made of gold, shiny white and matte blackened silver. Inside on the pews sat people, praying and contemplating their lives, looking at the hall coloured by the sun rays entering through windows. Gregor led absent-minded Sirius deeper inside and asked a priest for an audience with Inquisitor responsible for Rivervale. Priest sat them at the pew and went somewhere, disappearing behind the columns.


    "Impressive, right?"


    "Yeah..." Sirius said in bewilderment.


    "It was built when Mythos and Mythra gave the gift of magic to our people. As soon as they spread the word of Divine Twins, the most skilled artisans and architects were tasked with building this masterpiece."


    "How long ago was it?"


    "I don''t know, something like 300 years ago. A lot of records were lost to time due to the unrest."


    "Did people try to dethrone the king?"


    "No, not that. That time there was no Kingdom, I think, so we only have legends. It is said that Mythos was the first to give his gift to the people. But our ancestors were intoxicated by their new powers and began fighting between themselves, almost killing every single human."


    "I remember that passage. After that Mythra taught us peace and cured our wounds.I never thought it really happened."


    "I believe it did. As I said, the number of mages increase with each generation, so it looks like truth to me."


    "Really? But what about the Silver Order? When..."


    "Priest Gregor, please follow me." Said a priest from the side, interrupting Sirius'' question.


    "Sure, thank you. As for your question, Sirius, it has to wait. If I know I will tell you more about history, if you want. Let''s go, Inquisitor waits."


    "Sure." Sirius answered, and they went behind the altar, downstairs.

 019. Inquisition

    They were going down the staircase, eventually reaching a wide corridor with high dome-shaped ceilings. In the peaks hanged small lanterns that emitted warm light, illuminating the underground passage. Ceilings were intermittently supported by stone columns, but other than that everything was very bland, especially in comparison with the grand interior of the main hall.


    "Follow me please.And from now on please be silent in the halls. Such are the ways here." Said the priest.


    Sirius and Gregor nodded and went behind the priest. Just now Sirius noticed the unnerving silence. Most of the people wore masks like that of the Inquisitor and Observer, black of white depending on gender. Their robes varied in the degree of decor, but most of them were black and white, with rare one-tone cloaks of people not from the Order. Sirius'' green cape on top of farmboy clothes was more out of place here than plain black robes of the priest and Father Gregor, making him feel alien in the underground chamber of the Order.


    They walked down the corridor in complete silence, sometimes turning into the branching path. Eventually, the priest stopped in front of the door and quietly stood, as if waiting for something. The door clicked and opened on its own. The priest stepped to the side and bowed to the Gregor and Sirius, inviting them inside with a gesture. They bowed in return and went inside, closing the door behind. The room was rather cramped, rows of bookshelves along the every wall making the space even more suffocating. In the middle of the room facing the door stood a wooden table covered in high stacks of books and paperwork. In the high wooden chair sat Silver Inquisitor in his usual attire with faceless black mask. He stood up from the table, showing his attention.


    "Priest Gregor." Said the Silver Inquisitor without emotion, acknowledging their visit.


    "Greetings, Silver Brother. Apologies for the sudden visit." Answered Gregor with a bow, which Sirius quickly mirrored.


    "I know you wouldn''t ask for an audience if not for serious matter. I believe, it is regarding Pupil Sirius."


    "Yes, Silver Brother, it is regarding recent request of Sirius Your Holiness had approved."


    "Tell me." Sirius thought he caught a hint of amusement from Inquisitor''s voice.


    "When studying the medicinal herbs, Sirius noticed the ingredient''s interaction with mana in the air. His perception of mana is rather keen, as you are already aware."


    "Yes, I am, indeed. Pupil Sirius, tell me more about your findings."


    "Sure, Your Holiness. When I was preparing the paste of the blackleaf root, I noticed that it would heat up a mana passing through it. I began experimenting on different plants and noticed other interactions between different plants and mana. I had noted down them in my notebook."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."Do you have it on your hand?"


    "Of course. Please take a look." Sirius said, while unbuckling a small notebook from his hip. His voice was steady, but internally he was sweating bullets. inquisitor''s domineering presence made him uncomfortable, despite his seemingly friendly mood. Sirius opened the notebook on the correct page and passed it to the Inquisitor with a bow.


    Inquisitor read through the notes, lists, diagrams, and tables. Sirius went through a lot of materials, writing down their interactions after being ground into a paste, soaked in an alcohol and water, dried on the sun or wilted in the darkness, anything he could think of. Most of the times the results were unchanged or weakened, but in some cases they would be stronger, different or even opposite from the fresh state. After reading through the last page, Inquisitor closed the notebook and handed it back to Sirius, which he promptly accepted.


    "I consider this information interesting, but what is the reason for you visit?"


    "I think it can be used as a novel way of spellcasting." Stated Sirius.


    The room became instantly colder, as Inquisitor turned towards the Gregor, his right hand moving towards the hilt of the sword.


    "Please do not blame him, Your Holiness!" Screamed Sirius. "It is my sensitivity towards mana that guided me towards that information! Father Gregor did not teach me that!"


    "Tell me more." Slowly said Inquisitor, without drawing the sword. He shifted his gaze towards Sirius, waiting for explanation.


    "I..." Sirius gulped. "I know that spells everyone uses is simple manipulations of the parameters on mana. Changing them changes the way it interacts with the world. Despite not having enough might to use magic on my own, I was able to recognise the principle behind on my own."


    "It is unfortunate." Said Inquisitor. "But I cannot trust you."


    "You strip the mana in the air of its heat!" Sirius shouted in desperation, making Inquisitor stop.


    "And?..." Inquisitor stopped his hand from pulling out a sword.


    "And... You gather hot mana in your sheath to make a blade of fire, while cold mana is expelled away, freezing the room." Said Sirius with determination.


    Inquisitor stood still, thinking about the words of a kid without a solid astral body, who correctly guessed the principles behind his Holy Flame Blade, the Order spent quite some time developing. He removed his hand from the hilt and placed both of them on the table, supporting himself, falling deep in thought.


    "You are dangerous." Eventually he said, looking forward. "Only in Order..."


    "I won''t join the Order."


    "Why not?"


    "Your people took the life of my foster father, Deacon Verden, when trying to kill me nine months ago." Defiantly stated Sirius.


    "Right... So the last time you lied because you did not want to say that outright."


    "Yes. You would kill me straight away." Sirius stated coldly.


    "Indeed I would..."


    Inquisitor thought in silence. Eventually he sighed.


    "I need to assemble a tribunal with Bishop of Ravenloft being an impartial side. You will be judged."

 020. Tribunal

    Sirius was led alone in the spacious hall under the Ravenloft chapel by the Inquisitor himself. He was placed on a podium in the middle of a hexagonal room, while benches for the judges hanged over the stage from five out of six sides around the stage, surrounding him and making him feel small and insignificant. Behind him was a small row of audience seats, where after some time Father Gregor was seated. His face was pale and gaze restless, still nervous from the encounter. But some of his concerns were lifted - now the fate of Sirius was in hands of the Bishop, who was famous for being just and kind head of the Ravenloft church. Seeing that the Inquisitor or Rivervale was conflicted, he thought that the situation might be not as dire as he thought.


    They waited for half an hour and eventually doors creaked and people entered the courtroom. The Inquisitor of Rivervale took place besides Sirius, while at the top of the bench another four Inquisitors and a Bishop appeared. Bishop''s robes had a thin line of gold, and his mask was decorated with golden patterns around the edges. Three Inquisitors were female, while Bishop and the remaining judging inquisitor were male, indicated by the colour of their masks. After everyone else took their places, Bishop nodded and sat in the middle and looked around.


    "Greetings, esteemed Bishop of Ravenloft and fellow Inquisitors. I asked for a holy tribunal to judge the Child of the Prophecy, Pupil Sirius." Inquisitor stated loudly. He then began reciting what he knew. "I will tell you his story to give the context of the situation, to avoid the unjust verdict. Pupil Sirius, you are to confirm or deny the information I give. In case we detect a lie three times, your credibility will be questioned, and you will not be allowed to clarify any statement from that moment onward. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Silver Inquisitor."


    "Pupil Sirius was the target of the Cleansing nine months ago and survived after his foster father and mentor, Deacon Verden of Rivervale, sacrificed himself to protect his student." Inquisitor fell silent, and turned towards Sirius, waiting for him to speak.


    "It is true, Silver Inquisitor." Sirius confirmed, hurt by the cold statement of facts.


    "His senses are extremely keen, and his knowledge is advanced, despite not being baptised three years ago and not receiving formal education from the church. Singlehandedly, relying on his perception only, he understood the concept of spellweaving and reverse-engineered the circle diagram rituals accessible to the Laity."


    "It is not entirely correct, Silver Inquisitor. Deacon Verden was a druid before he joined the church, so he taught me the underlying principles of magic he knew himself. He was not aware that the church knows about the... spellweaving." Clarified Sirius, garnering the attention of Inquisitor, who was annoyed for missing that when he met Verden before.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there."Priest Gregor of Rivervale, can you confirm this?" Asked a Bishop.


    "Yes, your holiness. I never taught Deacon Verden after becoming a Priest. He was the first to tell me this sacred information he knew before we met."


    "Continue, Inquisitor. Pupil Sirius and Priest Gregor are truthful."


    "Thank you, Your Holiness. I will restate. Pupil Sirius knew the spellcasting foundations and using this knowledge, along with his keen perception, managed to reverse-engineer the magic circle ritual, and even create a novel ritual for extended flame."


    "It is correct, Silver Inquisitor."


    "I have uncovered his sin of delving into the divine and gave an ultimatum. He was to either join the Order or be executed. However, Pupil Sirius stated that he is no mage and therefore can not enter the inner circle of the church. Was it the actual reason, Pupil Sirius?"


    "No, Silver Inquisitor. I did not want to be bound by rules and follow the orders of those who killed master Verden, even if it meant to pursue magic research." Sirius bluntly stated, making everyone fall silent, waiting for the Bishop to voice his opinion.


    "That is rather unfortunate to hear, but also understandable." Said Bishop. "I can not blame you for that decision, since it was the Order who let you down. Please continue, Inquisitor."


    "Pupil Sirius promised to stop his research of circle diagrams and began studying medicine, since Deacon Verden was a healer of Rivervale, before his demise. He fulfilled his promise and began his learning. During that he stumbled upon what he has called alchemy."


    "Yes, that was the case." Sirius confirmed, almost shaking from stress and fear.


    "Pupil Sirius, could you present your notes?" Inquisitor said and waited for Sirius to take out his notes, which he laid upon the podium. "In this notebook Pupil Sirius documented his findings. According to him, with further research it can be perfected into additional method of spellcasting."


    "That''s right, Inquisitor."


    Bishop extended his hand and the notebook lifted from the podium and flew directly into his hands. After he diligently read through every page he passed it to other Inquisitors at the bench and began speaking.


    "I understand the reason for a Tribunal, Inquisitor. Pupil Sirius broke the Codex several times, but could not be judged as per usual, due to his case being unprecedented. Notably, he willingly brought a new branch of research into the Silver Order, knowing he might be branded a heretic. Therefore you made a decision of assembling a tribunal, in order to get an outside perspective on the case."


    "It is correct, Your Holiness." Confirmed Inquisitor, while bowing.


    "We will discuss the matter regarding the alchemy and after that we will come to hear the words of Pupil Sirius."


    Saying that he and the four Inquisitors stood up and left, leaving Sirius with Inquisitor of Rivervale on the stage.

 021. Verdict

    Sirius was shaking. The stress was unbearable and he began sweating and breathing heavily.


    "Pupil Sirius, are you able to continue?" Said Inquisitor to the side of Sirius, seeing that the boy was pale and shaky.


    Sirius looked to the side, but the stressful situation and the glimpse of his robe stirred up the memories his mind hid deep inside. A person in black and white robe entering through the window of his room. Something exploding downstairs, followed with a loud thud that had woken up Sirius. Door slamming open and Verden barging inside. Mana filling up the room, like a water leaking from the shattered barrel. Verden hitting a person inside in the neck. Another thud, as a body of the intruder collided with the floor. Voices of people talking outside.


    "My boy, I need you to run to Rivervale and tell Gregor that Silver Flash happened. Do not worry about me. Run, I will lower you through the window. Quick!" Verden said while pulling over Sirius'' coat and putting Seth under the shirt.


    Verden''s face paling by the second. Sirius jumping from the window and running towards the village. The sounds of people shouting from behind. Fire spreading inside the hut...


    "The people that night... Why did they come?" Finally asked Sirius after a deep beath.


    "The Cleansing? They take any suspected Child of Prophecy into the headquarters and indoctrinate them right away."


    "Why would they kill master Verden?"


    "Whoever stands in the way is an enemy of the Order."


    "Why are you telling me all that, anyway?" Sirius dropped any courtesy, he had only spite in his voice.


    "You, are a Child of Prophecy. You deserve to know. I think, the Cleansing tried to reason with Verden, but he would not budge, so they decided to kidnap you."


    Sirius was displeased by his cold attitude and wanted to lash out, but he felt mana shaking around him from all the emotions and tried to calm down.


    "All that, and for what? To hide me underground?"


    "You might not understand the reasons, but I assure you, the Order serves the people of the Kingdom. They are our priority."


    Sirius accepted that any reasoning is fruitless, so he abandoned any other attempts. Instead he tried calming down, while waiting for Bishop to return and thinking what he can say to lighten the punishment.


    After a minute the Bishop and Inquisitors returned and took their seats.


    "Pupil Sirius, your findings are indeed very valuable. You did the right thing coming here." Said the Bishop, his warm smile instilling into Sirius and Gregor some calm. "The Cleansing that came for you was late due to you missing baptism. At normal circumstances it would doom anyone to a life of a null. Your perception though would make you a great theoretical researcher. Unfortunately I can not force you into joining, since you are, let''s say, not very happy with the way Silver Order has treated you. Additionally, you are not a believer, am I right?"


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version."Yes, Your Holiness. I attend the church, but I am not convinced by their teachings." Weakly answered Sirius, afraid to anger the Bishop.


    "It is fine, no need to worry. While unfortunate, the Order is very strict in that regard, requiring everyone to sincerely believe in the Twin Gods and their ways. Therefore we only accept those who share out faith. Now, are you ready to listen to our verdict, Pupil Sirius?"


    "Yes." Sirius steeled his nerves and nodded, looking up at the Bishop and Inquisitors.


    "Your contribution, though valuable, goes against the Codex. It is unheard of to receive such precious discovery from someone who is not only indoctrinated, but also not baptised." He paused, making that information sink in. "Therefore, we would like to propose you a compromise."


    "A deal?" Asked Sirius, in a state of mild shock.


    "You can say that. Your view of the world is unique and we cannot rob the Kingdom of your discoveries. We want to propose you to exist in Rivervale as a rogue researcher, without the right to leave the village. There you are allowed to do your studies in any branch you find worthy." Bishop paused, giving Sirius time to process information.


    "Really?..." Was the only thing Sirius said. He looked at the Inquisitor of Rivervale, who also looked rather baffled, his surprise seeping through the black mask.


    "You are allowed to live, Pupil Sirius. But..." Sirius'' heart skipped a beat. He feared that ''but''. "But only under certain conditions. As long as you remain a non-mage and report back all your findings you are allowed to live. Do you have any questions?"


    "Why am I not allowed become a mage?"


    "While it is unlikely, since condensing a Mana Pool on your own is incredibly hard, but it was needed to be stated. You possess a keen perception you might be able to, but we can not afford a rogue mage roaming in the Kingdom. So we decided you are not allowed to possess an Astral Body."


    "And what if I accidentally achieve it?"


    "We have to execute you." Bishop said, accentuating all the seriousness of his decision. "Do you accept this verdict?"


    "I accept these conditions, Your Holiness!" Said Sirius.


    After finalising the procedures, he was led outside the headquarters along with Father Gregor. In daze they both exited the chapel and sat outside on a bench, looking at the setting sun, giving its last shine from behind the tall cityscape. As the relief washed over them, they both felt the grave situation they just escaped.


    "I survived..."


    "You did, indeed..."


    "But how..."


    "I have no idea..."


    "..."


    "In your place I would reconsider your faith in Twin Gods... They are definitely looking over you..."


    "I might... That sounds nice..."

 022. Tomorrow

    Sirius woke up in fear.


    He was covered in cold sweat, and his heart was pounding, but very soon he remembered where he was. Yesterday he and Father Gregor returned to the merchants'' guild and collapsed into their beds. Sirius looked over at Father Gregor, who was frowning in his sleep. Seems like the nervousness pestered him in his dreams as well. Sirius have also been waking up from time to time, disturbed by the nightmare about the Cleansing.


    He stood up, not sleepy anymore and walked up to the window, covered by the wooden blinds. A thin ray of the sun peeked from behind the planks, scattering across the room. With nothing else to do, he quietly put on his clothes and woke up Seth. The poor manasnake was dying from boredom since their arrival, so Sirius began playing with it. He would tickle the snake and lightly pull on its tail, while Seth playfully snapped his translucent glassy fangs and flicked his body. Sometimes he would phase away and appear in different place, feigning anger. When Seth''s playful drive was satisfied, he coiled in Sirius'' hands and asked for head pats, which Sirius gladly gave. As magical serpent drifted into sleep, Sirius began thinking.


    He knew Seth for a very long time, and it seemed rather normal to have a manasnake as a pet. In Ravenloft he noticed that having a dog or a cat was a privilege, and a manasnake was not something a regular family could tame. Additionally, in Rivervale he met wild snakes, but none of them came even close to the intelligence levels of Seth, who could be compared to a big dog or even a toddler. Sirius even drew parallels between Seth and wild icehorn. That stag seemed rather smart as well, as though he was confident in its might and knew that humans were scared of it. It is unlikely for it to view a human as a companion, more like a pest that is not worth its attention, like a weak ant.


    Rustling startled Sirius from his thought. Gregor woke up and dizzily looked around the room, finding him on the floor near his lazily tidied bed.


    "Morning... Why on the floor?"


    "Seth was... in my arms just now." Said Sirius noticing the absence of manasnake on his lap. "He disappeared again."


    "Should we find him?" Said Gregor, while sitting on the bed and scratching his head and looking to the sides.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions."No, he often does that. When he hunts or plays he just becomes invisible and then..." A weight on his collar made him pause. "... comes back when he wants."


    "Convenient. I didn''t tell you, because I thought it wasn''t important, but now that I think about it, you might want to know."


    "What is it?" Sirius asked, intrigued.


    "Today is the birthday of the Queen, meaning today you might be able to see the baptism."


    "And you kept it to yourself all this time!?"


    "At first I didn''t want you to pester me, but then all this tribunal happened and I simply forgot." Guilt painted Gregor''s ears red.


    "You are right, I would definitely pester you."


    "Want to grab a breakfast and go to the city square?"


    "Sure! I''m starving!" Sirius jumped from his place, startling Seth out of existence.


    After a quick preparations, they were drawn downstairs by the savory smell of roasted bacon and eggs, mixed with warm scent of fresh bread. The dining hall was full of merchants and travelers, enjoying the food, gossiping, and asking for seconds. After the effort of finding a table, Sirius and Gregor were rewarded by a hearty meal. After paying for the breakfast and arranging the departure time, they left the guild and went towards the Chapel.


    "What was the coin you gave them?" Asked Sirius. He caught a glimpse of a bronze hexagonal coin with a silver circle inside.


    "That was a crown. A little too large of a value, but can be exchanged for ten bronze scepters. In turn they divide into ten rings. For the smaller values people use weighted gold and silver beads."


    "Isn''t exchanging goods just... simpler? And what if someone decides to create their own bronze coins?"


    "There is a magic circle for checking a coin, and their weight is very precise, so anyone can check the validity. Also, forgery is punished with execution, so not a lot of people want to overstep the law."


    "And once again execution as a punishment..."


    "Actually, common people do not offend the Order and do not encounter execution so often as you do. It''s only you who actively tries to get on their nerves. Now, stay close, the crowd is becoming denser."


    They arrived at the foot of the chapel, still sky-high as yesterday. To Sirius it was not  as grand as it was yesterday, though. It was ominous, almost terrifying. Its black bricks consumed all sunlight, like pupils of a beast, and blinding white columns made it hard to look at the world around. The magnificent chapel hid dark secrets, no one among the Ravenloft cared about, as they praised the Divine Twins for their gift of magic rituals. Sirius was disgusted to the core, as he wanted to learn and research, but was bound by the shackles of unjust rules. This won''t be long however, as he got the permission to study, and he intended to use it to grow as a mage.

 023. Baptism

    They moved through the crowd, finally arriving at the front rows to better observe the holy rite of initiation. In the stone-covered square stood a wooden stage, roughly the height of a table. People were excitedly chatting, talking about the holiday, discussing the arrangements for the festival this evening, and wondering how many new pupils will join them as a full-fledged devotees. Then suddenly a man in a wide and high hat appeared, and everyone fell silent. The man wore an intricate multilayered robe and a black mask with golden smile drawn in place of his mouth. As he walked on the stage, black and white layers with gold embroidery covered each other, making it hard to discern his movements. Pairs of priests and priestesses in their monotone black and white robes were following in his wake. In their hands they carried golden and silver-looking orbs, polished to mirror finish.


    "You might not recognise him, but it is the Bishop of Ravenloft you saw yesterday." Said Father Gregor. "In public you can only see him in his ceremonial attire. If you want to study how they condense the Mana Pool in other people, it is the best time to prepare for action."


    "It is a fine day for such a significant holiday!" Cheerfully said the Bishop, his powerful voice spreading across the crowd, a wave of excited murmurs agreeing with him. "Today, in a birthday of Her Majesty, Queen Aria Ashbourne! Let us thank the Twins for the long live of the Queen!" Another wave eagerly praised the skies. "Now, as the tradition goes, I invite a new wave of young devotees onto the stage. While everyone is gathering, I together with priests of the Ravenloft prepare for the rite."


    People were already prepared for that, and every twelve-year-old was already at the foot of the podium, nervously clinging to their parent. They were helped up by the deacons, shuffling around and bringing the items for the rite. In the middle stood a podium for the Bishop, on which laid a book with golden frame, and a small plate with two dips for black and white paint. Bishop began reciting the holy passage related to the gift of magic and the gift of kindness, while Priests were arranging the ritual. Deacons set up stands across the stage in a symmetrical pattern, similar to a star, and priests put their metal orbs on top, sometimes correcting the position and height of the shiny spheres.


    Overall, around two dozens of teenagers gathered on the stage. Deacons prepared black and white tiaras with golden marbles embedded on top. As all boys and girls wore their respectively coloured jewelleries, they were led inside the inner circle, orbs surrounding them like a wall. As priests formed a circle around the ritual and everyone was ready, deacons walked down the stage and looked up along with the townsfolk.


    "Seems like everyone is ready! Let us start. Ahem." Bishop prepared, and started reciting the rite incantation, almost singing at times, as priests were solemnly standing around him and repeat some words, following his rhythm. "As the divine power of mana courses through our veins, the Mythos and Mythra guide us..."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Sirius felt the pull. His trauma has completely healed, and now he could appreciate the powerful wave of mana, that people around him released into the environment. The air seemed to shimmer a bit, as priests lifted their hands into the air, taking some of the energy around them and pass it into the orbs. Now Sirius understood the hidden meaning of those spheres, as priests pushed more and more energy into golden spheres on the rim of the ritual. To an ordinary person they looked like praising the gods, as they repeatedly lifted their arms up, and pulled them down, but Sirius knew they pulled the energy towards them. As the crowd released more and more mana, and orbs began dimly shining, the preparations came to the end.


    "... Praised be the Divine Twins!" Concluded the Bishop. After that he calmly instructed the children around him. "I will invite you one by one into the center, and ask you your name to announce to the people, fine?" As he received the round of nods, he continued. "I will ask you to take a deep breath and touch your forehead and waist, so please don''t be afraid when I do so. You will feel a lightheaded and a bit of burning in your chest, it is normal, but please don''t breathe out, or we must start again." Determined looking teens nodded in response. "Who wants to be first?" He cheerfully asked, trying to calm down nervous kids.


    It seemed, a girl to the left of him was the bravest among them, as she took a small step forward.


    "What is your name, my dear?" Asked the Bishop, inviting her into the center.


    "Laura, Your Holiness... Laura Wholestead."


    "It is fine, Laura, I appreciate your bravery. Please stay here."


    Bishop put his right thumb on her forehead, right between her brows, and carefully placed his other hand on her diaphragm. After that, priests began reciting the passage, but Sirius paid no attention to them. As they did so, mana in the orbs began stirring and moving, splashing around and making metal vibrate. At priests'' will the mana began radiating inside the circle, reaching the second and third ring of silver spheres, as they carefully directed it. Sirius finally understood why he found it familiar. The golden rim gathered energy, silver spheres were focus points, colliding mana in correct proportions and purifying it, making it more dense and cohesive. As the steady streams reached the inner golden circle, the mana was smooth and pleasant, free of rash and unpredictable nature. All that was one crude and large circle diagram, directed by a dozen of people around, using orbs of pure gold and silver to concentrate the energy and bring it inside the inner ring, where the Bishop took it in his grasp. As he brought it near the girl, the air sparkled from the dense energy. Then he calmly said.


    "Take a deep breath and don''t release until I say so. It shouldn''t be long."


    The girl inhaled the shimmering air and almost coughed, but managed to hold it in. Her body was filled with mana to the brim, and it began searching for a place to escape, but Bishop''s hand on her abdomen pulled it in a small ball. Sirius felt a small wave spreading in the environment, as mana collapsed under the pressure.


    "From now on Laura Wholestead shall be called Pupil Laura." Loudly announced the bishop, removing his hands. As he used his two fingers to paint two vertical stripes on her forehead, he added. "You can breathe out."

 024. Thoughts

    The rest of the rite went similarly, with out any accidents. Sirius watched a couple more kids be initiated and fell into deep thoughts. He pondered about what he just saw, and matched in his mind what he already knew. This rite was similar to circle diagrams he studied before, but it used people to guide mana. Maybe it was because the rite itself was much older than diagrams, so it was mainly manual and required supervision. But something was still not fitting. The spheres were definitely gold and, as Father Gregor confirmed, silver, nothing more. In diagrams he used yellow, white and dark-grey chalks, and he was sure he saw some glint in the lines. He concluded it was metal dust, but he had  no idea what the third chalk contained. Also, to condense Mana Pool, the Bishop accumulated a large amount of dense mana in Laura''s body, which acted like gold. Could the other two starting mana organs be linked to other metals? For that Sirius needed to observe people with Mind''s eye and Thought Constellation, but the Kingdom had no such people around.


    While he was thinking, the rite concluded and a happy batch of newly-initiated pupils ran towards their parents, and the crowd began dissipating. Sirius asked permission to talk with Bishop, as he walked towards the church.


    "Your Holness, may I ask a question?"


    "Greetings, Pupil Sirius. Already thinking about uncovering our secrets?" Teased Bishop, as they walked alongside each other. "You surely can, but just until we reach the church."


    "Thank you! So, umm... What are the chalks for circle diagrams are made of?" Sirius went straight to the point, making the Bishop stop in his way.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."I am both impressed and terrified that you linked them together so quickly. Please don''t use it to condense Mana Pool, I really don''t want to have you executed. As for your question, they are made of gold, tin and lead." He began walking again, a bit slowly than before.


    "Tin? But I thought they are made of silver, just like those orbs."


    "Silver and tin are similar in their behaviour. Gold and copper are as well, and so are lead and iron."


    "If gold stores mana, what does other metals do?" Sirius hastily asked as they were already at the church''s doors.


    "That... I am afraid I am not allowed to disclose that, but you can study them like you did with plants. I am sure you will guess correctly. Farewell, Pupil Sirius, I wish you success!" Said Bishop, disappearing in the hall, leaving Sirius standing outside.


    "How everything went?" Asked Father Gregor, after catching up to Sirius.


    "Better than I thought. I understand why people love him, he is very friendly."


    "It is true, rarely you can see such an easygoing and down-to-earth person among the higher echelons on the church. Did you get your answers?"


    "Some of them, yes. Others, like I thought, are secrets. However, he gave me a hint I needed, so that is fine."


    "If so, let''s go back to the guild, we might return before the dusk if we move out in an hour or so."


    "Can we buys some stuff on our way?"


    "Buy some stuff... You never asked that before. What do you need exactly?"


    "I need some metals, maybe a tool or two. I think the Order can give back the money for that after the fact."


    "Are you sure?" Gregor was intrigued by the eagerness of Sirius. The boy''s mind was already cooking up some plan of research.


    "You can say it was for the research. I think they won''t mind."


    "Fine, why not. So, give me a list and let''s look around for the materials."

 024.5 Future

    Quiet rattling of the carriage drowned the sounds of the forest. Sirius, however, wouldn''t notice them anyway, as he was deep in thoughts. He blankly stared at the road drifting away into the distance, like a flow of the river. Eventually, he got tired from worrying and leaned back with a grunt.


    "Are you alright?" Asked Gregor from the driver''s place.


    "Thinking about the tribunal and stuff."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "I... don''t know. I don''t want to flee Kingdom, but I am afraid you are right."


    "Will you survive though? Alone in the wilderness..."


    "Uncle Verden taught me well. From gathering food to making a shelter without magic."


    "He might have expected this outcome."


    "You are probably right..."


    The squeaking noise of the wheels diluted the heavy silence between them.


    "Why did you need so many metals?"


    "I want to have my own supply for magic circles. Chalk is also for them, a nice filler material, neutral to mana and such."


    "Tin is cheap, and so is lead, but copper? A whole crown for that ingot..."


    "An alternative is gold. I don''t know of any other metal with such properties."


    "Fine... Order''s paying anyways."


    "I think they spend much more on the ritual chalks, even if the gold contents are tiny."


    "Sure thing... But why do you actually need to study metals? Didn''t you move on to the alchemy?"


    "You see..." Sirius sat back up. "I think that running away is my future, but I want to postpone that as much as possible. In the meantime, I want to learn and study for as long as it is acceptable."


    "And then?..." Gregor asked with sadness, dreading Sirius'' leave.


    "Father Gregor, you said so yourself. I can be killed by them at tiniest misconduct. One day I have to escape. I promise to return."


    "Return? What for?" Gregor asked, afraid of the confirmation of his thoughts.


    "I want to stop them."


    "No... No-no-no-no, wait." He dropped the leash, making the carriage stop.


    "What do you mean no? They fearmonger the whole country, killing whoever they dem a heretic."


    "But they also protect others."


    "Others who share their views."


    "Not only. Do you actually think the whole Kingdom believes in the Twin Gods?" He said in a hushed voice.


    "Why not? Don''t they kill those who don''t?"


    "My boy... There are many gods in this world, and they can not force their faith. On the south people believe in the god of sea and fire. Druids in the Betweenlands believe that the world itself is the deity."


    "And? They are not the part of the Kingdom anyways."


    "You don''t get the point. Southern areas are Kingdom''s territory, yet their belief somehow still exists, don''t you find it strange?"


    "How do you know that?"


    "Ravenloft is a big city, you heard traders'' tales about beasts. I heard about lots of smaller areas further from the capital that retain their own gods."


    "You think they don''t kill anyone who tries to undermine their faith?"


    "How else could it be otherwise? They are the force that keeps the Kingdom together."


    "Doesn''t mean they are a good force."


    "You are too weak to uproot such an organisation anyways."


    "I know... That is why I learn."


    "So that is the reason?"


    "Of course. They won''t listen to a little runt from a village on the edge. If only I was stronger..."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Gregor silently took the reigns and urged the horse to move.


    "Do you think I am too ambitious?"


    "I just don''t believe it is the right way to deal with things."


    "Is it because of imminent war?"


    "So you know..."


    "Duh, of course I know. More and more people enroll into guards, and our small village grows new layers of walls each year. It''s been a long time since it all started."


    "Did Verden tell you?"


    "Yes."


    "Understood." Gregor sighed. "Yes, it is correct. The tensions between Republic and Kingdom are at the peak right now. Everyone in the church rumours about the war."


    "Didn''t you say there are Betweenlands in the middle of the continent?"


    "They are indeed. Actually, they are vaguely split between Republic and Kingdom, but the Druids still claim it to be their land."


    "They don''t have a country of their own?"


    "No, Verden should have told you, there are multitude of tribes that act like city-states. but each of them hold power to stop two major countries ploughing through their land."


    "So, why would the war come?"


    "I don''t know... The only thing we are sure of is that a lot of priests and deacons are taken to further trainings with no one to return yet..."


    "Strange things... One more reason to dislike them." Sirius snarled.


    "They have their reasons, even if they aren''t voiced."


    "Well, I have reasons to hate them anyways. They took my whole peaceful life and destroyed it in a single day, and now they try to trample me, like a weed. I will come after them, and I will destroy their tyranny."


    "Won''t the Kingdom collapse?"


    "I don''t really care. The whole system is deeply flawed. Better build a new one after this one burns to the ground." The anger seething inside Sirius made the metal bars rattle. "I just need to start relying on myself only."


    "Do you understand that there will be blood of countless people on your hands?"


    "Blood..." Sirius'' bravado suddenly disappeared. "I... am not sure."


    "And then there is the chance they will send killers after you. Trained soldiers, mages and such. Will you kill them?"


    "I would want to avoid that..."


    "Do you think you can talk them into submission?"


    "Talk? If I was stronger they would listen!"


    "But when will you be stronger than them?" Gregor asked insistently.


    "I don''t know... No one will want to listen to a murderer too, though." The dilemma was tearing him apart.


    "People spend their whole lives trying to reach the peak to change their homelands, only to see the peak get further with every hurdle they pass... Some don''t even reach second ascension in their whole lifetime."


    "Whole life without reaching a peak?.. Does it even exist?"


    "People say the King and the Pope are the most powerful mages, only ones who reached the peak of the magical prowess."


    "No. They didn''t."


    "What?"


    "Condensing Manapool is wrong. Condensing Thought Constellation is also wrong. And so does condensing Mind''s Eye. There must be another way, I am sure. The only correct way..."


    "And you want to find it?"


    "I WILL find it. And I will prove them wrong. If only I had more freedom..."


    And they both fell silent again, promising to keep everything said a secret. Sirius daydreamed about the future, where he will come back to the Kingdom and save the people from the oppression, giving them free knowledge and teaching them the true meaning of magic. If only it was that easy...

 025. Case study

    The presence of the Observer in the lab was unnerving. Actually, she was no longer an Observer, but the Inquisitor''s Emissary. However, Sirius was so used to calling her Observer, that he had a hard time thinking about her otherwise. Especially since she would always shuffle around him, asking what he was doing at the moment, which he gladly shared. On one hand, he would need to report either way, but on the other hand, the Emissary seemed genuinely interested what would be the next thing Sirius made.


    Now Sirius sat at the table, looking at the mess around. His notes, now carefully spread across several notebooks were lying open on the wooden table, small metal bars keeping them open. Corners of those bars were ground down on the grindstone, lying on the other end of the table. In the middle a sizeable chunk of chalk occupied Sirius'' gaze. He tried to understand its purpose in the ritual chalks, but failed time and time again. Additionally, he could not meditate and shift the mana around in the presence of Emissary, since he should not be able to do that. At least he could quickly draw a diagram to do what he needed, since he was now allowed to compose new diagrams.


    Eventually, he gave up. More than half of a summer has passed, and he only presented what Order considered common knowledge. That idea annoyed Sirius to his very core, since it was the Order, who limited the access to information. Whenever he asked the Inquisitor stuff, it was either unknown or a secret, so Sirius had to thread his own path.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I will ask a blacksmith for clay, if he has some. Otherwise, I''ll go gather at the creek."


    "Why?" She was not a big talker.


    "I want a change of pace, may also be useful to the village and make some pots."


    "Do you need help?"


    "I''ll manage, thank you. If I will go out, I''ll notify you."


    "Fine. I''ll be in the church." Emissary said.


    As Sirius suspected, smithery was out of clay, and what was left was not suitable for what Sirius planned. So, after notifying the Emissary about his leave, he went towards the river. On his way he managed to train his mind a bit by passing the mana through his body. At the place where river slightly bent, he found the digging place where people of the village took clay for their needs. Last summer, when he was dying from boredom, he learned how to do pottery, and he wanted to try it out for real this time. As he gathered a full basket of fine, deep orange clay, he began walking home, thinking about what he would make with it. At the village he gave almost everything to the blacksmith, taking only a couple of chunks, enough for some experiments.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He walked inside the lab, finding it empty for once. As he place the clay on the table, he moved away the chalk and a tray with bowls, containing powdered metal he ground on the stone. Deep in his thought he was not paying attention and placed a tray on the table with mana condensation diagram, accidentally activating it. He felt gold draining of the stored mana, but was not fast enough to react. But then a tin bowl began loudly crackling and flashing with sparks, small explosions flinging the sharp metal shavings everywhere. Sirius tried to cover his eyes and remove the tray, but the bowl exploded, launching shrapnel in every direction, tin shavings, red-hot drops of molten metal and sharp ceramic shards covering his skin and setting some hair aflame. Sirius was blinded by the small dust, that got in his eyes, and stumbled across the room towards the alchemical table. There should have been some pure water and alcohol to wash the wounds, but he could not find it. He stressed his mind and tried feeling the world with his mana senses. His attention was brought by some bright spot, and he took it in his hands. Feeling the glassy surface, he concluded it to be the World Tree leaf. Angry at its uselessness in current situation, Sirius angrily smashed it against the table with his wounded hand, turning a meaty leaf into mush. He immediately felt his arm getting heavier and wanted to look, but could not open his eyes. He tried touching them, but something began spreading across his face, covering his eyes and cheeks.


    The door opened and Gregor along with Emissary found Sirius on the floor, back facing the entrance. He hastily rubbed his face when they entered and turned around to face them. All over his face was green glassy crystal, like a glass, under which they could see blood stains on his skin.


    "Who is there!?" In panic asked Sirius.


    "It''s me. What exploded?" Answered Father Gregor


    "I don''t know. A bowl. What is on me, I can''t see!" He said while trying to feel himself with his healthy arm.


    "Calm down. Is it spreading?" Said Emissary, her domineering tone bringing Sirius back from panic.


    "No, I think. It feels like a glass. What is it?"


    "It is a green crystal, its color similar to the World Tree." Described Father Gregor.


    "World Tree?..." That calmed Sirius down a bit.


    "Are you wounded?" Asked the Emissary.


    "I... I was... But... I don''t feel the pain anymore."


    "Can you move your hand?"


    "Just the fingers... Can you look inside?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you see cuts?"


    "No, there is not even a drop of blood."


    "I feel it peeling from my cheek. Is it also healthy?"


    "I could say so." Interjected Father Gregor.


    "The World Tree... Its leaves are incredible..." Said Sirius with relief in his voice, his face still covered by heavy green crystal.

 026. Kindness

    Just like Sirius predicted, the crystals were peeling off after fixing him up. He had to lie at home with thick crystal covering his eyes. At times he would find metal dust on his pillow, as it was pulled out by this strange substance, that seemed to be almost alive. At least now he knew the application of the purple leaves... Usually he would prefer to find it out via safer means, but accidents happen. Speaking of an accident, in no way he could believe a metal would explode and shatter the bowl. Now he had to make a new one. Today would be a nice day to try that, as the green blindfold have finally decided to leave his eyes, falling in his lap during breakfast. Sirius looked around with surprise, happy to see the sunlight again.


    "Oh, congratulations!" Said Gregor in passing between mouthfuls. "How is your revelation?"


    "If possible, I would rather avoid such revelations in future." Said Sirius, finally touching his eyes and squinting at the brightness of the sun. He looked at the crystal. "Was it this muddy all this time? I thought you saw my face through it?"


    "Actually, it was very clear when it appeared. It darkened over time, maybe as it lost its powers. How are you?"


    "Fond of being able to see. Other than that, I am fine. I think it took so long because of metal dust." Sirius looked inside the chunk of a crystal, seeing some sparkling dust.


    "Yes, you were shedding that stuff everywhere, like a dog in the summer. I think some pots still have traces of tin."


    "Sorry about that... I really don''t know why it suddenly exploded."


    "I might know, but the church prohibits from disclosing it. I am afraid you have to find it out on your own."


    "It will wait, I still need to make a new bowl. The last one is scattered around the lab." Said Sirius after finishing his breakfast.


    "Sure, just don''t forget to clean up."


    "Of course! I''ll be at Brown''s smithery!"


    "Take care!" Said Gregor to the excited boy, as he ran out of the house.


    Sirius went to the lab and cleared up pottery shards. They would be useful in his next pot as a stabilising additive. He wanted to try out different things this time and fire everything in one batch, so he took his backpack as well, where he stored his supplies. Satisfied with the order in his lab, he went outside and towards the Brown''s workshop. Just as Sirius was walking up to the blacksmith''s place, he heard some loud chattering and curiosity took him over. Near the church he saw villagers looking at a young man in priest''s black robes. He was widely grinning and talking to no one in particular, while pointing his index finger forward.


    "This one I also invented myself! I call it a wind arrow!" He said, while aiming at an apple on a fence post, one eye closed. He then focused, and Sirius felt a very bad magic being used. Like, really bad. The mana flow was very forceful and rough, turbulent and unruly, always trying to get out of control, making Sirius wince in disgust. This man however had some talent, so he managed to direct the energy correctly, and a dense ball of compressed air left his finger and in a wild spin flew towards the apple, ripping it into pieces. The crowd applauded and cheered once again. Father Gregor also was able to cast spells, but he preferred not to do so in public, like this man.


    "Oh, a new face!" Said a young priest noticing Sirius'' grimace. "Didn''t see you when I arrived! Is a new Priest from Ravenloft such an often occasion in these places!?" He teased and laughed.


    "Please forgive him, Priest Arthur, he is just a null." Said someone from the crowd.


    "My name is Pupil Sirius. And no, We only had one Priest for a long time."


    "I see! This is why you all are so excited about my magnificent spells?"


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more."Usually in church you are taught the value of magic and modesty. This is why we value each and every spell being used."


    "Huh! What could a null know about spells? When was the last time you ignited a fireplace without a magic circe?"


    "A week ago. Actually, about spells. The last one was bad." The crowd gasped.


    "What did you say?"


    "It was messy. And you called that an arrow? The apple was torn apart, not pierced." Murmurs of agreement swept across the crowd. "Also, it was very messy and you almost lost control over it. Were you not taught about the Mythos'' punishment for carelessness?"


    "I would listen to you if you were right. However, I don''t believe someone who cannot cast spells knows better. As you can see, I am still here! And everyone likes what I can do!" The crowd, reminded about the God''s punishment, agreed, but made a step back nonetheless.


    "Well, I actually might know better. If you want, I''ll describe you what was wrong. You can find me at the church''s library most of the time." Sirius said and turned around.


    The anger was seething in him, this arrogant priest knew how to strike the nerve. As he made a couple of steps, he felt the forceful pull behind him, and heard the crowd gasp. Purely on instinct he dodged to the right, turning back to face the priest. Arthur''s eyes were brimming with rage, as he was humiliated in front of all these people, and his index finger pointed where Sirius stood just now. With a crack a ''wind arrow'' hit the ground near Sirius. Arthur, even more furious pointed directly at Sirius'' face, but something went wrong this time.


    As Arthur gathered energy and pushed towards his finger, his forearm exploded, splattering blood around. He screamed in pain, and fell to the ground, accompanied by the shouts of terrified crowd. Some people looked towards Sirius, unsure if the only healer in the village will help his offender.


    "Shit..." Cursed Sirius under his breath and went towards the squirming man. "Give way! What did I say!? You dumbass!"


    Sirius put his backpack on the ground and took out a jar with World Tree leaves, mortar and pestle and a wide board.


    "For your hubris you will pay by being a test subject." Sirius took his mutilated hand and looked inside. It was a first for him as a healer, but he steeled his nerves. The wound looked like it exploded from the inside, bone fragments littering the edges. Sirius put a mortar under his wound, getting some of the blood inside. After he threw a couple of leaves as well he told to a random man in the crowd. "You! Grind that until it sparkles."


    "What about you?" Said a man.


    "I need to prepare a ritual, or it won''t work." Answered Sirius, while taking out ritual chalks. He drew the most perfect black circle anyone in Rivervale seen being drawn by hand. Inside he drew two golden ones and littered the rest with silver arcs and lines, leaving a place for a mortar inside. After that he drew a small silver circle beside and connected with lines. Not even a minute passed while he was doing all that. "Is paste ready?"


    "Yes!" A man gave back the mortar. Inside Sirius found a perfect paste that began changing colour to green and glint in the sun.


    "Perfect!" Sirius said and placed a mortar inside the large circle. In the small one he put a whole jar of purple leaves and threw a half of golden chalk on top. With a thought the circle shone, as the energy left the jar and a piece of chalk, leaves withering in process. When the paste in the mortar began shining, Sirius flipped it over the wound, dumping its contents inside.


    Arthur screamed, and squealed, and whined, and cursed, but Sirius was holding his arm with deadly strength. Eventually his shouts died down and he looked at his wounded arm. A thick green shell covered his forearm, pulling down with its formidable weight. In shock he looked at Sirius, who was prepared to receive praises.


    "You... A heretic!"

 027. Consequences

    "You has tainted my body with your heretical witchcraft!" Screamed Arthur.


    "I healed you!" Retorted Sirius.


    "You call that healing? No wonder Gods took away you magic! You must be caught!"


    "For what!?"


    "For your betrayal of faith! Someone take him!"


    Sirius looked around in search or help, but only met conflicted, scared and angry looks.


    "What are you waiting?" The call of Arthur convinced some burly guard to make a step.


    Suddenly, Sirius darted towards the western gates, as the most zealous of the villagers were determined to catch him. Sirius ran across the field towards a forest, angry shouts never giving him time to rest. He was running on a newly-paved road that went close to the World Tree, as he intended to hide in these places. As he entered the forest, he found the point on the road closest to the Tree and swerved to the right.


    "There! He went into the forest!" Shouted someone from behind.


    After a couple of minutes, Sirius was at the right place. He quickly ran past the hiding spot, where he took a rope, and went closer to the roots of the World Tree. With agility and precision he took out one end of the rope and threw the remaining part on the ground in a specific place between roots. The ground shone, revealing a hidden circle diagram. It gathered mana, and with a force pushed a stone column up, launching the rope towards the branch. After that the pillar receded back into the soil. Sirius prepared this diagram beforehand and used to gather more leaves, since up until last week they were just a source of power for him. Now it came in was his salvation from the lynching.


    "He could not go far away! Search around the tree!" Sirius heard the voice of Arthur, making him turn around.


    Using both ends of the rope he climbed up the Tree. As he reached the branch, he pulled himself up and began gathering the rope, so that no one would notice him up there. Just as he put the coil on a wide branch, not afraid to fall, he heard voices from below.


    "Something here!"


    "What is it?" An arrogant voice of a priest inquired.


    "Some more foul rituals, Your Holiness!"


    "He is too rebellious for a Null! He shall be punished for his perpetrations!"


    "Stop right there, Priest Arthur." A familiar voice of Emissary made Sirius let out the breath he was holding.


    "Who are you? Why are you stopping the justice?"


    "I am the Inquisitor''s Emissary from the Silver Order. And you should know what that means."


    "The Silver... What does the Order do here? Still you can not just save that heretic..."


    "Silence!" A powerful voice brought the quiet to the forest, as everyone watched. A woman in the Order''s robe with a brilliant white mask stood on the bulging root of the World Tree and looked directly at the Priest Arthur, who sat on a horse below. He held his arm on his lap, unable to lift the heavy crystal, covering the wound.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Answer me!" The Emissary continued, now that everyone was listening. "Did Pupil Sirius heal your wound?"


    "No! That corrupt crystal is not a cure! I cannot..."


    "Silence. Are you in pain?"


    "I... erm... No, I am not." The truth began dawning upon him.


    "How did you get your wound?"


    "I don''t know! It must be that sinner''s doings!"


    "Is it true, Pupil Sirius?" She asked into the air. Seeing that Sirius is not answering, she reassured him. "You will not be punished if you are not guilty."


    "It is his own doing, Silver Sister." Answered Sirius from the branch, making confused villagers look up the trunk.


    "In what way..." Began Arthur.


    "I said silence." Emissary''s voice was filled with poorly contained annoyance, as she slowly said one word after the other. "How did Priest Arthur inflict this wound and how did you heal it?"


    "I can''t disclose the details, but Priest Arthur created his own spells and failed to control it, bringing the Mythos'' punishment upon himself, for his carelessness." He let that sink in for a second. "For a cure I used the leaves from this very tree, mixed with his blood and infused with more energy to heal such a terrible wound."


    "How did you know it would work?"


    "I did not." Sincerely said Sirius, bringing judgemental remarks upon himself. "I only accidentally tested it on myself a couple of days ago, when I was scalded and injured by ceramic shards. I had metal dust get in my eyes and just this morning the same crystal you can see on his arm peeled off."


    "That is truthful. I personally observed you getting hurt and I also saw how you by coincidence healed yourself with those leaves."


    "But he used corrupt ritual in front of everyone!" Shouted Arthur.


    "And you say all that after you tried shooting me? You arrogant fool! I had no time! If I hid in a house to no the infusion you would lose half your blood!" Shouted Sirius in anger from the branch.


    "I cannot confirm that since I did not saw it myself. However, I can say that he was allowed to create rituals on his own by His Holiness Bishop of Ravenloft."


    "What?... A Null like him?!" Shouted Arthur in disbelief.


    "Yes. And you should have known about that if you read you debrief."


    "I read it!"


    "Lies!" Stated Emissary. As she took a deep breath, she unsheathed her sword. "For your misconduct as a priest of the Twin Gods church, for your insubordination as a junior member of the Silver Order, for dangerous application of self-made spells, and for the attempted murder of fellow believer you are immediately stripped of your dignity as a Priest and detained under my guard! If you resist I have the right to stop you using any means I deem necessary." After that she turned around and said into the air. "Pupil Sirius, I deem you not guilty. If anyone tries to punish you for your actions, report directly to me. Everyone, go back to the village!"

 028. Aftermath

    "No way you gathered an angry mob after you! Again!"


    "Get lost, Mark." Said Sirius from behind a book, he was reading at the library.


    "I mean, you have a talent for that! It''s a second time in a year!"


    "Do you want to be my second test subject?"


    "What?... Who was the first?"


    "That arrogant moron of a priest. I had to test medicine on him when his bones exploded."


    "His what!?" Mark shouted in amazement.


    "His bone what?" Asked Melissa who just entered the library.


    "Oh, hello Melissa!" Said Sirius, while leaning back in chair to see her. "Yeah, did you see that priest, who was supposed to be on probation in our village?"


    "That prick who flaunted his skills by shattering apples?"


    "Right, that one. His oh-so-majestic spells were too violent and his arm exploded from the stress."


    "I thought it was his flow that was bad." Shrugged Melissa.


    "What are you two talking about?" Interjected Mark.


    "You will learn that... Some time later." Hesitantly said Sirius, since he did not really know when people learn about spells. "Actually, since when do you know about the flow?"


    "I was taught that as a preparation for becoming a priestess. They said if you use too much force you will be punished by Gods."


    "Huh, sounds exactly like what happened. He seemed rather angry."


    "Angry at you? What were you doing there to anger him?" Asked Melissa.


    "Nothing much, just said his skills are lacking. Actually, I never intended to go there. All I wanted was to create a couple of ceramic bowls, and now half a village sees me as a madman who makes arms explode."


    "At least you healed him." Said Mark.


    "So what? People still view me as a sinner, even with Emissary''s verdict. I might have to go live in a forest like my master did."


    "Near the World Tree? What if people try to sneak up to you?" Asked Melissa with concern.


    "I''ll gladly see them try. I swear, I will reverse-engineer the process of exploding bones just to prove a point, and will use it on such idiots who shoot right and left without reason."


    "I would rather you not, Pupil Sirius." Said Emissary who opened the door into the library. "Brown is searching for you. His kiln''s enchantment has collapsed, he wants you to fix it."


    "Wow, am I allowed? I thought it is the property of Ravenloft." Said Sirius while closing the book and putting it away.


    "The Order wants to evaluate your skills, so it is the great opportunity for you."


    "Of course they do." Disappointedly said Sirius. "No problem, be right there in a minute. See you all soon!"


    On his way to the blacksmith Sirius felt the terrified, concerned and disgusted looks if the villagers. Sirius wanted to prove his innocence, but the cold-blooded stare of Sirius during his healing procedure made him look uncaring. Just one day has passed, and the story began to evolve as the rumours were spreading.


    "Hi Sirius!" Said Corwel Brown from his workshop.


    "Hello, mister Brown. Were you looking for me?"


    "NI was worried you ran away. How are you after yesterday?" He said in a hushed tone.


    "Me? I mean, I am fine. Why are you asking?"


    "I heard that Arthur tried to kill you with an arrow, but you deflected it back to him."


    "Oh Gods, it became even more absurd." Sighed Sirius while pinching his eyebrows. "He brought it upon himself. I did nothing wrong, just healed him afterwards. But he did try to kill me, that part is true."


    "I thought so. You are no priest to be able to use the divine gift."


    "That''s right, but either way I am here to help with a kiln, Silver Sister allowed me to."


    "Seriously? I was ready to wait for a mage from Ravenloft to fix it!"


    "I can''t promise anything, but the Inquisitor''s Emissary is quite confident in me. I can''t disappoint her. Let me take a look."


    The kiln was built with firebricks, charred over the edges after the intense heat. After removing the cover on the floor Sirius found an intricate diagram that spread up the base of the firebox. It had many interconnected parts, even some pits with copper spheres, likely for storing some energy.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "How is it?" Asked Corwel, looking that Sirius was scratching his head.


    "I am... not sure. I see many parts that don''t make sense."


    "Erm, may I help?"


    "I might try to describe what it does. It stores some energy as the kiln cools down, maybe to use it to start fire later."


    "That''s right, it kindles on its own."


    "Great, that means... Might it be that the bricks are fortified? If so, the part that regulates their temperature has burned out."


    "Is that fixable? I have a number of pots for people waiting to be fired."


    "I can fix, but it will fizzle out right away, the problem is elsewhere... Damn, it has a lot of functions for such a small diagram."


    "That... is small?" Bemused blacksmith looked at a huge diagram that covered half of his workshop in thick lines.


    "Actually, I can''t say for sure. Also it looks incomplete, does it have any other parts?"


    "Oh, that! It had those statues." Blacksmith pointed at a small ceramic pillars with ornaments of potter, blacksmith, and metalworker. "I was said to use them to choose the function of the kiln."


    "It is quite smart actually." Said Sirius while holding one of them. He felt some resistance to mana passing through it. On bottom they had some small diagrams made of metal. "They complete the diagram. All but this one. Look, the metalworker''s statue has a crack."


    "I might have dropped this one. Is it critical?"


    "It should have a tin chunk on the inside, but it doesn''t."


    "It melted away from the heat. One day I found a blot under it." Concluded Brown, while scratching the back of his head in shame.


    "That is the root of the problem." Sirius took out a box of ritual chalk. "Shall we make a new one?"


    After fixing the overloaded connection by outlining it with a chalk, the kiln was ready to be used again. Sirius together with Corwel covered the diagram back with a plate. They carefully created a hollow statue together with a detachable base. Since they were firing the whole kiln anyway, Sirius created a bowl for metal dust. Additionally, he thought about mixing in the metal dust in a clay and made testing bowls, jars and sticks using copper, tin and iron. This whole metallurgy has proven to be quite useful, so he wanted to try out more various applications he came across.


    After loading the kiln with freshly-made, still moist creations they closed the kiln and put a put the potter''s statue on a special podium near the kiln. After that Corwel showed how to fire freshly-created clay. Sirius knew that to properly fire the jar must be bone-dry, or it will crack. Blacksmith put a couple of logs into the firebox and they began kindling right away. After that he went behind the kiln and pulled a couple of levers that shifted something under the kiln, likely altering the connections in the diagram.


    "This is the drying mode. The temperature will slowly rise to about boiling point and maintain like that for half a day. At sunset it should be ready for firing, so I''ll add other pots and it will fire overnight." Described Brown, while covering the mouth of a kiln with a cover.


    "So it will be ready by tomorrow?"


    "I hope so. I am glad I can fire all that stuff overnight, without the enchantments it would be beyond tedious."


    "Can I ask you for a help?" Asked Sirius.


    "Sure, anything you want."


    "Can you help me make small cups out of tin, copper and iron?"


    "What for? Tin and copper are too soft, I''d add some other metals to harden them."


    "For now I would rather them be pure. I want to try something in my studies."


    "Fine, why not."


    After leaving more detailed drawings and descriptions, Sirius thanked mister Brown and went into the forest to gather herbs and materials. When he was sitting on a branch yesterday, he noticed something rather interesting in that area. The grass was more cyan there, rather than usual green and he noticed an unfamiliar flower growing close to the trunk, he had to test it right away.

 029. Hermit

    The next day Sirius went to the smithery again. He was still a bit grumpy because the flower died the moment Sirius picked it up. It didn''t just lost the freshness, it literally wilted into dust when it was separated from the roots. At least that failure was compensated by his new toys to play with, namely ceramics infused with metals and metal caps. But first he had to help Corwel with fixing the statue. Since tin was rather soft, the mode for smithing was enough to melt it into nice shining liquid which was poured in the hollow statue. Sirius made sure it was roughly similar in volume, lest it would fail again. While blacksmith was doing that, he finished the diagram on the base and they attached both parts together, sealing with some fireproof mortar. The result looked less appealing than what was provided by the Order, but it had its charm. More important was the fact that it functioned the same as the broken one. Sirius thanked him from the bottom of his heart, happy that Corwel still treated him as a person.


    It seemed that the incident became filled with more cruel details about him, so to avoid meeting anyone in foreseeable future, Sirius gathered all his stuff and took it to the World Tree. He planned on making a hiding spot in that place. Make a house out of stone plates, maybe a kiln similar to Brown''s, a kitchen with a stove. Anything that would remind him of his old home, to be fair. Even though he liked living in Rivervale, he felt like alienated in there. Initiated villagers viewed him like a worthless leech, and not initiated - as a privileged kid who was lucky to know Father Gregor. At least Father Gregor would not leave him alone in a trouble, as he and Emissary accompanied him on his way.


    "I cannot blame you for your decision, Pupil Sirius." Suddenly she said on their way. Sirius stopped pulling the cart with all the materials and vials he gathered over the summer. In the cart a coiled pearly snake was basking in warm sunlight, dizzy from the journey.


    "What do you mean?" He said, out of breath.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit."I mean, that priest antagonised everyone in the village."


    "Not everyone, just the most zealous ones." Clarified Gregor.


    "I set them up against me in the winter. Not every day you hear the rumour that Silver Inquisitor nearly killed some kid in the blackwater village like this one."


    "It was before I was assigned to observe you?"


    "It was the reason you were assigned." Giggled Sirius. "If not for that, though, I would still be dying from boredom."


    "I feel like dying from boredom is still better than just plain dying." Grumbled Gregor.


    "I think I will only be in the new lab over day, I still need to visit church and heal whatever anyone need. I hope one day they will be grateful, like they were to uncle..." Added Sirius with sadness.


    "He was almost lynched as well." Added Gregor. "For the same exact reason - for healing something that was deadly before him."


    "At least we are similar..." Whispered Sirius, shedding a tear. "Let''s continue on our way. The trip over the road is almost over."


    "What are you going to do after the road ends?" Asked Emissary.


    "I will make a shed out of stone to hide everything from the rain and then move everything into the hut."


    "Will you pave a path for people to visit you?" Emissary questioned, curious if Sirius will seclude and hide.


    "After a while, maybe. Only if people stop looking daggers at me."


    "What about your friends?" Gregor worriedly said.


    "I don''t know..."


    "Why?"


    "Mark seems a bit scared of me, and Melissa doesn''t approve of what I do. We often talk about stuff, but their tone changes the moment we touch magic..."


    "I don''t think so. They always ask me where can they find you. They are caring for you."


    "Really?..." Sirius was looking into the ground under his feet. "After I make a hut, I will show them over. You can tell them where to look for me, in case they ask."


    They have arrived at the curve where the road was the closest to the foot of the World Tree. At this point the cart could no longer be pulled, so Sirius thanked Father Gregor and Emissary for their help and, after hiding the cart behind the trees went towards the tree. He was still thinking about the conversation, unsure if things will go back to being the same as before. To drown the sad thoughts he began planning out a place for a small stone shed.

 030. Lab

    After carrying everything closer to the tree, Sirius let Seth in the wild to hunt and slither around in a forest. Then he swept away the leaves and twigs, and used a stick to plan out a place to make a storage space. He had to account for additional space for the diagrams he would use to build everything. That was the reason he went alone - he had everything he needed. More than enough, even. Eventually, when he was satisfied with the plan, he took out the wooden tablet the size of a book and began sketching a diagram with a piece of coal. He wanted to make something similar to irrigation staves he saw at the farm, but for stone. He would need more mana to operate it, and it would be painfully slow, but at least he could use it to harden the foundation for the shed.


    Under the tree he felt at peace, like never before. The air of the forest brought the smell of moist soil and leaves, the sun of last summer days was still pleasantly hot, and the glassy roots, Sirius was sitting on, emitted a dim green glow. The progress was steady, and in the end Sirius managed to make something that satisfied his needs. He focused on hardening the soil first, since it would be the most useful right now. What he created applied pressure in a small area in front of him, for as long as he was moving the diagram. Using his new tool he began flattening the ground.


    Sirius underestimated the efforts. Really underestimated. He was alone, the shed was incomplete, and the sun was already setting. If he could hast spells himself, it would be much easier, but he barely had enough power to start the diagram, which worked slower than Sirius wanted. A bit angry at his lack of power, he hastily found a place where the roots bulged up, forming a cavern. He put everything inside and covered the entrance with some treated cloth he prepared beforehand. With nowhere to sleep over, he went home.


    "How is the progress?" Asked Gregor, while putting Sirius some roasted potatoes.


    "Worse than I hoped for." Sirius said, salivating at the sweet and spicy smell of the dinner. "The ground is either too soft or has rocks in it. It is not flattening whatsoever, just hardening."


    "Are you determined to continue?"


    "I can''t just give up after one day. I have a lot of things to study, but I need more experience. Building a house can be a nice source of it."


    "Just... Don''t strain yourself too much."


    "Don''t worry, uncle, I''m fine."


    "Did you just call me uncle?"


    "Sorry, I should have asked you..."


    "No-no, it''s fine. I was just surprised."


    "I just thought... You cared for me when everyone turned away. And I can''t just call you Father Gregor all my life, right?"


    "I didn''t want to push you or anything. I am glad that you consider me your family."


    "How else could I... Thank you for everything." Said Sirius, looking at Gregor.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation."Oh Gods, you are making me tear up a little. Verden would be proud. Wash your plate and go to bed, you have a big task to complete tomorrow."


    ...


    The next day promised to be more productive. Now that Sirius had nothing to carry, he got to the tree long before the midday, the smooth road making his trip much more pleasant than through the woods. At the foot of the tree, he once again took the tablet and cleaned it. He did not like what he made yesterday and needed to think about the problem from different perspective. His handheld tool was fine for small areas, but not for a hut-sized square. He remembered  how the mages lifted water from the channels and was sure he could replicate something similar. For that he had to make a change of plans and add a cellar to his hut. If he wanted to live here, he would need to store some food, or maybe some of his materials would need a colder temperatures. Either way he wanted to use rocks for walls and he needed to take that material from somewhere. He found a nice and relatively flat place and drew a border with small lead ingot. Soft metal left a nice dark line on a stone, marking the edges of the brick. Satisfied with its size, Sirius began imagining how to get it out of there.


    First he tried using similar design to the flattening diagram, that took the mana from outside and pushed the ground forward using dense stream of slowly moving energy, perfect for stone manipulation. Now however, he had to pull the thick and dense mana towards himself. After the first test Sirius changed his mind, since a small pebble flew towards him at breakneck speeds and dented his wooden tablet in the middle. After evading a certain death, if not for the piece of wood, Sirius once again modified his design, this time trying to make a compound two-part diagram that would interact with each other. A bit after the midday, he succeeded.


    Satisfied, he held a tablet with a diagram in front of himself and looked at a smooth floating stone. On top of the stone, inside the lead borders, was a small circle with a couple of lines, the only purpose of which was to redirect the mana flow back towards the tablet. The mana that came back was then reused, so the tablet was no longer needed to be moved to function. Sirius was sure that the church had something similar, but they had a lot of time to invent stuff, unlike him. After checking out the stone one last time, he began marking the ground in rectangles and drawing the small diagrams.


    At the end of the day Sirius was sitting on a root, waiting for Seth to come back. In front of him was a pit, a bit more than his height in depth. Around it were bricks, stacked in neat piles, their small faces the size of a palm, and the length of an elbow. On all of them were these small circles, which progressively grew smaller and smaller, as Sirius removed all the redundant parts. In the end he had a small tin circle with a golden chalk dot in the centre.


    "There you are." Sirius said, feeling the scaly skin on his cheek. Seth was noticeably thicker and heavier, indicating a nice meal he had. "Nothing for you today, you had your share."


    Seth threw a little hissy-fit, but calmed down, falling asleep in Sirius'' cape.

 031. Visit

    "Hello?" The voice of Melissa bounced between the trees.


    "Did you ever go this far?" Sheepishly asked Mark.


    "Not in the direction of barbarians."


    "What... what barbarians?"


    "The ones that live in Betweenlands. They don''t believe in Divine Twins, so their magic is weak, but I heard they eat people."


    Mark squeaked in fear. They left the road where Father Gregor told them to and were slowly moving towards the World Tree.


    "Sirius?" Once again called out Melissa.


    Suddenly they heard the sound of falling tree in the distance. It cracked and whined, as the trunk split into pieces, scaring the birds in all directions.


    "Was it barbarian?"


    "I hope not. Let''s go towards the Tree. If Sirius here, we will meet him at the roots."


    They went closer towards the trunk, and was a small shed made out of stone bricks. It had cloth instead of the door, and roof made out of thick foliage. A couple of paces to the side they saw a deep pit with a fallen trees chopped into twenty-elbow long pieces. They were rather thick, so carrying them was out of the question. They heard the rustling sound, which scared them. In fear they hid behind the shed, and listened to the rustling getting closer and closer.


    Then they heard a hissing. Mark, shivering like a leaf, slowly looked upwards and came face-to face with sky-blue eye with thin, black pupil. His nerves gave up.


    "AAAAHH!" He shouted on the ground, scaring Melissa out of their hiding spot.


    "What is that!?" She cried out, looking at Mark.


    "A snake! It was here!" He pointed at the shed''s roof.


    "There is no snake!"


    "It looked at me! It hissed at me!"


    "Calm down! They will notice us!" She tried calming him down, remembering that they were hiding.


    "Well, hello, I guess." Sirius said while looking behind the shed.


    After calming down, they sat on the roots, while Sirius was shuffling around with a pack of chalks and kindled a campfire with a quick scribble of a diagram.


    "Since when are you here?" Asked Melissa, while looking at the dancing flames.


    "Since... I don''t know, maybe five days or so." Sirius was holding a bag with dried herbs, a pot and a small ceramic jug.


    "Five days? All alone?"


    "Not alone of course." Sirius put a pot on top of stones over the fire and began pouring the water out of the jug. "I am here with Seth, my pet, and in the evenings I come back to Rivervale. I still attend the sermons, and do some healing here and there when needed."


    "Who is Seth?" Asked Mark.


    "A manasnake. I believe you saw him, a pearly white with deep blue eyes. Come out Seth!" After his call, a manasnake appeared on his collar and slithered closer to the fire, giving Mark shivers.


    "How much does this jug carry?.." Absentmindedly asked Melissa, noticing that the water flow must have stopped long ago.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon."That... my recent thing I asked mister Brown to make. It converts water into mana and stores it instead. As a nice bonus, it recharges over time, but the taste is inferior to the river."


    "Did you show that to the church?"


    "Not yet, I was busy here, building a new place to stay."


    "So it was indeed you who chopped down that tree?" Asked Mark.


    "I did, yes. But I have to return the axe soon, so I need to think of a way to cut down trees."


    "Only to cut down? How did you carry them?" Mark pointed at the stack of logs.


    "Magic." Shrugged Sirius. He stopped stirring the pot and stood up to get cups, finally noticing the doubtful gazes of his friends. "What? Do you want me to describe all the theory?"


    "Please don''t." Mark cut him off before he could continue.


    "Yes, I am afraid it is a secret of the church." Confirmed Melissa


    "I know... It''s a shame really, the church did so much for the people, but still saves the best for itself." Sirius lamented and handed the cups."Be careful, the tea is still hot."


    He poured a cup for himself as well and, unsatisfied with its temperature, scribbled some circles and lines on the ground.


    "What are you doing?" Asked Melissa with concern.


    "I want the tea now, so I am cooling it."


    "Using ritual?" She was concerned beyond limits.


    Sirius took a breath, but stopped, carefully picking words so that not to divulge any forbidden knowledge. In the end he gave up. "Oh well, you''ll know this when you become a priestess anyways. It''s just a spell in the form of drawing."


    "It''s... a spell?" Now she was lost.


    "Yep, just a spell. You will be able to cast anything you want at the slightest move of your hand since you both have an Astral Body. But not me." He said while holding a cup over the diagram, making it glow a bit when converting the heat of the tea into mana.


    "Is that why?..." Stammered Mark.


    "Why I studied rituals?" Sirius sighed. "That''s right. I am not allowed to become a mage, or I will be executed. So I have found my ways around that." He sipped out of his cup.


    "It''s a spell..." Melissa said in a daze. She put the cup over the diagram and strained her mind to feel the details. "It really is..."


    "Oh Gods, we shattered her world." Said Sirius, a bit worried, but otherwise amused. "Did you really not notice?"


    "The mana is contained in these very lines. It does not spill outside, so I can feel that only by focusing directly on them." Explained Melissa, disappointed in herself.


    "Don''t be ashamed, be happy. I felt that right away and offended the Silver Order." He said with a giggle. "Also..."


    Sirius stood up, picked a plain piece of chalk and drew a fifth mark on the wall of the shed. Taking a couple of steps back, he nodded in satisfaction and returned to the campfire.


    "What is that?" Inquired Mark.


    "The amount of times I nearly killed myself. Not including the times when the Inquisitor held a blade over my neck."

 032. Demonstration

    The winter was once again at the doorstep. Today Sirius did not go to his own lab, but stayed in the church, in his old lab. He was waiting for the arrival of the Inquisitor. he gathered everything he used since he began building his hut and doing his research in seclusion, even bringing some demonstrations to show off a bit, hoping to impress him. Time and time again he walked around the room, checking if there is anything else he could show.


    "Are you nervous?" Asked Father Gregor, while reading a book.


    "Not really, I upheld my part of the deal, maybe even invented something new. In any case, I don''t think I will offend him." He looked around the room and plopped down on a chair. "At least I hope so."


    "Really? Care to explain?" Gregor closed the book and leaned forward a bit.


    "Well, I might have found another way to cast magic without an astral body."


    "And you are saying that now!?"


    "Wait, wait! Let me tell you. It takes a great deal of practice to use and needs the user to perceive mana. Therefore, I at least hope to amuse the Inquisitor."


    "If you say so..."


    "If I will, I''ll add another notch on near-death counter."


    "On what!?"


    The door opened and the Emissary led the Inquisitor inside. Everyone stood up and bowed.


    "Greetings, Silver Brother."


    "Greetings, Priest Gregor, Pupil Sirius. I see your research was fruitful."


    "It is true. Can we begin the demonstration?" Impatiently asked Sirius.


    "Sure."


    Sirius began with the least interesting in his opinion and began describing his creations and discoveries. He told that he had found out more herbal magic interactions, as well as some of the possible applications. Regrettably, to Sirius they did not seem that much of an importance, like softening the wood, or making the water boil. All this time Inquisitor was silent. When Sirius description of alchemical discoveries came to an end, the Inquisitor spoke.


    "You said that the applications impact is minor."


    "Right."


    "I must correct you. At least the boiling water can be used as a weapon if spilt on a person in rain. Additionally, it can be used in trenches to boil water without fire at times of war. I can imagine much more applications that you have missed, but I will leave that to mages of the Order."


    "Thank you for your insight, Your Holiness!" Sirius bowed, truly grateful. "Shall we continue?"


    Then, Sirius began listing the more amusing inventions. Levitation diagrams, clay-based permanent diagrams, embedded into the pottery, alembic for quick distillation, everlasting jug, heating and cooling pots for food storage, mana-impervious vials for storing potent herbs. Each invention made the Inquisitor nod a little in approval. The everlasting jug was indeed a noteworthy creation in the eyes of the Inquisitor, since he even praised Sirius for that.


    "This is the point when I would like to ask you something, Silver Inquisitor." Seriously said Sirius.


    "Ask away."


    "The following two discoveries might be a rather important ones. For that reason I am asking to carefully judge the validity of my claims."


    "I will." Nodded the Inquisitor. "Show me what you found."


    "The first of the two is the healing properties of the World Tree leaves." Sirius brought the jar full of leaves. He took out a small knife and sliced his left palm a little, drawing some blood. Then he took a small leaf and dropped it into the mortar and sprinkled with his blood. "I believe this discovery will make Rivervale a medical centre in the future, meaning the tree itself must be protected. When a leaf is minced into a paste along with some blood of the owner of the wound, it becomes a powerful cure." Sirius poured the paste onto his arm, as it covered the palm in a clear green crystal.


    "That I was aware of. The Silver Sister informed me of your interactions with convict Arthur." Said Inquisitor while looking at the healing process through the glassy surface.


    "I thought so." Nodded Sirius. "The reason I am telling you all that once again, is I am not aware of the limits of the healing properties. Additionally, I might need to inform you of the source of the Tree." Sirius finished the sentence and removed the crystal from his palm.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions."Tell me." Now Inquisitor was really interested.


    "Master Verden, before he became a man of the church, was a druid. They have a tradition of creating a spell they would use at the end of their lives, or when in mortal danger. Since my master was a healer, I believe it became a foundation of his Final Flash. This is the source of the healing properties of the tree."


    "That is a valuable intel, Pupil Sirius."


    "I am saying that because I believe with enough research, healing magic might be possible."


    The room fell silent. Healing was thought to be impossible, or stuff from the legends, so even the sliver of probability that the concept might exist was dangerous.


    "For that reason, I would like to ask you not to study the World Tree itself. Not only you could damage it and lose the only link to healing magic, my lab that I built myself relies on the vast amounts of energy the Tree provides. Can you promise me that? In return I will provide the excess of the leaves, reserved for the church''s needs."


    After a moment of thought, Inquisitor answered. "I promise."


    "Thank you, Silver Inquisitor. Now I would like you to promise not to kill me straight away on the next discovery." That phrase made everyone tense.


    Sirius did not wait for the answer. Instead he took out two inconspicuous wooden rods with metal caps. He moved a candle on a stand in the middle of the room and took both of the rods in his hands. He focused.


    With his mind he felt the mana around him, but he did not touch it, did not control like he would have liked to. Instead he moved his right hand holding the rod with large lead ball at the end. Its heavy movement made the mana in the air move, as it resisted the flow of energy through the metal. With his left hand Sirius moved the wand with silver orb in front of himself and began stirring the air. He continued to stir in circular motion, as his right hand brought more and more mana closer to the rotating clump. When Sirius felt that it was enough, he stopped stirring and gently pushed the clump with his right wand. And... the candle lit up.


    "What was that..." Blurted out Gregor, but closed his mouth, when the Emissary turned to him.


    "This is another way of spellweaving. To use that you would need a keen sense of mana, a tool, and a knowledge how to use it. And practice, a lot of it." Sirius gave wands to the Inquisitor.


    "What are they made of?" Said Inquisitor while inspecting the wands.


    "Lead for the wand that resists the mana flow, and silver for the one that accelerates. I believe one is enough, but I was unsuccessful in my attempts. Also, the lead is quite heavy and soft, so it can be replaced with iron."


    "How much did you practice?"


    "At least half a season, all for lighting up a candle."


    Inquisitor sighed.


    "A lot of practice, indeed." He waved with one wand in front of him, stirring the thin veil of mana in the air. "It will be hard to convince our mages that this is worthwhile branch of research."


    "I know. But for me it is my only way of spellweaving without the diagram. So, if you allow me, I would like to pursue this path."


    The Inquisitor was visibly conflicted. He stood in front of the candle, blowing it out and lighting back up using just his mind. However little effort it took him, he knew that without any astral organs it was impossible to achieve. A simple action of gathering enough mana took Sirius almost a minute, and any mage could do that in their sleep.


    "Fine. I will allow you. But our deal still stands, you may not become a mage."


    "Thank you, Silver Inquisitor. I am really grateful for your benevolence." Sirius bowed.


    "Write everything down in a list along with the suitable diagrams. I will depart in the midday. Farewell." With that the Inquisitor left the lab.


    "Impressive." Said Emissary.


    "You think so?" Asked Sirius. "Was he really not mad at me?"


    "You just re-invented the ways of the druids."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. When your village became a place of your researches, the church expanded its influence to the west. instead of culling any druid they met, they exchanged information and caught a glimpse of their weaving. You just did something very similar."


    "Huh... Thank you for the intel." Said Sirius in deep thought.


    "At least you are good at negotiations." Added Gregor.


    "I have to be. Otherwise i would have been a heretic long time ago. Almost a year ago to be fair. Now I must give the Inquisitor the list."


    "Will you have enough time?" Asked Gregor with concern.


    "I prepared everything beforehand. I didn''t believe he would ask for just a selection."

 033. Dream

    The strong winds blew through the forest, blizzard threatening to knock down the door. Sirius threw another piece of firewood in the stove to keep himself warm in his lab. With the first show he moved all his stuff into the hut, to avoid going out as much as he could. He enchanted a stove to spread heat better across the hut and insulated the roof to contain the hot air. He persuaded Gregor that there is nothing for him to be afraid of in here, so he was allowed to sleep in his lab when the storm comes. And so it came. The thick walls protected him from unforgiving weather, a sticky smell of burning pine spread across the small hut, the  and Sirius have fallen asleep in the safety of his bed.


    He dreamt. It has been a long time since his dream was pleasant, usually his sleep was uneventful. But this dream was different. He felt happy, he was flying in the sunny forest along with Seth, who happily floated around him. Then he noticed something in a place of his old home. A thick pillar of energy was gently moving upwards, shining with a multitude of colours, rumbling as it was passing the rocky soil.


    Sirius looked up. The pillar extended into the sky, splitting into smaller streams that went into different directions, forming a net beyond the clouds. And they... connected? Sirius looked more carefully. The branches did, in fact, connect with other lines, coursing through the air. Somewhere in the distance Sirius saw another pillar, this time going down. As he looked around he noticed more and more such pillars, forming a dense net across the whole world. Under his feet he could feel some lines, coursing and pulsing with energy, like veins on his hands. In daze he moved towards the pillar. It drew him closer and closer, and Sirius followed it like a moth to the flame. He stood right beside it and looked at the raging flow inside.


    He felt a pulse from under his feet, and the pillar spew out some of its violent energy. A small thread touched Sirius'' arm, grazing it with its hot tough. And then Sirius saw...


    Crystalline towers, perfectly square and rounded, tall and short... Stone boxes, shining with majestic multicoloured lines... A giant boat, made of metal... A long smooth road, black like soot, illuminated by bright yellow orbs...


    "You should not wander here. It is dangerous." A voice from behind startled Sirius awake from his visions.


    "What..." He began turning around.


    "Stop." The voice answered. "There are things in here you should not look at until you have Astral Body."


    "Uncle..." Sirius began crying.


    "I am what remained of him." Answered a voice of Verden. "How did you come here?"


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings."I have fallen asleep near the World Tree..." Sirius began regaining composure.


    "Ahh. I see..." The sound of slithering and gurgling mass moved behind Sirius. "I am surprised you managed to do so much in here despite not being a mage."


    "What?"


    "What do you mean by ''What''? Of course I looked after you. It''s just from... here."


    "From where? Who are you?" Finally asked Sirius.


    "Where we are is not important. AS for me... When Verden have cast his Final Flash, he channeled every piece of mana he could muster. Every ounce of energy went into the creation of his final spell. However, he was torn apart in the process, his body not capable to contain so much power coursing through it. His soul was bound to this... How did you call it? ...to the World Tree." The voice slowly moved from side to side behind Sirius, accompanied by sticky sliding, echoing in this strange world.


    "Why are you talking about master like it is another person?" Sirius asked, sobbing a little. His mind felt sluggish, and it was hard to think, but he carefully listened and tried to remember this encounter.


    "Because he was another person. The Astral body without Thought Constellation is a mere creature of emotion and reflexes. When he lost his body and mind, I was left behind. It took some time to heal the damaged Astral Body of his. Now I only exist for the purpose he gave me, pushed by the remnants of his consciousness. I feel his regret of not condensing the Thought Constellation, but he had no choice. I also feel his longing for you and his friend."


    "What else do you feel?"


    "Pride for your achievements. Resentment of the Circle and the Order. Duty of a healer. Sense of accomplishment for the creation. Shame for hiding you in the woods, but also happiness that you survived." Emotionless voice of Verden finished and sighed. "Regret."


    "Why?" Asked Sirius, afraid to turn around.


    "I have not mistaken." Ignored his question the voice, as it became further and further away with each word being said. "You will be very special, I see it in your soul. I knew it when I saw a tiny manasnake coiled in your crib. My legacy will remain. Good bye." Finally the voice disappeared in the distance.


    Sirius turned around, but no one was there. He knew this ghost was real, and that he was still here, just hidden from his gaze. He fell to the ground and cried a little. Seth slowly appeared above him, floating mid-air, and looked at him from up high. For the first time in his life Sirius felt concern emanate from manasnake.


    "I am alright." He whispered. "Yes, I am sure. I just did not expect to meet him. What do you mean he was always here?" Sirius sit up and looked at the snake. "How did I what?..."


    Sirius understood Seth. No words were spoken, no hard feelings, pure concepts seeped out into the mana around, mixing and forming thoughts, which Sirius felt.


    "Is that even a dream?... How did I do it?" Wondered Sirius.


    Suddenly he felt a pull from behind, as if he was grabbed by the heart and tugged back. He felt as if he was falling, as the world around him changed, losing vivid colours and brightness. Then he saw the ceiling of his hut.

 034. Return

    Hit. Another hit. The oak quarterstaff bent slightly around the tree and bounced back. Sirius used this momentum to rotate and smash the tree from the other side, thick iron cap hitting right in the middle of the trunk. The tree spewed even more wood splinters, covering thawing snow.


    Tired, Sirius leaned on his staff, sweating profusely. Since the spring came, he was training with it for as long as he could, but the progress was slow. Out of breath, he took a gulp out of a small flask on his hip. Then another, and another, and another. Then he poured some water over himself, wiping the sticky sweat from his forehead.


    "Damn, these metal caps sure are heavy. Maybe I should remove them for now?"


    "No, if you want to leave them on in the end, you need to get used to their weight. Even now you are doing quite good for someone without any guidance." Said the Emissary from the tree to the side.


    "Thank you! But I think I still could be faster."


    "You are already quick enough."


    "It is quick enough for a tree, but in combat it is not enough. Also I need more precision." Sirius inspected the dented tree. This whole area looked like beavers began munching on the wood, but left mid-way.


    "Do you still want to use this staff for weaving?" She jumped from the branch, landing gracefully on the forest soil. She lifted the edges of her robe so as not to dirty them in mud.


    "It would be great, but this thing is way too heavy to be precise. For now my only spell is called Hit-as-Hard-as-I-Can."


    "How is progress with your research?"


    "The World Tree saturated the plants around here with mana, so much more new plants began sprouting in these places. I managed to move them by replanting in gold-infused flowerpots."


    "I am still quite unsure how you managed to get gold from Inquisitor."


    "I am too, to be fair." Sirius stretched and began walking towards his hut. "Maybe because I promised to give the pots with plants to the Order and the gold was the only metal potent enough to store mana."


    "Also, copper began rusting inside the last pot you gave him. It lost its power and the flower died mid-way."


    "Oh, really? So that''s what that green stuff is. I will remember."


    "What about the alchemy? I still need to report about your progress."


    "It is slow. I managed to incorporate vials with tinctures in the diagram, making it more compact."


    "That''s actually huge."


    "It is, but it made the diagram one-time use. And some of them channel too much power through plant matter, charring it instantly." They arrived at the hut, and Sirius put his staff near the door. "Want some tea?"


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation."I have to refuse. I need to go now. The Inquisitor arrives tomorrow, and I need to conclude a report, since you have nothing as important to demonstrate. Don''t miss the sermon later this day, unlike last time."


    "Will be there, I promise. Take care!"


    "Farewell." She turned around and vanished behind the trees.


    Sirius sighed. He still had a lot to research, but she was right, he had to gather his stuff and go to the village, not leaving the newly-upgraded quarterstaff behind. Not only he missed the last sermon due to the weather, he also had the duties of a healer to do. The walk was rather short, and soon he reached Rivervale. There was not a lot of things to do in the village, and people were already forgetting his incidents in the past.


    "Who are you?" Shouted a guard from a distance, pointing a spear in Sirius'' direction.


    "It''s a Sirius you idiot!" The second guard hit him in the back of the head, almost knocking the helmet off. "Hello there! Sorry about him, he is a newbie here."


    "No problems, Captain Rody!" Waved Sirius while passing the gates. "It is my fault for getting lost so often."


    "Don''t be sorry, boy! It is thanks to you that our village grew so much in the last year. I wish you success!"


    "Thank you!" Saluted Sirius in response.


    Captain was right, the borders of Rivervale extended further and were made of stone to the west. Wooden huts got stone foundations and the workshops expanded, to allow more apprentices from the other villages that sprouted on the way to Ravenloft. Sirius strolled through the village, meeting familiar faces, happy to see him and not so much. Some were even confused, either forgetting that Sirius even existed, or stumped because the famous healer and researcher was just a boy in a green robe. Sirius came to a market square and unloaded his last batch of everlasting vials near the blacksmith''s stall.


    "Hello, Mister Brown! I brought another batch."


    "Even more of them?" Said Corwel, while shaking Sirius'' hand.


    "Aren''t they selling well to the church?"


    "I think they began selling their own creations since... I believe a couple of weeks ago."


    "Well, damn. Then these ones are not so useful anymore." Sirius lifted up a cover from a small wooden box, revealing two dozens of little vials.


    "Oh wow... May I?" After receiving permission, Blacksmith lifted one of the vials. "And how much they can store?"


    "Roughly a pot or two. I couldn''t fit more storage, since it would crack when firing."


    "You will eventually surpass me, I swear." He inspected a vial the size of a fist from all sides.


    "What are you talking about!" Sirius shook his hands in front of him in denial. "It''s just a pot, but smaller. You taught me that yourself."


    "Fine, fine. Go to the church, Gregor was worried you won''t come."


    "That''s why I am here! Bye!" Sirius said and hurried to the church, since people were already on their way.

 035. Break

    The sermon was going like Sirius remembered it. Thanking Gods, wishing for peace, praising each of the Twins for their benevolence. This time Sirius wanted to try something different. Usually he would observe all the people around him, noting their mood. If someone was praying for health, Sirius could often help out a little, either by finding a cure or by at least alleviating symptoms. Now he wanted to use this opportunity of seeing so much people in one place to experiment a little bit. He clamped his palms in front of him and pretended to pray. In reality he relaxed his mind, entering a meditative state.


    In this trans he felt the mana around him, touching thin strands emanating from people. He felt some happiness, bliss, anger, sorrow mixed into these energies, barely discerning them in the veil. Then he felt fear, like a prey felt in front of a predator, like he was being stalked from the shadows around him.He jolted awake, barely managing to look calm on the outside. Sirius somehow knew that had he stay just a moment longer, he would be killed, his soul devoured by some extremely powerful entity. He decided to make this near-death mark extra thick, maybe even put it in a frame and hang on a wall.


    The rest of the sermon he spent calming down and making sure everything is fine with him. As he was walking out of the church, he tried making some small talk and check on everyone who felt uneasy during the rite. After gathering all the requests, he walked up to the Gregor and asked for a private conversation.


    "Uncle, I can''t be like this no longer."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I can no longer progress in my state."


    "Do you understand what you are saying?" Gregor whispered.


    "I do." Nodded Sirius. "Ever since I met master''s remnant near the tree, I slip out of this world from time to time. And there I feel like a prey."


    "I understand. How long do you think you can manage without it?"


    "For as long as my soul will not be eaten."


    They thought for a minute in silence.


    "Shall we tell the Inquisitor?" Asked Sirius.


    "No."


    Sirius nodded. Then they began talking about their lives, about the new additions to the village, and shared some ideas regarding Sirius'' research. Sirius spent the rest of the day tending to the ill, treating minor and not so much wounds and common colds. Surprisingly for him, those, who branded him a sinner last year, were the most welcoming. Maybe the fear went away after they talked to him, and realised their mistakes. Sirius could not know that, nor did he really care. His mind was on the future. Living as a null, despite being able to feel and manipulate mana was choking him alive. He wanted to achieve so much more, but couldn''t. At least, he got the intuitive understanding of diagrams, since he used them daily for more than a year, upgrading and simplifying with each use.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Exhausted, he plopped down on his old bed in the attic of Gregor''s house. Despite the walls being upgraded, it was still as messy as Sirius remembered, with all his old items stored in boxes and chests. Living a couple of weeks in seclusion was an experience, of course, but coming back here brought some nostalgia. With his mind at peace, Sirius fallen asleep.


    In the night he woke up. The whole world was shaking, mana and matter alike. Throwing away the dizziness, Sirius understood that the world was still, it was he who was shaking. Gregor ran upstairs, nearly falling back down. Sirius saw his face. Scared, worried, illuminated by bright light, that flashed and pulsed in tact with Sirius'' heart. Sirius should have been scared right now, but he was incredibly calm. It felt like it should be happening, that Sirius floating above his bed was normal, that the burning ache coursing through his limbs was mundane, that bright shine from inside his torso that outlined his ribs was common. He made a deep breath. The dense mana that gathered around him rushed inside, spreading across his body. And then Sirius saw.


    He saw everything in this room, all at once. He could feel his abdomen full of energy, that was only his. He could count the floorboards with one glance. He felt so... powerful. He exhaled, took another breath, even deeper than before, and closed his eyes, slowly gliding back on the bed, the light dimming into darkness.


    "Sirius! are you alright?" Scared voice of Gregor made Sirius open his eyes.


    "I am more than alright..." He muttered in bliss.


    "Oh no..." Gregor said the moment he touched Sirius'' abdomen. "No, you did not..."


    "What I did not?" The reality was coming back to him.


    "You condensed your body..."


    "Wait, really? Like, the Mana Pool?"


    "I don''t know." Said Gregor, touching different parts of Sirius'' body and pulsing some mana. When he probed his head, he stopped. "Dear Gods..."


    "What is there?"


    "You need to run. Now!" Gregor pulled Sirius from the bed, making him stand.


    "I don''t know haw you did it, nor must anyone know. You must run west, past the borders of Kingdom. There you won''t be bound by the stupid rules of the Order. Now gather your stuff."


    "Wait, wait, what did I do?"


    "You now have Mana Pool, but very small and incomplete."


    "Isn''t it bad?" Asked Sirius, while holding his hand near his stomach and probing a bit.


    "It wouldn''t be that bad. But if you did not have the Constellation and the Eye as well." Seriously added Gregor. "You will be killed. Right away."


    Someone knocked on the door.


    "Give me away. Sell me out. Don''t be an accomplice. Act as if I betrayed you." Sirius calmly said, looking directly in Gregor''s eyes. Sirius hugged him and whispered. "I''ll manage. Thank you for everything."

 036. Knocking

    The knocking didn''t stop, so Gregor walked down the stairs, leaving Sirius in the attic, ready to jump from the window.


    "Priest Gregor, If you don''t open right away, consider yourself a traitor." Emotionless male voice loudly stated outside.


    The moment Gregor removed the latch, Silver Inquisitor barged inside, nearly knocking Gregor to the floor.


    "Where is he?" A man in a black mask turned around, after hearing a thud outside. "Stop right there, you sinner." The Inquisitor drew sword, that began glowing red hot.


    "As if I have a choice." Answered Sirius with spite, standing in front of the doorframe, not moving a step.


    "You violated the terms of the agreement you had with the Bishop of Ravenloft! In the name of the Silver Order, I hereby sentence you to death!" Inquisitor raised his sword.


    "I refuse!" Shouted Sirius, not afraid to act against him anymore.


    He stretched his arm, grabbing the air in front of him, and forcefully tugging. F heavy staff flew from the depth of the house, its iron end being pulled by the flow of mana. It collided with Inquisitor''s wrist, making him lose his sword. With a loud ring the scorching sword fell to the ground, sizzling in the morning dew. Sirius pulled his weapon from the air, spinning on his heels to deal with momentum. Glaring at his oppressor, he took a stance, holding his weapon in front of himself.


    Surprised Inquisitor regained composure and focused his gaze at Sirius. Without a word he condensed icicle and flung it at Sirius, trying to deal with him in one shot. The ice shattered at wooden staff as Sirius barely managed to put the shaft in its trajectory. Inquisitor huffed and began firing more icicles, constantly increasing the rate of fire, while walking towards Sirius. Icy spears went left and right, without rhythm, constantly challenging Sirius'' focus. They whizzed past his head, missed his body my thinnest margins, as Sirius barely managed to move his arms and legs from the ice lances'' path. Sirius retreated bit by bit, entirely focused on the onslaught and something else. The Inquisitor didn''t notice that, but Sirius'' movements of the staff were not hectic, but precisely practiced. On one end of the staff a thick clump of mana was forming under the rhythmic stirring of bronze end.


    Suddenly, Sirius ducked, and took staff by one end, relying purely on his spatial perception to dodge two simultaneous spears, that would have impaled him. He forcefully swung the staff along the ground, flinging the dense ball of energy forward. As the mana blob left his staff, Sirius transitioned the swing in the overhead strike, forcing the Inquisitor to either shield himself or dodge. He chose neither.


    Inquisitor made a step forward, crouching a little. The amount ice lances that he cast expelled enough residual hot mana in the air, and he was using all that to finish the perpetrator. An inward wave began gathering right under Sirius, threatening to scorch him alive in a blazing inferno.


    Then... A sound of shattering glass and a grunt of pain. Sirius finished the strike.


    The metal end impacted the ground near Inquisitor''s head. Inquisitor was lying on the ground, his leg mutilated, bone shards scattered across the ground.


    Sirius leaned and hissed. "Leave me alone!"


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon."You... will pay." Inquisitor snarled, clenching his teeth from pain.


    "We''ll see, who is the one to pay." Said Sirius and darted towards the western gates. He ran, carrying only his quarterstaff. He tried to get out so as not to confront anyone else. If possible, he would liked to avoid hurting the villagers. Shouts from behind indicated that people woke up and hurried towards him, alerting the guards. When he reached the gates, he was upset to seethe gates that were closed overnight. He either had to break through the gates, or jump over the walls twice as high as him.


    "Sirius! You must stop!" Yelled Captain Rody, holding a spear in shaky arms.


    "Move!" Screamed Sirius and took a swing with his staff, as if it was a lance.


    When the Captain made a sidestep, Sirius threw the staff, pushing it faster with mana. It flew like an arrow, shattering the air, eventually landing on a latch, splintering it into pieces. "Sorry, Cap!" He shouted, while running past him and picking up his only weapon, sprinting in the direction of the World Tree.


    He ran without stopping, and arrived totally out of breath, only focused on his goal. He stood still, listening to any rustling in the depth of the forest. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he went inside the hut to gather anything he could take with him. In a small backpack he put some uncommon tinctures, ingredients, and small metal bars. A couple of everlasting vials found their place on his belt, and the notebook on his hip. He tried to avoid taking what he could find on his way, only packing everything of value.


    Then he felt a cold blade on his neck.


    "Found you." Said Emissary.


    "You did." Calmly answered Sirius, lifting his hands in the air. With his Mind Eye he could finally see her features. Soft face, sharp eagle eyes, and short hair,barely covering her ears.


    "Why did you do that?" She vaguely asked.


    "What exactly?"


    "You know."


    "Actually, I don''t."


    "..." She stared at him for a moment. "Why did you violate your end of the deal?"


    "Will you believe it happened on its own?" Sirius tried turning around.


    "Don''t move. Why did you injure the Inquisitor?"


    "He tried killing me first. And what about you? Why are you not killing me?"


    The question stumped her for a moment.


    "In a fair fight you might overpower me, now that you possess Astral Body."


    "Could I before?" Inquired Sirius.


    "No."


    "That''s a shame." He agreed. "Will you detain me until people from the Order arrive?"


    Instead of an answer Sirius heard loud hissing, a yelp of pain, and a clink of a sword.


    "Seth! No! You must not! Why would you do that!" Shouted Sirius into the air, and crouched to look at the bite.


    "Don''t come close!.."


    "Wait, I won''t hurt you. He is not poisonous, but you have to treat the wound anyways." Sirius calmly explained and took out a bottle of disinfectant.


    "Why are you doing this? I tried to kill you." Emissary was sitting on the floor, while Sirius tended to small bite marks on her hand.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Inquisitor tried, and you broke his leg. And I also tried to."


    "You call that trying to kill?" Sirius chuckled.


    "So why?"


    "I didn''t want to hurt anybody I could consider a friend. Inquisitor was a nuisance all this time, but you see me as a person, despite the doctrine."


    "Understood."


    They sat a minute in silence, thinking.


    "You can say that I have learnt the cloaking spell and you didn''t manage to perceive me."


    "They would detect any lie, and you know that."


    "They wouldn''t, if it wasn''t a lie." Said Sirius with a smile, his presence disappearing without a trace.


    "I have to go." Said ethereal voice, sounding as if from every direction at once. "Take care."

 037. Run

    Cold night air stung Sirius''s lungs like daggers, but he couldn''t afford to stop running through the forest.


    Like a fire, morning sun was spreading behind him, his green robe flapping on the wind. Like a wild animal leaving its home behind, Sirius sprinted away, dodging tree after tree, jumping over roots, loud heartbeat drowning the sounds of his steps. Once again boy turned back, his golden eyes catching a glint of the World Tree. Uncle Gregor said he needs to run west to reach druids. He was now a mage, so it shouldn''t take too long.


    Sirius stopped. He was tired from running and decided to made a stop, since it was already noon. After finding a small stream he quenched his thirst and sat on a stone, leaning on his staff. The wood bore marks of the fight, small dents scattered across the shaft. The caps fared much better, thick metal not bent under the stress of all the hitting from earlier. Sirius sighed. Everything was happening way too quickly, and he hoped that uncle Gregor would not be blamed for his escape.


    After calming down from the constant running, Sirius managed to concentrate on his new Astral Body. Condensing everything at once was unheard of, but for Sirius it was a blessing. He never knew where to begin, and Master always told that it is an extremely important choice that will determine his future. Now, the first step was taken.


    He thought a bit faster, perceived better without the need to see, and each breath filled him with energy. He could not believe that it was a common feeling for all the mages. Now all the past years felt like being underwater, slowly rising to the surface to reach this heightened state.


    After refilling the vials with water from the stream, Sirius began walking forward. He hoped to reach druids by the evening, or he would need to find a place to sleep in the forest. Sirius used the World Tree as a landmark, always walking away from it, stirring from time to time to correct his path.


    He was sure that he was far from the Kingdom''s territory and the Order would not be able to find him so far. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Literally the next morning, Sirius woke up on the branch of the tree, as he sensed someone approaching. He opened his eyes, and without any movement began casting the cloaking spell. It didn''t hide him from sight, but to the mana senses he was almost invisible.


    Emissary, when she was still an Observer, would often use it, even though Sirius could often sense her. As she became better at it, Sirius concluded that she was using him as a bar to surpass. And, to be fair, he didn''t mint it, since he learned the spell that helped him escape. The general idea was to limit the amount of mana that he emitted into the world around him. And now he also noticed, his Mind''s Eye was of no use. After some thinking, Sirius concluded that it relied on mana with his signature, which he just eliminated. While he was pondering this discovery, he finally heard people below.


    "How did he cross so much land?" A man asked from behind the trees.


    "The scouts said he was running for several hours, only stopping to drink and catch a breath." A woman in front said impartially, as she was looking at a blinking light hovering over small amulet. "We are getting close to him, get ready."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    This news got Sirius worried. If they could track him, they would eventually find him up on a tree. As they moved past his hiding spot, Sirius saw them below. They wore white and black robes, but with not much decor, meaning they are lower rank than the Inquisitor. The man seemed to be primarily a warrior, while the woman had no weapons visible on her, making her a mage of the group. When they walked away, Sirius began siting up and taking his staff. He moved extremely slowly, so as not to rustle the tree, and got ready for action.


    "Stop." The woman said to her partner after some time. "We are getting further. Go back and search for any signature."


    "Will do."


    Sirius felt a little pulse of mana pass through him. There were no voices, as people of the Order fell silent. Now he needed to act. He dispelled his cloaking to reduce mental strain, and began observing. Now his Mind''s Eye was working again, and the thin veil of his mana spread around, like a spider''s net. It felt just like the first time, as the information about the density of matter appeared in his mind, outlining the world around. The range was still short, a couple of meters at best, but it was enough to feel a man''s presence at the edge of his senses. Sirius prepared to jump down, readying his staff.


    When the man passed his tree again, Sirius jumped down. His staff hit man''s shoulder, but it seemed to be of no use, since under the robe was a set of light armour. Using the rebound momentum Sirius made a couple of steps back. Now he had no surprise factor on his side.


    "Found him!" Shouted the warrior and struck with his sword, which Sirius deflected to the side by the end of his staff.


    "Why are you here?" In desperation yelled Sirius.


    "Well, because you ran away, aren''t ya?" Said the man with a grin, and began undoing his cloak.


    "Cause I would be killed." Sirius was circling a man, while maintaining a defensive stance. "What would you do?"


    "Not sin." He shrugged in response. "How simple, isn''t it?"


    An ice lance rushed towards Sirius from the side, as the woman hoped to kill her distracted target in one blow. Sirius felt the spell approach and dodged, making it graze his robe. In this move he lost his balance, opening up to a man''s attack. As Sirius was falling, he grasped some mana in the earth beneath man''s foot, and pushed it away with a force. The ground dipped and shifted to the side, making the swordsman stumble as well.


    Sirius allowed himself to fall on his back, while constructing a mana to control forest soil. He wanted to avoid manipulating water in it, so the mana had to be as hot as he could make it, and without any irregularities in the flow. As Sirius pointed a staff in front of himself and injected this energy into the ground, the earth got compressed into stone under Sirius'' control. With a flick of his staff, Sirius made a stone chunk shoot up, striking the man''s abdomen like a cannonball. The sudden hit to the stomach knocked the wind out of him, making him fall on his fours, wheezing and coughing.


    In his fall Sirius had no time to carefully separate cold mana from hot one, so now he had nothing prepared to defend himself from the woman''s spells. Sirius rolled towards incapacitated man, hiding behind a tree and making it hard to hit him from afar. In this moment of safety he had time to stand up, and assess his chances.


    He already knew that a mage up-close is even more dangerous. The Inquisitor nearly scorched him with all the residual mana around him. In close quarters he only had his staff and whatever he could improvise on the go. From afar Sirius had nothing, since he never had a chance to cast projectiles. Now he had enough power to materialise ice, but no experience in flinging it. He had to resolve the situation different, so he embraced his image of a monster, the Order painted him as.

 038. Bluff

    To become a monster, one should think as one, talk as one, convince everyone around him. Sirius'' eyes turned cold and he asked into the forest, not expecting to get an answer.


    "Since we are at a standstill, I''ll ask. Why do you want to kill me?"


    "Because you are an enemy of the Kingdom." Emotionlessly answered the mage.


    "That would explain things. I know you don''t care about me. But do you for your partner?" Sirius asked. The man in front of him looked up in fear, incapable to get up.


    "Our mission is to kill a traitor and a heretic." Coldly answered woman.


    "So you want to say, if I deadly injure him right now, you will leave him to die." Sirius began thinking aloud, making the warrior go pale.


    "The mission is the priority."


    "Oh wow, seems like she will let you die, even if I run away from her later." Said Sirius to the man, with a fake compassion in his voice, loud enough for the mage to hear. "What do you think?"


    "No... Wait..." The warrior struggled to squeeze out words, as he crawled back a bit.


    "You know, I am a healer. I can fix you up, but I also know many ways to perform a small stab, that would leave you slowly suffocating while I am fighting your partner." Sirius said, leaning on his staff.


    "Please..." A man was slowly coming to his senses and tried to get up. Sirius didn''t have much time left.


    "I won''t do this, I promise." Whispered Sirius, stopping the act for a moment. "Just don''t stab me in the back right away."


    Warrior''s eyes widened. Sirius suddenly perked up and took a stance, pointing to his side, waiting for an attack. Besides him he began creating two clumps of mana, rapidly spinning in different directions. Separation of the opposites was never the hardest part in magic for Sirius, it was the most efficient operation in his arsenal. What made this a bit dangerous was the proximity of the opposite streams: if the difference was too high, the interaction would create a shockwave, or even an explosion.


    Sirius slowly made the orbs spin faster and faster, to the point where they nearly collided with the environmental mana. He had a plan, but he had to wait for an attack. He strained his mind to contain raging energy, keeping them apart to avoid creating an explosion right beside him. Then the opportunity presented itself. The mage began condensing an ice spear, the movement of mana, betraying her location. Sirius tapped into the raging vortices and converted just a bit of rotational energy into speed, and bot projectiles rushed towards their target. As the lance left its caster, it collided with one of the orb, making it collide with another. An explosion shattered the silence of the forest, followed by a thud and a groan.


    "What did... you do?" Stammered warrior. Sirius walked closer to the mage.


    "Don''t worry, she is alive." He said after inspecting his opponent. "Maybe a little concussion from hitting a tree."


    "You... dare oppose the Silver Order!" Mage hissed, while trying to get up. "I am... The Child of Prophecy! It is my duty to stop scum like you!"


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it."Oh wow! What a coincidence. I was called like that too by the Bishop of Ravenloft. A nice guy, very friendly." Sirius said with amusement.


    "You infidel! I was chosen by Gods! It is I..." She was interrupted by a light push, that made her fall.


    "So you think you were unique, huh?"


    "I am!" She said with rage.


    "You were sensitive to mana from birth, and on your twelfth birthday came people from the Order and took you from home."


    "Stop spreading your lies, heretic!"


    "They nurtured you as a prodigy. They told that you are special, unique, one of a kind."


    "Why would you know!? I was born a saviour!  kept in secret from lowly folk!"


    "They failed to find me. And I learnt magic myself. You know that feeling of wrongness when you condensed Mana Pool?" He coldly stared down at her, stating one thing after another, and watched as her whole world was shattered. "You were taught to be above all. Yet there are hundreds of such kids across the Kingdom. Some of them are killed, but the most devoted are taken in. Until one survived long enough to oppose them..."


    "No! You are lying! I was the savior of the world! I am the salvation!"


    Mage''s mind couldn''t bear this information. She was never opposed, but when someone told her life experience she did not disclose to anyone... It was too much. She grasped at her head, tearing the mask from her face, red and streaked with tears. Her face was that of rage, anger and hate, directed at Sirius. She tried casting any spell, but the turmoil robbed her of the precise control required for that. One after another ice, fire and rock materialised and disintegrated, as mage failed to control them. Sirius watched with pity in his eyes at this pathetic tantrum.


    "So. Now that you are done with. Give me that." He leaned in and took the amulet she used to track him.


    "Are you going to kill us?" Asked warrior. He was quietly watching Sirius'' rant from behind, unsure of what to do.


    "No, why?" Said Sirius, while pocketing the device. "All I want is peace. To get out of here and live somewhere else."


    "So... To be a traitor?"


    "Call me like you want." Said Sirius, calmly watching how the ''chosen one'' was lashing out at the ground below. "What about your mission?"


    "To hell with the mission. I thought we were partners."


    "Wouldn''t you be punished for letting me go?"


    "Do you want to fight more?"


    "Not really." Sirius shrugged. "Aren''t you afraid to be executed?"


    "Why would they?"


    "Well, I was nearly executed three times in a span of a year and a half... Four if you consider the Cleansing. They put a lot of attention on me, I thought they wanted to get rid of me at any cost."


    "That''s true. They stated the importance of the mission."


    They fell silent, thinking. Sirius sighed.


    "Well, I have to go. The Unique One is going to get over it soon and might stab me with an icicle. You are a good human." Said Sirius with a smile, looking in warrior''s eyes.


    "Maverick." Said warrior.


    "Sirius."


    "Duh. I know."


    "Yeah, right." Chuckled Sirius. "Thank you, Maverick. Be safe."


    With that Sirius climbed the tree, took his backpack with Seth shivering inside, and went on his way, cloaking his presence for as long as he could muster.

 039. Alone

    "Wow, there has already been a week, right? I thought the forest would stretch for a bit longer." Said Sirius to Seth, who was once again sleeping on his neck. "And no one had attacked me yet. It is nice that I stole that arcane compass. Not only I found out how they tracked me, but also I disassembled it and know how it works! I even can cast it myself, look!" Sirius created a small flash in his hand, looking at it with a smile. "Of course it doesn''t work, it''s pointing to me. But I think I can reconfigure it. What do you think?" Expectantly Sirius looked at Seth, who was still silent. Snake was listening to his ramblings for three days straight, and became immune to his thinking aloud.


    "Actually, maybe I don''t need it at all... I got a hang of the Mind''s Eye! Look, if I extend my mana forward, I can direct my senses! How cool is that? It is like looking in that direction! And the Mana Pool! The mana it stores is so much denser! If I take it from there I can manifest ice!" He created an icicle in his hand. "But, whatever I did, it doesn''t stay. Somehow it refuses to exist more than a minute. Maybe that is why the taste of water in my vials is so bad? It just disappears into nothingness after some time! How did I not think of that! Ha-ha... ha..." Sirius caught himself laughing, but couldn''t piece the reason why. Sirius stopped walking.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that I am going insane? And why... Why I am talking to you? You can''t answer me." He sighed. The loneliness was weighing on him. "Let''s make a camp while we can."


    Sirius stopped and put down his backpack with a clinking of vials, jars and materials inside. Sirius took his staff by one end and swung it over his head, gathering mana in a clump. When he was ready he slammed the staff onto the ground, forcing the mana inside the ground. The hit created a small crater, around half of a meter in depth, just enough for Sirius to light a campfire on a rocky surface. The walls provided a nice barrier from the wind and contained a heat inside at night. But now the fire was not needed, since the sky was still up high, and a food could be cooked with magic. Just as Sirius sat down, he felt a strange sense of danger, and looked up. The sun was blotted out by a huge projectile that was rushing towards him. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    In panic Sirius shot up. He pointed a staff into the ground, nudging with his mind the remnants of his recent spell, and swung it into the direction of the projectile, solid rock creating a small shield. He additionally used up all his stored mana from Mana Pool, manifesting an ice pillar to support the shield mid-air and reinforce it. Half a second later, a huge chunk of ice impacted the shield, poking a hole in the hard rock. Despite that, the projectile stopped, shattering from from the impact and showering the surroundings in sparkling shards.


    Sirius inspected the shield he improvised on the go. It was dented and pierced, the ice covering it gone, and the supporting pillar filled with cracks. He released his control of the elements, gathering the dissipating mana that was holding it all together. As he observed the crumbling stone and evaporating ice, he pushed his senses upwards, expecting a new attack. Meanwhile he was slowly gathering more and more energy in preparation for action.


    He stood still, his awareness razor-sharp, while the world around him didn''t care for the ongoing battle. Then, the stillness was shattered once again, as Sirius darted forward. His eyes pinpointed another lance glinting in the sun high in the sky. He made three wide strides, and used his staff to halt the momentum. With an end of his weapon he controlled a small rock, and in one fluid motion flung it high into the sky. He missed the gigantic icicle, the size of a person, only shattering its leading end. It was enough to destabilise it, making it spin out of control and fall flat to the ground, forming a pile of ice chunks in a dented earth.


    He now had a vague direction of the attacker, so he began running in the direction of the small forest patch, taking only his staff. On his way he stopped, and gathered more mana underneath, ready to throw himself to the side. Just like he expected, another ice lance left the grove, crackling as it rushed through the air at supersonic speeds. Sirius used the ground to push himself forward once again. Behind him the lance exploded mid-air, making him look back. Where he stood a rain of shining splinters covered the grass, leaving no place for Sirius to hide. After a short re-evaluation of his opponent''s might, Sirius rushed once again to confront the attacker.

 040. Forest

    It was eerily silent inside the small grove, But Sirius could feel the air getting hotter as he slowly threaded forward. His presence was hidden by a spell, but he could still be seen and heard, so the movements he made were careful and calculated.


    The rustling bushes attracted his attention. Sirius prepared his staff, and sneaked behind the tree, straining his hearing, but could not discern anything. From his pocket he took out a chalk and drew a small diagram on a trunk. Then he sneaked away behind another tree, and injected some of his mana in a simple diagram. It began gathering the hot mana around, pushing inside the tree in a thin line. Several minutes would be enough to fully cut a tree, but it was not the main purpose right now. Sirius could hear someone sneaking, while still hiding from sight. He peeked from the other side of the tree, and could now notice his opponent. A man in those same black and white robes was focused on the tree with a diagram. Like a wolf, his eyes were latched on the side of the tree, as he walked closer and closer, his sword unsheathed and ready. That was a nice opportunity to jump him from behind, but Sirius waited, readying the staff for a clean hit.


    A man got right up to the tree, but still to the opposite side of the diagram. After a shot moment, he spun, circling the tree and slashing where Sirius'' neck would be. As the man looked at his sword stuck in the wood, a heavy strike from behind brought him to his knee, hitting him to his left collarbone. Then another hit to his right side made him fall. Sirius looked down at the man, ready to react in case he tries to retaliate, but not attacking the lying person. The man began gathering icy needle in his hand, but the casting was interrupted by a slam of the staff. After another failed attempt the man gave up.


    "Fine, fine... You win. Now let me go."


    "Why would I?" Coldly asked Sirius. His cloaking was now dispelled, and his Mind''s Eye was focused directly on his prey.


    "You are not one who kills."


    "Why do you think so? Didn''t the Order paint me as a vicious traitor?"


    "Aren''t you one, though?"


    "..." Sirius looked at this man once again. "Take that mask off."


    "I can''t. It''s..."


    "I don''t care. Do it."


    "No." The man defiantly looked in Sirius'' eyes.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."I said..." Sirius made a small step forward and lifted the staff from the ground, threatening the man. "Take! It! Off!"


    The rage boiling in Sirius made the mana around shake. The man gulped. Sirius looked to the side, taking a deep breath.


    "Why don''t the Order leave me alone?.."


    "Because you are a danger to them."


    "Well, if they would stop trying to kill me, I would not be as angry at them." Sirius suddenly straightened and looked around, straining his senses. "And here I thought why you were so talkative. You are not alone."


    "No, I am."


    "Either you are lying or they hid from you as well. I can''t allow you to run away while I am dealing with them." Sirius swung his staff a couple of times and pointed into the ground besides the man. The earth morphed, flowing like a clay after the staff, covering man''s body with an arc. Sirius removed his staff and clenched his fist, hardening the soil and restraining a man. Satisfied, he walked away, hiding his presence once again.


    "You failed. Explain yourself." Said a deep voice near the restrained man.


    "We must move out of here, Silver Inquisitor, he is still around." The hard shell made him sweat and fidget, trying to free himself.


    "Explain why you failed. I will not repeat myself."


    "I don''t know! He came here after just three shots! Please, release me!" A hit to the face with a boot made him shut up.


    "You are a disgrace to the Silver Order, Emmanuel. You lost to a kid."


    "A kid? That monster is not a human! He casts too effortlessly for his age. He senses my spells before they manifest. He is even aware of the Divine Weaving Principle! You decided to hide that information from me, right?"


    "You dare question me?"


    "That cunning demon is lurking in here, waiting to strike, so we need to move. If not, we will both perish here!" Finally the shell gave way and began crumbling.


    "Your misconduct will be judged later, Emmanuel." The Inquisitor took out his blade and prepared to walk, but was distracted by loud creaking. In a wave, all the hot mana that permeated the forest gathered in Inquisitor''s left hand, and he unleashed the blinding stream of fire upon the falling tree. After a couple of seconds, the trunk split in half, leaving only smouldering wooden chunks. Immediately the air cooled down, giving Sirius chills, as he quietly watched the blaze from a distance. He could not face the Inquisitor head on, and so he fled the scene. To stall for time he left a couple more diagrams on thinner trees, hoping to distract the attackers.


    As Sirius retrieved his items, he looked back at the black smoke behind, the small forest patch in the middle of vast plains disappearing in a fire.

 041. Crimson

    From this point on, Sirius tried maintaining the cloaking all day long, but failed miserably. At most he could hide for an hour or so, after that Sirius'' mind felt sluggish and he often stumbled on his way. Seth was of great help to him with this. The manasnake alerted Sirius a couple of times, helping Sirius avoid any pursuit by hiding or changing the direction of travels.


    He stopped at the river creek to refill his water reserves and set a camp. Even with his tired mind, he could use magic to shape the earth into a small cavern to shelter himself from the wind. He took out the dried venison he prepared with magic a couple of days ago, and threw into a pot along with water to soften and cook a tasty broth. When he was searching his backpack for the remaining crackers, the arcane compass he acquired once again caught his attention. It shone with pale light in his backpack, and casting magic seemed to make it brighter. In deep thought he took it out and observed it in contemplation, while slurping the hastily-made soup. Usually he would complain for the food being a bit too bland, but now his mid was occupied with various theories once again.


    He began linking his observations, experimenting on a compass during his meal. Like he noticed, any spell, or even a bit of mana he touched with his mind activated the device, making it pulse. Interestingly enough, the diagrams powered by mana stored in gold and copper did not trigger the pulsing, and the casting using purely his staff did so as well. This made Sirius believe that whenever he interacted with mana, he left a bit of his energy that could be tracked. The cloaking spell somehow separated the area around him from the rest of the world, stopping the mana tainted with his signature from seeping outside. Nevertheless, Sirius was annoyed.


    "Why did they made this spell so hard?" Sighed Sirius in irritation, drawing Seth''s attention. "All that mana conversions and vibrations are useless for me. They distort the sound, blur the vision a bit with dense air and everything, but I don''t need all that!" In anger he hit the ground, leaving a hot steaming spot on the moist rock. Not noticing that, he continued his lamenting. "I should have studied it earlier! I spent so much energy for maintaining that complex nonsense in the middle of nowhere, with no one to hide from!" Once again he hit a wall with a fist, but quickly withdrawn his hand after scalding it a bit.


    He once again was reminded to keep his emotions in check, since it made the mana go wild around him. It all started when he woke up in a hospital after the Cleansing forced uncle Verden cast his Final Flash. Since then it began happening more and more often, and recently any anger would shake the mana around, heating or covering in ice the surroundings. Sirius took a deep breath to calm down, and went back to his pondering. He wanted to separate this spell from him, maybe make some kind of tool. Despite being quite limited in his choice of materials, he thought that he had more than enough on his person. Metals would make a mana pathways, he could use herbal powders to replace the complex parts of the diagram at the cost of expendable materials, and the stone he could mould from the earth would serve as a base. After finally concluding his plan, Sirius washed the cutlery and began experimenting with what he had.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    His research was not easy. He once again delved into something Kingdom would consider blasphemy. Not that he cared for what they thought, anyway. He was now on his own, drawing thin lines on a flat stone slate with metal bars. Metal left too little powder on its own, so sometimes Sirius would switch to chalk. He drew, powered the circle, removed the burnt out focus points, and powered again, rinse and repeat. In the evening he was exhausted, unsuccessful, and angry. Even the simplified cloaking spell was too hard to convert into a static diagram. It required constant modification from the user to limit the passage of mana through a sphere around him. Sirius made himself a quick snack, and began munching it, drowned in the thoughts about his research.


    His experiments tainted all mana in his little cave, making the arcane compass spitefully illuminate the walls in bluish light. Like a moth, Sirius was staring at the bright orb attacked to a circular slate made out of some ceramic, littered with metal bits sticking out of its base. Then suddenly the light began changing. It lost its blue tint, slowly becoming yellow, and then orange, as if a metal was cooling down. But unlike the hot iron, it only grew brighter and more menacing, becoming crimson-red and burning Sirius'' eyes. He did not know what to do. He was filled with fear, his instincts pounding on his mind like a bell. When he felt a pull of mana, he quickly cast the simplified cloaking and began crawling out of the cave with his staff in hand. The danger was only drawing closer, and he would rather be in the open when it arrives, despite his knees shivering from fear.


    In the dusk, crimson like the light of the compass, Sirius peeked from the edge of his hiding place, and saw people, five of them, all wearing the blood-red combat attire. They had no armour, just a bit baggy pants and shirts, wrapped tightly around their limbs and waists. Each their movement was machine-like, as they walked in a line, while clasping their hands. In the front walked the man in the same clothes, but adorned with a black and white cloak. He held a book in one hand, and the very same arcane compass in other, that was shining red and rapidly blinking with white flashes. As they walked closer, Sirius noticed that the eyes of the people behind were covered with black blindfolds. And the man in the front... was looking at Sirius.

 042. Crusade

    The mana was shivering along with Sirius. The walls of his cavern were slowly covered with white frost, as Sirius was struggling to come up with a plan of actions. He knew nothing about these people, but something about their behaviour was off. He only knew that there was no way he could talk his way out of this situation, like he did before. The eerie smile and empty eyes directed at him left a solid impression in his mind. Maybe it was the time to fight for real.


    While steeling his nerves, Sirius made the impression of confidence, and walked out from behind his cave, facing the approaching group.


    "What do you want?" Shouted Sirius, trying his best to stop his voice from cracking.


    "The blasphemous one. Give your soul to Their flaming embrace!" Stated the man in front, his mention of the Twins supported by murmurs.


    "For what reason? I was blessed by them, not you. I know better how to live my life."


    "You turned away from Their gift, led astray by demons of the Outside." The man pointed at Sirius, still bearing that delusional smile as before, his eyes cold like ice. "You betrayed the holy Silver Order, They gathered to oversee the commoners. For that you need to perish."


    "I heard that a myriad of times. But I never heard the suitable reason why I can not just go away."


    "You were the Child of the Prophecy. The Chosen One to save the world from burning!"


    "Yeah-yeah, been there, heard that. I don''t buy into your belief. I see the magic for what it actually is - the force that can be studied and improved, not just mindlessly used. I won''t go with you."


    "So you are beyond salvation then." The man calmly put away the arcane compass and the holy book, and raised his arms. "The Crimson Crusade has..." The icicle cut him short, shattering after impacting the shield of dense air.


    Without waiting Sirius began throwing projectiles, rhythmically at first, but with some odd beats here and there. He would aim at different parts of the man''s body, but they all hit the shield and shattered into splinters, never reaching their target. Sirius saw the confident look on the man''s face and enhanced his attack. With his Thought Constellation he could think in parallel, only focusing on creating cold and dense mana for icicles. That allowed him to improvise the varying attacks. He imbued the icicles with the residual hot mana, creating small explosions and showering the shield with shrapnel, hid swirling air inside, trying to find the counter to the shield. His onslaught has finally brought the victory to his side, as the small icicle penetrated the shield with a loud pop and grazed the man''s face. This has erased his smug expression, making him frown. Now Sirius was being taken seriously.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    With a growl a man grabbed at the air, and threw the imaginary spear at Sirius. The ground began freezing and covering in layer of ice. Sirius took all his hot mana and created a thick layer in front of the invisible projectile. The two extremes collided and the spell dissipated, leaving only a light breeze. The both sides stood motionless, evaluating the exchange. IN the end the man calmly pointed at Sirius, and each of five people began taking off their blindfolds. As they opened their eyes, Sirius saw five pairs of orange sparks staring at him.


    With a swing of his staff Sirius moulded the earth on front of him into a shield, and dashed to the side, while creating more of them. Each shield was hit by a chaotic valley of ice, stone, and fire. It was the first time Sirius saw someone other than the Inquisitor manifest a fire, but this had to wait. He did not let the surprise stop him. He was dashing up the river bank, finally reaching the equal height, and began gaining a high ground. The pull of mana these people were generating was terrifying. Each spell they launched was extremely forceful, filled with rage and hatred, that dissipated into a infectious cloud of emotions upon impact. Sirius tried shielding himself from their effects, but in doing so his concentration faltered, and the icicle pierced his right thigh. Sirius fell to the ground, setting a stone shield between him and people below. He unbuckled his belt and tightened it higher than the wound to stop the blood from flowing out. He took out the knife from the pocket and heated up the blade. While clenching his teeth, he took out the icicle with his free hand and touched the wound to cauterise. He let out a scream of pain. It was nearly unbearable, almost making him lose consciousness, but stopping the blood was necessary.


    Sirius tried getting up, while leaning on his staff, failing several times from pain piercing his side. The projectiles were smashing on the shield, ice thorns poking through the rock. From despair he once again hit the ground in anger, leaving the warm and dry soil underneath. Sirius looked at the dry patch, and began casting again. He took hold of the earth around him and gathered another layer of protection from the onslaught. The people were getting closer, while still firing at his shell with ice and rock, and Sirius needed to act. He concentrated, while sitting on the ground, his palms pushed into the hard rock underneath. He breathed in and out, his Thought Constellation processed the chaotic mana into a steady stream, gathering it in his Mana Pool, making it his and his only while with Mind''s Eye Sirius was scouring the surroundings for the attackers and traces of mana with his signature. He used some of that energy to shoot back from behind the shield in order to appear busy, but the energy draw was so minuscule, Sirius didn''t even bother concentrating. He focused on finalising the last details of his plan of action.

 043. Barrage

    Sirius stood on his knees, his eyes closed.


    The moment one person entered the area of his senses, he began casting.


    A small pull of mana under the foot - and the attacker stumbled. The push - stone column hit his head, knocking him out. Infuse the rock with more energy, and it began melting, making others move to the side to avoid being hit. Fast and cold touch of mana from the sides, and the column shattered, showering the attackers in pebbles and dust. Sirius got up, supporting himself on his staff, and looked over the shield. He condensed the small plate of ice to shield himself from the leader''s fireball, and evaluated the surroundings. He made his old stone shield slide down the river bank, taking one attacker to the right with itself into the river, and crushing the foot of another. Sirius launched two more ice projectiles, making them meet boulders that flew in his direction, changing their path. For a solid second he was condensing the biggest ice pillar above his head and launched it into the leader. Just as the man from the Church raised the stone pole to defend himself, the pillar exploded and covered exposed parts in thin needles, riddling his cape in holes.


    Sirius had almost no mana, and to stall for time he tried reasoning once again, trying to ignore the pained wails of the mage with crushed foot.


    "Leave me alone, and I will let you live!" He shouted, looking over his shield at the scene below.


    "You are the spawn of the devil!" Screamed one of the lower-rank mages, while gathering his might to launch another ice spear.


    "I was not talking to you!" Sirius once again pushed some ground up under the man''s foot, making him roll down the hill into the river.


    "You do not deserve to wield Their divine gift, you sinner!" Roared the leader while leaning on the stone pillar, both riddled with tiny holes.


    "Oh, sorry, it was not me who decided to kill me first!" Sirius was almost ready to attack them again, but the rage from all their spells was too distracting. The mana around Sirius began swirling, as he could not contain the anger. "You are too zealous to see the world for what it is! There are more capable people being born, but you live as if you are the only special ones! Look at me! I am not even an adult! Precisely because I am the Child of the Prophecy I saw beyond your teachings!"


    At this moment the only standing woman out of the five mages opened her eyes widely and fell to her knees with a yelp.


    "Please forgive us, oh the Divine Child! This lowly one knew not for who you are!"


    "Lift your head, Daughter, he is a traitor, nothing more!" The leader roared at his subordinate. "He rejected the rule of Divine Twins!"


    The crazy idea came to Sirius'' mind. He used some stone to wrap around his wounded leg, and stood high, spreading his arms, as if trying to embrace.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings."Lies! I tried bringing the truth to people, but was cast away! I was treated like a mere Pupil, but I had no Astral Body, for I did not need it."


    "You delved into the divine!"


    "Then why can Bishops spellweave freely? What makes you more worthy than us? I wanted to share the Gods'' Gift to common folk, but was prosecuted for that!"


    "The Gift of Magic must be used carefully. One can die if they bring the anger of Mythos upon themselves."


    "Then teach people magic, don''t hide it away, like its a secret art. I learned it myself, and so can you." Sirius looked at the kneeling woman. Behind her a man was dragging his unconscious comrade up the hill. "Let me show you myself."


    Sirius began waddling down with the help of the staff, the stone cast weighing down his leg. He walked to the woman with the crushed foot and used his belt to stop the flowing blood. He then walked to the unconscious man, dragged out of the river. Before doing anything, he looked at the leader, and with a wave of his hand clamped the earth around his feet.


    "Kneel." With a turn of the stone shackles, the man was forced to his knees.


    Then Sirius focused on the lying person. A series of mana pulses revealed the water in his lungs. Sirius lowered on one knee, and touched his chest. He turned the water into mana and pushed it out of his body, making a puddle form under his patient''s upper body. When the lungs were clear, Sirius forced a gust of air inside a couple of times, making the man''s face lose its bluish hue.


    "He will live. Now do you believe me? Could any of you use the magic to heal?"


    "No, your holiness!" Screamed the woman, and hit the ground with her forehead.


    "You lying demon! Listen to me! His talks are a test of our faith! Don''t stand like that! Kill him now!"


    The standing man tried condensing the ice once again, but Sirius reduced it into nothing with a wave of his hand. He had a lot of rather hot mana stored in his Mana Pool, so he was not afraid to stand in the middle of the enemies, especially considering that one of them submitted to his ''authority'', and two were lying barely conscious, leaving only a leader, one unable to stand woman, and one extremely confused fellow, who failed to manifest yet another ice needle.


    "You should try something different. Manifesting won''t work." Said Sirius smugly, while looking at the futile attempts to harm him.


    The sudden pull of mana from behind him attracted Sirius'' attention. Without looking back, he lowered the ground under the leader''s knees, making him lose concentration due to the fall. As soon as hi hands touched the earth they sunk into the mud, and stuck there, as Sirius pulled away the water. Now that he was stuck, he could no longer swing his arms to spellweave.


    Seeing his all-powerful superior stuck, like a fly in a honey made something snap in the man. He began heavily breathing and sweating, as mana was getting pulled towards him.


    "The Gods'' embrace waits me!" Suddenly he screamed and, with his eyes filled with fear, threw himself towards Sirius.


    Sirius felt great danger and terror. He tried making the man fall, but whatever the mage did, could no longer be stopped. The mana was rushing towards his abdomen, like a flood. Then Sirius saw the palm of the man explode.

 044. Light

    Finger after finger, bone after bone, sounds of smashing glass shattered the night, bright purple flashes shining from within the gruesome wounds. The air was filled with droplets of blood, bone splinters and sparkling pearls. The man lost both of his palms, his boots soaked in blood and torn by exploding bones of his feet. Crazed look was focused solely on Sirius, as he stumbled on his mutilated legs, eyes shining like two crimson suns. The mana was still flowing towards him, entering the body and leaving the shattering bones, only to go back inside right after. He began screaming, his voice distorted by vibrating air. Foreign voices began screaming with him, forming a cacophony of wailing, as the man stumbled towards stunned Sirius. He fell, as his legs were torn away, but still moved forward, crawling with his stumps. Sirius saw the body of the man begin to glow from inside, making him shake away the shock. Ignoring the shooting pain in his leg, he hit the ground with his staff and swung forward, condensing the semi-spherical shield of rock. He crouched and stiffened, bringing every bit of his mana into a stone shell, the only thing between him and the mage.


    The bright light illuminated the area.


    Half-meter thick rock heat up, froze back, turned into metal, then back into sand, covered with water and riddled with holes. Sirius quickly adapted to the transmuting shell, forcing the mana into a suitable state for each material. The edges of the shell were blown away anyways, and through the holes Sirius saw the blinding wisp of light, that quickly changed colours. It continued to scream with ethereal wails, full of pain, rage and sorrow. After several seconds, the raging mana began calming down a little, giving Sirius some breathing room, as the shell of crystalline material was slowly turning back into stone.


    "[email protected]</a>_p." As the raging storm eased its fury, Sirius began discerning the stray words. ".D_ie..m..3e."


    Unsure if what to do, Sirius hardened the shield with even more power, as he felt his very soul vibrate under the screams of pain. From behind his barrier he tried looking with his Mind''s Eye at the strange creature, but failed, as the thin veil of mana was torn away from his control and sucked inside the insatiable whirlpool. After a deep breath, Sirius remembered his first experience in the Astral World. Something inside him was trying to come to surface, but failed. Standing on all fours, Sirius tried focusing on this inkling, and then suddenly...


    Silence...


    Sirius slowly lifted his head. He saw a bright world, where light was passing through the grey cubes, surrounding Sirius. The shining white net covered the black sky, slowly shifting, connecting, separating, moving unstoppably, crawling towards and away from thin strands, going up and down, connecting the sky with the ground. The vast distances felt so close, yet so incredibly far, as raging mana flowed like a river as above, so below the surface. Sirius heard a sniffling, and looked in front of himself.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Like a shadow, his own body crouched on the ground, covered by the shining sphere, behind which was... a kid. Around the kid the dense mana swirled like a blizzard, changing colours as the kid curled in the centre and quietly cried.


    "Mom... Dad... Help..." The kid whispered amidst the sobs.


    "Hey..." Quietly said Sirius, making the kid shudder.


    "Who?..." The kid looked at Sirius. "Divine Child?... You came to help?"


    "I..." Sirius looked at the glowing and pulsing ghost of a kid, whose eyes shined with crimson. "Yes."


    "So much... Pain..." The kid curled back.


    Sirius was unsure of what he could do. With a part of his consciousness he still heard the terrifying wails, raging storm of mana ploughing the river bank. Where was the bright wisp was this kid, covered by the thick whirlpool of wild energy, that tore at the world itself.


    "Gods... Please... help me... Let me die..." Came the wailing voice of the child, that gradually lost its humanity.


    Sirius felt the pressure of the world on him and looked up. The bright net clumped right above them and slowly formed a drop, that moved down, slowly, like a cold honey. He could not see, but something gave him the idea that the same was happening below his feet.


    "Let me get to you!" Shouted Sirius, while getting closer, but was ignored. He stretched his arm, but the sharp mana slashed at his ethereal palm, nearly ripping it off. Sirius retracted his arm in paid and watched the blue mist exit the rapidly healing cut, as it was disappearing without a trace. he felt irritated for some reason. He condensed a layer of dense mana around his body and began slowly threading through the ethereal wind. The pressure was unbearable, the sharp energy threatened to enter his shell, opposite energies crackling on the edge of Sirius'' shield. He moved forward, withstanding the raging uncontrollable power, and closer to the centre felt the storm weaken. As he crouched above the curled kid, barely ten years old, two blinding red suns looked at him.


    "Help me..."


    "How?" Asked Sirius.


    "Help me die..." The sparks shivered, as the ethereal tears streamed from the boy''s eyes.


    "Is if that painful?"


    "Very..."


    Sirius looked at his palm, feeling the handle appear inside. The short hunting knife he used at Rivervale filled his grasp. Sirius did not know how it got here, but right now it mattered not. He solemnly held it in two arms and pointed to the boy''s chest.


    "Help me meet the Divine Twins..."


    "Call me Sirius."


    "Brother Sirius, I don''t want to die..." Whispered a kid.


    "No one does." Sirius was tearing up.


    "Thank you..."


    Sirius took a deep breath and thrust the blade in boy''s chest, feeling just a little resistance, as the ethereal blade quietly entered the translucent ghost. The cut began bleeding with dense mist, as the body was losing its light and shape. Not even a minute later, Sirius was kneeling amidst the soulless stone cubes, wailing from sorrow and filling the surroundings with anguish and hopelessness. He was felt pulled by his heart, his body weightlessly coursing through the ethereal world. In the last moments, as Sirius was floating face up above his body, his gaze fell upon the large droplet of raging mana, hanging from the bright net in black skies.

 045. Split

    Sirius'' mind was ablaze. It felt like a dream, hazy, full of inconsistesies, but he knew it was real, for there was no trace of the storm. This was different from ending a deer or a rabbit. Animals usually accept their fate. But this... Slowly his soul was settling inside his body, following some immaterial connection between the two.


    Sirius felt his body forcefully inhale. His body stood up and limped towards the leader of the attackers. His body raised a stone pedestal to sit. His body''s cold gaze was directed at the man of the church, who was barely breathing and bleeding profusely. His body united with the mana and raised man''s arms on rocky columns, wrists clenched in stone shackles.


    "Who are you?" Sirius felt his body ask in raspy voice.


    "...you..." The man was barely conscious, and could only whisper.


    "I repeat. What do you call yourself. Crimson Crusade?"


    "Die..."


    Sirius'' body threw ice needles into man''s arm, leaving three frozen spots. The man groaned.


    "Your faith will not save you. You better talk." Sirius'' domineering voice filled the night air with tint of rage. "Are you from the Order?"


    "no... and yes..." A man whispered, his head hanging low.


    "Explain yourself."


    "The Gods will punish you..."


    "Seth." The snake slowly appeared from the air and looked with worry at Sirius. "Bring me the vials with nightbloom extract and mint alcohol distillate from the side pocket."


    The snake was confused, but after a couple seconds disappeared from the reality, only to appear with two vials in its mouth. Sirius'' body grabbed them with dense mana and put them on its lap.


    "Thank you." Sirius felt the body hold an ice needle and dip it in the extract and stab his thigh. Without a word the action was repeated around the wound. "You know... The nightbloom is a strong painkiller, but if you overdose, the heart stops beating. Funny, isn''t it?"


    The man lifted his head a little, his eyes full of defiance.


    "You will not get anything out of me."


    "Oh, I never intended to. You are too zealous to divulge the secrets. Even under torture."


    "..." A hint of fear crossed the man''s eyes. "You don''t have the guts..."


    "Yesterday I would agree." Sirius dipped another batch needles in the extract and threw them in man''s limbs. "After witnessing the events just now I know that your organisation is pure evil. Not that I didn''t suspect that earlier..."


    "We are the holy..."


    "Shut up, or I will paralyse your throat and you will drown in your own saliva."


    "Ugh..." The man grunted, but got quiet.


    "Now excuse me." With these words Sirius poured some water from the everlasting vial in his wound. He poured until the wound was relatively clean, and then splashed a little of the distillate into his wound Despite the powerful anaesthetic, it burned like hell. Sirius screamed, slammed his fist on the pedestal and flailed in pain. After some time he calmed down, sweating bullets and heavily breathing. His face became a cold slate once again.


    Sirius stood up, using his staff to support himself. He walked up to the man.


    "Name."


    "...what?"


    "Your name!" Sirius slapped the man.


    "Velar..."


    "Now tell me, Velar. Are Silver Order and Crimson Crusade by any chance connected?"


    "Yes..."


    "Will they come after me if you die?"


    "Yes. They won''t stop, until the demon like you roams the world."


    "Oh, that''s great. That means I can get more information from less iron-willed." Sirius smiled, but his eyes were as cold as before.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings."You won''t be able to..."


    "Oh, why?"


    "The God''s embrace awaits us in the end!" The defiant man raised his head and screamed right into Sirius'' face. Some long seconds of silence passed.


    "Is self-destructing not working, Velar?" The man''s eyes widened, as his last resort failed him. "I am in control right now."


    "How..." Velar slumped again, dangling by the arms.


    "Did you forget who I am? Why do you think they fear my achievements?"


    Sirius placed the arm on man''s chest and looked at him with the Mind''s Eye, getting the idea of his Astral Body.


    "You have a terrible Astral Body. It is so rough and uneven, entangled onto itself, limiting the flow and capacity. I don''t even know how you survived this long. Also I feel a trace of the Thought Constellation, must be a recent acquisition of yours."


    "What are you talking about..."


    "Oh so you don''t know. Your soul. As you develop it, your magic becomes more powerful. The baptism is the condensation of Mana Pool. I skipped all the nonsense with the church and went my own way. As you can guess, the quality is much better. Now, I always found it rather interesting that ''divine retribution'' focuses on bones, so stay still."


    Sirius began pulsing mana inside man''s chest. He felt the faint resistance coming from the ribcage, so he increased the strength. He moved and vibrated the mana inside the man''s body, making him grunt, but unable to move, the nightbloom still immobilising his muscles. As Sirius rose the vibration strength, he felt cracking amidst the crazed screaming of Velar. Sirius stopped and removed his hand. With a wave, his seat moved under him, and he slumped on it in thought.


    "Do you want to stay alive in case someone rescues you, or die here now?" Sirius said after some time.


    "Just kill me already..."


    "No-no, you misunderstood. I didn''t mean to kill you out of mercy. The mana storm just now battered your body enough, so you will die due to blood loss anyways. I just wanted your consent to be a test subject." With that Sirius took out a knife and pointed at the man''s throat.


    Then suddenly something settled inside him, his thoughts merged, combined and aligned with themselves, and Sirius screamed, nearly falling from the pedestal. The images of him killing a boy, the strong grief and regret, the pain in his thigh, cold and calculative mana manipulation, everything that happened after his soul left the body bombarded his minds, real and ethereal alike. Sirius vomited to the side and slumped on the ground. He felt disgusted with himself. After finally gaining the complete control of his body, his old self was back, but with something still amiss.


    "I hate you." Said Sirius while looking at Velar from below. "I hate all of your church, each and every one of your people. You wanted to kill Sirius, the Child of the Prophecy? You succeeded. Now face the rogue mage Sirius." He stood up, still leaning on his staff. "Send your people, assassins, mages, zealous fanatics and ones who are under you against their will. I survived your previous attacks, an I learnt. The more I fight, the more I know, and the more difficult it will be for your puppets to find me, even so kill."


    Sirius revelled in the fear this man, twice his age felt right now. He whispered, while looking right in those terrified red eyes.


    "You feared for what I might do. Now you must fear of what I will do."


    The mana stirred, and Sirius gathered a dense ball of mana, manipulating its very foundational structure, putting one shell over another, connecting the mana pathways inside. He stood high above the terrified man, shakily lifting the staff into the sky. A bright crimson spark rose from Sirius'' weapon into the sky, exploding up high above, fiery waves swatting the clouds away. Under the second sun in the night, Sirius took his items and left.

 046. Friend

    Sirius was sweating. The wound made him catch fever, but he continued to go eastwards, using his staff as a walking stick. He was going all night, just to get away from the place of the attack, and now the strength was leaving him. Sitting once again to rest and check on his leg, he sighed.


    He still could not believe what he had done. The Astral World, or so he called the strange place he appeared at whenever his soul left his body, still occupied his mind. Thought Constellation might have given him the ability to think while leaving his body behind, but now he understood that the body was also surviving on its own all this time. Despite the faint connection, they were like separate parts that lacked communication during his travels to Astral World.


    Bitter that he had no time for research, Sirius stood up once again, and went forth once again. Eventually he stumbled upon a ravine and prepared to go around, fearing that climbing from the bottom was impossible with his injury.


    "Why are you here?" The elderly voice asked from behind.


    Sirius quickly turned around and took a stance with his staff in both hands.


    "Hey-hey, calm down." The elder was several meters away. "I come in peace."


    "Sorry." Said Sirius emotionlessly and leaned once again on his staff, grimacing in pain.


    "So... Why?" The elder lifted his bushy eyebrow, revealing his shining green eyes.


    "I am a runaway. Just want to leave Kingdom."


    "That is not easy feat." Elder brushed his long beard with his hand in thought. "Why so jumpy?"


    "Pursuers, assassins, fanatics... The church."


    "So, a fellow heretic?" A man laughed a bit. "How long are you injured?"


    "Since yesterday." Answered Sirius truthfully, making the man''s hand stop.


    "Where did you come from?" He asked seriously, losing the playful tone.


    "West." Sirius tightened his grip.


    "Who attacked you?"


    "Men in red. Glowing eyes. Six of them."


    The elder sighed. "Select few have the Crimson Crusade going after them. Let''s go, my house is nearby."


    "Who are you?" Asked Sirius.


    "Me?..." The elder thought for a moment. "Call me Friend."


    "Sure..." Sirius furrowed his brows a little and followed Friend.


    They went for a couple of minutes, and the Friend asked.


    "Were you the one to light a second sun that night?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, what a pleasure to meet a fellow mage from the second circle! And so young at that!"


    "What does circle mean?"


    "Oh, it''s how we call those who completed the development of their Spirit Eyes, and moved on to the next stage!"


    "How do you call that organ?"


    "In the Kingdom it is known as Material Chains."


    "I don''t have that."


    The man stopped to look at Sirius for a second, and continued walking. "We will talk about that later. How did you stop the manastorm then?"


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit."I... Don''t know." Sirius described what he saw during the storm and in Astral World.


    "You did correctly, if the leylines connected, the aftermath would erase that place. Did you really traverse the immaterial plane, though?"


    "I have the Thought Constellation, so..."


    "Wait, you have the Eyes AND the Spirit Mind?"


    "I... guess so."


    "What came first? I don''t believe that the Mind was first."


    "It is..."


    "Oh, my manners. One should not ask about the Soul, unless given permission."


    "I am the Divine Child."


    "That explains stuff." An elder shrugged. It was the first time Sirius felt such indifference towards his title. "Who taught you magic, boy? It doesn''t seem like you use the church''s spells."


    "A druid."


    "I would be glad to meet your teacher! Maybe we were from the same community..."


    "He is dead." Sirius cut him short.


    "That... Complicates things... I am sorry for your loss." The elder awkwardly stammered.


    "The church killed him when they came after me. Since then I am alone."


    "Don''t say you are alone, that friend of yours bared his fangs at me the moment we met."


    "Who?"


    "Oh, the manasnake. He is right beside you. Can you not see him?"


    "No."


    "You have your Spirit Eyes closed, that''s why! Come on, open them!"


    "How?"


    "I... Erm... Let me try, I never done it. I am going to touch your spirit, so don''t be afraid." Elder quickly placed his thumbs on Sirius'' forehead and pushed some of the environmental mana inside. Then he said with a worry. "It is so underdeveloped. You are blind like a puppy. And your Mind is incomplete, how did you even... Oh..."


    "Found the Mana Pool?" Asked Sirius while looking up at the elder.


    "Yes..." He removed his hands.


    "Can we move along?"


    "Sure..." The worry and a tinge of fear was visible in elder''s shining eyes.


    After some time they arrived at small hut, half-buried into the ground. A small smoke trail left the chimney in the back, giving away its location. The elder lead Sirius inside and invited to sit at the table on the only chair. The interior was simple, and very similar to what Sirius made in his lab near the World Tree. The small openings for windows were covered by murky glass panes, likely made by Friend himself. The dim sun illuminated the rough table made from split logs, containing the various cutlery. Seth appeared besides Sirius and landed on his lap, asking for head pats.


    "Why are you here alone?" Asked Sirius, stroking the scaly skin of manasnake.


    "I am in search for my specialisation."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Oh, of course. Among us, druids, it is important to find a branch of magic you are most passionate about and study it, usually all their lives."


    "And you didn''t find it yet?" Sirius looked at the elder.


    "Unfortunately." Friend sighed. "I am still trying out new things, hoping to get inspiration. Do you, by any chance, know the specialisation of your master?"


    "Healing." Sirius said, making the elder choke a little. "He was exiled for that."


    "Go figure. Magic is about the world, not the body. What do you specialise in, by the way?"


    Sirius frowned, trying to remember everything.


    "Alchemy, metallurgy, circle diagrams... Some basic healing as well..."


    Sirius looked up at Friend and saw his eyes shining with excitement.

 047. Exchange

    Friend was hungry for knowledge. There was only so much you could find out on your own in a forest. While metallurgy was also interesting for him, the alchemy and circle diagrams were the main point of interest. Sirius showed his notes, gave demonstrations, listened to Friend''s ideas and answered questions.


    "That is incredible! But I notice one common thing among all that, so just to clarify: can you show me how you cast your spells?"


    "Sure." Sirius quickly manifested the ice shard in his hand under watchful eyes of Friend.


    "Just like I thought. Your method is that of the kingdom, I can''t use it. Maybe I need to adapt your knowledge to utilise it properly..."


    "Why?"


    "Hmm?" Friend was torn out of deep thoughts. "Oh, my body is too resistant to mana. It can''t store enough to cast myself, so it would be hard for me to create new diagrams, even if I had materials."


    "Is till don''t get it."


    "Hmm, let''s put it this way. When you weave and manipulate mana, you are akin to breathing. You take in mana around you and use it afterwards. And since you had the Mana Pool first, your body adapted to this. Your body as a whole stores mana, along with Mana Pool. Got it?"


    "I think so. Are you different?"


    "As I said, my body resists the flow of mana. If I try to take in too much, I will hurt myself."


    "And if someone from kingdom tries to move too much mana through them?"


    "I don''t know. They might rip a part of themselves or something."


    "And what is the way behind Thought Constellation?"


    "Hmm? Spirit Mind? Druids usually start with Spirit Eyes, for traditional reasons that is. But, if your ideas about connection of metals and first-circle organs is correct, they must utilise the mana flow inside their bodies. Our weaving is about interacting and communicating with a world energy, without taking it inside us, so I can''t be sure."


    "Wait..." The puzzle in Sirius'' mind was coming together. "Like this?"


    Sirius stood up, and took the staff in his hands. The hut was cramped, but he tried swinging his staff nonetheless. Carefully, so as not to bump into the furniture, Sirius stirred the mana with one end of the staff, moving it in circles, pushing and pulling, kneading like a dough. In the end he pushed it into the floor, creating an icy layer on floorboards. By the look on Friend''s face Sirius knew that Father Gregor was right, and he indeed re-invented the druid magic.


    "What is it made of?"


    "Iron and bronze."


    "And wood?"


    "Oak."


    "The ironwood would work better, but it is heavier."


    "Ideally the core must be out of silverwood, and bronze cap replaced with gold."


    "Two iron caps is better. It is harder and you actually don''t need the gold at all."


    "The bronze is better at gathering clumps."


    "You just didn''t figure out how to do it with resistant material."


    "The combination of both worked better for me when I had no Astral Body."


    "Oh wow, you invented this without Spirit? Praiseworthy."


    Sirius sat at the table and stared at the dissolving ice crust. His mind, tired from recent events, wandered, and he began daydreaming, reminiscing of yesterday.


    "Are you crying?"


    "Hmm?" Sirius quickly wiped his cheeks. "No."


    "Hey, you can tell me." Friend put his hand on Sirius'' shoulder, making him flinch.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation."I had to kill."


    "It was a first time?"


    "Yes." Sirius began sniffling.


    "Unfortunately, he was no longer a human. He died the moment he overloaded his Spirit. After that it was an uncontrollable chain reaction."


    "He looked like a boy..."


    "Among Crusade members it is common. They undergo a ritual when they are kids. At least I was told so."


    "Their Astral Bodies were... Awful."


    "Must be very painful for them."


    "He asked me to kill him."


    "Look at it like a liberation from his pain."


    "Thank you... I really needed that." Sirius wiped his cheeks again. "What if they find me here?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "They are scouring the area. Day after day, I escaped them, covered my traces. When they found me, I survived by the width of my hair. The members of the Order were human, and some of them were sympathetic with me. These... are like mindless animals. Even willing to sacrifice themselves only to kill me."


    "You can''t run forever. You need a place to stay."


    "Whoever helped me was viewed as a traitor. First uncle Verden, then uncle Gregor..."


    "Verden? Verden the Blasphemer? I should have guessed so... Only he dared to study healing in the open..."


    "Did you know him?"


    "We were in the same settlement. He saved me from a pack of wolves. I still don''t know how he achieved those terrifying crystals..."


    "Green crystals? And glowing from the inside?"


    "Did you got healed as well?"


    "His Final Flash made a tree out of them." Sirius took out a jar with a couple of purple leaves from his backpack. "They still have their healing powers when... Mixed with blood..." Sirius absentmindedly looked at Friend''s terrified expression. "Blood is the key."


    "You will be killed if someone hears you say that. Without question."


    "I don''t care. I heard that more than you think."


    Sirius took out several bottles, metal powder, plain chalk and a knife. He put materials in bowls, heating some of them, mincing things into dust, or filling with mana. In the end he sliced a shallow cut on his forearm, letting a blood drip in all bowls, mixing with the distillates inside. Sirius began forming separate streams of mana, merging them and exchanging their properties. He moulded them, mixed with the ingredients, and shaped the mana clumps and streams into shells and rings, clumps and tubes. When he was ready, he put a clump of mixture with his blood inside a shell made of dense mana, coiled the ring of fast-moving stream around, and poked a hole in a shell and stuffed a small tube inside. It completed the circuit, and the device whirred to life, like a diagram. Greedily it sucked mana from the environment, making it denser and sturdier. Sirius felt all his mana in the air seep inside, making him unable to control the process, but he didn''t have to. With wide eyes he observed the air in front of him sparkle with metal shavings and liquids being mixed and altered with mysterious force. The dense clump finally lost its support, as it consumed the mana supporting it mid-air, and fell on the table with an ethereal ringing. The clump vibrated, bulged and swirled, dancing across the table, and gaining size. The murky and dirty-looking blob slowly dissolved into a glassy surface, as if digested by the cloudy crystal. The last heavy thunk announced the completion of the transformation, leaving a teardrop-shaped multifaceted glassy shard with purplish-blue tinge and constantly-swirling milky insides.


    Sirius excitedly looked at his creation. The insides of this crystal still contained the shapes he created with mana, constantly powered by the environmental mana, slowly consumed by its pointy end. Out of curiosity Sirius manifested some ice needles, and was delighted to see the stray mana getting sucked inside the glassy contraption.


    "Get out."

 048. Regret

    "Get! Out!" Friend repeated word after word.


    "Why?..."


    "You ask why? I already told you! The magic is the of the world, not of the body! You are so blinded by your thirst for knowledge, you fail to see reason!"


    "Say that to those who track me by those traces!"


    "You could avoid leaving your trace!"


    "HOW?" Sirius shouted with anger, making the world vibrate. "Let me tell you! Each and every time I stop, I know they are getting closer! I can''t sustain the cloaking all day long!"


    "Just don''t touch the mana with your mind!"


    "The mana around me is my senses and my limbs!"


    "Then learn to be blind and disabled!"


    "I have been disabled long enough. Now I have the power, and I don''t intend to lose it."


    "Violence is not an option. Nor are the forbidden branches of magic!"


    "You don''t understand!"


    Sirius roared with rage, pulling mana from around him into a stream, that separated like a snake''s tongue. Cold mana crawled across the floor towards the Friend''s feet, coiling around him, while the hot stream entered a clump, condensing to Sirius'' very limit. Yet, nothing happened. Sirius fell to his knees, his mind raged by splitting headache, as he failed to control the mana further. Doing anything felt like punching a wall, and so he gave up, heavily breathing on the floor.


    "What am I even doing? You are just a kid, shackled all his life, who knows no better. And here I am, doing all the same." Friend said, watching Sirius tear up on the floor from the pain. With a flowing gesture he took all Sirius'' mana and gently neutralised the opposing energies, releasing the remains into the world. "You need guidance, not punishment."


    Sirius looked up, his eyes bloodshot and filled with a mix of hate and disbelief.


    "I am not the one to teach you, though. From here you must go south, until after a couple of days you will reach the river Vein of the Land. After that go along it eastwards for roughly a month. There you will find The Deepest Lake''s residence. She likes teaching those like you. Now go. Your outburst might have attracted the Crusade."


    Sirius was at a loss of words. He indeed succumbed to rage in heat of the moment, unable to control the turmoil of emotions. Yet he felt the might of a real mage in that instance. Despite his headstart with all three organs at once, he was powerless before Friend, who took away Sirius'' control with just a thought. Grunting and clearing his face, Sirius shakily stood up, his leg still sending pangs of pain across his body. He stood straight, and then deeply bowed to Friend.


    "I am guilty, elder. Forgive my rashness, and thank you for your directions."


    "Apologies accepted." Friend''s cold face softened and revealed a slight smile.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."Will you be okay if they will come here? You are considered against their faith too..."


    "They know about me. People from the Order tried getting rid of me, but gave up long time ago. I will be surprised if they will continue to pester you."


    "They will. I know that." Sirius sighed, and began collecting his stuff. "I am once again sorry for my behaviour. I will no longer burden you with my presence, Friend. Goodbye."


    "I would be grateful if you destroyed that crystal."


    "One day I will. But for now I will die without its properties. I will try to research it and then I will get rid of it, I promise."


    "Fine. Farewell."


    Sirius went out of the hut and went directly south. Seth reappeared in the air besides Sirius and looked at him limping along the rocky ground.


    "I see you eyeing the crystal, Seth. You don''t like it as well?" The snake looked at the crystal and then at Sirius again. "Sorry, I don''t understand you. Are you threatened or tempted by it? I guess both. I am too..."


    Sirius walked with staff in his right hand and purplish-blue cloudy crystal in left. After climbing up yet another hill, Sirius used his staff to knead some of the mana and raised a small stump from the ground to sit on. Seth floated around him in circles, drawn by the mana residue travelling towards crystal.


    Sirius heavily fell on the sitting place, oblivious to Seth''s agitation. The leg was killing him, and he hoped he didn''t have to walk for too long, or he would get permanent damage that way. He removed the bandage soaked in blood he hastily applied after the battle. The wound was gruesome, scalded around the edges and covered in coagulated blood. From the quick inspection, no major vessels were damaged. Sirius then tried inspecting his leg with mana, releasing some from his Mana Pool into his thigh and observing the resistance.


    Pushing mana through his body felt strange. Mainly because he felt physical discomfort around his bone. When compared to his healthy leg, the bone behaviour was the same, hinting that it is untouched. But still, something different from the Crimson Crusade member''s bones. Less mana stored inside was expected, since Sirius'' Mana pool was underdeveloped and didn''t have a lot of time to alter his body. The resistance around the edges was unexpected, though, and so was the crawling mana in the center of the bone marrow. Sirius even double-checked other parts of his body, but found nothing. Out of the interest, he tried pulling at the mana inside the bone on his arm. Unsurprisingly, he felt resistance since the bone was still attached to him. Vibrating the mana inside brought even more discomfort, so he stopped experimenting. Unfortunately, despite all the insight into anatomy, it didn''t help him heal the wound. Sirius once again used the nightbloom extract to kill the pain and bandaged it tightly to make the hole close up a little.


    This rest was not enough, but he had to move once again. Under the bright sun he dispelled the sitting place, observed the mana being sucked into a crystal, and started climbing down the slope.

 049. Travel

    Sirius walked slowly, trying to not overstrain the leg. From time to time he would sit down to rest and have a snack, but he never stopped for too long. At night he made a small campfire, using the circle diagram to extend the fire lifetime. It came a long way since Inquisitor gave him a hint on its shortcomings. Each time Sirius made it, the diagram came out unique, more refined. This time Sirius employed what he found out from Friend, making the diagram ''breathe'' with mana. Separating the times of taking in fresh neutral mana and expelling unsuitable cold one prevented mixing, which gave brighter and hotter flames. Seth coiled besides the campfire, attracted by the heat and fell asleep. Overall Sirius was happy with the progress, just like the manasnake was happy to finally relax. There was only one itch at the back of his mind.


    Fire was elusive. He somehow managed to improvise the most complex spell he ever created. He used principles under exploding ice lance - a shell of mana, containing the entirely different spell inside isolated from the outside world. When the lifespan of the shell expired, it was released, allowing for multistage spells. That time he also used the raging mana from the ''leylines'' to feed the spell, completely ignoring the powering of the circuit. The moment his flare entered the droplet in the sky, all that mana powered the simplest circuit imaginable, creating the fireball. But without knowing the underlying principle Sirius failed to replicate it.


    He watched the dancing flames under the pot, as hungry light devoured the dry twigs underneath. Mana prolonged the life of the fuel, tinting the fire purple, but Sirius could not stop the fuel consumption, despite all his attempts. In his mind he replayed his interactions with fire spells: the inferno of Inquisitor, a huge wall of fire after the attack of ice pillars, fireballs yesterday... Something was amiss, but he could not figure out why, and it annoyed Sirius. Tired from thinking, he finished eating his soup and went to sleep in a hastily made crater in earth, leaving Seth on guard.


    ...


    Sirius woke up on sunrise and, after a quick breakfast with remaining food from before, covered his traces and left south. Friend didn''t say anything about how long he had to travel, and even if he did, the slower pace would throw-off any estimates. Travelling with crystal meant that he left no traces, allowing Sirius to experiment on his travels.


    Seth slept in Sirius'' cape, completely ignoring random spells Sirius would cast from time to time, while commenting on their effects. Replaying previous battles gave Sirius idea of his shortcomings. Thinking aloud was his go-to method to retain sanity on his lonely travels.


    "The ice is not sharp enough." Sirius commented on melting spike lying on the ground. "Needle is still the sharpest construct I made out of ice. I think it has something to do with its structure. Now that I say it aloud..." Sirius began making a thin sheet of ice resembling a snowflake. "Too thin. Ugh, if my knife breaks I will have nothing sharp on me, just needles. I can''t mould metal, can I? I think no. And if I do, where would I find it? I can''t just shoot mana inside the earth until I feel the resistance, am I right? How would I even smelt it?"If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Seeing that Seth didn''t listen to him, he waved his hand. Sirius looked ahead into the distance and noticed a thin strand of smoke a bit out of his way. Interested, he adjusted his direction and headed towards the sign of people. As he crossed over the small hill, a sizeable village entered his view, surrounded by vast red fields. When Sirius got closer he could see the crops being similar to wheat, but with bigger grains, and strange colour. Fields were filled with huge boulders, with people sitting atop of some of them. Sirius walked on a threaded path to avoid trampling the plants, when he was startled by the sound of rocks shifting. The boulder he passed by cracked, lifted from the ground a little and opened its eyes, towering over Sirius. due to surprise Sirius fell to the ground, face to face with a beast, that slowly unfolded from its sleeping posture, revealing hard rocky hide and sharp horns across its head. Beast made a step towards Sirius, but suddenly stopped.


    Seth bared his fangs and hissed, putting himself between Sirius and the beast. Small snake floated in front of the huge animal, twitching its long body and eyeing the mountainous creature. The beast stood still for a second, but moved forward again a little, huge snout sniffing the air in front of Seth, who refused to back down.


    "Damn it, Tuff, go back!" Sirius heard the voice of a man, who was running towards him. Man''s strange accent made his speech sound more like a song. "Shoo! Tuff, stop that! Don''t scare people!"


    Sirius watched the beast cower with a hint of fear and back down, retracting his horns and lowering its head closer to the ground. Finally boy looked over to the man who saved him. He had bushy black brows and a short beard, adorning the olive skin of his face, unlike the pale skin of people of Kingdom he was used to. The clothing was also unusual, a little baggy underneath, covered by a short dark-blue cloak, barely reaching his waist.


    "Sorry about that, traveller. Rockhogs are usually timid..." Suddenly he stopped and his wide smile melted away. "...but he saw a new face..."


    "Sure. Can I stay in your town for a little while?"


    "You..." The man suspiciously eyed Sirius getting up from the ground.


    "Yes, I injured my leg, so I wanted to find a place to recover. May I?"


    "How should I address you?..."


    "My name is..."


    "I don''t want your name!" The man sounded irritated. "What is your title?"


    "Title?..." Sirius thought about titles of druids he knew. "I don''t have an official one yet..."


    "Ugh, fine. I''ll walk you to elders. Follow me." Man turned around without saying a word and walked in the direction of city centre.


    Sirius hastily hidden Seth under his cape and quietly followed in man''s wake. Something in his behaviour unnerved him, but Sirius couldn''t get a hold on what exactly. Among a glint in his eyes and sudden hostility, the whole interaction was rather disturbing. As they went deeper, Sirius felt as if he was back at Rivervale, with houses made out of stone, and people mingling around. The only difference was the amount of animals, magical and not. The streets were also much wider, able to accomodate the mountainous rockhog.


    "Mom look!" Sirius heard to the side of him.


    "Don''t stare at him, little one."


    "What is wrong with him?" Kid continued to shout, but was shushed by their mother.


    Whenever Sirius went he would feel the warmth drain from people''s shining eyes, multicolored glints coldly following his movements. He could say he felt unwelcome, but even that was an understatement.

 050. Foreigner

    He continued to walk among hostile stares, afraid to ask what was the reason, since even his guide barely tolerated his presence. They arrived at a big dome-like building. The man knocked a couple times at the door and stood still. After a minute a woman came out and asked the man for the reason of arrival. He silently nodded in the direction of Sirius, receiving the approving nod in response. Then he left without saying a word, leaving Sirius in front of the entrance. The woman looked Sirius over from head to toe, frowning her brows in wonder.


    "Sorry... The person who led me here said I could stay if I meet the elders..."


    "Oh, you are an uninitiated one. Sure, come in. How can I call you?" She led Sirius inside, closing the door behind him.


    "I have no title."


    "Understood. For now you will be called Foreigner, or Traveller, until you will be given a public name to go by. Which tribe are you from?"


    "I ran from Kingdom."


    "Hmm... Criminal?"


    "More like blasphemer."


    "Same thing for them. Now wait here while I introduce your arrival to elders, then you may come in."


    "Sorry... Why is everyone looking at me like that?..."


    "You don''t see?" She giggled. "You will learn everything inside, just you wait."


    Sirius bowed with gratitude and stood in the foyer, observing the interior. The small room had a multitude of colorful banners on walls, big and small, each featuring some landmark or item. As he observed them, he was invited inside. After taking a deep breath, he walked through the door, entering the wide circular hall. In front of him were nine ''elders'', despite some of them being rather young to be called like that. Either way, he stood in the centre and bowed deeply.


    "Well, Eyes of the Forest didn''t lie, when she said there is someone rather peculiar asking for an audience. The World. Lesses you path, kid. Who are you, and what brings you here?" Said a man with long grey beard, likely the head of the elders.


    "Greetings, esteemed Elders. I travelled into the Betweenlands to run from the Kingdom''s rule." Sirius began his rehearsed speech. "My thirst for knowledge went against their faith, so I fled. In my travels I got inhured and wanted to stay over until I recover enough to continue my path."


    "You are not the first, and you are not the last, unfortunately." Said man with sharp eyes and black curly hair. "How long do you wander?"


    "Less than a month. As soon as I got the Astral Body, I left my home."


    "Less than a month? And how did you survive?"


    "My master was used to living in the wild,so he taught me how to live alone. He also taught me magic."


    "You are hiding something." Joined a man with sharp black beard. "Who is your master?"


    "He died two years ago, killed by the churchmen. He... His name is Verden."


    Suddenly the quiet reigned in the room. The elders glanced at each other, unsure how to react.


    "I told you we should kill him right there an then!" A black-haired woman with runes on her face stood up in rage. She pointed her finger at Sirius. "He continued his accursed path and even took in an apprentice! Did he teach you the forbidden techniques?!"


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings."Calm down, Rain of Fire. The kid did nothing wrong yet. The Blasphemer died long before the boy got his Spirit." Long bearded man soothed the woman.


    "My apologies, Calmness of Storm." She sat back down, still staring at Sirius with anger.


    "I learned about his exile after his death. To me he was my only family, since I am an orphan. He only taught me basics of spellweaving. The rest I learned on my own."


    "I am interested to see what you leaned without the Spirit eyes." Said a young ginger woman with sun-touched face, her eyes shining with gold.


    "I always had keen senses. On my own I understood the principles of circle diagrams and metallirgy. Also I layed out foundations for alchemy, but never managed to cast a spell with it. If I had better equipment and more time for research, I would achieve much more, but it is hard to experiment with vials on the run."


    "That is unfortunate. Your achievements are praiseworthy, but there is also something on your person that attracted our attention."


    "I am travelling with Seth, he is my friend." Sirius said, while lifting the edge of his robe to show the pearly manasnake underneath.


    "Your friend is the only reason we allowed you to enter. In your left pocket, what is that?"


    "In my pocket?..." Sirius tapped the pouch on his side. With a deep sigh, he began uncovering the contents. "It is something I invented to hide from the people from the church... It contains the cloaking spell that soaks the remnants of mana with my signature..." Inside the cloudy crystal he could see black dots swarming the purple center. "That is new."


    "And you created it with...?"


    "I made it in burst of inspiration with alchemical ingredients and a bit of my blood to pass onto my signature."


    "We must banish him, like his predecessor!" Rain of Fire stood up again.


    "The kid experimented with things he could not know. He is not to blame." Calmly stated other woman.


    "I agree. He was taught basics, but it is not enough to grasp everything on your own." Other elders began joining in and discussing aloud.


    "He even managed to tame the manasnake. He must be skilled."


    "It consideres kid its friend. That is rare among them."


    "His invention scares people, and his spirit does too. We cannot let him live here. He will be cast away by folk."


    "He can''t walk from tribe to tribe in search of place to live. The injury is deep, and he needs rest."


    "So, boy." Asked Calmness of Storm. "Where were you going?"


    "After the attack I met a druid. He asked to call him Friend. He told me about my master''s magic and how Verden saved him. That was how I got the inspiration. But my crystal upset him. He took pity on me and told how to reach the Deepest Lake. Maybe she would be interested to take me in as an apprentice."


    "Did Friend say his specialisation?"


    "He said he had none."


    Calmness of Storm sighed and looked at the elders, who displayed emotions ranging from fear to sadness.


    "You met Friend of the Unkind. He practices rather dangerous magic, and still believes in old ways. He was one of the first mages in these lands."


    "How old is he?"


    "We... Don''t know. Okay than the Kingdom, that is for sure."

 051. Human

    "He looked... Ordinary." Stammered Sirius.


    "Yet he is far from ordinary." Man with sharp black beard explained. "He sought the secret of magic''s nature and we think he found it. He would come into a community to stay over, but his unaging appearance scared people, so he left for another place. And so he wandered from tribe to tribe, until eventually he visited each and every one of them. To some he is akin to divine avatar of the World, to others - a deviant, the being against the natural order."


    "Exactly like Blizzard Bringer said." Added Calmness of Storm. "I believe his findings are related to the extended life, but he never shared it with anyone."


    "He was so interesting to talk to..."


    "Oh yes, he is rather knowledgeable and curious about qll things magic. He is just rather hard to come by intentionally. So, regarding your stay here."


    "Yes..." Sirius nodded hesitantly.


    "First we need you to understand the reason we were hesitant at first. For that you need to open your eyes."


    "Excuse me?"


    "Your Spirit Eyes, kid." Blizzard Bringer sneered.


    "Sorry..."


    "No worries. We could wait until you open them on your own, but we help our kids to open them, so why not?"


    "I am very grateful for that offer. I am only a bit concerned since Friend told me my organs are underdeveloped."


    "Organ-s? As in, multiple?" Asked the youngest of elders.


    "I was born a Child of the Prophecy, as churchmen called me. I could cast without Astral Body, even if only a bit, all thanks to my sensitivity to mana. I possess all First-circle organs, all condensed at the same time."


    Elders looked between each other again. This kid was already getting in their nerves with his uniqueness. Calmness of Storm suddenly giggled.


    "Then the Deepest Lake is indeed your best choice of mentor."


    "What do you mean, Calmness of Storm?" Asked youngest elder, barely thirty by his looks.


    "You see, Glint of Gold, she also could cast without developed Spirit. When she had her Eyes opened, she was extremely angry that we took away the ''correct'' path. Like..."


    "Like the gut feeling, the intuition from the World itself." Finished Sirius.


    "Exactly."


    "I also felt that under master Verden, so I never condensed any organ until they manifested on their own. Maybe the flow and density of mana around me forced their development, but that is only my guess. What I am is not unique, there are many of us, more sensitive to mana from birth. I even met one on the Order''s side."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it."Enough talking." Said Calmness of Storm and walked in front of Sirius. "You already have an organ, so showing you how to use it won''t hurt your path. Be ready."


    With a gaming smile he put both thumbs on Sirius'' forehead, taking hold of his head with the rest. Sirius felt his head burn, as mana began fuelling the Mind''s Eyes. The Mana Pool began quickly draining, and his Thought Constellation went into overdrive as well, creating a vortex of mana around Sirius to draw all the energy out could. Then there was light. Sirius felt the world around him divide into two, overlapping with itself, crumbling and unfolding as he shifted his gaze.


    "Concentrate on light." Sirius heard from everywhere.


    Sirius did as instructed and saw the familiar sight of ghostly world in a net of leylines, with nine bright multicoloured people in front. Each of them vaguely resembled elders, with some differences here and there. As Sirius looked at Calmness of Storm, he saw a young version of him, but the insides of the ghost brimmed with powerful energy of lightning.


    "So that is the correct way to be here..." Said Sirius out loud, hearing two voices in unison, one of him and another... Distorted.


    "Was there another way?" The voice of the Calmness sounded like the raging wind and thunder.


    "I travelled leaving my body behind..." Distorted voice resembled screeching of metal, making Sirius shudder. "What is wrong with me?"


    "In this state you can look at yourself. It is much easier that trying to describe."


    Sirius tried inspecting himself, starting from hands. When he saw the myriad of hands repeating his motion, he felt a headache. All hands were injured or bleeding on different places and occupied the same place, but moved not entirely in sync, creating the afterimages behind. The view was unnatural and disturbing on some deeper level. Sirius fell to his knees, the Eyes closing without the force keeping them open.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Up close it is even worse than I imagined..." Panted Sirius on the ground. "Can I fix that?"


    "Eyes of the Forest is the best at Spirit alignment. She can help you finding a solution, but in the end it is you who will do the fixing."


    "Thank you..." Sirius recovered a bit and stood up, still tired from the short experience, but overall happy to learn something new. "So you won''t chase me away?"


    "Hmph. Not yet." Rage of Fire grunted. "Not until you look human."


    "I will repay your kindness, elders!" Sirius bowed deeply.


    "Of course you will."


    "When should I start?"


    "As soon as you learn to open your Eyes." Blizzard Bringer pondered aloud. "It is a must to partake in ceremonies. It is only up to you to succeed in melding with us."


    "Now go. Eyes of the Forest is waiting for you outside."

 052. Pain

    Sirius'' throat gave up from screaming. He lost track of time in the flood of pain from the depths of his soul. He was in a dark room, tied to the bunk bed, restrained with belts, his trap covered in long shining purple lines. Above him stood Eyes of the Forest, the woman that met him at the doors of elder''s hall. Her emerald eyes shined with wild power, reflecting in the jewels hanging from her chestnut hair. She stood still, calmly watching Sirius'' suffering. Suddenly the glow of her eyes faded, and she sighed deeply. Instantly the pain retreated, giving Sirius the long-awaited respite.


    "Two curses, five astral parasites, wild magic scars of varying severity, an uncountable amount of Foreign Memories and even a Ghosts of the Past  attached to your soul." She bemusedly counted, while sitting besides heaving Sirius. "For a fourteen-year-old that is too much conditions at once. What even happened to you?"


    "Huh?..." Sirius was slowly regaining, leaving behind only nagging ache of his soul.


    "Oh, i should probably release you." She stood up and began removing the belts holding Sirius in one place. "I am actually quite interested what could inflict so much damage to your Spirit. Did you fight an Aberration already?"


    "Maybe... What is it?"


    "When mage loses control of mana in a powerful spell, the magic turns against him. Usually they leave behind an Anomaly, forever altering the world in that place. In some rare cases the human turns into Aberration, a wild, irrational creature of instincts, following the last directive of a mage."


    "Yes, I did then." Sirius sat on the bed, sweat dripping from his forehead.


    "Alone?" Eyes of the Forest exclaimed. "How did you manage?"


    "The man... He, who attacked me... His body was ripped apart by mana storm." Sirius took a deep breath, memories stinging his mind. "His Spirit was that of a small boy. He was in constant pain..."


    "Oh, poor guy..." Eyes of the Forest covered her mouth with genuine compassion.


    "He asked me to kill him, and so I did, with an ethereal hunting knife of mine." Sirius flinched when he felt the hand on his shoulder.


    "You did the right thing. He was beyond help at that point. Did he pull the leylines? And you were in Astral World when that happened?"


    "I think so. There were flowing lines in the sky and below the ground."


    "Those are leylines. The circulating flow of mana around the world. Usually mana storm alters their flow, changing the pathways around."


    "They began dripping, and nearly connected." Sirius described, making Eyes of the Forest''s face turn dead serious.


    "You must be dead. Where did the mana in the droplet go?" She held Sirius with both hands by the shoulders. Sirius thought very hard through the numb headache, trying to piece together the clues.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings."I made a spell use up the mana in it..." He said under the breath, making Eyes of the Forest exhale with relief.


    "That is the way. You were lucky back then." She began cleaning up the room. "Now I will lead you to the common room. You need to rest before the next procedure."


    "Next?..." Sirius'' face sunk.


    "Oh, yeah. There is no way I could remove so much foreign entities from your Spirit in one go. It needs to heal the wounds, or the healing would just drain you dry. Now, get up and go get a wash."


    "How many procedures do I have to undergo?"


    "Oh, I dunno. Four more for parasites, a couple for all the curses you collected, one more for foreign entity cleansing... The scar is rather deep as well, and you must have gotten it more than a year ago. Any ideas?"


    "More than a year?..." Sirius thought what event could affect him. "Does being in a vicinity of a Final Flash count?"


    Eyes of the forest clicked her tongue and shook her head.


    "Oh, World, have mercy." She looked at Sirius with exasperation. "Did you have solidified Spirit back then?"


    "No... And also I might have touched the leyline almost a year ago as well."


    Sirius flinched as Eyes of the Forest smashed at the table with all her might.


    "WHY? That would explain Ghosts of the Past and Foreign Memories, though. But still, WHY?"  She found it hard to piece words together, so she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just... like... don''t do that. It is dangerous. Is there anything else you did to nearly kill yourself?"


    "Major or minor ones?" Sirius asked awkwardly.


    Eyes of the Forest rolled her eyes, unsure how to react.


    "Anyways, how do you feel?"


    "I don''t know how to describe. It is like the breathing is easier than before. What exactly did you do?" Sirius asked, while getting dressed.


    "You had the leech around your Manapool. It had the same signature, since it fed on your mana, so you wouldn''t notice it by yourself. Your Spirit is quite interesting, though."


    "In what way?"


    "I think the Deepest Lake was trying to achieve this same Spirit, as you did. Yet she was forced to undergo a ceremony, as per tradition."


    "I nearly got the asme treatment by the Church."


    "The traditions aren''t that bad, actually. They carry the knowledge of the past, even if a bit outdated. It''s a shame that they never catch up without a major shake-over."


    "Are they frequent even?"


    "Believe it or not, the Deepest Lake caused the last major one a couple decades ago. So major in fact, that every tribe adopted the new ways. Usually there are lots of disagreements among Elders, but that time she promised to eradicate whoever went against her."


    "I would like to know more, Eyes of the Forest. Do you have library in here?"


    "Just call me Eyes. No, the books are quite rare, but I will ask around the city if you want. Now let''s go, you must recover."


    She opened the door, urging Sirius to follow.

 053. Girl

    Sirius entered the common room filled with narrow wooden beds. The wall was filled with large windows, covered in strange material. It looked like coloured glass shards in the Church''s windows, but the panes were much larger and let much more sun inside. Additionally, the material was much more translucent, almost transparent. Eyes of the Forest was amused by Sirius'' fascination at every small detail in their culture, but he had to stay put until his full recovery, so she had to usher him inside the room.


    "This is your bed, your backpack is under the bed. That dangerous crystal of yours is hidden in the vault underground. If you need to interact with it, just ask, but I would strongly advise against it."


    "Thank you. Where is Seth?"


    "Manasnake? He seemed to take liking in daughter of Whisper of Nature."


    Eyes nodded in the direction of girl around Sirius'' age. Her ashen hair was tied in braids, decorated with shining stones and glassy pearls. To her side was a thin braid with a couple of coloured beads, carved with symbols. Her black eyes contrasted with pale skin and white eyelashes, glinting like snow on grass. Seth was enjoying her company in her lap as she sat in her bed playing with him. The snake happily flickered in and out of existence, feigned anger and played dead, snapping at her fingers from time to time. When he noticed Sirius'' look, Seth quickly darted at his partner, coiling around Sirius'' neck and licking his cheek.


    "Hello, Eyes of the Forest." The girl weakly said, her voice ringing like a wind chimes.


    "Just Eyes, daughter of Whisper. How are your lungs?"


    "The treatment wore off faster."


    "More blood?"


    "Mhm..."


    Eyes of the Forest sighed. "This is your neighbour, he will be here for quite some time. Foreigner, you don''t have a title yet, so come up with something temporary. Nothing grandiose, just your origin is enough." She said to Sirius.


    "Call me Friend of a Snake." Said Sirius with a polite smile.


    "Sounds good. Is Snake for short fine? Now, get accustomed, I need to consult another doctor on the illness."


    "Thank you." Sirius answered, watching Eyes leave the room.


    "Hello, Friend of a Snake.." Girl said, a sudden clanking sound making her wince in pain.


    "Are you alright?"


    "My illness. Eyes said it is since birth." She spoke almost in whisper, accompanied by the glassy ringing.


    "I am sorry."


    "Don''t be. I never seen a manasnake before."


    "We are together since I remember myself. He usually hides from other people, so I didn''t expect him to leave the backpack." Sirius sat on the back side of the bed, facing the daughter of Whisper.


    "They rarely bond with humans. Very shy and prideful."


    "Seth is like that, yes. In my village he would never show himself to others."


    "He was lonely."


    "How did you know?"


    "He told me."


    "How?"


    They both looked at each other in awe.


    "Do you not have your Eyes?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon."Not open. My Astral Body is not in condition to do so."


    "Then how did you bond?"


    "It''s like... intuition? Seth is good at non-verbal communication."


    "You are strange." She weakly smiled.


    "No you are. How did you talk to him, I don''t get it?"


    "You just need to feel what he feels."


    "What do you feel?" Sirius asked Seth, gaining the blank look of slit eyes.


    "It does not work like that. Touch his mind. Concentrate."


    Sirius put his finger on Seth''s head, trying to feel around with his mana only. Around him was the calm breeze of energy in the air, among which stood two foreign objects. One that was larger circulated the mana in pulses, forming a moving sphere around the girl. The smaller one was barely noticeable, shaped like a tube, becoming denser and disappearing from the astral world. The small tube suddenly became viscous, melding with Sirius'' mana. Sirius felt his hand fall through the place in front of him, as this ethereal shape took on the appearance of Seth, his head shining with solid energy.


    *Relief.* Sirius felt with his soul.


    "Seth?"


    *Agreement.*


    "I am so happy..." Sirius stared blankly into the room, talking to the thin air, as tears began filling his eyes.


    *Know.*


    "Can we really talk now?.."


    *Concern.*


    "Why?"


    *Fracture. Think.*


    "So what?"


    *Hard.*


    "Yes, me too, buddy." Sirius felt his head fill with lead.


    *Rest?*


    "Sure. We can try again tomorrow."


    *Agreement.*


    Sirius fell face first into the bed. His mind spun, and breathing was hard. It was impossible to guess how much time has passed, but finally Sirius found strength to turn around, plunging into the pillow.


    "You are alive." Daughter of Whisper giggled.


    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    "The room is full of your mana. I thought your Sprit ruptured."


    "How is that?"


    "Spirit holds mana inside. When ruptured it spills. Like a gooseberry."


    "No, I am fine, I think." Sirius quickly inspected his Astral Body. "My reserves are just drained, no big deal"


    "You don''t know. Your control is bad. Wasteful even." She talked under the breath, fighting the damaged lungs.


    "Is there a better way?"


    "Hard to describe... No breath."


    "Sorry. I will be here for a week, no less, so we can talk later. We both must recover a bit."


    "Yes." She nodded slightly.


    "What a day..." Sirius sighed.


    The door opened, and Eyes of the Forest entered the room, walking up to the girl''s bed. She stood still for a moment, warily observing the surroundings.


    "Is he alright?"


    "He talked to Seth. He is bad at that."


    "I said to recover, not drain your last bits of energy, you runt!" Eyes waved her hands a couple of times, and walked to the Sirius, and began shoving the energy into his body. "Now, take in all your damned mana. If you are counting times you nearly died, add one more due to your stupidity! You still have the wound from the parasite, and the uncountable entities draining your energy. Until I say so, no casting, even to warm your bed, or you might set it aflame. Got it?" She explained, while Sirius was suffocating under the pressure of his own mana returning inside his mana pool.


    "Yes..." He pushed out of himself.


    "Good. Daughter of Whisper, come with me. We might have devised a new procedure for you."


    "Thank you." Daughter of Whisper carefully stood up and followed Eyes out of the room.

 054. Breakfast

    "Get up."


    Sirius opened his eyes with great difficulty. Beside his bed stood Eyes of the Forest, her chestnut hair, adorned with jewels, was tied in a ponytail. She wore a cyan robe of a healer, front covered by white apron. In her hands she had a tray. She lifted her eyebrow, making the markings on her face shift.


    "I don''t have all day."


    "Oh... Sorry..." Sirius sleepily sat up in bed, while rubbing his eyes.


    "Breakfast for you. Make sure to drink the tea, it strengthens your Spirit''s recovery abilities." Eyes put the tray on his lap.


    "Thank you..." Sirius looked at the bowl full of grainy porridge, accompanied by sweet amber-coloured crackers and a big bowl of tea.


    "All fine?" Eyes asked with a concern. "Are you crying?"


    "No... Maybe... I ate only dried meat for the last week."


    "Oh, poor kid. Then eat up, and ask if you want more."


    "Thank you, Eyes. I am truly grateful."


    Sirius took the wooden spoon and began devouring large soft and starchy grains covered by milk. The strange reddish-brown colour reminded him of the crops around the town. Despite looking and smelling unfamiliar, the porridge was sweet and savoury. Crackers were still warm, freshly out of oven, and provided Sirius with boost of energy. In the end he took the tea. Unlike the meal it wasn''t sweet or even remotely tasty. Bitter and sour liquid burned Sirius'' tongue, almost making him spit. Eyes was bringing trays for other patients, and it is only her stern glance that made Sirius gulp the tea down. Sirius shuddered, taking in the weird taste and contemplating his existence. He shifted his senses to his Astral Body, hoping to distract himself from the disgusting brew, and began gulping it down. As the tea entered his body, the power within began dissolving into his soul, warming him up and accelerating the stirring of mana within. But however interesting the effect was, it was not enough to ignore the mind-numbingly terrible taste that burned his throat and made his stomach clench.


    "Oh Gods, what even is this." Sirius muttered, while holding his chest in place.


    "Ground dandelion petals, crowbane root, dragon peas, crystal poppy seeds, mana salts, some other herbs."


    "Eugh, that tastes awful. Crowbane could easily be replaced with mana-infused dill, and more dandelion petals soaked in water in total darkness."


    "Hmm?" That peaked Eyes'' interest. "How did you come up with this?"


    "Ugh, one moment." Sirius took a deep breath and got out of bed to rummage in his backpack. "I took interest in medicine, eventually deducing alchemy as a branch. Here, look."


    "Is that a notebook?" Eyes peeked in a small book in Sirius'' hands, various diagrams flashing by, as he searched for a correct page.


    "I... Ugh..." Sirius took a deep breath to calm down his rumbling stomach. "I found out the effects on mana of most common plants in the area around my town, including some rarer ones from around the mana-dense area. Some effects were stronger and some were weaker, but from what I felt when drinking that mixture, the liquid was potent in mana, and had a heating and stimulating effect when consumed."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation."Correct, the heating was dragon peas, with crystal poppy consuming the excess of impurities and stabilising the flow."


    "Chalk works fine as a stabiliser as well, but tastes even worse. Dragon peas could be replaced with blackleaf root..."


    "If only it wasn''t poisonous."


    "Boiling it together with iron removes poison at the cost of a bit weaker effect."


    "Any other theories?"


    "I don''t know if it is contact with iron or the boiling that removes the poison, but metal was covered in black crystals afterwards. I believe both are important."


    "So, and crowbane? How does infusing dill with mana replaces it?"


    "Dill has no effect on mana on its own, so are dandelion petals, but together they are able to store more mana than on their own. Here, take a look." Sirius took out a yellow vial. "When I realised that the mixture is on par with copper at storing mana, I began infusing pottery with it instead of gold dust, thus making this vial for mana infusion. Inside is prepared dill-dandelion mixture."


    "Can I take it? I want to show this to our herbalist."


    "Of course. Both plants are borderline weed, so there is no trouble making more. The only limitation in comparison to metals is the paste''s sensitivity to sunlight, hence the soaking and handling in darkness or under candle light."


    "Thank you, Friend of a Snake. This might prove quite valuable in the future."


    "I am just repaying for your kindness, Eyes." Sirius smiled. "You can take the notebook, it has no use to me at the moment."


    "I will put in a good word for you with Elders, it might even affect your future title."


    "But..."


    "Hmm?"


    "I don''t want to be known for alchemy only. I also know pottery, metallurgy, and I want to learn every branch of magic."


    "Jack of all trades?" Eyes sighed deeply. "I am afraid those who spread to thin aren''t the most respectable in our culture. You must pursue one or two branches, no more. And only when you reach a wall in deepening your knowledge can you chose another direction of study."


    "That is... Wrong." Sirius plunged into his bed, distraught by the revelation. "All my life I pursued everything at once, circle diagrams gave me a kick in alchemy, giving an insight in metallurgy. Knowing how to use metals helped in making more advanced tools, and so on. I can''t just limit myself to one thing."


    "And even then, that is the way. Before the Deepest Lake walking down the adjacent path was considered insane and against the nature of magic."


    "What is your specialisation, Eyes?"


    "Oh, me? I am the Spirit Doctor. I deal with damages on Spirits and mental issues. I had achieved deep spirit perception when I was in the forest, hence my title. Being in a hospital allowed me to dabble in medicine and herbal healing. My senses gave me an edge and I am researching the underlying principles of what Sharp Leaf knows as a herbalist."


    "Understood." Sirius nodded.


    "Are you done? There is another procedure in order for you."


    Sirius winced. "Yes, I am ready."


    "This one should be less painful. The Mana Pool parasite was the deepest out of five."

 055. Procedure

    Eyes was right, but only to an extent. Sirius sat straight this time, in the same dark room in the basement of hospital. He breathed in and out to the rhythm Eyes of the Forest set up. She stood behind him, hitting a small bell in tact with her breathing, maintaining a tempo for Sirius to follow.


    "One more time." Eyes said, her emerald eyes shining with mana as she stared into the Astral World.


    Sirius prepared. Eyes of the Forest hit the brass bell covered in bright purple lines with a small hammer, making it ring loudly, its high tone resonating in between stone walls. The mana in the air began vibrating violently, hitting Sirius'' soul from outside. Sirius took a deep breath with his body and soul alike, taking in the shaking and vibrating energy. Just like in previous times, he felt wriggling somewhere deep inside, as shivering made life uncomfortable for worm-like parasites that occupied his Astral Body in the area of lungs. Sirius suppressed violent coughing fit, continuing to soak up as much mana as he could.


    "Exhale and be ready." Eyes focused and silenced the bell.


    Sirius evacuated the air out of his lungs and curled forward. Then he felt a tug, as if Eyes took hold of his stomach and began twisting it out of his body.


    "Endure!" Eyes shouted. "If not pulled out they might dig in even deeper."


    Sirius grunted with what air he had left. Eyes continued to pull, despite Sirius thinking she will rip out his insides through his back. And then...


    Emptiness.


    Sirius could feel the environmental mana breezing past the holes in his Astral Body, like a cold wind was licking the exposed parts in winter. He inhaled, filling his burning lungs with fresh air, and fell to his back on the rough bed he was sitting on. Greedily he gulped the air, wheezing from the suffocation he had to endure.


    "Congratulations. Two parasites less. You were lucky both of them were in place of lungs. That one from yesterday took up all space around the Mana Pool, so they stayed in the pathways leading to it."


    "Nice..." Sirius heaved, weakness beginning to overtake his mind.


    "No sleeping!" Eyes yelled, bringing Sirius back to life. "Your Spirit Edge is ruptured."


    "What is that?"


    "Oh, the proverbial skin surrounding your Spirit. Parasites eat through it to get to the middle." Eyes put away the bell in a wooden box filled with feathers and closed it tightly. "Now that those are gone, there are two holes that leak mana. Breath in."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Sirius automatically breathed in, like he did for more than an hour before. The increased pressure inside his Astral Body began pushing more mana out, scaring Sirius to death. The last time he saw mana leak the person''s Astral Body was right before Verden''s Final Flash...


    "Fear not, little one." Elderly voice sounded as someone entered the room.


    Sirius looked to the side, facing the man with grey hair that contrasted with sand-coloured skin. His face was filled with wrinkles and occasional mole, but the amber eyes shone with power. "Eyes of the Forest told me about you. Clever one, must I say."


    "The World blesses your Path!" Sirius tried getting up, while saying the customary greeting of druids, but was stopped by Eyes.


    "As your Path is blessed, Friend of a Snake. Polite one you are, for a foreigner surely. This one is titled Sharp Leaf." Elder bowed a little, a happy glint flickering in his eyes. He looked to the sides amusingly. "So much mana in here. Must be a big one?"


    "Oh, no, two of them. Both along the lung pathways." Eyes clarified.


    "They fed good, I see."


    "I would rather them not." Weakly mumbled Sirius, trying to stay awake with all his might.


    "Oh World, I nearly forgot. Eyes of the Forest asked me to bring this. It is a medicine enhanced by your research."


    "If I die, please correct my notes."


    Sirius tumbled upright, holding onto the bed and accepted the bowl with herbal tea. It was darker than yesterday, almost black, and under the dim light in the room it was impossible to see the bottom of the bowl. He made a deep breath and began downing the liquid. It was bearably bitter and a bit sweet, much more pleasant than it was yesterday. Instantly Sirius felt the mana inside him become denser, almost solid as his Astral Body began collapsing inwards. He felt mana entering from the holes behind him and understood what he had to do. He greedily took in all the mana he leaked into the room, and even more, all until the liquid forced the energy to turn viscous inside him. Some minutes later the flow stabilised, and Sirius could no longer consume more mana, just like it could no longer seep outwards.


    "I see, less of the rose thorns and amber blooms... More stabiliser..." Sharp leaf mused observing the effect of his concoction.


    "Dried mint works well most of the times..." Sirius weakly mumbled, fighting the dizziness, as his mind felt like a fly stuck in honey.


    "Really? I used lavender all my life."


    "It is... more reactive and stores mana great... Actually, some mana in this potion would do wonders..." Sirius fell to the bed and began snoring.


    "Oh, what would make him sleepy?"


    "An interesting side effect, for sure. Did you add rosemary, Eyes?"


    "This... I knew it works as a sedative when mixed with hops leaves, but to this extent..."


    "His mana flow nearly stopped. Something else must be a catalyst."


    "Did you write down the recipe?"


    "Oh, but of course. Let''s move him to the common room first, though. In a couple of hours the ruptures should cure enough to withstand the internal pressure."


    "But before that... Can I just take one look at him?"


    "No. Not this time."

 056. Crystals

    Warm sunlight shone through the windows in a hospital''s common ward, making Sirius shuffle in his bed. In his shallow sleep he heard the ethereal singing.


    "Hmm-Hmm... Hmm-Hmm...


    When you will grow older


    And World''s tests overcome...


    Hmm-Hmm... Hmm-Hmm...


    The mighty World Shaper


    You may become...


    Hmm-Hmm... Hmm-Hmm..."


    Sirius has finally unstuck his eyes and turned to the left. Daughter of Whisper was sitting upright and stroking the scaly skin of Seth, who once again occupied the place in her lap. In her thoughts she hummed the song that, like a lullaby, calmed everyone''s nerves and dispelled worries. Her voice was more powerful than before, but still accompanied by the invisible vibrations that gave an inhuman, in a good way, timbre. Sirius shuffled once again, attempting to sit up, only to startle Daughter of Whisper from her pondering.


    "Good morning." She said with her ringing voice.


    "Hello. Feeling better, I see?"


    "Yes, I hope I didn''t disturb you."


    "Not at all. How did your procedure go?"


    "Unpleasant as always. What about you?"


    "Two more parasites pulled out from... How was that called? Lung mana pathways?"


    "Ouch. Had one pulled out, when it got interested in crystals in my lungs."


    "The Mana Pool one was much worse..."


    "You''ve got Spirit Core?" Girl acted surprised.


    "I thought I told you so... No reason hiding, I have all three initial organs."


    "As in... Eyes, Mind and Core?"


    "Yes." Sirius began feeling uncomfortable under excited gaze of Daughter of Whisper.


    "How did you condense them at this age? You are no older than me, and I have just began preparing for a second one!"


    "That is a strange matter, to be fair. I don''t know how, but they all manifested all at once about a month ago, I think... It is hard to track time while travelling."


    "I would want to travel one day too..." She said with sadness in her eyes.


    "Maybe one day when you are cured, you can. Wouldn''t say it is so fun, though."


    "Eyes says there is no cure. It is a disease she never seen before."


    "How it manifests exactly? Maybe I can think of something?"


    "You? Don''t get me wrong, Eyes of the Forest spent their last decade in this hospital treating people, and Sharp Leaf even more than so. Can you really help?"


    "Sharing won''t hurt, in any case." Sirius shrugged. "If you are uncomfortable, then no worries."


    "No, it''s fine. There are mana crystals growing inside my lungs. I try to avoid using magic, but they just grow on their own. The procedure drains most of the structure, but it is impossible to get rid of everything."


    "What is a mana crystal?"


    "You don''t know? Every druid must have one."


    "I am no druid, I am a runaway from Kingdom. So what is that?"


    Daughter of Whisper looked incredulously at Sirius for a moment and went into the drawer to retrieve the small bluish-purple rock the size of a grape. It had the traces of manual processing, likely retrieved from a larger piece and shaped into a roughly spherical form. It possessed long layered formations, shaped like a basalt, with small grains standing out from common structure. Daughter of Whisper handed the rock to Sirius. After having granted permission to inspect with mana, Sirius concentrated on the rough stone. The crystal was uneven and resisted the manaflow, dancing in Sirius'' palm at every push. It could be charged and discharged a little, but overall the capacity was pathetic.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "A strange thing." Sirius said while hading back the rock. "Did you shape it yourself?"


    "Yes. I am trying to make a next bead for my Life." She touched the beads hanging from her hair.


    "It tells your story?"


    "Yes, a tradition of sorts." She took off the band that held the beads and began showing Sirius. "Look, Here is the bead of my birth. Red means it was in summer. Then this branch is my home tribe''s colours. Here is the travelling bead, when we moved to the Plain Veins. Then three darker is the death of my grandfather with a shard of metal from his Final Flash. The next is a mana crystal representing the Spirit Eyes I condensed. The next flat bead is my illness that began manifesting after the Spirit solidified. Next should be the bead for Spirit Mind, so I am preparing the bead for that."


    "So the illness began manifesting after you got to spellweaving?"


    "Spellweaving? Is that how people of Kingdom call Shaping?" She giggled a little. "Yes, almost immediately after."


    "I think it is related, but I can''t be sure tight now."


    "Eyes of the Forest said this is the case as well." Daughter of Whisper sighed and fell silent.


    Sirius thought fore a bit about the illness, but the silence became unnerving, so he tried changing the theme.


    "What were you singing earlier?"


    "Hmm?" Daughter of Whisper was pulled out of thoughts. "Oh, that... It is a song my mother used to sing when I was little. It promises that any kid, if they learn and train, can become a World Shaper one day."


    "World Shaper is someone powerful, I believe?"


    "Yes. Later I was told that to become World Shaper you need to reach the third circle, at this point you become one with the World and can mould whole regions."


    "Wow... Kingdom has no such legends."


    "It is no legend. There are multiple World Shapers roaming the Betweenlands at this moment, either living in seclusion or ruling over communities. Calmness of the Storm is World Shaper as well."


    "Is he the head of the Elders then?"


    "What are you talking about? They are all Elders, why one would be the head?"


    "But everyone heeded his word."


    "Well, he is considered the wisest, and he is the Elder of Grain tribe. Since it is their city, of course everyone listens to him."


    "So each Elder is from a different tribe?"


    "Of course... Is the Kingdom different?"


    "In Kingdom... There is a town leader who rules together with church head. But I think the church rules over the whole country."


    "What do they believe in? Is it the World?"


    Sirius hesitated a little, but gave up after seeing the invested look of Daughter of Whisper, and so he began describing what he experienced in the Kingdom.

 057. Opening

    Day after day Sirius underwent procedures, some more unpleasant that others. He had his Spirit shell scraped from Foreign Memories that formed from strong emotions in mana during the attack of Crusade. Curses had rooted deep into his Astral Body, branching inside and marking his mana signature. Eyes of the Forest suspected that they were planted to track Sirius in case he ran away by a powerful mage, and Sirius only had Bishop in mind for this deed. Scars could not be removed with medical intervention, only healed on their own with the passage of time, so the last procedure was dealing with Ghost of the Past. After almost a week of stabilising his condition, Sirius was finally ready.


    "This time you will take a more proactive role, Friend of a Snake." Eyes of the Forest instructed Sirius in the procedure room. "For that you need to open your Eyes. Are you able to do so yourself?"


    "I will try... But the last time I simply ran out of mana."


    "Oh, right. Daughter of Whisper mentioned your wasteful Shaping. The parasite near your Mana Pool threw off your control. Try casting now, I will try to correct major flaws on the go."


    "Sure..." Sirius took a deep breath and steadied himself.


    After the healing begun, he breathed more freely, thoughts were clearer and worries reduced. Finally he had no foreign thoughts and feelings in his mind, draining him of mental strengths. Sirius sat on the rough bed for procedures and pulled his attention inwards, focusing on the place in his Astral Body that he considered to be his Mind''s Eye. Like searching in the dark for an extinguished candle, he began looking for a limb he never used. He could feel his Mana Pool as the dense sensation near his abdomen, as well as the chaotic movement inside his head that likely was his Thought Constellation. Eyes were elusive, with no mana inside them.


    "Spirit Eyes are different for each person." Eyes of the Forest said, seeing Sirius struggle to feel his own body with mana. "Common ritual for solidifying someone else''s eye will force its position into person''s forehead. You, on the other hand, had it develop itself. While I still can help you in opening them, I may damage your path. You should intuitively know about your Eyes, like you did with Spirit condensation. I think if you focus on that inkling, you will succeed."


    Sirius nodded. Eyes of the Forest''s insight made him rethink his approach. He relaxed and took a deep breath. Instead of forcing the opening, he remembered the feeling he experienced during condensation of Astral Body in Rivervale. Seeing everything at once, as in front so behind, experiencing the world in it''s fullness, illuminated by raging mana flowing from inside his body. Sirius smiled, pleasant memories of powerful euphoria he felt that night urging him to grow stronger. With a deep breath he consumed mana contained in the room, the next exhale shining bright in his mind, like an extension of his body. That was his go-to way of feeling the surroundings ever since he left the Rivervale. But now he knew he could do better, see clearer, be more perceptive. Sirius felt the very same inkling he had felt all his life. Something was pushing him from inside.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Sirius let that inkling carry his body forward, carefully observing his own actions. The mana inside his body was vibrating and shifting towards the edge of his Spirit. Those vibrations were unnerving him, like he was missing something. They were strangely... bright? Suddenly something flipped in his mind and he understood. The mana was everywhere, and he have already experienced it in Astral World, but now he was restrained by his physical body. If only he could thin out that restraint...


    "Oh, you did it. Unique way, as it happens with you. But dangerous and crude." Eyes of the Forest stood in front of him, her voice ethereal and echoing in the small room, isolated from the rest of Astral World.


    "What is... happening?" Sirius could only mumble, as his head was overwhelmed by the information.


    "Because you look in every direction at once. It is only useful in battle, but in everyday life you can limit your perception. You should probably try to do so, since I can clearly see your body shrivel from exhaustion."


    Sirius tried overcoming the barrage of shapes he was seeing in any corner of the room and limit what he saw, but in the end he felt his eyes close shut. Immediately his mind felt numb, as the stream suddenly stopped and he began processing what he experienced. He still had his real eyes closed all this time, while his mind observed both Astral World and the shadow of Material one... After a break and restoring his reserves, Sirius tried again. He closely followed instructions given by Eyes of the Forest, preparing his mind as he listened to her teachings.


    "The limiting of one''s vision is rather important early on, since you can''t bear the weight of the whole World. You possess the Spirit Mind though, so you might succeed on your own. Otherwise, I would give you the trick from our tribe. It will affect your path, so it is up to you to decide whether you want to hear it."


    "Got it. I will try again."


    Sirius steadied his mind and focused on his Astral Body. He felt mana shine from around him, warm and cold, touching his soul like a breeze. He moved his hand in front of him, and his Astral Body followed, pushing some mana away. These are his bodies, and they are one. With this thought, he opened his real eyes a little, a slit of the real world entering his vision, while a steady stream of information from Astral Plane overlayed on top. Sirius opened his eyes fully, looking at Eyes of the Forest. It was strange to see both worlds at the same time, like each of his eyes saw its own picture, but he could get used to it. A dim golden shine from his eyes illuminated Eyes of the Forest, reflecting in jewels hanging from her hair.


    Only now could Sirius focus on what he saw in Astral World, as he curiously looked around. The mana appeared as a soft veil that circulated around, trapped in this isolated room. Some items shined a bit in his ethereal vision, but nothing prominent. More standing out was the image of Eyes of the Forest. She appeared a bit blurry, her Astral Body donned in a robe similar to her real clothes, layered and complex-looking. Her face though... Despite looking human, it was uncanny. Large emerald eyes shone on him, like a predator following its prey, nose was thin and long, and her hair have off feathery feeling, with two distinct tufts on top. Sirius could only describe her as owl.

 058. Visage

    "Oh?" Eyes of the Forest smiled smugly, giving Sirius shivers. "What do you see?"


    "An owl..." Sirius stammered. He felt like a mouse that moment, as large eyes were scanning him up and down.


    "You caught my Visage. Spirit reflects the path of a person. I was focused on observing so much, finding inspiration from Crystal Owls'' way of seeing, and it influenced my appearance."


    "Do all druids look like that?"


    "Not only druids. All shapers, some more, some less have altered their Spirit in their pursuit for power. Some intentionally, like us, some... not so. Like you."


    "How do I look like?" Sirius was both intrigued and scared.


    "Oh, it is... hard to do in your state. Let''s say your alterations aren''t the most... elegant, so to speak."


    "Can you describe my Visage to me? Do you have any mirror?"


    Eyes of the forest sighed and thought for a little before giving an answer, "oh, World, help me. You can see with any part of your Spirit. Just imagine your eyes opening in your hand, like so," her huge eyes closed, and in her hand appeared one shining eye, much smaller and ethereal, like a drawing.


    Sirius tried several times, and after a bit getting accustomed to having his vision outside his head, he turned the palm towards himself. Instantly, his face sunk, as he observed his own Visage. Dark, covered in thin golden lines, like a cracks. No fancy clothing, no tools, just a black blot with vaguely humanoid silhouette. Unintentionally, Sirius opened his eyes, and saw his own Astral Body do so as well. Golden pits without irises, faint emotions shining from within. Sorrow, anger, curiosity, resentment, fear, rage, everything swirled inside at once. And his face... No mouth, no ears, a slight bump in the middle as a sad excuse for a nose, and bloody red tears streaming from his eyes, sinking into darkness on his skin.


    "What am I..." Sirius mumbled.


    "You are an amalgamation of your terrible experiences. Without a concrete path or goal, you are lost and unsure."


    "What does it all mean?..." Sirius was on the verge of breakdown. Eyes of the Forest was unsure how to console the boy, so she could only describe what she saw in order to distract him.


    "Oh, boy... When you came here, your battered body scared everyone around. Parasites, curses, deep scars... All that was not unheard of, but not at the same time. Please remember, that there is also Ghost of the Past attached, so it might influence your Visage. As soon as we cleanse your Spirit, you will revert to your true appearance, and you might even influence it a little as it goes."


    "So that is how I look..." Sirius finally closed the eye on his palm and hugged his knees. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, as Sirius closed his eyes, squeezing stray tears out, "all this time... I was like this."


    "It is not as bad as you think. You should look at others, when you recover. Maybe it will help with your self-consciousness. In my life I saw much stranger Visages."


    "Fine... I will try not to think about it for now..."


    "That''s good. Are you ready for getting rid of your last affliction?"


    "Yes..." Sirius remembered what was the original plan, and took a breath to calm down, "I''m ready."


    "Oh, World." Eyes of the forest muttered, while gathering her thoughts. "Here''s was we''ll do. You should separate your Spirit from your body. Since the Ghost is safer in your material body, it will take over the control. You shouldn''t be afraid, since in the end it is still yours, and if the Ghost was more powerful, it would kick you out long ago." she gave Sirius a reason to be wary about Ghosts in future with that last remark. "While in that state, you can converse with the Ghost. It will try its best to persuade you to leave it be, but you should push him out little by little anyways. You can even try to pull it out with your hands when you are ready."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "What are they?"


    "Oh, Ghosts? The stray memories imbued with mana. You caught one when you touched the leyline. Your affinity with mana is making living alongside you rather comfortable for them, so you are lucky it is just one. Questions?"


    "No... It''s just... Am I killing it?" Sirius looked at Eyes of the Forest with sadness.


    "Such are the ways..." she could only answer with pity. "It''s you or it. Just remember that it is not human, despite its looks. Just a Ghost of a person from the past. It will return into the World, and becomes one with the mana around."


    "Don''t you use ''Become one with the World'' instead of ''death''?"


    "Oh... That... It IS ties to our beliefs, sure, but in this case it is literal. A person is too solid to unite with the World, but this wisp was already part of it, so look at it like releasing it back where it came from."


    "Fine..." Sirius was not really convinced, but he had no choice in this matter. As Eyes said, it is either him, or it.


    Sirius loosened the connection of his body and soul, releasing Astral Body into the free roam, his consciousness leaving his body behind. Inside his ribcage something bloomed, spreading its tendrils through his limbs, slowly taking control over his shell. Sirius was disgusted by that sight, but it also made it easier to get rid of the intruder. He began pushing out the Ghost, but something began speaking.


    "Wait, what are you doing?" Sirius felt his body speak into his mind.


    "So, it was you." Sirius spoke from his Astral Body, his words reaching the Ghost.


    "What do you mean, youngling? Explain yourself." The body answered, in somewhat arrogant tone, not suitable for desperate being.


    "You nearly killed that man from Crimson Crusade. I barely came back in time."


    "That red bastard? You feel remorse for that animal?" The Ghost slammed his fists into the bed it was sitting. "Bloody fiends bring only destruction! They should be exterminated!"


    "Who are you?" Sirius asked coldly.


    "I am the supreme general of the Holy Empire of Man! You must be living under a rock to not hear about our glorious country!"


    "Holy Empire... of Man?..." Mumbled Sirius in thought.


    "Hmph! Outrageous! We united every human under our banner to protect against the foul witches! Our borders spread from southern mountains to the unending planes of the north! You could not possibly NOT hear about us!"


    "What are witches?"


    "You truly are an infidel. Witches use their disgusting tricks to taint the world with their bloody magic!"


    "So, whoever can do magic is a witch?"


    "Of course! Their ungodly powers only do evil! Only a handful pledged allegiance to our Only True God, helping us to uproot the red witches. I led a crusade into their den, and stopped that foul infection from spreading with my own hands! And to think that those rats survived? Unbelievable!"


    "I am a mage as well. I do magic."


    "Do not tease me, kid! I devoted my life to killing those fiends!" Sirius'' body filled with rage, and he could see faint outline of an armour appear in Astral World around the ghost.


    "You are already dead." Sirius began gathering powers to push out the intruder. "And you are getting awfully comfortable in my body."


    "You... You dare to go against the..." the ghost was cut short, as Sirius plunged his ethereal hand deep inside the body''s chest, where the core of the ghost was located. "You... Infidel!.."


    "You don''t understand." Sirius hissed with poorly contained rage. "You are dead, and so are everyone you protected. Mages now rule the world! There are almost no person who can''t use magic at this point!" With every word the ghost''s face turned more and more fearful, as Sirius'' memories confirmed the words.


    "It can''t be! Those red..."


    "How did they call themselves!?" Sirius tugged at the core, snapping some tendrils.


    "Crimson Crusade..." ghost muttered, making Sirius stop.


    He wanted to know more, but having the Ghost attached to his own body was dangerous. He could feel tendrils branching deeper into his limbs, trying to restore control of the snapped appendages. Fear of the ghost infected his body, making his mind race. Sirius winced a little and took a breath with his Astral Body. Not that he needed to breath in that state, but that helped him to calm down and come up with a plan.


    "Glorious general, listen to me. You see my mind as your own, for you inhabit my body. Those red witches are my enemies as well, and so I will deal with them. Let me take over that banner you carry even in death, so your soul could find its peace," the fear receded, replaced with serene calm, as Ghost thought for a moment.


    "Fine. You are right, kid," the Ghost began shrinking his control over Sirius'' body. "The dead have nothing to do with the world of living. Forgive my intrusion, young one."


    The body went limp, leaving an ethereal ghost in armour sitting on the bed. A man with short cut and black beard looked at Sirius'' Astral Body, its black and gold Visage contrasting with brilliant white of the steel chest plate. Sirius was holding it by the core near its heart. The man''s stern look softened and he smiled with sorrow. He stretched his armoured hand and put on Sirius'' chest.


    "You are not like them. Nor you are like us," said an ethereal voice, as the ghost began dissipating into thin mist, filling the room with mana.

 059. Core

    "Oh wow," said Eyes as soon as the ghost vanished, leaving the dull orb in Sirius'' hand.


    "Now, return to your body, until something else tries to enter it."


    "What is that?" Sirius showed the orb the size of a fist. His mind felt empty, now that nobody else was influencing his emotions.


    "Hurry up, I''ll explain when you are awake," Eyes said strictly and waited for Sirius to come back to his shell. "That is the core of the Ghost. Something rare to remain from them, but not unheard of."


    "Is it useful?" Sirius sat up on the bed, struggling to gather his thoughts as his mind was still settling back.


    "Oh, I would tear it into memory fragments to fill up the missing points in our records of the past, but someone might get too interested in that."


    "Someone like who?"


    "Blacksmiths believe that embedding the ghost core into an item makes it stronger. For example, if a ghost was that of a farmer, then they''ll forge its core into a shovel."


    "A... shovel?"


    "YES! A SHOVEL! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? A WHOLE LIFE OF A PERSON REDUCED TO THEM BEING A SHOVEL THAT MIGHT DIG A HOLE A BIT BETTER!" the Eyes'' rage made the mana in the room rush with each her movement, making dust and sand on the floor form geometric patterns.


    Sirius froze stiff in the bed, and his Astral Body shrank away from the powerful mage in front of him. He never seen her that angry, and he was also quite sure that he was conscious only because her anger was not directed at him...


    Eyes took a deep breath and retrieved the pressure, allowing Sirius to inhale, "oh, sorry for that. They have managed to persuade people in their enchanted tools'' superiority, despite not having any evidence for that."


    "And people believe that?"


    "OH YES THEY DO!" Eyes flared up again, but quickly got the hold of herself, "those blacksmiths find more and more witnesses by the day. Even if there is no real reason for us to use shovels, since majority of us can just will the earth out of the ground, they still somehow manage to succeed. Those tools sell well."


    "But of they come from the Ghost of the Past, does it mean the only way to get them is to get infected?"


    "It is correct, and everyone comes here to heal themselves, so each core passes through my hands. But after a couple of rowdy smiths, I was forced to ask permission to take the core from the patient. Most agree."


    "Why don''t people just stick their head into leylines if they want a new fancy tool then?"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Oh, look who is so smart. Most Ghosts attach to ones with aligned mentality, and greedy ghosts don''t let go of the body so easily. A dozen of walking corpses dissuaded everyone from that way of acquiring ghosts. And your Ghost was also a rather mild one. Was he a mage?"


    "He?..." Sirius thought for a moment. "I don''t think so. He was talking about eradicating witches. Didn''t you hear him? He was yelling like crazy."


    "Oh, witches... I need to verify against notes, but it feels like a really old word. And no, he was quiet on the outside, you were the only one who could talk to him. Did he say his place of origin?" Eyes began rummaging through the pile of books on the table.


    "He did say ''the Holy Empire of Man'', a country that spread from southern mountains to plains of north."


    "Oh?... There are no mountains in the south," Eyes threw the remark as she was flipping through the relevant records.


    "What do you mean?... He couldn''t just invent a place, could he?"


    "Oh, I see... The southern mountains did in fact exist, but were levelled down during the Rogue Mage War three or four hundreds of years ago, resulting in the current archipelago. We have the accounts of a couple of mages from that time, even if wildly incoherent. Your ghost was from the times even earlier than that!"


    "He told me he destroyed the Crimson Crusade, but they are under the church of the Kingdom right now... They hunted me down and I got this hole in my leg from their attack."


    "Oh... That''s... interesting, to say the least. Are you able to remember what you were talking about? I would rather write that down, there are not many accounts of non-mage ghosts, and so ancient at that."


    "Sure..." Sirius collected his thoughts, weighing his options on what to hide and what to tell. In the end he decided giving everything away, in case it comes to bite him in the future.


    "You really swore to fight Crimson Crusade?"


    "I mean, not exactly tomorrow. But they were rather unfriendly whenever we met. And I have already had a fair share of conflicts with Silver Order. I am quite confident that Crusade is but a part of the Order, so why not take care of them as well."


    "Huh, ambitious for a kid. So, you say he touched your chest before dissipating on its own?" Eyes was confused by the turn of events.


    "He did... Is there a problem?"


    "He touched here, right?" Eyes of the Forest''s eyes flashed with green light, and she pointed at the exact place on Sirius'' body.


    "Yes..." Sirius opened his Mind''s Eye in his palm and looked at himself. "Why did he leave a handprint?"


    "If only I knew..." Eyes looked with confusion while tapping her foot. "It could be your Visage changing on its own. You seem to sincerely believe in your goal."


    "I do," Sirius nodded. "All my problems stem from their rule over the Kingdom. I just want to leave all that behind."


    Eyes of the Forest sensed the room turn grim, as Sirius flooded the mana with determination and dark hate for his enemies. She quietly narrowed her gaze, making a mental note on the foreigner.


    "Now, I must ask, do you consent to give up this ghost core?"


    "Huh? Oh, of course. I don''t have any reasons to keep it."


    "OH, I am grateful for that..."


    "On the other hand..." Sirius looked at the hazy orb that looked like a shadow of some distant, yet close object in his hand, making Eyes stiffen. "Can I watch you extract memories from it? The matter it is made of is rather interesting, I might get some inspiration."


    "Oh, just say that out loud next time. No need to tease me like that," she sighed with relief. "Of course you can watch. We might have some in store as well. Their quality is so inferior that even the blacksmiths refuse to use them."


    "Can I really take them?"


    "Just one or two at most, we don''t have an awful lot of them. Ghosts of the Past appear a couple of times per month or so, but less than a quarter of them leave a core behind."

 060. Unraveling

    Sirius was bored out of his mind, as he watched Eyes of the Forest hold the core of the ghost in her hands. Small layers flew from the surface of the orb, carried by her Astral Body. After observing the thin film she sorted them in small plates. Eyes was deeply engaged in deciphering the life of a warrior, but to an outside observer it was painfully boring, like watching the grass grow.


    "So, you just peel one layer after another and try to understand the meaning?" Sirius mumbled with barely contained boredom.


    "Oh, I forgot you are here. Do you want to try?" Eyes asked with out stopping the process.


    "Can I?"


    "It can be tiring for you, but it is a nice training of concentration," she peeled one more piece of the core and inspected it. "Here, take it with your Spirit. Your hands can shatter it easily."


    Sirius closed his eyes and locked hands to focus on separating his Astral Body from his real one. He opened his Mind''s Eye and carefully took the piece from Eyes'' glowing hands. He felt some weight to the small flake, as it was densely packed with colourful mana, with some fleeing emotions radiating from it.


    "Why does mana act so strange with emotions?" Sirius voiced the question that nagged on his mind since forever.


    "Oh, that I, unfortunately, don''t know. Nobody knows, in fact. We can only observe what happens and build upon that. Now focus, what does that fragment say about the man?"


    "It is just a mess of feelings..." Sirius furrowed his brows as he strained his senses. "I can distinguish comfort and warmth, nothing more."


    "Close enough. That is the binding emotion of this clump. If you try to look past it, there might be more concrete memories, like concepts or even images."


    "Look past that? It is all around the flake."


    "You think like a Null. The thing is, your Eyes don''t need a direct line of sight to distinguish things, you just need to adjust to that particular feeling to see past it. Try to remove it from your senses."


    "Easier said than done..." Sirius mumbled, while trying to do as instructed. "Can''t we just remove the feelings altogether?"


    "Then the memories will just float away."


    "So, this strange state of matter is pure emotions and memories? Wouldn''t they be everywhere then?"


    "I can''t say for sure, but I believe the Spirit itself consists of this matter."


    Sirius silently tried discerning the contents, desperately attempting to ignore the overpowering warmth he haven''t felt for too long. Eventually he gave up and handed the flake to Eyes of the Forest.


    "I can''t do it. I haven''t got the hang of my Eyes yet."


    "It''s a shame. I could use a hand in that task."


    "You say so, but I have only opened my Eyes today," grumbled Sirius.


    "Oh, sure. You dealt with a Ghost so quickly I forgot I taught you how to use them," smiled Eyes of the Forest. "That piece contained the memories of home and a family of this man. His comfort food, warm house in a capital, kids, parents..."


    "I guessed so..." Sirius said with a longing smile.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Oh... That was insensitive of me."


    "No big deal. They are in a safety of Kingdom, I hope..."


    The awkward silence hung in the room, until Eyes of the Forest took a deep sigh, "I too had to leave my home behind. Most of us had."


    "Are you not from here?"


    "This city is just two decades old. I was the first to follow the Wish of Nature, when he together with Calmness of Storm began talks about uniting our tribes. He brought our sacred crops to feed the people, and Calmness of Storm''s men cleared out the land from wild beasts. Then more and more small tribes came to us, until we achieved this prosperity. My folk though..." she sighed again. "They saw us as a betrayers of faith. Branded me a weed of their sacred garden because I meddled with foreigners. Elder got so angry at them... When everyone who wanted to go after him left the forest, he encircled the whole forest with stone trees, harder than granite."


    "And he just left them there?..." Sirius was baffled at the cruelty of the Elder.


    "He was the World Shaper. His power could rival that of a deity. He was one for many of them in fact. The area he encircled is self-sustaining ecosystem, with water and fresh air, plenty of animals and plants, so they might still live. But they are trapped there, as trees stop anyone from approaching the wall."


    "Didn''t they feel betrayed when the entity closest to a god just turned their back to their people?"


    "Who knows... Some put their lives on the line just to have a small talk with him. Maybe some couldn''t bear the loss of their deity."


    "I am sorry for your loss..."


    "Don''t be. It''s been two decades since that happened. They live the life they pursued - that of seclusion."


    Sirius sat in silence for a moment, until something caught his attention, "You said that trees don''t let anyone in or out?"


    "That is true. It''s as if the nature becomes more and more hostile the closer you get."


    "Don''t you find it strange?"


    "What exactly?" Eyes stopped reminiscing and focused on what Sirius had to say.


    "I have never seen a spell that would work after it was cast. Only if it was a diagram, but I don''t believe that the principle is the same, one would need metals for that. The only instance that needed no diagram or anything else was the crystal I created. It was taken away from me, though."


    "I inspected it a little, it is in a safe storage underground. But to access it you need permission from elders. How did you create it anyways? The material is unlike I have ever seen before."


    "I don''t know... Something in my mind just clicked. The ingredients influence the mana, as it travelled through the pathways. It was the cloaking spell, since I needed that the most at the time..."


    "Can you show your spell?"


    "Huh?... Sure!" Sirius'' excitement took Eyes aback a little. He began enthusiastically describing, "the original had a lot of redundant parts, so I rebuilt it into a simpler form. It had three main parts. The opening tube pulled mana from the outside. If it was me who casted a spell, it would focus on my signature, but would pull everything whenever it feels disturbance. Something like a cascade effect."


    "It was the signature of the curse though?"


    "Yes, but I didn''t know that at that point," Sirius finalised the short pipe-shaped construct made of mana. Its surface constantly moved, forcing the mana to pass through it.


    "Oh, is it self-powering?"


    "No, it will dissipate unless powered. Anyways, the mana was forced into a shell," Sirius created a hard shell from dense mana, covered in a net of strands. "I wanted it to filter out the neutral mana, but the process was too slow, so I had to change things up. I reduced it in size, but the mana pathways turned out to be more important than I thought. This is the most stable structure as I found out. Any less pathways and the shell collapses."


    "And this band?" Eyes pointer out the ''equator'' on a sphere.


    "This seam is also for a reason - there goes this ring," Sirius conjured the third part, a ring-shaped pipe, and filled it with mana. "The mana inside is in constant motion, and I observed that it pulls in the environmental mana as it moves. Therefore I replaced a complex set of chambers and valves with a ring-shaped pipe that soaks in the mana from the inside of the ring, pushing the rest outside. And when it all comes together... There is the cloaking spell!"


    "Oh, so it just sucks mana from the outside, filters out the contaminants and expels the rest?"


    "Just?..." Sirius was disheartened by Eyes downplaying his achievements. "Well, if you put it like that, than yes..."


    "Oh, no-no-no-no, don''t be upset. What I meant is it is so simple, yet... genius."


    "What do you mean?"


    "With some modification and improvement it can be used to pull out the curse from a patient and contain it, while keeping alive! We can study living curse without endangering the patient! Argh, it''s a shame I can''t use it!" Eyes hit the table lightly, so as not to disturb the core of the ghost.


    "What do you mean?"


    "My body is not suited for such movement in a spell. Wrong pull and my hand is torn off... Now, go outside. You''ve been in a hospital for more than a week, you desperately need fresh air."

 061. Settlement

    Sirius was happy to put on his normal clothes after wearing the same off-white robe for a week. His clothes were thoroughly washed, finally removing the stains of blood and other internal fluids from the Crusade member disintegration. Sirius was not in the mood to care about his looks at that time, but now he was extremely grateful tot he person who dared to scrape of the hardened blood splotches.


    The moment Sirius stepped outside, he was assaulted by the blinding sun and loud chatter. He squinted and covered his eyes with a sleeve. A sudden tilt of his body was followed by a quiet hiss from his hood.


    "Oh, sorry, Seth, it was only you who got to wander around, while I was stuck underground getting my soul back in check," Sirius hissed back with sarcasm.


    Sirius decided to take a look around the city, but with everything being rather unfamiliar, just stood in front of the hospital, while leaning on his staff. After standing in place for a couple minutes, he noticed the Elders'' Hall further down the road, and decided to use it as a waypoint. He took a confident step forward and nearly fell to the ground from the shooting pain in his leg. Having rested for a week, the constant ache receded, making him forget about the wound. He slowly walked through the city, gazing at the unfamiliar buildings, each different from its neighbours. Triangular huts, blocky homes made of smooth stone, wooden houses covered in moss, each building possessing a touch of its owner. While Sirius saw something similar in Rivervale, without access to magic, villages'' abilities to express themselves were limited. Here, however, each builder tried to overcome everyone around. This gave Plain Veins a surreal and multifaceted style, that achieved the strange cohesion against all odds.


    People looked at his unfamiliar clothes, as he strode along the road. His appearance and Visage were no longer scaring them, now that he was clean and his Spirit healthy. Instead, they were curious. An outsider walking out of the hospital? Who is he, and how long has he been there? Most people however just noticed him, noted his uniqueness and went on their merry way. And so he went by the Elders'' Hall and towards the farms he passed by when he first came here. He hoped to meet the man who led him to Elders and thank him. If not for his kindness, Sirius would perish in the wilderness. He walked and walked, watched houses become sparser, with gardens and fields filling the place between. He once again saw those red grains he had for breakfast at hospital, round kernels filled with mana. Sirius stopped in the middle of the dirt road and stood still, enjoying the wind blowing by. The smell of moist soil and grass brought calm to his mind, making him forget about his problems.


    As he stood there, he noticed a voice among the rustling of crops. The voice was familiar, and had a certain ring to it. Repeated strained grunts came from the empty patch of the land. Sirius walked forward a bit until he reached the strip devoid of crops. He peeked from behind the tall grain and saw a girl, pale as snow. Her hair was tied behind her head, only her Life beads waving in front of her view. She forcefully tugged the air in front of her, ploughing the earth beneath.


    "Hello there!" Said Sirius from the side.


    "Who?... Oh, hello, Friend of a Snake!" shouted back Daughter of Whisper.


    "Working the land?"


    "I am, yes. These lands need resting before the next sowing."


    "Using magic for that?" Sirius asked. "Isn''t using a tool easier? The way you do magic is strange."


    "Strange? Huh, why is that?" she laughed. "Isn''t that how everyone uses magic, no?"


    "Everyone?..." Sirius sensed some new knowledge. "Can you describe what you do?"


    "Don''t you know? You are a strange one, Friend of a Snake. Anyways, I grab onto the World itself and tell it what to do with my Spirit. Isn''t magic itself is about talking with the World?"Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Talking with the World?..." Sirius mused. "Kingdom believes that magic is asking Gods to fulfil their wants and needs. But I was told magic by a druid, who became a priest of the church. He thought very differently, but still wrong."


    "And what he taught you?" Daughter of Whisper asked, as she sat on a log between plots of land.


    "He taught me that World is a living organism, and we are but a part of it."


    "That sounds like the belief of northern tribes..."


    "Really? I travelled south quite a bit it seems... In any case, here''s what I believe to be the closest thing to truth. May I?" asked Sirius for permission to sit, before taking a place on a log. He used his staff to draw a line on the ground, "This is the world we live in."


    "A stick?" she asked, not understanding what Sirius meant.


    "What? No, I mean, our whole world... Imagine this line to be the road in the field. Here is a human on that road." Sirius drew a stick figure on the line and continued while drawing a line parallel to the first, "Alongside it lies the Astral World, or however it is called. You see it every time you open your Spirit Eyes. Vast, empty world, where leylines flow and carry mana across the continent. Your Spirit lives there and controls mana around," Sirius drew a circle on the second line.


    "So... There are two worlds?"


    "Yes, like that. One for matter, other for mana. Your body is connected to Spirit," Sirius connected the stickman to a circle, "and when you try to spellweave, you do so through your Spirit."


    "If so, why is my way bad?"


    "You see, while mana comes from the ethereal world, it seeps into our world. Like when you put paint in water. Mana becomes diluted, thin, almost non-existent. To influence the matter, you need the right density and properties. And for that you can gather mana from our plane, or pull more dense mana from the Astral Plane. Something like that."


    "Oh, World... It is so... strange..." Daughter of Whisper exhaled. "I always thought that I am just not powerful enough. No matter how hard I pulled, it felt like pulling a thin tablecloth with jars on top. It would just rip in my hands."


    "I guess..." Sirius mused.


    "But like... How did you come up with all of this?"


    "Hmm?... Oh, take a look at this," Sirius said while materialising the icicle and tossing it to the ground, "What do you see?"


    "The icicle..."


    "Do you know what will happen to it if left like that?"


    "Will it melt?"


    "It would if it was a real ice. The thing is, this matter is made of mana I pulled from Astral Plane, and it is unstable. Over time it will dissipate into mana and return into the world," Sirius explained.


    "But why ice? Couldn''t you make a rock?" asked the Daughter of Whisper.


    "I never achieved a good stone made of mana. It was brittle and weak. And wherever I go, rocks are different, non-uniform. But ice... Water is the same wherever I go, so I grasped its materialisation pretty quickly. When it comes to rocks, it is easier to manipulate what is already there," said Sirius while stirring up some mana at the end of his staff. He pushed the clump into the ground, increasing its temperature and viscosity to bind it to earth, and, with an upward motion, created a wave of dirt in front of himself. "Like that."


    "Ooohh..." Exhaled Daughter of Whisper in awe. "Will I be able to do so when I condense the Spirit Mind too?"


    "I don''t know. Depends on how you control your mana. There are people around who never got the Spirit Mind, yet they are quite strong. Anyways..." Sirius stood up with a grunt and levelled down the dirt wave with a kick, spreading the earth around, "I came here hoping to start being useful, so I might start here. You need this patch plowed, right?"


    "Wait, are you really going to help? What about your leg?"


    "Sure, why not? And don''t worry about my leg, it''s healing nicely, and I am not going to strain it apart of walking a little," he said and stretched a little, "you can meditate or train moving your mana, while you have free time."


    "Sure! Thank you!" Daughter of Whisper said excitedly and closed her eyes to concentrate on pulling the energy from Astral World.


    Sirius huffed with a smile and shook his head. He wished he could do this freely back at home, without risking prosecution and death by the Inquisitor''s blade. He began tilling the ground, eventually settling on using his staff as a focus. He found it easier to concentrate, when holding something physical in hands to guide his control. Without breaking a sweat he walked along the small patch of land, leaving in his wake two straight lines of fresh soil. At the end he turned back and did the same actions, now feeling a little tired from constant focus.


    "I need to work on my mental stamina..." he whispered to himself when he reached the road. He leaned on his staff to take a break and glanced at Daughter of Whisper''s training. However, his heart sank and he yelled, "What are you doing!?"

 062. Training

    "WHAT!?" Daughter of Whisper was startled out of her meditation and fell backwards from the log.


    "What are you doing with mana!?" Sirius walked with urgency towards her and gave her a hand at getting up.


    "Training! Like you suggested!" she snarled back and got up.


    "What exactly are you training?"


    "I''m building up my Spirit! To grow it needs nourishing with mana!"


    "How long have you been doing this training?" Sirius inquired.


    "Hey, why don''t I tell you all my life from beginning, huh!? Maybe you want to know all my family''s techniques?"


    "I don''t need to know all that! And your training is just about filling your Astral Body with mana through breathing, I did so as well! It is something told by church in Kingdom. But you know what everyone in Kingdom also has? A Mana Pool! They fill their Mana Pool with mana, not their body!"


    "What... are you trying to say?..." she said, a bit taken aback by Sirius'' direction of thought.


    "What I want to say is you only have Eyes, right?"


    "I am working on getting the Spirit Mind next, yes..." she began telling, but Sirius cut her short.


    "Don''t you feel the crystals getting bigger as you breathe in dense mana?"


    "I... what?..."


    "I went there and back, and what I feel is your body contains more mana than before. How could that possibly be? Unless?..."


    "No..." she whispered with wide eyes. In distress she began walking in circles, "OH, NO-NO-NO-NO! That is what Eyes of the Forest meant! How could I be so stupid! Cough! Cough-cough!" she stopped and bent in a coughing fit.


    "Hey..." said Sirius quietly as he put his hand on her back, but Daughter of Whisper slapped him away.


    "Cough... Don''t touch me... Cough-cough!" she hissed in between coughs and sat on a log. Eventually she coughed up a small shiny rock along with some blood, finally stopping the coughs. She sighed, "Ugh... I don''t want another procedure..."


    "I... Can I help?"


    "You, yes? What can an outsider do that Eyes couldn''t?"


    "What can I do?..." Sirius didn''t really know. He only had some basic medical knowledge on him right now, and even if he had the World Tree leaves, they would only suffocate her. Moreover, the fix would be temporary at best.


    "So I thought..." she mumbled with her head in between her hands.


    "Can I take a look at the crystal?" asked Sirius while kneeling beside the blood-covered rock.


    "Huh? Gross..."


    "I learned to be a healer. Nothing gross about the illness. So, can I?"


    "You? A healer?" she asked smugly. Then, her face sunk again, "Sure, take that. I''ve got lots of them on my person..."


    "Thanks." said Sirius while picking up the cylindrical piece of mana crystal and wiping it with a cloth, "I will try to research it and come up with solution. For the time being avoid training with that method. Better come up with a new one..."


    "I can''t, no... It is passed down in our family, I can''t change it up like that."


    "Then... Why not condense Mana Pool?"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Why not Mana Pool? I never thought about that, to be honest. I focused on Spirit Mind to find a solution for my illness, but between getting procedures in hospital and helping my family I never got the chance. I thought it is what will help me. Did you know powerful mages can continue research in their dreams?"


    "Really? Like, wandering around with their Astral Bodies while their real ones get some rest?"


    "I don''t know the details, but I saw books flying in my dad''s room while he was asleep."


    "Maybe it is the case..." said Sirius, ending this topic. The uncomfortable silence hung in the field, unnerving them both. "So, umm..."


    "Yes?..."


    "I think you should go to hospital for a check up."


    "Eyes won''t let me hear the end of it..."


    "Is dying in the field better?"


    "I know, I know..." she grumbled, "Let''s go."


    "I will finish the work here first. Two or three more passes and it''ll be done."


    "Well, fine..." she said unsurely, "And..."


    "Hmm?"


    "Sorry for being angry at you. You just wanted to help..."


    "No need to worry. I am sorry as well, I should have phrased myself better."


    "Bye..."


    "Take care!" said Sirius with a smile, as Daughter of Whisper turned around and left towards the city.


    Sirius'' smile faded and he sighed. Involuntarily he remembered his friends back at Rivervale. They trusted him, even if were a little wary of his achievements and ambitions, especially considering the watchful eye of Inquisitor. While Sirius got used to being observed, they distanced themselves from him. And then he left the village entirely... Mindlessly he continued to plough, reminiscing of the past, trying to busy himself with work. A couple of times sadness spilled out of him, tainting the air with grey and lifeless cloud, but Sirius waved it away. Eventually his train of thought led to his relationship with people of Plain Veins. He didn''t know anyone apart from Daughter of Whisper and Eyes of the Forest, and even then his understanding of them was shallow at best.


    In his thoughts Sirius finished two more rows and turned around for a last pass, when he felt a pull of mana from behind. He twisted to the side, but a pain in his thigh brought him to the knees, his legs immediately sinking in the softened soil. Just as his feet were submerged, a stone grip shackled him in place. He could not turn back, nor could he do anything, as he felt foreign mana all around him, ready to strike at any moment. With nothing else to do, he let go of his staff and opened his Mind''s Eye. As his eyes began shining with dim golden light, he could perceive the space around him in Astral World. He saw a faint shadow of the Material World around him, the tilled field, crops tot eh sides and some remnant emotion clouds he left behind. Around him was a bright veil of green mana along with tight streams around his legs. Straining his senses, Sirius looked back at the person who ambushed him. He saw a strange looking person with pale green skin and a cloak that was seemingly made out of leaves. Long brown fingers, like a branches of a dead tree, were extended in Sirius'' direction, holding onto the fabric of mana. They looked at each other in silence.


    Suddenly, man''s long and pointy ear twitched in annoyance, and he spoke "Are you going to explain what you are doing here, or have you already gave up?"


    "I came here looking for a person who led me into the village when I came here a week ago."


    "Then what are you doing in my field?"


    "I met a friend I made at a hospital. She was ploughing it, but her condition got worse and she went to have a check up with Eyes of the Forest. I suggested to help her."


    "Does your friend have a title to go by?" man said, visibly stiff.


    "She goes by Daughter of Whisper. I believe she doesn''t have an official title yet."


    "Do you know the full name of her parent?"


    "I believe it was the Whisper of Nature..." said Sirius and immediately felt the restraints vanish.


    "Ugh, I knew she should have stayed home..." he grumbled, and walked towards Sirius, "So, what is your... IT''S YOU!"


    "Oh, hi... I mean... The World blesses your Path, Whisper of Nature!" Sirius greeted him. Only now could he take a good look at his appearance: tall, wide shoulders, bare arms peeking from under the intricately layered brown robe. From between the layers Sirius noticed flowers and leaves embroidered in green.


    "As your Path is blessed. I didn''t recognise you... You look much better than before," said Whisper of Nature and helped Sirius to get up, "Not covered in gore at least..."


    "Please, don''t remind me, I was literally ripped out of those clothes. Anyways, I wanted to thank you," Sirius bowed deeply, "If you chased me away that day, I would end up dying in the wild. I am in deep debt for this."


    "Don''t sweat it. Elders are already planning on how to put you to work."


    "If you need anything from me, I am at your service. Can I finish the ploughing then?"


    "Sure, why not?" said Whisper of Nature carelessly. His eyes flashed with green mana and he asked, "How is your leg? Must have been quite a wound to leave a mark on your Visage."


    Sirius glanced at his leg, noticing the spiderweb of golden lines on smooth black surface of his thigh, "It is healing well, might leave a scar. Faster than I thought for such an injury."


    "Increased healing rate is expected from solid Spirit, at a price of some more mana and an unbearable itch around the bone. You''ll get used to it. I''ll leave you here to finish your task now, I have more matters to attend in the fields. If anything happens, you can find me here."


    "Sure thing," said Sirius and waved goodbye to a man. Something was off about him, or it was just his paranoia...

 063. Adventure

    "Don''t you tell me you fought him, no?!" Daughter of Whisper''s excited voice rang in the fields.


    "Well, I had to. Otherwise I would be a bloody puddle long ago," shrugged Sirius, while checking if he weaved the basket correctly, "Am I doing this right? Should I have twisted it the other way?"


    "We''ve been doing it for a three days in a row and you ask it every time. Yes, it goes the other way."


    "Thank you..." Sirius said with embarrassment. Over the past week he was spending almost all his time outside with Daughter of Whisper, doing chores and talking about everything around them. What always happened, however, was Daughter of Whisper asking Sirius about his travels.


    "So, uhm... How did you fight the ice mage?" she asked with expectant smile.


    "I still don''t really understand how I knew I was in danger, but I managed to create a shield out of rock and strengthen it with ice. After that I shielded one more strike and ran in the direction it came from."


    "Did you find him?..." she said, while holding her breath. She barely could believe that her peer came so close to death. It was like listening to a story, but the main hero was in front of her.


    "I did. I hoped that up close he wouldn''t use that dangerous spell. He had a sword though. I drew a diagram on a tree that burned a hole through the middle. I used it to cut logs before," Sirius drew an outline of a diagram on the ground with a finger.


    "I never saw such magic before... Does it work?"


    "It needs to be made with metal to work, but I can recreate its effects..." Sirius created a net of pathways, that guided the mana from power input through a set of nodes. They divided the stream into an extremely cooled drip and a heated up main pathway, until reaching the end, where it was condensed into a thin loop, pointing sideways.


    "What is that?..." asked Daughter of Whisper, as her eyes flashed with purple to see the spell.


    "The same spell, different execution. To burn through the wood I take the coldness away from the mana stream and dump it outside," Sirius began showing the identical nodes on a rim of a diagram. After that he pointed at the centre, "Then, I compress it and shape into a loop. It takes time to build up the energy inside the loop, but it can work on environmental mana after being activated."


    "Ugh, you make it sound needlessly hard. Do you always construct these shapes? How did you finish him, though? Did a tree fell on him?"


    "That would be great," chuckled Sirius and waved away the construct, "But I tried to avoid killing people back then. I bound him in stone shackles and walked away."


    "Back then?..."


    "Yes. Back then."


    "So you did... kill someone?" she shuffled away a bit.


    "They attacked first, at night. One of them self-destructed in a mana-storm and turned into an aberration. I had to kill his Spirit to stop the mana storm. And after that, by the luck of my gut feeling, I survived the leylines connection..."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Daughter of Whisper fell silent, thinking. After a minute she said, "And here I was, wanted to go on an adventure one day. If I cure my illness, that is."


    "Your adventure might be much, MUCH more pleasant. You don''t have the whole country looking for you." Sirius sighed. "I really hope they gave up on me. This place is nice, it would be a shame if assassins would come..."


    "Do I understand correctly, that they took notice of you just because you solidified your Spirit on your own?"


    "On my own is not the right way to say it. It... solidified itself. Maybe I dealt with magic too much, and it decided to do so, I don''t know. They were keeping an eye on me just because I was ''The chosen One''!"


    "Are you the chosen?"


    "Duh, of course not. If so, then Deepest Lake is also chosen. Actually, I was heading her way to become her disciple."


    "Everyone wants to... She is one of the most powerful World Shapers."


    Suddenly, topics for a talk ran dry. They awkwardly sat in silence, each thinking of their own things, while mechanically weaving baskets.


    <hr>


    Eyes of the Forest was inside her study room, mixing tinctures and distillates, when Sirius knocked on the door.


    "Come in."


    "Eyes, I want to ask you something." sheepishly said Sirius.


    "If it is not a common knowledge, I am afraid I can''t tell you anything."


    "Funny you should say that. I came for common knowledge."


    "Go on," she said, observing the mana swirling in a vial.


    "How do you train different mana organs?"


    She stopped, thought for a moment, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"


    "What I mean is, Daughter of Whisper was ''training'' a week ago, when she came for a checkup, right?"


    "Oh, yes. I told her to stop interacting with mana for some time, in case you were indeed right. So, what exactly do you want to know?"


    "What does training accomplish?"


    Eyes gave a satisfied nod, finally set the potion aside, and sat at the table. She sighed, gathering her thoughts and said, "Nothing."


    "What do you mean nothing?"


    "It... depends on a person. For most of us it does nothing, at most it improves control of mana. But for Spirit it just strains it needlessly, you are better off doing some work with magic."


    "And for others?" Sirius pushed.


    "It gives confidence," she shrugged.


    Sirius stared blankly at Eyes for several seconds.


    "Well, fine, I guess... Then can I know how do people with Thought Constellation... I mean, Spirit Mind cast their spells?"


    Eyes of the forest contemplated his question, before answering, "Look, there are three Mana Organs of the first circle. Spirit Eyes, Spirit Mind and Mana Pool. You have all of them, but others can have at most two of each, with one being much weaker than the other. Usually, the first organ a shaper solidifies is the primary one and begins influencing your body."


    "Material one?..." Sirius mused, before remembering something, "You mean, the bones?"


    "Oh, so you know that. Yes, the bones. Spirit Eyes work with resistance, Spirit Mind - with conductance, and Mana Pool - with capacitance. Mana passing inside the body of a mage influences the bones and they take on the properties of mana crystals..." she suddenly fell quiet.


    "So I didn''t mistook," said Sirius and put a small piece of cloth on a table. He unfolded it and continued, "This is the crystal Daughter of Whisper coughed out. It is extremely good at storing mana, but when mana is pushed through it, the whole chunk vibrates and overall the flow is slow."


    "Why did you get it?"


    "I wanted to study crystals anyways. And here is another reason - her illness."


    "Any suggestions?" Eyes asked, even if she deduced what Sirius came up with.


    "Her training somehow makes those crystals grow."


    "And?" she shrugged.


    "What do you mean?..." Sirius was stumped, "Can it help with the cure?"


    "No, it does not. I already knew the reason. It''s just that cleaning her lungs is impossible. One seed crystal left and everything grows back," Eyes explained.


    "Got it..." Sirius said quietly. "Since I was of no help, I will go then..."


    "Sure," said Eyes and returned to mixing the potions.


    Sirius came out of the hospital and went into the fields. Something deep inside him screamed, urged him to move. Things were not right...

 064. Consultation

    Sirius went directly to Elders'' hall. He wanted to ask permission to build a hut on the edge of the Plain Veins. A place where he was alone gave him the ability to research freely without prying eyes. Especially since druids could see through walls...


    The hall was surprisingly empty. No one met him in the reception, since Eyes was at the hospital, and he just came in. He knocked at the door of the hall itself. No response came back his way, but the door opened on its own, startling him. Sirius peeked inside.


    "Hello?..." Sirius asked into the darkness of the hall. After a second of thinking he repeated his greeting, "The World Blesses your Path."


    "Just as the Path you thread is blessed," suddenly responded Calmness of Storm from his seat. The fire in the middle lit up, illuminating the hall. He brushed his long grey beard with his hand, and asked with a sly smile, "Come in. What brings you here, Friend of a Snake?"


    "Sorry for intrusion," Sirius bowed and came inside, closing the door behind. He looked at the empty seats and asked, "Are you here alone?"


    "Others have matters to attend. I used this opportunity to meditate in quiet," he replied with a smile. "Something is bothering you."


    "Me? I guess... I wanted to ask permission to build a hut on the edge of the town. My hands are itching to do some research," he added with a tinge of shame.


    "Did you manage to open your Eyes?"


    "Of course," answered Sirius and his irises flashed with golden power. He saw a young version of Calmness of Storm, slightly translucent, as if made of clouds. His eyes, filled with flashing lightning, were observing Sirius, measuring up and down.


    "Interesting choice," he said and narrowed his eyes with a smile, once again giving Sirius shivers. "But that is not what bothers you."


    "I mean, there are things to worry about, but they are minor..."


    "How is Daughter of Whisper faring?" he suddenly asked, making Sirius stop. He tilted his head, "So it IS related to her. You are friends after all."


    "Acquaintances at best..."


    "The crystal in your pocket contains a lot of mana. Very unusual for our lands."


    Sirius looked down with his eyes open and saw a glowing shadow of a gem besides him. He took a breath, trying to be a blank slate in front of this powerful mage, who read him like an open book.


    "It is from her illness. I wanted to find a cure."


    "A very noble goal indeed. And for that you need to go to the edge of a settlement?"


    "My research had... explosive results before. I don''t want to endanger anyone."


    "That is understandable. Consider your request granted," Calmness of Storm nodded. "Any ideas on the cure yet?"


    Sirius thought for a moment, trying his hardest not to spill any worry into the world, lest he would be seen through once again. "I have a few hypotheses, but I need to study mana crystals at first. There was no access to them where I came from."


    "Can you share your thoughts? I am really interested in what you could assess in a mere week," he tilted his head to other side, his face still wearing that unnerving smile.


    "Uhmm, sure... I think her training method is unsuitable for her."


    "That is a very harsh thing to say, young man," he said with a frown, "Training techniques are passed down in a family from past ages."


    "I... Erm... I am deeply sorry! I did not know!" Sirius bowed hastily.


    "Heh-heh, no need to worry," Calmness of Storm laughed lightly, "I am glad someone else also noticed that. Most of us are so loyal to a tradition, we are led to our demise by them."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Really?..."


    "Oh, yes. Ask the Deepest Lake yourself, when you get to her."


    Sirius remembered her story and nodded. He thought for a couple of seconds and asked, "Is there someone or something that stops her from changing her training?"


    "Sharp. Very sharp," Calmness of Storm smiled even wider.


    "Is there a traditional order of getting mana organs in her family?"


    "First Eyes, like everyone else. Then the Mind. After that - preparations for a second circle."


    Sirius frowned and nodded, "Understood."


    "So you DO have a cure!"


    "That requires to go against the tradition."


    "Well, it is in plain druids'' culture to follow your roots," shrugged the elder. "Only a strong shake-up can uproot the poisonous grass from a field. Now, hide behind my chair for a moment."


    "Wha?..." Sirius wanted to say in surprise, but was interrupted by a knock to the door behind. He pulled all his mana inside and closed his Eyes, while soundlessly dashing behind the elder''s high chair. He heard the door open on its own, like before.


    "The World blesses your Path, elders," said the familiar voice of a man.


    "Just as your Path is blessed, Whisper of Nature. Come in."


    The door closed and Whisper of Nature began, "I see you are the only elder in a hall, Calmness of Storm. I was expecting more of a council to discuss with," his voice was stiff and rough.


    "Matters need attending. I will pass your message. What brought you here?"


    "That outsider. My daughter learned his foreign ways and is questioning about the source of nature''s forces. No one in Plain Veins believes in such atrocity."


    "What do you want to say, Whisper of Nature? People are the source. Their life force turns into mana that fuels the veins of this plane," said Calmness of Storm, making Sirius'' eyes widen in shock.


    "I didn''t mean that. She says that he can heal her lungs."


    "Isn''t it great? Don''t you want your daughter to be healthy?"


    "I do, but..." Whisper of Nature stammered.


    "So what is the matter?" Calmness of Storm pressured. "The community depends on our cooperation."


    "Sure thing. But he is different. He wants her to betray our sacred roots. Our ancestors established the Path of Nature and it is our duty to sustain its power!"


    "That is unfortunate..." Calmness of Storm feigned concern. "Let me deal with it."


    "And if she will be led astray anyways? She is convinced in that foreigner''s knowledge."


    "What would you do?"


    "I?..." he didn''t seem to think about it that deeply, so he took a moment to decide, "I would disown her. Our family followed your lead under the condition that our Path would be protected, and this outcome is unacceptable."


    "So you want to leave the community?"


    "No, I did not..."


    "If the condition you stated would be broken. Does it mean that your following is also ceases to exist?" Calmness of Storm pressured Whisper of Nature, but his Astral Body exuded no force to suppress the adult man. His voice and authority was enough.


    "That... I am sorry for the insult, Calmness of Storm," Sirius heard rustling of cloth, as if he bowed. "I did not mean to. The honour of my family pushed me towards anger and I lost composure."


    "Apologies accepted. So I will ask again. What did bring you here?"


    "I want you to consider exiling the foreigner. He is a danger to our community."


    "I will pass onto your request, Whisper of Nature. Now, if you have no more matters, you should go."


    "Of course, elder. Thank you for your audience," the voice quieted down, the door opened and closed once again.


    Calmness of Storm waited for the outside door to shut and said into the empty hall, "And so you know the situation, young one. What will you do?"


    "A strong shake up, you say?..." whispered Sirius from behind the high chair and wiped the cold sweat.


    "That''s what I said, yes," answered Calmness of Storm with a smile.


    "But I am weak."


    "You? I guess you can''t measure the power you wield, but let''s say you gather a hundred of people from our settlement."


    "Yes?" Sirius imagined a hundred of villagers.


    "Around thirty of them would be Nulls, with no perception of mana. Others would be able to condense their Eyes and be a contributing part of our society."


    "Got it."


    "Out of the rest, twenty five would be stuck at the Eyes, with no intention or ambition to progress. The rest will deepen their control of the Eyes or condense the second organ."


    "So, fifty-five out of a hundred are at the limit of a first circle?"


    "Yes, roughly like that. Can you guess how much will get to condensing the Material Chains?"


    "The second circle organ?... Like, twenty? Maybe thirty?" Sirius guessed.


    "Five." Calmness of storm could feel the shock resonate over the room. He waited for information to sink in and reiterated, "Only five out of a hundred get to the second circle."


    "And what comes next?..."


    "Roughly the same. In a hundred of second-circle mages, five might reach the World Shaper title and become one with the World itself. But for most it is unnecessary. Some are satisfied with what they have, most don''t want to spend their lives polishing their craft. But the main reason... Can you guess it?"


    "The reason to stop developing?... No, I con''t know."


    "I see..." smiled Calmness of Storm with a tinge of sadness escaping his control. "One day you will get it."


    Sirius thought for a bit longer and asked what was bothering him from the beginning, "If you say that at best people will condense two first- circle organs, where does it put me?"


    "I don''t know," said Calmness of Storm and laughed. "Maybe on par with second-circle, maybe weaker than the initiate. It is only up to you. Now, go, build your hut."

 065. Future

    Sirius moulded yet another stone plate from the ground and looked at what he had achieved so far. A square walls made of stone, with no holes for a door or any interior. It had no roof in fact, so calling it a building was stretching the definition, but it was a start. Sirius exhaled with satisfaction and plunged on to the ground, infusing some mana to soften the landing. He lay there, looking at the smooth grey plates with orange veins and thought. Something that Calmness of Storm added just before his departure: "What is your source of power?"


    "What did he mean, wasn''t it mana?" mused Sirius, catching the attention of Seth. He was as lively as ever, and Sirius decided to repeat his attempt at communicating with Seth. Immediately after their minds connected Sirius touched snake''s thoughts.


    Happiness. Lonely.


    "I am sorry. The last time was bad for both of us, I will try better."


    Agreement.


    Sirius carefully controlled the thin strand of mana connecting their Astral Bodies and tried passing his thoughts. He thought about the sentence he mused about.


    Stop! Many! Hard! wriggled Seth, painful pangs returning back to Sirius.


    Immediately stopping the flow, Sirius decided to revert to verbal talking, "Sorry, I will try better next time."


    Shame. Good.


    "If you had all the power in the world, what would you do?"


    Seth thought for a moment before giving an answer, Do? Eat!


    Sirius smiled. "What do you think I would do?"


    Kill. White-human. Red-humans. All.


    "You so sure?" Sirius answered and sighed. He didn''t like that characteristic of him, but that was most likely true. "Why would I though?"


    Save. Help.


    Something inside Sirius snapped into place. What is the source of HIS power? At first it was the drive to learn, curiosity, the thirst for knowledge, but after the attack on his home things changed. He wanted to protect himself, be powerful to oppose those who tried to hinder his development. And the moment he got the tiny sip of real strength, what did he do? He said Uncle Gregor to give him away and say he went rogue. Why? To protect him. To save those who supported him from the wrath of the Order.


    "To help and to save..." he whispered.


    It was a noble goal. He stepped on that path the moment he learnt medicine and anatomy under Uncle Verden''s guidance. But the whole picture, however bright it was, was still covered in dark blots. He did injured a couple of people on his escape, one man self-destructed, killing all his teammates, and Sirius had to put him out of the misery... Was it all worth it? In those people''s eyes he was the devil''s incarnate, the traitor, the danger to their families, rogue mage that could will the common man out of existence.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "I really want to destroy the Order, but... Why?"


    Seth just blankly stared at Sirius, listening to his musings. He was smarter than a regular snake, but there was a limit to his understanding of human''s world.


    Sirius sneered a little and continued talking to himself, "Yeah, right... They tried hurting those who helped me. They wanted to kill me because... I am the Child of Prophecy. One of them," he added, as he remembered the woman who was the Child of Prophecy as well, but thought to be the only one. "I am but one Child of Prophecy. There were hundreds of them before me, and they all had miserable lives in Order''s dungeons, being brainwashed from the young age."


    Bad?


    "Oh, yes, very bad. Imagine living in a box your whole life."


    Bad.


    Sirius nodded. He sat upright and flattened the ground with a slight wave of his hand. He began doodling on the plane, drawing the rough outlines of his path. RIvervale, the Ravenloft to the west, in the direction of the capital, his journey to the east, sudden turn south and his final destination at Plain Veins. If he wanted to uproot the Order, he had to find allies. He began thinking about other nations. Some city-states of the south, maybe people on Southern Archipelago? No, they are under oppression as well. He could find the like-minded druid tribes, but they are rare and scarce, with power and knowledge being the only source of authority. That left the Republic. Guards called them ''Godless savages'', but why would everyone be so afraid of them, if they were weak and divided? Something wasn''t aligning.


    "And they won''t even listen to me, since I am from Kingdom. Unless I prove that I am not sided with them... Or unless I am strong enough to protect myself. But that''s all in the future. What do I do now?"


    What?


    "Oh, I met with Calmness of Storm and uncovered that the girl you are so fond of is going to die without healing, but if I help healing her, she will be exiled."


    Seth bared his fangs and arched his body, ready to attack, Die. Bad.


    "Yes, bad. I mean, why should I bother, there are countless people like her in druid tribes, who are pushed by tradition towards certain death..."


    Seth''s intense gaze conveyed his feelings better than the thought communication did.


    "Yes, I know you like her... Ugh, what am I getting into once again? I promised I would help, but if it means getting exiled, would she want it?"


    Ask.


    "Ask her? The question itself can pose danger to her. She will begin to doubt her worldview, and her father will surely notice that. And then who knows what will happen..."


    Bad.


    Sirius nodded silently. His future scared him much less than his current situation. At least he could prepare for the incoming confrontation with the Order. But for what to do now... He could not form his plan of actions.


    With those heavy themes on his mind, Sirius rocked back and bounced the earth underneath up, pushing him upright. He liked moulding earth more and more as he worked on his hut. He could make ground move like water, simply by making it more soft and mobile, gently pushing it to follow his will. He covered the basement by a sheet of rock from under the layer of soft soil and finished the roof by levitating the stone planks on top. Each of them easily weighed five times his own weight, and he employed all techniques he knew to hold the slab off the ground: condensed layer underneath, constant upward stream to push it up, locking the mana into the material to manipulate it directly, even using his metal bars as a handle. Maintaining all even for a second spread his mind''s power thin, but with regular breaks he managed to cover the top of the stone box he will call ''home'' in the future. Finally he was left with this ugly hollow brown cube of stone, once again out of breath and incredibly hungry. Sirius strained himself once more to weld the edges of slabs, so that they wouldn''t topple over while he was gone. With a satisfied smile he left his creation staying in the middle of the field and walked towards the city centre hoping to find a place to eat.

 066. Undercurrents

    Sirius was slowly getting accustomed to his life among druids. He was still looked down at, since he was a foreigner, but with the help of tavern keeper people began warming up to him. All he had to do was help out him in the kitchen a couple of times and set up a couple of circle diagrams here and there to make life easier. He sat in that tavern, which locals called "Bread and Stew House", and ate the rich stew full of meat and bloodwheat. He had finally learned the name of those red grains on the fields and knew what to ask for to go along with the stew. Whatever went in that stew reminded him of his life with Uncle Verden and brought peace to his mind.


    "Erm... Bless your Path," a bulky man awkwardly muttered a short greeting and sat in front of Sirius. The window''s light highlighted his bald head and reflected off of the shiny mana crystals of his bracelet.


    "As your Path is blessed. Do we know each other?"


    "I don''t think so. Do you want to earn some money?"


    "Money? I thought that the barter is the way to go," said Sirius and reluctantly put his meal aside.


    "You really are new, huh? Ever since foundation of Plain Veins we introduced gold coins. Anyways, are you interested?" the man said while throwing a glance to the side.


    "I believe you heard about me, but not the other way around. Who do I have a pleasure of talking to?" Sirius was nervous in front of an adult who was much higher and likely stronger, but tried appearing confident and unfazed.


    "I?... I am messenger. I can''t disclose anything else, sorry," he shrugged and peeked to the side once again.


    "Are you being followed?"


    "That is not important. Do you want a job or not?"


    "You still did not say what the job was," Sirius pointed out, making the man anxiously shuffle in place.


    "I... That is a dangerous job. Hunting."


    "Must I ask what the target is?"


    "No."


    "Human?"


    "Yes."


    They looked at each other for a solid minute, measuring each other. Sirius finally said, "No."


    "But..."


    "Doesn''t matter. I won''t do that, however highly it is evaluated..."


    "It is a Crimson Crusade member. He is in city," whispered the man.


    "They can wander the streets however much they want, and I dare them to meddle with locals."


    "Fine." the man said and sat for a moment before standing up. "You can find me at the river bank, at the fisher''s hut."


    Sirius silently watched him stay for a second in front of him. Seeing no reaction from a kid, man raised his eyebrow, peeked one last time to the side and exited the tavern. Immediately after Sirius heard heavy steps approach his table.


    "Do you know him?" asked the low bass of tavern keeper.


    "No. Do you?"


    "No."


    Sirius frowned, "Iron Hands, have you seen him before?"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Never. His Life is messy as well."


    "You mean the beads on his bracelet?"


    "Yes. He must be a renowned mage with that number of crystals, yet his face is unfamiliar."


    "He was talking that men from Kingdom are in here. And asked if I want to earn money by hunting them."


    "What''s money?" frowned Iron Hands.


    "Kingdom uses metal coins for trade instead of crystals or other goods. Gold, silver and similar."


    "Got it... He was paranoid."


    "Very."


    They both thought for a moment, before Sirius returned to his meal.


    "Are you going to tell elders about him?" asked Iron Hands.


    "Not now. I want to investigate."


    "Be careful so that they won''t pin the blame on you."


    "Well, I have a witness that would testify for me," Sirius smiled, "Wouldn''t you?"


    "Of course," smiled back tavern keeper and put his heavy hand on Sirius'' shoulder, "Don''t let your bravery pull you down."


    "Thank you. That means a lot to me. And thanks for the meal, it was what I needed."


    The door opened, and a teenage boy walked inside. He surveyed the tavern, before locking onto Sirius, and walked towards him.


    "The World blesses your Path, Mountain Wrangler. You looked for me?"


    "As your Path is blessed, Yellow Snow..."


    "Friend of a Snake," corrected Sirius with a frown.


    "I saw you manifest ice more than your snake friend, so stop resisting."


    "Fine, Pile Mover."


    "Hey!" the boy began angrily stomping towards Sirius, but bumped into Iron Hands'' side.


    "You started first. What did you need?"


    "Ugh, sorry. Yes, Friend of a Snake, rockhogs ate your decorations again."


    "You seriously?"


    "I don''t know what you made them from, but they seem to really enjoy it."


    "How do they go for my house and not the others? They all seem to be made out of rocks."


    "Again?" confirmed Iron Hands, "You aren''t using stone from below, do you? Rockhogs feed on these mana-rich rocks."


    "And no one said that to me?..."


    "Did you ask anyone?"


    Sirius shrugged, desperately trying to ignore Mountain Wrangler''s hollering. He had no words to refute that, since Whisper of Nature said that was fine. He had to act as if he haven''t heard this old mage''s tirade in Elders'' hall. And now he have found a second opinion.


    "Well, now you know. You can drain rocks from mana yourself, or wait a a week till the expedition to quarry sets out."


    "I am in debt before you... again," said Sirius with a bow to Iron Hands. "You can ask my assistance any time."


    "Nothing much. But if you say so, can you bring me a slab of inert granite from the quarry, in case you will accompany them."


    "Sure will."


    "Now, go save your house until it collapsed."


    "Oh Gods!" Sirius remembered the issue at hand and ran towards the exit, "Take care, I really need to go!"


    He ran out of the door, nearly avoiding bumping into someone on the street. As he dodged to the side, he noticed the snow-white hair of Daughter of Whisper in front of him. He caught his balance back, and winced a little, as his leg ached once again. To be fair, that was not the only reason for a grimace...


    "Oh, here you are, Friend of a Snake! I was looking for you everywhere! Where did you disappeared?"


    "I... Erm... I have been busy building a house on the outskirts. There I study when I have time."


    "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I... Didn''t find time to. Sorry, I really have to go, the rockhogs are eating the walls again. Ask Iron Hands if you don''t believe me. Take care!" shouted Sirius and ran away.


    He felt awful. He really didn''t want to bring trouble onto Daughter of Whisper, but avoiding her wouldn''t solve the issue. He ran, uncaring for the shooting pain in his leg, dodging people from time to time. If only he could move faster...


    <hr>


    Sirius carefully drew on the ground with his staff, shooing away the lumbering rock beasts from time to time. Circle after circle, line after line the diagram came together. In the center stood his house, enclosed by a focusing ring. He looked at the part of his diagram and found conflicting pathways, which he immediately eliminated.


    "So here you are, yes!" a melodic voice rang from behind Sirius, making him close his eyes.


    With a deep sigh, he answered, "Yes, I live here from now on."


    "What''s got into you? You stopped coming to our field, and you are nowhere to be found, even in hospital."


    "Sorry, there have been a lot going on."


    "What exactly that important, you had to disappear like that?"


    "There are... reasons. I am afraid it might endanger you."


    "What?... Are there more assassins?" she suddenly asked excitedly.


    "Don''t shout about that," Sirius hushed her. "It''s not about me."


    "Then who?" Daughter of Whisper pressured further.


    Sirius sighed once again. He really didn''t want to give everything out.


    "Why are you so quiet, yes?" she asked once again.


    Sirius suddenly turned to her, his eyes filled with so much deep sadness and rage, she took a step back. "You really want to know?"


    "I... don''t know."


    "There are secrets in this city. They affect everyone here. You and me the most. Do you want to know? Even if knowing might put you in danger?"


    Daughter of Whisper thought, while biting her lip, and asked once more, "It is related to my illness, yes?"


    "Yes."


    "Then I do."


    "Fine. Come inside."

 067. Conspiracy

    Sirius described what he heard in the tavern, relaying his suspicions that there are indeed people from the Church in the city. Their goals can vary from indoctrinating more people into their faith, up to finding Sirius.


    Daughter of Whisper listened carefully, but couldn''t resist and ask, "But it has nothing to do with me, no?"


    "Well, if I am caught, I won''t be able to heal you."


    "Makes sense. And... that''s all?"


    "What do you mean?" asked Sirius in confusion.


    "You can just tell your suspicions to Elders, they will find a way to help you, no?"


    Sirius sighed, "You see, not all Elders are happy with me being here. Calmness of Storm was friendly for sure, but not everyone. It will be easier for them to just sell me out."


    "Huh... I never thought that someone will not trust in Elder''s authority."


    "Authority exists for their people. I am an outsider."


    "Outsider, you say? Can''t we make you into druid, no?"


    "I don''t know," Sirius shrugged, "Never heard about it."


    "I will ask my father how to make you a druid!" Daughter of Whisper stood up, and ran towards the exit.


    "NO!" Sirius shouted and fell from his chair.


    Daughter of Whisper stopped in her tracks and looked back at Sirius sprawling on the floor. She slowly asked, "Why not?"


    "There are... more things I wanted to tell you," Sirius clutched his leg, he overstrained while running. He carefully got up and plunged back on the chair. With a sigh he clenched his hands and put before his mouth, while gathering courage. "Your father wanted to exile me. Or worse."


    "Why would you say so?" she asked with a spite.


    "I was at Elders'' hall a week ago. Calmness of Storm allowed me to build a home in here, since there was no one else at that time."


    "What it has to do with my father!?" She slammed the table with a deep rage.


    Sirius blankly stared at her for a second and began describing the events in the Elders'' hall. At first Daughter of Whisper patiently listened, while barely containing her anger, but the moment Sirius began describing her father''s appearance in the hall, she slumped onto the chair. When Sirius finished, they both sat in silence, digesting the situation.


    "And... That''s all. After that Calmness of Storm told me your common knowledge, but that is not important."


    "How do I believe you?" asked Daughter of Whisper in a daze.


    "You can ask your father," Sirius mocked her. "Or we can ask Calmness of Storm himself, but I don''t know if we can find him alone once again."


    "No, I trust you. I think..."


    "Correct mindset. Avoid mentioning this information to your father. He seemed very vigorous about the tradition thing."


    "He really is... He will kill me if I consolidate Manapool next, yes."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Figuratively?"


    "No..."


    "Oh..." Sirius was stumped, "Were there... precedents?"


    "Not in my family. Several years ago one poor boy decided to redirect mana for formation to condense the Mind instead of the Eyes. He disappeared the next day," she said, while looking at the floor.


    "Gods... Well, I got through that. They can''t punish me for not having an Eye. Your problem is worse though. Have you avoided magic all this time?"


    "I have. My lungs were clear all this time."


    "That is good. Your procedures cleared the crystals, but magic fuelled their growth, that is now confirmed." Sirius stood up and began rummaging through his stuff.


    "Oh no. The procedures were not clearing them. They drained my body of mana, leaving the thin strand, enough to keep my Spirit alive..." she shuddered.


    Sirius did not know what to say. The idea of having mana sucked out of his body was terrifying. He could not imagine his Astral Body devoid of mana. And since he knew that the bones contained crystal-like structures, it could damage them.


    "Did you feel the pain in your bones after the procedures?" he asked carefully.


    "Very, yes. Why are you asking?"


    "Can I inspect them? Spine is enough. I need to probe them with mana a little."


    "If it''s like that..." Daughter of Whisper said with confusion.


    "Please stay still." Sirius put his hand above her spine and began pulsing some mana. He carefully moved his hand around and probed his own bones from time to time.


    "What are you seeing?"


    "Your bones have more mana than mine. I don''t know the normal amount, but yours is almost scary. They aggressively resist the pulsing, as they should, but for that amount of mana they must replace all your bones at some point. Maybe there are some inclusions of accumulative permutation, but..."


    "You lost me."


    "Sorry. I will keep it short. Condensing Spirit Mind will kill you. Right away."


    "How..."


    Sirius took the crystals he saved from exchanging with traders and put them on a table, "Look. I will push some mana around. Tell me what you notice."


    "The left crystal stays still, the middle one moves a little, and the right dances around."


    "That is because the left is made to me in moving mana, so called conductance. Middle accumulated some inside, hence accumulation, it is pushed by the flow. The right is actively resisting the flow, called resistance type for this reason. Your bones should be only right type, but up to some concentration."


    "And they are not?"


    "They are almost fully made of the resistant crystals, with some accumulation formation. I think that constant procedures destroyed those crystals in your bones, and your body fixed those holes with more crystals than necessary. And then your training filled your body with mana, which condensed in accumulation crystals."


    "And what happens if I condense the Spirit Mind?"


    "It will form a strong current of mana inside your body. Accumulation crystals may explode, while resistant crystals - torn away. From every bone in your body."


    Daughter of Whisper shuddered. "Why me? The others were fine, no?"


    "Your illness caused more crystals to form. Others have much less, and their bodies can adapt to a new organ. If you condensed the Mind earlier, you would be fine, but now - Manapool is the only path you have."


    "And... No other way?"


    "I mean... There can be ways around, but they all involve draining your body of mana just before the condensation."


    "I can''t do that, no. I won''t find enough mana to condense them."


    "I thought so. I mean, I never condensed anything myself, so I can''t tell."


    "I envy you." Daughter of whisper muttered.


    "Please don''t. You would be stuck like the Deepest Lake. She was forced to condense too early, as per tradition. It was only after she caused mayhem and left did others stepped away a little from the beaten path."


    "She did cause a shake up, that is true... Some even disowned their families to pursue their own dreams."


    "What did you say?..." Sirius'' face lit up a little.


    "Some disowned their families..."


    "No-no, not that. A shake up you say?"


    "A shake up, yes," Daughter of Whisper repeated slowly.


    "Can we do just that?"


    "But how, we are but a couple of teens, no?"


    "Not just a couple of teens. I am good at magic, and you can sing like no one I ever heard," Sirius said with a smirk.


    Daughter of Whisper blushed a little and lowered her gaze, "You don''t say, no..."


    "I mean it. Your singing in hospital was magical. I think that you involuntarily infused your dreams in mana, that vibrated along with crystals in your body. If we improve it a little, we can show a new branch of magic to people."


    "But it''s not how magic is done, no."


    "Telling from your father''s title your family deals with nature. If you prove that you can do more than just follow in their steps, they will allow you to carve your own Path. But to do that you need to achieve some extraordinary feat. And your illness will help you with that."


    "You are a madman, yes," she shook her head with a smile.


    "And you are yet to decline. So, what do you say?"


    "I''m in."

 068. Animal Handling

    After formulating a rough plan, Daughter of Whisper went home. She would pretend that Sirius no longer wants to hang out with her, due to work from the elders. He is yet to get said work, but some discrepancies will be easy to miss in big picture. They will enter the city at different times to avoid suspicion, and Sirius will visit the hall to receive errands, but at night they will meet up in his home and train together.


    Sirius stood outside his house, watching Daughter of Whisper disappear behind the bend of the road. He lifted his face and looked at the clear summer sky in deep thought. They found a possible way to save her life, but people from Crimson Crusade were still somewhere in the city, lurking, plotting. Sirius had no way to fish them out without endangering himself. At this point he decided to utilise regular visits to Elders'' hall to convene with Calmness of Storm privately. When opportunity arises, he will ask for advice.


    Sirius sighed and turned around, facing the source of the sound of rocks grinding together. He was unsurprised, as he saw the rockhogs munching at the corners of his little hut. He rolled his eyes and walked towards the beast. At closer inspection he found Seth, who was sprawled on its back, sunbathing.


    "Seth, there you are," said Sirius and connected to snake''s mind. Some images of its dream flashed in his head, but he shook them off and transmitted the words Wake up.


    Hunt.


    No hunt. Wake. Sirius carefully measured the amount of thoughts so as not to overwhelm the snake.


    Seth woke up, happy to see his owner and shot to Sirius, coiling around his neck.


    "Buddy, you are the one who disappears from time to time."


    Hunts. Mice.


    "You grew a little. Is there so much food here?"


    Yes.


    Sirius smiled and turned to the rockhog that didn''t stop carving a hole in the structural wall. With a frown he put his hand on the beast and connected to its mind, carefully overlapping the mana together. As their minds synchronised, he felt the immense emptiness.


    Hello? Sirius transmitted, but his words echoed in the emptiness, confusing him.


    f-f-f-o-o-o-o-o-d-d... responded slow breeze of thoughts, only noticeable due to the overall stillness.


    Sirius looked at the beast. It was huge and built like a wide pig, covered in rocky hide. Rows of horns crowned its head and gave a lizard-like appearance. He tried pushing it away, but his efforts were in vain. After surveying the rockhog from the sides, he noticed a deep crack on the side with a golden vein running in parallel and sighed. It was Cobble, one of the slowest beasts that came to his house to feed. While others noticed his shouts and waves of his staff early on and ran away, this particular boulder only moved when someone else bumped into him. In despair Sirius climbed on top and watched his house slowly disappear in the bottomless maw of this magical animal.


    He slapped the animal from time to time with his staff, watching the rocky giant completely ignore his attempts at herding. He learnt the hard way that this loaf of a rockhog is an unstoppable force, when the Cobble went right through the wall of his hut, driven by the tasty mana crystals he left on a table. Since then Sirius only stored his materials in mana-insulated chest or pouch, lined with lead plates. As he thought about the ways to chase Cobble away, one bright idea made Sirius hopeful.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Sirius climbed down and went to the edge of a scribbled diagram. He pulled out some remaining rocks from deep below and sorted mana-responsive pebbles from the inert ones. From his pouch he pulled out a single accumulation mana crystal he was willing to sacrifice to save his house. With his mind he created a thick shell made of mana around the rocks. The shell should be able to withstand the huge internal pressure he was about to create. After a quick round of checks he took a deep breath and began channeling mana from inside a small pea-sized crystal into the orb full of rocks. He felt some resistance, as if the crystal was unwilling to give away its energy, but Sirius'' will prevailed and he felt the crystal shrink in his grasp. With his body as a conduit and a pump he pushed more and more energy in the chamber, stopping from time to time to let the shell stabilise.


    He increased the pressure until he saw the air sparkle with tiny crystals. Under his gaze rocks vibrated and popped, jumping from the pile. They were mana-responsive due to metals or crystals, but Sirius could bet on the latter. He saw some pebbles heat up and crack, small shrapnel hitting the dense shell and sending waves across. A couple of minutes later Sirius began noticing the rocks sparkle with small deep-violet particles. He smiled with satisfaction, but didn''t dare to stop the process. Even if he underestimated the amount of mana needed, he still could pull it from outside, and he did. His eyes flashed with golden light every now and then, surveying the situation in both material and astral worlds. He felt the crystals enlarge under his influence, and now he was interested how far can he take them.


    Heavy thuds disturbed his control. Cobble lost interest in his house and was sniffing the air in search for a more tasty meal. Sirius had no time left. That empty-headed rockhog will without a doubt go through him and if the shell is not deconstructed carefully the mana inside will level the surrounding area, leaving only a smoking crater. Therefore, Sirius stopped pushing mana inside and carefully drained the internal pressure. Rocks once again began violently vibrating, releasing the densely-packed mana into the orb. Sirius'' face lost its colour. The rocks were filling the shell with mana at the same rate he drained it. If things will go like this, he won''t manage to remove it in time, the rockhog have already turned its blank gaze in his direction. Sirius'' mind raced to find a solution. He could try and control the violent mana inside a shell, but that would take all his focus and he risked destabilising the containing orb. Furthermore the crystals, which turned out to be more unstable than the naturally formed, were vaporising on his eyes and didn''t intend to stop doing so. Sirius was pushing mana over the course of several minutes and now he had less than half a minute to prevent the explosion.


    Sirius dreadfully watched the rockhog approach him step by step, while the shell continuously released the mana. He steeled his nerves and did what he avoided for so long - began expanding the sphere. The increase in the volume would reduce the pressure and make the most unstable crystals explode, leaving behind those who could maintain their structure. Sirius slowly expanded the sphere, adding stabilising pathways as he went on. The rocks cracked and jumped, as more and more crystals exploded, spreading the tiny particles all over the ground, but Sirius didn''t stop. When the orb grew twice its original size, he felt the pressure difference was manageable, he dispelled the orb. A strong gust of mana blew across him, sudden motion causing chaotic swirls and spreading the unorganised rocks tumbling across the field. One particular rock rolled right under the Cobble, between its front legs. Cobble followed the mana-rich stone with its gaze and its giant horned head slowly met the ground. Thick horns dug into the soil, leaving the towering beast in a peculiar, but extremely awkward position, with its snout buried underground.


    Sirius wiped the cold sweat and watched with amusement as the unstoppable rockhog stood with its head between its legs, completely still. If Sirius didn''t connect to its mind earlier, he would say that it is confused, but he knew that Cobble was not capable of such feat. After a small break Sirius carefully gathered still popping stones in a sack. He really wanted to inspect them more thoroughly, but his mind was sluggish and exhausted. All he could do at the moment was levitate a couple of rocks on the palm of his hand. He found fascinating how easy it was, now that the pebbles were filled to the brim with mana crystals. As he drifted into sleep, he wondered: what could he do with them?

 069. Talent

    Sirius was awoken by Seth from his deep slumber. He forcefully peeled his eyes open and looked outside. The night sky was filled with bright stars, which meant that the sun have long set. Sirius struggled to understand why Seth kept slapping his face with its tail, until he heard a knock at his door. He carefully walked towards the door and looked in a slit between the door and a frame. Daughter of Whisper was standing there, nervously looking in the direction of city. Sirius finally remembered their deal the other day and opened the door.


    "Sorry, I got too invested and exhausted myself," he apologised after letting her in and closing the door.


    Daughter of Whisper took off her cape and asked, "Is it somehow related to the rockhog standing behind your house, yes?"


    "Yes... It is... I really need to ask Mountain Wrangler''s father to take Cobble home."


    She shook her head with a smile. "So, where do we start?"


    "Give me a moment, I just woke up," said Sirius and sat at the table. He gathered his thoughts for a minute and began describing what he came up with, "When Eyes of the Forest was taking out the parasites in my lung pathways, she used some kind of a bell. It made the mana vibrate. If infused with feelings and emotions, mana can be steered a little."


    "And it can be used to cast magic?"


    "I am not entirely sure, but we can try," Sirius said and took out the metal bar from his storage. He placed it on a table and began describing his actions, "It''s hard for me to do vibrations, so please bear with me. If I find a frequency of this metal, I can manipulate it a little..." Sirius pointed his palm at the bar and rhythmically pulled at the mana around. After tuning it for a minute, he found a sweet spot, at which the piece of iron began vibrating.


    "It''s just manipulation, no?"


    "Almost. The difference is that I influence only a small part of mana away from the object."


    "Got it. And emotions?"


    "It is harder, but if you infuse some of them, the mana begins to act in accordance. I didn''t note all of them, but in sadness I tend to manifest a bunch of ice around."


    "I am not sure I got everything but I want to try," said Daughter of Whisper.


    "Go ahead."


    Daughter of Whisper sat straight and took a deep breath. She began humming a song while feeling the mana around. With a will she forced her Astral Body to resonate along, passing the sound into the astral plane. She continued, getting used to the vibrations of the world she caused with her voice. She sat there with her eyes closed, as the world around her reflected the vibrations back. And then, she stopped.


    Sirius sat in silence for a minute and whispered, "Is everything alright?"


    "I understood..."


    "Wait, that fast?"


    "I was talking with the World, and it answered back," she said, her face lit by happiness.


    "Sure... And with regards to magic? Do you think it is possible?"


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    "Oh, I didn''t think about that... Let me try again." she shook off her shock and tried once again, now more deliberately. She looked at the chunk of iron in front of her and began singing a low note. The bar began vibrating again, but much stronger. After a second the table underneath began smouldering and she stopped.


    "That we can work with!" happily exclaimed Sirius.


    <hr>


    Days passed, then weeks. On the surface Daughter of Whisper stopped talking to Sirius, but at nights every couple of days they trained together. She was advancing at an incredible pace, finding new ways to form spells. One night she managed to pierce a hole in the wall when Sirius was showing how to make projectiles. As she got more proficient, she took hold of the air magic, something Sirius didn''t manage to grasp no matter how hard he tried.


    Sirius himself also didn''t stay still. He was interested in mana crystals'' structure. He has finally learned why people tend to get harmed if they are too rash with magic, the phenomena he knew by the name of "Mythos'' punishment". Crystals inside the mage''s body were suited for one or two branches of casting at most. Conductance and resistance crystals would explode if filled with too much mana, resistance and accumulation got ripped away under strong flow, conductance and accumulation were not resisting the current properly. Overall, the mage''s method of casting depended entirely on their mana organs. This was due to the sequential condensation of organs. Mages didn''t have time to condense the next organ before the first have already altered their body, thus locking the advancement. This gave him some research ideas to pursue. Overall, both of them were quite happy with the progress.


    "World blesses your Path, Silver Song," Sirius greeted Daughter of Whisper with her new moniker.


    "Bless your Path too, Friend of a Snake," she answered with a smile and caught the ever-happy Seth in her arms. "We should get a suitable title for you as well."


    "Meh, whatever. I really prefer to go by my own name."


    "But..."


    "Yeah-yeah, only family, I know. Been there, heard that. I don''t strive to be renowned for something, just... be safe."


    "Speaking about that, yes. How are things with the churchmen?"


    "Elders are aware about them. They can''t do a thing," Sirius said grumpily and kicked the chair. "They have a deal with Kingdom. Ashbourne royal couple themselves came to negotiate long ago."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "I don''t know. Chasing them away is impossible and will endanger the whole city. Running away is the only option I have right now."


    "When?" Daughter of Whisper asked timidly.


    "After dealing with your illness of course, don''t worry. Just... I hope I won''t attract too much unneeded attention."


    She sighed. "When are we going to conduct a ritual?"


    "As soon as you are ready. How are your lungs?"


    "Not training using my family technique seems to help, yes. Even if I feel weird getting stronger without it."


    "You can go back to it after condensing the Mana Pool. It will help you refill your reserves. Their way of casting will suit you well."


    "I can''t wait to try..." she said, her quiet voice painting the mana in sadness.


    "So... If you feel like it, we can try tomorrow?"


    "Tomorrow, yes? It is my birthday tomorrow."


    "Consider your total recovery a present. Let''s go over the details once again. At the sunset we will meet on the opposite side of the city. There is a thin leyline passing underground, you can see it with your Eyes."


    "Near the pastures?"


    "Right under them. I found an abandoned barn there, most likely a shack no one uses right now. I will prepare the materials and a diagram and at the midday we will conduct the ritual. The only thing you need to do though is to take off your Life, can you do it?"


    "Take off my life!? You are mad, yes!?" she stood up in outrage.


    "If you don''t want the beads to explode then yes! I have shown you what happens if resistance crystal is overloaded!"


    "Ugh, fine! But after a ritual I will put it back on!"


    "Duh, of course! Did you think I would tell you to throw that away?"


    "I... I don''t know. It''s just I always wear my Life," she involuntarily touched the beads hanging from her hair.


    "I just don''t want to destroy it, that''s all."


    "Sure..."


    "Ahem... So, after the ritual we will go into the Elders'' hall and you will show your Path and explain why you decided to not follow your family''s heritage."


    "You make it sound like I am a criminal, yes."


    "Aren''t we ones?"


    "Yeah, that''s right."


    "Let''s have a rest today then. No magic training before a big day."


    "Then... See you tomorrow?"


    "Yeah. Will the World accept your OWN Path."

 070. Ritual

    Sirius once again checked the circle, while leaning on his staff. He have already found a replacement for metal dust in form of crystal powder, but it posed a new problem - all lines looked the same. Same white chalk on a hard flat surface, same purplish-blue glitter. Now he nervously waited for Daughter of Whisper to come. He was pacing left and right, his mind racing at what could go wrong and what would he do if someone finds them. Most will just ignore them or judgingly shake their heads, but what if it is the Whisper of Nature? He will definitely try to stop them. And what if he will find them after that?


    The door opened.


    Sirius got startled out of his thought process and turned towards the entrance, his eyes ablaze with golden light. In both his views he saw Daughter of Whisper.


    "You are finally here," he exhaled with relief. "Are you ready?"


    "Yes. I took off my Life on my way through the fields."


    "No one followed you?"


    "No. At least I didn''t see no one..."


    Sirius bit his lip and opened his Eyes wider, surveying the area around the shack. "I see no one besides us. Then, let''s begin. You will sweat a lot during the process, so put your stuff there."


    "Yes. Light clothes, like you advised."


    "Great. Stand in the middle, I will describe what will happen in details. I altered the ritual to better suit you, so there shouldn''t be any complications, but I will tell you anyways."


    "Go on," Daughter of Whisper nodded


    "I will flood the interior with mana, so much in fact, that your bones will hurt and crystals in your lungs might grow again." Sirius saw her wince a little, but continued, "What you need to do is redirect the mana toward your Astral Body. Like you do with mana, but towards your Spirit, not into the real world where crystals reside."


    "Got it."


    "I will also push the mana as far as I can, and the circle will help too. After that you need to pull all your mana towards the lung pathways in your Spirit. Try to create a sphere and cover in layers. As much layers as you can manage. It will push you in progression without the need to grow your Manapool later. I will be here and will help if something will go awry. Let''s begin?"


    She took a deep breath. "Yes. Let''s go."


    "Don''t fret, Silver Song. In the worst case you will have your Mana Pool underdeveloped and will catch on later. I am beginning." Sirius waiter for her nod and powered the diagram.


    Sirius injected his man in power nodes, while walking around the edge of a big circle. The outer lines lit up one by one as Sirius passed them. When he completed the full circle, the internal mechanisms whirred to life, pulling onto the mana in leyline. Sirius felt the air tingle as the small portion of powerful flow entered the diagram. Some mana seeped out from the inside, but Sirius was expecting that. With careful gaze he observed the condition of Daughter of Whisper and the flow of power through the lines. He heard a grunt.


    "Is it alright?" he asked.


    "It''s too much mana... I feel my ribs vibrate..." she struggled to breathe.


    "Towards your Spirit! Not your lungs!" he shouted over the rumbling sounds of the diagram and rattling of the building. The whirlwind began forming around the center of a diagram and Sirius was afraid it will blow away the diagram.


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    Daughter of Whisper stood in the middle of a circle with her eyes shut tight. Despite the pain she took breath after breath, pushing mana away from her real body into her Spirit. She did as Sirius said, but the vibrating bones made her lungs tingly. She began coughing and fell to her knees.


    "Don''t you dare stop! You will overload!"


    Daughter of Whisper screamed with each exhale, but continued to maintain a rhythm. The doors began rattling as inside the building formed a manastorm. Chaotic swirls of mana collided and merged into a powerful phenomena, capable of killing them both. What''s worse, it is much more noticeable than their covert meeting should have been...


    The doors slammed open.


    Sirius could not care less, as he was busy interfering with the diagram in hopes to stop the swirling mana, and he was achieving exactly that. He disconnected some circles and connected others with new pathways he maintained with his mind. The cyclone was coming to a stop. Until...


    The ripples in the Astral World sent shivers down Sirius'' spine. His mind sprung into action, manifesting the ice pillar behind his back. The pillar shattered. The hit to the left shoulder from behind sent Sirius tumbling on the ground covered in ice shards. He lost concentration and the cyclone began picking up the speed again, now more chaotic than earlier. Sirius looked with fear towards his attacker.


    "What?..." turned her head Daughter of Whisper.


    "Don''t stop! I will manage!" shouted at her Sirius and manifested the shield out of ice in front on himself, fighting the chaotic mana around. The small stone stick pierced right through his flimsy barrier, missing Sirius by the width of his hair.


    Sirius opened his Eyes and stood up. He opened his belt pouch and a couple of small pebbles flew out. They orbited Sirius, as he strained his mind to predict the next attack. He had the advantage of having both Mind''s Eye and Thought Constellation, which gave him a slight precognition. The problem is - his opponent had the same advantage, and was more experienced.


    "It is you again! I knew you were up to no good!" shouted the attacker with rage.


    "And you are already late, Whisper of Nature." Sirius glanced to the side, making sure that the Daughter of Whisper is in control. He was delighted to feel a huge clump of mana inside her chest.


    "Daughter! Stop whatever you are doing!"


    "No stopping now. The Manapool is already condensed!" Sirius answered in her place.


    "Manapool... What!?" Whisper of Nature''s eyes were filled with raging greed light.


    Sirius felt the ground dip under his feet. He was expecting that move though, since he was already trapped like that once. He put his weight on his staff and shot his orbiting pebbles one after another. Whisper of Nature waved them away like it was nothing and began walking inside. Two more pebbles left Sirius'' pouch and began revolving in front of Sirius.


    "Why are you angry? I helped to heal her!"


    "You destroyed the Path that took generations to build!"


    "You would rather kill your own daughter than disappoint your ancestors?"


    "It is you who are killing her!" Whisper of Nature growled with fury and with a wide and swift motion forced the walls of the building to collapse inside.


    Sirius did not expect him to manipulate the wood in the walls and dashed inside the circle. Casting inside would disrupt the flow in the diagram, but when compared to being crushed by the walls it was nothing. He drained the crystals in the lines of their mana and used it to manifest the large ice pillar. It grew upwards, flaring into an umbrella to shield from raining splinters. Sirius saw the terrified look on Daughter of Whisper''s face. She struggled to maintain the process during the battle and was desperately pushing the dense mana away from her body. Sirius quickly made sure that the diagram stopped pushing more mana inside and rolled from under the ice barrier before it reached the ground. He stood up with his staff at the ready, facing Whisper of Nature.


    "Cockroach!" Whisper of Nature made the planks float around Sirius. They began cracking and splitting, turning into sharp splinters, as they were circling Sirius like predators. Sirius stood motionless in the middle. "Last words, demon?" asked Whisper of Nature in domineering tone.


    "Not today."


    Sirius strained his whole body, as dozens of small pebbles rained on Whisper of Nature from all sides. A couple hit his head, disorienting him, while the rest battered his body. Sirius saw the splinters shudder and fall to the ground, and dashed forward. He swirled the staff and took hold of one end, while swinging the whole length of a shaft into Whisper of Nature''s knee. The hard oak wood connected with a crack. Whisper of Nature grunted and fell to the other knee.


    Sirius was ready to stop the battle, but the ground in front of him moved. He dodged the stone pillar rushing at him by bending backwards, but fell on his backside in a process. He felt himself sinking into the ground, a feeling that got quickly replaced by hard stone shackles filled with foreign mana.


    "So much for a mage with a long heritage," said familiar voice.

 071. Spy

    "Don''t interfere!" shouted Whisper of Nature from the ground. He hastily made the stone shell around his knee to stabilise himself and stood up.


    "Or what? I saw the kid beat you, don''t you think you can go against us in that state," said the bald man as he approached Sirius. He looked down with a nasty grin and began jeering "Look who we have here, a terrorist''s henchman! Or should I say a hench-child?" he laughed at his own joke, completely ignoring Whisper of Nature''s glare. "Gods saw your crimes and sent us to take care of you. No longer will you help Crimson Crusade to spread their foul demonic ways!"


    "What are you talking about?" Sirius was genuinely confused.


    "You can deny whatever you want, but the holy Silver Order will uproot your cursed organisation from this world!"


    "I am not with them. They want me dead because I was the Child of Prophecy."


    "Huh, lies again! The true child of Prophecy is in the capital, at the Holiest cathedral of Kingdom!"


    Sirius looked incredulously at the man and began giggling, "No way you all believe that. What else the Order said to you? That druids are barbarians, right?" Sirius sked with ridicule, hoping to turn Whisper of Nature''s rage towards the churchman.


    "Our glorious Kingdom will bring everyone to the light of truth, however long it takes."


    "Do you know that Child of Prophecy is not a single person, but a phenomenon? Those who are talented from birth?"


    "THE Saviour has already been born, you ignorant fool. Now, pledge loyalty to Twin Gods and disclose your plans, or..." the man pulled away his sleeve, revealing the geometric tattoos around his wrist. He closed his fist and the lines glowed, materialising the iron bracelet with long claw-shaped blade. He pointed the blade at Sirius and continued, "I have different ways of persuasion."


    Sirius gulped. He tried to come up with any escape plan, but the man was too close for any route. He knew that people would arrive soon, attracted by the manastorm he caused, so he decided to drag the time, "Fine. Do you have the truth detection spell at the ready? I know Order has one in addition to the cloaking you used to hide your presence."


    The man lifted his brow in surprise and answered with the same nasty grin, "If you wish. Now, tell me about the Crimson Crusade and what it wants."


    "The Crimson Crusade has been on this World since the dawn of magic. Even hundreds of years ago, when the first mages grasped at the secret arts," Sirius began describing with grandiose, carefully observing the man''s face, that was losing its smile.


    "Continue."


    "Back then people were afraid of mages, who only got the Mythos'' gift. They waged wars against them, called them demons. But over time red witches, that''s how they were called, became stronger. Simple man could no longer resist them, and the Empire of Man was wiped out."


    "Closer to the point," churchman nudged Sirius with a blade.


    "That''s when the Crimson Crusade stopped terrorising common folk and founded a country. No you know the name of it? I am sure you do."


    "No. Say it."


    "NO, I want you to come to the conclusion yourself. They lay low and created a facade. A facade that would be much more appealing to folk. They decided to spread their Gods and gather followers under a new banner." Sirius paused. "That country exists now. They have a pope and a ruler..."


    "Lies," the churchman interrupted.


    "What, don''t you recognise your own Kingdom?"


    "You are lying."


    "What does the spell tell you?"


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    "It can be wrong if you genuinely believe what you say. You avoided my question: What does Crimson Crusade want in this city outside the Kingdom?"


    "They are searching for me."


    Sirius'' heart was pounding. He locked gazes with the bald man, not saying anything else. The churchman''s face was stiff and eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he didn''t act.


    "Why are they searching for you?"


    "I am an anomaly. They are afraid I will come back stronger and seed chaos."


    "You stole their art of magic diagrams."


    "I reverse-engineered it with my own skill."


    "You refused to join the Silver Order."


    "They threatened to kill me many times before that, what do you expect me to do, ask for forgiveness?"


    "You attacked the Silver Inquisitor."


    "I protected myself. Anything else on my list of crimes?"


    The man got tired from senseless back-and-forth and kicked Sirius in the side, "Shut up you runt! They are paying for your head, the intel is but a bonus."


    "That was not our deal!" shouted Whisper of Nature, but the man pointed his hand at him, causing a strong gust of wind to throw him away.


    "Silence, barbarian!" Churchman turned back to Sirius, "The Gods will judge you personally." He drew back his right arm, and prepared to stab Sirius in the throat.


    Sirius felt the Astral World pulse.


    Ethereal voice began humming from all around them, "Hmm-Hmm... Hmm-Hmm..."


    The man growled, "What is that again?" His weapon was dancing around his arm.


    The vibrations intensified, making the world shiver. The voice intensified, becoming layered and unnatural, sounding like windchimes. The words became discernable amidst the ringing:


    "*When you will grow older


    And World''s tests overcome...


    Hmm-Hmm... Hmm-Hmm...*"


    Ice shield in the middle of magic diagram cracked, the loud sound reverberating in the Astral World. Man''s weapon began flaking, sharp metal layers digging into his hand, as he frantically tried to pull it off. Sirius felt his restraints weaken and pulled away his arms. He forcefully tugged at man''s pants, making him stumble and fall. All the sounds were quiet, replaced by the powerful song that shattered their eardrums like thunder.


    "*The mighty World Shaper


    You may become!*"


    The song ended with a bang, coming from inside the ice shield. Ice layers flew in all directions, revealing Daughter of Whisper sitting in the centre. She smiled with her eyes closed, the radiant blue light emanating from under her eyelids, as she continued to hum the song. Sirius made use of everyone''s confusion and pulled at the mana in his staff, grabbing it from the air. He stood up and pinned the churchman''s arm, his staff raised high in the air.


    The song ended and Daughter of Whisper stood up. She radiated happiness with all her being as she walked towards Sirius. Now that  the battlefield was quiet, they heard shouts. Terrified, surprised, angry shouts, coming from the road. Sirius glanced in that direction without lowering his staff and saw people running towards them.


    Whisper of Nature sat on the ground in deep shock. He did not anticipate this outcome, and was, understandably speechless. Sirius felt his glare drill into his side, but did not pay him any attention. It''s not like he will attack with all these witnesses. He valued his image more than he hated Sirius.


    People approached and began bantering over each other, trying to understand what happened. They took Sirius under his arms and pulled away from the churchman, completely ignoring Whisper of Nature and his daughter. Suddenly the crowd parted and Rain of Fire walked in. Her domineering gaze scanned the battlefield, before locking onto Sirius.


    She frowned and strictly stated, "You again. I knew you had to be banished long ago."


    Sirius scoffed and smiled, "Do I have a chance of explaining things or no?"


    "You do. But not until at least two more Elders arrive."


    "Sure-sure. Can you release me please? I think I have a broken rib or something," Sirius asked, adrenaline making him more brave in front of confused crowd. The men who held him exchanged glances and after a nod from the Elder freed Sirius'' arms.


    "Banish..." muttered Whisper of Nature.


    "Oh, you are here too? Are you involved in that as well?" scoffed Rain of Fire.


    "Banishment is not enough... Death is not enough," he began getting up and walked towards Sirius.


    "Hey, stop that!" Rain of Fire shouted at Whisper of Nature, but got completely ignored, as he continued ranting.


    "You, alien soul! We gave you shelter, and you decided to uproot the very foundation of our culture!" He stood in front of Sirius and shouted at him, while pointing his finger, "You came with your corruptive ideas and decided that you can act as you wish! Everyone, listen! That outsider led my daughter astray from the Path!"


    Someone in the crowd gasped and murmur spread around people. Sirius began feeling nervous, now that not everyone was ready to protect him.


    The Whisper of Nature continued, "He used his foreign magic to force my daughter away from our family! And now, he defiled her Spirit!"


    Sirius felt the anger build towards him, and could not stay quiet, "And you forced her to train using your traditional techniques, even if it meant she would die!"


    "And you know better right!?" exclaimed Whisper of Nature.


    "You won''t let your daughter carve her own Path, even if it means death?"


    "You don''t know anything! You have no roots to value!"


    "And you said to Calmness of Storm that you will disown her!"


    The murmurs intensified, and people became agitated. The situation got heated and some men began rubbing their fists, when the silvery voice shattered the air, "Everyone stop!"

 072. Silver Song

    The voice was powerful, yet calm, sounding from everywhere at once. People looked around in confusion, trying to find its source, when Daughter of Whisper stepped into the center.


    "Father," She said sternly.


    "Daughter," Whisper of Nature answered.


    "I am cured. My disease is no more. Are you happy?" her voice resonated with the world around, making people exclaim with wonder.


    "I... You..."


    "So you DO plan to disown me, yes?" her voice became more focused and cold, like icy needles.


    "It''s not what I said."


    "I know what you said. Friend of a Snake helped me. More than you did."


    "I taught you everything..." Whisper of Nature''s face contorted in fury.


    "And he taught me more. Like, for example, that each person''s Path is unique, no matter how hard we try to replicate our heritage. What do you say?" she defiantly rose her head.


    "The sacred Path of our ancestors must live!"


    "But will it live without descendants? Do you think mother would be happy with you right now?"


    "DONT!" Whisper of nature stomped with his foot and hissed back, "You don''t talk about your mother like that! She always valued our tribe more than anything! More than herself!"


    "Silence!" thunderous voice made them stop their family dispute. Everyone turned towards the source of the voice and saw Calmness of Storm with Blizzard Bringer and Glint of Gold in tow. He looked at everyone involved with strict gaze, and ordered, "Everyone involved - to the Elders'' Hall. You all heard enough, the rest will be handled in private."


    The crowd complied, even if they were itching to know the whole reason behind the commotion. They surrounded Sirius, Daughter of Whisper, Whisper of Nature and the bald churchman, and led them towards the Elders'' hall. When the doors closed shut, the crowd dissipated, with only a couple of onlookers standing guard, waiting for the end of the trial.


    Sirius, along with everyone else, looked at all nine Elders seated in the hall. They attracted much more attention than anticipated, but he knew that Calmness of Storm will be on his side. He only worried about the rest of Elders, especially Rain of Fire.


    "Whisper of Nature. You, as a renown mage and head of the Forest Tribe, has the first word. Describe what you know," started Calmness of Storm.


    "The foreigner, whom I led to you three months ago, corrupted my daughter. He made her question our sacred Path of Nature, and today even made her defy the right order. As you know, she is ill from birth, and could not progress on the Path due to said illness. He coerced her into believing there is a cure and forced her to condense the wrong organ of First Circle, leading her astray from the Path!" Whisper of Nature ended his speech with angry shouting. Seeing that the Elders did not react, he continued much calmer, "For that perpetration against our family and whole tribe, he deserves death."


    Elders waited for a couple of seconds and looked at each other. Whisper of Nature was right, the Path was irreversibly altered by condensing the wrong organ. That will damage his reputation among the ancient families.


    "Your side is heard, Whisper of Nature, stand back," said Blizzard Bringer.


    "So. Friend of a Snake," said Calmness of Storm.


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    "Yes?" Sirius made a step forward.


    "You were behind all of this?"


    "The first half of all of this. The battle wasn''t planned."


    "That is understandable," Calmness of Storm sneered, which attracted glances from other elders. "Will you describe what were you doing here wince your arrival?"


    "I arrived here after being attacked by Crimson Crusade." Sirius felt the intense gaze of a churchman on his back. "Wounded, I asked for help and my wish was granted. I got healed and I learned the ways of druids. Ever since then I was trying to repay your kindness, hoping to leave one day to study under the Deepest Lake. However, right after being discharged from Eyes of the Forest''s care, I made a promise. I promised Daughter of Whisper to find a cure for her illness. I discovered the source of the crystals growing in her lungs and disclosed it to Eyes of the Forest. But she knew that, and could not do anything. That''s when I learned about the importance of Path."


    "So, that''s when you began planning the ritual you conducted?" asked Rain of Fire.


    "Some time after that. I began avoiding Daughter of Whisper, hoping to devise a way to heal her once and for all. With Calmness of Storm himself approving of my request, I constructed a hut on the other edge of the city and hid there, researching crystals alone." Sirius'' gaze paused on Calmness of Storm for a second and Elder''s corner of mouth curled upwards a little. "But she found me there. I told her that following the Path will kill her and then we began developing her own Path. It all culminated in today''s ritual." Sirius more precisely described the purpose of the ritual and what happened afterwards, how the imbalance in a  diagram caused a manastorm and attracted the attention of Whisper of Nature, who attacked Sirius. His story ended in a confrontation with a churchman, and the arrival of Rain of Fire.


    "And here I thought how YOU got involved..." said Glint of Gold out loud, addressing the churchman. "You were pestering me with your faith for a whole month."


    "You know him?" asked Blizzard Bringer.


    "He was endlessly going on about the end of the World and Crimson Crusade, how they will take over the Plain Veins, and how only the Silver Order can help to ward off the evil."


    "So. Is what Friend of a Snake said true?" asked Calmness of Storm with thundering voice.


    "Y-yes, the Order tasked me with finding the gold-haired traitor of Kingdom," he sheepishly admitted.


    "Take your people and leave, the man of the South. Your faith have no place in this city," strictly ordered Glint of Gold. The golden thread manifested around the man''s neck and attacked to his skin. Doors opened on their own and two sturdy men peeked in. Glint of Gold ordered to take the bald man away, leaving only three of the involved inside. Sirius was surprised to see him so angry, since usually Glint of Gold was the most timid of Elders.


    "So, with third party leaving the scene, there is only one side we are yet to hear. Daughter of Whisper, how is your state right now?" Calmness of Storm asked the girl.


    "Better than ever, Calmness of Storm," she said after making a step forward. With her ringing voice she continued, "The disease receded and I am a fully capable druid now." To be more convincing she manifested an icy prism floating above her palm, for which she received the round of approving nods from Elders.


    "Your voice changed, Daughter of Whisper. Is it related to the recovery?" asked Blizzard Bringer.


    "Yes that is correct. And, Elders, I would like to have the title of Silver Song, if you allow. I have become independent from my family''s Path." She sounded confident and proud, the power within giving her courage.


    "I hear no objections, so be it," said Calmness of Storm after a small pause. "From now on, you shall be known a Silver Song. Say, what do you want us to do with this whole situation?"


    "Me?..."


    "Yes, you are in a position of victim right now. Do you hold a grudge against Friend of a Snake?"


    "What are you saying? Of course no! He saved my life and gave me freedom! It is only fair to make him one of druids."


    "Oh, that''s what you believe?" Calmness of Storm became intrigued by the turn of events, and smiled.


    "Outrageous," interjected Rain of Fire. "The disciple of the Blasphemer can not become one of us."


    "We have already gone over this, he only learned basics from the Blasphemer," said the rough-looking Elder dressed in grey robe. His voice sounded like stones grinding together. "And his soul is strong."


    "Indomitable Will, we cannot let everyone with strong soul into our circles. He is outsider and will always be," responded Rain of Fire.


    "Then banish me, like you wanted," said Sirius, drawing attention to him again. "Let me go. I will leave Plain Veins and travel further east, away from the Kingdom. If things go well, the Deepest Lake will let me be her disciple. If no - I can manage on my own. I have my own Path to build either way."


    Elders exchanged glances once again. Calmness of Storm said after a small pause, "Silver Song, do you have anything to add?"


    "No, Elder."


    "Then I will ask you to wait outside while we discuss the further course of actions."


    The door opened and they exited the hall with a bow.

 073. Waiting

    Sirius sat in the small room opposite of Whisper of Nature. He looked down at the floorboards and nervously tapped his foot. The longer he waited, the more he worried about his destiny. He was almost entirely sure he will live to see tomorrow, it''s just the circumstances of that were wildly unknown. The glare of the druid made him even more uncomfortable.


    "Ugh, what do you want from me?" asked Sirius in tired voice.


    "Die," hissed Whisper of Nature.


    "Will do, sir," Sirius answered with sarcasm and sighed. "At least you have the family to care about... And a home to return to."


    "What are you on about?" he sounded genuinely confused.


    "Kingdom didn''t like how I was born and waned to kill me. Druids see me as an outsider and chase me away. Republic on the east? I don''t know, maybe I will get imprisoned and tortured for intel. No place in this world will welcome me."


    "You are welcome in Plain Veins," said Silver Song.


    "It is up to Elders to decide... Oh no, did we forget your Life at the site?" Sirius asked with fear.


    "We did, yes..." she covered her mouth with a back of her hand.


    "Humph! No respect for the heritage whatsoever," grunted Whisper of Nature.


    "Well, maybe if we weren''t attacked from the back, we wouldn''t leave our stuff there! I hope you didn''t scatter it around, old man," Sirius accused him in the most teasing tone he could muster.


    "Old!?" Whisper of Nature tried getting up in an outrage, but his aching knee was encased in heavy stone and didn''t bend so easily. "I am not that old..."


    Sirius watched Whisper of Nature wince in pain under strict gazes of guards. "Sorry about the leg... And the head..."


    "I''m fine."


    "I didn''t want to kill you. Really. You want me gone, but I am not a bloodthirsty beast like the Church paints me."


    Whisper of Nature sat in silence, rubbing the stone shell on his leg. Then he said grumpily, "It''s fine. A small dislocation is nothing for me. Your move with pebbles was smart."


    Sirius scoffed. "Thank you. I made them myself. Your manipulation of wood is something incredible, I must say."


    "It''s what our Path of Nature is about," he shrugged. "And now I understand why you are known as Yellow Snow. Ice is your second nature."


    "Wh-who told you that!?" Sirius was baffled. He glanced at the guards who were struggling to hide their stifled laughs. "Mountain Wrangler!"


    "Shepherd''s kid, yeah..." he smiled.


    They both got distracted by Silver Song''s bell-like giggles that filled the room with joy. She laughed at them, surprised to see their fierce conflict turn into friendly talks. "I told you he is a nice person, dad!"


    "Don''t think you got away, daughter!" Whisper of Nature said strictly.


    "Why not?" refuted Silver Song. "You saw me turn that bald man''s magic against him! Doesn''t it prove me worthy?"


    "You should see what she is capable of, old man," said Sirius with a smile. "I barely had time to fix all the holes in the walls she made."


    "Hey, it was only one time!"


    "With just her Eyes?" Whisper of Nature asked in surprise.


    "Don''t you feel the world vibrate with each word she speaks?" answered Sirius with another question.


    "I managed to finalise Mana Pool inside my chest, where my lungs reside," she pointed at the upper side of her body. "It pulled mana from my lungs and crystals dissipated. It grew so large my Spirit aches a little..."


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    "Pulled mana from crystals in lungs..." whispered Sirius with realisation. He held his head in his hands, "UGH! I forgot to account for that mana! You did great in dealing with that excess, but... UGHHH! I should have lowered the saturation rate, you could get hurt."


    "Don''t blame yourself. Your instructions helped a lot, yes," she said with a smile and put her hand on Sirius'' back, making him flinch.


    Whisper of Nature listened them banter about the ritual details. They enthusiastically talked about the condensation process, Silver Song described her feelings and Sirius explained how the structure affected efficiency of the organ.


    "And then that bald man," said Sirius, "how did he manage to create that bracelet? It didn''t look like diagrams I am familiar with."


    "He is from the southern tribes, closer to the sea," explained Whisper of Nature. "They are using tattoos made of crystals to aid them in battles. Most of them are passed down like our Paths."


    "And they work?..."


    "Are you blind? He used that in front of you!"


    "Fair..."


    "It''s something they take great pride in. Shame that most of southerners are bandits and pirates."


    "Do I have a chance of settling there?" asked Sirius with hope in his voice.


    "Not a minute one. They are even more tribal and wary of outsiders. Plain druids are one of the friendliest."


    "What are other tribes? Who should I be careful with?"


    "Careful? With everyone. Druids are prideful in their ways. As for the particular tribes..." Whisper of Nature thought for a moment, "Mountain tribes are famous for their martial arts, but are very secluded. Forest tribes will try to kill you if you enter their territory, they are very protective of their land. Plain ones are traders, so they meddle with everyone around. It is hard to trade if you are at odds with your neighbours. There is also a desert nomads on the south-east, but almost nothing is known about them."


    "Wow... Thank you loads! I couldn''t get that information from anywhere."


    "Don''t sweat it. It''s a common knowledge. Though each tribe is unique and all I said is but a stereotype. You should also be careful of World Shapers. They are so powerful they alter the World around them... And mages'' graves..." he shuddered. "Terrifying places, avoid them at all costs."


    "Is that an Anomaly?"


    "Yes, some call it like that. I personally knew a man who gathered materials from Metal Forest. Mage''s remnant found him. He turned into metal statue over the course of weeks. No one could save him."


    "And once again a spell that worked over time..."


    "Hmm?"


    "Wish of Nature encircled his tribe in a wall. It has some kind of curse that makes the forest hostile as you het closer to the walls."


    "You know he is inside that hall right?" whispered Whisper of Nature.


    "Really? Which one is him?" whispered back Sirius.


    "He sits to the right, the most silent one with skin like bark."


    Sirius nodded and glanced at the guards who stood still and looked at them.


    "I did not offend him, right?" Sirius asked hopefully.


    "No. Wish of Nature is a fair Elder," answered one of the guards quietly. "He is not as rash as you view him."


    Sirius nodded and they all fell silent again. After a couple of minutes of silence, he began tapping his foot again.


    "Oh, World, do you want me to encase your foot in a stone like mine?" suddenly asked Whisper of Nature, making Sirius stop.


    "Sorry. I am just nervous about what will happen to me."


    "I should not have told them to kill you."


    "Oh, really!?" exclaimed Sirius, "I didn''t know that killing people is bad!"


    "Those who defy the Path are exiled. Like your mentor, Blasphemer."


    "He studied healing, what did he do wrong?"


    "Oh, he did not just study healing," Whisper of Nature shook his head. "His specialisation was blood magic. He used the blood to do terrifying things, but healing was one of the techniques. He was exiled from my tribe after Friend of the Unkind told us about his magic."


    "So it was your tribe! He was from your tribe!"


    "He was a good healer. Until he delved too deep into forbidden stuff. I knew about his glassy green crystals, he healed my wife many times. But when Friend of the Unkind rattled the secrets to the whole tribe, I could not stop them from banishing him."


    "Blood magic..."


    "Don''t you dare follow his steps! I will be the first to come after you!"


    "I just found the name interesting, that''s all. But... What happened to your wife?"


    "She..." Whisper of Nature''s eye glinted with a tear, "She had the tumors all around her body. Blasphemer''s magic was the only remedy. And when he was exiled... We thought it was alright, but after a couple years she began feeling sick. Local healers helped her, and we thought that everything is behind. We planned to expand out family. But then, during pregnancy her condition got much worse. No healers could help her at that point. She died right after giving birth..."


    Sirius sat in silence. Silver Song sniffled in the corner. Whisper of Nature''s face got streaked with tears.


    "You never told me that..." said Silver Song.


    "I wanted to save that story for when you are older. But we have the disciple of that healer in front of us, so it came up on its own... I''m sorry you had to learn your mother''s fate like that."


    "That is why you are so protective, Whisper of Nature?" asked Sirius with a sad smile, "Your wife succumbed to the incurable disease... And your daughter caught something incurable as well."


    Silver Song'' eyes rounded and she covered her mouth in realisation.


    "And then came some strange healer that promised to help. It all was just... too similar. I could not believe that."


    The door opened, inviting everyone in the room to come inside. Sirius gulped. They were about to hear the verdict.

 074. Path

    Sirius felt his heart ache. Or was it his cracked ribs, he wasn''t sure. He was extremely reluctant to go in that room.


    "Hey, Friend of a Snake?" whispered Silver Song, seeing that he wasn''t moving.


    "Yes... Yes, I''m coming," Sirius said and took a shallow breath, before carefully lifting himself up and passing through the entrance.


    The door loudly slammed shut behind him, louder than his thundering heart in his ears. He looked at the floor, not finding any strength to lift his head. His mind raced with numerous what-ifs, trying to formulate a myriad of plans. He felt his Thought Constellation swirl at incredible speeds, anxiety fuelling its chaotic and unstoppable whirlwind of thoughts. He began hyperventilating. Cold sweat streaked his pulsing temple.


    "Friend of a Snake," sounded powerful voice of Calmness of Storm, pulling Sirius out of his thoughts.


    Sirius stopped breathing and gradually lifted his head. WIth unfocused gaze he stared at the other side of the hall. "Y-yes?"


    "We have come to conclusion..." Calmness of Storm was deliberately dragging his answer.


    "Y-yes?..."


    "That you are..." another pause made Sirius'' heart stop, "... an extremely rare case."


    Sirius'' lungs burnt. He was holding his breath for too long. Yet, he could not release his breath, as he opened and closed his mouth without a sound.


    "Hey, relax and listen carefully!" said annoyed Rain of Fire.


    "You have nothing to worry about," reassured Glint of Gold with a smile.


    "We happened to overhear your small dialogue outside, and that may have influenced our decision a bit," sneered Blizzard Bringer. "Whisper of Nature, do you have any grievances with our foreign visitor?"


    "Grievances? Apart from making my daughter abandon my family''s heritage?"


    "Yes. Apart from that." Blizzard Bringer stared intently at old druid.


    Whisper of Nature glanced at Sirius, who was expectantly awaiting for his answer. Old man grunted and answered, pridefully raising his head, "No, Blizzard Bringer. After sorting out our harsh feelings, I understand that I am grateful, even if I don''t want to admit that. Not only he saved my daughter''s life, he allowed her to become another powerful member of our family."


    Sirius'' gaze drifted towards Calmness of Storm, who was smiling at him. He lifted his bushy brow, revealing the grey eye with pupil shining with pale cyan light. Sirius expectantly nodded, silent question readable on his face.


    "Since the only person who had any problems with your conduct agrees that you do not deserve death, we concluded that you may stay in Plain Veins," Calmness of Storm stated their decision.


    Sirius exhaled and fell to his knees. "Next time just say the last part..."


    "Next time?" sneered Rain of Fire with a smirk.


    Loud laugh from the right side of the table attracted everyone''s attention. Sirius saw the tall and bulky heap of clothing shudder, as youthful laugh of a young man filled the room. The heap began moving. Thin branch-like hand cracked and grasped the wooden staff, that was leaning in a high chair. Another hand gripped the armrest and pushed down. The heap turned out to be a thick cloak made of fur, that uncovered when the man stood up, revealing his visage.


    He was tall. Too tall, in fact. His bright blue eyes looked down at everyone in the room, from towering two heads taller than the bulky and towering tavern-keeper Iron Hands. His lanky posture made him look unnatural, yet his fluid motion put Sirius in deep awe. Sirius looked at this giant, and the giant looked down, his eyes glowing in the dark. He gracefully stepped out of the circle and bent down in front of Sirius. Sirius felt an invisible force lift him up to his feet, and he saw that smooth-looking dark skin of the man was in fact rough and bark-like. The man tilted his head with a smile, making a row of earrings in his long ears rattle a little. Sirius was stunned in front of this druid. He was unlike anyone he saw before, and his every cell practically vibrated with power. Sirius knew that this is the Wish of Nature, the being closest to a deity to the forest tribe.


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    "You have gifted us a new Path, and for that we are grateful," slowly stated Wish of Nature in a deep bass. Sirius could swear he heard the rustling of leaves in his voice. "Your eyes see this World differently than ours, let it be your strength. After all, you are not like them, nor you are like us."


    "Who... ''them''?" whispered Sirius, baffled that Wish of Nature repeated the word of Ghost of the Past.


    "Those who came before us, and those who will come after." The man tilted his head the other way.


    "I... I don''t understand, why are you telling me all that?"


    Wish of Nature laughed a little and leaned towards Sirius'' ear. He whispered, "The World have already blessed your Path. Protect that blessing at all costs. Don''t let them steal it. Don''t let us destroy it." Wish of Nature stepped back and stood straight. He turned towards elders and bowed, "Forgive my interruption. I shall take my place."


    "It is rare to see you stand in front of us, you should do it more often," laughed Calmness of Storm.


    "Maybe I will." Wish of Nature nodded with a smile and returned to his place, thick coat covering his body seemingly on its own.


    Calmness of Storm glanced to the side with a smirk, "I announce that the Rite of the Name will happen this evening. Until then - get ready, tidy yourself from the traces of battle."


    "Thank you, Elders!" said Whisper of Nature and Silver Song in unison. Sirius awkwardly repeated after them.


    "You may go. Except Friend of a Snake," said Calmness of Storm, once again making Sirius nervous. Sirius nodded at Silver Song, and she reluctantly left the hall along with her father.


    With the door shut, Sirius asked, "Yes, Elders."


    "The man who ambushed you. He was from the church. We also got some intel from him."


    "Already? But you didn''t leave the room..."


    "Who said we need to leave?" sneered Glint of Gold and created a golden thread between his fingers.


    "Yes, that''s right. The Church of the Kingdom is spreading information that you was coerced by the Crimson Crusade. Do you understand what that means?"


    "Crimson Crusade is considered a terrorist organisation... Does that mean it gives them a reason to officially use army to get me?"


    "It does. Yet, that wouldn''t be possible for them. Too much people for one person. It is like searching for a needle in hay bale," explained Nameless Wind, a young elder in light clothes who was the logistics specialist among the elders.


    "But your will scares them enough to send mercenaries," added Indomitable Will.


    "I wanted to say!..." Nameless Wind raised his voice at Indomitable Will, "I wanted to say that moving out armies for the sake of finding you is pointless. Yet!..." he raised his finger, "my scouts say that the Kingdom''s army is currently taking control over fringe tribes, spreading their faith and setting up outposts."


    "That is highly unusual of them, I must add," said Glint of Gold, "They prefer covert operations, converting most malleable of our people. They almost set up a church in Plain Veins that way."


    "That is correct. I wanted to ask you, Friend of a Snake, do you know anything about that?"


    "Outposts... Army... They are not preparing for war with western Republic, don''t they?"


    "A war with Conflux? No way... The whole Betweenlands are separating their countries, why would they prepare for war?" Nameless Wind pulled out a map and began frantically looking over the borders.


    "Strength of Mind, you said that northern mountain tribes are getting cut off from the rest of tribes, right?" Calmness of Storm asked.


    "Yes..." the elder with thick grey hair and beard answered, seemingly in daze. "Trade stopped... Two tribes died... Rest combined... They isolate themselves to protect..."


    "Can they survive without trade?" asked Blizzard Bringer.


    "Not all..."


    "They are really moving west! They take over the south, protecting themselves from mercenaries over there!" shouted nameless Wind in shock, "Their current actions are just a foundation!"


    "Any moves from Conflux Republic, Hears All?" asked Rain of Fire.


    The middle-aged woman twitched her ear and turned Rain of Fire with her eyes empty. Without moving her mouth, she answered, "Not that I know of. They are very pushy to set up trade with many tribes along their border." She was talking in a whisper, yet her voice was as loud as everyone else''s.


    "Tensions are rising..." said Calmness of Storm.


    "But all druids are in danger of getting in a crossfire," said Sirius, understanding the whole gravity of their situation. "With all tribes faring for themselves, will you be able to protect everyone?"


    "The boy is right," said Rain of Fire, "We must prepare for the worst."


    "I am glad you see that too," said Calmness of Storm, "That means I was not mistaken." He sighed. "Go home, Friend of a Snake. You have other matters to sort out."


    "Yes. Thank you, Elders," Sirius bowed, the news weighing down on his mind.