《A Dead God's Wish》 Chapter 1: A Journeys Beginning Chapter 1: A Journey''s Beginning The people of this realm live their lives, never appreciating the beauty of the world they live in. They have lived in this world for so long that they have become blind to it. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A young boy, no older than 18 years of age, waited in a bush with his breath held. The tension was palpable in the air. The trees formed a thick canopy that partially blocked out the light of the sun and the floor was littered with fallen leaves and undergrowth. This, combined with the complete silence that seemed to encompass this forest, made for an eerie atmosphere. After what seemed like an eternity, a flash of movement caught the boy''s eye. With a rush, the boy dove out of the bush. Just in time to see the bush he had been hiding in sliced into shreds. As the boy rolled to his feet, his hands began to glow with a blue, ethereal light. By the time he had gotten to his feet, the boy was holding a spectral longbow made of that same light. Without hesitation, the boy shot glowing arrows at his assailant, who appeared to be a girl wielding dual ghostly scimitars. The boy''s aim held true and the arrows flew at a blistering speed towards the girl. The girl deftly knocked the arrows away from her with inhuman reactions. But barely a second after her scimitar had made contact with his arrows, the arrows exploded with concussive force. The woman was blown back by the blast, but the explosions were far enough away that they did little actual damage. The girl landed nimbly on her feet, but more arrows were already streaking towards her. This time, the girl started dodging the arrows and using the trees as temporary cover, while she swiftly closes the distance between her and the boy. The girl was only a couple yards away when the boy willed his bow to disintegrate into nothingness and started climbing a nearby tree with startling speed. When the girl got to the tree the boy was climbing, she cut it down with one swing. The glowing longbow forms in the boy''s hands again as he jumps off the falling tree. The boy''s breath slowed as he fell through the air, and as his breathing slowed, time seemed to slow down with it. He sees his target. Black hair in a ponytail, tanned skin, and two blue, lifeless eyes. Why are you all like this? the boy wondered briefly before he began to focus in on those eyes and draw his bow. He knows the rest of the steps. Focus all your energy into your arrow.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Visualize the shot. Release. The arrow seemed to arrive almost instantaneously inches from the girls'' eyes when a translucent barrier appeared in front of both combatants, stopping the arrow dead in its tracks and shielding the boy from his fall. "Subject 11 and Subject 62. That''s enough", called an unknown voice that seemed to be emanating from the forest itself,"Please exit the arena and await further orders." The forest that surrounded the teens faded to be replaced by a huge white circular chamber. The teens jogged to a door that opened automatically as they approached, to another room. This room was bustling with activity. People in black robes were talking with each other, writing notes as they watched the footage of the most recent sparring match. One man who stood out from the rest with his white robe and his startlingly long beard walked up to the teens and as he did, the teens straightened their backs and in perfect unison said, "Subject 11 and Subject 62 reporting back from sparring match 173. Current status: slightly fatigued. What are your orders Professor Icharius?" Professor Icharius ordered, "Subject 62 you may report to your room. Subject 11, I would like to have a word with you in my office. Remember, lunch is in thirty minutes. If you are late, you will be served slug past again." "Yes, sir.", replied the teens. With that, the girl left through the main door while the boy followed the Professor down another exit to the left. The walk that took minutes through winding hallways was filled only with an uncomfortable silence. They finally reached the Professor''s office and hurriedly closed the door. As soon as the door was closed, the boy''s emotionless face melted away and gave way to a wide smile of excitement and bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with childish mischief and curiosity. Weyn said excitedly, "Professor Icharius, did you watch the sparring match? I finally beat 62! It''s all thanks to that new move you helped me create." The Professor chuckled and said in a fatherly tone, "Well done Weyn. You have improved by leaps and bounds this past couple of years. It is truly impressive to watch." "Does that mean I''m ready to travel to the outside world now?", the boy asked excitedly. The professor sighed and said, "I''ve told you before Weyn. The other researchers won''t just let us leave. We have to find the right time to leave when we won''t be noticed." "I know, I know. But I''ve been waiting for this my whole life." "I know my child. Trust me, if all goes according to plan the right time we''ve been talking about will be very soon. Maybe even within the month", replied Icharius. "Wait, seriously?", Weyn said as if he couldn''t believe that it was finally going to happen. "Of course, I wouldn''t-." The Professor''s words were cut short as Weyn grabbed him into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Professor", Weyn said as he hugged the old man tighter. "W-Weyn, too... tight", Professor Icharius gasped. "Oh sorry! Are you alright?", Weyn asked as he let go of the Professor. "Y-yes, I''m fine. Just remember that your a strong boy and it doesn''t take much to break these old bones", Professor Icharius said as he caught his breath. "I''m really sorry professor. Are you still up to tell me about the city of Odrasa?", Weyn asked concernedly. "Glad to see that I succeeded in teaching you some manners, but I don''t think we will have time for that. After all, lunch is in five minutes", Professor Icharius said casually as he smoothed out his robe. "Oh crap!", yells Weyn as he begins to scramble out of the room. Icharius smiled nostalgically as he watched Weyn almost slam the door on his way out. He''s just like you when you were young, Icharius thought as a silent tear rolled down his face. Weyn ran down the winding hallways as fast as he could. He looked up at the clock tower to see that it was 4:58. Two more minutes. I can make it if I hurry, Weyn thought as he tried to run even faster down the stairs. He sprinted past the training complexes filled with various wooden weapons and training equipment and the towering building that was the *Essence Research Center, before finally reaching the cube-shaped building that was the cafeteria. Yes! I made it, Weyn thought as he reached to open the door with panting breath. *BOOM!* Then everything went white. Chapter 2: A Childhood Memory Chapter 2 6 years ago... On the second floor of the Fulmine Manor, a young boy who could be no older than 11 years-old sat beside a black-haired man with warm brown eyes in what seemed to be a laboratory filled with all manner of equipment and mystical items. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡±, the boy exclaimed as he stared in wonder at the beautiful emerald that held a pulsing light. ¡°It¡¯s not just a pretty stone child¡±, said the man as he took the gem from the boy¡¯s hands, ¡°It¡¯s a portal stone, the first of mana device capable of generating a portal big enough for a human to pass through.¡± ¡°So does that mean we can go anywhere in the world?¡±, the boy asked. ¡°No, not exactly. It¡¯s only able to create a portal to its sister stone, which is right here¡±, the man replied as he held up another glowing gem, this one was red. *Creak* The door was slowly opened by a beautiful woman with snow white hair, tanned skin, and emerald green eyes. ¡°Dear, Charles of the Thronheart family is waiting for us at the front lobby¡±, informed the woman. The man turned to her and said, ¡°Thank you, Lydia. I guess I¡¯ve had enough relaxation for the day. Come Alus, let us go meet our guest downstairs.¡± ¡°As you wish, father¡±, the boy responded as he remembered his proper etiquette. As they exited the room, an armored young woman with blonde hair and grey eyes joined them as they walked down the hall. ¡°Mia, did Mr. Thornheart say why he wanted to see us?¡±, Tovior asked the armored woman. ¡°No, sir. He only said that he wanted to talk to you and your family about a private matter¡±, Mia said. ¡°Then be ready¡±, Tovior said as they approached the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir. We have twenty guards in the lobby you¡¯ll be safe with us¡±, Mia reassured. The group walked down to the front lobby where a blonde man was talking to a small group of five hooded figures. As soon as the man saw Tovior walking towards him, he stopped talking to the hooded figures. ¡° Professor Tovior Fulmine. It is truly an honor to meet one of the Mana Research Association¡¯s top researchers in dimensional magic. Professors Charles Thornheart, at your service¡±, the man said as he held out his hand. Tovior¡¯s eyes narrow in something akin suspicion. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of you too, Professor Charles Thornheart¡±, Tovior replied as he took the hand in a firm handshake, ¡°You are one of the top developers of destructive spells and magical weapons in the Association. So why are you here? I could hardly imagine you would visit me because you admire my work.¡± This is new. I¡¯ve never seen father be so¡­ suspicious of a guest before, Alus thought. ¡°You are correct as usual Professor, but first I would like to ask, must we have all these listeners in the room? I¡¯d like to discuss this matter in relative privacy¡±, Charles asked casually as he motioned towards the armored guards that surrounded them. ¡°You know these aren¡¯t exactly the safest times Mr. Thornheart. So please state your business here or I am going to have to ask you to leave¡±, Tovior said firmly. ¡°Ah of course. My apologies for being so insensitive. As for the matter that I wish to speak about with you, it has to do with your most recent research in dimensional manipulation¡±, Charles said with an unsettling smile, ¡°You see, I heard that you managed to open a portal to a certain dimension.¡± ¡°Yes, we recently opened a portal to a new dimension, but I don¡¯t see why that would matter to you. All that was in there was volatile mana¡±, Tovior answered cautiously. Charles gave a small chuckle and said,¡±Oh Tovior, you may be a genius mage, but you are an awful liar. We already know what you found in that dimension and that is why we can¡¯t let you or your family live.¡± As if on cue, blue light began emanating from the each of the hooded figures¡¯ hands. One group of guards drew their blades and rushed the group, while the other rushed to form a wall between the Fulmine family and the hooded figures. Tovior and Lydia began casting a spell and a ball of energy formed in front of them, while Charles was nowhere to be seen. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. By the time the guards had closed the distance between them and the enemy, the hooded figures were holding ghostly weapons made of blue light. One of the hooded figures spun their halberd into a vicious swing that cut one of the guards into pieces. Another one of the hooded figures flipped into the air and threw glowing daggers that pierced the two of the guard¡¯s necks through a crack in their armor. Another one of the assailants threw a spear that flew at an unnatural speed towards Mia. She deftly caught it with a gauntleted hand, but then the lance exploded with a great burst of light that blasted Mia into a stone wall. The wall cracked under the force of the impact and Mia fell to the ground unconscious. Tovior and Lydia finally finished their spell and a gigantic ball of fire was hurled towards the group of assailants. But one of the hooded figures launched himself towards the giant ball of fire and sliced apart it with with a glowing katana. Alus was staring wide-eyed at the hooded figures slaughtering the guards in such a graceful manner that it could almost be called beautiful. He watched his father, calm and collected, shouting orders to the guards as he began casting another spell. Something akin to admiration filled the boy¡¯s heart as he watched his father fight against these assailants without fear. ¡°Alus! Take this and get out of here¡±, shouted Tovior as he tossed what looked to be a gemstone to him. Tovior¡¯s shout made him remember the dangerous situation he was in and he managed to catch the stone before it flew over his head. Alus began to turn to run but then¡­ *Shlunk!* A glowing dagger flew past the guards and into Tovior¡¯s chest. The dagger disintegrated into nothingness as his body fell to the floor. Alus stopped dead in his tracks. It was like the whole world had stopped moving as he watched his father¡¯s body lying in a pool of blood. There was just no way, Alus thought. There¡¯s no way my father could die like that. He faintly heard Mia desperately shouting for him to run, but he couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t stop looking at his father¡¯s corpse lying on the ground. Darkness began closing in on his vision. There¡¯s no way, Alus thought as everything faded to black. ---------------------------------------- *Present Day* In a small room of an inn in the city of Chrona, a young man with jet-black hair and light skin, twisted and turned in a small cot. ¡°Dad¡­ Mom¡­¡±, the young man muttered in his sleep. As he continued to twist and turn, you could see him clutching onto a transparent stone that seemed to be made of something like glass. ¡°No don¡¯t!¡±, the young man shouted as he got up with a start. The young man looked around the room with emerald-green eyes and took a deep breath. He looked at the glass stone in his palm and clutched it tight. The man got out of the bed and put the stone in his pocket. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Alus, it¡¯s time to get up. We have work in thirty minutes¡±, said a feminine voice through the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in fifteen Mia¡±, responded Alus as he got put on light leather armor. He fastened the last strap of his chest plate, took a sheathed shortsword from the nightstand, and then ran down the wooden stairs. A woman who looked to be in her late-twenties with grey eyes and blonde hair was waiting for Alus at the base of the stairs. She wore a small metal chest plate and iron gauntlets. When Alus reached the bottom of the stairs, she handed him a bag. ¡°The job is to take out an ogre that has been stealing the livestock of some farms a couple miles up north. Shouldn¡¯t be too difficult, but it will be good practice for the expedition in two weeks¡±, the woman said as she checked her pack to make sure they had all the appropriate potions. ¡°Got it. We should get moving then¡±, said Alus as he hefted the bag over his shoulder. Before he could turn to leave the woman grabbed his hand. ¡°I heard you shout back in your room. Are you okay?¡±, the woman asked concernedly. ¡°Mia, I¡¯m fine. Just had a little nightmare is all¡±, Alus said unconvincingly. ¡°Okay. Just know, that you can always come to me. I¡¯m there for you¡±, Mia said earnestly. ¡°Thanks, Mia. That means a lot to me¡±, Alus said gratefully. ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving. We aren¡¯t going to get paid just standing around here¡±, Mia said enthusiastically. ¡°Yes mam¡±, said Alus as they began the short trek up north. Forty-five minutes later, they were preparing to fight in the fields near the farms. The pair set down their packs and began taking out their equipment. Alus took out a couple of scrolls, while Mia took out a jar filled with some muddy mixture of herbs. Mia set the jar down on the ground and opened it. The area filled with a foul smell that was similar to rotting meat. ¡°Okay, the ogre-bait is set.¡±, shouted Mia. ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t have to wait long¡±, said Alus as he clutched the glass stone in his pocket. As if on cue, a hulking beast around fifteen feet tall, greenish skin, and a face that looked like a mix of a boar and a man, came stomping through the woods towards them, wielding a giant ten-foot club. Alus immediately began gesturing to cast a spell, while Mia readied herself for the oncoming monster. The ogre swung its club towards Mia at an alarming speed. Mia spread her feet, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. *Crack!* With a single punch, Mia shattered the club into splinters. Immediately afterward, she launched herself towards the ogre, but with surprisingly fast reflexes the ogre smacked Mia out of the air. Mia flew several meters away but acrobatically twisted mid-air and landed on her feet. The ogre tried to move towards her but was blasted back by a giant fireball. The ogre roared out in pain as it quickly rolled out the flames roasting its surprisingly resilient skin. By the time the ogre had gotten up, a volley of magical missiles were already on their way. The missiles hit the ogre in quick succession causing it to stagger. But it seemed even after all that, the ogre only seemed a little fatigued. Screw it. This is going to take too long, Alus thought as he opened one of his scrolls. He focused his mana into the parchment and an intricate magic circle began to glow a vibrant orange on the paper. ¡°Mia get out of the way¡±, Alus shouted as he aimed at the ogre that was trying to hit Mia with little success. Mia leaped onto the ogre¡¯s face and used it as a launching pad to jump away from the ogre. Not a second later did Alus shoot the spell, releasing a giant spike of some kind of black metal from the parchment. The spike flew at lightning speed, piercing straight through the ogre¡¯s chest. The ogre fell to the ground with a heavy thud as the life faded from its eyes. The metal spike disintegrated into dust shortly afterward. ¡°Damn those things hit hard¡±, Mia said as she walked up beside Alus, ¡°But did you have to use one of the scroll? Those things aren¡¯t exactly easy to co-.¡± *BOOM!* A distant rumble interrupted Mia. ¡°What the hell was that?¡±, Alus asked as he cut out the ogre¡¯s tusks. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It sounded it like it came from the mountains¡±, Mia said as she squinted at the distant mountains,¡±Well, I don¡¯t see anything, but I don¡¯t think we want to deal with anything that could cause a noise like that, so let¡¯s get back to Chrona.¡± Alus continued staring at the mountain in the distance and instinctively grasped the glass stone from his pocket. ¡°You coming?¡±,shouted Mia as she walked south towards the city. ¡°Yeah sorry! Just got a little distracted¡±, Alus shouted in response as he placed the stone back in his pocket. Unbeknownst to the young man, a minuscule spark, imperceptible to the naked eye, had formed in the stone. Chapter 3: A New World Chapter 3: A New World Weyn blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried to clear the lights that were flashing through his vision with little success. His ears were ringing and his head felt like it was being crushed. Eventually, Weyn managed to get himself off the ground. All of the buildings had been demolished to rubble. He checked himself for injuries and only found a couple minor scrape wounds. ¡°Huh, I really got lucky this time¡±, Weyn murmured to himself as he looked down at the hand of a corpse buried by the rubble. A look of worry appeared on Weyn¡¯s face as he realized that Professor may not have been so lucky as to escape with just a few scrapes. Weyn started running towards where Icharius¡¯ office used to be. ¡°Professor Icharius!¡±, Weyn shouted, ¡°Where are y-.¡± That¡¯s when he saw him. The professor, his stomach impaled by a piece of sharp debris in a dried puddle of blood. ¡°Nonono¡­¡±, Weyn said he rushed towards the body. He checked for a pulse in the vain hope that he might still be alive. Nothing. Weyn dropped to his knees. What is this?, Weyn thought. His chest felt tight. It hurt. He wanted to scream. And for the first time since he could remember, tears began rolling down his face. Memories flashed through his mind. The warm smile the Professor gave him when they first met after combat training many years ago. The first time the Professor took him into his office and told him a story. The time the Professor gave him a name. The strict reading and writing lessons that he taught. The comforting embrace Weyn could always turn to when the black-robed men did their painful experiments on him. But as the tears continued to streak down his face, Weyn noticed a piece of blood-stained parchment and a quill lying in the Professor¡¯s hands. He picked up the piece of parchment and began to read it. Dear Weyn, If you are reading this that means you have survived the blast, thank the gods. I know that I am dying right now. I know that when you read this, you may be hurting from my death. You may cry now. But then please, for me and for you, dry your tears. After all, you have a whole world filled with endless possibilities to explore. When you''re ready, go through the east tunnel. Pull the lantern closest to the exit. You¡¯ll find a longbow, arrows, a bag of coins, and some supplies. After you obtain the rucksack, you should start going south. You¡¯ll find a road within a couple miles journey. Follow the road down in the southmost direction and you will find the city of Chrona within a few days. But remember these three things above all else. One, never manifest your essence unless absolutely necessary. Two, be careful of who you trust. Three... This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The writing ended with an illegible scribble. You were always looking out for me, Weyn thought sadly. ¡°Thank you¡±, Weyn said quietly as he closed the professor¡¯s lifeless eyes. Weyn dried a final tear and got to his feet again. He took the piece of parchment and carefully folded it into his pocket. He began walking towards the east tunnel entrance. But what am I supposed to do after I get to Chrona?, Weyn asked himself. I won¡¯t have anybody to look out for me. No one to guide me. Weyn continued worriedly thinking about what he was going to do until he reached the tunnel. Weyn stopped right before the entrance. He had seen the tunnel on multiple occasions, but he was never allowed to enter it. It was a small rectangular tunnel that could only comfortably accommodate one person at a time. It was lined with softly glowing lanterns on both sides. Weyn entered the tunnel feeling uncomfortable at first from how narrow the tunnel was, but he quickly got used to it and arrived at the end of the tunnel in good time. There was a circular door made of strong oakwood. A single lantern glowed right beside the door. That must be it, Weyn thought. He reached for the lantern and pulled it firmly. *Click* A stone panel fell out of the wall right under the lantern to reveal a hidden compartment containing a leather rucksack. Weyn checked the contents of the bag. A wooden longbow, a quiver full of arrows, an extra set of clothes, a map, and a sheathed dagger. After checking the rucksack, Weyn opened the door and was nearly blown back by a strong gust of wind. After he recovered, Weyn found a scene completely foreign to him. He saw a rocky, unpaved trail that led down the mountain and into a giant coniferous forest that seemed to go on forever. The cold of the mountain air bit into his skin causing him to shiver and the wind roared in his ears. So, this is the outside, Weyn thought. A whirlwind of emotions welled up within him. Awe for the majestic scene before him. Fear that he may not be prepared to face this world. Excitement and curiosity to finally see the world that he has only heard about in stories. A sorrowful loneliness that the Professor wouldn¡¯t be by his side to explore this new world. Weyn took a deep breath and took his first step into the outside world. ----------------------------------------------------- A man who looked to be in his thirties stood among the remains of the facility. He had dark brown skin, long white hair tied in a ponytail, and a gnarly scar running across his left eye. He stood there, looking down at the body of Professor Icharius. A single tear dropped from an amber eye. How many more people will be taken from me before this is over?, the man asked. ¡°Find out how they did this¡±, the man said through clenched teeth. "Already on it", replied a disembodied voice that seemed to echo off non-existent walls. The man crouched down before the Professor. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me to do this father, but I¡¯m the only one who can. I¡¯ll make sure that you and the others have not died in vain. I¡¯ll win this war and fulfill her wish¡±, the man said quietly. The man stood up and with a snap of his finger, set the Professor¡¯s body ablaze. No matter the cost, the man thought as watched the smoke rise up into the night sky. Chapter 4: Strangers Meet in the Forest Chapter 4 In a small clearing in the coniferous woods of the Dartlis Forest, a young man stood surrounded by what looked to be a normal pack of black wolves, except these wolves were twice his size. He looked to be in his late teens with a mop of red hair that sat messily on his head, but what stood out the most about him were the yellow, almost reptilian eyes that seemed to hold a hidden savagery within them. He was wearing a hardened leather breastplate over a cotton shirt and held a pair of double-sided battle-axes with leather gauntlets. The pack of wolves circled the boy slowly, but they seemed wary of the boy, despite the fact they greatly outnumbered him. Without warning, two of the wolves launched themselves at the boy. The boy embedded his axe in the head of one of the wolves. He then immediately ducked under the other wolf¡¯s charge and sliced its belly open as it flew over him. The boy had no time to breathe as three more wolves were already on him. The boy threw both of his axes at the wolves, catching two of them in the head. The third one managed to pin him to the ground and it seemed that the boy was in trouble. But the boy gave the wolf a grin and then he opened his mouth and an inferno of flame burst out, burning the wolf to a charred corpse. The young boy pushed the wolf¡¯s corpse off of him and walked over to retrieve his axes. He put the axes on his back and took one of the dead wolves by the paw and began dragging the enormous thing. After a couple minutes of walking, the boy reached a clearing with a small campfire in the middle and a leather rucksack lying beside it. The boy took out a knife and set about skinning and gutting the wolf with practiced precision. He then proceeded to light the fire with a breath of flame and place the haunches on a stake to roast above the fire. The boy then sat back and watched the flame flicker under the setting sun. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as sleep threatened to overtake him, but then his reptilian eyes flew open. Something was approaching. The boy grabbed his axes and stood up. He saw the bushes rustle and readied his axes, but to his surprise instead of seeing a monster, he saw a silver-haired boy in leather armor and a bow and a rucksack on his back, stumbling towards him. ¡°Please¡­ need¡­ food¡­¡±, the boy moaned as he slowly made his way closer. Then, he proceeded to fall face first into the ground in front of the man. ¡°Oh you have got be kidding me¡±, the red-haired boy said incredulously as he looked down at the boy lying in front of him. The red-haired boy looked around and sighed as he put his axes on his back. He walked over to the fire and took the cooked wolf meat off the fire. He turned around to walk back to the boy, but to his surprise, the boy was already up and snatched one of the haunches out of his hands with surprising speed. ¡°You know it¡¯s polite to ask someone before you just take their food¡±, the red-haired boy said. The silver-haired ignored him and continued to ferociously tear into the meat. The red-haired boy felt a slight twinge of annoyance. ¡°Will you at least tell me your name?¡±, the red-haired boy asked. The silver-haired boy continued ignoring him. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s it¡±, the red-haired boy said as he tore the haunch away from the silver-haired boy. ¡°Hey! Give that back!¡±, the silver-haired boy whined. He¡¯s like a frigging toddler, the red-haired boy thought as he dodged the silver-haired boy¡¯s lunge for the haunch. ¡°If you want to eat, first tell me your name¡±, the red-haired said firmly. ¡°My name¡­¡±, the silver-haired boy murmured. A look of sadness flashed across his face, though it passed so quickly that it easily could¡¯ve been a trick of the light. ¡°My name is Weyn¡±, the silver-haired boy said. ¡°Well Weyn, the name¡¯s Varin and since you¡¯ve already started, I guess you can stay for dinner¡±, the red-haired boy said as he handed the haunch back to Weyn. Weyn took it and began eating, though it appears in a much more calmer manner than before. ¡°So, there a reason you were out here looking like you haven¡¯t eaten in days?¡±, Varin asked casually. ¡°Well, I managed to kill a couple boars, but I didn¡¯t know how to get a fire going¡±, Weyn said sheepishly. ¡°You came this deep into the Dartlis Forest, not knowing how to create a fire, one of the most essential skills for survival in the wilderness¡±, Varin said as he shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle you managed to make this far into the forest. Actually, why are you all the way out here alone? You don¡¯t seem that equipped for it and not many people would come out this far by themselves, especially with that strange noise that came from the mountains a couple days ago.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. That look of sadness flashed across his face again. ¡°I¡¯d rather¡­ not talk about it¡±, Weyn said quietly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I guess we all have things we¡¯d like to keep secret¡±, Varin said as he took a big bite out of his haunch with gleaming white canines that seemed almost too big to be human. An awkward silence filled the air and the only sound that could be heard was that of chewing meat and crickets. ¡°Hey Varin, why are you all the way out here alone?¡±, Weyn asked, breaking the silence. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m heading to Chrona, but I came from the other side of the mountains, so going through here was the fastest way there¡±, Varin explained, ¡°And as for why I am alone¡­ well, shouldn¡¯t that be obvious?¡± Varin saw Weyn¡¯s look of confusion and laughed. ¡°Did my eyes not give me away? Well, that explains why you haven¡¯t run away or attacked me yet. How about this?¡±, Varin said as he pulled off a gauntlet to reveal blood-red scales running up to his forearm. ¡°Woah!¡±, exclaimed Weyn as he stared at the red scales that gleamed in the moonlight. ¡°Varin the werebeast, at your service. A terrifying creature likely to lose control at any moment and attack you. A monster better off dead¡±, Varin said as he stood up and bowed with a sarcastic flourish. Weyn¡¯s sky-blue eyes turned cold, calculating, scanning Varin¡¯s entire body, before fading just as quickly as it came, too fast for Varin to notice anything. ¡°You sure about that? You don¡¯t really seem like a monster to me¡±, Weyn said as he crossed his arms. A look of surprise appeared on Varin¡¯s face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a first. Usually, people would start running or attacking me by now¡±, Varin said. ¡°Why would I do that? You gave me food and you know the way to Chrona. Also, you can cook. Seriously, whatever meat that was, it tasted delicious¡±, Weyn said. ¡°Umm¡­ did you not hear me? I said I¡¯m a werebeast. You sure you aren¡¯t feeling at least a little bit wary of me right now?¡±, Varin said with a hint of disbelief in his voice. ¡°I know what werebeasts are. The Professor told me about your kind before. ¡®Humans that are born with a soul that is part human and part some other creature. Identified by the development of physical characteristics that are not normal for regular humans. They usually have exceptionally keen senses and above average strength. They are also known to harbor some feral instincts, but most are able to keep them under control unless they are under extreme emotional stress.¡¯¡±, Weyn said, quoting the Professor¡¯s lecture word for word, ¡°And you don¡¯t exactly seem to be ¡®under extreme emotional stress¡¯, so I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°You¡­ seem to know a lot more about us than most people¡±, Varin said. ¡°Really? The Professor said that that was common knowledge¡±, Weyn said. Varin released a bitter laugh. ¡°If only that were true... Most people don¡¯t know what we are. All they know is that we aren''t normal. That we¡¯re stronger, faster, and more perceptive than normal. That we look part monster. They¡¯re afraid of us. They¡¯re too afraid to see that we are not the monsters they think we are¡±, Varin said with a mixture of hopelessness and frustration. ¡°Well if it means anything, I¡¯m not afraid of you. You seem like a nice person, after all, you saved me from starving to death¡±, Weyn said cheerfully. ¡°Heh. Thanks for the thought¡±, Varin said. Varin stretched his arms and let out a sigh. Then he shook his head. ¡°Man, what the hell am I doing, telling the troubles of my life to a stranger? Sorry about that. Hope my rambling wasn¡¯t too annoying¡±, Varin said. ¡°It was really no trouble, but I got something important to ask you if that¡¯s ok¡±, Weyn said. ¡°Shoot¡±, Varin said. ¡°Well you see¡­, I don¡¯t exactly know how to read a map or how to cook a meal. So I was hoping you could take me with you to Chrona?¡±, Weyn asked somewhat nervously as he began to fiddle with his hair. Varin was about to say no, but then he stopped himself. Sure they had just met. Sure the boy was strange. Sure Varin couldn¡¯t really be sure that this guy wouldn¡¯t rob or kill him in his sleep. But having someone to talk to on the road was just too tempting of an offer. After all, it¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s had that luxury. ¡°Fine. Just make sure you can pull your own weight and no funny business. If I catch you stealing my stuff, I won¡¯t hesitate to cut you down¡±, warned Varin. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you down! Also, if you need help hunting, I¡¯m a pretty good shot¡±, Weyn said excitedly. ¡°If you''re so eager to help, you can start by gathering some more fuel for the fire. We¡¯re gonna need the fire to last the night¡±, Varin ordered as he sat back down. ¡°Got it¡±, Weyn said as he stood up. As Varin watched Weyn pick up sticks and pinecones off the ground, he held back a smile. Got a feeling that life is gonna be a little bit more interesting with this guy around, Varin thought as he took out a small piece of wood and a small carving knife from his bag. ¡°Hey, Varin! You think the fire¡¯s big enough yet?¡±, shouted Weyn. ¡°What?¡±, Varin said as he looked up to find a huge blaze that was already spreading outwards to the rest of the clearing. Yeah, exciting may have been a bit of an understatement.