《The Golden Monarch》 Prologue: Hope of a Golden Hero Hope of a Golden Hero The day was almost over. With it, the end to a war, and a long journey. It was a day of many ends. None were more eager for it¡¯s finish than the golden-armored knight looking down at his prey from above. With the world at his back, and the enemy laid out before him, the knight felt his heart pound and his hands shake. ¡°This is it. With this, it¡¯ll all be over.¡± ¡°Oooph!¡± A large, gauntlet-covered hand slapped him heavily across the back. Next to the knight stood a giant. At nine-and-a-half feet tall he was the largest warrior in the alliance army. The giant¡¯s red armor stood in contrast next to the knights, meant to distract and draw attention on the field. ¡°Olaf, you oaf! Watch your strength. You¡¯ll have me broken before the last battle begins.¡± The knight complained. ¡°How are ya lad? You feeling queasy? Just treat it like your other battles and create a miracle for us again. All will be right as rain.¡± Olaf scratched his balding head. ¡°¡¯Sides, we need you with confidence.¡± He looked down on the knight with concern and not a little bit of kindness. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The golden knight grumbled. ¡°Ah, there she is. Is that why you¡¯re up on this hill? Easier to spot from up here.¡± Olaf teased. Indeed, below them was a division of mounted archers, led by a woman dressed in plain leather. A blue and gold bow hung at her back. A divine weapon that matched the golden knight¡¯s divine armor and sword. It was with the divine weapons the alliance had been able to get this far at all. The knight waved to her below, who smiled back in reply. She said something to her second, then split from the group to join the two at the top of the hill. ¡°Olaf, what¡¯s going on. Aren¡¯t you two supposed to be preparing for the final fight?¡± She greeted them with a semi-harsh tone. Used to it, Olaf shrugged carelessly. ¡°What¡¯s there to prepare? I¡¯ll be leading all on foot on a frontal attack. Ya will go with him, he¡¯ll need a friend at his back.¡± ¡°I intend to. You should go down there and start doing what you do best.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma-am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ma-am me! My name¡¯s Loretta. Get it right!¡± Loretta stomped her foot. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Olaf left with a twinkle in his eye before he ran down the hill, creating a small tremor and spooking a few horses. ¡°Geeze.¡± Loretta sighed, then turned to the knight. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°As ready as I can be.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go down and get you mounted up.¡± She took his hand and led him down the hill. They passed through the main camp, soldiers of all kinds hooting and hollering at them. It was no secret they had a close relationship. As a result, Loretta¡¯s face heated up and she moved faster. They made it to the valley field. It was a natural meadow miles across. At the end was a river, and then the walls of the castle. The river was low now, enough to cross on foot. It was for this reason they had chosen this time to attack. The meadow would soon be a battle field. It¡¯s lush grass stained with blood and remains. ¡°Hey, mount up.¡± Loretta pulled the knight from his dark thoughts. She stood beside a black mountain stallion. It¡¯s breed was twice the size of normal horses. Even Olaf could ride it. Unfortunately, the stallion only preferred one rider in it¡¯s lifetime. The golden knight mounted the black steed. He got comfortable, then waited for Loretta to mount her brown forest pony. Though small, the pony was swift and had great stamina. Mounted, they made their way to the front lines. At the front, they both looked back on the army. The knight¡¯s heart pounded again, this time with awe. The army was multi-colored, showing the gathering of countless countries and tribes. A million strong, easily filling up the valley side-to-side. Never had he seen a mass gathering. It made one¡¯s soul shiver with expectation. ¡°They¡¯re here because of you.¡± Loretta said softly to him. ¡°You did this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You should give them a speech. Get their blood boiling. I¡¯ll see you across the river.¡± Loretta joined her men¡¯s ranks at their front, nodding back at the golden knight in encouragement. He let out a long-held breath, stabilizing his limbs. There was no point to lie or make false promises. He would be truthful. He held out a hand, silencing the masses before him. He yelled loud, the valley naturally carrying his voice across all. ¡°I will not lie. I will not promise. Many of us will die today. I will not force you to stay. But remember why you are here! To protect those loved ones you have left behind! For if this battle fails, so too does the war, and our loved ones shall perish!¡± He took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Who shall stand to leave today?!¡± Then, he waited. His eyes roamed the masses, seeing not a single soul move. ¡°Who shall stand to stay?!¡± The masses roared their response. ¡°Who shall join me in battle?!¡± The roar was even louder! ¡°Who shall join me in victory?!¡± He cried out the last, using all the force in him. The roar was joined with stomps and a waving of weapons. ¡°To battle we go!¡± The knight turned his horse around, raising his sword high. He brought it down, urging the black stallion forward. It charged, giving it¡¯s own battle scream to mix with his as they raced across the meadow. The mounted behind him followed, then those on foot. Soon, they met the calm river. Water splashed and churned. The earth shook and trees rattled as the sound of the massive army reached the castle walls. The castle gates opened to meet those that had already crossed. The enemy beast army flooded forth. Bi-pedal beasts of all kinds shot forth, their eyes red and glowing. The cavalry used momentum to crash into the bestial lines, easily taking down several rows before they engaged in direct combat. Both animal and human screams began to rent through the air.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The golden knight swung his sword, cutting a path through the beast army. The beast army was split directly into two and surrounded, backs to the wall, on either side of him. He did not stop there. He continued to race forward to the gate. With a beast¡¯s monstrous howl, the castle gate began to close. He entered the gate, taking a direct route to the outer courtyard. There he began giving orders. ¡°Take the gatehouse! If that gate closes, the war is lost!¡± He turned and yelled at a second group. ¡°Secure the walls! Give the archers way!¡± He saw Loretta give orders, then join him. He waited a short moment for the two groups to clear, then waved at the rest. ¡°To the inner courtyard!¡± As he saw Olaf join him, his heart strengthened. With his friends at his side, what couldn¡¯t he do? They raced down a narrow road to another gate a half-mile away. More beasts came out of shack-like houses and burrows, ambushing their sides. Olaf swung his weapons, club and hammer, knocking beasts away like fleas. The knight stopped to help, but Olaf screamed at him. ¡°Go! I¡¯ll hold here!¡± The knight nodded solemnly and charged again. ¡°Forward, men!¡± As they reached the second and last wall¡¯s gate, beasts swooped down from above. Winged birdmen dropped rocks and stones. Some men were lifted into the air and dropped a distance away. Loretta spied the sky. She drew back the string on her bow, summoning the magic imbued within. Several blue arrows lined up and solidified. She swept the sky with the bow, taking aim. Letting loose, all arrows directed themselves to the targets, striking true. Five birdmen fell. As some fell, more arrived. Loretta turned to the knight. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll cut them off! Finish this!¡± The knight rose his sword high, summoning the blade¡¯s divine might. The blade glowed, a crimson hue forming on it¡¯s edge. When the hue glimmered, he slashed down at the gate. An arc of light burst forth, colliding with the gate. A crack formed, shattering the petrified wood. He raced past the rubble and went unheeded straight up to the castle double-doors. He dismounted and pushed open one of the doors carefully. Inside, he was met with silence. He crept silently, waiting for traps or ambush. Nothing got in his way as he crossed to the end of a long corridor and opened the door to the throne room. The room was dark, lit only with a few torches along each wall. At the far end, on the dais, was not a throne. A large object was covered with cloth, and at it¡¯s base crouched a beast. The knight held his sword before him as the beast noticed him. It stood on two legs, revealing to be a large wolf. It¡¯s hands clawed out, scraping the air. It stared at him with red glowing eyes, growling low. A crown adorned it¡¯s head. ¡°You are the Demon King? Come, meet your end!¡± He charged forth. The Demon King met him stride for stride. In but a few seconds they were clashing. Sword met claw. The wolf beast king was more agile, dancing easily around the blade. It¡¯s claws rung out an ear-piercing screech each time it scraped the golden armor. The golden knight was pushed back, at a disadvantage. His eyes gleamed as he shouted, summoning the magic in his armor. The golden armor shined and a red aura burst forth, shoving the Demon King back several feet. The Demon King regained it¡¯s balance, suddenly leaping forth. It¡¯s maw opened wide, aiming for the knight¡¯s head. Unwilling to be defeated, the knight swung forth, calling all the magic he had and blasting it into the sword. The gold sword hummed, auto-adjusting itself to face the Demon King. It sliced through the open maw, cutting the head in two. The Demon King¡¯s lifeless body fell to the ground. The golden knight huffed. He was exhausted, having emptied all his body of magic. He stared at the Demon King, a strange look coming over him. The knight watched as the Demon King¡¯s body disintegrated, turning into a red puff and shooting towards the covered object on the dais. No remains of the Demon King could be found. ¡°What?¡± He muttered, moving towards the dais. As he got closer, his armor and sword began a soft vibration. The object on the dais also vibrated, causing the cover to fall. A giant mirror with black and red engravings on it¡¯s wood appeared. ¡°A divine artifact?¡± He stopped, knowing the mirror had consumed the Demon King. He looked into the mirror, seeing himself. The mirror responded, slowly changing his appearance. His golden armor turned red. His sword turned black. His helmet became a crown. His eyes turned a glowing red¡­ The knight gasped and looked down at himself. His armor was red and his sword was black. He felt a connection to the mirror as his blood vibrated along with it. He knew what had corrupted the beasts. Not willing to be the new Demon King, he rushed the mirror and struck down with his sword. Just before the sword and mirror collided, the sword screamed and bounced back. He slashed the mirror again, only to have the same occur. ¡°No!¡± He threw down the sword, aiming a punch at the mirror. His armor screamed and his fist struck wrong, only hitting air. ¡°NO!¡± He denied. He was so close! He tried taking off the armor, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. He tried with all his might, only stopping when his fingers went numb. He fell to his knees, devastated. How could this happen?! As he got lost in his dark thoughts, the door slammed open and light flooded in. He looked up, seeing Lorreta enter, bow drawn. He got to his feet, intending to explain to her. She saw him and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Where is he! Where is the hero?!¡± She drew back on her bow, aiming at him. ¡°Answer me, dammit! What did you do to him?!¡± Her voice cracked as she yelled. He raised his hands and stopped when a sudden idea came. He lowered his hands and smirked. ¡°I killed him. I am the Demon King!¡± Loretta screamed and loosed five arrows upon him. His red armor shined and automatically blocked. Regardless, five divine arrows descended with precision and struck above his heart. His armor cracked, the glow fading. He eyed his sword next to the mirror, seeing Loretta follow his gaze. He ran forth, putting himself between Loretta and the mirror. ¡°Like damn you will. DIE!¡± Five more arrows flew his way. With the armor broken, nothing could take him away from his position. The arrows struck true, breaking through the armor and piercing his heart, heading directly to the mirror behind him. The mirror screamed, shaking the entire castle grounds. The mirror began to crack. The black sword shattered. The bow in Loretta¡¯s hands snapped in half. She dropped it and looked forward. Before her the Demon King fell, lifeless, to the ground. The mirror¡¯s entire surface was riddled with cracks, shaking with force. Loretta¡¯s eyes widened with horror as she watched the form of the Demon King revert back to it¡¯s original. The blue glazed eyes stared ahead with kindness. A soft smile. A peaceful reluctance. She ran to him and embraced him. ¡°What have I done? What have I done!¡± Finally, the mirror could no longer support itself and exploded. A strange black and twisting energy with red tendrils emerged. It vibrated with high intensity, then dispersed as a heated cloud. All within the castle were consumed. # ¡°Hello? Mortal, can you hear me?¡± What? ¡°Can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Who? ¡°I am the Goddess of Divine Seals. I¡¯ve brought you and that girl¡¯s soul to my realm.¡± Loretta? Loretta! ¡°Calm yourself. She still exists.¡± Exists? ¡°That evil energy consumed everything in that place. Your souls were touched with corruption. Luckily, I pulled you both out in time.¡± I can¡¯t see. ¡°You have no body silly. You died.¡± Aah¡­. ¡°I have a proposition for you. A trade, of sorts.¡± Trade? ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Are you listening? I¡¯ll have you do a job for me, and I¡¯ll save her soul.¡± What¡¯s wrong with Loretta?! ¡°Well, see, cleansing corruption takes a lot of divine power. I managed to cleanse you entirely. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have enough to cleanse her. I can only seal her and slow the corruption down.¡± What do I need to do? ¡°Haha. No hesitation! I like that about you. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a job you¡¯re well suited for. I¡¯ll create a golem body for your soul to inhabit. It¡¯s growth potential is god-level. You just need to develop it. It¡¯s a grand creation of mine, so don¡¯t abuse it!¡± What do I have to do? ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll have you go to the Spherica world. The prayers for me down there have almost dwindled to nothing. It¡¯s the source of my divine power. Raise up my faith and church. Learn the meaning of the seals. And seal away the corruption found on that world. After a little, I¡¯ll be able to cleanse your girl and you two can reincarnate on Spherica.¡± What if I can¡¯t? Can I trade my soul for hers? ¡°So self-sacrificing. I also like that about you. It doesn¡¯t work that way, though. The only way is to cleanse her through divine power. You can do that, can¡¯t you? Do take my warning. The corruption on Spherica is much stronger and fouler than what you encountered before. You must become strong to face it. Mnn. Probably the strongest on the planet, then you might stand a chance.¡± Let¡¯s do this. How long until Loretta¡¯s soul is gone? ¡°Well, at this rate it¡¯ll be consumed in¡­two millennia? Maybe one?¡± I¡¯ll die long before then! ¡°No worries. My golem can live forever. It¡¯ll stop aging about twenty-one years of age. I can also make it look like the locals. I¡¯ll add a seal for soul protection. They have some crazy abilities down there. And..ok! I¡¯m putting you in now. Down you go!¡± Aaaah! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be safe!¡± The knight fell, gaining a new life, and a new journey. Ch 1: Surprising Ability ¡°Artien! Art-i-eeeeee-n!!¡± Artien¡¯s brow furrowed. She was following him again. ¡°Artien!¡± He picked up his pace, hoping she¡¯d give up. It was a hope unfulfilled. There was a loud crashing as she tore through the brush. ¡°There you are!¡± A young girl appeared in stained trousers and shirt. Two hands hit her hips as she began to pout and complain. She witnessed only the forests shadows before she started running again. ¡°Wait for me. Stop going so fast. Arti-eeen-¡° She stopped suddenly, nearly crashing into his back. Artien turned, giving her a glare as irritated as he felt. ¡°Stop following me. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡± She stuck out her bottom lip, looking into his honey-colored eyes. ¡°You¡¯re out here!¡± ¡°I¡¯m out here because I can protect myself. You,¡± he said, as he pushed a finger into her forehead,¡° cannot.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll protect me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t protect us both. I¡¯m not strong enough.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re really strong!¡± Artien sighed. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go back to the village.¡± He turned to the village¡¯s direction and walked just fast enough she could keep up. ¡°Why do you always follow me, anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting!¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°All the stuff you do. I like watching you learnin¡¯ about the plants and sunbath.¡± He stopped and corrected her. ¡°It¡¯s not sunbathing. It¡¯s, er, meditation!¡± She scrunched up her face, the most cute of confusion. ¡°Medertashun?¡± ¡°Med-i-ta-tion.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± She asked innocently. Artien felt his defenses crumble. She was going to be a killer lady one day. To explain it to her properly would take too long. He ruffled his head as he thought of a way to explain aura-seeking as meditation to a 12-year-old. ¡°It¡¯s like being completely silent. Even in your head. It calms the mind and heart. It¡¯s healthy for you.¡± ¡°I like healthy stuffYou! Let¡¯s go eat some at my home.¡± She grabbed his hand and pulled him ahead. Artien allowed her to pull him along. There was no going against the little tyrant. ¡°Your father¡¯s not going to like you following me into the forest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. He thinks I¡¯m going to your house. So if I bring you back, he can¡¯t tell.¡± She giggled when she heard his stomach grumble. ¡°Good thing too. You¡¯re hungry.¡± He knew a meal at her place, the Greenwood Inn, wasn¡¯t free. One meal could be half a day¡¯s labor, or a favor. Of course, labor was safe. Owing Mr. Greenwood a favor wasn¡¯t. He was known to have asked others to venture into the surrounding wilds for rare ingredients, even though that person would never get a taste. Everyone knew how dangerous the forest was. ¡°Let¡¯s get some carrots from my place. You guys were running low, right?¡± ¡°Daddy said so.¡± Maybe this way there would be just labor. ¡°Clare, can you let go of my hand? I¡¯ll follow you, I promise.¡± ¡°Why? Shy to hold a maiden¡¯s fair hand?¡± She let go and clicked her tongue at him. ¡°Fine! Be grown-up. You¡¯re only three years older than me.¡± She then mumbled. ¡°What makes you so grown up?¡± The rest of the way was made in silence. They first came across the Astral farm, Artien¡¯s home. George Astral toiled his morning in the fields when he stood up and saw them coming. He wiped his head and smiled at them. ¡°Thought you¡¯d be up by now, but to be coming out of the forest after I told you not to.¡± George looked at the both of them up and down. ¡°Looks fine. No dirt or injuries. Ornery Mr. Greenwood will never know. What brings you both here?¡± Clare piped up in pitch, cute as can be. ¡°We came by to get some carrots, then we¡¯ll be eating at the inn.¡± George¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh? Is that so? You¡¯ll be working off those carrots when you get back home Art.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°In that case, grab a basket from your mom inside the house and come have a pick. There¡¯s a few that need plucking.¡± Clare chatted George up as Artien fetched the basket. As he opened the door, home-made bread fresh from the oven hit him. His stomach grumbled again. His mother, Anabelle, turned around and laughed at him. ¡°Should have known that was you! How a boy can eat so much and still remain so skinny¡­ I¡¯ve never seen it until we got you. Want to eat something?¡± Artien shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m eating with Clare at her place.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go causing trouble for the Greenwoods. They¡¯ve been the nicest people in the village to us.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I just need a basket for some carrots.¡± ¡°Well then, take this here and go.¡± She handed him a basket and kissed his head. ¡°May you be safe and come back sound.¡± ¡°Bye, Mom.¡± He quickly escaped before the tears showed. He took the basket and jogged back outside to the carrots. George saw his look and remained silent. ¡°Pick the ones you like and be off. Return right after Mr. Greenwood is done with you.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Clare helped him pick half a dozen large carrots. This time, Artien led the way. He didn¡¯t dare show his sorry face to Clare. She¡¯d pick and nag until he blurted everything out. It was safer she remained ignorant. He was back to normal by the time they reached the village. They passed a few houses where some scowled at him, but smiled gently at Clare. They were all neighbors and relatives of Anabelle in some way. Her family line had existed within the village for generations. It just so happened that Anabelle and George were a ¡®bad example¡¯ of marriage decisions and were treated as outcasts to be ignored. On the other hand, the village Elder, Old Joe, was Anabelle¡¯s grand father and leader of the village. He was looked up to by everyone. Nothing important happened without his say-so. Fortunately, the elder favored Annabelle. Whatever she did could be no wrong in his eyes. He had blessed the couple. The reason she was out-casted? Because she had married an outsider. Artien¡¯s father, George, was a retired soldier. What more, he came with a bit of fame. Sometimes he would get visited by travelers just to have a drink and hear a tale. This was frowned upon by the normally secluded villagers. Artien came back to himself as he entered the front door of the Greenwood Inn. Several tables were already occupied by a few travelers. Mrs. Greenwood was in the process of taking orders and serving meals when she saw the duo arrive. ¡°Clare! Where have you been? Your father needs you in the back.¡± Mrs. Greenwood said hurriedly. She wore a once-white apron over her simple dress. Her blonde hair was tied back to her nape while she worked. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± ¡°Then get some bread and milk and go about your chores! It¡¯s going to be busy this week. We¡¯re expecting important visitors.¡± ¡°Artien¡¯s eating too. He brought carrots.¡± ¡°Alright, both of you go back and eat in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Artien and Clare both replied. They entered the kitchen and met with Mr. Greenwood. The huge, burly, one-armed man looked up from his fresh chicken. He saw the basket of carrots and then looked at them. ¡°Bread and milk¡¯s on the table. Help yourselves. Artien, when you finish come see me.¡± ¡°Yes sir. Thank you.¡± Artien and Clare sat at a simple wooden table. Artien put the carrots on the table, took half a loaf of bread and began eating. Clare sat across from him and took the other half, gazing at him while he ate. Feeling awkward, Artien ate and drank quickly. He wiped his mouth and stood by Mr. Greenwood. Clare finished her meal and stopped at the kitchen door before exiting. She pointed at her dad and said, ¡°Be nice to Artien, or I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Then she disappeared. Oh innocent little Clare, Artien thought. Mr. Greenwood¡¯s face darkened just a bit, before he turned it to Artien. ¡°Stand straight. Let me see what I got to work with.¡± Artien straightened his spine and stance. ¡°Hmm. Still scrawny. What¡¯s this?¡± Mr. Greenwood reached out and grabbed his arm. ¡°There¡¯s some muscle here now. You¡¯ve been working at it?¡± ¡°Yes. Back home on the farm. Cutting wood and the like.¡± This wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. If the village knew he¡¯d been hunting in the wilds, he¡¯d bring trouble to his parents. ¡°Cutting wood, huh? Well, as it happens to be, we need some wood. Lots of it in the coming days. Go out back and starting chopping. Maybe it¡¯d put a tan on that shiny white hide of yours. Uncanny, for a boy¡¯s skin to be so clean.¡± Artien nodded and took a back door in the kitchen outside. Behind the inn was where all the main work was done. The firewood for cooking and keeping the inn warm at night was the toughest job. There was a mound of logs to one side as well as a near-empty shack nearby. A large stump served as the chopping block. He first took up a large saw and cut one log into one foot sections. Then, he took a wheel section and lifted it onto the chopping block, where he began the long process of making wedge-shaped firewood. The work was hard and he soon built up a sweat. As he did so, he enjoyed the process of the work. He knew with each strike he was getting stronger. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a large sword like in his dreams, but a simple short sword at first would do. If any monsters like in his dreams were real, he¡¯d want to be prepared. He¡¯d asked his parents before if beast men were real. They had confirmed his fears, only to correct him. Beast tribes did exist, but they were well-hidden and scarce. They were the same as humans, except with a few animalistic traits. They were often captured and sold into slavery. They were rich folks¡¯ laborers and servants. Regular people like villagers would be unable to afford them. He continued to swing the axe, his mind slowly going clear. He focused on the task. Soon, he was finished with one tree. He moved to another. He continued the firewood-making process until he realized he ran out of logs. He looked up, seeing the sun just above the tree line. He went back inside and interrupted Mr. Greenwood stirring a giant pot adding carrots in. He looked at him in surprise. ¡°You still here? It¡¯s nearly mid-morning.¡± ¡°I finished the wood out back.¡± ¡°Did you now? Then go back home. I¡¯m sure your pa¡¯s got chores for you.¡± ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± Artien disappeared out the back and around the outskirts of the village to avoid anyone. Mr. Greenwood looked outside, shocked at the massive pile of firewood. ¡°We¡¯ll not need wood until next week.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°He¡¯s so scrawny...¡± Artien arrived at home just in time to complete his chores by noon. He checked the single field for pests and varmints. He watered and fed the single cow and horse. He prepared tomorrow¡¯s food for the animals, then brushed out the horse¡¯s coat, mane, and tail. He then helped Anabelle with whatever she needed. When he was done inside, he met George in a bare spot to the side of the field. This spot was behind the house, hidden from anyone¡¯s immediate view. This was so they could practice without unwanted attention. Artien stood to the side as his father showed him a move. ¡°See this? Watch carefully.¡± George stretched out his fist slowly, showing the correct form for a forward, full-body punch. With his shirt off, Artien could see each muscle move intricately. He could see the fine control his father had. This came from years of experience. ¡°Now, watch and listen to the full move.¡± George walked up to a hay dummy in the form of an obscure human. He took form, then blasted out with speed. The dummy took a hit, the wooden pole it sat on shaking violently. A thrumming sound echoed and slowly died until the dummy came to a halt. ¡°Now, you repeat it.¡± George stepped back and let his son take over the dummy. Artien remembered back to the way his father had moved. He remembered each move, each muscle. He slowly exerted the form. It was like a memory he called upon. His dreams had something like this. Something similar, but much more formidable. He adjusted his stance, feeling that memory correct his posture. To get the full power, to obliterate anything before the fist. In front of him, any enemy that dared to stand, would be blasted to smithereens. There, a tiny energy. Much weaker then he remembered, but still there. He gathered the energy, sending it to his fist to a point hovering over his knuckles. He pulled in his fist, then used the energy remaining inside the arm to shoot forward with a short whistle. Silence came as his fist stopped short of the dummy. Then, a resounding blast echoed throughout the village and surrounding wilds as the dummy splintered apart, hay falling in puffs, and the remains falling some twenty feet away. Sheer pain shot up his arm, blanking out his mind. He fell to his knees and howled. He tried to call for help, gritting his teeth. Unaware that his parents were holding him and bringing him inside, he continued to howl a short while before passing out. His parents lay him on his bed in his small room as they worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?!¡± Anabelle cried. She watched as her husband checked their son¡¯s vitals and condition. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with him. He¡¯s just injured the nerves and tissue in his arm.¡± ¡°What do you mean, nothing¡¯s wrong with him? Is he going to be crippled?¡± ¡°I can mend him. We must have a talk with him when he wakes. He needs to know everything.¡± Anabelle sat down on a small stool. ¡°Why now?¡± Her face had become pale and ghostly. George knelt before her, rubbing her hair. ¡°He deserves to know. We can no longer hide it, either.¡± ¡°Is this about what happened?¡± ¡°Yes. That noise you heard ¨C he made it.¡± ¡°Artien did?¡± She asked in disbelief. ¡°I saw him do it. He¡¯s a magic warrior.¡± ¡°He made magic?¡± ¡°No, not made. More like he has magic. It came from within, much like a warrior¡¯s energy attack.¡± George frowned. ¡°This places us in a tough spot. We¡¯ll tell him when he wakes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Let him rest. I¡¯ll attend his arm while he sleeps. He won¡¯t be able to use it for a few days.¡± George pushed her out of the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you decide on a special meal tomorrow night? It¡¯s his birthday, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I-I should think of something.¡± George shut the door to the room, then faced Artien. ¡°You, my boy, what shall we do with you¡­¡± Ch 2: Visitors Chapter 2: Visitors Artien woke to a dull ache throbbing in his right arm. He tried to move it gently, but couldn¡¯t. He opened his eyes, seeing himself lying in his bed. His blanket was tucked around his chin carefully. He sat up, the blanket falling to reveal his bandaged and bound limb. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can answer that.¡± George sat on the lonely stool, facing him from across the room. Artien looked back at him, seeing a strange glimmer in his father¡¯s eyes he¡¯d never seen before. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Be truthful now. How does your arm feel?¡± He frowned, judging his injury. ¡°Feels a bit numb and kind of like I sprained the whole arm.¡± George nodded expectantly. ¡°You remember what happened?¡± ¡°I was training with you when I punched..¡± His words slowed as he realized what had happened. He could feel his blood freeze as he knew there was no longer hiding any secrets. ¡°What you did, son, was use magic.¡± ¡°Magic? But that was-¡° ¡°Magic. Though in a different form than is commonly known. Tell me how you did it.¡± George prodded further. Artien lightly chewed his lip. How to best explain it? He looked at his father, seeing nothing but care and concern. There was no reason to hide. Why be afraid? This was the man that had raised him in this life. Decided, he raised his head and met his father¡¯s eyes directly, serious. ¡°I went to follow your example in the punch. At first, I did as you said.¡± Artien nervously said. ¡°As I copied it, it felt wrong. It wasn¡¯t like I remembered. So I adjusted to what felt right. Then I remembered the rest and.. I felt a spark of something. Like a source of energy. I focused it through my arm and out my fist. Then, I punched and that¡¯s when I felt my arm hurt.¡± George¡¯s face grew excited as he leaned forward on the stool. ¡°Sounds like you used magic to me. At a level that shouldn¡¯t be possible except for elite soldiers especially trained for a decade or two.¡± He smiled. ¡°You did it in one go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember it hurting like this, though.¡± Artien argued. George stood, bringing his finger to his lips. ¡°Quiet now. I don¡¯t want your mother to hear the rest of this conversation.¡± He then peaked outside the bedroom door, seeing his wife cooking. He closed the door and took the stool close to the bed. ¡°I¡¯ve a few more questions, then we can see about what to do.¡± Artien felt himself calm. His dad always had that effect. Able to take control of a situation and keep a level head. ¡°I¡¯ll answer. I want to know too.¡± He had several questions himself. Hopefully some of them would be answered by his dad. His memories, his abilities, etc. More than anything, he wanted to know about this magic. ¡°Alright. Now, to start off, I¡¯ll give you basic information on magic.¡± George then began Artien¡¯s first magic lesson. ¡°Firstly, our world is filled with a force called mana. Mana is an energy in every single thing. It¡¯s in the air, in rocks, in animals, and sometimes in people. When mana is manipulated, this is called magic.¡± ¡°Magic is split into two basic types. Spells and force. Spells are where mana is controlled through words. This can be written, spoken, or thought. You can find items inscribed with magic. These are usually used by nobles or elite soldiers.¡± ¡°Force is more natural. Magical beasts have affinity with magic and are able to use certain magic abilities from birth. Beasts that can summon elements are one such example. Humans can also use force. Through hard work and training, one can use magic and abilities.¡± George suddenly got excited as he came to a pause. He smiled and continued. ¡°With Force, beasts develop a sphere somewhere in their body, called a core. This core is what allows them to absorb mana from their surroundings. Thus, they have fuel for their abilities.¡± ¡°Humans, however, have no such core. We must develop a body through certain conditions to absorb magic. Over time, this produces a body that naturally breathes in magic through the air, generating a store of mana to use inside the body. It takes time to build and strategy to use to be effective.¡± George grasped his knees tightly, at the edge of his seat. ¡°You, my son, used magic in that punch. The way you described it, you used no form of words. Thus, that was force. You have not been taught how to breath in magic, nor have a body developed to do so. That leaves one thing open.¡± Artien felt the weight of the words as the information clicked into place. ¡°Dad¡­¡± George held up a hand, stopping his sentence. He shook his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything. You are my son. You are Artien Astral.¡± Then he grew more serious. ¡°You must tell no one what I¡¯m about to tell you. This will put you in danger, let alone this village.¡± Artien nodded. ¡°You must have a core in your body somewhere. This will come with magic in time, so long as you develop it. Don¡¯t use magic around others. Only when you can hide it as force can you do so. Do you understand?¡± He nodded again. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell your mother. Don¡¯t tell your friends. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± A sudden knock on the door made them both jump. ¡°Honey, the dinner is almost ready. Is he awake yet?¡± Anabelle whispered through the door. ¡°He¡¯s awake now. Don¡¯t come in,¡± George replied. ¡°I¡¯m checking him for injuries. He is not appropriate for a mother to see.¡± ¡°Artien, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re awake. You scared me! When you two are done, come out and eat.¡± She raised her voice to normal now that she knew her son was alright. George whispered quickly to Artien. ¡°She thinks you used spells. Just say you read it somewhere in a book at her father¡¯s house and wanted to try it.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Artien pulled the blanket to the side and stood, feeling exhausted. His dad grabbed his good arm, steadying him. ¡°You must feel tired. Using mana like you did is dangerous. Luckily your training paid off and the damage is minimal. Your arm will heal in a few days. Until then, don¡¯t use it.¡± George opened the door. ¡°We better go, before your mother get¡¯s mad.¡± They both went to eat at the small table. They had a meal together, talking about trivial things. At the end of the meal, Anabelle cleared her throat, bringing silence to the table. ¡°Son, it is your fifteenth birthday today. You are almost a young man. You are responsible, and have never given me thought otherwise. Your father and I believe it¡¯s time that you knew.¡± Artien frowned. ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Son,¡± George said, ¡°Though we raised you these last fifteen years as our own, you are not of our blood.¡± He waited shortly for the words to sink in. ¡°We found you alone, in the forest. Fifteen summers ago from today.¡± Anabelle smiled. ¡°We¡¯d always wanted a child. But I could never conceive. It was a miracle that we found you.¡± ¡°Artien, you are our son, regardless of where you came from. We will love you just as we do now.¡± George smiled at his wife, then at his son. Artien, taken completely by surprise, could find nothing to say. His mouth opened and closed a few times, before he saw the look on his mother¡¯s face. Her eyes were full of love, but also of fear. She was afraid. Of his reaction? Artien stood and went to his mother¡¯s side. ¡°Mom, dad, I will always be your son. You will always be my parents.¡± ¡°Oh, Artien!¡± Anabelle cried, jumping out of her seat to hug him tightly. Over her shoulder, Artien saw his adoptive father¡¯s approving look. He closed his eyes, embracing his mother back. He was blessed to have such loving and understanding parents. Later that night, as he lay in his bed, Artien wondered if where he had come from had anything to do with his memory-like dreams. He closed his eyes, eagerly awaiting what the next dream held.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. # Deep inside a thick mist, in an endless flat landscape, a being walked. Sometimes the being was young, sometimes he was old. It changed each time he visited. Right now, he was in his late twenties. He was wearing something close to a cotton shirt and cow-hide pants. His boots and belt were also made of leather. His walk wasn¡¯t aimless. Each time he woke up in the mist there was always a destination. It wasn¡¯t one he knew. However, this didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t know where he was going. A small flame before him guided his way. The flame flickered towards one direction. This is where he was to go. After a long while, or a short while, he would find what he was looking for. Like all the times before, the light before him flickered out. He walked forward eagerly. After a brief walk ahead, a small, grassy hill became visible. He climbed his way to the top, seeing a blanket laid out. At the edge of the blanket was a softly glowing oil lamp. The scene lifted his spirits. With habitual practice, he sat comfortably on the blanket, placing his hands in his lap. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He breathed in, waited, breathed out, waited, and breathed in again. Each sequence took exactly three seconds, without exception. His meditation had begun. He withdrew his mind into himself, blocking out all senses to the outside. He felt his body¡¯s rhythm. The blood running. Nerves and muscle relaxed. His only movement the breathing technique. When he was fully aware of himself, he let even that go. He delved even deeper, calling on his feelings. Hatred. Happiness. Greif. Jealousy. Love. He let those all go. He went beyond his physical self. Deep, deep inside, was a black darkness. Inside this darkness he became aware of himself as a thought. A soul. He drifted through the darkness. A gentle wind, every three seconds, pushed his soul forward. Eventually, after many nights attempts and travel in the darkness, he saw a spark of light. He drifted towards it. The light slowly grew larger. After an indeterminate time drifting in the darkness, he was upon the source of light. A golden-white flame flickered. No bigger than a fist, the flame¡¯s core was gold, while the actual flames were white. The flame emitted a sense of boundless energy. It created the urge to touch it. With a thought he floated into that flame. The flames were warm, engulfing his soul in wondrous energy. As he absorbed it and became familiar with the flame, his body accepted the flow of energy. The flame entered his heart, taking residence. The flame grew with life, as it took energy with the inward breath. With the outward breath it traveled along a pathway in his body. It nourished his body, reducing the aging effects he¡¯d endured the last eight to ten years. Old scars faded. Aging lines receded. Bones strengthened and muscle thickened. A new spark to his life was added. With it, the ability to control the flame to some degree. Easily within six hours, a new hero was born. # Artien woke, smiling to himself. He rapidly went through his dream-memory, gathering as many details as he could. This time¡¯s dream was a big haul. He not only got a breathing technique, he got first hand experience in mana! This changed everything. Knowing exactly what to do and what would happen would speed up his aura-seeking technique. Once he could establish a connection to mana, then he could absorb it naturally through breathing. He wouldn¡¯t need to meditate anymore unless he was training heavily in force. Since that was out of the question right now, he could only focus on spells. He needed to borrow a spell book from Grandpa¡¯s library again. A chance to sneak in was coming with the visitors that would arrive at the village today. Everyone would be distracted. While everyone¡¯s attention was on the visitors. Until then, he¡¯d have only time for chores. Artien rose, wincing at his sore arm as he dressed carefully. He ate breakfast quickly before tending to the animals outside. After his morning chores he began normal practice, his father describing how to refrain from using Force so he could focus on training his body. Very quickly noon arrived. Artien was drinking a refreshing cup of water when his face automatically scowled. ¡°Artien. Ar-ti-eeeeeeeeen!¡± Never a day¡¯s break. Clare raced towards him from the direction of the village. Her rosy cheeks beheld her excitement. She stopped before him, bending over to catch her breath. ¡°Y-you¡­ hah¡­ the visitors¡­. Hoo. Dad says.¡± He frowned. ¡°What?¡± Clare bounced up. ¡°Dad says the visitors are heading to the village now. They¡¯ll be here any minute. Dad wants your help getting them settled.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go?¡± George said, as he walked up to them. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see new things. It might give you some idea about outside of the village.¡± ¡°Your dad said it was okay. Let¡¯s go!¡± Clare said quickly. Clare grabbed his hand and dragged him along. They left the farm, going directly into the village. They didn¡¯t skirt the edges like before. Innocent little Clare dragged him right through the middle of it. This earned him glares and indifference. They reached the center of the village, where people often go to trade business and barter. Today all the villagers were there, crowding the front street that anyone entered or exited the village. The village elder, his grandpa, was in the front, ready to greet the visitors. Curious, Clare pulled him to the front. There they got full view of the incoming party. There were five mounted knights. The one foremost seemed to be the leader. He was noble-faced and fair looking. He was dressed better then the rest of his group in new armor. Both him and his horse outshined the rest. He caught everyone¡¯s gaze and held their attention. As they entered the village, the crowd made way. The leader didn¡¯t dismount before speaking above the murmur. His head held high, he looked down on those before him. The helm on his head shined in their eyes, making some squint to see. ¡°I am Redflame Silvergrain, the one in charge of this hunting party. Who here is the village leader?¡± ¡°I am. I am called Old Joe.¡± ¡°I expect you received the notice of our arrival?¡± Old Joe nodded rapidly. ¡°Yes, at the inn. There is room prepared for all. Please, come.¡± Old Joe led the way. The knights rode their horses up to the inn¡¯s entrance before dismounting. Clare pulled Artien along closely. She had a skip in her step, excited to see new travelers. Artien looked at the group with distrust. Something about the way they acted, the way they moved, sent warning signals off. His heart thumped heavily and his mind remained alert. As if danger lurked close by. He had seen this before¡­ In his dreams it wasn¡¯t always all good. There were bad ones too. Ones where he¡¯d been in battles, slaying the enemy. There had been humans, giants, and beastmen. This group heavily reminded him of people that had seen death many times. Had been the taker of many lives. These people were bad news. ¡°Who will take care of the horses?¡± Redflame asked. ¡°There is space behind the smithy. A small enclosure. They can be taken there.¡± Old Joe replied. He looked around, calling two names. ¡°Joseph, Artien! Come, take the horses away.¡± Joseph, the smithy¡¯s son, and Artien both came forward. Artien readily took the reins to the leader¡¯s horse. His back prickled as he was grabbed by Redflame. ¡°Any harm to my horse and you will answer to me. This horse is far more valuable than your life.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Artien nodded. He was right. Nothing good about these strangers being here. ¡°Good.¡± Redflame released him, showing no hint of emotion. His eyes were cold. Unfeeling. The other horses automatically followed behind the lead horse. Joseph led the way. Once out of earshot of others, he began chatting him up. ¡°It¡¯s been forever since I could talk to you. You know, my dad still disapproves of my seeking you out. I can¡¯t help it. Everyone else is just too¡­ boring.¡± Artien glared at him. ¡°Leave your wooing to the women.¡± Joseph rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± He walked backwards, hands behind his back. ¡°We should head off into the forest. You can show me something again. Show me some moves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a no. Dad beat me good last time I showed you.¡± ¡°Show me something he hasn¡¯t taught you. Did you learn anything new? You know, from your past?¡± Artien sighed. Joseph was the only one he¡¯d told about his dreams. Joseph was convinced he¡¯d lived before and the dreams were his past lives¡¯ memories. Joseph was the one soul he trusted to keep his secret. He was truly a good friend. ¡°I did learn something new. I doubt it would have any benefits for you though.¡± ¡°Awe, don¡¯t say that. Show me tomorrow, alright? I know you got things to do at the inn until nightfall.¡± ¡°Fine, but wake yourself early. You¡¯ll find me on that flat stone near the creek further in.¡± ¡°Great! Here, let me get the gate.¡± They arrived at the small field behind the smithy. Joseph opened the gate as Artien led all the horses inside. Once secured, the two got busy removing the tack and gear stored on each horse before brushing them down. They provided fresh water and hay, then headed to the front of the smithy. ¡°Well,¡± Joseph said, ¡°I need to sleep early. Have to do all my chores early if I¡¯m going to beat you to the flat rock. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°See you then.¡± Artien bid good-bye. He turned around and quickly went to the back side of the inn. There he grabbed an armful of firewood and entered the kitchen. Mr. Greenwood was cooking while Clare was out serving in front. Mr. Greenwood spotted him. ¡°About time you¡¯re here. Put that firewood in the bin and stoke the fire. I¡¯ll be cooking at least for another half hour. These folks sure eat a lot.¡± Artien went about taking care of the fire while Mr. Greenwood continued to cook. Clare entered a few times to grab more food. It was a good hour later and they were still cooking when Clare came running back in. ¡°Father, there¡¯s something wrong with Mr. Silvergrain.¡± Mr. Greenwood turned worriedly to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Did he get a bellyache from all that food?¡± Clare shook her head. ¡°No. He¡¯s not eating at all!¡± Mr. Greenwood¡¯s face went blank, slowly turning red. ¡°He didn¡¯t eat?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Then where has all that food been going?¡± He asked carefully. ¡°His friends are eating it all!¡± Clare looked around as if someone was listening. ¡°There is also this,¡± She lowered her voice, ¡°problem with his ears.¡± Mr. Greenwood face froze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with his ears?¡± ¡°They¡¯re pointy.¡± Clare giggled. ¡°He¡¯s an elf! No wonder he wasn¡¯t eating. Artien! Take the bucket to the creek and get the water directly from the rocks. Don¡¯t you dare get it from down stream!¡± Mr. Greenwood ordered. ¡°Clare, go clear out his place on the table, tell him we¡¯re making a proper meal for him.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Clare turned serious as her father barked out orders. Bewildered, Artien grabbed a bucket and jogged into the woods. What was so special about an elf they had to have ¡®special¡¯ water? Were they such strange creatures? Within fifteen minutes and familiarity, he made it to the mentioned creek spring. He held the bucket close, letting if fill two-thirds before making his way back. He entered the kitchen from the back. He placed the bucket on the small table before getting more firewood to take care of the fire. Mr. Greenwood hurriedly prepared a strange soup with the water. He placed a few flower heads from who-knows-where into the soup. Then he poured the water into a cup with a drop of honey. He was very careful not to let anything touch the water aside from the ingredients and tools. Clare entered the kitchen. ¡°Clare! Good timing. Come, bring these to Mr. Silvergrain.¡± Clare took the bowl and cup, dashing out front. Within a minute she came back. ¡°Dad, Dad! He¡¯s eating!¡± Mr. Greenwood immediately let out all previous tension. ¡°Phew. Clare, until he leaves, you will favor Mr. Silvergrain.¡± He turned to Artien and looked him up and down. ¡°What''s wrong with your arm?¡± ¡°Just twisted it hard. Dad says it will heal in a few days.¡± ¡°Hmph. You''re no use with one arm. Go on home and rest up. You''ll make up for it next week.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Artien left before Mr. Greenwood changed his mind. He now had a few free hours to himself. He skirted around the village and entered the forest. He crossed the creek and hiked for half an hour before he came upon a small, well hidden meadow. In the center was a boulder with a flat top. He climbed atop it and laid out . He soaked up the sun, enjoying nature''s sounds. A short while later he sat up. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind, breathing out for three seconds¡­. CH 3: Accused Chapter 3: Accused BOOK 1 CHAPTER 3: Wind softly blew across the small clearing, rippling the grass like waves. It ruffled the short, brown hair of the youth sitting cross-legged on a large, flat stone. His face was serene, so calm that his presence became part of the natural setting. A bird, catching a bug in mid-air, landed on his knee. Deer, ever cautious, slowly entered the clearing to eat. Artien¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on his surroundings. It was deep within. He recalled the recent dream, remembering the feelings and experience. He went back to that foggy, misty place. Back to that small hill to sit and withdraw inside. His mind¡¯s eye now traveled that darkness, searching for that light. He headed in one direction, floating endlessly. His mind¡¯s eye searched, hoping to find that small flame. He felt it tickle his senses, whispering which way to go. He followed, eventually coming to see a small, tiny spark far off. He pursued it, mindless of time or other matters. After an endless moment, he was there. The small flame flickered before him. He watched it for a moment, then reached out to it, touching it with his mind. At first he passed right through it. Trying again, remembering that first feeling of connection, of the reason why ¨C he finally touched the flame. The flame reacted. Artien¡¯s mind and consciousness was consumed with white light. The flame exploded, pure energy bursting out from within. It reached into the misty space, rushing against and pushing some of the mist back. He felt a heavy, worldly weight lift just a bit lighter. He rode the energy, and it carried him towards the new area in the mist. The energy bounded back, unable to penetrate the mist further. It carried him away, back towards his mind and body. He had a feeling of nostalgia. The energy was a friend long not seen. It rumbled the suppressed emotions inside, breaking his concentration. ¡°Haah.¡± He exhaled, trying to control his roiling emotions. He sifted through them, trying to understand. Excitement raced along with the energy rushing through his limbs. A comfortable warmth spread, relaxing his muscles. He slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the scene of nature before him. Birds, deer, squirrels. All were in the clearing with him. The dazzling view lifted his heart. He was free from negative feelings. He laughed, startling the wildlife around him. He lay back, spreading his limbs out on the flat rock. He let his mind wander, daydreaming. The morning sun¡¯s rays sparkled on the surface of leaves, bark, and grass. The world twinkled before him, beckoning. He enjoyed as that small bit of energy traveled to all corners of his being. ¡°I¡¯ve finally done it. With this, I can manipulate mana.¡± Artien frowned. ¡°Dad probably won¡¯t let me train in force until I can master spells. Those visitors ¨C I better ask dad about them before I train my aura-seeking any further. I need to visit Grandpa¡¯s library too. Hmm..¡± He pondered. ¡°Hey! Why are you sleeping?¡± Artien sat up, watching Joseph enter the clearing. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping.¡± Joseph stopped before the flat stone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you did something new again and didn¡¯t show me!¡± He crossed his arms and pouted. Artien shivered in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t get girls.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± Joseph grinned, then climbed atop the stone. He sat across from Artien and became serious. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Like so many times before, Artien couldn¡¯t help but tell him everything. He spoke about his dream, aura-seeking, and the flame. He even included his arm¡¯s injury, but omitted the use of force. He felt slightly guilty as he spoke. ¡°Woah. So you can use magic now then?¡± Joseph slugged him. ¡°Ouch. Don¡¯t hit!¡± ¡°Stop faking pain. So, when are you going to teach me magic?¡± Artien rubbed his arm and sighed. The smithy¡¯s son swung hammers everyday and didn¡¯t even know how strong he was. ¡°I can¡¯t teach it to you. I don¡¯t know exactly how it works. I only know how to get it started.¡± Joseph rolled his eyes impatiently. ¡°Come on. Keep pushing me away so much and I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± Artien gave him a death glare. ¡°Keep pushing and we¡¯ll never have this conversation again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I swear, I won¡¯t say it again. At least teach me how to get started!¡± How shameless, Artien thought. ¡°Aura-seeking, you have to learn that first. From what I¡¯ve read, not everyone has the ability to sense mana.¡± ¡°Aura-seeking. What is that, exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s looking within one¡¯s self for that source of mana that you may or may not have.¡± ¡°How do I know if I have it?¡± ¡°Only a master could tell you that.¡± ¡°When will you be a master?¡± ¡°Too many questions!¡± Artien warned. ¡°Enough. You can only try. I only knew I had it thanks to the dreams.¡± Joseph pouted again. ¡°Too bad I don¡¯t have a cheat ability like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s disgusting!¡± Artien stood abruptly. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Off to do something useful.¡± ¡°Wait! Explain more about that aura-seeking!¡± Joseph begged. ¡°Read a book!¡± Artien ran off towards the farm, escaping as fast he could. It wasn¡¯t fast enough as he nearly tripped on a root as he heard Joseph yelling obscene things ending with, ¡°Teach me to read!¡± As he came upon the farm, he noticed his father wasn¡¯t outside yet. He still had some time before his chores. After a split decision, he made a turn and headed towards the village. He skirted the edge as usual, passing by the back of the inn¡¯s kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Morning Mr. Greenwood! I¡¯m going to the library.¡± Artien waved, then sped up. Mr. Greenwood shook his head. ¡°Weird kid.¡± Artien came to the old stone wall at the base of a hill, having to enter the village main from there. He stepped out, quickly taking in who was around. To his relief, there was only a few awake yet. He crossed the center of the village, heading towards the biggest house belonging to his grandfather. Instead of entering the front, he walked around to the side and entered a store room. An inner door led him inside the house. He went up some back stairs after a short hall to the second floor. A few doors down was the study/library. He entered quietly, not surprised to see his grandfather sleeping peacefully in a chair next to the fireplace. He rekindled the fire, setting a new log inside. Finished, he looked to the side. Lining an entire wall of the study was, from floor to ceiling, shelves of books. One section of three feet, top to bottom, was filled with books on battle, hand-to-hand combat, wild beasts, treasures, and more. He grabbed one in particular. A book on the basics of magic. He sat in a nearby chair and read by firelight. Having read it many times, he skipped to the part he needed to review now. ¡°Ah, aura strengthening.¡± He read the passage aloud. ¡°Once an aura has been established ¨C the flame naturally found inside all blessed with the ability to use mana ¨C one should immediately become familiar with the flame. Frequent ¡®visiting¡¯ lets the user become intimate with the energy. After frequenting visiting, the user will begin to feel the mana in nature, and in turn, themselves. Mana naturally accumulates inside the bodies of living things through inhaling and exhaling the mana in the air. A fair warning ¨C never should a user touch the flame before a master of magic acknowledges they are ready. Without preparing the body and mind before hand through exercise and meditation, the abrupt flow of mana through the body could have permanent damage.¡± Artien sat back, feeling a chill. Earlier he had touched the flame. Although there was no pain or damage ¨C what if there had been? He could have been crippled. Just the thought sent a tingle down his spine. He¡¯d been too careless. This time, he¡¯d make sure to read everything first. He looked at the book and continued reading. ¡°Once a master acknowledges the strengthening is complete, the user can then move to manipulating the mana outside the body: the forming of a spell. Once a spell is cast, the user has entered into the Student Tier, Level 1.¡± Artien frowned, thinking back. ¡°Tiers?¡± He flipped through back to the beginning of the book. Near the front he found an entry on magic levels. ¡°Novice ¨C 1st Level: A student of mana who studies magic philosophy and theories, but doesn¡¯t put it into practice. They may practice aura-seeking. Novice ¨C 2nd Level: A student who has successfully completed aura-seeking and found their mana flame. Novice ¨C 3rd Level: A 2nd level novice who has completed aura-strengthening and can fully control the mana in their body. Student ¨C Level 1: A novice enters into the advanced stage after successfully casting their first spell.¡± ¡°I guess this doesn¡¯t count force.¡± He mumbled to himself, remembering the powerful punch that nearly destroyed his arm. ¡°Right, magic only for a magic book.¡± If it counted force into the levels, he would have skipped all the way to the first level of the student tier. Without the daily training his father put him through, as well as a solid understanding of his own body, his arm would have been blown clean off. He was lucky that he didn¡¯t. Force was not something he would be idly messing with until he became stronger. However, magic used mana from the surroundings. Thus, he decided to train in that first. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He closed the book, returning it to the shelf. Taking another quick glance at his grandfather, he smiled and retreated back outside. He walked slower than normal while he pondered over the contents of the book. He made it to the edge of the village towards his home when a most unwelcome voice was heard. ¡°Look who it is! I haven¡¯t seen your face in a while. Been hiding?¡± A young voice sneered. Artien closed his eyes, sighed, then turned and faced him. ¡°Hello, Tom.¡± He spotted the lackeys behind Tom. ¡°Stephen. Wesley.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what I want,¡± Tom smirked, opening his arms wide, ¡°it¡¯s what everyone wants.¡± ¡°This again?¡± Artien rolled his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you come up with something new? It¡¯s always the same old, same old.¡± ¡°You!¡± Tom punched fist in hand. ¡°It¡¯s the same because you just don¡¯t get it! Let us remind you again. Stephen, Wesley!¡± Both boys grinned, surrounding Artien from three sides. Artien lowered his arms, forming fists. Since they were six, for some reason Tom had it out for him. Tom threw a punch, forcing Artien to dodge. As he did, a blow came from his right to his ribs. Artien tried stepping away from it, only to get kicked in the knee from behind. He fell, kneeling. A blow from Tom¡¯s fist to his face knocked him to all fours. The three stopped, laughing at him as he gasped and spit out blood. Even so, he felt no urge to fight back. ¡°What¡¯s this? Still have no spine? What happened to that arm of yours?¡± Tom grabbed the wrapped arm, squeezing and twisting it high. ¡°Hah, did you hurt yourself tending the fields?¡± He pulled it higher, forcing Artien to stand. ¡°You¡¯re poor father and poor mother. They probably are beside themselves with regret, having something like you for a son.¡± ¡°Your father, a retired, failed soldier. Your mother, an ungrateful woman. A fit family of swine.¡± ¡°You leave my parents out of this.¡± Surprisingly, Artien felt some anger bubble up. He didn¡¯t know why, but he¡¯d about had enough of it. Enough of being pushed around. He had as much right to walk around than anyone else. Tom laughed. ¡°What, you¡¯re going to fight back?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes.¡± Artien whipped his arm away, throwing a punch straight at Tom¡¯s face. He felt his muscles expand, his hand snapping loosely against Tom¡¯s cheek. The force of the punch threw Tom off-balance. He fell to his butt, a hand going to his face as he looked at Artien in disbelief. He pointed at Artien, ¡°Y-y-you! How dare you!¡± He stood up, still clutching his face. ¡°Get him! Beat him!¡± He screeched. Wesley and Stephen simultaneously jumped him from behind. They each grabbed an arm. Tom stood, his face swelling on one side as he came forward and punched Artien back. Artien took the blow, feeling a slight force behind it. He looked back at Tom in the eye, understanding just the difference that moving mana through the body created. Tom proceeded to punch him in the face and stomach. Artien took each blow, slowly becoming elated at how strong he¡¯d become. He gasped, feeling a strong urge, a jubilation. He opened his mouth, laughing at the very thought that Tom couldn¡¯t touch him. Tom stepped back, confused and uncertain. ¡°What the hell?¡± Stephen and Wesley, feeling something off, released their holds. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Haha, you can hit me all day and it won¡¯t hurt.¡± Artien laughed in their faces. Tom stepped back. ¡°I thought you were hurt!¡± Artien looked at his wrapped arm in surprise. ¡°So did I.¡± ¡°You ¨C what are you?¡± Tom stammered, retreating. ¡°You stay away from me!¡± He turned tail and ran. His lackeys followed close behind. ¡°That ended rather well.¡± He shrugged, heading back towards the farm. # Greenwood Inn. Pointed ears shifted slightly, suspicious eyes narrowing. ¡°Shh!¡± The table quieted, all focus turning to the elf. The party waited patiently, used to their leader¡¯s odd demands. They saw him move his ears, clearly listening in on something outside. They placed their hands on their weapons. They relaxed only when their leader put a hand out to stop them. Outside, Tom, Stephen, and Wesley were all complaining about their defeat. Tom walked up to a tree behind the inn and punched it. He shook his hand, rubbing his face. ¡°That little shit! When did he get so strong?¡± Stephen and Wesley looked at each other before offering their opinions. ¡°Isn¡¯t his dad a retired soldier?¡± Stephen offered. ¡°I bet his dad trained him.¡± Wesley nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he was holding back this whole time?!¡± Tom hissed, rubbing his face. The other two could see a faint bruise already forming on his face. ¡°He¡¯s been making a fool of me. He¡¯s probably back at home laughing at how stupid I am.¡± ¡°What can we do? He¡¯s stronger than all three of us.¡± Stephen asked. Tom paused, thinking. ¡°I know some dirt on him. We can use that. But when and how¡­ we¡¯ll have to wait for an opportunity.¡± Wesley panicked, ¡°So we can¡¯t get him back right now?!¡± Tom sneered. ¡°Not yet. We¡¯ll wait a little. When the time comes, just back me up.¡± The other two nodded as they followed Tom away from the inn. Back inside the inn, the elf lowered his hand, allowing the others to question him. He only received a single question. ¡°Orders, Sir?¡± Asked a bearded man clad in heavy armor with a giant, double-headed axe on his back. ¡°It seems there may be a demon spawn here. Send word to the old man to gather everyone to the center of the village tonight.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± One mercenary with a sword at his side left the table. ¡°Are we going to see something interesting, Sir?¡± A third, lithe mercenary asked. ¡°Perhaps.¡± A soft smile curved the elf¡¯s fair face. # Artien sat at the edge of the farm, meditating and learning the feeling of mana. He mentally guided the mana through his body, becoming more familiar as it reached his fingers and toes. It flowed easily, like a small stream that could split and rejoin at will. He became so intent on the mana, he began to flow with it, becoming further a part of the mana in himself and that around him. Suddenly, something moved nearby, pushing through the mana forcefully. Artien sunk back into his body, looking to find one concerned womanizer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Artien! Phew. You¡¯re always somewhere different. It gets harder and harder to find you.¡± Joseph panted. ¡°I just got word from my dad that everyone¡¯s to gather at the village square. Supposed to be something the elf requested.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Elves protect humans, right? This guys got a mercenary group with him, too. You don¡¯t think something bad is going to happen¡­¡± Joseph trailed off, uncertain. ¡°Hopefully not. Anyways, we better get going. Once we¡¯re there we¡¯ll know.¡± Artien stood, regretting having to leave that peaceful meditation. ¡°What about your parents?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get them. You go on ahead.¡± Artien said over his shoulder as he waved Joseph off and headed towards the house. Joseph shrugged, sighed, and started jogging back to not miss anything. Artien headed inside, finding his parents busy getting supper ready. They saw his expression and immediately stopped. ¡°Arty, what¡¯s wrong?¡± His mother asked. ¡°Everyone¡¯s gathering at the village.¡± George frowned. ¡°Did your Grandfather request this?¡± ¡°It was the elf.¡± George¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°We can¡¯t refuse an elf¡¯s request. It¡¯s akin to breaking the law. We have to go.¡± ¡°Let us go then and be back quick. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re both hungry.¡± Anabelle said. George nodded and they all left for the village square. Once they arrived, Artien saw his grandfather standing with the elf. Joseph spotted him and came to his side and whispered. ¡°Nothing¡¯s been said. They waited until everyone is here.¡± ¡°Shh! Looks like he¡¯s going to talk now.¡± The quiet chatter and whispers died down as Old Joe raised his hand. ¡°Thank you everyone for gathering. Mister Silvergrain has something important to say. Please listen carefully.¡± Redflame looked at the crowd, his cold appearance making many of them shiver. Suddenly the exciting visit of an elf and band of mercenaries seemed¡­ incredibly dark. The setting sun cask dusk shadows, giving a foreboding atmosphere. Everyone wondered, just exactly why were they all called there? ¡°As you all are well aware, I am an elf. We elves pride ourselves in our work under command of the esteemed Blackrock Highstream. Does anyone here know exactly what work we elves do?¡± Seeing no answers, he continued. ¡°We keep the peace. Whether it¡¯s quelling nefarious beasts or brutish rabble like thieves and murderers. We also hunt the most dangerous adversary the kingdom has ever seen. Demons.¡± Redflame nodded slightly as the crowd gasped at his words. ¡°I have come this way tracking one such demon. This demon has destroyed towns and villages much like yours. It has laid waste to the land, burning and destroying everything in it¡¯s path. Only an elf tutored in many years of magic can track and slay such a foe.¡± He paused, showing concern as he glanced among the crowd. ¡°Luckily I have come to you before the beast. Yet, this is strange. How have I completely passed such a monster without a trace of anything damaged or lives lost? Had it successfully fled my grasp?¡± One man piped up, Farmer Zachary and father to Wesley. ¡°Good Sir, are we safe?¡± Another, a woman, also asked in a trembling tone, ¡°Is it going to come here?¡± Reflame raised his hands, calming the questions. ¡°I will tell you all now. As I am here, I will not let this beast go unpunished. This is not the first time a demon has skipped remote villages. Over the years, we elves have learned why this is.¡± ¡°Why? Why did it skip us?!¡± ¡°This, it is to ensure the survival of it¡¯s offspring!¡± Redflame raised his words. A vague sense of doom hit the villagers. One woman fainted into her husband¡¯s arms while another clutched her children closely. A clamor broke out. Artien¡¯s arm was suddenly gripped by his father, who quickly lowered to his ears. ¡°No matter what happens, you must not use Force. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Dad?¡± His dad shook his arm, tightening his grip until it was painful. ¡°Answer me!¡± He whispered harshly. ¡°I understand.¡± Artien¡¯s heart sped up, seeing the sudden change in his usually stoic father. Their eyes turned to the elf again. ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± Old Joe yelled. ¡°Mister Redflame is still speaking!¡± Redflame nodded at the village elder in appreciation. He turned back to the crowd. ¡°This offspring, this demon spawn, is the reason I requested you all gather here. It is possible that one among you is this demon spawn. I will need everyone¡¯s cooperation to figure out who it is!¡± Everyone clamored again, slightly parting from each other. They looked at each other¡¯s families, hoping it wasn¡¯t one of their own. Anabelle grabbed Artien¡¯s hand, squeezing tightly. He looked up and saw her pale face. ¡°Quiet!¡± Old Joe yelled again. ¡°There must be quiet! This is a trying, uncertain time for us all. I am sure Mister Redflame will know how to find the demon spawn!¡± His words making sense, the crowd went silent, waiting for Redflame¡¯s next words. ¡°I will ask a few questions. Based on the answers, it will be easy to see who the demon¡¯s child is.¡± Redflame nodded to his men, who encircled the crowd. ¡°Do not worry. This is merely an extra measure to make sure the spawn does not escape.¡± ¡°Firstly, has there been an strange goings-on? Such as beasts being killed in the night, but not eaten? Or people going missing without trace over the last few years?¡± No body spoke. ¡°In this case it has not awakened into maturity as a demon. It may still show human aspects. Has anyone here noticed any strong mana fluctuations?¡± He frowned at the crowd. He turned to Old Joe. ¡°Is no one here knowledgeable in mana?¡± ¡°Ah, perhaps just one. My son-in-law. He is a retired soldier.¡± Old Joe looked at George directly. ¡°Come, George! Quickly tell Mister Redflame what he needs to know.¡± George pushed Artien behind him as he passed, muttering, ¡°Stay in the back.¡± He came to the front of the crowd, before Redflame. ¡°What exactly is it you would know?¡± Redflame scrutinized him. ¡°You¡¯re a retired soldier?¡± ¡°Yes. I worked under the capital¡¯s main force for three decades.¡± ¡°How familiar are you with mana?¡± ¡°I was proficient in Force until an injury forced me to retire.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Red flame said. He contemplated, then asked, ¡°Have you seen magic?¡± George shook his head. ¡°I was not near the training area for that. I did, however, feel the changes in the mana as magic was used. I can confirm that that has not occurred here since I¡¯ve lived here. Not in the last fifteen years.¡± ¡°Thank you. That is all I will ask of you.¡± Redflame dismissed. George returned to his family¡¯s side. They all waited for the next question. ¡°With that answered, it is clear the demon spawn is still a child. It will age the same as humans. All of the adults here are cleared of doubt. All that remains is to clear the children until the spawn is found. All the children step forward!¡± He motioned to his men. ¡°Will the mothers and fathers please step away from the children. This is to prevent interference for your care of them. I promise, no harm will come to them if they are human.¡± Artien slowly made his way forward. His mother¡¯s hand lingered, then released him. His father said nothing as they too stepped back. He mingled at the back of the crowd, feeling slight comfort as Clare and Joseph joined his side. Redflame addressed the terrified children. ¡°Do not fear. I will prevent any harm to you. Simply follow my lead and I will find this spawn amongst you.¡± He nodded as he had their full attention. ¡°Alright. Raise your hands if you were born and raised in the village.¡± Every hand shot up. ¡°You may lower your hands. I take it this means none of you moved here recently?¡± Silence. ¡°Now comes the hard part.¡± He made contact with each of their eyes. ¡°You must tell me the truth. No repercussions will occur. There will be no consequences.¡± He waited for confirmation. With none coming forward, he asked, ¡°Do you all understand?¡± Some nodded and he smiled. ¡°Good. Now, as children like to play with each other, has anyone noticed anything strange about another? Nothing different, or new?¡± No hands were raised, no words were said. The children looked at each other suspiciously. ¡°Come now, speak up. Does anybody have anything at all? Surely there was something? Even a little thing?¡± Redflame scanned the young crowd. A hand raised up, slowly and unsteady. Redflame¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, you there! What is it? Tell the truth now!¡± ¡°I-I know someone that might be the demon spawn!¡± A terrified voice plead. ¡°Yes, yes! Who is it! Don¡¯t be afraid and point them out.¡± Redflame urged. The hand fell in one direction, a finger pointing. The crowd parted, and a voice said, ¡°H-him!¡± All eyes turned on the subject in fear and terror. The crowd quickly backed away, giving all a clear view. The owner of the finger too looked at the figure, not in fear or terror, but animosity. None picked up on his hatred as he directed the attention. ¡°He¡¯s the one!¡± Artien felt his heart stop in his chest as the finger pointed at him. He knew, at this time, his happy life had come to a screeching halt. CH 4: Taken Redflame¡¯s eyes narrowed on Artien threateningly. He gripped the shoulder of the accuser. ¡°Good boy, well done. What here makes this child the demon spawn? Speak clearly now.¡± Everyone watched apprehensively. The square was quiet, listening to the accuser speak. ¡°He¡¯s weak. Or was. Then, in one day, he suddenly got strong!¡± He pointed to two others. ¡°You can ask my friends. They were there when it happened.¡± Stephen and Wesley stepped forward, nodding their heads. Redflame looked at his men, signaling with his eyes. They weaved through the children, separating Artien from everyone else. Anabelle felt her heart clench, urging George. ¡°Honey!¡± ¡°George pushed his way to the front of the group of parents. ¡°This is nonsense! He is my son.¡± Redflame raised his hand. ¡°Let the child finish speaking. Now,¡± he addressed to Tom, ¡°What happened, exactly?¡± ¡°Wesley, Stephen, and I ¨C we were all walking along when he,¡± Tom pointed at Artien, ¡°picked a fight with us. He always liked to try to get the better of me. I¡¯ve always managed to defend myself. This time he wanted it as three against one! Who would do that?!¡± ¡°I see, I see,¡± Redflame said. ¡°What happened next?¡± ¡°He beat us, three to one! He¡¯d gotten stronger. No one gets that strong that fast. Of course, I could only run. I,¡± he looked at his feet, not meeting Redflame¡¯s eyes, ¡°I was scared.¡± Redflame squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. ¡°You were right to be scared. When a demon spawn awakes to his demon self, all semblance of humanity fades and only a darkness remains. After that is only blood and death.¡± Redflame faced Artien, walking to stand a few feet from him. He moved his hand to his waist, atop his sword. He became serious and solemn. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Artien.¡± He said it weakly. He¡¯d never been confronted by someone so directly. Not when he was singled out. His heart pounded, sweat coating his jittery hands. ¡°Do you refute his words?¡± Redflame mentioned Tom. ¡°Yes. It was them that picked a fight with me.¡± ¡°How could a single boy beat three others?¡± Redflame inquired. ¡°This needs to be answered. Before have you ever won a fight against him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Artien shook his head. ¡°I had chosen not to. To do so would go against what my father teaches me.¡± Redflame glanced at George. ¡°What does he teach you?¡± ¡°That strength should not be misused.¡± Artien looked at his dad, who nodded at him with a frown. ¡°He taught me to be strong not with strength, but with wisdom.¡± Redflame nodded. ¡°That sounds like the training of the capitol army. Come, show me a few moves he has taught you.¡± George nodded to his son again, silently hoping his words on magic and force from before still held sway in his son¡¯s mind. Artien let out a low breath, remembering the basics. He pulled out the moves he had practiced thousands of times since little. Strong Punches, steady feet, swift movements, and a clear gaze. Ten moves in total. A basic set passed to the lower folk of any major household guard or soldier. When he finished, he stood and exhaled a long breath. He faced Redflame. ¡°That is what I was taught.¡± Redflame smiled softly. ¡°It seems I was mistaken. As for the demon spawn, I would say you are not him. Demons are clever ¨C they often hide amongst the sheep.¡± He turned, facing Tom. ¡°That puts you as the only suspect.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Tom clutched his father¡¯s arm, instantly terrified. ¡°I¡¯m not it! I¡¯m human!¡± His father roared angrily. ¡°My son is no demon! He was born to my wife and I saw it with my own eyes. He¡¯s entirely of my blood!¡± Something seemed to change as Tom¡¯s eyes lightened in hope. His gaze turned to Artien, his finger again pointing. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s not born here! He¡¯s an orphan!¡± With some surprise, Redflame turned back to Artien. ¡°Is this true?¡± When Artien said nothing, only going pale, his eyes turned to George. ¡°He is not your relation by blood?¡± George¡¯s face went grim. ¡°He is as of my blood. My wife and I adopted him as a baby. Nothing untoward or strange has happened in the 15 years he¡¯s been with us.¡± ¡°Yet, everyone else here was born as a relation of someone already established long in the village.¡± Redflame spread his arms, encompassing all people. ¡°He is the only one suspect.¡± ¡°He is not a demon.¡± George carefully said. ¡°He¡¯s always been weird!¡± Tom yelled out. ¡°He¡¯s always by himself. I see him go into the forest all the time. No one except a group of hunters can go in there and come back out!¡± One of the mentioned hunters spoke loudly, ¡°That is true. With so many magic beasts out there, it is too dangerous to go in a group. Children would stand no chance alone.¡± George fisted his hands at his sides, his muscles bunching. ¡°It is not so dangerous if one stays close to the village. He has never gone far, nor been in danger.¡± Tom, feeling the conversation in his favor, continued. ¡°He¡¯s never made friends with anyone! Everyone here feels something off about him. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s not human!¡± Redflame considered all words seriously. ¡°Hmm. It is true to hide oneself is to keep a low profile. For 15 years¡­ indeed a capable feat of demons. There is too much to immediately refute the accused of suspicion. It is decided. He must come with me to the capitol.¡± Anabelle finally broke her nervous silence. ¡°No!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll vouch for him!¡± Mr. Greenwood yelled. Clare looked on in fear. ¡°Me t-¡° Joseph was cut off by his father¡¯s hand over his mouth. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°He¡¯s done work for me, and never complained. He¡¯s a hard worker and honest boy.¡± Mr. Greenwood persisted. Redflame confronted him. ¡°Has there never been something odd with him while in your presence?¡± ¡°Odd?¡± Mr. Greenwood thought, remembering all the times chores and requests were finished in wicked fast time. ¡°I see you have doubt as well.¡± Redflame said. He motioned to his men. ¡°Gather the boy. We will take him to get tested.¡± ¡°Please, reconsider! He is like my own son, and is very dear.¡± Old Joe came forward. ¡°Do not worry, village elder. If he is human, he will be released.¡± Two of the mercenaries came forward, rope in hand. Artien took a step back at the sight and looked to his father. George, unable to resist the threat to his son, came forward. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Please, let him go.¡± Old Joe pleaded again. Redflame raised a hand, and all mercenaries drew their weapons. ¡°If you force me to stop, you are admitting that all in the village are colluding to hide a demon. This will result in all being slain. Are you sure?¡± Old Joe hesitated. He looked to Artien, feeling desperate. His eyes hardened. ¡°If this is the only way ¨C but don¡¯t harm him!¡± ¡°Father, how could you?¡± Anabelle fainted, her words whispered. Nearby women caught her, slowly lowering her to the ground. George charged forward, punching the nearest mercenary and taking his sword. ¡°No one touches my son!¡± He swung the sword, his old body responding reflexively to his command. He clashed with another mercenary, feeling his body tremor as an old wound ached deep in his side. He pushed aside the pain, landing a kick squarely in the opponent¡¯s stomach and sending him flying. He looked towards Artien, stopping as he saw the knife against his neck. Redflame smirked. ¡°If you wish harm to him, keep coming. If not, then drop the weapon.¡± Artien kept absolutely still, feeling Redflame¡¯s dagger¡¯s edge barely brush against his skin, letting a red droplet sprout and fall onto the ground. With no choice, George dropped the sword. He was jumped form behind by the original mercenary he punched and held. Afterwards, Artien was quickly bound, a lead rope held by a mercenary. Redflame let out a sharp whistle, his horse responding. It jumped the small fence and raced to his side. The other horses, well-trained, followed suit to their respective owners. ¡°Mount up!¡± Redflame mounted his steed. The other mercenaries jumped upon theirs. Of the party, this left Artien being led and walking on foot. Anabelle woke to see her son being led away. She knelt, hands to her face, and wept. George went to her side and held her, watching as his only son walked out of sight. Artien was led out of the village. The group went at an easy pace. Eventually, the rough road bended and they went out of sight of the village. His heart still pounding, his mind raced frantically. Never had something like this happened before. He looked at the group ahead of him. All of them were quiet, listening to the woods around them. Even the nearby forest was quiet. No birds or small beasts made a noise. It was as if he was walking to his death and they all could sense it. Like a mourning of his dismal future. Unable to endure the quiet, he cleared his throat. ¡°U-um, what¡¯s going to happen to me?¡± None of the mercs replied. He grew bolder. ¡°I¡¯m not really a demon spawn. I¡¯ve never done magic or whatnot. My father said he hadn¡¯t sensed magic for the 15 years I¡¯ve been here. Really, I¡¯m not a threat¡­¡± Redflame stopped his horse. The whole party stopped. He nodded to the merc holding the rope. The merc cursed, jumping off his horse. He came straight to Artien, slugging him in the face so fast he didn¡¯t have a chance to defend. Artien felt the force shake through his head. He fell onto the dirt ground, dazed. He stared up at the merc in shock. The merc spat at his feet, eyes full of anger. ¡°Shut it, you little shit! I don¡¯t want to hear another word out of you or I¡¯ll beat you until you can¡¯t stand and drag your ass through the dirt behind my horse.¡± The merc jumped back on his horse and the group continued. The rope tying Artien¡¯s hands was jerked forward and he unsteadily climbed to his feet. He didn¡¯t dare make another sound. They continue to move for the rest of the daylight. As dusk came, Redflame chose a small clearing next to the road for the camp sight. A fire was started, horses tethered, and a meal going soon after. Artien was tied to a tree at the edge of camp, far from the fire¡¯s warmth. He sat in the dirt, leaning against the tree. Tom, that little¡­ Once he was free, he¡¯d get him back. He¡¯d beat him until his limbs creaked. Unless he could get free sooner. Looking around at the camp, the idea was dismissed. These were battle-hardened mercenaries. Bandits, really. The way they acted in the village and outside of it were as vastly different as night and day. They were crude, disgusting, and cruel. They had yet to give Artien any water or food. He was sure to go hungry the night. As the last of the daylight died, the group ate their fill of some kind of meat stew. The scent tantalized Artien, making his stomach growl. After that they drank. They then took turns relieved themselves in the nearby forest. All of this went on, but Artien¡¯s full attention went only to the elf. He was the leader of the group. In the last few minutes, he¡¯d been eyeing Artien at the tree and talking to a merc. Artien felt shivers as it happened. Eventually, Artien stood up as a merc left the fire and headed towards him. The merc reached the tree and untied the rope. He rolled it up until the lead to Artien was a short three feet. ¡°Come on, follow me.¡± The merc tugged on the rope. ¡°Hurry up. I don¡¯t got all night.¡± Artien was led away from the firelight and further into the forest. His heart started pounding all over again as thoughts on how he was going to die went through his head. He regretted it, then, that this happened to him. That he was powerless to stop it. It was then that anger swelled up. Anger at the injustice of it. Anger as his powerlessness. At his passiveness. If he was going to die, then he was going to fight back! He eyed the unaware merc in front of him. He jumped, swinging his hands over the head of the merc and pulling back. ¡°Gagh!¡± They fell, the merc landing on top of Artien. He squeezed harder. The merc struggled, then suddenly his strength seemed to increase dramatically. The merc stood, grabbing Artien¡¯s arms and throwing him over his back. Artien flew to the ground, the air knocked out of him. The guard gasped for air and grinned down at him. ¡°It¡¯s good you have a bit of fight in you. Now it won¡¯t be so boring.¡± The rope was again tied to a tree, leaving the merc¡¯s hands free. The merc grabbed him by the hair and lifted him to his feet. He threw a punch squarely in Artien¡¯s stomach. Artien doubled over, gasping. The merc, not giving him a chance to recover, swept a leg at the backs of his knees. Artien fell to the ground again, a boot kicking him in the side. ¡°Tonight will be a long night.¡± The merc said, and laughed as he continued to beat him. ¡°Come on! Get back up. Tell me who your demon parents are. Where did they go?¡± He kicked Artien several more times. ¡°Hurry up and tell me. Better yet, be slow.¡± Half the night passed before Artien was dragged back to the campsite. He was quickly tied to a tree before the merc reported back to Redflame. Oblivious to the surroundings, Artien was enshrouded in pain. He hissed as he adjusted himself slightly. A deep, intense sting of pain rose from one of his ribs. Probably broken. One of the mercs he¡¯d yet to meet arrived, crouching at his side. Surprisingly, a soft, feminine voice spoke. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± She asked. Artien focused his eyes on her face, yet it was hard to see. The night was dark and her back was to the firelight. He kept silent for a bit, then motioned to his side. ¡°Ribs,¡± He gritted between his teeth. ¡°Let me see.¡± She reached down, resting both hands over the broken rib¡¯s location. He hissed as she pressed lightly down. ¡°Hold still for a moment.¡± She was quiet a moment, then a warmth spread from her hands. She muttered under her breath as the warmth strengthened. Artien watched in amazement as a soft, green glow began to emit from her hands. Immediately he felt relief from the pain. The intense pain lessened to only a discomfort. ¡°Where else does it hurt?¡± She continued to treat him. After a few minutes, she retracted her hands. She retrieved something from her side and pressed it into his hands. ¡°Eat this.¡± She said simply, before she returned to the camp and lay on the ground to sleep. Artien lifted his hands and made out a small piece of bread. He ate it stealthily, sure he wasn¡¯t supposed to have anything. This woman ¨C she was a magic user. Instead of feeling despair in the situation, his eyes blazed with passion. Magic! Real magic! Suddenly, a thought struck him. While they slept, he could meditate. Heal himself and circulate his mana. If he could get good enough, he might have enough strength to escape before they either reached the capitol or he died of his wounds. He sat up, leaned against the tree, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. To those at the camp, he looked like he was sleeping. As he entered into mediation and began circulating his mana, the woman mercenary looked at him sharply. Her eyes widened before a gleam was within. Her eyes closed and she too entered mediation to recover her mana. CH 5: Kings of Beasts BOOK 1, CHAPTER 5 ¨C Kings of Beasts It was the second day that Artien trailed behind the Elf and his mercenaries. The healer woman gave him a portion of her bread and water. Whether it was because she felt sorry for him or it was her job, he didn¡¯t know. What was most puzzling about the morning was the way that she watched him. Did he give something of himself away while asleep? He didn¡¯t have any specific dreams. After meditating half the night his body had slightly recovered. Only aches and pains remained. Was she concerned for him? ¡°Ha-ah.¡± He sighed helplessly. There was no use thinking about it. He was better off waiting for a time to escape. There had to be a chance at some point. He watched the mercenaries carefully, pretending to be interested in the landscape. He was slightly, as he hadn¡¯t been so far away from home before. It was mid-day when there was a change in the party. The elf held up a hand, stopping the entire party. From his position in the back, Artien could still see the elf¡¯s ears twitching slightly. The atmosphere in the party changed to intense silence. In the silence he could feel a readiness. Redflame¡¯s head tilted, then his hand clenched into a fist. All mercenaries withdrew their weapons, staying on horseback. Sensing the danger, Artien kept his distance. At the end of the rope he¡¯d be able to better move. In the middle of the horses he could be trampled. For a short moment, the intense silence continued. On the ground, Artien felt the addition of a tiny tremor. Something cried far off into the distance on the left side of the road. The tremors continued, becoming constant. Another cry joined the first and suddenly all the birds flew out of the trees into the safety of the sky. The mercenaries faced the forest, waiting. The healer and Redflame were behind the three other mercs. After a few short minutes, beast cries, growls, and barks sounded from a distance within the forest. A stronger trembling of the ground arrived, and the noises came closer. Everyone gritted their teeth, expecting the worst. Artien watched the forest, seeing underneath the darkness of the canopy shadows rushing towards them. The lithe mercenary withdrew small daggers from inside his clothing, carefully taking aim. He threw three blades, each hitting a target. First blood drew on the unknown enemy. Artien¡¯s attention was drawn to his immediate surroundings. He felt the mana in the air being gathered and condensed. He looked at Redflame who was chanting under his breath. In his right hand a small glow emitted. Mana shaped and took form. A small, blue-white sphere with mist appeared. Redflame threw the ball directly at the closest shadows. Deep in the forest, the sphere of mana vanished, then a blue glow quickly spread out. Artien¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the cracking of ice and force of the magical attack back on the road. So this was magic! Healing, attacking¡­ It was all so exiting! His heart picked up, getting caught up in the moment and watching Redflame and the lithe mercenary unleash attacks one after the other. He was distracted, so he didn¡¯t see a hidden shadow from behind leap from the nearby woods. All he saw was a long yellow-colored beasts leap straight across the party, taking the sword-wielding mercenary by surprise. The mercenary cried out as his arm was bitten, the weight of the beast and force of the attack taking him directly to the ground. More shadows entered into the sunlight, showing a pack of yellow wolf-like magical beasts sprung out. Artien moved so his back was to the party, seeing them all surrounded by at least a dozen of the beasts. Sweat curled down his cheek as he looked around. He was situated directly in the middle, hands tied, and no weapons. He needed a weapon. Artien looked down at his hands, suddenly remembering that punch. Was that not a weapon? Were his hands, feet, and body not weapons? He didn¡¯t need a blade to fight. He¡¯d proven that already. He had force. Artien quickly calmed himself, closing his eyes and using the 3 second breathing technique. He erased the situation temporarily from his mind, going within himself. He searched for that flicker, flame of mana. He drew on it, willing it to spread and envelope him. The flame danced as he touched it, happy to join again. The small amount of mana provided dimmed the pain from his previous injuries. It strengthened his body, giving him new energy. He came back to himself, the noise of the fight slamming into his ears. His eyes shot open. He looked around, taking everything in. Beasts were all around him. Only Redflame was still mounted and untouched, shooting off magic in one hand and slicing with a short blade in the other. The healer was dealing a deathblow with a small dagger to the beast atop the swordsman, while healing his arm with the other. Both magic users dual-wielding! His sight drew to the side at the sound of a roar. The axeman was swinging his double-headed axe in fast arcs, slicing into the grouped up beasts. A swift shadow appeared behind a single wolf, stopping long enough to stab two short blades into it¡¯s back. The beast cried out and tried biting behind it, but the shadow had moved on. The beast fell, unable to get up. The light of it¡¯s eyes slowly stilled. The shadow jumped from beast to beast. As more wolves came out from the forest to take the place of the fallen, the shadow constantly left death in his wake. The blows were accurate and deadly. The shadow jumped back to the party, revealing the panting lithe mercenary. Artien felt danger behind him. He moved, barely dodging the snapping jaws of one wolf as it moved from him to atop the horse he was tethered to. The rope snapped, dropping to the floor as the wolf bit through it and into the horse¡¯s neck. The horse fell with a groan. The wolf hung on, remaining on top. It let go as the horse stilled, blood covering it¡¯s fur. It eyed Artien, targeting him. It licked it¡¯s chops and hung it¡¯s head, growling low.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Redflame glanced at his party, seeing the state they were in. ¡°Towards the east! Stay on the road. We¡¯re retreating!¡± He yelled reluctantly. The mercenaries heard the command, regrouping. The healer mounted up behind Redflame, one hand healing a wound on the horses flank. The lithe and sword-wielding mercenaries quickly moved to each side of the horse. The axeman roared at the wolves at the back, still slaying several in a few swings. As all of this occurred, Artien carefully moved through the corpses, back towards the forest on the left side of the road. He dodged a few more strikes from the wolves and backed further and further away. He became surrounded himself. He recalled the force attack he laid out on the target back home. He felt the flame inside flicker. It heated up, flowing through a central point on his back and down his arms. His hand slowly turned red. A wolf from the side lunged in. Artien clenched his teeth, grimaced, and struck down. At that moment, the healer looked up. She sensed a strange energy. Right in front of her, she saw the young boy strike out. His fist connected with the top of the head of the wolf trying to snatch a leg. The head of the wolf exploded, blood and gore spraying in all directions. The force threw the wolf¡¯s body back into other wolves, knocking them down. She watched in amazement as the boy, taking advantage of the wolves¡¯ surprise, launched himself with speed into the forest. She wasn¡¯t the only one to see. With another roar, the axeman watched the boy escape. Filled with bloodlust and anger, he gave chase. He furiously plowed through the remaining wolves and entered the forest. Redflame snorted in disdain. He shook his head, launching another ice attack on the wolves in front. Opening the way, he led the party out of the beast encirclement and escaped. He grinned, a sneer appearing on his face. That boy ¨C he wouldn¡¯t let such interesting prey escape for long. Artien ran through the forest, knocking any beast that dared cross his path aside. He became covered in blood. Unable to hold himself back, each hit caused massive destruction. He felt with each use his body grew tired. He began to evade attacks and only use force when he was cornered. As he ran forward he became aware that something was chasing him. He took an opportunity to look back and saw the axeman coming for him. His face tightened. This was the same man that enjoyed beating him last night. If he got caught again the man would kill him. There was no doubt. He absolutely had to escape now. He sped up, hoping the axeman wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. Unfortunately, the large man had more stamina than Artien thought. Thus, the chase continued. After an hour, Artien felt tired. He couldn¡¯t use force. The multiple, consecutive uses had injured his arm again. Though not as bad as before, his arm¡¯s nerves screamed whenever he tried to use it. He gave up on using force. He cycled what mana he had left, feeling the flame shrinking down to a small, tiny flicker. He began using the breathing technique, drawing mana from the air. It wasn¡¯t enough to recover what he lost or replace what he used, but it was enough, just barely, to keep going. His speed slowly was lost. He ran for hours, the axeman eventually closing the distance. The sun was low in the sky to the west, finally setting. It was at this time that Artien noticed a major change in the forest. It had grown quiet. There were no longer random beasts coming from ahead. Instead, the faint tremors had grown in strength. The further ahead he ran, the stronger the tremors. He was coming close to something huge. The ground was shaking so hard that the sturdy trees trembled. The trees began to thin. He didn¡¯t look behind him for the mercenary. The angry roars and curses told his location. The light in the forest brightened and he ran out to the edge of a vast field of grass. He gasped for air, his legs trembling not from the tremors, but the loss of energy. They were turning numb. Even so, he stumbled on. By now his mana was completely gone. A few seconds later, the mercenary broke the tree line, his face red in rage. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Artien moved along the tree-line, the words spurring him on. He rounded a bend of a hill of green and came upon the source of the tremors. He stopped, his mouth gaping at the sight. Several places in the earth were gouged. Long scars riddled the sides of hills. Spots of grass were wilted and sizzling with purple liquid, the soil underneath blackened. The earth shook violently as two mighty beasts collided. One, a huge white ape. The other, a green-colored snake with a crown of rainbow-hued feathers. Both were double the size of the hills around them. The ape was at least twenty feet tall. The snake was slightly higher when curled up, ready to launch another attack. Both sides faced each other, waiting to make another move. Multiple wounds layered both beasts, leaving them stained with blood. Artien laughed dryly to himself. He had traded certain death by wolves with certain death by the kings of beasts. His luck was definitely not with him today. Artien glanced back, seeing the mercenary almost upon him. Definitely out of luck. He moved around the beasts, going unnoticed by them. His whole body shook with exhaustion. With the lack of food, water, and proper rest, he was too tired. His foot slipped in the grass, and he fell. He scrambled back up feebly. Before he could stand, a strong hand grasped his clothes. He was pulled up to face the mercenary. Artien instinctively grabs into the dirt, forcefully pulling roots, rocks and all up. In a last bid for his life, he throws everything into the axeman¡¯s eyes. The axeman let him go, screaming as he pawed his face. After a few seconds, the axeman looked at him with bloodshot eyes. He let out a low growl and threw his axe down. With arched fingers, the axeman grabbed Artien¡¯s arms. Artien could feel the heat in the axeman¡¯s hands, evidence he too could use force. Shocked, Artien recalled a very similar feeling. Hadn¡¯t this happened before? What did he do then? It will work just like last time. He just had to do the same thing. Artien pulled on his mana source, feeling a different energy build up instead. His back heated up. The heat traveled from his back, to his limbs. He jabbed up with his knee, catching the mercenary at the side of his chest. A distinct crunch sounded as his foot indented the armor. A large boom sounded as both sides used force against the other. The mercenary released him, grabbing his side. They stumbled apart. Artien knelt on the ground and gasped, completely spent. The mercenary coughed, blood leaving his mouth. The mercenary stared at the bloody grass before him, knowing the wound was fatal. He looked up, seeing Artien trying to back away slowly while still facing him. This damned brat! He¡¯ll kill him! Artien watched helplessly while the mercenary limped closer. Though the wound was grave, Artien was sure he would die first. He looked hard at the ground, feeling tears. Why was it like this? What had he done? He grabbed at the dirt in frustration. Suddenly, a tremor sounded as the white ape pounded towards them. What was this? Was he now going to be smashed to pulp and not even have an intact body left behind? Artien laughed to himself. ¡°Who am I kidding? Beasts will eat my carcass anyway.¡± Time slowed down. Artien raised his head, willing to meet his death head on. Instead of the ape, a metal-covered fist slammed into his face. A small amount of force snapped his head back. Pain lanced through is body. He saw red, then darkness. He fell, landing on the soft grass. His body grew numb. The pain faded. He felt only a slight chill. It was hard to breathe. Was this dying? There was a human scream. One of the beasts got the axeman. The sharp sound of something rough on metal confirmed it. Artien felt something warm pour down on him. Is that blood? The earth shook again, rocking his body. The ape screamed and he felt a large impact right next to him. Warm air blew across him as was picked up. The last thing he thought before he fainted; Ah, I¡¯m going to be eaten. CH 6: Not Alone BOOK1, CHAPTER 6 ¨C Not Alone Artien took a quick breath, coming quickly awake. His body tightened with pain and he gasped. No where on him was quiet with ease. All of him screamed from hurt. After the pain slightly faded and his mind began to slowly clear did he think, I¡¯m still alive? Without moving, he stretched his awareness slowly through his body. He felt a stiffness in his chest and face. His muscles burned and ached from the excessive running. Worse, his left knee¡­ it felt like his arm did back when he first used force. When fighting the mercenary, he unknowingly ravaged it. He tried taking a deep breath, readying to move a limb, when pain surged and he gritted his teeth. The stiffness on his chest ¨C it must be swollen. When did he get hit there? Regardless, he¡¯d better heal some first. With his eyes closed, he slowed his breathing. He concentrated through the pain, breathing three seconds in, then three out. Soon he entered the breathing technique that brought him easily into meditation. With his mind¡¯s eye, he went inside himself. He left his body behind and searched for the source of his mana. When he found the flame, only an ember remained. He mentally frowned. A passage from a magic introduction book came to mind. ¡°If the source of mana in a person is used up and extinguished, then one must trade their own life force to use mana. Exhausting mana and using life force can cripple the unfortunate individual. Perhaps even killing them.¡± So close! He¡¯d almost died! That coupled with force, the mercenary, and the giant beasts, he had almost died four times over. What kind of luck was this¡­ He began the long process of healing. He meditated, staving off hunger, pain, and sleep. As he drew mana in naturally, the little mana ember would flicker with light as it condensed more mana. This went on for a long while before a sound jerked him out of meditation. Something dragged across the ground, grinding and scratching. His heart bumped into his throat, and he held his breath. He strained his ears, picking up the sound again. The ground trembled lightly under him during each sound. Something was moving, and it was huge. The sound came closer until he felt it only a short distance from him. His heart sped up and he tried pushing himself to sit. Pain lanced through him and he jerked back down. He lay still until the pain dimmed. He couldn¡¯t help thinking back to the two giant beasts he had seen battling. From the sound, it was the snake. Why it hadn¡¯t eaten him? ¡°Ssst.¡± His ears picked up a smaller sound. A small snake? WAS HE BABY FOOD?! ¡°Hah.¡± He held deathly still as something touched his right leg. The something slithered over his leg straight towards his chest. It avoided his bad knee and sore spot on his chest. It came to his neck and stopped. Here it came, it was going to eat him. All it needed was a well-placed bite- ¡°Gagh!¡± He coughed, a cool liquid pouring down on his face. Some of it entered his mouth. He spat out congealed blood and the pain from his chest lanced again. The baby snake slithered away, leaving the way it came. It carefully avoided the worst of his wounds. With a few slither sounds, it was gone. A cloud of confusion hung over Artien¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on when he heard the return of the baby snake. It came over to his face and again poured a cool liquid. This time he could taste both blood and a bit of water. As the snake left, he began to realize it was feeding him. It was trying to help him? This time, when it returned, he readily drank as much of the water as he could. He felt the coolness hit his belly and give slight relief. The snake hissed and he felt a touch on his face. Then it left and returned again with water. He drank, licking his lips. Thirst not yet quenched, he whispered, ¡°More.¡± The snake fed him water several times before he sighed and his body pulled him into an unavoidable sleep. He slept deep, dreaming of nothing. A soft darkness enveloped his mind. When next he woke, he felt better. His muscle still screamed and his knee, chest, and face hurt. It wasn¡¯t as bad as when he first woke. The snake was waiting for him. As soon as he woke, it came and delivered water. It made it¡¯s half-dozen trips or so and licked his face. As it aided him, he felt a strange sense of appreciation towards the snake. His heart, once afraid, instead became relieved. As he thought that, he discovered another immediate problem. His stomach growled, long and loud. The snake slithered over and stopped next to his body. Then it began to hiss in different pitches and lengths. It stopped shortly after, and was responded to in kind by a loud, rumbling hiss of deeper tone. Artien¡¯s body again froze in fear, knowing the giant snake was there. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it His heart pounded as the snakes hissed at each other a few more times before the little one slithered away. The slithering noise was softened as it left the audible surroundings. This time the little one was away for what seemed like hours. While it was gone, he managed to calm himself enough to meditate. His mana ember flickered into the tiniest flame. He felt uplifted as he made some progress. He quickly used the little flame and directed it to his chest and lungs. The presence of mana attracted more as he meditated and gathered faster. He was careful. As soon as he felt the little flame became unstable, he returned the mana. He repeated this process until he became tired. He fell asleep, uneasy. He kept his ears on alert for as long as it took him to fall asleep. He slept deeply, only waiting to the sent of fresh blood. As he woke, he felt the weight of the small snake on his chest. The snake came close, pressing against his mouth. He hesitated, then opened. The snake dropped something inside. He gagged in disgust as a small piece of fresh meat met his tongue. It was bloody and raw. The snake sensed his intentions and quickly slithered over his face and squeezed, keeping his mouth shut. He was forced to quickly chew and swallow the raw food. The snake released his head and licked his face. Afterwards, it slithered away. Artien¡¯s mouth grimaced, never having eaten raw meat before. With both food and water provided, his body began the long process of healing. His muscles calmed first, allowing a small bit of tiny movement. The baby snake returned with more water, beginning a new cycle. The snake would feed him a small bit of meat when his stomach rumbled. Then it would make a water run just before he fell asleep again. Once he woke, he would meditate until the snake fed him. Gradually his body healed. When he gained a good amount of mana, he cycled it down to his knee. This was his first priority to heal. It would be unthinkable if his knee didn¡¯t fully heal and made him lame. He paid it special attention. Eventually his muscles no longer hurt. He could move his limbs with just a wince. He carefully leaned up. He felt his knee. Definitely swollen still. He moved to his chest ¨C a little raised skin proved it was still swollen, though not as bad as his knee. Lastly, he checked his face. The area around his nose and eyes was heavily disfigured. When he pressed his nose, it felt like it shifted and pain screamed through his head. ¡°Aaah!¡± Broken. He tried opening his eyes. The left eye refused to move, swollen shut. The right eye cracked slightly open. The dim light in the area lit up enough of the surrounding for him to see. It blinded him at first. He waited enough time to adjust and looked around. He lay on stone, the ground beneath him covered with twigs and leaves. The snake had gone to such trouble to take care of him. Once again, he felt appreciation and even some gratitude. If it wasn¡¯t for the little snake, he¡¯d long be dead. Behind him was a stone wall, rough and uneven. It extended high-beyond his vision. The source of light came from the walls. There were glowing stones glittering everywhere. He reached to the wall next to him and touched a glowing stone. Surprisingly, it was warm to the touch. It emitted warmth and mana. ¡°This heats the cave?¡± He said to himself. Right on queue, a slithering sound brought his eyes to a small green figure. A small, light green snake, about a meter long, curled and looked at him from three feet away. Behind it was a moss-covered and jagged cave wall that lacked the glowing stones. It watched him, tasting the air a few times. They looked at each other in silence. This was the one that saved him. He reached out a hand, palm up. ¡°Here.¡± The little snake slithered forward, climbing his arm and encircling it a few times before raising it¡¯s head and licking his cheek. He smiled softly. ¡°Thank you for helping me.¡± The little snake hissed and bobbed it¡¯s head, licking his cheek again. ¡°I thought I was dead. You¡¯re not going to eat me later, are you?¡± The little snake shook it¡¯s head. ¡°You can understand me?¡± Vigorous bobbing ensued. ¡°Thank you, again.¡± He said sincerely. The little snake tilted it¡¯s head and watched him, then turned to look behind it at the mossy wall and hiss. It left his arm and went to the wall and began hiss-talking. The wall shook and a deep-toned hiss replied. Artien¡¯s face went white when the whole mossy wall shifted. The little snake hisses while bobbing it¡¯s head and moving back. The wall moved to the right and warped as the moss became green and jagged scales. The flat wall retreats and a huge boulder moved into the nearby space. The vastness of the room became smaller as it was occupied by a large snake¡¯s head. Only half it¡¯s head could fit, and so it settled on looking at him side-ways. Artien¡¯s mouth gaped and his heart pounded with sudden fear. The little snake came to him and climbed up, licking his face. He closed his mouth and swallowed. ¡°The big one¡¯s not going to eat me, right?¡± The little snake shook it¡¯s head, hissing in short bursts. He looked down at it. ¡°Are you laughing at me?¡± He looked back at the giant snake, unable to keep his eyes off of it for long. ¡°It must¡¯ve been you that took me here.¡± The snake merely blinked it¡¯s eye at him. ¡°I guess that mercenary got eaten by that ape.¡± He remembered how the village had turned on him. ¡°All because of that elf. I won¡¯t forget this.¡± The little snake licked him, as if reassuring him. ¡°Still, I¡¯m not strong enough to fight him. I need to fully heal and get stronger.¡± He reached towards the little snake¡¯s head, stroking it. She hissed and closed her eyes. ¡°It will take a while before my knee is healed and my mana restored. I suppose you¡¯ll help me until then?¡± The little snake bobbed it¡¯s head, tasting his palm. It bumped his hand, telling him to continue. He pondered, looking at the big snake. It blinked at him. ¡°You understand my words, right? Since the little one does?¡± It blinked at him, not moving. ¡°First things first. Thank you for saving me.¡± He bowed his head slightly. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t eat me, what¡¯s the reason you kept me here?¡± The little snake started hissing excitedly. It left his hand and curled up next to him, facing the big snake. The big snake tilted it¡¯s head to look down at the little snake and they started chatting. Artien watched in amazement as a whole conversation lasting a few minutes went on. The hissing ended as the little snake curled up in his lap and watched the big snake. Artien watched it, waiting for more hissing. Suddenly, a pleasant-sounding woman¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°There is indeed a reason I saved you.¡± Artien¡¯s eyes widened. The big snake looked at him steadily and blinked as he asked stupidly, ¡°You can talk!?¡± The little snake started hissing in short bursts. CH 7: Little Green and the Deal BOOK 1, CHAPTER 7 ¨C Little Green & The Deal ¡°Of course I speak.¡± The giant snake said. ¡°Oh,¡± was all he could say. Artien waited, mentally unable to come up with anything smart to say. ¡°To answer, I never planned on eating you. It would bring me nothing. Maybe if you were filled with mana, I might reconsider.¡± Artien shivered. There was no hesitation in the snake¡¯s words. She really meant it. What then, did she have planned? He steeled himself. ¡°Then, what did you want from me?¡± ¡°We will get to that. It is better you know the situation first.¡± The giant snake backed her large body to fit more of her face. She was able to somehow show up to a long fang carved dangerously over her lower jaw. The size of the fang was as large as a grown man. ¡°Hmmph¡± Her eyes winced. ¡°I am what is called a rainbow-feathered crowned serpent. I¡¯m from a long divine line of beasts. I have lived here for 500 of your human years, gestating my offspring.¡± ¡°500 years?!¡± ¡°Yes. That is not so strange for older beasts, especially those with unique, holy, or divine blood lines. It means that my ancestor was unusually strong.¡± She sighed. ¡°I remember the old days. Before the barrier was established. We beasts could roam the world. We devoured, battled, and died as we wished. Now,¡± She hissed low, ¡°this does not matter.¡± She looked him in the eye. ¡°There is few of us left. I had hoped to pass on my heritage. I originally had given birth to a thousand young. All I have left is the one before you.¡± The little snake hissed sadly, looking depressed and hanging it¡¯s head. ¡°She is Little Green. Her bloodline is strong. Enough to escape at least some dangers. Her siblings were not so fortunate.¡± ¡°What happened to them? For 1000 and only having one left,¡± he asked, feeling the question needed to be asked. Looks like he wasn¡¯t the only one to run out of luck. The mother snake hissed loudly. ¡°That damned ape! He wanted to expand his territory and knew I was weak from having my young. He sent his subordinates after my young.¡± She slammed her tail, the ground trembling from her show of anger. ¡°He didn¡¯t even eat them! He just slew them and left them. Such a disgrace of a beast! Leaving the beast cores, even weak ones, for humans to pick from.¡± She closed her eyes, reliving her pain. ¡°At first it was just a few. The weakest. This is not abnormal.¡± She looked at Little Green. ¡°When two dozen vanished, I had a few followers scout. They found dead bodies. One returned, told me the results, and died. It was then I knew.¡± Little Green went to her mother and rubbed against her, trying to give comfort. ¡°He had clearly declared war. From then, my children were hunted down one by one. I couldn¡¯t protect them, as I was still too weak. They could not go without food, either. Any and all food within this small cave system had been scoured clean.¡± ¡°I recalled all my young from the forests. Only two hundred returned. I gave them a choice.¡± Her tone changed, growing fainter with sorrow. ¡°They must eat one another. By consuming each other, the strongest would remain. They picked which other to fight of their own will. They knew this was all we could do.¡± ¡°The two hundred became one hundred. After they consumed the other¡¯s body and core and fully strengthened from it, they fought again. The one hundred became fifty. They strengthened again. The fifty became twenty five. They fought in 4 groups of five, leaving out the weakest 5 to be eaten by the most successful group. They dwindled down to 10. They again fought each other one-on-one.¡± ¡°Once they were done, only Little Green was left. From devouring her siblings she has gained enough strength to avoid the ape¡¯s subordinates and successfully hunt prey. This enraged the ape. He began to stomp through my territory himself daily. Still, we could not hide. Little Green needed to hunt.¡± ¡°I had somewhat gotten stronger and guarded her as she went out. The white ape confronted us several times. Each time we clashed, and Little Green escaped back here. This worked until the white ape made a break through and gained an inheritance skill from his bloodline. He can strengthen his skin for an amount of time.¡± The mother snake sighed. ¡°This was all it took. In the last battle I was mortally wounded. I can no longer heal myself. This is where I need you.¡± She looked at him, a strange aura burning in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really weak¡­¡± He said bitterly. ¡°That is of no consequence. I will assist you in getting stronger with the last of my time. I only wish you help defeat that damned white ape and avenge my death. Take it as returning a favor for saving your life.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m able, I swear it.¡± He said immediately. He gritted his teeth, his breathing becoming uneven. Here was another family ripped apart simply because they weren¡¯t strong enough. Their situation was so similar to his. He was unable to protect anyone, let alone himself. It was because he was weak. This weakness had to go!This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I also wish you to take Little Green with you. Take her away from here. Away from this place and memories. Let her experience the outside world.¡± Artien nodded. ¡°This, I swear. I will defeat the white ape and take Little Green with me.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She licked the air and blinked. ¡°I have something else to speak on before your strengthening begins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about¡­that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She turned her head to look down at him more closely. Little Green scurried back to Artien¡¯s lap to avoid being crushed. He began petting her head. ¡°How does a human come to posses a beast core?¡± She asked curiously, her voice sounding unbelieving. ¡°That I¡¯m not sure. I was born with it.¡± ¡°Your parents have unusual bloodline?¡± ¡°No, not that. I¡¯m adopted. My parents are human. They found me in the woods as a baby.¡± He answered. ¡°So you must be a beast. Yet, I feel there is a difference. The core in you, it holds not mana like a normal beast core. It holds a another energy.¡± ¡°Force. I learned this recently.¡± ¡°Force? This thing that only human warriors of quality have?¡± She seemed surprised. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t control it at all. It only comes out when I¡¯m fighting or get some kind of insight.¡± He frowned. Was it insight, or something else? ¡°For a human to have been born with both force and mana! What a strange being. What are you?¡± He shrugged helplessly. ¡°You,¡± She tasted the air again, ¡°smell like a beast in human form. The core is truly a beast core. I also smell¡­ a divinity. Perhaps you were blessed by a god.¡± Her eyes squinted and her mouth curved into a fang-filled grin. ¡°To trust my daughter to you is fortuitous.¡± Little Green started bobbing her head and licking his hand excitedly. She hissed in short bursts, her own face grinning. Artien laughed. ¡°I think we¡¯ll get along.¡± ¡°If it is the beast core and flesh, I can strengthen those. The mana you will have to learn yourself.¡± The mother snake continued. ¡°Beast cores vary greatly. Hidden within them is the memories and skills of our ancestors. It takes luck and determination to learn what is hidden. Little Green is lucky to have learned two. As to more on that, she can tell you later.¡± ¡°For now, as your beast core holds force and is unique, you will have to learn how to withdraw it¡¯s power and control it. Did you use it in your last fight against the mercenary?¡± ¡°Yes. I remember it was my knee that got the most of it. That and my muscles.¡± He looked away, trying to remember the hectic fight properly. ¡°The severe injury in your knee is due to that? Your body cannot withstand your power. Hmm.¡± The mother snake pondered. ¡°If we strengthen your body, you may begin to be able to control your force.¡± She looked his body over. ¡°First, you need to finish healing.¡± ¡°Little green, bring him a drop of my blood. Fresh is best.¡± Little Green¡¯s head whipped to her mother¡¯s. She hissed in different pitches, as if arguing against her mother¡¯s choice. The mother snake glared at her. ¡°Do as I say!¡± Little Green hung her head and slithered over to her mother. She disappeared underneath her mother¡¯s head and out of sight. A few moments later she came back and went straight to Artien. She slithered up into his lap and threw herself on his chest, knocking him back down. The familiar pose brought a grimace to Artien¡¯s face. ¡°Drink that drop of blood. It is filled with mana and will accelerate your healing.¡± The mother snake said. Little Green bowed her head down. Artien opened wide, accepting that mana-filled, red droplet. It slid down his throat and he swallowed. Little Green slithered off him and he waited for the mana. He felt a mild heat from the blood as it entered his stomach and dispersed. Mana suddenly flooded his flesh. It shot out in all directions, evenly spreading out. It started burning, making his every sense going into overload as it activated. He threw out his own mana, trying to manage the mana. His little flame jumped at the mana and grew into a hand-sized fire. He felt full to the brim. Even fuller still as his mana circulated and slightly suppressed the foreign mana. He felt his veins, tendons, and muscles all clench tight and relax multiple times as they healed. His chest loosened and he could breathe normally again. His swollen knee receded back to it¡¯s normal size and even stopped hurting. On his face his bones solidified and the swelling lowered to almost nothing. The pain was reduced and he could see out of both eyes fully. The main supply of mana was used almost instantly. A small portion remained and circled his body with his own mana, continuously healing him. He stopped circulating his own mana and slowly sat up. He stretched, testing for pain. His knee and face slightly ached. Other than that he was simply tired. He stood and looked at the mother snake in amazement. ¡°That was amazing.¡± She hiss-chuckled at him. ¡°As old as I am, my blood should be at least that much even weakened.¡± ¡°Little Green, take him to the treasure cave.¡± The mother snake withdrew her enormous body, revealing a hollow in the rock next to her head that led away. Little Green slithered up Artien¡¯s leg happily. She curled around his arm and raised her head above his hand. She pulled and pushed his hand forward, eager to go. He followed her lead and carefully left around the mother snake¡¯s head. He exited the space into a long tunnel. The rock ceiling was still out of reach of his eyes. Glowing stones spotted the walls, lighting the way. They came to a fork. Little Green pointed her head to the right and Artien followed. After a short distance they entered a huge cavern. Artien¡¯s eyes widened. A huge mound of glowing and glittering treasure, glowing stones, coins, and objects piled high. It was so high it¡¯s top curved out of view. Little Green watched his reaction and hissed, enjoying the moment. To the right was a small walk space and he followed it. As he skirted around the huge pile, the mother snakes voice echoed to him from behind. ¡°All of the things in that room are things I¡¯ve attained by fighting humans and other beasts. Simply to defend my territory. That is the greed of others you see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of greed.¡± He numbly answered back. ¡°There are many things there. Currency, jewels, potions, exotic clothing, weapons and armor. There¡¯s also books of all kinds.¡± He rounded a few more feet before seeing the pile of clothing, armor, weapons, and books. ¡°I could live here my whole life and not go through all of this.¡± ¡°When I die, all of this Little Green will inherit. What¡¯s useful to you she will share.¡± Little Green nodded her head at her mother¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said, touched. ¡°Continue forward. You will come to two rooms.¡± Artien did as bidden. The first opening directly across from the piles was a small cave with a table, chair, and bed. Everything was covered in a layer of dust. A small journal lay on the table. ¡°Use that first room as you see fit. I devoured the human that used to live here and took this place as my nest.¡± He gulped and moved to the next room. There was a stone wall indent, indicating the entryway. Little Green climbed down and bopped her head against it. A small mana glow emitted from her snout and covered the door. The stone lit up slightly and rolled to the right. Artien looked into blackness. There were no glow stones in the space beyond. He hesitated even as Little Green nudged his leg forward. ¡°That room,¡± the mother snake said, ¡°is where your training will take place.¡± ¡°Go on in.¡± Her words echoed eerily. CH 8: Hardcore Training BOOK 1, CHAPTER 8 ¨C Hardcore Training Artien looked at the door before him. An open expanse of endless darkness. Inside his mind urged him not to go in. Little Green, however, pushed at him from behind. ¡°There is nothing to fear. See what lays within.¡± The mother snake said. He took a step slowly through the entryway. He passed through something unseen, like walking through a spider web. Once he passed through, the surroundings lit up. Several glow stones grew brighter, but dim enough for the small space. A domed rocky ceiling no more than eight feet high lay over the floor. At the center was a small blue pool, five feet across, and circular in shape. There was at least a six-inch ledge all the way around. The water swirled and bubbled from the center. The closer to the center, the darker the blue until it reached an almost black shade. Artien felt a huge push from behind. He lurched forward, splashing into the pool. There was a loud bang from behind as he steadied himself when he reached the center of the pool. The dark blue water reached just up to his center-thigh. Looking back, the door was closed. He scowled down at the water. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± He scooped some into his hands and sipped. The water was refreshing, tasting sweet and addicting. A feeling of energy entered his body from his stomach. Some of the energy was absorbed into his body, but the rest seemed to dissipate as he exhaled. He sat, crossing his legs. The water level rose, reaching just beneath his chin. He relaxed, going into meditation. He circulated the mana within from the flame, hoping to discover exactly what the water was. As he meditated, the water began to bubble fiercely. It swirled around the center and his body. As he meditated, the water level began to slightly lighten. His body began to fill up. Every bone, muscle, and organ was full of energy. Even his hair and skin had a slight bluish tinge to it. His body madly absorbed as much blue water as it could. His skin started to puffin, making him look fat. The blue tinge turned red and his flame suddenly sparked wildly. His body stiffened in response as he quickly tried to control the flame. It danced through his grasp, quickly spreading through his body. His flame burned the energy he¡¯d absorbed directly, leaving behind a tempered patch. He felt this happen simultaneously throughout his body. Every place this occurred, newly minted flesh remained. This new flesh flexed and trembled, full of strength and vigor. His mind became incredibly clear, and he quickly understood what was happening. After his flame finished burning his body, his eyes opened and he thought back on the water and energy. ¡°A mana-filled liquid. A magic spring?¡± He asked himself in awe. ¡°A mythical magic spring!¡± Everything made sense. ¡°This will boost my strength faster than decades of meditation and training!¡± ¡°With this spring, my magic comprehension should go up.¡± He closed his eyes and began meditating. This time, after his body filled with energy and filled to the brim, his flame reacted differently. It selectively burned only his tendons, joints, nails and hair. Once the areas were tempered, his flame drew in the remaining energy in his body to the tendons, joints, nails and hair. It began tempering again. The flame continued to do this as long as there was energy in his body. He felt a closeness with his reaction speed. He thoroughly embraced the feeling, becoming accustomed to feeling more connected with himself. Soon, the flame devoured all the energy in his body to temper and returned to it¡¯s place. Artien let out a heavy breath. Without opening his eyes, he began meditating again. He hungrily drew in more mana from the spring, loving the feeling of getting stronger. His body filled to the brim with energy. Once again, his flame flew out and designated where to strengthen next. This time the flame chose his eyes, tongue, nose, and nerves. The feeling was strange as he felt energy in places he hadn¡¯t noticed before. The burning slightly stung his senses as they were all made stronger, more effective. The flame then drew all the energy out of his body and re-tempered. Artien repeated the process of meditation and temperance. With the mana-rich pool and his flame¡¯s direction, his body strengthened to an unnatural degree for one of his age and experience. He felt invincible. Every piece of his body was tempered several times over. He felt both elation and wonder. He opened his eyes, coming to a realization. With each full cycle of mediation and tempering, his body was strengthened and more robust. However, his sense of mana and his own flame was not improved. According to his grandfather¡¯s books on mana, his magic comprehension should have improved. What was the difference? Though he was more familiar with the flame inside, it had not grown in size, shape, or color. His comprehension had remained the same. ¡°I refuse to believe I¡¯m not talented enough for magic!¡± He reached inside himself, finding that flame. He watched it, trying to get a feel for any changes. When nothing apparent changed, he touched the flame. Unexpectedly, it roared. He tried to retreat and force the flame to calm. Instead, it shot out in all directions, seeking even more mana. It spread to the edges of his body, then slipped past his skin and sunk it¡¯s fangs onto the pool around him.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A raging flame consumed the magical pool. Artien¡¯s eyes shot open. Looking around, he saw he sat on a dry surface. No liquid remained. His body had absorbed the remaining magic pool. His heart pounded hard, feeling something inside of him ¡®crack¡¯ and his body went limp. He was swept up in a raging storm of red fire and blue ice. The two forces intermingled. The fire grew strong as the ice shrunk until only the fire remained. A giant tornado of fire overwhelmed him. His body glazed with heat and his mind retreated to the only safe place left. Darkness drew him in. A soft gentleness accompanied the darkness. Quiet coolness refreshed his spirit as he once again visited the mist-filled place. He looked back. Behind him were small specks of light, things he had already visited and knew. Ahead of him, the mist slowly drew back. It beckoned him, and so he walked forward. As he walks forward, his age reversed. His face grew younger. His clothes became children¡¯s clothing. He went from walking to a lazy skip. In his right hand was a long blade of grass. He swung it, pretending it was a blade of steel. ¡°Hmm-mmm. Hmm-mmm.¡± He hummed, a tune from the village that played whenever the local lord held a feast or honored guest. The night was dark, and he¡¯d walked far. The path through the forest curved and split into two. He had the choice of either the normal path the woodsman took, or the animal trail the hunters followed. He smiled and left on the animal trail, feeling rather adventurous. There was nothing to fear from the darkness. A bright, full moon spread light through the night sky. It was so bright one could cook or work the fields by it. In fact, that¡¯s what many of the villagers were doing now. As for him, he was too little to work yet. He kept himself busy by playing. He somehow got distracted and left the animal trail. He stopped, panicked. He threw away the blade of grass and climbed a tall tree. Looked around, he spotted the fires of the village not far away. He sighed in relief. Before he climbed down, he spotted something glittering in the distance. A few clouds parted and the moonlight hit upon some castle remains. Excited, he climbed down and ran towards the stones. A long while and two tree climbs later, he arrived at the entrance to magnificent stone ruins. The stones were moss covered and glittered. Awed, he ran his hands over the nearest stones. The stones sparkled and glittered back under the moon, seemingly reflecting the light. A strange pattern showed underneath his fingers, then winked out. He laughed and found another stone to touch. It too glowed then went out. He went over to a tall, thick wall. He placed both hands on the stone, watching as the entire wall lit up. A golden pattern shined on the stone wall. It sparkled like sunlight, small symbols lighting up in different colors between the patterns. A long blank space of wall was revealed, breaking the pattern. The wall then dimmed and went dark. Curious, he ran his hands over the broken part of the wall. When his hands sunk into the wall, he yelped and jumped back. Unable to resist, he pressed against the wall again. He went forward, walking directly through the wall and into a space behind. His fingers his another wall, and an entire corridor lit up with golden specks of light. The lights hovered in the air and lined up, showing him the way. He picked up a rock, ready to defend himself if necessary. Following the path, he left the corridor. He came to a set of stairs that led downwards. When he set food on the first step, the entire set of staircase lit up. He nearly ran down the stairs, feeling the thrill of discovery. At the bottom of the stairs was a short hallway before a large room opened up. The room had some stores of spoiled grain and some racks of broken weapons. At the back of the room was a thick door with a heavy lock. He pulled on the lock, and it crumbled into dust. He hurriedly brushed his hands off on his pants and pried open the door. A loud creek sounded and echoed in the room as the door opened a few inches before detaching from the wall. He dived out of the way as it slammed into the ground and splintered into pieces. He peeked around the side, seeing only darkness. He reached his hand inside and touched the stone wall. As expected, golden sparks gathered to one side and lit the way. After traveling down another short distance, in more of a carved tunnel than a proper hallway, he came to a small room. It¡¯s doors had long ago crumbled away. He stepped onto a dust-filled floor, disturbing centuries-old layers. As he went forward he left clean steps behind. Under his feet, the stone sparkled with golden light. There was a large flash of gold light that blinded him. Shortly after the gold light dimmed. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all covered in the golden pattern with symbols of ever color. The pattern seemed to converge at the center north of the room. There was placed a large chair, with a skeleton dressed in rich-looking clothing. He approached the skeleton, seeing a metal circlet on it¡¯s head. ¡°The king of the castle!¡± Where there was a king, there was treasure. He looked around the entire room, finding absolutely nothing. He approached the skeleton. Better to go back home with something than nothing, or no one would believe him. He touched the fine clothes, bitterly rendering them into dust. He pouted, then reached for the crown. That too, crumbled under his hands. Out of spite, he touched the skeleton¡¯s hand, watching the whole figure collapse in a poof. He coughed, wishing something could be taken. Serves that stingy king right! He looked back. Maybe he could take the chair. His eyes widened with surprised hope as he saw a translucent bubble with a multitude of colors like an aura around it. He swallowed. This was a worthy treasure of his great self! He reached forward, touching the bubble. It burst as soon as his fingers brushed against it. A rainbow of colors shot across his skin over his whole body, forming symbols not unlike that of those on the stone walls. The room lit up a final time, and he fell unconscious as memories of another person hit him. A strong man. The strongest man. The most powerful magician. Alone, all by himself. In a crumbling castle where he was long forgotten. Mortals no longer hailed and called his name. What was his name again? How horrible it was to be forgotten! He could not stand for this! He would make everyone in the world remember him again. All he needed was to show them magic. Let them know he was still there. Still able to protect them from the encroaching darkness if it ever returned. Oh, Goddess, how these mortals and their short lives allow them to forget. He fisted his hands. Mana gathered at his fingertips. He waved his arms, using all of his knowledge to delve deep into the magic. The magic spoke to him, called to him. His eyes glazed black. Golden sparks lit within. The knowledge was his! Wait, what was this? This was too much for his body! Too much power! He couldn¡¯t hold it. No, he must save the information, even a small part of it would be enough. No one would forget him. So heavy. Need to sit. Ah, there¡¯s a chair. First, his dwelling must remain. Cast magic throughout, let those with the affinity to see know and learn. Everything is within! Come and find it. My small treasure. The basic knowledge is within the walls. The real ability I with-hold for the next guardian to take my place. That is all that matters¡­ The little boy screamed and passed out, gaining something which no other person had known for over a thousand years¡­ Artien gasped, sitting upright as he absorbed all the available information from that one, tiny, little bubble of memories. His enhanced brain quickly sorted through the trivial and grasped upon the basics of symbols ¨C the language of mana. He opened his eyes. The glow stones emitted soft rays of light. He threw his hand in front of his face, feeling the mana in his body take on a whole new meaning. ¡°This, this,¡± He sputtered. Nothing came to mind to describe the feeling. To describe the knowledge, ¡°Magic sight.. Magic language.¡± CH 9: The Contract BOOK 1, CHAPTER 9 ¨C The Contract Artien slowly stood, feeling something amiss. He felt the cave room¡¯s pressure had somehow lessened. He took a step towards the door and knew something was wrong when he didn¡¯t hear the swoosh of water. Rumble. Behind him, the rock door opened. Little Green lay at the entrance, looking inside. When the door cleared her vision, she saw inside and hissed in surprise. She looked up at him, then down at his feet. She did this several times. Artien followed her gaze, seeing his feet on bare stone. No water lay behind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± He said, knowing how much the magic spring was treasure. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could use it all.¡± He explained. After a moment, Little Green slithered towards him and climbed around his hand again. She tugged her head forward until he began walking. She led the way down the cave tunnels back towards the mother snake. Once they were back inside the original cave, she climbed down. Artien faced the mother snake mutely. They all eyed each other. The tension in the room between him and the mother snake built. She knows, he thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to take the spring. My body just sucked it up by itself.¡± The mother snake¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The mana spring, it¡¯ll eventually restore itself.¡± Her eyes narrowed even further and her mouth slightly opened, showing a bit of fang. ¡°G-given enough time.¡± He stammered out, sweat building on his temple. The mother snake tilted her head at an angle, showing both giant eyes focused on him. Little Green looked between the two of them repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t eat me! It¡¯s not my fault. In fact, the mana spring was kind of small. It wasn¡¯t enough. My body could have made more improvements.¡± The mother snake¡¯s jaws opened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, already! Don¡¯t eat me!¡± ¡°Hiss-ss-ss-ss. Hiss-ss-ss-ss.¡± Artien shut his mouth, having heard that sound before and knowing what it means. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± He asked, dumbfounded. ¡°It has been ages since I¡¯ve laughed. Hiss-ss-ss. Ah, young boy, you are different.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That spring was birthed from the mana condensed in my breath. The previous owner left a barrier at the entrance that gathered mana inside. I suppose he used it to train.¡± She eyed him again. ¡°Hss-ss-ss.¡± ¡°Can you stop laughing?¡± Little Green¡¯s eyed narrowed and she let out short bursts of hissing. ¡°Not you too!¡± ¡°Alright, enough,¡± mother snake said. ¡°Now that you have somewhat strengthened, you should be able to enter into a contract with Little Green.¡± Little Green bobbed her head as she hissed. ¡°Contract?¡± ¡°Yes. It is something we beasts avoid doing even unto death. However, to properly journey, it is best you both make this connection.¡± ¡°What exactly is a contract?¡± He asked, a little miffed from being laughed at. ¡°Why do it if you hate it?¡± ¡°Good questions. For a beast to enter into a contract, there are only two reasons. The first is if her mate is for life. Depending on the beast, this can be a mortal life, or an immortal one. The longer living a beast, the more careful on contracting.¡± ¡°The second reason to contract is to survive. Usually as subordinate to a stronger, fiercer beast. Beasts in past times have also been coerced by weaker outsiders and chose death as alternative to serving a weaker being.¡± ¡°To survive.¡± He frowned. ¡°The world is harsh.¡± ¡°Indeed. The contract will help ensure both of you survive past leaving this place.¡± The mother snake nodded to Little Green. Little Green climbed up Artien and settled around his shoulders. She leaned her head against Artien¡¯s forehead. A swift glow emitted, flashing quickly. She licked his cheek.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Artien felt a connection between them form. Something indescribable. He felt they were close friends. He clearly felt her presence. ¡°This is a contract?¡± The mother snake snorted. ¡°The basic of forms for a contract. Nothing particularly important. At this level it only proves a bit of trust and liking, not a real benefit. The contract you will complete is something which has not been seen between human and beast.¡± Artien suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°Just what kind of connection are we talking here?¡± ¡°You will understand once it is complete. It does not matter. You have no choice. Now, do as I say. Feed little green a drop of your blood.¡± Little Green climbed down. She curled up and lifted her head, opening her jaws wide. Two pointy fangs curved outwards, ready to grab and swallow. Artien shivered a little, imagining the mother snake trying to do something similar. He found a sharp stone to poke his finger. A single red droplet fell into Little Green¡¯s mouth. She swallowed quickly. A soft red aura coated her scales and sunk in, disappearing. She looked up at Artien, waiting. The connection between them strengthened. He sensed her rough location. Along the connection and feeling of closeness increasing, he became aware of her emotions. A joyous feeling was shared. He looked at her squinty eyes, realizing that she was smiling. ¡°You have a servant-master bond. You will take it one step further.¡± The Mother snake demanded. Artien nodded. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Cycle your mana through your blood and feed her that. One drop will suffice.¡± ¡°My mana?¡± Artien, unaware of where this was going, began meditating in place. Little Green waited eagerly, watching with avid attention. Artien closed his eyes, drawing his flame forward. He pushed the flame through his body and unsteadily focused it down to his veins. It was imperfect with mana leaking out of his control. He focused harder, forcing the mana to climb all down into his hand. The mana started to fight. He forgot himself, placing his entire mind to the task. He compressed and condensed the mana into his finger tip to a single drop of blood. He used the mana to push the droplet out. With his eyes closed, he felt all his mana drain as the droplet left his finger. Little Green ate the droplet. Her scales glistened as the mana reacted with her own. Her eyes glowed with an inner flame. Using her connection to Artien, she embraced the mana as her own. Artien leaned against the wall as he opened his eyes. His body ached without the added mana¡¯s support. He began his breathing technique as he watched Little Green. In front of his eyes, she seemed to grow a little. ¡°Hiss-ss-ss. One droplet of pure mana was a little much, boy.¡± The mother snake laughed. ¡°You needed only cycle the mana softly and feed one drop of blood. Hiss-ss-ss.¡± ¡°You said,¡± He thought better of it. ¡°No, never mind.¡± As he said that, he felt his connection with Little Green escalate. He felt they would always stay together. They were siblings beyond mere boy and snake. A grander sister-brother bond than mortal flesh and bone. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You feel it? This is an ancient bond. One that is shared only ever between two. It has no name, but some call it eternal-bond. You will be as such even if you are both reborn.¡± ¡°This¡­ is..¡± He felt tears spring up. Some familiar feeling. Like¡­ ¡°Boy, why do you cry?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± He raised his hand, feeling wet cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯ve had this before. Where or when, I don¡¯t know. But, something horrible happened.¡± His chest clenched tight. It became hard to breathe. ¡°You are full of surprises!¡± The mother snake shouted. ¡°This must not be your first life.¡± He rubbed his face dry as he gathered himself. Little Green climbed up and licked his cheek. A worried feeling came from her. He rubbed her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The mother snake sighed. ¡°It is not time for this. We must move forward. Little Green, come over here.¡± Little Green licked Artien¡¯s cheek, then sped over to her mother¡¯s side. She looked at him from a distance, a peculiar emotion coming across their connection. Remorse? ¡°Little Green?¡± Artien took a step back. ¡°Apologies for the trouble beforehand.¡± The mother snake said, as she opened her giant mouth as much as she could. She spit, a stream of purple spurting out. The liquid shot with extreme speed and accuracy, splashing into Artien''s upper face. Instantly his face burned. His eyesight vanished as he clutched his face and screamed. He fell to his knees and banged his head against the ground. He felt something wrap around his head and pry his hands away. A tongue rapidly lapped up the venom. He clenched his teeth and pulled at his shirt. Beyond the darkness and pain he sensed Little Green trying to help him. He let her lap up the remains of the venom. Once she was done she crawled off him. He turned onto his back, afraid to open his eyes. He lay there, his chest heaving. He tried to relax. He forgot about his surroundings, forcefully entering into meditation. He reached for his mana, finding a little ember remaining from it¡¯s use before. ¡°Hah!¡± He laughed helplessly. Without the mana, healing the wound in time before permanent blindness was impossible. He grimaced as he realized the meaning of permanency. He laid there for a long while. The mother snake said nothing, seeming like she was gone. Little Green returned to his side, pouring cool water into his eyes. The first trip was wasted. He sputtered and turned his head to the side. ¡°Hissss.¡± Little Green complained, sending impatience to him. Guilt was also present. ¡°You knew she would do this. Don¡¯t even go there.¡± He gritted out. ¡°What¡¯s the point of getting out of here if you¡¯ve crippled me?!¡± Silence answered his question. He sensed Little Green leave his presence and return with more water. This time he laid back down and allowed her to clean first his face, then pour it directly into his eyes. As he opened his eyes, he felt despair set in. It was only darkness. Little Green returned to her process of watering and feeding him. They both worked through several emotions the other felt. They were careful not to cross any lines, keeping a careful balance. After the second day, Artien got tired of the tip-toeing. He sat up, feeling Little Green close. ¡°Hey.¡± Little Green froze, her emotions stopping, then sending a multitude of them his way. ¡°Calm down.¡± He said. She panicked, going into a frenzy. He heard her slither back and forth in front of him. She froze, then ran away, leaving him alone. ¡°Wait!¡± He climbed up unsteadily. He rushed after her presence. Before going far, the uneven floor caught against his foot. He tripped, falling forward. He landed heavily. After a short while of unwilling acceptance, he pushed up, crawling back towards to wall. He carefully sat with his back against the wall. He sat in silence by himself. He waited a long time for Little Green to return. Without her, he felt alone. He took a breath, pursed his lips, and addressed the mother snake. ¡°Why?¡± Immediately he felt the mother snake¡¯s head shift his way. So, she had been here the whole time. ¡°Why?!¡± He demanded again, this time yelling it. Why?! CH 9: The Contract, Part 2 BOOK 1, CHAPTER 9.2 ¨C The Contract, Part 2 The mother snake looked at the shrunken form of the boy before her. Such pain she had seen many times before. Had experience herself recently. She knew the pain. It was necessary. She turned her head to more fully see him. With a look she could tell his body had recovered what it could. His mana was fully restored. These last two days she witnessed him rapidly strengthen. He was Little Green¡¯s best chance of living. He sat there, hunched against the wall. Little Green ran off, feeling too guilty to face him. Hours passed. Then, a small movement. He looked up, his eyes unfixed. The burn marks had healed over, leaving healthy white scars behind across his upper cheeks, the bridge of his nose, and his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± He asked aloud. The mother snake wiggled her massive body back to fit more of her face. ¡°Why?!¡± He yelled. ¡°Calm yourself, boy.¡± The mother snake said. She called some of her mana forward, pushing it outside her body through her eyes and to the boy across from her. Her mana entered him, telling her all the information she wanted to know. She scanned him thoroughly. Some of the information surprised her. ¡°Boy, you never stop surprising me.¡± She said, withdrawing her mana. ¡°Tell me why.¡± He insisted. ¡°Be patient. That beast core you have. Have you noticed anything of it?¡± The boy scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. How am I supposed to know?¡± ¡°When a beast activates their beast core for use, it will have a unique trait. It is discovering this trait that let¡¯s a beast activate it¡¯s core. This is why some beasts never will be able to activate their core. The chances of awakening their inherent power is completely random.¡± ¡°For example,¡± she continued, ¡°Little Green was able to activate hers. She is the only one of her brood to do so. That is one in a thousand.¡± She licked the air, smelling distrust. She ignored it. ¡°You have activated your beast core. You must have used it¡¯s ability at least once. Perhaps several times? I sensed a beast core¡¯s ability use when fighting that white ape last. Do you not remember?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. She watched as the boy¡¯s face scrunched up more, captivated by the boy¡¯s many emotions. He struggled to remember. She licked the air, smelling frustration overriding distrust. ¡°You may recognize it as another energy or ability from mana?¡± ¡°Force?¡± ¡°That appalling human-made fake ability?¡± She pondered. ¡°It did seem rather familiar. Instead of an inherent ability, it would be better to label it a secondary set of mana.¡± ¡°Your beast core must carry mana as force. This allows you to use the stored mana to enhance yourself during battle. Interesting." ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Now what good will it do me? Tell me.¡± The boy said scathingly. ¡°You like to rush things. You will understand with time.¡± She admonished. ¡°Your beast core must hold more secrets. It is not showing you everything. Meditate, seek out the core, and learn more about the true you.¡± ¡°Says a snake that contradicts herself with every other word.¡± She snapped her teeth. ¡°Careful, boy! You are not so different than us. You, also, are part beast.¡± She withdrew her head, leaving only her side exposed. She grew tired. Her time was growing short. This boy, this mere human. He had a greatness about him. He would take her Little Green far. Artien waited for her to continue talking, but only got noise and rumbling cave floors with silence. It was at this time that Little Green returned. She hesitantly came forward. She shared regret with him. He sighed and held out a hand. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. It wasn¡¯t you that did this.¡± Little Green bumped his hand, happy. He rubbed her head. A feeling of comfort came over both. Little Green grew happy, then excited. She started hissing at him. ¡°Hah.¡± He laughed softly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She moved across his legs back and forth, making snake-conversation at him. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying.¡± She sent something across to him. A feeling of power. Of magic. ¡°Mana? What about it?¡± She continued to hiss. She curled up in his lap, not resting her vocals as she lay there. He listened to her banter, not understanding any of it. He grew comfortable. His mind wandered. He came back to his last dream. The mist-filled place. ¡°What was that bubble? A memory?¡± He asked allowed. ¡°When that boy touched it, I touched it. Is it like she said it was? I¡¯m recalling what I¡¯ve lived before?¡± Little Green hissed softly, falling asleep. His hand stopped stroking her, growing still as he reimagined what the little boy had seen after absorbing the bubble. Golden light dancing through the air. Patterns tracing the walls. Symbols beneath the feet. ¡°Mana sight.¡± He sighed. ¡°Beautiful.¡± He kept replaying the image in his mind, the memory becoming clearer each time. The symbols was second-nature. He wasn¡¯t born of them, but they were part of everything. The making of mana. All of existence. They danced in the air. They were embedded in trees, rock, soil ¨C the very air was alive with them. The thoughts of the bubble¡¯s creator super-imposed on his own. As if all of it were originally his memories. He was simply taking them back. Ah, yes. To open the eyes and see the world for what it was. Artien slowly opened his unfocused eyes. There, in the air before him, something started to glimmer. CH 10: The Language of Magic BOOK 1, CHAPTER 10 ¨C The Language of Magic Golden glimmers waved before his eyes. Soft at first. Little glimmers just beyond his comprehension. His mind was frozen, taken at the sight. He was dumbfounded. Afraid to speak, he simply watched. Little Green¡¯s noises and other sounds faded out. Even the oppressive atmosphere from the mother snake was lost. All that remained was the golden light within the dark. The light was more like floating golden specks, densely packed together. They floated and traveled. As he focused, more glimmering specks appeared. No, appeared was wrong. The correct way to describe it was he could see more. The waves grew from a few small lines, to a small stream. They bounced up and down in unison, much like ripples in water. They danced, joined by more as he concentrated. The waves seemed to travel towards him, bouncing off of his body and dissipating. As he ¡®looked¡¯ farther beyond, faded lines became visible. The lines became solid with some smaller faded specks. The waves seemed to come from the group of lines. A shadow took shape and form. A slender body was bobbing it¡¯s top and facing him. ¡°Little Green?¡± Artien asked incredulously. A loud scraping sounded in his ears as Mother Snake moved. A loud hiss sounded, followed by a stream of golden waves that nearly flooded out Little Green¡¯s shape. He followed the trail of waves to dense golden lines shaped like spades pointed down a giant form. The Mother Snake moved her head, looking directly at him. Her head and eyes were bright, full of golden light. Her eyes caught his, holding him hostage. The eyes were hypnotizing, full of a beautiful golden fire. The fire grew deeper, drawing him in. He was unable to pull away, sensing danger. The fire exploded, and an ocean of gold fire flooded his mind. The fire engulfed his head. It was too strong. His mind couldn¡¯t handle the power and he fell to the stone floor. He didn¡¯t move, having lost consciousness. His eyes remained open and unseeing. Little Green ran to his side, worried. She looked at his eyes, seeing the once-honey-colored-eyes stay a faded white. She lowered her head to his, hearing his soft breathing. She turned a glare on her mother, hissing unhappily. ¡°Little Green, worry not. He looked too deeply. He is unharmed.¡± Mother Snake assured her last offspring. Both mother and daughter wait, one calm and patient, the other full of worry and somewhat unsure. An hour later Little Green was delighted to see Artien get back up and brace his back against the wall. Artien knew his eyes were open. Still, all they gave him was darkness. The golden lights were gone. He rubbed his head, not sure what to make of anything. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked. ¡°What did you see, boy?¡± Mother snake returned his question. ¡°Golden lights.¡± Artien felt Little Green curl up in his lap. He reached down and started rubbing her head. She settled down comfortably as they spoke. ¡°Golden lights. Like waves and shapes. I saw Little Green. I saw you, and the fire.¡± He frowned, his mind feeling heavy with fatigue. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it better than that.¡± ¡°You must be tired. Seeing the lights all at once such as you did is dangerous. You are more talented than you know.¡± ¡°But what was that? I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Those waves of light are the natural shape of mana. Mana is in all things. You saw this.¡± ¡°Are you saying I can see mana? But, my eyes?¡± He asked, unbelieving. Despite his doubt, his voice held a tinge of hope. ¡°This sight uses not your eyes. It is in your mind. More accurately, your soul. This is an inherent ability you posses. It is called ¡®Divine Eyes¡¯.¡± The mother snake licked the air, tasting his chaotic emotions. ¡°Only gods have such eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a god.¡± ¡°Hiss-ss-ss,¡± Mother Snake laughed, ¡°Of course not. You are certainly mortal. Your blood may be closer to divinity than mine. These ¡®Divine Eyes¡¯ can see the nature of magic. This gives you a distinct advantage.¡± ¡°How did you know I could see them?¡± Artien asked suddenly. ¡°How do you know so much? You knew before I said it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did. It is in you. This strange¡­ energy. You carry many secrets you refuse to tell. I am surprised at the ability that came out.¡± She laughed again. ¡°You are very interesting." ¡°Wait, you did all this to see what ability just might happen to appear?¡± He asked, shocked. ¡°What if got something else other than Divine Eyes? I¡¯d really be crippled!¡± ¡°You received Divine Eyes. You could not get better.¡± She said. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. You ¨C¡° Little Green hissed, bumping his hand that stopped. He looked down at her, sighing. He continued his stroking her head.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not bad. I won¡¯t thank you though. People will think I¡¯m crippled.¡± ¡°This can also be a strength. The Divine Eyes can bring destruction upon you two. Best to keep it hidden.¡± Mother Snake warned. ¡°Alright. How can I do this? To see the mana again?¡± ¡°I have not met another with the same ability.¡± Mother Snake said. ¡°I have met many, beast and human alike. Elf and demon. None I have crossed have shown a dense divinity as yours.¡± Artien remained silent a moment before saying, ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know.¡± It was a statement more than a question. ¡°Try going over what brought the lights.¡± Mother Snake said before she pulled her head back and left a scaled wall. ¡°It¡¯s best you rest first.¡± She reminded him, her voice slightly echoing. Artien lifted Little Green off his lap. She protested and curled up at his side. He crossed his legs and began meditating, closing his eyes out of habit. The surroundings were forgotten. Sounds were blocked out. He cycled mana as he went through his breathing technique. It took him three days to completely recover his fatigue. After he recovered, he stopped using mana. He deepened his meditation. He then forgot his sense of self. Darkness descended, the silence absolute. There he waited, trying to ¡®see¡¯. He waited a long while before he forgot to try to see. He simply floated in the darkness. As he did, something from within grew. A small speck of himself woke up, stretching out. That something was thirsty. It reached out, wanting to be connected. The self stretched beyond his body, mixing with the mana in the world around him. As it did, small glimmers became visible. He stretched a tiny bit more, feeling a limit before his mind warned him. Any further and light would overwhelm him again. He practiced carefully, afraid to pass out again. He stayed watching the lights dancing until his mind became fatigued. Little Green at his side dropped a piece of fresh meat. She left, returning with water. He thanked her, quickly eating his fill. Once he ate, he meditated until he recovered his mind. He would then reach for the lights and watch until his mind tired. Each time he felt he could watch them a little longer than before. He made slow progress, having to pause to eat and drink and meditate. After he was done meditating, he threw himself back to Divine Eyes. He continuously did this until he fell asleep. He woke up to Little Green sleeping on his chest. He carefully adjusted her into his lap and began practicing yet another round. His Divine Eyes increased in time. At first it was a few minutes. Within a few days, it was an hour. He then moved on to stretching out farther. The little glimmers became waves. The waves danced, bouncing up and down. He watched them, in a trance. He was taken with the golden light, finding it beautiful each time he saw it. The mana made up the world. It was in everything. This golden light flowed through everything. Once he saw the world with Divine Eyes, wouldn¡¯t the world be at it¡¯s most beautiful and stunning? Eager too see such a sight, he trained harder. At 10 days, he went out a bit farther. Vague lines shimmered behind the waves. In his lap, Little Green took form. Her curled up form shaped in parallel circles. The circles rose and fell as she slept. As Divine Eyes grew in strength, his mind adapted over time. It took longer to become tired. His fatigue dropped from twelve hours and a good rest to three hours and meditation. His body also felt lighter. His body adjusted to having Divine Eyes activated. Before he realized, 25 days had passed. It was on this day he found a major change. He had almost no difficulty staying awake with Divine Eyes and needed only to meditate for half an hour to refresh his mind enough to continue. The nearest objects were distinct in shape and depth. This included Little Green. He was watching her sleep with a soft smile, and impulsively stroked her head. She woke up, her jaw widening in a yawn. Her eyes blinked. When she looked at him, her eyes were disks of a soft sheen of gold. She hissed at him, sending small waves of golden sparks at him. He followed the sparks as they bounced off. She laughed at his silly look. More golden sparks were sent out, this time in small spurts. As it hit him, his eyes widened. The mana was carrying her sounds! ¡°Little Green?¡± She hissed at him, then started up a conversation. A feeling of joy reached through their connection to him. He felt close to her, almost like he could understand what she was saying. She went on for a long while, having slept too much while he practiced Divine Eyes. Artien became aware of a similarity to the connection they shared, it¡¯s feeling, and the mana coming from Little Green. There was not only mana coming over, but sounds. Not just sounds. It also included a knowing, a kind of¡­intent. From the intent he could sort of understand. Just as he was getting used to it, Little Green slowed her conversation. She yawned again. She fell asleep. To continue, she had to be talking. Disappointed at being thwarted a revelation, he returned to his Divine Eyes training. When Little Green woke up, he requested she talk. Happy to oblige, she had another long conversation. He focused on her and their shared connection along with the mana. Slowly, his mind made sense of it all. This was mana in a way one could speak it. It traveled to him clearer than sound. With his Divine Eyes, he was able to comprehend a whole new language. Little Green¡¯s chatter cleared up from a jumbled mess of information to clear cut answers. The first words he understood as she slowed her conversation and yawned were ultimately simple. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. She yawned shortly one last time before a small wave of mana reached his eyes. ¡°Ah. Tired. I will sleep.¡± His heart skipped, and the biggest grin split his face. ¡°These Divine Eyes are the best!¡± ¡°I take it you have finished?¡± Mother snake asked, golden waves reaching him without the sound of her voice. Since he understood, he could also make out her distinct way of speech. ¡°Yes. I see the words. What is this? Do mana words have a name?¡± ¡°Hiss-ss-ss. Yes. The type of speech you see us using is called Beast Language. This language only beasts understand. Now you know why.¡± ¡°Can beasts also see mana?¡± ¡°No. We can sense it. We cannot see it. Those who are extremely powerful might be able to.¡± ¡°How powerful does someone have to be to see mana?¡± He asked, curious. ¡°Hmm. Much more powerful than I. Another reason to keep your Divine Eyes hidden.¡± ¡°I will. I don¡¯t want to attract trouble.¡± He said, remembering the village. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a demon spawn?¡± ¡°Demon spawn? You mean a demon¡¯s child?¡± The Mother Snake¡¯s tone was surprised. ¡°Why would you ask such a question?¡± ¡°I was accused of being demon spawn.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°What if I am?¡± ¡°Am what? A demon? That is truly silly. Boy, I have met demons before. They are nothing like you. They are beings easily swayed by emotions and will die to exact revenge on their enemies.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the aura of a demon or anything like that?¡± ¡°You ask strange things. There is no trace of demon in you. What¡¯s more, I sense only a divinity. This proves you have nothing to do with demons.¡± Artien let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Thank you.¡± A heavy weight lifted off his heart. As he was relieved, a different kind of fatigue came in sharply. He yawned. He tried keeping his mind focused. The mana¡¯s golden light slowly faded. Unwillingly, he succumbed to slumber. CH 11: A Mothers Worries BOOK 1, CHAPTER 11 ¨C A Mother¡¯s Worries ¡°Hiss-s.¡± She sighed, watching the two youngsters sleep side-by-side. They had grown close. As close as real siblings can get. Though, being a magic beast made it different. Once Little Green entered the wide world she was going to find it harder. A magic beast, bonded or not, would always be looked down on. The bond they established had the power to see them through everything together. There was no hiding secrets. They had the luxury to rely on each other without worry. Through the most questionable times, they had each other. Little Green woke, yawned, and then went back to sleep. She smiled down at her daughter. Her last offspring. Her only offspring ¨C ever. Little Green was the proof she had been alive. Little Green¡¯s future, alone, was threatened with never-ending, bloody fighting until death. With a companion her future changed to a brighter one. Little Green¡¯s companion¡­ She turned her serpentine eyes to the boy. He was small. Scrawny. Naive and inexperienced. To the other side, he showed much promise. ¡°Full of surprises.¡± She softly said. She smiled, feeling some hope for them. ¡°Divinity.¡± He wasn¡¯t very strong. Yet. How his body improved and naturally absorbed the mana in the surroundings. She looked down at him, her eyes glowing cold as her mana scanned him. She looked from his flesh, to his mana and soul. Her eyes widened and she looked closely. As she watched, she witnessed what only high-level elves could do. ¡°Sleep meditation. Mana growth while breathing.¡± She said, surprised. Her hope rose. She looked at his flesh to the very cell, seeing them full of life and vigor. Such young and bright talent! He was more promising then a divine magic beast. What did his own future hold? Little Green might not be able to keep up. This, she¡¯d have to fix this gap. ¡°How.¡± She hissed unhappily. There were a few tricks. Most methods would take too long. She scrambled through her memories. A seal? No, that would bind her own talent. Magic Beast cores ¨C she¡¯d already eaten all of her siblings and the surrounding magic beasts already. It would be difficult to find enough to continue to improve from that alone. No matter how hard she thought, her mind remained unhelpful. She flexed out of frustration. Her wounds sent pain signals and she winced. ¡°Hiss-s.¡± There wasn¡¯t much time left. Moving simply increased the speed of her death. She had to stay as long as possible to ensure Little Green¡¯s survival. At this rate, they might not be able to escape the white ape¡¯s reach. She had to strengthen both youngsters as much as possible. There was no choice. The materials Little Green and the young boy had readily available of high quality nearby was one source. She herself was a Beast King! No better resources to build a strong foundation with. She was also a divine magic beast¡¯s descendent. With this, her choice was clear. Her attention returned to the present as the youngsters stirred. She looked at them both lovingly. This moment forward they were both her children. She felt determination and pride swell. One thousand years of bitter survival and cultivation, she would pour it all into them! As the two stretched and began the first few strings of true understanding, she pushed her head a bit closer. Both children quieted, looking over. She smiled. The boy was nervous. She didn¡¯t need to taste the air to tell. ¡°Boy, come here.¡± She said. He stood, walking carefully within his limited view. She felt a small twinge of guilt as he stopped before her. ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°I have realized, we have not properly introduced ourselves. This seems inappropriate.¡± She lowered her head a bit. ¡°I am Seora.¡± ¡°Hello. I am Artien Astral.¡± She tasted the air, getting bewilderment and surprise from him. ¡°Hiss-ss-ss. Ar-ti-en¡± She pronounced. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± He fidgeted, unsure. He nodded his head at her. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± It came out more as a question than a greeting. Little Green raced over, climbing up to curl around his arm. He started automatically stroking her head. Her eyes squinted as she voiced her approval. Seora felt her heart grow warm. ¡°Sit. There is a few things you need to know.¡± Artien took two steps back, then sat cross-legged. Little Green moved to his lap and curled up. ¡°Listen carefully,¡± Seora began. ¡°My life will end soon.¡± Little Green immediately grew panicked. ¡°Mother!¡± Her mana reached out. ¡°Silence!¡± Her mother hissed warningly. Little Green curled back in shock. ¡°Listen. Do not interrupt.¡± ¡°When I am gone, you both must be strong enough to leave here. That stupid ape will no doubt go after you. He will not immediately attack. My poison will take time to heal. I will assist you until the time comes to face him.¡± The atmosphere in the cave room grew with an air of urgency. Her tone underlined the urgency, giving added effect. Both Artien and Little Green felt it, growing serious.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Firstly, you both will learn to communicate through mana until it has no effect on your daily life. Start conversing.¡± She specifically turned to Artien. ¡°When you feel confident of this, let me know. I will rest until you are ready for the next step. Communication will improve your chances outside.¡± Artien nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seora turned her head into the maze of tunnels her children had created. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She pulled mana inside, turning it into fuel to last a little bit longer. The longer she delayed her death, the better their chances. She cleared her mind, focusing on only prolonging life. Artien and Little Green started talking. At first only a few words got through. Artien used his connection with Little Green to gain a basic understanding. As they practiced, more words made sense. They started with greetings and basic necessities. Little Green told him her schedule. Artien told her about his clothing and what he preferred to eat. From that, their words grew into sentences. It wasn¡¯t long before Artien learned he had been eating fresh rat meat. He grimaced, completely and utterly disgusted. ¡°Why rat meat?!¡± Little Green ¡®shrugged¡¯ with her body. ¡°Only here, rats.¡± He understood. Without going outside, there was just moss, bugs, and rats in the caves. The meal was the best around. ¡°Sorry. Thank you for feeding me.¡± Little Green inquired about his home. He told her about the village. How he had grown up. His parents and the farm. About the bullies. When he got to that part, Little Green picked up on the deep anger. ¡°Why angry?¡± She asked. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± He told her about the elf and mercenaries. How they had come chasing the traces of a demon. They had accused him. His family and friends had defended him, but the bullies had convinced the elf he was a demon spawn. How they had taken him away and he¡¯d escaped. ¡°That¡¯s when your mom picked me up. She really saved my life.¡± He said. ¡°Saved your life?¡± ¡°Yep. She¡¯s smart, you know. She knew what she was doing when she did. She was battling that white monkey at the same time.¡± He stopped, thinking it over. He rubbed his face, feeling the faint scars. ¡°She knew what she was doing.¡± He whispered. ¡°My mom¡¯s smart!¡± Little Green agreed. ¡°White monkey is dumb! Mom will win next time.¡± Artien laughed, rubbing her head. ¡°She will win next time, easy.¡± He grew solemn. ¡°Still, we have to be ready. Let¡¯s practice more. What do you want to talk about now?¡± ¡°Tell me about outside!¡± Little Green asked excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot. I¡¯ve read plenty I can tell you about.¡± Artien started. In this way, they restricted themselves to only talking back and forth besides eating and sleeping. Artien put effort into learning the beast language quickly. He stopped his meditation entirely. With the constant talking back and forth, seven days passed. Artien addressed Seora. ¡°I think I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Yes! What next, mother?¡± Little Green asked. ¡°Done, are you?¡± Seora moved her face into the room. ¡°Then we will move forward. Artien, come close to me.¡± He moved to within a foot of her face. Up close, her scales glittered beautifully in his Divine Eyes vision. ¡°Place your hand on me. Do not resist what happens.¡± She instructed. Artien took a deep breath, then placed a hand on one of the giant scales. The scale was large, twice wider than his shoulders were across. That was just one scale! A glimmer hovered over the scales. Mana entered him through his hand. It tunneled through his body, then headed towards his face. He felt it gather there. He winced, feeling an itchy, burning sensation. The mana pushed and pulled, excreting through his eyes like purple tears. The tears burned as soon as they touched the air, eaten by the remaining mana. A few tears exited before the itchy and burning feeling stopped. The mana vanished the way it had come. He rubbed his face, real tears coming out. After he finished rubbing, he looked around. Shock struck him. All around him appeared as normal. ¡°My eyes! You fixed them.¡± His eyes squinted, adjusting back to normal. The mana flow ceased, glowing and glimmering gold vanishing. He blinked. With a thought, Divine Eyes reactivated. The two visions overlapped, showing a glittering world. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Now you are ready.¡± Seora said. ¡°You may go outside and hunt.¡± She turned to little Green. ¡°Guide him outside.¡± ¡°Outside!¡± Little Green bounced excitedly. ¡°Return in three days. We will do this in sequence. Three days outside to hunt. Three days here to strengthen.¡± Seora tilted her head, creating an opening underneath. ¡°Little Green, take Artien to the weapons. Let him choose one. Take some supplies with you as well.¡± Little Green wrapped around Artien¡¯s hand, leading the way. They made their way back to the treasure room and around the edge to the weapon and piles of different items. Artien looked at the mounds and gulped. ¡°We should split up here.¡± He looked around until he found a good sized pack he could carry on his back. He opened it and placed it by the walkway¡¯s wall. He looked at Little Green. ¡°You fill this with things we might need outside while I get a weapon.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She moved swiftly, leaping off his hand and flying to the floor. She scurried to the first pile of potions, diving in. ¡°Pfft!¡± Artien huffed, trying to keep from laughing. He moved to his first pile. At first glance, the weapons looked junky and rusted. He peered closer, keeping to the edge. With his Divine Eyes, he could see some of the weapons contained magic. A small stream of mana was drawn into the pile. Something inside was devouring mana. He carefully picked through the pile. He set aside the weapons, making a whole new pile of picked-through. He found swords of all shapes and sizes. There were spears, axes, bows, daggers, and more. As he got deeper into the pile, the mana was sucked faster. Without so much obstruction, he easily targeted the direction of the source. He went through a few more weapons before a gleam caught his eye. He removed a chipped, eroded axe head. Underneath a piece of leather shined. He gently pulled it out and took a good look. A pair of gloves. They were made of some kind of scaled leather. Black and thickened at the knuckles. Mana was drawn to the skin of the gloves and absorbed. He looked inside, seeing a strange symbol carved. The symbol glittered at him. ¡°Magic language.¡± He said, remembering the truth of magic. Entranced, he slipped the gloves on. The gloves shuddered, suddenly shrinking. He winced, feeling pressure tighten around his hands. The gloves constricted, using crushing force. He fought back, flooding his hands with mana. The gloves sensed the new force, greedily sucking it in. At first the gloves drank fast. A short while later they slowed, eventually conforming to his hand¡¯s shape and stilling. Artien looked at the gloves warily. ¡°What kind of spell¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time. I¡¯ll save it for later.¡± He looked through the pile of clothing next. He found some mana-coated clothing that seemed to repair themselves and stay clean. They were also black in color, making him think they and the gloves might have come from the same owner. Next he looked for some boots. In the clothes pile he found nothing worthy. Most were either too worn, corroded, or simply didn¡¯t fit. He looked at his own feet. He ended up going to the armor pile. Within he found some high-quality black leather boots. He put them on. With luck, they fit. Finished, he turned back to the pack and Little Green. His eyes widened, seeing the pack full, closed, and Little Green curled up sleeping on top. He smiled. He poked her, watching her yawn and look at him. ¡°Time to go?¡± She asked. ¡°Time to go.¡± He said. ¡°Let¡¯s Go!¡± Little Green leaped over to him and curled around his arm. He put the pack on and lifted his hand. ¡°Which way?¡± CH 12: First Kill BOOK 1, CHAPTER 12 ¨C First Kill Outside the nest cave, bright light shined down through the canopy. Happily chattering birds quieted as an intruder entered the area. Below, a slim green snake carefully came out. Following the snake was the black-clad figure. Artien¡¯s eyes squinted as he climbed out of the mouth of the cave system. He raised an arm as shade as he looked around. Giant trees were the first of his attention. They towered high, making him crane his neck to see the leaves at the top. In the lowest branches of the tree birds sat. Their puffy fatness surprised him, as they flitted from branch to branch with speedy jumps. They looked down at him with beady red eyes. Their heads tilted from side to side, studying him. One opened it¡¯s beak and squawked. Sharp lines of teeth gave him a start. ¡°Will they attack?¡± ¡°Those?¡± Little Green looked up. ¡°No. Stupid birds.¡± He looked at Little Green, slightly suspicious. He pointed at them. ¡°Can you catch those?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re fast, but I¡¯m faster.¡± She held her head up, looking smug. ¡°Are they safe to eat?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Kind of bland, but filling.¡± After a moment, she realized her mistake. ¡°I was wrong! They are hard to catch. They take a long time to catch.¡± He scowled at her. ¡°So this whole time you were feeding me rat when I could have eaten those?¡± Panic came across their connection. Little Green moved further ahead. ¡°Ah, they make a lot of noise. We need to hunt quietly. So as not to attract the attention of the monkey.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Artien laughed. ¡°This whole time.¡± He muttered, moving along with her. ¡°No more rat!¡± He hissed at her. ¡°No more rat! I promise.¡± Still miffed, but glad he won¡¯t be eating rat any more, he moved ahead. Little Green climbed to his shoulder and tasted the air. They moved at a slow pace, careful to keep the cave at their back. They traveled a long time. A few hours passed and the sun was starting to lower in the sky when Little Green hissed in frustration. ¡°There are only old trails here. If we want to have a real fight, we need to go further away from the nest.¡± Artien looked around, agreeing. ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything here. Is it because of the white monkey¡¯s henchmen?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Little Green replied, looking towards the sky. ¡°It gets dark faster in the forest. We should find a place to sleep.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we catch something to eat first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll catch one of those birds. Look for a place. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Without saying anything else, Little Green leaped off his back and disappeared into the brush behind him. For the first time in a while he was by himself. The forest sounds creeped in, isolating him. He shivered, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. He instinctively lowered himself, quietly creeping towards a large tree. He felt safer in the shadows of the large trees, keeping to them when he could. He traveled a little while before one of the largest trees nearby proved worthy. At it¡¯s base a cove of roots was created during it¡¯s growth. He cleared out some of the leafage and soil, creating a clearer, more level ground. He stared at the ground and frowned. ¡°Won¡¯t it get cold?¡± He peered around him. His face lightened and he went to a nearby bush. The leaves were many and soft. He pulled a bunch of branches and laid them down, making a bed. He flattened them as best he could. Crack. He spun around, seeing Little Green with a fat bird in her mouth on top of the roots. He grabbed his chest, gasping. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡± He furiously whispered. Hiss-ss-ss. Her eyes squinted. ¡°Stop laughing!¡± He began thinking of ways to get her back when his stomach growled. He looked at the bird. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Little Green jumped down to the forest floor. She grabbed the head of the bird, then swiftly coiled around it. A soft whisper of scale on scale was heard as she furiously spun her body. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked, afraid the meat was ruined. Little Green spun faster, grinding her body against the bird. After a few seconds, she stopped. With a jerk, she ripped her head back and the bird¡¯s head went flying into the forest. She uncoiled her body and moved towards him. In her mouth was now the remains of the bird. A pile of feathers was left behind. She dropped the bird at his feet. ¡°Hungry?¡± He looked at her in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean it for you.¡± She opened her mouth, her fangs extending like sharp knives. She moved her body and head swiftly, carving the bird apart. Once more things went flying and falling. She stopped, now holding a cleaned and ready to eat morsel. Beside her, Artien covered his mouth and ran off a distance into the forest. She heard puking noises. Confused, when he returned with a paler face she asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Next time I¡¯ll prepare the food.¡± Was all he said. He took the cleaned bird and ripped a piece off. He ate in silence, used to raw meat. He swallowed.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Is it better than rat?¡± Little Green asked, gulping down her half. ¡°It¡¯s more meat.¡± He wiped his mouth with some leaves. ¡°Come, let¡¯s sleep.¡± He sat down, back against the tree. Little Green curled in his lap. He rubbed her head until she fell asleep. Then he kept watch until he too fell asleep. They both slept deeply, the darkness of night and it¡¯s life noises settling around them. A soft lick against his nose woke him up. Artien¡¯s eyes shot open, seeing Little Green on his shoulder in the morning light. Excitement crossed over and she jerked her head towards their left. He slowly crawled to the edge of the tree roots, peeking over. A ways down a small slope, a black and spikey figure chomped down on the remains of last night¡¯s meal. ¡°Our first hunt¡¯s kill is here.¡± Little Green said. He nodded, feeling his blood pump faster. Their excitement rose, feeding off of and boosting each other. They watched their adversary closely as it finished eating and looked up. A wolf¡¯s body emerged from the brush, it¡¯s fur stiff and black. The fur trembled, tufts moving in unison. Suddenly, it looked at them, sniffing the air. It growled low, lowering it¡¯s head and baring it¡¯s teeth. It¡¯s hair straightened out, and a clacking sound ensued. It was then that Artien knew it wasn¡¯t fur it had, but a hard, spiked coat. ¡°A black-quilled wolf.¡± Little Green said as Artien stood up. ¡°Nimble and high stamina. We should split up here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Artien asked nervously, eyes glued to the wolf. ¡°Use your force to protect against his attacks and quills. I¡¯ll find an opportunity to strike while you two fight.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± He swallowed, feeling Little Green¡¯s presence leave. He stood up, revealing himself. The wolf spotted him, jaw snapping. It took slow steps forward and Artien felt like he was the hunted instead of the hunter. He took a deep breath, clenching his fists and facing the wolf head-on. He gritted his teeth. The wolf sensed a change. A wave of threat came from the human before it. It must attack now! The wolf launched itself, running towards Artien. Artien quickly reached inside and called on the hot energy. He searched as fast he could, finding nothing. His eyes widened and the wolf made it¡¯s move. It leapt, jaws wide, towards his head. ¡°Aah!¡± He screeched, dodging to the side. Air brushed past him filled with a clacking sound. He hit dirt, rolling down the hill the wolf had just climbed. He came to a stop after hitting a tree. He grasped it¡¯s bark, pulling himself to his feet. He turned around. Uphill, the wolf spotted him and immediately charged. Running downhill, it¡¯s speed increased. It jumped, again coming for his head. He grasped, pulling up a broken limb and slamming it down. The wolf landed right on him, biting at the stick. The force made him lose balance. He fell, his back hitting the ground. The wolf stood on top, paws clawing at his chest. It growled and pushed down on him, it¡¯s eyes crazed and mad. The stick cracked, smashed to pieces. The wolf dropped the stick and reached for his face. It opened wide, saliva dripping. Artien felt time slow. He released the end of the stick, clenching the same hand into a fist. He struck forward. The wolf¡¯s jaws clamped down on his fist, and time sped back up. The wolf jerked it¡¯s head, trying to tear at the flesh in it¡¯s grip. Artien then reached for the only thing that had saved him before. Mana surged forth from the flame inside. It coated his enhanced flesh, traveling faster then ever before. It entered into his fist, activating the glove on his hand in the wolf¡¯s mouth. The glove greedily drank the mana. It glowed golden light softly, activating the symbol carved inside. The glove hardened, unbreakable. The wolf¡¯s teeth slipped and slid on the glove, sounding like two swords clashing. Metal against metal tore the air. The wolf let go, then lunged for another bite. Artien raised his arm again. This time, the wolf changed it¡¯s target from his hand to his arm. It bit deep, blood sinking into it¡¯s mouth. It grew frenzied, jerking back and forth frantically. It used all paws, pushing back against it¡¯s prey. Artien cried out, feeling the pain from the bite and claws. He strengthened his captured arm as best he could. He channeled mana into his other fist. The glove on that fist reacted, hardening like iron. He clenched his fist and punched. The black wolf sensed the punch, moving it¡¯s head aside. The fist went harmlessly by. Enraged, the wolf jumped back then forward on Artien¡¯s chest, slamming him against the ground. It jerked again, sending fresh blood dripping. The air slammed out of him, shocking his brain. He became dazed. The wolf, sensing the weakening, changed it¡¯s grip on the arm and crunched down. It shook and pulled, drawing Artien forward. It kept pulling until he was on his stomach with arm stretched. It let go, backing up. It growled, licking the blood on it¡¯s face in anticipation. Artien gasped, pulling his injured arm to his side. He braced with his good arm, unsteadily getting to his feet. He did a quick search for Little Green, finding her nowhere. Their connection was deadly silent. ¡°Little Green?¡± He choked out. The wolf circled, bring his attention back. He stumbled, leaning against the tree behind him. Blood dripped from the bites on his arm. He filled the wound with mana, the pain dulling. He stared at the wolf, meeting it¡¯s glare with one of his own. The blood dripped to a stop, the mana healing the wound rapidly. A tiny bit of strength returned to his arm. The mana inside drew to his gloves. The glove hardened further, crackling as he fisted them. He took a step and the wolf responded, scratching the ground and snarling. ¡°Come on!¡± He yelled, his heart pounding. He pushed his worry for Little Green aside. His chest filled with desperation. The wolf jumped, using it¡¯s killing move. It¡¯s jaws opened. Artien struck forward with his injured arm. The wolf snapped down. Artien grasped, his gloved fingers protected as he held onto it¡¯s lower jaw. ¡°Gaaaah!¡± He pulled forward as something burned through him. Force erupted, surging from his back through his body. It filled every cell it passed, flooding into his free fist. He swung forward, the force surrounding the glove and coming to a point just beyond the skin of his knuckles. He stopped short of the wolf, the force exploding. Bang! The force exploded forward, shredding anything in it¡¯s path. The wolf¡¯s head rippled, falling apart. Blood and matter shot out, spraying the ground and tree. The wolf¡¯s body fell, lifeless. Artien gasped, his mind clear. It was a moment before he came back to himself. He stared ahead, feeling something in his hand. His eyes traveled to his hand, seeing the bottom jaw of the wolf grasped tightly. He dropped it, shaking his hand. ¡°Ugh.¡± At his feet, the body of the wolf lay. A sense of urgency came to mind. His head shot up, seeing a flash of green every now and then. ¡°Little Green!¡± She joined him at his shoulder. ¡°We must run!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± A distant howl answered, followed by several others. ¡°Run!¡± Little Green insisted, squeezing him. He turned and ran back up the hill. Little Green guided him as they made their escape. A distant cackling was heard with more howls. ¡°They¡¯re gathering. Run faster.¡± She said. A loud roar screamed out and Little Green tightened around him more. ¡°Hurry. They found our kill.¡± Artien raced forward, feeling the urgency. Faster. Run Faster. I can run faster! Force erupted from his back a second time, striking down to his feet. He felt energy erupted with each push of the ground. The cackling came closer. He focused on his legs, the wind rushing against his face. His Divine Eyes canceled as he turned to his heels and toes. Dark shapes flitted in and out of Little Greens view. She spotted a dark speck in the distance ahead of them. ¡°The nest!¡± Artien¡¯s boots dug into the earth, force lining his feet like springs. It gathered, both speeding and launching him nearly off the ground. With thunderous steps the last few feet before the cave large depressions were left in the earth. He tripped, sliding into the cave just as the group of shadows caught up. He tumbled into the cave. Little Green jumped off him, landing safely on the ground. He rolled, coming to a stop dozens of feet from the cave opening. He lay there, heart pounding. The remaining force withdrew back into his body to a place on his back. Little Green crawled on top of him and smiled. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°A memory,¡± He said, confused. CH 12: First Kill, Part 2 BOOK 1, CHAPTER 12.2 ¨C First Kill Artien lay on the rocky cave floor for a while. The heat in his body had returned to normal. He turned to meditation to refresh himself before attempting to get to his feet. He turned onto his side, groaning. Little Green slid off his chest to the floor. ¡°You still don¡¯t know?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡± Outside the cave he could hear the quivering of the black-quilled wolves. They snapped and snarled, furious their enemy had escaped. Their eyes glared into the darkness of the cave entrance. The paced back and forth, having no intention of leaving. ¡°How long do you think they¡¯ll stay there?¡± He asked. ¡°The stupid dogs? Until they get too hungry.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t come in?¡± ¡°No. They know who lives here. They would be a snack for mother.¡± He stretched and rose to his feet, Little Green moving to her place on his arm. Since they were unable to leave, they retreated back into the cave. After a few minutes, they arrived at the small cave area Seora guarded. She moved aside, letting them pass. She tasted the air. ¡°You fought the wolves so soon?¡± Seora said, sounding slightly surprised. Little Green went to her mother¡¯s side as Artien took his sitting place against the far cave wall. ¡°Mother,¡± Little Green hissed, ¡°They are blocking us from outside!¡± ¡°They are a pack. They avenge their fallen. Of course they won¡¯t let you go. ¡° Seora tilted her head and eyed Artien¡¯s stained clothes. ¡°You still did them damage?¡± Artien relaxed his head back against the wall with eyes closed, remembering the fight. ¡°Just one. It was strong and nimble. Very hard to kill it.¡± He recalled the killing blow, feeling bile rise as his throat constricted. Seroa tasted the air, finding his discomfort. ¡°The first few killings will disgust. Tell me, how did it go?¡± Artien sighed and recounted the whole outing. Little Green added here and there her parts. It was a good while later before he finished. Once he was done, he sighed again, feeling extremely tired. Little Green sensed this through their connection and curled up in his lap. Seora pondered over the entire tale, watching the two sleep. As she thought, more and more she realized the boy was special. Something about him. What exactly was it? Her head raised towards the high ceiling as the ground trembled and the black-quilled wolves howled. She felt the quaking of the earth around her as loud explosions sounded off overhead. A lone howl sounded, followed by more explosions. Then, shortly after, all was silent. She turned to see both children awake and quietly watching her. She tasted the air, then chuckled. Artien sat up. ¡°That was?¡± ¡°The white ape. He grows restless. It seems he and the wolves have fought.¡± Seora answered. ¡°He regains his strength while I lose my own. Time is against us.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Little Green asked. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough to fight him yet.¡± ¡°Hss-ss-ss. Little Green, daughter. You will not fight him. It will be many years before you can take on that monkey.¡± ¡°Then what are we going to do?¡± A hint of worry sounded in Little Green¡¯s voice. ¡°You both will flee. I will hold him back.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave you!¡± ¡°You will leave. That is without question. Do you both understand?¡± Little Green and Artien nodded. Satisfied, Seora changed the topic. ¡°Little Green, you will go hunt alone. Become proficient against different beasts. Be silent, and cautious. Use your venom only when you must. Do not leave any magic stones.¡± Little Green nodded and left, immediately going out. ¡°Isn¡¯t the monkey outside?¡± Artien asked, worried. ¡°The fight with the wolves will have tired him. His injury will take more time to heal fully to dare move against me or come too close to my nest.¡± Seora eyed him closely. ¡°Worry of that later. We must deal with you first.¡± ¡°Deal?¡± Artien gulped, not liking the sound of it. ¡°Yes. As many gifts as you have, you are squandering them.¡± She chided. ¡°Under my teachings, you will be better prepared. Let us start with that wound of yours. Why is it not healed? Do you want your arm to rot off?¡± Artien rolled up his sleeve, showing red and torn flesh. He grimaced, seeing bone. ¡°It¡¯s deep, so it¡¯s taking some time.¡± ¡°How are you healing it?¡± ¡°By cycling my mana through it.¡± Seora hissed angrily. ¡°Wasteful! Absolutely wasteful! Relying on that method, your arm might fully heal in nine months.¡± ¡°Is there a better way? Do you know a healing spell?¡± Excitement bubbled up. Spells! ¡°No. No spells. Can you focus on both healing and fighting during a battle?¡± Seora puffed out air at his silence. ¡°Of course not. Your proficiency in using mana is what is lacking. I will fix that. Sit properly.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Artien straightened his back and crossed his legs, laying his arms in his lap. ¡°Next?¡± ¡°Close your eyes and start your meditation. Find your mana source. Now cycle it through your body.¡± Artien closed his eyes and followed her instructions. Soon, his mind flowed along with his mana through his body. ¡°Good. Keep that up. Focus more on your wound. See how mana enters, but does not exit. Where does it go?¡± Artien scowled, following the mana. It flowed into the wound, exiting out the openings in his flesh. It entered the outside air and dissipated. ¡°It¡¯s escaping.¡± ¡°Yes. Pull it over the wound. Do not lose it. Let it cover the wound like a new skin.¡± He focused, pulling at the escaping mana. He first pushed it to the very edges of the torn flesh. He held it back, just enough not to escape. The wound was large. Covering it all in his focus was near impossible. A few times the mana escaped his grasp, slipping out into the air. ¡°Focus! If you cannot do this much, you will die.¡± Seora warned. She continued to give him pointers. After a long while, Little Green returned with a dead bird and left again. He continued to manipulate and control the mana until none escaped his grasp. Though he had gained some control, he was unable to form mana over the wound. Seora whipped the air with her tongue, tasting his frustration. ¡°Forget your feelings. Forget your surroundings. Feel only the mana and your flesh.¡± Surprisingly, she saw mana gather solidly in his entire arm. ¡°Feel it flow through your skin and continue.¡± Across the edge of the wounds a soft shimmer warped the air as mana stretched slowly across. After a few moments, the strands of mana met the other end of the wound openings and clasped tightly. The healthy skin turned pink, following the mana to slowly regrow new skin. All wounds closed slowly. Liquid started dotting Artien¡¯s face as he focused. ¡°Now that the skin is formed, find the vessels that carry your blood. Make the ends call to each other. They will respond.¡± Artien moved his attention from the skin down to inside the wounds. He found where blood pooled, pouring out of tiny veins. They were small and numerous, requiring even more work than the skin had. He built mana up at each end of the same vein and stretched it out until it connected and created new flesh, sealing the gap. The many veins took time, allowing Little Green to pile up corpses with missing beast cores nearby. As he meticulously healed the veins, Little Green¡¯s strength skyrocketed. The many dead beast birds became black-quilled wolves. Seora scanned him periodically. His efficiency at mana control became finer with each use. He became accustomed over time and practice. He went so far as to do the rest of his flesh. Muscles and tendons regrew. When the arm was hale and healthy, he slowly retracted the mana back to the source and opened his eyes. ¡°That is how you heal.¡± Seora said approvingly. ¡°As you better your manipulation of mana. You will be able to stop bleeding during battle and heal multiple wounds at once. For now, it is enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± Artien looked for Little Green, seeing the mountain of corpses. A flash of green and a new corpse was added the pile. Another flash of green and Little Green was in his lap, looking up at him. What used to fill just a small portion of his lap now hung over the sides. ¡°Little Green?¡± ¡°Hss-ss-ss. Yes?¡± ¡°How did you get so big?¡± ¡°Hunting and consuming beast cores. It makes mine stronger!¡± ¡°Really?¡± He asked. Thinking back, he had his own core. Maybe he too¡­ ¡°Not right now.¡± Seora said, reading his mind. ¡°Your force still needs some work. However, if you can manipulate spells in a highly successful rate, then handling and controlling your Force quickly is possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same method as mana control?¡± ¡°From my understanding. Little Green, take him to the treasury and have him some spells books. There are a few from past humans.¡± ¡°Follow me!¡± Little Green led the way. This time, she stayed on the ground, too large to fit around his arm as easily as before. They entered the treasury cave. They went around the pile to the items left behind. Here were stacks of books of varying sizes and colors. Little Green stopped at the pile. ¡°Can I leave you here? I want to go hunting again.¡± ¡°Sure. Bring something fresh so we can eat.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± With a flash, Little Green was gone. Artien eyed the mountain of books before him. He pulled a bunch of the books aside, stacking them according to their titles and subjects. An hour later, he had three piles. One pile of random information regarding the world in general. One pile of Force-oriented books, martial skills, and battle tactics. Finally, one pile of magic information and spells. He sat in front of the magic book pile and skimmed through until he found some basic spells. Opening it up, he flipped through the introduction and notes to the first image of a circle of flames. Thankfully, the information written was simple and easy to understand. ¡°Cycle my mana to my palm and say the chant while thinking of the image of a ball of flame?¡± He followed the steps, feeling his hand full of mana. He imagined a small flame just above his palm. ¡°Flame, everlasting warmth, by the nature of the sun, appear!¡± Immediately he felt the mana leave his hand and gather above it, changing and condensing into a flicker of a flame. It drew on the mana from his hand, growing bigger. It grew in size quickly. The heat radiated onto his skin and started to burn. He hurriedly cut the mana source off and the flame shrunk and went out. He shook his hand. ¡°Can¡¯t hold onto it. Can¡¯t keep feeding it. Still, that was rather easy.¡± He tried again, this time feeding the flame slower and further above his hand. He cut the mana off when it was of good size and the flame slowly shrunk and vanished. ¡°Depending on the amount of mana, the slower it dissipates.¡± This time, he tried infusing mana and let it grow into a large size a meter across. His mana drained rapidly as the flame consumed it to fuel it¡¯s growth. He felt his control on the spell tremble. With a thought, he swung his hand and the image of the flame towards the mountain of treasure. Heat ruptured and fire blew a hole into the treasure. Coins and jewels rained down on his head as he ducked for cover. A green blur and Little Green appeared next to him. ¡°You okay? What was that?¡± ¡°Um, a fire spell.¡± He looked up at the mess he¡¯d made. ¡°I think you should go hunting with me and try that stuff outside.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Did you get something?¡± ¡°Bird!¡± Little Green raced back to the cave. When Artien arrived, the mountain of beasts were gone. A lone bird lay still. It was already plucked and dressed, only needing to be cooked. After thinking a moment, he turned to Little Green. ¡°Want to eat cooked meat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± He reached towards the bird, chanting the spell and small flame appeared above his hand. He held it out to the bird, holding back on the flow of mana available to the flame. This continuously fed the fire while keeping it under control. After a few minutes, he flipped the bird over and cooked the other side. Little Green peered at the meat, her tongue tasting the air. ¡°I want half.¡± He withdrew the flame and split the meat. He sat back, enjoying truly cooked meat after a long time. Little Green tested the meat, then gobbled it whole. She hissed low, a feeling of enjoyment transferring across their connection. He smiled, knowing how she felt. Just as he finished his meal, Seora turned to him. ¡°Go out hunting. While you were healing and reading the night has passed. Waste no time here.¡± Artien nodded and both him and Little Green left the cave. Little Green turned to him. ¡°Want to hunt something bigger than a wolf?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Follow me again!¡± She quickly, and quietly, trailed through the forest off to the left of the cave. They went down hill towards less trees and more dry ground with little brush. They stopped atop a small hill behind a large boulder, looking down at a beast with large size and dangerous coloring. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a scorpion-tailed red lizard. Let¡¯s go!¡± Little Green raced towards the target. ¡°Wait!¡± Artien helplessly followed behind. ¡°What about this is quiet and with caution?¡± He muttered. CH 13: Figuring It Out BOOK 1, CHAPTER 13 ¨C FIGURING IT OUT ¡°You didn¡¯t let me get near it.¡± Little Green complained. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you ran ahead. What was I supposed to do? I¡¯m practicing spells, not force.¡± Artien followed Little Green back to the cave, his feet heavy with frustration. ¡°Yes, well, you should have left some of it behind. Even the beast core was gone.¡± ¡°How would I know the force of a three meter fireball would be that destructive.¡± He defended himself. ¡°It¡¯s all gone.¡± Defeated, he changed the topic. ¡°Yes, but we can try again. I¡¯ll study a bit more about the strength of spells cast. Then we¡¯ll go back out and try again.¡± ¡°You can study all you want. I¡¯ll be back after I hunt some more beasts for the cores.¡± She emphasized the last word. ¡°Will you stop already! Sorry for destroying the beast core. I¡¯ll make it up to you. When I get the hang of casting, we¡¯ll hunt a ton.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± With a blur, Little Green was gone. He arrived at the cave entrance, heading straight to the books. He found three on the fundamentals and theories on magic and casting, reading them thoroughly. He then went through some basic spells to see the similarities. They all hinted at the level of the user, and the mana control. Nothing was confirmed within the information. He slammed a book shut. ¡°This is all so vague. Why? Is it required to have a teacher? Or is this a form of controlling magic use?¡± He pulled out a book from the general world pile and read up on society structure. ¡°So it¡¯s true. Those talented in mana control are taken in by magic academies across the kingdom. Each student has a teacher. Upon graduation they enter into service under an elf. Upon retire they support the kingdom under the King.¡± He put the book down and stood, stretching his muscles. ¡°Forget that. I¡¯ll teach myself.¡± He then turned to the spell books and flipped through them. He practiced the basic spells carefully. The basic spells consisted of using the elements in some way. There were attacks, like the fireball. There were enhancements, like using wind to lighten one¡¯s movements, carry the scent in a different direction, or carry sounds from far away to one¡¯s ear. There were common elements such as fire, wind, water, and earth. There were uncommon like wood or metal. There were rare ones, light and dark. Some books detailed forbidden spells over life and death. He found a few mythical spells that didn¡¯t make sense and were told as legends. He trained in one spell from each element. He had the fireball, water shield, wind blades, and earth wall. He memorized the chant of each and tried them out several times. When he felt comfortable casting them all, he went to the cave entrance. There he waited for Little Green. He was sitting practicing when Little Green showed up. She watched him in surprise as he recounted and casted each element. He noticed her after a bit and smiled, standing. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again.¡± They headed out back towards the scorpion-tailed red lizard territory. On the way, he told her what spells he was going to practice and how they worked. Together, they formulated a plan of attack. Little Green would attack and draw the enemy¡¯s attention. Artien would follow up with fireball or wind blade. If they switched positions, he could practice water shield and earth wall. Little Green was fine with this, and they both looked for beasts. A short while after entering the right territory, they found a lone beast. Little Green took off, circling around the beast to get it¡¯s back to Artien. Artien kept mana in his hand and the image ready and only chanted when Little Green was ready. This time he aimed for the tail, using fireball to blast the stinger off. The stinger fell to the ground and the lizard screeched in pain. It turned towards him and charged. He quickly thought of earth wall a distance ahead of him. The mana in his hand shot towards the ground and a large three foot thick wall rose up ten feet high and twelve feet long. The lizard crashed against the wall and shattered it. It slowed down and shook it¡¯s head, disoriented. It looked around and saw Artien. It charged again. This time, it crawled over the earth wall and leapt at him. He quickly created a water shield and tunneled mana furiously into it. It grew to cover a two-meter circle in front. The lizard slammed into the shield and was forced back. The energy of the slam into the water shield rippled across the shield, completely absorbed. However, from the one strike, mana was quickly consumed. Artien felt he could only handle a few more strikes before the shield would collapse. The lizard rose back to it¡¯s feet and tore at the water. ¡°Little Green!¡± He yelled. A green blur entered the area from behind the lizard. Little Green launched herself from the ground towards the back of the lizard. She bit into it¡¯s neck as she landed, injecting some venom. She quickly threw herself back off and shot towards Artien. They both hid behind the shield and watched the lizard screech as it tore at it¡¯s neck. Underneath the bite wound the flesh blackened. A foul stench arrived and Artien grimaced. The venom ate away at the lizard, only stopping after it consumed it¡¯s neck and chest area. The lizard fell to the ground and twitched before it was still. Not waiting, Little Green raced to the lizard and tore out a core from it¡¯s head. She swallowed it on the spot, showing a satisfied face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t broken this time.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He rolled his eyes. ¡°As long as it wasn¡¯t broken. Come on, we should leave here. I need to meditate and recover some mana.¡± ¡°You¡¯re low? After one fight?¡± ¡°That lizard is stronger than it looks.¡± They walked some distance away and found a secluded spot among a grove of tall trees. Little Green kept watch while he meditated. When he was full on mana, they went out hunting. They hunted for three days straight before going back to the cave. Seora seemed impressed. ¡°You are doing well?¡± She said. ¡°We¡¯re hunting one beast every four hours!¡± Little Green boasted. ¡°I see. And you?¡± She asked Artien. ¡°I¡¯ll need more practice on spells. I have some questions but no one to ask. Back to the books.¡± He said, as he made his way there. Little Green didn¡¯t hesitate and went back out hunting. She avoided the places good to hunt with a party of two. A bonus to her constant hunting was that the birds didn¡¯t dare hang out near the cave entrance anymore. They roosted in the highest trees far away. As she passed them she eyed them with a smug smile. After going through the large pile of books , Artien found several spells to help him with his force. They concealed it¡¯s use as another spell. Why they existed? A magician was physically weak from relying on just spells. To improve their odds against a force user, they used mana to enhance their own body during battle. This exhausted the mana quickly, but made up for it by saving their lives. Only higher level magicians could use those spells. Still, it was something that was in his favor. He memorized all the incantations for the difference body enhancements. He had speed, strength, and toughness. He now can cast these and use little mana to mask the force. While trying out spells, studying, memorizing, and fighting, 2 months passed. He found through all the experience and knowledge, something about how magic was cast didn¡¯t seem right. There was some secret that only the masters knew. Who else than a master looking for talented children would put the basic information available, keeping the important things to themselves? One piece of information was lightly touched upon in the books that made him curious. The foundation of spells. Apparently, just changing, mana control, and an image wasn¡¯t all there was to casting a spell. He had noticed in some of the diagrams of spells there was a familiar shape hidden within. Symbols. With symbols, the language of mana, as the foundation of spells, mana could be used directly. The chants were distractions for youngsters to hide the true way of magic. From this, he guessed the true meaning of the spell was the symbol itself. If one imagined the image and gave shape to it with mana, one could form a spell. He tried this out and found without the chant the spell didn¡¯t take form. He activated his divine eye to see what actually happened to mana during a spell and what he found was truly amazing. As he chanted the spell, the symbol appeared faintly. As mana entered and the chant finished, the symbol lit up and mana infused the symbol until the desired form took shape. Each chant formed a separate symbol for each type of spell. The meaning of the symbol was hidden within the chant. He focused on the simplest spell fireball. He started with using the whole chant. As the symbol formed, he cut out specific words that showed no effect on exit. The whole fireball chant was shortened to ¡®flame everlasting appear¡¯. Even with this, he wasn¡¯t happy. If a spell could be shortened, didn¡¯t that mean that it could be dropped all-together? The image held the symbol and he held the mana. If he used mana to directly create the symbol instead of using words to ¡®draw¡¯ it into shape? He immediately put this thought to test. He poured mana in his hand. He replaced the image of the flame from the books with the symbol, throwing mana into it. Above his hand the symbol flashed to life almost instantly. A small ball of flame appeared and grew as the symbol absorbed more mana. To his surprise, mana from the air was also collected into the symbol and fed the fire. As he was still in the cave, he cut the mana that fed the flame off. It floated on it¡¯s own in place. He dropped his hand away, watching the fireball consume the nearby mana. As the mana in the air thinned, the fireball began to dim and shrink. It finally winked out when it was unstable. The mana in the air thickened again, rejuvenated by the many mana stones lighting the walls. Another idea came to mind. He raised both his hands, igniting a symbol and gaining to small flames he let grow until stable and then cut off his mana from them. He spread his hands again, creating two more. His concentration was pushed to the limits, keeping the symbols active enough to draw mana from the air. One flame flickered and he lost concentration. The symbols dimmed and he lost all four flames. He continued his experiments, meditating in between to recover mana. Several days passed before he left the books and headed back out with Little Green. Through trial and error he discovered many things. With a symbol as the base, the cast time was zero. As long as the symbol is controlled continuously, the spell remained active. If he fused the symbol with enough mana, he could keep it alive for longer even when cutting it off from his own mana. The spells could be suspended with the right control. He had the ability to chose when, where, and how to use the spell almost at will. The more mana he used, the more effective the spell is. With this at his disposal, hunting became much easier. They tackled several lizards at once. When these proved too weak, they went on to hunt large predators. They came across a fanged river bear as large as eighteen feet tall when it stood. The bear¡¯s hide was tough. So tough flame was brushed aside. Wind blades also had little effect. It was here that Artien had a chance to try casting small fireballs packed full of mana. He shot two right behind two wind blades towards the bear¡¯s face. The bear roared after the wind blades hit it¡¯s eyes. One fireball brushed harmlessly past it¡¯s head. The other fireball the bear somehow accidently swallowed. Artien lost control of the symbol in his shock and the flame was released inside. The bear went mad before slowly coming to a stop. It laid down, moaned, and was still. They both approached the dead bear. Little Green looked at it, considering how to get the core out. ¡°Can you cut it now that it¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°You mean with wind blade? It isn¡¯t strong enough.¡± ¡°So make it stronger.¡± She said, pouting. ¡°I want that core.¡± Artien rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. Give me some space. If it goes wrong-¡° ¡°I¡¯m already back! Hurry up.¡± Little Green said from dozens of feet away. He pursed his lips and created the symbol for wind blades. As he did, he thought on how to make it stronger. He tried making two wind blades and placed the symbols together. Overlapped, one wind blade spell consumed the other and grew in size. ¡°This is no different than using more mana.¡± Mentally shrugging, he tossed the spell towards the bear¡¯s head. The wind blades cleanly sliced the bear¡¯s skull open and continued to create deep furrows in the ground behind it. Dirt flew up in the air as the wind roared, then grew silent. Debris rained down. Little Green came speeding over, checking the remains. ¡°You broke another core! Can¡¯t you hold back?¡± Artien palmed his face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. It¡¯s the magic ¨C it¡¯s hard to explain.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Little Green eyed him, ¡°you don¡¯t have to explain it to me. That¡¯s your problem.¡± He sighed. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll figure something out. In the mean time, let¡¯s hunt more.¡± ¡°Great. I found a certain place that has tons of beasts and cores ready to be taken. Follow me!¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± He muttered, already used to following. Another few days passed with careful testing and fighting. Dozens of beasts fell victim to the duo. After clearing out a herd of monster-sized tusked deer, they head back. CH 14: The Monkey Makes His Move BOOK 1, CHAPTER 14 ¨C THE MONKEY MAKES HIS MOVE Artien and Little Green entered the cave and went back to the central cave to rest. Artien sat with back against the wall, closing his eyes to sleep. Little Green curled up in his lap. As he nodded off, he was woken by Seora. ¡°Wake. Both of you. Things have changed.¡± She said quietly. Artien rubbed his tired eyes. ¡°What¡¯s changed?¡± ¡°The monkey has taken action.¡± ¡°I thought he couldn¡¯t find us?¡± ¡°That was the case before. Now he has seen some of the entrances. He cannot enter, he is too large. He will send his underlings in to scout for a main entrance. Should he find it and we are not prepared¡­¡± She left the sentence hanging, her warning clear. Artien frowned, feeling things were going too fast. ¡°What should we do?¡± Seora scanned him with mana, finding his current problem. ¡°You have become good with spells. How is your mana?¡± ¡°I could deal with some more. Doesn¡¯t that come with time and use?¡± ¡°There are ways to increase it. The more mana one has, the better. Little Green, take him to the treasury and give him those treasures. You know which ones.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°After he is finished, you may take the inheritance.¡± ¡°Mother, this means?¡± Little Green cried out. ¡°There is no more time to waste, my daughter. We must be ready before the monkey finds us. Quickly, show Artien which treasures.¡± Artien and Little Green rushed to the treasury. Once there Little Green dashes into the mountain of treasure. She returned with a small blue vial. She set it aside and dived in again. She repeated this, returning with different kinds of consumables. Some were fruit or plants, others were elixirs. There was even one that looked like a violet pearl. Soon a small hill of treasure was set aside. Little Green pushed them all into the mana spring room. ¡°You¡¯ll take them in here. This way no mana will leak out and you can absorb it all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m increasing my body again?¡± ¡°No. These will not be absorbed by your body. These will be absorbed directly by your mana source. You will see. Just get in here already. I have to help mother clear out that bastard¡¯s minions.¡± Little Green pushed the last of the treasures inside the room, then added Artien into the pile and closed the rock door. He activated his divine sight to see the items in the room. Sitting on the edge of the depression, he looked at the pile before him. ¡°Where to start¡­¡± He looked away and randomly grabbed something soft and fuzzy. Looking into his hands, he saw a round fruit. It was slightly squishy and soft to the touch. ¡°Do I eat the whole thing?¡± He hesitated, then took a small bite. The fruit was strongly bitter at first. After a few excruciating bites, it turned sweet and melted into his tongue. An energy was absorbed into his body and entered the place at his chest where his mana source resided. His flame jumped as the small bit of energy joined it. After it burned through the energy, it grew a small amount. His eyes widened at the difference a small bite made. ¡°This-this is cheating.¡± He felt a thrill at the instant power increase. He took a bigger bite, grimacing at the bitter taste. As it became sweet, his mouth watered. He swallowed and finished off the fruit. He shuddered and winced, then smiled. ¡°This fruit is awesome and awful.¡± He waited for the mana flame to burn through the fruit before finding his next consumable. He pushed his hand into the pile and pulled out the blue vial. He uncorked it, smelling a stinky fragrance. ¡°Ugh!¡± He held it away, then pinched his nose and downed it in one go. He gagged, a nasty taste left behind as the blue liquid turned into energy and flowed inside. He covered his mouth and heaved. ¡°What the hell was that? No, it¡¯s better I don¡¯t know.¡± He reluctantly threw his hand in again, pulling out the tiniest little vial that held a single drop. ¡°Wonder what this is.¡± He opened it and tipped it upside down. The little drop hit the air and vanished. He panicked, not wanting to waste any part of the treasure horde. Just as he was looking around, the air suddenly thickened. Mana filled the air and he was blinded with gold. He inhaled, feeling energy pour in through his lungs, eyes and skin. The mana was seemingly alive, the energy rushing inside him. His body trembled, energized in every cell. The rush entered his head, making him dizzy. He fell back, trying to focus and losing badly. He opened his mouth and gasped. ¡°Whoa!¡± His mana flame jumped and greedily sucked in the pure energy. It grew into a true fire. The fire raged even higher. The gold in the room lessened and he could make out the pile of treasure again. His body sucked in the last of the energy and was devoured. ¡°I hope not everything is going to be crazy.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He reached for another treasure. This one was a red stone smaller than his palm. He held it up, watching it glisten. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, okay?¡± He popped it into his mouth. At first, nothing happened. Then, the stone started vibrating gently while releasing a cooling sensation. The sensation followed as energy was released, again drawn inside to his mana source. The flame responded to the coolness by burning stronger. His body temperature rose. As he breathed out, a cool mist could be seen as the temperature in the room dropped with each breath. The stone slowly shrunk until it was gone. A slight frost coated everything at the far side of the room. Closest to him was condensation. He closed his mouth and reached to the pile, pulling out a simple ring. He frowned. ¡°How do I consume this?¡± He tried pouring a bit of mana into the ring. The metal band grew hot to the touch. It melted, not burning as the liquid metal entered through his fingers. The hotness went up his arm to his chest and joined the growing flame. ¡°Phew. That wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± He reached in and pulled out a two-leaved sprout. The top of the leaves were orange and purple underneath. He squinted at it, distrust building. ¡°You better not be poisonous.¡± He popped it into his mouth and chewed. The plant melted, it¡¯s energy spreading through his body. A horrible itch grew all over inside and out. He gritted his teeth, hoping it would pass quickly. Time seemed to drag on as the energy ever so slowly went to the flame. A soft tickle followed and he screeched, scratching everywhere he could. After a few minutes, the horrible battle ended. Artien panted, his body aching. ¡°This sucks. Cheating sucks!¡± He eyed the door hatefully. With a little bit of fear, he reached into the pile. He pulled out the violet pearl. He poured mana into it. The pearl glowed and became smoke. The smoke coalesced into the form of a purple, violent dragon. It turned against him, roaring power. A force of mana flew against him, threating to eat him. ¡°This is backwards!¡± He yelled, throwing raw mana in return. The dragon roared frantically as it fought. With each roar the mana increased. When Artien thought he was about to be overwhelmed, there was a loud ¡®pop¡¯. The dragon vanished, leaving only a thick purple mist. He began breathing in the mist. The thickness chocked him. He drew it in regardless, finding it hard to breathe. His flame jumped higher, becoming a bon fire. It roared, hungry. It feasted on the purple energy and grew ever bigger. He chocked again, still struggling to breathe. Tears cornered his eyes. ¡°This sucks.¡± Outside the small room, Little Green raced back and forth. She traveled through the tunnels, knowing them like the scales on her back. She would spy a minion, then take another tunnel to come up from behind. She ambushed as often as possible, then consumed the minion¡¯s core before dragging the body back to the central cave. Seora ate the minions, hoping to gain some respite from her pain. The small bits of energy gave her only a little relief. She knew her time was coming to an end quickly. ¡°I must not pass until the children are safely away.¡± She hung on, desperate to know that they escaped. She used a little mana left to feel out the surroundings and track which tunnels held enemies for Little Green to hunt. She guided her daughter, teaching her to hunt in the dark. Little Green returned with yet another kill. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m getting tired.¡± ¡°Continue. We are now buying time for Artien to finish. You can sleep while he carries you away. He will be faster than you soon enough.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Now go down this tunnel. Three are coming. You may lead them here if you must. I will eat them directly if needed.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Little Green sped off. Seora let out a long breath. ¡°Artien, you must hurry.¡± She whispered to herself. Inside the little sealed off room, Artien continued to consume the treasures at an increasing rate. Some of the treasures he loved, and some he cursed. His bon fire had grown into a raging inferno. He felt almost stuffed of energy. His body shining with it. ¡°I better not implode.¡± He reached for a small figuring of a cat. It¡¯s eyes shined when he poured mana into it. The cat melted into a foggy form and raced inside his chest. He slammed back against the cave wall as the cat pounced on the flame. It swiped, taking the flame and eating it. The flame roared in anger, surrounding the cat. Unable to escape, the cat was burned down to nothing. The flame jumped in triumph, taking on some kind of shape. It began to swirl, slowly becoming a fire-tornado. Artien watched what went on inside, in shock. Before him, the small hill of treasure had decreased by half. He shook his head. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± He reached back in, using both hands to hold a treasure in each. He poured mana, allowing the treasures to be absorbed into his mana stream and circulate into his fire. This way his time increased. He also had two tornados to feed. As soon as the treasures were devoured, he reached for more. Some treasures were easily absorbed. A few fought back. One even whispered dark secrets to him, trying to distract him. Another item was cursed. Luckly, the fire inside burned it clean before consuming it. As he went through the pile, he became slightly sickened at the usage. Treasures were supposed to be valued. Not eaten like candy. Still, it was needed and he was grateful for the chance to get stronger faster. Especially because of that white ape. Feeling his resolve strengthen, he forced the energies to pull directly from the treasures instead of absorbing them two at a time. The raging fire inside split again and again, creating dozens of fire tornados. The pile shrank rapidly. Soon, only one treasure remained. He physically reached out and picked it up. A small dagger with a strange feeling to it. He poured mana into it regardless. The dagger shuddered, then turned into countless white blades that shot inside. The flame tornadoes fought back, each one taking on a white blade. The fire tornadoes surrounded the blades of light, weakening them until they could be consumed. The blades were eaten and a small cry was heard. The flames joined together, jumping into each other to form a sea of raging flames. The fullness Artien felt grew until he grew dizzy. The fires suddenly roared high, seeking to erupt. He withdrew inside, fighting his own flames down. The flames shuddered in response, then conceded. They shrank and converged back into a single flame. The flame turned from orange to red, then darker still to purple, then blue. A small dark blue flame flickered. Artien sighed heavily in response. ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m done!¡± He crawled up to the door and banged on it. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± A few minutes passed before the stone door slid open. He crawled out of the room and sprawled on the ground. His eyes were drawn to the mountain of treasure and he looked at it in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m done with you!¡± He yelled at the gold and gems. Little Green¡¯s face popped over his. ¡°We need to go see mother. But before that.¡± Little Green opened her mouth towards the treasure. A huge suction force drew the treasures towards her. They shrank as they got close. Within seconds the whole room was empty. Artien looked at her in shock. ¡°Remind me to not leave you hungry.¡± Artien groaned and climbed to his feet. He made it to Seora before laying back down. He flopped back, Little Green looking at him in confusion. Across their connection she only got a feeling of having completed a dirty task. Seora scanned him, her eyes lighting. ¡°This is good. There is enough mana to last you a long run.¡± ¡°Long run?¡± ¡°Yes. You will need to flee soon. Little Green, did you get your inheritance?¡± ¡°I did.¡± She bobbed her head up and down. Seora looked at the cave ceiling. ¡°Now, we wait.¡± Three days passed before there was any movement outside the cave system. They were all conversing on different situations when the ground and walls trembled. Bits of dirt fell from the ceiling as large explosions were heard. After a bit of silence, a loud male voice roared. ¡°Snake, get out here! You old skin! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± CH 15: Seoras Sacrifice BOOK 1, CHAPTER 15 ¨C Seora¡¯s Sacrifice ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Seora said, a kind of finality in her voice. There was a moment of tense silence. The ground rumbled again as the ape called out. Far off, a rumbling echoed through the cavern and tunnels. A tunnel collapsed, rocks and dirt crashing down. Dust rushed through the tunnels, creating haze. Seora faced the children before her. She looked at Little Green, love and pride shining in her eyes. She stared a long while, feeling something rise up within. This was her child. She was beautiful. She turned to Artien, thinking over the past time he¡¯d spent with Little Green. Her trust in him was firm. A suitable friend. A great sibling to her Little Green. She considered him as one of her own. The pair was at odds. A beast and a human. Beasts never submitted to humans. They never sided with them. They never spoke with them. This one, small boy was the exception. She nodded to herself, then gave them a stern look. ¡°We will exit this cave together. I will go first. Then you two will follow behind the opening I make and escape.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± Little Green said softly. ¡°You must be strong, Little Green. This is where we part. You must live.¡± Seora demanded. ¡°Artien,¡± Seora addressed, ¡°you are confident in escaping?¡± He nodded firmly. ¡°With wind, force, and magic enhancement, I can escape.¡± He looked at Little Green. ¡°We can escape.¡± He turned to Seora, his gaze hardening. ¡°You are buying us time?¡± ¡°That is correct. I shall stall for as long as I can. While I fight that monkey, you both will flee. Take the direction behind the cave entrance. This will take you away from the ape¡¯s territory.¡± Seora closed her eyes, gathering her strength. She looked towards the largest tunnel ahead of her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She moved slowly ahead, conserving all energy possible for the coming battle. She led the way, scales scraping against the caves walls. Mana stones fell to the ground and shattered. It took only a few minutes to climb to the end of the tunnel. She stopped at the entrance, eyeing outside. ¡°Stay quiet and try to not be seen.¡± She whispered. A large boom sounded a distance away. The ape roared in anger. ¡°Come out you snake! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Seora launched herself out of the cave opening, sending debris flying. She landed before the ape and curled up. Her head rose above her body, the feathers on her head raising to show her superior bloodline. She smirked at the ape. ¡°You finally came out! Once I kill you, this territory is mine.¡± The ape bared his teeth, showing bloody fangs. ¡°I see you¡¯ve returned for more. What a dumb monkey.¡± The ape slammed on the ground, puffing angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not a monkey! I¡¯m a grand, red-eyed silver ape. A silver ape!¡± ¡°All I see is a monkey that only knows how to scream.¡± She taunted. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± The ape¡¯s eyes glittered red with mana as his fur suddenly took on a sheen. ¡°I¡¯ll feast on your heart.¡± He growled. With a slam, he charged. Seora spat out a vast spray of deadly venom. It rapidly spread out, coating the ape¡¯s fur. He protected his face with an arm and continued the charge. He leaped, tackling Seora head-on. The massive bodies flew through the air before crashing into a hill. Trees splintered, rolling away. Seora wrapped herself around the ape, using all her strength to bind him. She bit the ape¡¯s shoulder and constricted. Her fangs pierced deep, injecting venom directly into the ape¡¯s flesh. Artien took the chance and scooped Little Green into his arms. He exited the cave quietly, careful not to make any sound as he crept around the opening¡¯s small incline. He crouched low and rounded a few trees and bushes before breaking out into a full run. Little Green watched his back, her eyes glittering. Not waiting any longer, he activated his mana to the second-level spell air-flow. This created a shield through which air resistance decreased the more mana he poured into it. He felt no wind against him. His speed increased somewhat as his sounds lessened to the outside world. Next he poured mana into his body, enhancing his speed through his flesh. He sped even further. The surroundings started to sweep past at increasing blur. He chose the most open path before him, leaving little trace behind. He felt his blood pump, his heart racing. He gritted his teeth, reaching out to the core inside him. A soft warmth reached out, then spread throughout all his cells. Force rushed through him, heating him up. His skin turned pink and sweat beaded. He pushed with might against the ground, leaping ahead with drastic change. With each step he vanished. Behind, the mana, force, and resulting energy created a booming sound that echoed through the forest. Large pits remained where he stepped. It was as if some terrible demon traveled through the forest, leaving destruction behind. Ahead the ease of direct travel ended. The forest thickened. Large trees lined his view in every direction. He focused his mana to form a second spell, water shield. He thickened it, making it a foot deep. It spread in front of him, covering only three feet wide by six feet tall. He pushed ahead, using brute force to directly crash through the trees. Large holes left gaping behind him as the trees splintered and shattered outwards. It sprayed the forest with needles. A large amount of his mana depleted as he ran. Eventually he slowed, releasing both airflow and water shield. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. His body trembled, feeling the effects of pushing it too far. He continued to use force and speed enhancement, not stopping. As he ran, the ground trembled every so often. The battle behind was intense. He caught a few roars of Seora and the ape. Their battle sounds lessened the further he traveled. Little Green watched behind helplessly. Her body tightened when she spotted a shadow far above them. ¡°We¡¯re being followed!¡± Artien stopped, his feet forcefully digging furrows. He skidded backwards. He raised an arm, shooting two sets of four wind blades, one after the other, at the figure in the sky. They rushed seamlessly forward, catching the figure unaware. With a cry, the figure tumbled and fell. He turned around, heading at a slightly different direction from their original course. They raced on, not stopping for anything. After a few minutes, they had no choice. Several new figures ahead blocked their way. He skidded to a halt again, letting Little Green go. Several wolves, lizards, and other beasts blocked their path. ¡°The ape¡¯s minions.¡± Little Green confirmed. ¡°Take them quickly. Leave everything. We need to run.¡± They split, Little Green taking one side and Artien the other. Little Green jumped towards the first victim, immediately using her venom to inject devastating wounds. She jumped towards one victim after another, leaving wounded-soon-to-be-dead behind. She retreated after six fell, out of venom. Artien cast several fireballs as distraction. He followed up with wind blades, soundlessly slashing directly into several beasts. He left some without limbs, and one without a head. He ignored the bodies, soon finding none standing. He scooped up the waiting Little Green, once more rushing forward. They ran through forests and a meadow. Beasts blocked their paths. They held no mercy. Wherever they fought only death and wounded remained. Little Green recovered her venom for each fight, using up her own mana quickly. When she brought down as many her venom allowed, she swallowed a few beast cores while Artien slayed the rest. This allowed her to replenish some mana for the next fight when she rested. Artien could only persevere as his mana slowly depleted. He removed the speed enhancement, relying only on force to push on. He reserved the rest of his mana to cast spells. Eventually, his mana got low enough he resorted to using fireballs as a distraction to push through any group of beasts in their way. Little Green became exhausted. She weakly clung to his chest, circling around his neck. She glared fiercely behind them. In the distance, the sounds of the battle faded away. She no longer heard the clashing giants. Her eyes squinted, her mind muddled and her heart riddled with rioting emotions. Artien felt her pain through their connection. His heart filled with protection. How dare the ape! That damn monkey! His own feelings crossed over to Little Green. She tasted the air, smelling the bloodlust on them. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll avenge mother!¡± She blurted out. ¡°We¡¯ll avenge her together.¡± Artien vowed. More than for Little Green, he owed Seora his very life. They ran further. Ahead they ran into less and less groups of minions. More often they came across a lone beasts that spooked and fled in fear. The beasts sensed the incoming blood lust and escaped. This proved a blessing, helping them escape. They traveled, crossing several valleys before slowing down. Artien didn¡¯t stop, fearing the white ape might be able to catch up. Little Green kept an eye out behind them. Her eyes drooped, succumbing to slumber. She slept in his arms. Artien dredged every ounce of force out of his core, refusing to let it return. He pushed the force to his arms, legs, and chest. The force dwindled, consumed. He stumbled, looking for a hiding place to rest. He exited the forest, finding a stand of large boulders. He crawled deep inside and laid down, falling straight to sleep. Back at the site of the nest, Seora and the white ape continued their fight. With a large clash, both split, facing the other. The white ape¡¯s fur was dyed red with blood. Dozens of bites littered his body. One arm hung at his side, the venom having paralyzed it. Across from him, Seora was in worse shape. Large patches of scales had been torn off. A huge wound from their previous fight had re-opened. It wound down her side, seeping blood. Her proud crown of feathers were broken, leaving few behind. Around them the forest was destroyed. Trees and hills were leveled. Craters littered the ground. Patches of venom ate away at the very earth. All beats had fled, leaving only the two of them for miles around. They rested, gathering strength for a final round. The ape bared his teeth at Seora. She hissed, maw wide, revealing four rows of sharp fangs. The ape raised his head, standing tall. ¡°When you die, I will eat your core. My strength will double.¡± ¡°You will get nothing from me, white monkey.¡± The ape growled. ¡°I¡¯m a silver ape, you snake!¡± ¡°Hss-ss-ss.¡± She laughed at him, enjoying the pleasure of making him lose control. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing. You can¡¯t trick me.¡± The ape said. ¡°Oh? What do you think I am doing?¡± ¡°You are trying to trick me. I won¡¯t fall for it.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°You are trying to provoke me.¡± He grinned. ¡°Let me tell you. Once I eat your core and regain some strength, I¡¯ll track down your little snake baby and eat her!¡± Seora¡¯s eyes glittered dangerously. She pushed herself up higher than the ape, her face that of a mother protecting her young. ¡°You will not be able to lay a hand on her, let alone follow. I will make sure of that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see that other one. The human! I¡¯ll eat him too. I¡¯ll eat them piece by piece, still alive. I¡¯ll enjoy their screams.¡± The ape chuckled, madness in his voice. ¡°The monkey things he is a hunter. Now this is new!¡± Seora gathered her strength. She withdrew any remaining power from her flesh back to her core. She even drew in her remaining life force, her scales dimming in response. She quickly bit herself, pumping what venom she had left inside her wound. The venom entered her bloodstream. She waited for it to reach her core before stopping. She let go, facing the ape with a solid resolution. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The ape watched her cautiously, confused. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come find out? Or is the shitty monkey a coward?¡± Anger made the ape roar out as he leapt at her. She curled around him as he tackled her. His clawed fingers dug deep into her flesh, tearing at her. His fangs bit even deeper. She curled around him in a death vice. She looked down into his face, close together. ¡°This is my final farewell, and my final warning. I may die here. However, my daughter will become stronger than me.¡±'' ¡°Let go!¡± The ape screamed, crunching down on softened scales. She grinned down at him. ¡°Live, knowing she will one day come for you.¡± Seora¡¯s eyes lit up with a familiar flame. She drew I mana from her surroundings, using her own core as fuel. She burned up her remaining life-force, choosing a last-ditch attack with most damage. Her mana went wild, the venom infecting her core and devouring it. The venom condensed, empowered and strengthened. The ape sensed the mana and struggled wildly. He bit and tore where he could reach. Blood pooled around and died them both. He screamed in fury, unable to escape. ¡°Damn snake!¡± Seora closed her eyes, feeling the end. She filled with hope. Hope that Little Green survives. Hope that Artien will take good care of her. She sighed, letting go of everything. The venom finished eating the mana. It devoured her flesh instantly, releasing the ape. The ape fell to the ground, turning his back on the floating ball of black venom. He scrambled to get away, clawing with his one good arm. The venom core rippled, then exploded. Venom shot in all directions. It rained down on the ape, eating away at his flesh. He screamed in pained rage. He helplessly covered his head and crawled away. The venom landed on the surroundings, melting everything it touched and continuing to eat away. Slowly the mana fueling the venom was used. As the venom became inactive, the blackened land remained decayed. For decades after nothing grew where the venom landed. The ape, incredibly weakened, crawled back to his lair. He curled up in his bed, cursing the snake and it¡¯s offspring. The madness in his eyes grew, flashing with red fire. He bared his teeth, muttering under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them! Eat them! Make them scream.¡± He clawed his face, creating new wounds. ¡°Watch me make them suffer.¡± He grinned, eerily laughing aloud. CH 16: Escape BOOK 1, CHAPTER 16 ¨C Escape ¡°Ooowooorrgh!¡± Deep inside an old forest with trees four meters thick and two hundred feet tall, a large white form howled in anger. The exposed roots of the trees vibrated as the enraged form slammed two large fists into the ground. The fists hit the ground repeatedly, more out of anger than pain. The white beast stopped, huffing as it thought. It mumbled low, making nervous servants nearby confused. One servant, a large, giant brown bear with black spikes down it¡¯s spine, came forward. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The mumbling stopped, and one arm from the white beast swung out, slamming the bear. The bear flew, crashing into one of the elder trees and landing on the forest floor, dead. The other servants quivered, staying completely still for fear of drawing attention. The white beast looked up, revealing the silver ape. His eyes glowed red, bloodlust filling them. ¡°I want those two little brats found!¡± He growled out. When no one moved, he slammed a fist down on the dead bear, making paste. ¡°Now!¡± He yelled. The servants scattered, all going in one direction. When they were all gone, the ape sat down. He reached down and pulled the bear¡¯s beast core of it¡¯s remains, slipping it into his mouth. With a few crunches, the core was swallowed. He closed his eyes, growling. While the King Silver Ape was resting, the servants were threading through the forest towards their newly acquired territory ¨C what used to be Seora¡¯s nest lands. After a few hours they came up to the opening of the nest cave. There those good at tracking began following the path Artien and Little Green took. As they traveled, they spoke. ¡°Look here, a step.¡± ¡°I smell him going this way. Look, another step.¡± ¡°Something happened here. Dead beasts. These are his Majesty¡¯s men now. How dare they wantonly slaughter in our territory!¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s a crater. What¡¯s that at the center? Footprint?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another one over here! What could have made this?¡± ¡°Must be the human. And there! Look at the trees! They exploded and fell over? I smell his scent going through here.¡± ¡°Is this thing we¡¯re following really human?¡± They began to question themselves. ¡°These craters are evenly spaced out. This is the human running? How tall is he? These are a dozen feet apart.¡± They continued tracking, following the path the two took. After a few hours of time, they stopped to rest. Some more energized went out to hunt, returning to feed everyone. One scouted ahead on the trail, returning with face full of fear. The others, seeing how quiet he was, sat him down and gave him some meat. ¡°Why do you look so? What did you find?¡± One finally asked. The scout looked up at him, the meat untouched in his hands. ¡°D-death.¡± The others all looked at each other. ¡°The brats are dead?¡± The scout shook his head, clenching his eyes shut. ¡°Tell us, what was dead?¡± They prodded. The scout¡¯s eyes shot open as he wailed, ¡°Everything else!¡± He began to recount his findings. At first he found dead beast here and there. Then a few. Then dead by the pack! ¡°There was signs of poison from the snake.¡± ¡°From the human?¡± One beast whispered. The scout turned his bloodshot eyes on him. ¡°Devastation. There wasn¡¯t an intact body anywhere. There were only burned parts, sliced parts, or exploded parts.¡± They all fell into silence, going off to think while they finished eating. After another hour of procrastination, one of them got to his feet. All eyes turned to him. He cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ll kill the brat and take the snake back.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not. I don¡¯t want to die!¡± One said. ¡°If we go back to master with nothing, we¡¯ll be the ones to die.¡± Another stood up. ¡°Then we¡¯ll chase them until they run out of energy and kill them then. This way we won¡¯t be harmed at all.¡± The rest stood up, completely rested. They headed out, following the trail. As they came upon scene after scene of dead beasts, the scout grimaced. The rest heaved, trying to keep their meals. Still, they persevered on. Down the trail, the direction turned. They followed, coming to a realization. ¡°That snake has stopped fighting.¡± ¡°The human slowed down. His steps are closer and don¡¯t crack the ground.¡± Further down the trail. ¡°He¡¯s running normally here. We¡¯ll catch up soon! Humans don¡¯t have as much stamina as beasts. Keep going!¡± Meanwhile, Artien and Little Green woke from their slumber. The night passed and early dawn broke. Artien stretched his muscles, his whole body aching. After checking his condition, he found his mana had recovered little. His force, however, felt stronger than before. A loud grumbled interrupted his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and you need to eat.¡± Little Green said. ¡°If we hunt we might get caught.¡± Artien frowned and rubbed his empty belly. ¡°I¡¯ve got food!¡± Little Green opened her mouth, a small speck appearing in the center. The speck let out another speck that expanded in size fast. It hit the ground, becoming two plucked birds. She closed her mouth, grinning. ¡°Is that sanitary?¡± ¡°It is! I put it in my second stomach. I can hold lots of things in there.¡± He nodded, understanding where the treasure had gone. ¡°When did you hunt this?¡± ¡°Back when I was getting beast cores. I prepared many different things to eat.¡± ¡°Any of it cooked?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Artien sighed, unable to argue with the glittering-eyed Little Green. He sat down, quickly biting into and eating a full bird. Little Green joined him, swallowing hers whole. After a thought, he paused.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°You ate all the treasure, right?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Little Green confirmed. ¡°Do you still have some potions left? Or elixirs? The kind that restores mana and fatigue?¡± Little Green finished swallowing her bird. ¡°Not fatigue. I think there¡¯s two or three that does mana.¡± His own eyes began to glitter. ¡°Take one out. Let me drink it.¡± Little Green spat out a small, crimson vial. He grabbed it, quickly drinking it whole. The liquid entered his stomach. He began meditating, focusing on his mana to suck up the liquid faster. After a few minutes, he felt his mana completely restored. He let Little Green swallow the empty vial back, standing up. ¡°How is it?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s good. I¡¯ll use wind mana today. Once my mana is gone, I¡¯ll use force. That will get us further than yesterday, I think.¡± ¡°Let me know when you want another one.¡± Little Green climbed up to hang around his neck. She tapped him on his back with her tail. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get used to this.¡± Artien gave her a narrow look, then left their rocky hideaway. They began another long day of running. The day passed slowly. When it came to one-vs-one, two-vs-one, or three-vs-one, Little Green fought by herself. She conserved energy when being carried, eating the beast cores. When there were more than three beasts, Artien would pick them off, leaving three to Little Green. In this way Artien used mana through most of the day. At sundown, he was made to use force. Force was more powerful than mana, propelling them at high speeds. Force also drained faster, lasting only 2 hours. When it ran out, they looked for cover to spend the night. When they stopped, it was in a barren area between the forest and distant mountains. In the morning, they ate. Artien consumed another mana potion. They left, shooting towards the mountains. It was on the third day and the last mana potion they noticed something behind them. The long barren landscape allowed them to see dust trail into the air. ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡± Little Green whispered. Artien nodded. ¡°Do you have anything filled with mana left?¡± ¡°You ate most of it already back at the cave.¡± She thought hard while riding. ¡°I stockpiled some beast cores. I was saving them for emergencies. I guess you can eat them.¡± Her words came out bitter. ¡°Let me try one.¡± He took a black core with red stripes. It was small, fitting in the palm of his hand. He popped it into his mouth. When nothing happened, he passed mana through his mouth. The mana touched the beast core, drawing out some of it¡¯s energy. He sucked, feeling the foreign energy enter his mana stream. It went to his mana source, where it split into two. His eyes widened and his steps slowed when he watched the interaction. His mana source refined the energy, creating a secondary type that left his raging mana source and traveled to his own core on his back. The energy entered his core, quietly disappearing. He grinned, extending his hand. ¡°Another one.¡± Little Green pouted, spitting out a green sphere with yellow spots. He continued eating them through the coming days. They managed to stay ahead of the dust trail, even as it grew bigger. His mana steadily declined until it was exhausted. His force grew stronger each day, but still ran out. They traveled for 2 weeks before reaching the foot of the nearest mountain. The dust trail now had visible forms at the base. Artien stopped, gasping while leaning against a large boulder. Around them, trees once more dotted the area. The boulders were growing small in number and size. Little Green climbed down and looked up the mountain. ¡°There¡¯s mist up there.¡± Artien gasped for air, looking at one mountain larger than the few around it. Mist covered it mid way up to the top. Nothing could be seen in the mist. The mist swirled and moved, never leaving the mountain. He spied the surrounding mountains that were somewhat rocky and had sparse patches of hardy trees. ¡°The mist it is.¡± He stood. Little Green took her place around his neck, spitting out another core. ¡°Last one.¡± She said. Her voice no longer carried bitterness. She had decided living was more important twelve days ago. Artien ran towards the misty mountain. Little Green watched the dust cloud behind them gain distinct figures. ¡°They¡¯re catching up.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°An hour? Two?¡± ¡°If I increase the pace?¡± Little Green looked back at the misty mountain, then at the figures again. ¡°Hard to say. How close are we really to the mountain?¡± Artien¡¯s face went grim. He used airflow over his entire body. He enhanced afterwards, feeling strength spread. Mana filled him to the brim. He drew on his force, letting it flow with the mana, activating it faster. One, two, three steps. He launched from the ground, speeding forward. Little Green¡¯s eyes widened as she hung on for dear life. With the speed, they raced past the gradual incline of the mountain¡¯s base and came to the steeper side of it. Artien¡¯s steps no longer hid his presence. Echoing booms reverberated off the mountains. Several distant roars echoed back off the smaller mountains. The power of the roars set Artien on edge. It was a familiar feeling like the time Seora and the white monkey fought. That of king beasts! His heart pounded heavily. He poured all he had into running towards the mist. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Little Green warned, seeing three different disturbances in the nearby mountains. Down below, the others chasing them stopped, turning around and running away. ¡°This is as fast as I can go!¡± He yelled back. To the right, a red back could be seen along the tree tops racing down the mountain it was on. It let out a noise deep, rumbling through the air. A long red tail whipped behind it. It stopped a moment and lifted it¡¯s head to see the direction. A thick lizard head poked out, a tongue tasting the air. It lowered it¡¯s head and again gave chase. On another mountain trees were pushed out of the way with ease. The long, displaced trees flew through the air, rolling downhill. Rushing down the steep side, a grey body appeared. An elephant, with small ears and four tusks, eyes yellow as the sun, trumpeted. Across the way a screech tore through the air. Huge wings erupted out of the top of the mountain, spanning a hundred feet in each direction. The wings pushed a feline body topped with an owl¡¯s head into the air. It rose in a few beats, then glided down it¡¯s mountain. Seeing the three beast kings, Little Green again tightened around Artien. She watched, ready to defend. The owl-cat arrived first, swiftly reaching them through flight. She perched more firmly on Artien¡¯s shoulder, raising her head back. She reached into her core, ready to spit her deadliest venom. Artien ran with all his might. Despite his efforts, a large shadow shaded him from the sun. He heard a soft whistling and spotted feathers at the edge of his vision. Ahead of him, the mist was just out of reach in a few steps. He felt Little Green bounce backwards, feeling her loosen her grip. There was a loud screech of pain. Above them, the owl-cat retreated. It mewled, going back to it¡¯s own mountain. Little Green fell back, falling down. Artien grabbed at her, bringing her length into his arms. He saw a large gash running across her scales, leaking blood. ¡°Little Green!¡± He cried. Behind him, the two remaining beast kings saw their chance at prey and sped up. The mountain trembled beneath their feet, revealing their closeness. Artien ignored them, feeling anguish. He ran the last few steps into the mist, not stopping. The two beast kings stopped at the mist¡¯s edge, roaring and trumpeting in defeat. Artien continued, coming through the white mist and climbing atop a plateau. He ran across the flat surface, worried. ¡°Little Green. Little Green!¡± He put pressure on her wound, hugging her close. Just as he came slightly back to himself, he felt his foot slip. He fell down through empty air, a cliff wall shooting past him. They fell, wind rushing past. With a thought, he placed several layers of air flow underneath. He felt himself slow, but continue at a rapid speed. He pushed out all his mana, creating a total of eight spells beneath and enhancing his body to his limits. He curled his head into his arms and created a cage around Little Green. After a few seconds, the layers of spells hit solid ground. They ruptured at the force one-by-one. All the spells broke. His feet hit the ground. His reinforced feet shook, his knees and ankles taking the strain but holding. He turned his feet, tucked, and rolled, launching himself forward. He rolled with moment, slamming into stones among grass. He came to a stop. He released all mana and force, unfurling to check on Little Green. To his relief, he didn¡¯t see any new injuries. He held a hand to her snout, feeling a soft breath. He looked around in the mist. It had somewhat lightened, letting him see several yards. He was in softly rolling hills. Green grass grew knee-high. No beasts were in the vicinity. Upon closer inspection of some of the larger rocks, he was surprised to see bricks. Ruins littered the area. He cautiously moved forward, looking for a place to rest. As he moved, the little light that reached down dimmed. He found a small line of brick wall and settled his back against it. He cradled Little Green in his arms. He pushed mana from his hand into her wound, hoping to aid her. He worried, wondering if he should start a fire. He mulled, then decided against it. Not wanting to garner further attention, he silently healed Little Green until his mana ran out. He removed his hand to see her bleeding had at least stopped. He sighed, curling her up in his lap. He rested his head and closed his eyes. Artien¡¯s eyes shot open. Above him, a wooden paneled ceiling appeared. He sat up, his body complaining. His stomach rumbled. Across from him a fire burned. A hanging pot sent out a delicious smell. He looked around. ¡°Where?¡± The floor was also made of wood, as were the unpainted walls. There were no windows. Only a door to his right. His heart picked up speed, his worry for Little Green returning. He searched, only sighing when he spotted Little Green at the foot of the bed. A bandage wound around her body. He looked at the door as it creaked open. A small child entered, no older than 10. The small child saw him awake, and came to stand before the bed. The child smiled harmlessly. ¡°To answer your first question, you are in a valley known to some as ¡®Valley of Death¡¯, ¡®Land of Mist¡¯, or ¡®Mist Valley¡¯. I simply call it home.¡± The child¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Welcome!¡± CH 17: Land of Mist BOOK 1, CHAPTER 17 ¨C Land of Mist ¡°Who are you?¡± Artien gently pulled Little Green into his lap. He eyed the little boy who smiled at him. The boy was clothed simply. His faded, white clothes were worn, but clean. On his feet were woven sandals. His hair was curly, black, and short. His eyes were a striking sky-blue against his paler skin. All-in-all, the boy was very handsome. With his arms behind his back and relaxed, his posture gave Artien the impression of an old man. This was in odds with his obvious young age. ¡°I¡¯m the keeper of the ruins. You can call me Kor for short.¡± The smile never left the boy¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Artien.¡± His eyes narrowed when the boy gestured to Little Green. ¡°Hers?¡± ¡°Little Green.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not much for words, are you? Wait one moment.¡± The boy left the room. There was a dragging sound outside. Kor returned, dragging a chair with him. He set the chair across from Artien, sitting in it. He wiggled around until he was comfortable, then rested his hands in his lap. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have some questions.¡± Kor said. ¡°Where exactly am I? This place and mist? What are those ruins?¡± Artien continued, sounding off the most burning questions. As he asked, he placed a hand over Little Green¡¯s wound. Kor watched him move, his smile softening. ¡°Your in the Land of Mist. Rightly named so after the never-ending mist around. It¡¯s a valley floor surrounded by three-hundred foot cliffs. The cliffs are smoothly flat. You¡¯ll find it¡¯s impossible to physically climb out of here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re stuck here?¡± Artien felt his worry increase. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s completely safe here.¡± Kor laid back, propping his hands behind his head carelessly. ¡°There¡¯s a flying king beast-¡° ¡°It won¡¯t come in the mist.¡± Kor cut him off. ¡°No beast will.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no beasts here?¡± Artien asked, his tone slightly disbelieving. ¡°None. Other than your Little Green.¡± Kor¡¯s gaze went to the hand-covered wound. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t heal others when you yourself haven¡¯t fully healed.¡± He advised. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Artien continued channeling mana into Little Green¡¯s wound, hoping to heal her faster. Kor shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. Just don¡¯t share your force. Not all beings can accept that. Mana is much more forgiving.¡± Artien guarded himself against that simple, harmless smile. ¡°What¡¯s so special about the mist?¡± He re-directed. ¡°Ah. That.¡± Kor laughed softly. ¡°It seems it makes others go mad. I¡¯ve been here so long it¡¯s hard to remember. No.¡± Kor frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not quite right. I can¡¯t recall.¡± He sighed, giving up. ¡°There¡¯s been several visitors unlucky to fall within the mist.¡± Kor sat up, scratching his head. ¡°When I see them, it¡¯s as if the mist is a miasma. As they breathe it in, they lose themselves. I believe it enters the mind through breathing, driving both human and beast crazy.¡± ¡°Not you?¡± ¡°Ah, no. Me too. Over time I¡¯ve gotten used to it. It doesn¡¯t affect me anymore.¡± He jerked his chin at Little Green. ¡°She must have powerful poison of her own. A powerful poison can counteract another, rendering both in-effective. Should one poison be lost, the other would take effect. It would be wise to advise her not to use her poison here.¡± ¡°Thank you for your advise.¡± ¡°Take it as you will.¡± Artien looked out the door, seeing a wall. Hallway? ¡°Is there no one else here?¡± ¡°No. Just me, you, and her.¡± Kor pointed to each of them consecutively. Kor sat up, leaning forward in his chair. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± His eyes suddenly burned with curiosity. ¡°What makes you resistant to the mist?¡± Artien felt caught unawares. Why was the mist not driving him mad? He inhaled, feeling no changes to the air or his body. It was like the mist wasn¡¯t even there. He shrugged. ¡°I have a superior constitution?" Kor slapped his knee. ¡°You!¡± He laughed. ¡°I guess we can leave it at that. Do you have any other questions for me?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°If I had any questions left, what about the ruins?¡± Kor waved his hand. ¡°Those? People used to live here. Now they don¡¯t. I came after they were long gone.¡± He jumped up, putting the chair against a wall. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to explore. You¡¯ll find food in nature and water in a stream that runs through the entire valley.¡± He paused at the door. ¡°Oh, yes, you can stay here if you like. I¡¯ve got other places I¡¯ve kept up to sleep in. Let me know if you need anything.¡± He waved and left. Artien turned his full attention to Little Green. Through their connection he only sensed her sleeping deeply. A sleep one only woke up from after they¡¯ve rested enough. He gently placed her on the bed, then got up. Outside the room was a short hall. It ended on the right. Three other doors littered the hall before it opened to a larger room on the left. He entered the larger area, finding scattered tables and chairs. A door exited to outside on the right. ¡°An inn?¡± He mumbled. ¡°If there¡¯s an inn, there had to have been travelers. If there were travelers, there must be a way out.¡± Satisfied with his reasoning, he went outside. Outside he found an entire town. Cobbled streets with posts for lamps lining them wound around the different buildings. This mist overhead filtered the sunlight, dimming everything in a dark gloom. A musty wind blew past, sending a shiver down his spine. The streets were eerily empty. He shook himself, taking a deep breath. He took note of the inn¡¯s location and explored the town. After wandering for several minutes he found Kor sweeping debris of the porch to a small house. Kor smiled at him and nodded, continuing to sweep. Artien nodded in return, following the main road. He reached the center of town within minutes. Heading in one direction, he reached the edge of the town in another five minutes. The town was small, housing only thirty or so buildings. As he traveled further away from the inn¡¯s location, the buildings and land became less cared for. He headed back to the inn, his worry for Little Green making him rush. He found her sound asleep on the bed, same as before. Reassured, he left again. This time he headed away from the town center towards what was the original town entrance. The cobbled street turned into dirt road as he left the town. He followed the dirt road. He traveled for some time, taking in the visible surroundings. There was grass on all sides. Single trees dotted the ground. The road continued until the grass started to overtake it. From there, he followed the signs of brick wall and rubble. Sometimes he came across a house situated further back from the covered road, indicating he was going in the right direction. The grass ended abruptly at the edge of a tree line to a dense forest. The trees were old, around a hundred feet tall. There was a path through the forest where someone had cut back the trees for the road. He quietly went through the forest. It darkened under the canopy. The background of the forest ahead of him turned black. The further he went, the more black the background became. The road bended, going around a small hill. As he rounded it, the blackness became a solid mass. In front of him, as high as he could see, a cliff wall barred his way. At one time or another there had been a path to the road. ¡°Something amazing must have happened.¡± He rubbed a hand on the cliff wall, feeling it smooth without roughness. He followed the cliff wall left, walking out of the forest back into grassland. The grasses started to show signs of ruins. A mass in the distance took shape. As he got closer, the outline of buildings became visible. The cliff walls cut straight through the town, some buildings rubble at it¡¯s base. He continued exploring, taking to the street nearest the wall. He went through the town, exiting out the other side. He came out into more grassland, once more leaving the town behind. He picked up his speed, rushing alongside the wall. He ran for a good while, but the cliff showed no signs of ending. A sound of lapping water arrived. The ground began to sink in each step he took. Ahead, a lake came into view. Long grasses edged the lake. The lake itself stretched from the cave wall outwards. It was large enough he couldn¡¯t see the other end through the mist. A soft wind brushed fine spray of water droplets against him. Low rumbling accompanied. ¡°A waterfall?¡± He skirted the edge of the lake. A distance around a little creek continuously fed water out of the lake. He jumped across, deciding to stick to the lake edge. He followed the edge of the lake to the other side, coming again to a cave wall. Further down the way he came upon a forest. This time he traced the tree line. After a bit of time passed, he came across the creek. He jumped back across. The tree line split where he met with a familiar road. He scowled, stopping. ¡°This place is entirely closed off.¡± If he used the town as the center for ¡®north¡¯, then the forest would be at the southeast. The lake was at the southwest. The creek cut across the center from west to east, feeding the forest. Artien, dejected, headed back to the town. The sky outside darkened. When he arrived at the inn, it was nearly dark. He went to his room, moved Little Green safely to the edge of the bed, and laid down. He closed his eyes, wondering what would become of them. For the next several days he searched for a way out. He searched the ruins, the forest, and even swam into the lake. He discovered many things on his explorations. One of which was food. There were fruit high in the canopy of the trees, and berries near the lake. The only thing he didn¡¯t find was a way out. Little Green had yet to wake up. With Kor¡¯s help, he had learned to change the bandage. The wound was scabbed over and still healing. Kor pointed out a few more days of rest was needed before she might wake up. He kept himself busy exploring. As the days passed, he grew increasingly sure they were stuck. The cliff walls were impossible to climb. They were also somehow impervious to magic and tools. He could not carve steps as a way out, let alone scratch the rock. Giving up, he found a crumbling brick wall and sat on it. He wracked his brain, trying to think of a way out of the empty valley. No matter how hard he tried, he came up empty. It was at this time that Kor appeared. ¡°Still trying to think of a way out?¡± Kor asked, his smile ever-present. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just, I can¡¯t find a way or think of one.¡± Artien rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming. ¡°What have you tried?¡± Artien recounted his experience inside the valley, only making Kor laugh. He scowled. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Kor said, trying to muffle his mirth. ¡°You spent all this time doing worthless things.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You can ask me. I¡¯ve done all of that already.¡± Kor laughed again, grasping his belly. ¡°Hah.¡± He wiped his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I have laughed well. I¡¯ll help you a little.¡± Artien crossed his arms. ¡°What can you do to help me? You¡¯ve been stuck here with no way out.¡± Kor sobered up, walking closer. He poked Artien in the chest. ¡°Focus on what you can do. Not what you cannot.¡± His smile returned, and he walked away. ¡°Focus on what I can do.¡± Artien said to himself, beginning to think from a different point of view. ¡°What I can do¡­ is magic.¡± CH 18: Explosion BOOK 1, CHAPTER 18 ¨C Explosion Artien decided the only way to move forward was to improve himself. He first searched for a suitable place to practice. He used the open grasslands south of the creek between the forest and lake. There he picked several targets; boulders, tall grass, and the cliff wall. He first practiced what he already knew. He recounted the different basic spells he knew. He followed up with casting them, remembering how much mana to use and when to release the spell. He moved to casting several of the same spell. This he met a wall, casting no more than nine. He did this with each spell type. At most, nine was his limit. He moved to trying multi-casting two types of spells. He did with water and earth, the less dangerous that he knew. When he imagined one symbol, multiplying it was easy. If he added a second image, the first one became indistinct and the spell failed. He moved to casting speed instead. He created the same spell over and over, finding he could activate one after another using the same symbol. As before, activating one symbol quickly after the other left the next consecutive one indistinct. He failed on the third spell when quick-casting. He sat and crossed his legs, meditating. He went through his knowledge of mana, spells, and how they worked. He had managed to turn casting time to be nearly instantaneous as soon as the symbol of the spell became clear. Manipulation of the spell and mana was slowly mastered to some degree. With time he would only improve. He felt no improvements elsewhere. Force improved as he naturally used it. Magic, on the other hand, needed decades of training. He knew deep inside the degree of his mana flame was more powerful than he was capable of showing. His use of spells was inadequate. Was this, then, his limits? ¡°You look like you¡¯re thinking too hard.¡± Artien scowled, opening his eyes. He could hear the smile in the words. ¡°Kor.¡± Kor bounced forward in the grass. ¡°The only one!¡± ¡°I thought back on what you said.¡± Artien watched as Kor picked a long grass, sticking the end into his mouth. ¡°About what you can do?¡± Artien nodded. ¡°I can only improve myself.¡± ¡°But now you¡¯re stuck?¡± Kor walked in front of Artien, crouching to his eye level. His eyes became deep, that old man feeling emanating. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some more advice.¡± He pulled the grass out of his mouth. ¡°Whenever a person reaches his limits and can no longer improve himself, you know what he should do?¡± ¡°Rest and try again later?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Wrong! He should go back to the basics. In your case, the basics would be, what is the true nature of magic?¡± Kor stood up swiftly, sticking the grass in his mouth while walking away. He waved without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it!¡± Artien watched until he was out of sight. Then he focused on Kor¡¯s words. ¡°Go back to the basics. I¡¯ve never left them¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Focus. The true nature of magic is mana. It¡¯s a theme in all the books I¡¯ve read. Mana¡­¡± He meditated a long time. He racked his brain. Frustration built, his mind growing solid. ¡°Agh! Why is this becoming so hard? Have I really reached a limit? Is my understanding of magic lacking that much?¡± His eyes brightened. ¡°My understanding of magic is lacking. Back to the basics. The basic questions.¡± He closed his eyes again. He let the frustration and other feelings fade away. He focused on the questions. Magic is made up of what? How is magic used? What is the true nature of magic? Time passed. He repeated the questions to himself, unknowingly saying them out loud. An unknown time later, a familiar voice replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your Divine Sight?¡± His eyes shot open as his heart picked up in joy. ¡°Little Green!¡± He spun around, seeing Little Green parting the grass as she arrived at his feet. He opened his arms, catching Little Green as she launched into his arms. She wrapped around him, squeezing hard. She released him, laughing as she pulled back far enough to see his face. ¡°Miss me?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dodge? I can recover easier than you!¡± He said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry.¡± She pouted. ¡°If you got hurt we both would be eaten by those beast kings.¡± He patted her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± She jumped to the ground, showing the clean skin. ¡°My scales will come back in my next shedding.¡± She eyed him, then looked around. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside the mist¡­¡± He sat down, beginning to recount everything that had happened while she was recovering. She listened with wide eyes. ¡°Can we get out?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t found a way yet. The cliff walls are high and indestructible.¡± They sat briefly in silence when Little Green bounced her head up. ¡°What were you doing?¡± Artien rubbed his face, frustration bubbling back up. ¡°I¡¯m trying to understand magic better.¡± ¡°Ooh. Was that what that was?¡± She teased. ¡°Knock it off!¡± He swiped at her head, missing as she ducked. ¡°Hss-ss-ss.¡± She laughed, then looked at him seriously. ¡°Use your Divine Sight! Isn¡¯t that how you learned to talk to me?¡± ¡°Divine Sight.¡± He thought, realizing she was right. It was how he first discovered symbols. ¡°Let me try.¡± Little Green stayed to the side as he stood and faced the black cliff wall. He raised a hand, activating his Divine Sight. The world took on a golden hue, waves of mana strumming about. He imaged the symbol of fireball above his hand. He watched closely as the nearby mana rippled, then swirled into the image, forming into fire. He held it there, looking for anything new. The image stayed, using only enough mana to sustain itself from the surroundings. He poured some of his mana into the flame, seeing it grow. He stopped when the flame reached the size of a chicken. The mana flowing into the fireball from the surroundings increased. The flame repeated as before, only taking in enough mana to keep itself as-is. As a human, this was how magic was used. What about elves? What about beasts? What did it look like when they activated their beast cores? He turned to look at Little Green. The fireball trembled, the spell symbol dimming. Artien felt the fluctuation and cursed, trying to regain control. The symbol solidified, activating. Artien pushed it away as he grabbed Little Green and dived into the grass. The fireball headed a few feet away before exploding. The explosion shook the area, a strong heat wave spreading out. Artien felt the heat on his back, his eyes closed tight. Underneath him, Little Green held still, afraid if she moved it would somehow hurt him. The heat grew intense, the feeling of burning alive coming to mind. CH 19: Learning Curve BOOK 1, CHAPTER 19 ¨C Learning Curve When the heat dissipated, he got up. Little Green rose above the tops of the grass, doing a ¡®Hsu¡¯ sound to mimic a long whistle. ¡°You use enough mana?¡± Before them, a large area of blackened earth smoked. Shriveled grass spread out in all directions. Bits of ash and dirt slowly fell. ¡°Oops.¡± He said sheepishly. Little Green glared at him. ¡°Next time use that water shield.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if there¡¯s a way out. You keep practicing. Don¡¯t blow yourself up!¡± She said as she slithered into the grass. A soft tickle of smoke hit his nose. Artien looked down to see the edge of his shirt on fire. ¡°Ahh!¡± He jumped up, patting it to death. He made sure the rest of him was not on fire. ¡°Phew.¡± He looked at the destroyed area. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with water¡­¡± He sat down, beginning the pondering process again. After getting nowhere, he tried casting water shield while splitting his focus between the symbol and watching the process. The mana rippled, becoming unstable. Instead of an explosion, Artien and the surround area became drenched. He sputtered, wiping the water out of his eyes. ¡°Still better then getting burned.¡± He sighed, then began anew. The next several hours were spent this way, getting drenched again and again. Eventually the sky darkened. Tired, he returned to the inn. Little Green was there waiting for him. She took one look at his dirt-drenched appearance and laughed. With a dead face, Artien returned outside. He cast a few water shields above his head, held his breath, and activated the spells. A strong shower of water poured over him, washing the dirt away. He then cast four fireballs, raising them to a strength to warm the surroundings. In ten minutes he was completely dry. He returned to the room, flopping down on the bed and falling asleep. Little Green snickered. She curled up next to his head and slept. Across the street, Kor watched Artien ¡®wash and dry¡¯. His eyes held a strange glimmer. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± He smiled, then continued sweeping. Artien and Little Green woke the next morning. They ate a fully-cooked meal of magic beast. Little Green went exploring, heading towards the forest to the southeast. Artien returned to his practice place. He chose to stick with water shield. He tried over and over to split his focus two ways. Over and over he was drenched. As frustrating as it was, he persevered. His reasoning? What else could he do? The area became like a small swamp. The blackened earth sucked in the water, turning into a mud pit. The water had no where to go, creating a small pool. Artien ignored the change in surroundings, determined to find an answer. He practiced all day. He lost track of the time. They day went to night. He stopped returning to the inn. He stayed at the site, going so far as to sleep there.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Little Green grew worried, visiting him often. When she did, they ate and discussed what they found, if anything. For Artien, he made no improvements. For Little Green, she exhausted searching through the forest. She turned her attention to the town to see if it held any secrets. Kor also visited. He watched the actions of the two with amusement. Little Green avoided him out of suspicion. Kor went to Artien, curiosity driving to see if he created anything new. At times, he gave advice. He watched Artien fail repeatedly. He shook his head. Disappointingly, Artien didn¡¯t show him any new uses for magic, nor come up with anything new. He visited Artien, interrupting a spell. He laughed as it splashed down, collecting into a good-sized pond. ¡°Why do you persist in the same thing, although it gets you nothing?¡± He asked. Artien blew out air forcefully. ¡°You know why! What else am I to do?¡± Kor shook his head. ¡°This is not what I meant when I said go back to basics.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out!¡± Artien said, raising his arms in the air. ¡°Is it the timing? Is it the magic chant I¡¯m leaving out? The mana fluctuations? No matter how I dissect and analyze, it all comes back to the same. Nothing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kor said, watching him expectantly. ¡°I tried watching the magic being used and cast at the same time. It¡¯s-¡° ¡°Impossible.¡± Kor finished. ¡°You¡¯re trying something only masters of magic can do.¡± Artien looked at him with an ¡®oh¡¯ face. A short while later he regained himself and argued, ¡°How else am I to learn? I¡¯ve no teacher.¡± ¡°You do have one.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Kor pointed to himself. ¡°I have been helping you this whole time. You are just too stupid.¡± At being called stupid, Artien looked away from him. He reached out, creating another water shield. In no time it splashed down on him. Kor laughed off to the side, trying to hide it by covering his mouth. His eyes squinted, betraying him. ¡°If you¡¯re just going to laugh, you can leave.¡± ¡°You really can¡¯t take humor.¡± Kor smiled, his eyes clearing. ¡°How about this. I will tell you one more thing. One last bit of advice. If you can¡¯t understand from this, you should give magic up.¡± ¡°You just want me to stay.¡± Artien accused. ¡°I would be lying if I said I did not.¡± Kor smiled and shrugged. Artien looked away grumpily, then nodded. ¡°What¡¯s your last piece of advice?¡± Kor clapped, drawing closer. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± After Artien looked at him, he continued. ¡°Mana is in all things. It is the driving force to all things existing. It is in the birds in the sky, to the plants on the ground. It flows in the rivers and flies with the winds. What is the nature, then, of magic?¡± At Artien¡¯s scowl, Kor laughed, skipping away. Artien rubbed his face and took a deep breath. His face became determined, and he took his position of meditation. He closed his eyes, clearing everything away. This was his last chance. If this didn¡¯t work, he could only blame himself. A distance away, Kor perched atop a broken stone pile, watching avidly. His eyes were clearer than ever before. A small, secret smile curved his face. ¡°Show me something new.¡± He muttered. Unawares, Little Green reached the lake. ¡°This is the last place. If there¡¯s no exit here, we¡¯re stuck for good.¡± She dived into the lake, starting from the perimeter. She began to circle the entire lake, only rising to get fresh air. She searched the bottom of the lake, seeing only a muddy bottom. Through swimming, she confirmed the water source heard from a distance came from a waterfall from the cliff tops. The bottom of the lake proved empty. She returned to the lake edge. ¡°There¡¯s not anything.¡± Dejected, she swam out of the lake at it¡¯s exit, the creek. She followed the creek across the small valley to the forest. She followed it all the way to the end, where the creek simply dried up before reaching the cave wall. She shook her head, returning to the inn. She curled up on the bed, thinking back to her mother. She sniffed, wishing there was something she could do. She closed her eyes to try to sleep, murmuring, ¡°Are we truly trapped?¡± CH 20: The Nature of Magic BOOK 1, CHAPTER 20 ¨C The Nature of Magic Artien retreated into himself. He canceled Divine Sight. He left his five senses behind. He pushed his feelings out. He reached to his mana source, observing. He watched the mana burn. Some of it left the flame to circle naturally through the body during meditation. The amount that left the flame was returned. This created a cycle. He followed the mana that left, wanting to see the full cycle. The mana that left the flame traveled through his body, circling through every veins. The mana entered his flesh, rejuvenating it. Some of the mana was absorbed while the rest continued on through the cycle. He hit a point in the cycle where a new stream of mana joined the first. He stopped, wondering where it came from. He traced the new mana influx to it¡¯s source. His lungs! They took in the air from outside, filtering out what he needed. It also filtered mana, pushing it to the rest of his boy. This replenished the lost mana through the cycle, the last of it entering his mana source. His body, through a cycle, was strengthened without losing anything. Awed, he left his meditation. He looked at his body anew, seeing the hands before his face differently. He realized, mana was literally in all of him. He activated Divine Sight, flexing his fingers. Looking so intently, he saw mana as golden specks in and on his skin. He closed his eyes, the golden specks remaining. He moved his arm. The specks moved along, growing in density. His arm became solid, his skin a golden sheen. A chill swept his body with awe. He looked at his other arm. Identically, it was solid. Beneath him, his body was defined. Even the clothes on his back took on shape. He moved on, seeing the world with new eyes. The grasses waved in the soft breeze, rustling back and forth. The sound carried on small waves of mana. The pool of water swirled, golden sheens of different shades giving depth. He watched the water, captivated. He crawled forward, dipping a hand in it. The pool rippled on the surface. His hand skewed, showing an eerie bend. He looked up at the tiny, tiny particles of light glittering closely together. The light sprinkled down, drawn to the life below. Far above, thick fog of dark gold drifted about. He looked back down, his hand sinking into soft mud. He grasped it, seeing an off-shade chrome gold ooze as he squeezed. The mud slipped through his fingers, as if alive. His heart beat as he stood. He looked around, the world truly a place of gold. Before him, the grass became waving wheat. A sea of gold glittered, etching itself into his soul. An unnamed emotion welled within. He took a step, seeing the grass part. He turned towards the lake, taking off at a run. What seemed like a short moment passed by unawares. He stopped at the water¡¯s edge. He felt tears well up. The lake, once blue, was a thousand times more beautiful. Hundreds of shades of gold swirled together in clusters, joining into one solid before parting again. He looked off in the opposite direction. He ran at full speed, quickly crossing the valley to the forest. Large stalks of amber climbed into the sky. They separated into rivers. At the edges of the rivers lay pools of golden-yellow leaves. They rustled, greeting the wind. Artien fell to his knees, completely overtaken. The feeling overwhelmed all else. He was unable to speak. To cry. To move. He could only see. While he ran around, Little Green and Kor followed him. Little Green from the time at the lake. She hoped searching the lake one more time proved a miracle exit. Instead, she found Artien standing by the lake. He faced it, his eyes closed. Concerned, she approached. A small hand suddenly barred her path. Beside her, Kor appeared. She glared at him distrustfully. He looked at her and smiled, shaking his head. He quietly shushed her, bringing a finger to his mouth. He tapped the corner of his eye and pointed at Artien. They watched as Artien¡¯s head moved, but his eyes never opened. What seemed like hours passed. Little Green grew anxious. Kor grabbed her, circling her forcefully on his arm and holding her in place. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t release herself. She widened her eyes, carefully changing her opinion of him. Artien moved, turning towards the forest. He sped off, breaking into a run. A small wind chased him. Little Green¡¯s eyes chased his figure, watching him disappear with speed not shown before. A strange energy flowed through their connection. Kor chased swiftly after Artien, not wanting to miss a moment. His small body seemed to glide across the ground despite his frail appearance. They shortly caught up. Kor kept his distance, only stopping when Artien did. Artien stood in front of the old forest. His head pointed towards the ground. It was as if he could see with his eyes closed. His head rose, soon pointing at the sky. A moment later, he fell to his knees. Little Green felt a struggle inside. In her heart worry was paramount. Through her connection with Artien, the strange energy pervaded inside. It filled her body, moving to her spirit and soul. An indescribable moment was shared between man and beast. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She was overwhelmed, her worry vanishing. She felt the urge to cry, finding herself unable to shed a tear. She became confused, wondering what was happening. Kor sensed the connection between the two. He released Little Green, surprised to see her not leave to Artien¡¯s side. Little Green helplessly slid to the ground. He caught her, gently releasing her body into the grass. Still she didn¡¯t move. Her gaze moved skyward, following Artien¡¯s posture. Her eyes glazed. Though she couldn¡¯t see, she knew something momentous must have happened. To be able to share it. She was blessed. Artien¡¯s senses slowly returned. He regained control of his limbs. He felt Little Green come to his side. She said nothing. They simply were together. He reached out, turning to her. She raised her head, her eyes showing a dark-gold fire within. He pattered her head, smiling. Her scales formed a pattern, striking against the long grass. He stroked the line of newly healed skin, a pale gold against the dark. Little Green climbed up his arm, circling around his neck. Through their connection, no words were necessary. They simply were. Kor watched them, slightly jealous. He frowned, pushing on his chest. ¡°What is this?¡± The question went unanswered. He rushed to his feet as he once more followed Artien. The pair arrived at Artien¡¯s practice location. Kor climbed atop his rubble pile, spying from afar. He watched as Little Green left Artien and meandered back to the inn. A smile returned to his face. His eyes glittered hungrily. His attention never left Artien, afraid he would miss something spectacular. His hands grasped at his clothes, fisting in his eagerness. He let out an excited laugh. Artien once more sat cross-legged. With great effort, he calmed himself. The overwhelming feeling left, replaced with hope. He looked at the grass, sky, and pool. He watched how the mana flowed. From the sunlight to the leaves of the grass. The grass soaked up the mana, creating it¡¯s own cycle. It breathed, soaking up nutrients and mana below ground and exhaling it back out into the air. The pool gathered the rays of sunlight, absorbing the warmth and spreading it to the surrounding soil. The warmth fed smaller beings in the soil, all processing cycles that returned the mana to the air. The air itself swept the mana around, sharing it with everything else. Mana flowed in and around all things. A spark of understanding hit. Artien quickly acted, casing a small fireball. He held it in his hand, seeing it with new eyes. Still, no changes were apparently visible. Instead of feeling frustrated, he changed his perception. He canceled the spell, letting the flame die out. He raced to the forest, gathering branches and twigs. He hauled them back, placing them in an area clear of grass he¡¯d burnt before. He stacked them up, then used a small, tiny fireball to start a fire. The twigs caught, eventually spreading to the branches. The fire burned as he sat back and watched with Divine Sight. He created no images, no spells. He just watched the flame dance as it devoured the energy stored in the branches. He traced the mana in the fire back to the branches. Like his body, the branches had stored energy in it¡¯s lifetime. The energy was consumed to feed the fire, which created heat. The heat came off the fire in waves, strongly glittering with mana. The heat waves cooled, joining the rest of the mana in the air. Tracing the waves back, he watched carefully. He leaned closer, seeing something faded slowly take form. He followed the cycle to it¡¯s source, seeing a symbol appear inside the flame. Mana taken from the branch into the flame cycled into the symbol, expelled as heat. The more he watched the process, the more the symbol solidified. He watched for hours. He was ignorant to Little Green¡¯s morning visit to eat. Seeing how into it he was, she left. Kor watched the entire time, his smile growing wider. His feet and trembled, his toes curling into his sandles. ¡°He¡¯s close now.¡± Something inside Artien¡¯s mind shifted. Divine Sight revealed the symbol within. The meaning became clear. In the moment, he reaches out to touch the symbol. His mana instinctively coated his hand, as if it was aware of the symbol¡¯s power. He traced his fingers across the symbol, remembering it¡¯s every curve. He placed his hand beneath the symbol, then pulled it toward him. The symbol split from the natural burning flame. A second copy, fed by his mana, followed his hand. There it slowly converted his mana into warmth. A small flame surrounded the symbol, only as large as the energy that fed it. The warmth given also relied on the same, only emitting heat as strong as the flame. The cycle was complete. Artien laughed, feeling like he finally understood. He sat back, the flame in his hand dancing. He let the symbol do the work. He watched the flame, controlling them with ease. Elation filled his heart and he grinned. A loud clapping sound rang, drawing his attention. ¡°Well done!¡± Kor said as he approached. ¡°I get it now! It took me a long time, but I finally get it.¡± Kor crouched next to him. ¡°What do you get?¡± ¡°The nature of magic!¡± Artien laughed. ¡°Now you have a starting point. From here, it¡¯s all up to you. A master can only teach you so much.¡± Surprised, Artien glanced at him. ¡°Is it so simple?¡± ¡°Once you understand, you grow from there. A master is unnecessary.¡± Artien grinned, nearly splitting his face. He looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Little Green?¡± ¡°She left a while ago. You missed your meal.¡± Kor teased. Artien snuffed out the flame. ¡°I¡¯ll stop for now. She¡¯s probably lonely.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to continue?¡± Kor asked sadly. ¡°Later.¡± Artien ran back to the inn, his stomach growling harshly. He rubbed his belly. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you up soon.¡± He licked his lips as he entered the room. Little Green woke up, eyeing him, then turning away. ¡°Sorry I missed breakfast!¡± Little Green remained uncaring, turned away. Artien knelt at the bedside. ¡°Please. Feed me?¡± He begged, sticking out his lower lip. ¡°Ewe!¡± Little Green said, disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t act like that!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll feed me?¡± He gave her puppy eyes, a killing blow. ¡°Yes! Just stop already!¡± Little Green jumped off the bed and they ate outside. After their meal, she cornered him. ¡°What were you doing earlier?¡± ¡°Using Divine Sight more¡­ better?¡± ¡°You mean, more effectively?¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it. More effectively. It let me see mana in a way that I can improve on.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± She asked, confused. ¡°That my using spells is getting better.¡± ¡°That grin is creeping me out. Stop it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it!¡± He laughed. ¡°When I¡¯m good enough, we can leave here!¡± ¡°We can leave?!¡± She yelled. ¡°Once I¡¯m good enough.¡± He stated. Little Green whipped the end of her tail at him. ¡°Then get to it.¡± ¡°Owe. Alright! I¡¯m going. Stop hitting me!¡± Artien ran away from her, laughed half the way. He reached the practice area, taking a deep breath as he sat down. For once, since the events back at the village, he felt there was something he could do. Something that cave him hope. Something that gave him a path to take. That something was magic. Announcement Hey! Sorry for not getting to you all. A few things are going on that took all my time. I did manage to get one chapter done over a few days and will be posting it tonight! On a side note, I''ll be playing catch up this weekend as well. The story will be picking up pace with less "filler" for the rest of the chapters. I plan on taking a week to flesh out book 2. After tonight''s chapter, there''s roughly twelve chapters left of book 1. I will take a short break (7 days) to flesh out the chapters for books 2-4, and basic summaries for future novels. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. If anyone has questions, just comment and I''ll happily reply to you! CH 21: A Way Out BOOK 1, CHAPTER 21 ¨C A Way Out Warmth spread in the surroundings. Small balls of flame floated in the air. They hung there, resembling suspended candles. They slowly circled, creating wind that ruffled the being sitting in the center. Several of the flames flickered in the wind. These flames bobbed lower, receiving more mana than the flames above. Some flames winked out, not fed enough to persist. New flames sparked into existence, bolstered to a size, then joined the larger flames on top. The being controlling the flames dripped wet with sweat. Both from the heat of the fires and the effort. His eyes remained close, his body completely relaxed. His face tightened as ten new flames joined the rest in the air. A surge of mana poured out from him, one strand tethered to each flame. In total, thirty flames circled him. The flames either shrank or grew, all becoming the same size. The symbols inside the flames glittered only in the creator¡¯s eyes. With a thought, the flames rose overhead. Effectively at three feet above, they all shot forward. The flames¡¯ tethers broke. They greedily sucked in mana from the air as they continued forward. In a short span, they doubled in size, slamming into the black wall in front. Loud explosions rocked the being¡¯s ears, making him wince and cover his face. Powerful waves of heat rippled out, transforming back into mana in the air. ¡°Phew.¡± Artien wiped his brow. He opened his eyes, seeing the damage done without Divine Sight. The cliff wall was undamaged. The ground before it was as if several small meteors struck in the general same spot. The consecutive explosions created craters in the ground. Some overlapped, now filling in with water from the small pond nearby. ¡°Not bad. Still not good enough.¡± He said, thinking about the monster that awaited them as soon as Little Green and he exited the Land of Mist. He got up, retreating several meters back before resuming his cross-legged position. He once again reactivated Divine Sight, creating one flame after another. After hitting a certain size, he immediately threw the flames forward. He made more flames follow, creating them one after another. The tether broke half way to the wall. The flames tripled in size. They hit the wall in a barrage. Heat and explosions blasted outward. The flames coming in behind the first fed on the heat, explosion, and mana. They grew bigger, blasting out with even more force. The heat waves hit Artien. At first it was a hot wind. Then he was buffeted by sparks. After the twentieth flame he halted casting fireballs. He got to his feet, running a distance away. The sparks around him increased. The air rumbled as mana was sucked in. He felt the mana rush past him as he ran as fast his legs could. He activated force, filling his body with both strength and enhancement as the final flame reached the core of the explosions. The flame imploded, drawing all the energy in from the outside. There was a short moment of silence. A huge wave of heat rushed him from behind before a huge boom rocked the air. The ground trembled from the force. The flames raced up the cliff wall, nearly reaching the top. The energy from the boom raced outward, carrying both the extra mana and wind with it. It reached Artien, throwing him off the ground. He flew into the air, feeling his skin heat up. He looked out into the sky, slowly turning in mid-air. When the ground came into view, it was twenty feet from him. His eyes widened, his skin going white as he felt the blood leave his face and end up in his feet. He started to fall faster. In panic, he quickly imaged symbols, layers of Airflow up front, along with several water shields between him and the airflow spells. Upon contact with the earth, the airflow spells popped, pushing back against the surface. This slowed him down somewhat. The first water shield shattered, then the next. A soft layer of water cushioned his fall slightly. He covered his head, slamming face-first into the ground. Mud, grass, and dirt flew into the air. He felt his teeth slam together as his body flipped over and he landed on his back. His momentum continued, sliding him across the grass, shredding both the ground and his clothes. He slowly came to a stop. He lurched up, his backside screaming. One hand went to his face, the other to his back. He bent over, the pain pounding through his teeth into his head. His back burned, red and raw. He took a few huffs of air. ¡°Hnnnn!¡± He stomped on the ground before deciding to kneel. Mana followed his control and flew to the sources of pain. He began on his face, healing all small damages done to his jaw. With force still running through his body, the healing naturally quickened. He moved to his back. He created a second skin with mana. His back healed slowly. The grass-rash on his behind and legs healed quickly. After kneeling for twenty minutes, he was done. He canceled force and enhancement. As the magic, mana, and force retreated, his body began to ache. He grew weary, his mind slowing. He suddenly felt tired. He crawled over to a soft patch of grass, closing his eyes. As he fell asleep, he questioned himself. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I use earth wall?¡± A distance away, atop a rather large boulder, Kor snickered to himself. ¡°This kid is so interesting!¡± To his right, a green blur caught his attention. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. ¡°This little beast keeps delaying him¡­¡± Little Green raced to Artien¡¯s side, following the clear sent in the air. Upon reaching him, she checked him anywhere visible for harm. Seeing no wounds, she sighed and came to his face. ¡°Why do you scare me so?¡± She said softly, curling up at his side. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Artien opened his refreshed eyes to Little Green¡¯s face. He reached up, tapping the tip of her nose. She snorted, waking up. She saw him, and her eyes filled with worry. He sensed the worry, regret surfacing. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°You need to be more careful.¡± She scolded. He sat up, stretching. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all part of learning.¡± A new voice joined. Kor walked up, squatting a short distance away. ¡°If you get hurt, you can just heal yourself.¡± ¡°Hsssss. I¡¯d rather he not get hurt.¡± Little Green said, curling up to spring. Kor raised his hands defensively. ¡°Or you could heal him instead. You know, like he healed you.¡± ¡°What?¡± She asked, eyes flitting between Artien and Kor. Artien looked away, becoming fascinated with a piece of long grass. Kor snickered. ¡°When you both fell into the valley, he took the brunt of the fall. I found you both and brought you to the inn. Fixing you up was simple enough.¡± He said to Little Green. ¡°Him? He¡¯d nearly torn all his muscles off the bones. His legs in general, well, he shouldn¡¯t be walking from what I saw.¡± ¡°Artien!¡± Little Green cried. Artien avoided her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Had it really been that bad? He thought to himself. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for all the abilities you have, you¡¯d both be flat as pancakes.¡± Kor laughed. ¡°Despite being so hurt, when he woke up, he refused to rest. He poured all his mana into healing you quicker.¡± He added. ¡°I-I should go back and practice some more.¡± Artien made a quick retreat, leaving the other two alone. Little Green moved to follow, stopped by an immoveable force. She turned to bite. The hand on her tail vanished. She glared, baring her fangs. Kor raised his hands again. ¡°Why do you stop me?¡± She asked. ¡°I only mean to help.¡± He smiled softly, his eyes holding that look full of history. ¡°How can you help me?¡± She sneered. ¡°You¡¯re only a crazed little boy.¡± ¡°Wow. You really do not like me, huh? Let me tell you a little secret.¡± Kor leaned forward, ¡°How old do you think I am?¡± ¡°Ten?¡± She asked dully, wanting the conversation to end. ¡°That¡¯s what I look like? Hmph. In actuality, I¡¯m older than¡­¡± He whispered, low enough only Little Green could hear. Her eyes widened. She looked at the ¡®young¡¯ boy in front of her with fear. ¡°What are you?¡± Kor leaned back into a crouch. ¡°Ah, I will not give more about myself then I have already told. Instead, why don¡¯t we focus on you here.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Out of instinct, she slid back, keeping some distance between them. ¡°At the rate of Artien¡¯s improvement, you are going to be left behind.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help that. There¡¯s nothing to hunt here.¡± She looked up at the mist. Kor looked at the mist, laughing. ¡°If it is the cores, I can give you that. Many beasts have fallen here to die.¡± Little Green¡¯s eyes brightened, fear turning to hope. ¡°You must have many.¡± ¡°I do. You may have them all.¡± He cocked his head at her mischievously. ¡°The question, then, is how much can you hold?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Little Green paused, thinking hard. ¡°Hmmn.¡± She turned to the side, mouth opening. With a rumble, large amounts of broken armor, weapons, tattered clothing, books, stale and expired potions all roared out. A large hill was created next to them. Little Green closed her mouth, though a moment more, then opened. She spat out what looked like both rare and useless objects that at one point might have been mildly useful. Another small hill was made. She readjusted her jaws shut and smiled at the gaping Kor. ¡°I¡¯ve more room now.¡± Kor grinned, slapping his knee. ¡°You also interest me!¡± Little Green stopped grinning. Seeing her look, Kor laughed harder. ¡°You can imagine how long since I spoke last with someone.¡± Kor explained. Little Green nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That explains a lot.¡± Kor ignored her taunt. He raised a hand to their other side. Small specks appeared at each fingertip. Clinking of thousands of glass sounded as cores of all sizes and colors came pouring out. They rolled across the grassland, piling up into individual mountains. Kor closed his hands after a fifth pile was created. He waved his hand at the piles, using unknown magic to cause the cores to rise into the air. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Let¡¯s first divide by the cores that will benefit you.¡± He waved his other hand, separating the five piles into two larger ones. One pile he reabsorbed into his hand with the specks. ¡°Now¡­ by difficulty of digestion.¡± The single pile split into ten smaller piles. The piles ranged in size and count. Kor pointed to them in order. ¡°The smaller and more numerous cores are more for your level now. After these are all consumed, move to the next pile.¡± He placed the piles on the ground. Little Green, feeling excitement, stored all nine other piles. She left the largest pile out, wanting to start right away. ¡°Before you get to it, I have a gift for you.¡± Kor opened his own storage again, taking out a single item. A small, shiny, egg-shaped stone came out. It gave off a mist of thick, heavy mana. It¡¯s color glimmered like pink-white pearl. Kor stroked it, his face softening. He smiled sadly. ¡°This core is of the highest purity. Back when I was much, much younger, it had been my companion. Such as your closeness to Artien. I far out-ranked her, of course. This did not come between us. We were together for many years.¡± He murmured. He passed the core to Little Green. ¡°Treat it with care. Do not take this core until you have become a King.¡± He warned. Little Green stored the core away gently into a soft-lined, small chest. ¡°Why give me so much?¡± ¡°You both have something special. That boy, Artien. Do you know his real self?¡± Kor asked suddenly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Little Green asked, confused. ¡°I met him at my birth nest. Outside of that, he¡¯s told me about his home.¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Kor shook his head. ¡°Before that.¡± ¡°He was a baby?¡± She asked. ¡°Not then either. Before that.¡± He emphasized. ¡°Never mind. You will come to understand with time.¡± He waved his hands. ¡°Enough with this depressing talk! Become strong. So strong you can stand at equal with him when the time comes.¡± Kor jumped to his feet. He took one step, vanishing from the spot. He far surpassed Little Green¡¯s speed, seemingly blinking out of existence. ¡°When what time comes?¡± She muttered. She shook her head. ¡°He is right. I must be able to stand by Artien¡¯s side. Time to eat!¡± She curled next to the multi-colored pile of cores, taking several at once. She rested, using all her focus and mana to digest and assimilate the strength faster. Still, every once in a while she thought back on the conversation with Kor, finding some hidden meaning behind his words. Meanwhile, Artien had began experimenting with water. He moved locations next to the lake at the most south-western edge next to the cliff wall. He had managed to drench himself and create water pools all around. He sighed, rubbing his hair out of his face. He took a strand, pulling it in front of his eyes. ¡°Need a haircut?¡± Kor asked from behind with mirth. ¡°Can you?¡± For once, Kor was caught by surprise. ¡°You want me to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s grown so long I can¡¯t see when it¡¯s wet.¡± Artien complained. Fifteen minutes later, his hair was trimmed short. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you prefer very short hair.¡± Kor asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It will grow back.¡± Artien looked at him sideways. ¡°Come to give more advice.¡± ¡°Just one. A hint to leaving Land of the Mist.¡± Kor raised his hand in the air, moving it up and down. ¡°Light as a bird.¡± He said, before blinking away. Artien blinked his eyes. No trace of Kor remained in the place he had stood. No footprints in the mud. ¡°Light as a bird?¡± He asked himself, frowning. ¡°If that¡¯s they way out, then it must be with the wind element.¡± He felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement. ¡°A way out¡­¡±