《The Magus of Origin》


 00 - Prologue

    Gathal Empire,


    Undisclosed Location


    A long bearded man descends a lengthy stretch of stone steps, emerging into a dimly lit room. Passing faceless, masked guards, he looked towards five robed figures who stood waiting. He grinned and waved, earning him their scowls.


    ¡°Malachi!¡± One of the older mages yelled. ¡°You¡¯re late! AGAIN!¡±


    ¡°Ha, don¡¯t stress the small stuff!¡± Malachi quipped as he joined them. Each mage here was a Magus in their own right, a master of their arts, honored and respected by all. A Magus had a reputation to uphold but in contrast to the finely dressed and manicured mages present, Malachi always showed up in faded robes and overgrown beard lopped off at the end in a messy line. ¡°And Selim, that scowl seems to have taken a permanent form on your face as of late. You should smile more.¡±


    ¡°You shameless, pisspoor excuse of a-¡±


    ¡°Erhem.¡± Their leader, unamused, started walking towards the center of the cavern where an ancient artifact sat atop a large platform and the others quickly followed.


    Stepping onto the platform, the mages knelt around the artifact and placed their hands on a head-sized diamond. The large stone was cloudy with mana and gave off a strong but soft light. Some of the mages gasped at the density stored within the diamonds but otherwise waited silently.


    Malachi frowned as he felt the power within his stone and mumbled, ¡°How many mana stones were used to charge this¡­?¡± An adult slave could barely charge two fingernail sized stone in a month without danger of collapsing. He looked up from his gem and regarded their leader, ¡°Roshan. You know this isn¡¯t sustainable right? This is more than one plus half than the usual.¡±


    Roshan smirked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just making sure the artifact wasn¡¯t just lacking power all this time. May we continue? Oh great Malachi?¡±


    With a sigh, Malachi nodded and watched the artifact; a relic of a lost civilization. The circular device was essentially a layered stack of magitech circuitry just over 5 meters across and almost a meter thick. Protecting the maze of gold and silver underneath was a smooth, transparent top with six gems embedded symmetrically at the edges. A metallic platform was positioned in the center for whatever the device was designed to teleport.


    Seeing everyone was ready, Roshan brought his attention back to the artifact. ¡°Begin.¡±


    Malachi only had to keep the mana stable as he pushed it through from the gem to the receptor beneath it. The mana then flowed throughout the device, giving off a low hum. The other mages did the same and after a long moment, a soft light glowed from between the layers of the artifact as the space around it seemed to distort. With a flash, the mana-filled gems were completely drained and all was quiet again in the dimly lit cavern.


    The other mages looked at each other in familiar disappointment but Roshan was completely still save for his jaw, clenched and trembling. 12 years. He thought. 12 failures. All the resources I¡¯ve put into this and still nothing!This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    *CRACK!* The stone under Roshan broke away from the platform and crumbled, exposing woven gold that stretched further within.


    ¡°Take this thing apart and inspect it over again.¡± Roshan ordered before walking away.


    Malachi stood up, watching Roshans retreating figure. Crazy fool. This summoning will be the end of all of us¡­ This will not succeed as long as I am here. Sighing, he walked to the damaged part of the platform. He left another mess for us to clean up! The trap circuitry within the platform was more important than the device itself. If the summoning was ever successful, this would be the last hope of containing the invited calamity.


    Hours later, a team of slaves had taken the device apart and held them up separately by layer, under fluorescent mana lamps. as a few mages inspected each piece. Crystals embedded on the large magitech boards, looking for breaks and cracks. Unfortunately, this was about all they could do as the enchantments and circuitry were far different from what the Magus of this age knew.


    Had an unfortunate accident not damaged the device, killing the lead researcher years ago, they would already be at the forefront of the extinct summoning magic.


    Selim sighed as he walked out from under a section of the artifact, ¡°Mazen, that old buffoon¡­ Could have at least left us some of his notes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Another mage agreed. ¡°I can guess the purpose of some of these parts and enchantments now but as to how they come together is still a mystery. Frustrations aside, it is still a marvel to look at. All these intricate lines¡­ and these crystals! I can¡¯t imagine how they embedded the micro circuitry within!¡±


    Selim gave Malachi a pointed look and asked, ¡°Malachi, I know you¡¯re not telling us everything you know. We¡¯re no fools. At least tell us the purpose of some of these parts here.¡±


    ¡°So you wish to become my pupil? Heheh.¡±


    With years of honor and pride, the magus staring at Malachi took offense to such words. None could stomach the thought of being placed under another mage. Especially one as unpresentable as Malachi. They are, afterall, the pinnacle of all magic users, mages of the highest caliber. Selim sneered, glaring at Malachi for a moment before huffing and walking towards another section of the artifact.


    ¡°Hmm~mmm~ Magus Malachi.¡± A gentlemanly Magus aproached with a polite smile.


    ¡°Tahmid.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep this up, Mal. Roshan suspects you keeping the research assistants in the dark.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how to read any of it. The ancient text is in some kind of code. I can only guess like the rest of you as Mazen kept his work to himself.¡± Malachi continued feigning inspection as he thought of his mentor and father figure. Mazen Granius. The last time they spoke was the night before the fated ¡°accident.¡± He recalled the anxiety and fear in his mentors voice as he destroyed all the research notes and instructed him of what to do should anything happen to the old man. Malachi traced a golden pathway with his finger and followed it to one of many crystals he had added. This cursed artifact can never become operational.


    There were a few other lines inconspicuously rerouted, particularly in areas that determined the ¡°where¡± and ¡°what¡± in the summoning process. As long as these are not found out, the artifact will always summon ¡°something¡± from ¡°somewhere.¡± As to where it would appear, since the platform on the device was also tampered with, it would send the ¡°something¡± anywhere in range. Although, considering its power, there¡¯s no telling how far or near the summoned could appear.


    Hopefully, it hasn¡¯t been summoning a person in the middle of an ocean or something, Malachi thought. The device seems to be programmed to latch onto anything with mana so there is a good chance something alive will be brought into this world.

 ~*~*~*~

    ~***~


    "When I started this journey, it was not of my own will. I had many things planned in life and was close to achieving something that¡¯s been in the works for many years. I went through bitter denial at the loss of everything I built and experienced more pain than I¡¯ve ever known. But in turn I gained many things I never thought I¡¯d have. This is my story. For what I¡¯m about to do, I don¡¯t know if I can survive it. I wish to be remembered. The things I did and the dreams I had. I want people to know, I was here. That I existed.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ~*~


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 01 - The Last Day

    ¡°The world is a grindstone and life is your nose¡±


    -Fred Allen


    Washington County, Arkansas


    Daniel


    ¡°Your job description is what I fucking say it is! Go grab the shit. And clean those damn stalls!¡± My manager yelled, spittle flying everywhere.


    We stood in a white-walled breakroom that smelled of cheap coffee and fish from someones late lunch. I stand next to the sink, holding my cheep coffee mug, listening to the manager yell at me. After clocking out, I came in here to wash my cup before leaving when Harvey Delgado decided I needed to clean the restrooms. Not that we lack an actual cleaning crew. This is one of the largest IT firms in the state.


    Harvey seemed to have something against me from day one and only grew more hostile as time went on. It didn¡¯t help that he was close with one of the executives in the company. He constantly used that fact to have his way. Does his animosity stem from my half Asian background? Or maybe it¡¯s his short-man syndrome kicking in and thought I¡¯d be an easy target. I don¡¯t know. He seems to find new reasons to yell at me all the time. Just a couple months back, Harvey told me we were all helping the ¡°understaffed¡± cleaning crew take care of the restrooms on our floor and I was first on the rotation. Of course I refused after confirming with my coworkers but he¡¯s been using that as another way to annoy me since then.


    Harvey puffed his chest out and pointed at me with the paper-filled folder he always carries around. ¡°What? You think you¡¯re something special just cuz you were in the army?¡±


    My manager is of an average build and his height only comes up to my chin while I¡¯m on the athletic side with a little more muscle. At 173cm (5¡¯8¡±), although I¡¯m not the tallest guy around, I¡¯m big enough that his act of intimidation doesn¡¯t really work. In fact, he has a friendly looking face with green eyes that¡¯d fit well in a boy-band. Regardless of his stature, I always tried to treat him with respect especially since he was my manager¡­ at least at first¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m clocked out. I¡¯m going home.¡± I turn and start heading out when Harvey blocks my way and smacks me in the face with his folder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you walk away from me.¡±


    Usually, I¡¯m pretty good at keeping calm. In most cases, people won¡¯t even realize I was angry and things blow over peacefully. But when someone comes right up in my face or worse, hits it, it makes me recall certain things¡­ Rather unpleasant and rage-inducing memories.


    I feel my eyes straining as they focus on my managers face. My breaths come slow and deep as muscles tense and twitch under pressure. Don¡¯t do it. You¡¯re better than this.


    Harvey steps closer, almost bumping my chest, trying to match my stare and speaks in a low voice. ¡°What? What? You going to do something? Whatcha gonna do?¡±


    God, please help me. All these years of staying my hand while this fool threw provocation after provocation¡­ I think I¡¯m going to kill this man today. My breathing picked up speed as I felt my reason slipping away.


    I moved to end this asshole when something shattered in my hand.


    KTINK!


    Harvey Delgado flinched and took a step back.


    People on this floor, used to this scene, quickly walk past the break-room entrance, breaking me away from my trance.


    I need to get out of here. I pushed past Harvey and out of the room with a determined stride. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t say anything else or try to latch onto me.


    The walk out of the building was a blur. I think a couple people tried to ask if I was okay but their voices were lost in my need to get away from this place. If I stayed a moment longer, I felt I¡¯d do something irreversible. With heart pounding in my ears, I went straight to my silver highlander and realize I¡¯m clutching bloody pieces of my coffee mug. In my anger, I had pushed the broken porcelain into my palm. It was one of those cheapo mugs given to all new employees when they start. Nothing I¡¯ll miss.


    Throwing the remnants of my cup onto the passenger seat, I plugged in my phone out of habit, smearing blood over the screen. Not bothering to clean up, I start the car and silently drive off.


    The sky is heavy with dark clouds and thunder rolls in the distance as I wedged myself into rush-hour traffic. Watching as the gray asphalt and yellow lines speed past me, I drive in silent contemplation. This isn¡¯t the first time someone aggravated me to that level but lately I¡¯ve been getting angrier with every jab people like Harvey threw my way. It¡¯s a bit worrying.


    Why do people do that in the first place? In every workplace, there seem to be at least one Harvey Delgado to make sure people work in misery. And since I¡¯m quieter than most, it seems I attract these assholes like fleas to warm blood.


    ¡°BEEEEP!¡± Swerving, I narrowly miss a red truck as my lane merges with another. Waving the driver in apology I take a deep breath and try to calm myself. It¡¯s okay. Things will get better.


    The </a>thunder</a> rumbles much closer this time and the staccato tapping of raindrops gradually pick up speed. Switching on my wipers, I refocus on my driving. ¡°We¡¯re almost there Daniel¡­¡± I whisper, selecting a playlist from my phone. </a>Mariage d''Amour</a> plays softly to the falling rain.


    I¡¯ve gotten some strange looks for my taste in music but it keeps me sane. My adoptive father introduced me to the classical genre when I kept getting into trouble. I fought on and off but one day nearly killed another kid at school. Actually, I didn¡¯t really bother with music until he forced me to sit through entire Chopin albums from his record player.


    Thinking of the old man, I smile a little. Joon-Ki Kwan, taking me in after child protective services removed me from my previous home, he patiently helped me deal with my trauma and anger issues. At first he just made me sit on the living room floor while the music played. Halfway through the record, he told me to close my eyes and picture an open sky. To take slow but full breaths and follow each note as it appears in front of you, to chase after it with my ears¡­ That was the beginning of everything for me, breaking me out of the chaotic loop in my own mind.


    I picture him squinting at me while playing with his gray goatee. ¡°Child, you have every right to be angry,¡± he would say, ¡°but anger is a poison. Do not hold it for too long lest it turns you into the very monsters that hurt you. If you have trouble letting go, listen to this and let it carry you away from your anger.¡±


    Music has pulled me back from the edge of insanity more times than I could count.


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    Finally leaving the city, I¡¯m in a world of gray and green with dark clouds and trees all around me. I live alone about 50 minutes from civilization. After leaving the Army years ago, I came to the conclusion that this world is just not for me. It¡¯s too messed up. Where families try to kill one another and friends turn treacherous at the first sign of money¡­ Make the world around you better¡­ I honestly wanted to at one point. But people are selfish. I can¡¯t change this. Not sure anyone can. After a while, I just felt alien. Maybe I¡¯m the abnormal one for even trying. In the end, I felt I didn¡¯t belong here.


    Grandpa Kwan advocated some strict ideals, ¡°to live with honor, to give more than you take, to help those in need even if they were enemies¡­¡± to name a few. But the world doesn¡¯t let you live this way and laughs at you when you try. You become a fool to be taken advantage of as the ¡°honor¡± people are intimate with today is image without substance. They¡¯ll trade it for convenience as soon as no one is looking. I was tempted to abandon these rules and live an easier life but the longer I struggled with it the more it grew on me. It became sort of a romance to live and die like the warrior in the stories he used to tell. But the fact that it made life a lot harder didn¡¯t change. It was difficult enough trying to untwist myself from the crazy that also became a part of me.


    So I figured I¡¯d slowly figure things out after separating myself from the world for a while. I saved and lived like a monk for 7 years, foregoing the partying, making connections, building relationships¡­ I¡¯ll have a lot of time to work on those once I gain some stability. About a year ago, I purchased 400 acres of land out here and finished building my house a few months after that. Sometimes I feel I missed out on a lot of opportunities but after finally getting to this point, I can tell myself, ¡°It¡¯s all going to be worth it¡± with more confidence. My plan is to become completely self sufficient and in two more months I will be¡­ for the most part.


    Chopin Op.72</a> starts to play as I take a side-road and eventually reach my property line. The asphalt transitions to dirt and I slow down, weaving through a mass of trees until the unpaved road opened up to a clearing. Here, the culmination of my life''s work came into view. A house with a vegetable garden, a workshop, and the beginnings of an apple orchard.


    The two buildings were of wood and stone, a simple two story home, white with brown trimmings and, further back, the workshop where I plan to experiment with metalworking.


    I park a few meters away from the house, in front of the garden, and see a familiar orange chicken walking around. I actually don¡¯t know where it came from. It just popped up one day and stuck around after I fed it. I was planning on getting some animals anyway so I might just buy a few chickens to get their population going.


    The apple orchard was planted a short distance behind the house. They¡¯re still barely more than saplings at this point but it makes me happy just thinking about what it¡¯d be like when they¡¯re fully grown.


    The rain had settled into a light sprinkle when I stepped out of the vehicle. I look up at the gray tiled roof of my house. ¡°All I¡¯m missing now are the solar panels.¡± That is the only reason I¡¯m still working right now.


    ¡°Almost there.¡± I whispered and headed inside.


    ¡­


    After a light run, I went into my usual routine. Some weight training followed by a session with my punching bag


    Music wasn¡¯t the only thing the grandpa Kwan had introduced me to.


    Pff! PffPff! PAK!! The punching bag, wrapped thickly in duct tape, shook wildly as it hung in the corner the workshop. The bag had a habit of tearing.


    Ironically, the old man also decided to teach me martial arts to make sure I stopped fighting. He told me, ¡°It is a warriors shame to fight the weak. Become strong and leave the pettiness behind.¡±


    I recall those days with nostalgia. During my suspension from school, grandpa Kwan would take me hiking as he described nonsensical things like ¡°grasping onto my chi.¡± The training was more meditation than anything physical. ¡°Focus Daniel! Chi is as real as the earth beneath your feet! All life carry it within them, even you. Breath in and feel the energy within. Exhale and will it to flow through your arms and down into your hands.¡± The training was strange but I had to apply it to every movement I made until it was second nature.


    One day, grandpa Kwan demonstrated his use of chi as he set up four cement blocks without spacing. For an old man in his 60¡¯s, hell, for anyone, it was quite impressive as he broke through them with a single strike. ¡°Strike with your chi Daniel. It is as much part of you as the rest of your body.¡±


    I broke my hand that day.


    As much love the old man showed me, he was just as obsessive when it came to training. I wanted to rest for a while but he wouldn¡¯t hear of it. ¡°Would your enemy wait for you to heal?¡± He would say on our way back from the hospital. ¡°Train as if you are fighting a stronger opponent with your life on the line. If you break a hand, you have three other limbs to fight with. If they break too, use your teeth. Never let yourself stop, in mind or body.¡± He was pretty savage in certain areas, a result of the world he grew up in I guess.


    I eventually was able to destroy bricks of my own but back then, and even now, I have my doubts as to whether there really is a force empowering me or if what I¡¯m doing is all in my mind. Either way, it¡¯s served me well when I needed to break something or someone.


    Grandpa Kwan was well respected, not just by me but the community he lived in. He had a way of showing that he understood the pain people went through without being pretentious. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, sagely empathizing with their troubles. And indeed, he did know pain and troubles quite intimately.


    Joon-Ki Kwan was a Vietnam vet who came to America after the war. Before then, his life was pretty hellish. He would sometimes tell me stories of how brutal life was in Korea back in those days. People were just recovering from the Japanese occupation only to enter another war with it¡¯s divided half. The entire population had some form of PTSD and the next two generations, suffering the effects of it, didn¡¯t treat each other very well. Grandpa Kwan, losing both parents in the Korean War, grew up in the streets doing odd jobs until he met his own master who, taught him everything he knew about fighting. Unfortunately, the master had a drinking problem and died of alcohol poisoning. Alone once again, and without direction in life, he then joined the Korean Army, where he worked closely with American troops, even deploying in the Vietnam war with an American unit. Getting close to the troop commander at the time, he got a free ticket into the U.S. where he worked in Army intelligence.


    After retiring, the old man went to visit a detective friend at work where he met me.


    He¡¯s been through a lot, the old man, with his own share of betrayals. I once heard someone ask why he¡¯s so benevolent even towards people who betrayed his trust. He said, ¡°What would a man be worth if he exchanged evil with more evil? There is enough of that in this world¡­ In your darkest hour, wouldn¡¯t it have been nice if someone had extended a helping hand?¡±


    ¡­


    Sitting on my workout bench, I stare off for a while, letting my mind drift. It gives me a twinge of guilt choosing to close myself off from the world after everything the old man taught me. A part of me still wants to follow in the old man¡¯s foot steps. To be a light in someones dark world¡­ I just got fed up with it I guess¡­ Maybe I need to learn more patience? Lower my ego perhaps? ¡­Anger management¡­


    How did you do it old man?


    I let out a deep sigh and break away from my stupor. My workshop turned workout room is mostly empty aside from a few exercise equipment and a stack of large plastic bins in a corner.


    These bins are part of a little ¡®material¡¯ goal of mine. Not something particularly useful for my life but something I¡¯ve wanted for a while. I still need to buy the chemicals for melting down the cell phones and circuit boards inside.


    It took years to collect and I gather them for one purpose. To hold an actual bar of gold in my hands. It may seem trivial and materialistic but it¡¯s not even about getting money out of it. Call it a bucket list, something you want to do at least once in your life. To hold a bar¡­ my own bar of gold, extracted with my own hands. ¡°Heheh.¡±


    I¡¯ve seen people melt circuit boards for gold online and it looked easy enough so I often salvaged parts from the garbage pile at the companies I worked for. I just have to brush up on some chemistry knowledge. With that in mind, I had downloaded a few chemistry apps on my phone, including an encyclopedia.


    It surprised me how much we could do even with basic knowledge of chemistry and how readily available some of these materials were. Just a quick look made me realize I could extract iron from rust, or silver from the remains of cheap fireworks. There are going to be many fun experiments in here.


    Thunder rumbles outside the workshop as rain pelts at the windows. Seeing the glass shaking against the wind and rain worries me. I should have installed some storm shutters.


    ¡­


    After washing up and getting some food in me, I lay in bed, blankly staring up at the rafters as </a>Yiruma</a> plays on the record player. I tried to meditate for a bit but the storm outside is becoming a bit unnerving. The room was made pretty large, taking up half the second floor, so the desk, bed, and two overstacked bookshelves still made it seem empty. Looking towards the bookshelves, I consider turning part of the bedroom into a library¡­ Or should I build an extension? Maybe eventually¡­ That¡¯d be neat. My own personal library. I have more books coming in the mail and I¡¯m running out of shelf space anyway. I¡¯ve been interested in differing worldviews people hold lately and ordered some on philosophy. Though everything is digitized these days, I enjoy holding a physical book and turning the pages by hand. It makes me feel more relaxed, sitting next to my window with a cup of tea¡­


    Clack! Claclaclacla! The windows are now shaking a bit too hard in their frames as the wind sounds like the wailing of some vengeful spirit.


    ¡°What the hell is going on out there? Frickn forecast was way off.¡± The thundering outside is getting me paranoid of lightning striking the house. Turning off the record player, I grab my phone and head downstairs.


    Usually, I¡¯d be on my computer right about now, but with the weather outside, the last thing I want is a power surge destroying my beloved machine. So I sit on the couch, contemplating calling in sick tomorrow. Just thinking about having to deal with Harv brings back my anger in waves. And since tomorrow is Friday, It¡¯ll give me enough time to reign in my anger before I have to see his prettyboy face again. Why the hell do assholes like him get to be good looking. I¡¯m a Eurasian mix of Korean and Polish yet still ended up with an average face. Sigh¡­


    Laying down, I look up the news on my phone and see warning messages about the freak storm and possible mudslides and flooding in certain areas. ¡°Hey, maybe I¡¯ll have a legitimate excuse to skip work tomorrow.¡± I chuckled and scrolled through some tech sites I frequent.


    ¡°Graphene¡­ shame busi¡­¡± My eyes grow heavy and I drift off to sleep only to jolt awake by a falling sensation followed by acute vertigo.


    ¡°Ah! Oof!¡± I bounce off a tree branch, then another before hitting the ground, getting the wind knocked out of me. ¡°Huk!¡±

 02 - Lost

    Chapter 2 Lost


    ¡°Never let yourself stop, in mind or body.¡±


    -Joon-Ki Kwan


    Unknown Forest


    Daniel


    Ah!" Bouncing off a tree branch, I hit the ground, getting the wind knocked out of me. ¡°Huk!¡±


    Staring up at the canopy of trees, for a moment, I couldn¡¯t register what just happened then gasped for air as the pain and need to breathe won over my confusion. My head felt like the time I sparred a pro boxer.


    ¡°Urg! Huua!¡± Splat! I turned over as I started throwing up. My insides felt bruised and the world was spinning around me. Closing my eyes, I hugged the ground, grasping at the dirt and leaves and trying to stop myself from dry heaving. ¡°Uuhhh¡­ Urk! Auhhg no more¡­¡±


    I laid there, groaning for a while, until the vertigo subsided enough for me to push myself up to my knees. My body felt abnormally hot like I was radiating heat. Adrenaline maybe?


    Wiping the vomit off my cheek, I sat, looking at the dirt in my hands. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it, the canopy of trees above, or even the pieces of my couch that landed near me. ¡°Did I get sucked out into a storm?¡± If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m lucky to be alive and in one piece no less. But why didn¡¯t I wake up in the middle of all that? Judging by the daylight, it must have been a few hours. And shouldn¡¯t I be more injured, flying through a storm? Aside from a few bruises and a possible concussion, I appear to be fine. ¡°My house¡­¡±


    Shaking my head, I try to focus on my current situation. What I need to do right now is get myself home and do a damage assessment. The ¡°hows¡± and ¡°whys¡± can come after that. Pushing away the thoughts of what I might have lost, I take a deep breath and tell myself, ¡°Everything is going to be okay.¡±


    The forest floor was dimly lit by irregular rays of light, filtered by the canopy above where colorful birds chirped and fluttered between branches. I couldn¡¯t tell where I was exactly but if I¡¯m in the woods near my property, just heading west should eventually bring me to a road. It¡¯d be nice to head straight to my place but I have no clue which direction is home.


    Currently, all I had on me was what I fell asleep in, a gray T-shirt and cargo shorts¡­ I had no shoes¡­ not even socks. I shouldn¡¯t have been blown away too far but it could be a couple miles to the nearest road and stomping through the woods barefoot is asking for trouble. And with all the leaves everywhere, who knows what I¡¯d end up stepping on.


    Picking up one of the couch pieces, it looked like it was mostly from the cushions I was laying on. Leather and sponge. I can probably improvise with these for now¡­ But looking closer, it was strange. The cuts were too neat, like someone cut through my couch with a knife. Pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind, I focus on what I need to do.


    While gathering my soon-to-be-shoes, I spot my phone laying on some leaves. Dropping my bundle, I rush to grab and turn it on. Swiping past the lock screen, it appears to be in working condition¡­ But there¡¯s no signal. After walking around in a circle trying to get a connection, I give up and return to gathering my couch pieces.


    Padding a couple large leather pieces with sponge, I wrap one around a foot and realize there¡¯s nothing to tie it in place with. Sigh. ¡°Feels like my brain was knocked down a few notches.¡±


    After biting and struggling with one of the thin leathers, I managed to tear off some messy strips and used them to secure the makeshift shoes to my feet. ¡°Danananaa! Daniel obtained hobo shoes!¡±


    With my feet feeling safe and snug, I take a closer look at my surroundings. I can¡¯t shake the unease that I might be somewhere far from home. The sound of the forest seems unfamiliar with the chittering and cawing in the distance. And I swear I could hear monkeys among the chatter of fauna. Even the trees look more varied and bigger than what I normally see around my property. The climate feels warmer too but that could just be my body overheating since earlier. A distance away, the ground rises steeply, higher than what the trees allow me to see.


    Turning towards the rising hill, I start my ascent. Without a compass, and the trees blocking the position of the sun, the best course of action would be to gain my bearings from higher ground.


    ...


    ¡°Almost there.¡± Looking up the hill that was quickly turning into a mountain, the canopy line wasn¡¯t much further ahead. The trees here were smaller and more sparse so there was actual sunlight touching the ground.


    It was nice to see the sky again but the sun just added to my already overheating body. At least my feet are doing okay. I recall the jungle survival challenge I tried out while I was in the Army. They made us start the 7 day course with nothing but a pair of shorts and a small knife. All I could think about the whole time was old man Kwan always cleaning our shoes and gifting me socks for Christmas. After that event, I had a newfound appreciation for shoes and socks.


    Now, if only my hobo shoes didn¡¯t slip so much. I get zero traction in these. At least the shoes stay in one piece for the most part. I only had to readjust them twice so far.


    ¡°Ch-e-e-e-e-e!¡± Looking over, I see a large, red squirrel watching me from a nearby tree. It twitched its long pointy ears and fluffy tail as it chittered.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Whoa. Hello there.¡± I greeted the squirrel. It fell silent for a moment before continuing to chitter. I¡¯m not very knowledgeable when it comes to squirrels but are they supposed to get that big? It was bigger than a large house cat and that¡¯s not including the tail.


    No matter. I return to my trek up the mountain and ignore the squirrel following me at a distance. Finally reaching a point where I could see above the forest, I frown at the scene before me: a sea of trees with a range of white tipped mountains in the horizon. I don¡¯t remember there being something like this nearby¡­


    Looking up at the mountain I¡¯m standing on, I convince myself that my home will be on the other side and continue climbing.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡± I whisper to myself.


    ...


    Checking my phone, I find there still isn¡¯t any signal. I still feel like a walking torch but the pain in my head subsided to a dull throb so I¡¯ve got that going for me.


    The squirrel continued to follow me but before I knew it, there were a bunch of these things, flitting from tree to tree or dashing along the ground. It was cute when it was just one of them following me but with this many, I started getting worried. ¡°Just ignore them. Move along, they¡¯ll lose interest eventually.¡±


    It¡¯s been about two hours since I started this climb and I¡¯m starting to get pretty thirsty. I did see some berries along the way but decided to save foraging for later. The mountain continued to rise on my left but I was able to make it to a lower ridge.


    Careful not to slip, I pulled myself over the last ledge and immediately felt a strong, cool wind rushing over me. There were few trees up here and small patches of grass but the top of this mountain was mostly dirt and rock. For a moment, I enjoyed the feeling of reaching the top of a climb as the squirrels serenaded the moment with their chittering. Gotta enjoy the little things right? The air up here just felt good as it cooled my feverish body.


    Having indulged in my brief respite, I picked myself up and walked over to the opposite edge, but despite the breathtaking scenery, I sank to my knees.


    ¡°Where the fuck am I?¡±


    It was the same scene no matter which direction I looked. Sea of fucking trees and mountains. ¡°Where the fuck am I?!¡±


    The squirrels fell silent at my sudden outburst.


    Anger followed my frustration as I tried to make sense of the situation. There¡¯s no way I was blown this far out. This has to be some kind of joke right? What is this? I sat, head in my hands, thinking and failing to come up with an explanation. Then my thoughts moved on to the destruction the storm probably had on everything I built. Everything I put up with over the years for the chance to live in peace, blown away in a single night.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, ¡°I need to keep moving.¡±


    The turmoil still burning hot within, I silently stood and looked around for a stick. I¡¯m no stranger to moving under emotional pressure. Even as a child, I had to move and act with emotions running high. Just got beaten and knocked around? Clean yourself up, we have visitors. You¡¯re being blamed for something not working? Take the beating and fix it before things get worse.


    What I¡¯ve learned in those days is that regardless of what you feel, the situation will only get worse if you don¡¯t act. So I wrap up my emotions and let it burn on the side while I do what I have to do. Though, I admit my bundle of feelings has unraveled into an unstable mess on more than a few occasions, it¡¯s the only way I know how to keep moving.


    Ignoring the burning pressure within, I take a stick and shove it into the ground. I feel really numb whenever I get this way. It¡¯s as if all my emotions dried up and I¡¯m left feeling apathetic to everything and everyone around me. And it¡¯s times like these I end up lashing out the most when provoked, as if all the emotions I was supposed to feel go rushing out in that single moment. Except, it¡¯s all anger. I never figured out how to deal with that other than keeping headphones on¡­ Music¡­


    The squirrels start chittering again as I pull out my phone. I contemplate listening to something but thinking of the unknown distance I¡¯ll be traveling, I figure it¡¯s best to turn it off for now. At 89% power, it¡¯s still a decent amount but who knows how long this trek is going to take? With one last look at the ¡®no signal¡¯ icon, I hold the power button and watch it shut itself down.


    Marking the current position of the sticks¡¯ shadow, I made my way down the ledge I just climbed. I¡¯ll be needing the deadwood I passed earlier.


    Right now, I need three things: water, a weapon, and food. Once I figure out which way the sun is setting, I¡¯ll head in the direction I see water and follow it down stream. As for food, there is always something to eat near water, be it fish or other animals coming for a drink.


    After retrieving a portion of the fallen tree, I spent the next hour or so cleaning and sharpening a meter and a half long spear in addition to two smaller wooden stakes.


    Looking at the sticks¡¯ shadow and position of the sun, I can roughly guess the direction of sunset. The side of the mountain I climbed from is northwest. The northern snow-capped mountains don¡¯t seem very appealing, so I look to the South. Off in the distance, I see a flock of birds over a slight gap between the trees running from northeast to southwest. That¡¯s a good sign of flowing water.


    Taking up my spear, and slipping the stakes through a beltloop each, I make my way down the mountain with the squirrels in tow.


    ...


    It took a while, but I can finally hear the sound of rushing waters. Picking up the pace, I could now see the river with an almost rapid flow. At about three meters wide, the water sparkled in the afternoon sun. Multicolored birds whistle and chirp as they flutter around the treetops. There are even some parrots among them.


    Moving forward, the squirrels suddenly fall silent and watch me from the trees. It seemed a little odd but I¡¯m thankful for their silence. Hours of chittering was starting to grind on my nerves.


    Kneeling by the clear, rushing river, I madly cupped water to my face, drinking as much as I could before plunging my head into the cool waters.


    Panting, I wiped my eyes and sighed in satisfaction. Then I froze, completely still. Staring at me from across the river was a very big reptilian head poking out from some tall grass. It had two wicked looking horns curved forward above it¡¯s golden eyes. The whole thing was jet-black, it¡¯s dark scales reflecting the light around it almost like a mirror. The head stared unmoving except for a forked tongue, the size of my arm, flicking out.


    Shit.


    I slowly started backing away when the head rose a few meters above the ground, still staring at me. Oh fucking hell. I turned and ran, the sudden movement causing the hobo shoes to slip off. Behind me I could hear the dragging and sliding of scales on the forest floor.


    SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!-


    Cursing nonstop in my mind, I jumped to the side as the giant snake slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater where I once stood. What the fuck is this thing?! Weaving through trees as I ran, the serpent rammed and splintered through them as it attempted to kill me.


    Using the trees to my advantage, I continue running when, to my left, a meter thick blur of scales rushed past.


    Circling its body around me, the giant horned snake stared, flicking its tongue.


    ¡°What the hell.¡± I manage to whisper before it struck forward.


    I dodged, angling my spear against the ground in hopes that the monster would impale itself. My hopes were immediately denied as the spear shattered and the serpent twisted its head, striking me even as I jumped to get away.


    ¡°AAAAAHHH!¡± An intense pain shot through my left legas one of the snakes¡¯ horns plunged through my calf.

 03 - Chi?

    Chapter 3 Chi?


    ¡°Your chi is as real as your fist, Daniel. Bend it to your will. Wield it and let it empower you.¡±


    -Joon-Ki Kwan


    Unknown Forest


    Daniel


    ¡°AAAAAHHH!¡± With my calf impaled, the serpent raised me off the ground and stared as I dangled over its left eye. I could feel the flesh tearing against my weight with every movement.


    Fighting the impulse to flail in the pain, I latched onto the base of the horn, fumbling to pull one of the stakes out of my beltloop only to watch it slip out of my fingers and fall to the ground below.


    ¡°GAAAAHH!¡± I barely held on as the damned snake jerked its head to the side. With trembling hands, I successfully pulled my last sharpened stick and jammed it towards the snakes eye only to drop it as the serpent started jerking its head side to side. ¡°AAH! STOP!¡±


    I could feel my leg tearing while swinging and slamming against the side of its head as the serpent tried to shake me off. Holding on for dear life, with a single blaring thought to make this stop, I pulled my shoulder back with the momentum of the serpents swing.


    There was no reasoning left. My mind stopped looking for ways out, giving way to baser, more primitive instincts within. This thing is tryingto killme. It will not get out of this unscathed!


    At the apex point of the serpents swing, I raised a fist and rode the momentum in, striking, with intent to break, right under the base of its horn.


    *KA-SPLIK!* The top half of the serpents¡¯ head exploded with a flash of yellow light.


    ¡°Aah!¡± Falling to the ground, I yelp in pain as I grasp my leg. The horn had broken off but was still stuck in me.


    With shuddered breath and trembling hands, I tore my shirt and started applying a tourniquet on my leg, below the knee. Need to cover the wound. I stared at the horn, not sure of what to do.


    My mind felt frozen. I couldn¡¯t think. It felt like I was watching someone else''s hands as they worked, responding as my old training resurfaced to the occasion.


    The giant snake was still twitching and writhing, as if it didn¡¯t know it was dead.


    Noticing some loose scales among the splatter of blood and brain matter, I dragged myself over to pick up a few. They looked like polished obsidian but more importantly, these scales were air-tight.


    Tearing the rest of my shirt, I set aside what I needed for bandaging and rolled up the rest to use as a bit.


    Biting down on the roll of cloth, with one hand on my knee and the other on the horn, I let out a weak whimper.


    ¡°MMMMMNNNNNN!¡± Blood flowed freely as the horn was pulled. ¡°Hnnn¡­ hnnn¡­¡±


    Covering the bloody holes with scales, I wrapped them tightly to stop the bleeding. With my wounds sealed, I slowly released the tourniquet and watched to make sure there was no leakage.


    The wound throbbed with wave after wave of intense pain that made it difficult to think straight. Picking up a small rock, I started rotating it counter clockwise between my ring finger and thumb, an old technique I picked up from some Rangers to take the mind off the pain. Keep your mind on something else¡­


    Panting through clenched teeth, I focused on the sensation of points pressing against the tips of my fingers and tried to think about what I had to do while getting my breathing under control. What do I do now? Since the immediate danger had been solved, I sat, dazed and unsure of what to do next. Then it clicked. I killed the snake¡­


    I was so caught up in fixing my leg, that that particular detail just flew past me. My gaze fell on what remained of the snakes head, a gory mess of a bloody jaw flopping about as it hung from its writhing body. Then I stared at my red stained hands as I recalled what had happened. A flash of light followed by an explosion.


    What is this? It made me think of grandpa Kwan and the things he used to say about chi. Could it really be¡­ Taking a deep breath, I tried to relax my body, still tense from the ordeal, then closed my eyes as I felt for my chi.


    It used to be that I barely felt anything of note and when I did, it was so minuscule, I passed it off as imagination. It was like looking into a shallow and empty space within my body. But now, there was a depth filled with something thick and tangible. It felt hot and fluid, infused into my very being.


    Startled, I opened my eyes with a gasp. Where did this come from? In my two decades of meditation, I¡¯ve never felt anything of note. But this, it¡¯s like suddenly regaining a your sense of touch after a lifetime without it. It felt familiar, like it was always supposed to be there.


    As an experiment, I punched the empty air before me and felt my chi shoot out with a flash, distorting the space as leaves and dirt got blown away. ¡°Haha¡­¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Dragging myself over to the serpents¡¯ body, I struck its meter thick corpse while paying attention to my chi. I felt power flow through my arm before a flash of yellow and a messy hole appeared on the snake. *PuhSPLIK*


    ¡°Whoa.¡± As the dead serpent was still writhing, it twisted and revealed the body was only held together by a thin layer of flesh. The exit wound looked like it was blown out with a bomb.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± I felt stupefied. I didn¡¯t know what to think of all this and wondered if I was just having a very lucid dream. But the pain was too real to pass off as such. I just sat there, in a daze, staring at my unsteady hands for a while.


    After some time, I realize I¡¯m wasting daylight. Looking up, I notice the light filtering through the canopy had turned a shade of gold. I should find a place to camp. Before crawling away, I have a thought, Food, and glance at the mess of a snake.


    <hr>


    Golden rays of light filtered through the trees all around me, shifting as the leaves swayed with the wind. It¡¯s a deceptively peaceful scene. If not for my current predicament, I would take my time appreciating it as I had always been charmed by the light of sunset. But right now, my mood was grim. I need to put some distance between me and the bloody serpent as I don¡¯t know what other predator the smell may attract. The injury, however, is making this a little difficult. I¡¯ve had broken bones and puncture wounds before but being stabbed like this is a whole new level of suckage. Hopefully, I can get far enough before the scent of blood draws too much attention.


    With a crutch made from one of the destroyed trees, I hobble through the forest with gritted teeth, keeping the sound of the river within earshot. Before leaving the snake carcass, I pocketed a few more scales and retrieved a mostly intact, half meter long, snake fang. These should come in handy at some point. The fang replaced the wooden stakes on my belt loop. Wood didn¡¯t seem as reliable when considering what I had to face.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t forget the most prized item drop. Over my shoulder is the snake¡¯s horn that stabbed me with a few slabs of meat hanging off the end. Being more than a meter long, the horn is a good replacement weapon¡­ and meat stick. It¡¯s almost poetic, the prey carrying the hunter¡¯s meat on its own broken horn.


    Sunlight was quickly fading so I picked a large tree out of a bunch to set camp. Some of the trees around here are massive. They¡¯re not quite at the level of Redwood but large enough that their roots would shield me from sight if I lay between them.


    Setting down my meat stick, I gathered firewood and put together a bow drill. The snake fang and scale were useful in carving the notches and points. Looping a sharpened stick onto the bow, I pushed and pulled, back and forth until the fireboard started smoking. Carefully dropping the little ember into a handful of kindling, I blew into it a few times as the ember expanded into a small flame.


    Night had fallen by the time the fire was going strong. It was difficult to see too far from camp, but curiously, a gentle, blue light streamed down from the canopy. It wasn¡¯t enough to walk around without tripping over anything but it was brighter than moonlight should be and definitely out of the ordinary. I wanted to try and get a better look at the source but that would be a bad idea in my condition.


    The sounds</a> of the forest had switched over to the chirping of insects and frogs with an occasional hooting from afar. I sat silently, watching the fire burn while playing with the movement of my chi, willing it to different parts of my body. It was a very warm sensation traveling up and down my limbs.So this was the source of my overheating."Grandpa Kwan would totally freak." I muttered.


    Had I known about thispower sooner... Sigh. What a day this turned out to be.


    Skewering the snake meat onto actual sticks, I set them to roast over the fire and sat to continue playing with my chi. Honestly, I¡¯m not even angry anymore. Just tired. Nevermind the fatigue on the body, this entire day just left my mind listless. Waking up falling, hiking a mountain to realize I¡¯m more than just far from home, then that damned snake monster¡­ What was that anyway?


    With everything I¡¯ve seen today, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m even in Arkansas anymore.


    I looked down at the giant snake¡¯s horn on my lap, caressing it with a hand. It¡¯s sleekness reflected the light as the fire danced in the night. ¡°Where the hell did you come from?¡± I¡¯ve never heard of snakes with actual horns on their heads. Then again, we¡¯re still discovering new species of animals especially in places like the Amazon¡­ come to think of it, those exotic birds¡­


    Shaking away that train of thought, I rotated the snake meat sizzling on the sticks. They smelled like roasting chicken, making my stomach growl. ¡°Almost done.¡±


    A short while later, I was biting into the freshly cooked meat. It was a little gamey and tough but otherwise delicious. It tasted a lot like fish. Could use some Sriracha though. I placed my leftover meat with the two remaining slabs near the fire to dry. With this, I should be good for a couple days.


    With fresh wood in the fire, I lay on my back, holding my snake horn, wondering if the throbbing in my leg would ever stop. It¡¯s going to get infected if I don¡¯t get help soon.


    The plan hasn¡¯t changed. I¡¯ll keep heading southwest with the river. Hopefully, I¡¯ll come across a road or some people. I don¡¯t know how exactly I ended up here, wherever ¡®here¡¯ is, but it¡¯s not something I can do anything about at the moment. What¡¯s important is that I keep moving, and surviving.


    The night air was cool on my shirtless body but the fire and chi flowing within kept me warm. Despite the pain, fatigue won over me and I fell into blissful sleep.


    <hr>


    *Crunch* *Rustle* My eyes fly opento the sound of movement in the dry leaves. Startled, I sit up clutching my snake horn, looking for the source of the noise. Green eyeslook back at me from the darkness and I make out some silhouettes against the moonlight. Wolves?


    Backingup against the tree,I push myself to my feet, and circulate my chi, ready to fight. I count sevenof them, maybe eight, but I should be able take them.


    "Grrrrrr-" One of them gives off a low growl and steps into the light.This isno wolf. It was as big as one butdistinctively different. It''s ears were smaller, face more elongated, and the snout was higher up on its face. But the most distinguishing feature was it''s jaw opening far too wide, revealing a rowof sharp teeth.


    "What the hell..." Am I having a nightmare? Or have I died and gone to hell? This is hell isn''t it?


    "Raargh!" The nightmare dogs started stepping closer and let out a bark that sounded halfway catlike.


    I gather my chi and punch the empty space between us, in an attempt to scare them off but all it did was scatter some firewood and make them jump back. They appear to be committed to taking me down.


    Readying myself for an attack from all sides, I see what appears to be their leader nonchalantly walk up to the fire, revealing tiger stripes on its back. It then grabbed a slabof snake meat and ran off.


    "He-HEY!" Ihopped forward to stop another two hell dogs who lunged at the last slab of meat and leftovers only to watch themescape withthe rest of theirpack. "SON OF A BIIIITCH!"

 04 - Aliens?

    Chapter 4 Aliens?


    ¡°Privates. I pray to God that you do not face the kind of horrors that I have. But if you do, do not stop. If you still have breath, keep living! If you can still move your legs, keep marching! Every step is a step closer to home. And if you ever think you¡¯ve got it bad, better people have fought under worse circumstances so don¡¯t you dare, EVER, give up! Now, for my graduation present. Half right FACE! Front leaning rest position, MOVE!¡±


    -Drill Sergeant


    Unknown Forest


    Daniel


    ¡°Son of a BIIIITCH!¡± I could only watch helplessly as the thieves run off with my food. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!¡±


    With the campfire half scattered, I stood there, in the darkness, fuming and not knowing what to do with my anger. That was mine! I worked for that food! Risked my life for it!


    I¡¯m going to kill them. I don¡¯t know how or when, but I will find them¡­ Perhaps I am overreacting. Maybe it¡¯s all the pent up frustrations. But getting rudely awakened with the threat of death and having my food stolen before my eyes, in my weakened state no less, felt like I was being kicked while I was down. I was totally taken advantage of!


    More than anything, having something I worked hard for taken away by someone triggers deep-rooted feelings of injustice from childhood. The few things I was able to find or build for myself constantly getting taken away or destroyed became another seed of resentment and anger that would crop up whenever anything remotely similar happened.


    What am I doing? They¡¯re just dumb animals. I need to get a hold of myself. Gathering the embers and firewood into a pile, I sat, resting my face in the palm of my hands for a while.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay.¡± I whispered.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Cautiously approaching the river, I looked to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything dangerous nearby. Tall grass and shrubbery obscured my vision in some areas, keeping me paranoid, but I needed to hydrate myself.


    After the visit from the hell dogs, I was eventually able to fall asleep again, but woke up feeling tired and heavy. There was a dull ache in my head as well a numb feeling around my injury. It still hurt so I haven¡¯t lost all feeling yet but it wasn¡¯t a good sign. I need to find civilization and fast.


    Keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings, I dipped a hand into the river and brought it to my lips. About a hundred meters away, there was something big briefly breaking the surface of the water. Grabbing my crutch, I quickly backed off and returned to the woods.


    The day went by slowly as I continued following the river at a distance, keeping an eye open for possible food. All the animals I passed were strange in some way, be it the size or color. Rodents, sloth-like creatures in the trees, rabbits. Some of them had patterns of green or orange fur. It''s like I''m in another world... The most eye catching for me was the two meter tall deer munching on one of shorter trees. That thing was huge. Regardless, I can¡¯t catch any of these at the moment.


    Tired. I¡¯ve been walking for what feels like hours, my body feeling heavier as the day drew on. I take breaks before getting too exhaustedbut the intervals between rests are getting shorter. And the fact that nothing changes no matter how much ground I cover is starting to take a toll on my psyche. Trees. Shrubs. Occasional berry bush I gratefully take advantage of. It¡¯s the same unchanging scene with no sign of people or even a dirt path to keep me optimistic.


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right, my phone.¡± Leaning up against a tree, I pull out my phone and wait for it to load.


    No signal.


    Sigh. I had forgotten to check it last night and hoped to see a change in status.


    Switching off the phone, I look towards the direction of the river. I can¡¯t keep avoiding it. I¡¯m going to have to drink water at some point.


    Even with my newfound power, I still get nervous at the thought of fighting something like that giant snake again. It should be fine right? I killed one, I can kill another. I just have to be careful not to get impaled again.


    Crutching my way towards the sound of water, with my armpit feeling bruised from the constant pressure, I looked up at the canopy, thinking about the squirrels from yesterday. I kind of miss them for some reason. Now that I think about it, the way they stopped and went silent should have been a warning for me to turn back. Animals have a good sense of danger and they probably knew something was there. And I continued on like a moron. Hunger, thirst, basic needs of survival can bring on bad tunnel vision. I need to be more careful.


    As my eyes reached the end of the canopy, I looked down the riverbank and stopped. Sitting around at the edge of the water were six grayish green¡­ children? Bald and naked, with the physique of thin ten year olds, they were gutting what looked like an otter. Aliens? Am I hallucinating? One of them turns and stares at me for a second before crying out.


    ¡°KuKAAA!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ the fuck¡­¡± Their faces were in a permanent grimace with a large protruding nose and eyes too big for their heads.


    ¡°¡°¡°KuKA!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°KuKAA!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°JaffrAK KIka!¡±


    ¡°Crap.¡± The little green men jumped up and ran at me with bone knives and wooden spears. Despite the danger of the situation, I kept thinking, ¡®This is how I get probed,¡¯ as they blocked my escape and surrounded me.


    One of the alien, green things stroked its bone-tipped spear and gave an unnaturally wide grin, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. ¡°Chuumak Puuuleh.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°Eheeheehee!¡±¡±¡±


    Dropping my crutch, I readied the snake horn as they closed in. Four spears and two knives¡­ no sweat¡­ Wait, what am I doing? I have chi now!


    ¡°Kaaah!¡± One of the spearmen lunged, and I quickly parried with my left hand and stepped in, pushing the snake horn into its chest. Taking his wooden spear, I thrust it into the knife wielding creature behind me as the rest of the greenlings jumped in.


    These things were savage, going all in with no reservations or hesitation. One slashed at my shin as I stepped over the first creature I took down, breaking their encirclement. I hopped back towards the river as they came jumping and slashing.


    ¡°Raaah!¡± *PFFSLK!* I punched out towards them, bursting one apart and sending another tumbling into a tree. The remaining two continued their attack as I immediately jumped at the one on my right, taking control of its knife hand while dodging a stab from the other.


    With an uppercut, the head blew off the creature I held onto, splattering dark red gore into the air. The last remaining greenling seemed to realize it was now alone and I finally saw hesitation in its gray eyes. But I wasn¡¯t about to show mercy here. Taking the knife from the headless body, I slashed at its neck and saw a familiar flash of yellow. The creature gurgled as the head rolled off to the ground, the body following soon after.


    I found myself panting from the exertion and pounding in my head, realizing again, my condition is worsening. The whole ordeal probably took less than a minute and I was already hurting and out of breath.


    Looking down at the knife, the blade was about four inches long and only half of it made contact with the neck. ¡°Uh¡­huh.¡±


    Chi flows through objects as well? It seems to have responded to my intention to cut. Pushing chi through the knife, the blade gave off a faint yellow glow. I wonder what else I can do with this. From my standing position, I slash towards the ground but only see a shallow cut drawn on the dirt. I try the same with an empty hand and an inch-wide gash forms on the ground. It¡¯s only a couple inches deep but definitely had more power. Looks like pushing chi through objects limits it but adds precision depending on the shape.


    Wait, if I can send chi outside my body¡­ Raising a hand, I will the power to flow out and the space above my palm glowed a gentle yellow. ¡°Wow.¡±


    Pushing a hand through the light, warmth passed over my skin as I watched it separate and slowly dissipate. This is¡­ pretty amazing. I stood in awe for a while before snapping out of my reverie and beheld scene around me. What a mess.


    My gaze fell on the wide eyed head on the ground, and wondered what they were. Little green men¡­ Their blood was red but very dark, almost black. Aliens right? Or people suffering from some kind of genetic mutation? Although, their pointy ears, size, and skin color reminded me of goblins¡­ I don¡¯t know what to think right now. I¡¯ve seen too many weird things in these last two days and the thought that I died and I¡¯m currently in some kind of hell surfaced again. No, I¡¯m still alive. Alive, breathing, and bleeding.


    There was a cut on my left shin from the slash earlier, bleeding over the strips of cloth. It doesn¡¯t look too deep but I should at least wash it off.


    Various thoughts clouded my mind as I hobbled to my crutch and retrieved my snake horn. Did aliens crash land here and end up living as cavemen? Perhaps the folklore of goblins are actually alien sightings. ¡®Little green men¡¯ and goblins do kind of match.


    I paused as a more disturbing thought crossed my mind. What if I was abducted?It would explain a lot. Weird animals, these alien goblin things, and no home or road in sight for miles... Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts away.


    "No. Hahaha. That''s just crazy." I can''t accept something like that. It would make this whole struggle worthless. I just need to think of what''s in front of me. Survive. Find people. This is all I need to think of right now.


    Taking a deep breath, I went back to what I was doing. The area around here seem to be free of tall grass and shrubs, giving a clear view of possible dangers. Even the river seemed to be more shallow. Maybe that¡¯s why the goblins just sat around without minding their surroundings too much. But then again, who knows what these things were thinking.


    ¡°Screw it.¡± Throwing caution to the wind, I dropped my shorts and stepped into the water. The coolness of the river was refreshing and was a good distraction from my headache as I washed off the bloodstains and sweat that accumulated these past two days.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    After the bath, the cut on my shin already stopped bleeding. I thought about checking and cleaning my stab wound but wasn¡¯t sure if it would help or make it worse without any disinfectant. Guess I¡¯ll just have to leave it and hope for the best.


    Drinking my fill of water, I cleaned one of the bone knives and cut out some meat from the otter. Considering the size of the animal, there wasn¡¯t a lot of meat on it. Nevertheless, it¡¯s enough for a meal.


    Before making my way back into the woods, I took one last, long look at the ugly creatures. They were quite disturbing and just added to my already befuddled mind. Shaking off my thoughts again, I hobbled along my way.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The sky was already darkening by the time I felt it was far enough away from the scene of the slaughter. I had a slight dizziness coming on but I can probably sleep it off in a bit.


    While starting the campfire, the thought of aliens got me thinking of Star Trek and other space faring TV shows.


    Startrek¡­ That reminds me. There was a guy I deployed with who was obsessed with the show. ¡®Picard,¡¯ we would call him. He kept his head shaved clean and constantly narrated even the most banal things that happened throughout the day with ¡®Captains log.¡¯ Those were some interesting times.


    With my best Picard impression, I monologued, ¡°Captains log, Stardate, blehblehbleh, I have made contact with the Little Green Men. They were kind enough to supply me with food and sent me on my way¡­ heh. Stupid.¡±


    I hated the politics in the army and got out as soon as I was able to, but I kind of miss those days.


    Sticking the meat onto sticks, I set them over the fire to roast as I thought of the faces of the men and women who served with me through those years, both hellish and mundane. They were quite the collection of characters, the lot of them¡­


    It¡¯s weird. Ever since I was little, other than anger, I¡¯ve felt detached from most other emotions people normally feel. But after Grandpa Kwan passed, I felt the feeling of longing. This feeling came back after I left the Army and the people I served with. Back then, I didn¡¯t know what to do with this emotion and just kept myself busy until it went away. But here it is again, an ache in my chest. Maybe I just need to stop thinking about things. Is this why people drown themselves in alcohol?


    Taking a meat stick, I blew on it and took a bite. Otter meat is gross. Felt like I was chewing on a greasy tire. It was really oily and hard with an unpleasant aftertaste.


    ¡°Captains log. Otter meat is disgusting. Send some to Delgado the next chance we get.¡±


    Finishing off the meat, I laid next to the fire, playing with the chi, materializing it above me. I was exhausted and the headache was reaching bad migraine levels but I was too curious of the recent discovery with chi. I¡¯ve found that I could control it to some degree and make it move to my will. I looked on, letting the soft light swirl like a galaxy as I thought of the people I suffered with.


    Camaraderie as soldiers was nice. Knowing someone has your back in life or death situations¡­ it was like having a family. After Grandpa Kwan, they were the closest I got to having one I guess. Too bad this one didn¡¯t last very long. If the war doesn¡¯t get you, then your mind does. The few who returned with me either had their bank accounts emptied and their lovers gone or just couldn¡¯t cope being left alone with their own thoughts. Maybe¡­ I should have called them more often¡­


    By now, my body felt like a sack of lead and my eyes heavily closed on their own. Holding the snake horn close, I let the tiredness overtake my mind.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I was walking down a gray corridor following a squirrel. There were so many turns and every time I got around a corner, I would only see it¡¯s tail disappear around another. White noise played in the background as something chased after me, a shadowy serpent with several dark figures. But I could only walk.


    I¡¯m co~oming. A seething voice whispered.


    Every step made me more tired and I just wanted to sleep. The more tired I became, the slower I walked. The slower I walked, the darker the corridors became and the ear numbing white noise became ever so louder.


    Left! Left! Left right le~eft! Familiar voices shouted.


    Who¡¯s singing cadence? Turning another corner, I saw the fluffy red tail disappear again. When will this end?


    Sleeeep, you¡¯ve done enough. You¡¯ve worked hard for so long. A cold voice whispered.


    Sleep? That sounds nice. I know which way the squirrel went. I¡¯ll just follow it after a short break. I have a lead on the shadows anyway so¡­ just for a few seconds¡­ I¡¯ll close my eyes. The corridor turned darker as I slowed my steps and my body began to tilt. The darkness felt so peaceful.


    Get up soldier. You¡¯re not done yet.


    Huh? The obstacle course? My mind seemed more detached as the darkness grew closer.


    Never let yourself stop.


    Grandpa Kwan? Opening my eyes again, I righted myself. pulling a leg forward. My legs felt even heavier than before.


    Move it private! Wait¡¯n on you! DOUBLE TIIIIME!


    Outlaws lead the way! Outlaws lead the way!


    Yes Drill Sergeant. Moving Drill Sergeant. Pushing against the sluggish sensation, I moved my feet, one in front of the other, picking up the pace through what felt like walking against the current in deep waters. I have to keep moving. Can¡¯t be the last one there.


    The corridor shook and vibrated as cracks snaked across the walls.


    Double time¡­ I pushed myself to move faster, gradually picking up speed.


    Let¡¯s move! Move! Move!


    Moving Drill Sergeant. It took so much willpower just to keep moving but I can¡¯t let my platoon down. I finally got myself up to a jog and saw the squirrel again. It led me around a labyrinth of walls then disappeared into a brightly lit door frame.


    Coming out the other side, a distant squawking echoed in a white space. I was sitting at a fancy looking table with a blonde haired, boyish looking woman in Army fatigues. Mary? What are you doing here? I had a bit of a crush on her. But the last time I saw Mary was at her funeral after that IED¡­


    Looking at me with her pretty blue eyes, she spoke in my Drill Sergeant¡¯s gruff voice. Wake up KoKo! Get your ass out there before it gets intimate with my boot!


    ...


    An incessant squawking pulled me out of my dream. Opening my eyes, I find myself incredibly tired. Turning my head, I see a vibrant, lime-green, ring-necked parrot sitting on the tree root next to me. It stared, turning its head in different angles before flying away.


    Laying on my back, just breathing seemed to tire me. I need to get up.


    Slowly turning to my side, I pushed myself to a kneeling bow and briefly rested before pulling myself up against a tree.


    Picking up my crutch, and horn, I started walking.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been crutching my way through the forest. I didn¡¯t know if it was morning or afternoon. The only thing on my mind was to keep moving. Then I heard snorting.


    Stopping, I turned to look at where the snorting was coming from and found a black boar, the size of a bull, facing me from a stone¡¯s throw away. Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t it be a giant boar.


    ¡°RE-E-E-E-E-E-E-EH!¡± It shrieked and charged. Throwing my crutch and horn to the side, I waited until it got close enough and did my best to leap out of the way while throwing a punch to the side of its head.


    My jump was barely even a short hop as my thighs got caught in the boars forelegs, sending my punch towards its hindquarters.


    *PuhSPLAK!* ¡°RE! REE! REEEEH!¡± The boar lay thrashing its front legs as its lower body was now a messy stain on the forest floor. Its screeching quickly quieted to a low groan as it tried to get away with its entrails dragging behind. Then it lay silent and unmoving.


    The pain from my injuries felt distant, like it was someone else''s. I lay panting on the ground, dry leaves swaying with my breath. I need to get away from here¡­


    Pushing myself off the ground, I stand but my vision suddenly turns dark and I fall forward, face-planting into the dirt. Hitting the ground again, I find myself unable to move.


    The world was spinning around me and my muscles twitched in my attempt to get up. What do I do from here? Give me strength chi. There has to be a way to use it somehow.


    Circulating my chi, I try to empower myself. My skin seemed to glow a bit and it did feel like I had a little more strength but there was no change to the dizziness and the swimming vision. Stretching a hand out towards my crutch, I make a futile attempt at grasping something out of reach. It felt like I could lose consciousness at any moment as I lay there staring through blurring tears. Is this my end?


    I¡¯m not afraid of death but¡­ not like this. I worked so long and hard to build my place in this world. There¡¯s so much I¡¯ve put off in life to accomplish this. Love, family¡­ I thought I¡¯d have more time to figure them out.


    It can¡¯t end like this. Fighting to stay conscious, I organize what I know about chi so far. Grandpa Kwan said all life had it. I can manipulate it inside and outside my body. It responds to my intentions when attacking¡­ come on¡­ there has to be something.


    Chi. What is chi anyway? Where does it come from? I still myself, feeling the power within, trying to find a source. If something exists, it has to come from somewhere. Everything has an origin. If I can just find it, maybe I could do something with it. In desperation, I grasped at the chi within and called out a command. Take me where you come from.


    My vision blurred into a hazy image of a stone wall. It felt like I was dreaming and had a ¡®floaty¡¯ sensation. Turning around, I saw something bright surrounded by pillars before blacking out.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When I came to, I was still laying on the forest floor, hand outstretched towards my crutch. Alive.


    ¡°Uuugh¡­¡± I still felt heavy but at least my breathing was steady now. Slowly flexing my hands, I find I¡¯m able to move again.


    Pushing off with my legs, I dragged myself towards the crutch and took my time getting up for fear of passing out again. I managed to stand, leaning heavily on the crutch. It¡¯s going to be difficult carrying the snake horn like this¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave it behind.


    Taking the snake horn, I stick it through my pants and let it dangle at the side of my good leg. There we go. Haha.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Captains¡­ log¡­ I¡¯m¡­ gonna die.¡± I continued walking in a daze, unsure of the passage of time. It took conscious effort just to keep breathing properly. The sound of my heartbeat pounded in my ears as I focused on taking one more step forward after the last.


    ¡°Ahaha, tou ddibi.¡±


    ¡°Aht tooaht eechee ele toululu!¡±


    ¡°Ha-oo AhtTAH! Aht-keteh Kaya. Tousooah¡±


    Looking up, I realize the trees around me are shorter and arranged in a pattern. Several meters away were children picking berries and filling a woven basket. This seems to be someone¡¯s orchard. I made it. People.


    ¡°¡­auh¡­gehs¡­¡± I attempt to speak but my mouth is too dry and the effort too bothersome. Just a little more.


    Focussing on continuing my steps, I slowly make my way towards the chatting children. What language is that anyway?


    As I got closer, aside from the short tunics, I noticed they were all wearing fur skirts and bunny ear accessories. I must be crashing some kids costume party. The children spot me and start making a fuss.


    ¡°Puleh¡­ Lalai!¡±


    ¡°Lalai! Lalai!¡±


    ¡°Aaaah!¡±


    The children shouted then ran away with incredible speed and stride. The way they ran was beyond impressive, it was impossible. But I couldn¡¯t care about that right now. I think I¡¯m seriously in trouble here.


    ¡°Ah¡­au¡­Yamka¡­¡±


    There was one little girl left on a tree branch. She had short, wavy, light brown hair that came down to her jawline. The bunny ears made her look adorable. Poor kid was frozen with fear, hugging the trunk of the tree.


    I slowly continued towards her and reached out when a rock hit me on the shoulder.


    ¡°Aht olta!¡± An older girl shouted from a couple meters away. She had chestnut hair in a double ponytail, Pointing a stick at me. ¡°Tou eh-eul tah!¡±


    She seems to have returned for the little girl. Well, stranger danger I guess. It¡¯s a good response. Leaning against the tree, I reach up and take hold of the little girl.


    ¡°Aauu-!¡±


    ¡°Kaya!¡±


    Setting the little girl down, I took a moment to let the dizziness pass, then pat her cheek and did my best to smile. Oh no¡­ she''s actually crying.


    The little girl looked up at me sniffling then turned towards the older one. ¡°Yamka¡­ *hic*¡±


    ¡°Kaya, olta.¡± The older girl called out but the little one stood frozen in place, hands grasped tightly to her chest.


    Making eye contact with the older girl, I motioned for her to come get the little one. She came a couple steps closer but stopped and called out to the little one again.


    Come on¡­ I should probably take a few steps back to let her feel safe but my tiredness kept me glued to the tree. I need to follow them to find some adults who can help me. Pulling out the goblin bone knife, I held it up by the blade and tossed it in front of the older girl. I¡¯m giving up a weapon as a show of good faith so this should speed things up.


    Contrary to my expectations, the older girl had a horrified look on her face. ¡°Aht. Aht! Kaya¡­¡±


    Now she¡¯s crying? What did I do? Oh no¡­ I¡¯m about to pass out again. My vision starts to darken again when I hear more mature voices call out.


    ¡°Kaya! Yamka!¡±


    ¡°¡°Kaya!¡±¡±


    ¡°Ha-oo vileta!¡±


    Several men and women in similar fur skirts and bunny ear accessories came running towards us. Did I run into a group of LARPers?


    ¡°Katoo PUleh!¡± One of the men shouts at me.


    Seriously, what did I do wrong? Is it because I have more weapons? Pulling out the snake fang from my belt loop, I offer it to the man yelling at me but it drops from my hand as the world began to tilt.


    My descent was slow. It felt like the world was in slow motion. I had a good look at the fur skirts they were wearing. Not only were they cut diagonally above the knees, but there was a slit on the side revealing well toned thighs and butts. It was very attractive on the ladies but why are the men wearing them too? Regardless, everyone here had amazing legs and butts. Heh, Brazil, eat your heart out.


    Finally hitting the ground, I blacked out once again.

 05 - Amal Village

    Chapter 5 Amal Village


    ¡°In those days, I believed life was over for me. But I had no idea of the things I had yet to see and experience.¡±


    -Journal of the High Magus


    Amal Village, Forest of Despair


    Vebrumma


    The children gave us quite a scare when they came yelling, ¡®The Pure are invading!¡¯ Even more so when Kaya and Yamka weren¡¯t among them.


    Crushing several herbs together, I watched as Hania cleaned the young man¡¯s wounds. She ran out in a panic in the middle of gardening, shovel in hand, when she thought her daughter was in danger. Thankfully Kaya was just fine, though a bit frightened.


    ¡°Heheh.¡± I chuckled at the memory of Yamka confronting the stranger. That girl is very protective of the little one. A little headstrong but her heart is in the right place.


    The Pure lay prone on the bed with shallow breaths. He is in pretty bad shape. Dehydrated and full of cuts and bruises. It is a wonder how he survived considering the direction he came from. Though most of the injuries are minor, the puncture wound on his leg is rather gruesome. Another day and the infection would have killed him if the monsters did not get to him first. It was clever to use the scales to stop the bleeding but if they came from what I think they did, he basically poisoned himself in doing so.


    I looked at the curious pile of items he had on him. I don¡¯t know what that black tile is but the horn, scales, and fang definitely belong to a Cerastes. Quite the interesting fellow.


    ¡°Hania, can you harvest a few more Echinacea leaves from the garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes Wakan.¡± Hania has been quiet after the incident. Widowed after our attempt to pass through this Forest of Despair, she must have been shaken with the thought of losing Kaya too.


    After watching Hania walk out the door, I turned to the blonde catkin girl loitering in the sickroom. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do? Aira?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it Vebrumma! I¡¯ll finish it later. It¡¯s not everyday we see a new face here!¡± This rude rascal. All these years of getting scolded for not addressing the elders properly, and she still calls me by name. ¡°Eheheh~¡±


    Sigh. ¡°If you are going to be here, mind as well be helpful. Mash these together and keep your eyes on the fire.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh¡­¡±


    ¡°And you kids, this is not a sideshow! Go practice your mana training!¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°Waahahaha!¡±¡±¡± The group of children crowding the window scattered away screaming and laughing. The result of me being too lenient with them. Sigh.


    Inspecting the man¡¯s wound, I still see puss mixed with coagulated blood. This is going to take a while.


    Calling forth my mana, I probed into his leg and found another surprise. The mana in this Pure is very dense. If he was not unconscious, I would have difficulty in pushing mine through. He must be an accomplished mage somewhere¡­ at that age¡­ We will have to post a couple more warriors to guard him just in case.


    Pushing my mana into the leg, I examine the wound within. The muscles are severely torn and there is damage to the tendons. Fortunately for him, his bones seem to be fine. I should be able to fix this but before doing so, the infection needs to be addressed.


    Hania returns with the herbs and sets them on the worktable. ¡°Wakan, we¡¯ve had too many injured this month. If we keep using them up, We won¡¯t have any left to seed.¡±


    ¡°I know. We will go foraging for more in a few days. Come. Sit. The infection has tainted his bloodstream. We will have to purge it from his system as much as we can before working on the injury.¡±


    Hania pulled up a chair next to me and sat silently, staring at the man. Sigh. I guess this opened up old wounds.


    Placing a hand on her knee, I try to reassure her. ¡°Hania. Everything is fine. Kaya is safe and the threat was just a weary traveler.¡±


    Lowering her gaze, Hania forced a smile. ¡°Yes. It just scared me, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It is not everyday we get to practice on conditions like this so let us get through it first then you can go spend some time with Kaya.¡± Patting her thigh, I return us to the task.


    ¡°Thank you Wakan.¡±


    ¡°For starters, try examining him with your mana.¡± I instruct with a smile.


    Hania placed a hand on the man¡¯s leg and closed her eyes. With a gasp, she pulled her hand back, staring at the unconscious man.


    I gave her a knowing nod. ¡°He is a mage. A quite powerful one at that.¡±


    ¡°Wakan, what if he¡¯s an enemy?¡± Hania asked with a worried look.


    ¡°If he is an enemy, we will end him. But until we find out for sure, we will do him no harm. Don¡¯t worry. I will task some warriors to watch him. Aira! Are you done mashing the herbs?¡±


    ¡°Yees!¡±


    ¡°Bring it here with the hot water. And a bowl too.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty!¡±


    Hania placed her hand on the man, ready to observe the flow of mana. Pouring the boiling water into a bowl, I mixed in the mashed herbs and whispered a prayer. ¡°Great Spirit, guide our hands as we bring healing to this child.¡±


    ¡°I bind water to my will, infused with the gift of healing, flow within, purge the poison that seeks to harm¡­¡±


    The water, bound to my mana, glowed a gentle yellow and spiraled up from the bowl, snaking its way into the man¡¯s wound. I concentrate and will the water to spread throughout the leg, gathering poisons and cleansing the infection.


    This method always burned through mana. The prolonged control over the tonic while willing it to gather something I only understood as ¡®harmful¡¯ made it rather taxing.


    Spiraling out of the wound on the opposite side, I led the dark brown liquid into a separate container. With the remaining tonic, I pushed it through his mouth and into his stomach. This should help the body fight off the rest.


    I took a deep breath before placing both hands on the man¡¯s leg again. Pushing my mana into the fibers of his flesh, I felt for the torn ends of each strand of muscle ¡°I bind flesh to my will. Knit and reform as you once were.¡±


    The mana infused muscles shifted and reconnected little by little, restoring itself painfully slow. It took some time and I felt my mana nearly bottom out as blood vessels wiggled back into place. Hania had to take over in the end and I watched as the skin closed itself up, leaving soft pink scar tissue where the hole once was. His calf was whole once more and a soft orange glow slowly dimmed.


    ¡°Whew¡­¡± Even a full restoration like this isn¡¯t perfect. There are things a mere reattaching of flesh doesn¡¯t restore and requires the body to heal naturally but he should be fine now.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool. I never get tired of seeing that.¡± Aira said from behind me.


    ¡°The invitation to learn it yourself is still open. Why not join us in our next meditation?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­haha¡­ well, you know I¡¯m busy helping my father with¡­ a lot of things. I should probably get back to work.¡± Aira waved off the offer and quickly walked out of the sickroom.


    ¡°Haha, she¡¯s never had the patience for cultivation.¡± Hania laughed.


    ¡°Of course not. Her father spoils her too much.¡± Sigh. Even as a grown woman, she acts like a child. ¡°Call in the block heads standing outside and go see your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help clean up first.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Night was falling by the time Hania and I were done, the two moons already shining brightly in the darkening sky. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Good night Wakan.¡±


    Leaving two warriors to keep watch over the Pure, I headed to the large, single room building with a bag of the Pure¡¯s belongings. The elders have likely already gathered for the meeting and seeing the empty square, most of the villagers as well.


    ¡°Vebrumma, you¡¯ve come.¡± Dasan, my husband and chief looked up from the center fire, wrinkling his aged face with a smile.


    The elders, sitting at the inner circle, stood in greeting as I entered, the crowd forming the outer circle followed suit, bowing their heads in unison.


    ¡°Yes, the treatment of the pure took some time.¡± I said, taking my place next to the chief.


    Nodding, he opened the meeting with the main topic at hand. ¡°As you all know, we had a visitor earlier today. From his looks, we can guess he is not Gathalian. I would like us all to put our fears aside for now but remain vigilant until we can confirm his origin.¡±


    The elders began speaking their thoughts. ¡°Did he not come from the north?¡±


    ¡°Probably another idiot getting lost and walking in circles. There is no way he could have come from Krestell or the Tribes.¡±


    ¡°There are some here who are worried of the threat this Pure may pose to us.¡±


    ¡°It is possible he is not alone.¡±


    A murmur started in the outer circle.


    Dasan took a puff from his pipe in thought. ¡°Vebrumma, have you learned anything else about the man?¡±


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°Our visitor is a mage. Possibly even a Magus.¡±


    The murmuring grew louder as the elders straightened in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Some of you may have guessed already, but among the items he had on him were pieces from a Cerastes.¡± As I spoke, I pulled out the scales, fang and horn from my bag.


    This brought on worried looks from the elders.


    Holding his pipe in his mouth, Dasan inspected the horn. ¡°This looks fresh. And based on the size, the Cerastes was likely over a century old.¡±


    ¡°A Magus of unknown origin, powerful enough to take on such a creature¡­¡±


    ¡°He may be a great threat to us. It might be better to¡­¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°We will do no such thing. He is unconscious and will likely remain so for a few days. His victory over the Cerastes did not come without a cost. The leg was stabbed through, probably with this very horn here, and became infected, poisoning his blood. That and severe dehydration greatly weakened his body. Right now, he is just a traveler in need.¡±


    Dasan nodded. ¡°We should not bring harm to this man without good reason. He has done no wrong to us.¡±


    ¡°Chief! Forgive me for speaking out of turn but he is a Pure! Have you forgotten what they have done to us?! What they are still doing?!¡± A wolfkin, his face half marred with scars, shouted from the outer circle.


    ¡°SHH! Mato! You-!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you shush me! That pure may be a Magus! Killed a hundred year old Cerastes! What will we do if he awakens and decides to attack?!¡±


    Mato¡­ He came stumbling into the village a month after our escape from Gathal. Losing a family can ruin a soul. Dasan just looked at him and sighed.


    An elder motioned to remove the man from the meeting but that just made Mato angrier.


    ¡°Why do you wish to silence me?! Do you think I am the only one who thinks this?!¡± A few from the crowd silently nodded in agreement.


    Another villager stepped forward. ¡°Chief, Wakan, please understand. Even if he is not Gathalian, who is he to us? Must we live in fear with this Pure so close by?¡±


    Dasan sighed. ¡°Yes, we have suffered greatly from the hands of the Pure Gathalians. They have done great evils and still hunt us this day. Truly, they have forsaken the Great Spirit and chosen to become monsters.¡± Taking another puff from his pipe, the chief stared into the fire.


    Understanding his thoughts, I continued. ¡°But will you do the same? Will you follow in the footsteps of those who have forsaken the Great Spirit out of fear? To condemn a weary traveler for the actions of others?¡±


    The villagers of the outer circle, calling for blood, dropped their gazes, but Mato remained with a look of defiance.


    Sigh. The temper of wolfkin¡­ ¡°It is a great shame and dishonor to murder an innocent in their sleep. Far be it from us to commit such sins. It is better to die as children of the Great Spirit than to die a monster. And if we are killed for following the Spirit¡¯s teachings, so be it. Let us die and reunite in Paradise.¡±


    ¡°Your Wakan is right,¡± looking up from the fire, Dasan matched Mato¡¯s stare. ¡°Let not your soul be tainted Mato. And everyone else here. We know your losses very well. But if you lose yourselves here, are you not separating with your families for eternity? The whisper of darkness is sweet and enticing¡­ but the cost is your soul.¡±


    Mato¡¯s gaze fell with a look of anguish.


    Dasan let out a deep sigh and spoke softly. ¡°Listen. We were all created by the Great Spirit. It is not birth that makes a person evil, but the choices we make that determines our character.¡±


    Mato looked away then walked out of the building. It¡¯s about time we wrap up this matter. ¡°We will watch over the traveler for now. If he turns out to be an enemy, we will take action then and only then. Elder Katan, have the lookouts remain extra vigilant and post guards to watch the visitor in rotation. Four people per shift.¡±


    ¡°Yes Wakan.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Daniel


    Slowly drifting back into consciousness, my eyes feel like they¡¯ve been weighted down. ¡°¡­uuugh¡­¡±


    I barely get my eyes to focus when the face of a blonde, scruffy bearded man fills my vision. ¡°Soomhata klo.¡±


    Startled, I attempt to distance myself, tumbling off the narrow bed in a tangle with a blanket. Hitting the floor, I kick off the sheet and scurry back against a wall in a fluster. ¡°What? Who?¡±


    ¡°Ehaha, gitaran. Oi! Otahla Wakan.¡±


    Four people stood in leather armor and bunny ears. One of them grunts and leaves the room. Right¡­ LARPers.


    I calm down as I recall my recent ordeals. I made it. It¡¯s going to be okay now. ¡°Ha¡­ Haha.¡±


    Relief washes over me and I feel pressure in my nose as tears start to form.


    I¡¯m okay.


    I cover my eyes for a moment and take a deep shuddering breath. No more gnawing thoughts of dying alone in the middle of nowhere. Lowering my hands, I notice it¡¯s slightly green with bits of leaves stuck to it. It seems I¡¯ve been plastered with something. I check the the rest of my body and find that I¡¯m covered in a layer of this stuff¡­ and naked.


    My left leg was wrapped in leaves below the knee and aside from a slight pain and stiffness in my calf, it felt fine.


    Did they just patch me up with a bunch of leaves and numbing agent? Worried at what I might find, I tore at the leaf wrappings and cleared away chunks of wet mulch.


    What is this? There was nothing there. No hole. No cut. Just a vague outline of a scar. Oh my God. How long was I out?


    Looking around, I¡¯m in a room with several narrow beds like the one I fell off from. It smells heavily of earthy and herbal scents. It¡¯s very authentic, if anything, and I might even be interested in checking this fantasy group out if not for my utter confusion at the moment.


    I pull the fallen blanket over myself and ask one of the three bunny men staring at me, ¡°Hey, can you tell me where I am?¡±


    ¡°Doh ohlen ahktahlisuh?¡±


    ¡°Shutalo.¡±


    ¡°Do any of you speak English?¡± The three men just stare as I exaggerate the enunciation. ¡°Enngliish? Ame-er-ii-ca?¡±


    The men silently stare, ears occasionally wriggling. Those are pretty well made.


    I feel like at any moment one of them is going to say, ¡®Siiike! Just messing with ya!¡¯ But the silence stretched on only broken by the sound of one of them scratching their beard.


    They all seem pretty fit. I can see muscle definition between the gaps in leather. With their long brown or blond hair and braided beards, they remind me of vikings. Well¡­ vikings with bunny ears. Why are they wearing those anyway? It¡¯s so out of place. That and the fur skirts were really distracting.


    ¡°Tou sovasuh?¡± An elderly lady dressed in a simple tan robe entered the room with a younger woman at her heel.


    ¡°Wakan.¡± The three men bowed their heads in greeting.


    ¡°Klo tahl e¡­ shutalo ahktahli ahm.¡± One of the men says.


    The old lady seems important. ¡°Hello, uh¡­ do you speak English?¡±


    ¡°Ohata.¡± She said to me. Patting her chest, she stated, what I¡¯m guessing is her name, ¡°Wakan Vebrumma.¡±


    Doing the same, I give her mine. ¡°Daniel.¡±


    ¡°Dan Niel.¡±


    The rest of the conversation was a game of charades between different language speakers. It didn¡¯t get very far. But I did learn this place was called Amal.


    After giving me a fur skirt, Wakan sent me off with the viking bunnies for a brief tour of the village. But to my disappointment, I saw no sign of modern technology. No cars, no phones, or wires anywhere. Just houses of wood and stone separated by dirt paths. That reminds me. What happened to my stuff anyway? I should probably ask Wakan about that.


    People in the middle of various tasks stared as I passed. Tanners, weavers, farmers¡­ every single one wearing animal ears. This is too much dedication for a mere medieval fare or LARPing community. There weren¡¯t even any roads leading outside the village. We were surrounded by trees on all sides with a few fields of crops and animals. This was rather worrying.


    Walking past some plantations, a few children sat in meditation while a man in brown robes lectured in the distance. I stop to look at a blue turkey-sized chicken thing walking across my path. These things freely roamed the village, reminding me of home. Wonder how that chicken is doing.


    I look at the four men with me and sigh. My attempt at drawing a map of the U.S. ended up with the viking bunnies drawing different animal shapes in the dirt. A slow-rising frustration started to bubble up since then.


    ¡°O-hh-meu?¡± One of the viking bunnies, Chumo, patted his stomach and made eating motions. Well, food is always good. No reason to worry on an empty stomach.


    ¡­


    The sun was setting when I was lead back to the infirmary where a new set of guards replaced the ones I was with. I appreciated the hospitality but with the viking guards always watching me, it was starting to feel a bit weird. Am I a prisoner?


    A pretty lady named Hania brought me a bowl of soup and small strips of meat. It was really bland but I gratefully scarfed it all down. I didn¡¯t realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite. But even as I ate, my head swam with so many questions. How long was I out for? How did I get fed? I was in a hospital right? Where am I? The more I thought, the more anxious I became.


    I snap out of my thoughts as the table was cleared.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, bowing my head. Hania looked to be in her late 20¡¯s. Her silky blonde hair and bunny ears were pretty eye catching.


    ¡°Can I see your ears?¡± I ask, stretching a hand out.


    ¡°Ohlen?¡± Hania had a questioning look but seemed to understand my gesture. She glanced at the guards then lowered her head towards me.


    I intended to pull off the ears but they were really soft and warm to the touch. It felt real. Too real. I tugged a little but seeing as they didn¡¯t budge, I slid my fingers down to the base, eliciting a whimper from Hania. There should be a headband or clip around here but¡­ nothing. It was all connected.


    I absentmindedly started scratching at the base of the ear when Hania pulled away in a fluster. ¡°Aht!¡±


    ¡°Aht.¡± She said sternly, pushing her palm out towards me. I was too confused to respond. The ears are real? The viking bunnies looked about ready to jump me.


    ¡°Daniel.¡± Wakan called from the entrance. She was with an old man with a maroon bandana around his forehead, holding up his white hair. ¡°Tourei chaku.¡±


    Hania bowed and left the room as the old man brought me a sack of items. My stuff. He introduced himself as Dasan and tried to talk to me but I just stood and went through the motions of greeting. My mind felt stuck. Something is very wrong here.


    Wakan exchanged a few words with the guards before looking back at me with an amused smile. ¡°Tsakana. Hahaha.¡±


    She seemed to want another session of charades but seeing as I wasn¡¯t very responsive, they all left shortly, leaving behind the guards.


    I sat on the floor next to my bed, slowly pulling out the items one by one, thinking of the events I went through with each of them. ¡°Ha. Hahaha.¡±


    Everything is wrong. The snake, goblins, even the animals here. There¡¯s something off about everything¡­ even me.


    I stare at my hands, conjuring up my chi, thinking of the stone room I saw with the light, wondering if that wasn¡¯t a dream as well.


    The viking bunnies mutter among themselves as I pull out the last item. My phone.


    Powering up the device, I wait only to see the same ¡®no signal¡¯ icon. Of course. Why would it be any different? I also notice the battery is now at 67%. I must have been out for a while if the battery drained that much while it was powered down.


    Standing, I head outside, the viking bunnies in tow, intending to walk around in hopes for a connection. A night stroll would probably be good right now. It should help clear my head at least.


    The sun had long since set and it¡¯s quiet outside, the silence only broken by the sound of insects chirping in the darkness. Though it isn¡¯t as dark as it should be. Without a canopy of trees to block that mysterious light, the village is illuminated in a gentle blue.


    Looking up, I stand frozen at the inconceivable objects in the night sky. I¡¯m seeing things right? This is a hallucination. No. I might still be dreaming.


    Where a single pale moon was supposed to be were two bright spheres, floating among the stars. They were both much bigger than the one I was familiar with. The largest one, a beautiful blue with scattered green and white. The other, at half the size, a dull red. Two moons.


    ¡°Ha. Hahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAAA!¡±

 06 - A Strange Place

    06 - A strange place


    Chapter 6 - A Strange Place


    ¡°It is a shame for a capable man to do nothing.¡±


    -The Amal Tribe


    Amal Village, Forest of Despair


    Hania


    It¡¯s been four days since the Pure, Daniel, was found laughing at the moons. We were worried he may have fallen to a demon¡¯s madness but Wakan wasn¡¯t sure that was the case. After his laughing fit, he fell silent with an occasional giggle and eventually went back inside.


    The strange man hasn¡¯t touched his food since then. He just lays in bed, sleeping or staring into the far wall, only getting up to visit the stalls. I wonder what happened. He seemed just fine when he woke up that day.


    After making sure he was asleep, I brought a bowl of soup and started sneaking it into his stomach. I wouldn¡¯t feel right if he died under my watch.


    ¡°Just how long are we planning on babying him like this?¡± Musah, one of the warriors tasked to watch Daniel was getting impatient. For a grown man to do nothing all day when he is blessed with good health, this would frustrate any of the Amal people.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Wakan says he might be grieving over something and to just watch over him for now.¡± Watching the the last of the soup disappear with the glow of my mana, I headed back to the kitchen area where Kaya was playing with a mortar and pestle.


    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t stand watching this for much longer. It¡¯s pathetic.¡± Musah complained.


    ¡°Heyo!¡± Aira walked in with bundle of meat. ¡°Chumo and the guys brought back a boar. Said maybe some meat will get the Pure moving a-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s giving this waste of space meat?! WHY?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They seem to think he¡¯s amusing or something.¡±


    Musah started pacing back and forth while the rest of the warriors sighed. ¡°Chuno and his team¡­ they¡¯re always doing stuff like this. I swear, he¡¯ll feed a goblin if he found it funny.¡±


    Aira handed me the meat then started laughing, ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Looking at the catgirls expression, Musah stopped. ¡°No¡­ He didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It was a rock wrapped in some innards. We do it once in a while when we get bored.¡±


    ¡°Idiots¡­ the lot of you are idiots.¡± Musah sat back down shaking his head.


    This girl really worries me at times. Life here can become rather dull, with nowhere to go and the same old scenery everyday. But playing around with monsters? ¡°Aira, goblins may seem weak but they shouldn¡¯t be trifled with. They still pose a threat, especially with their numbers.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha¡­ Yeah, I know. But I was with Chumo so¡­¡± The mischievous girl stuck her hands behind her head and avoided my gaze before changing the subject, ¡°Anything new with Daniel? People are saying he¡¯s a Magus from Krestell.¡±


    ¡°Magus my ass.¡± Musah mumbled.


    ¡°Nothing yet.¡± I leaned on the table watching Kaya put various leaves into different bowls. ¡°Hopefully he gets up soon. Even if he doesn¡¯t speak our language, we can probably learn something of the outside world.¡±


    Aira bunched her lips from side to side in thought. ¡°I have a fireberry I¡¯ve been saving¡­¡±


    ¡°Fireberry? Maybe you should keep saving it¡­¡± I say as Aira made her way towards Daniel.


    ¡­


    Daniel


    Once it was clear I wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore¡­ I lost it. There were already signs hinting at the fact stacking against my denial but I held onto the hope that there was some other explanation for everything. I mean come on. Another world?


    When the two moons shined above me, almost mocking the flimsy hope I held onto, all the fight in me went up in smoke. I could only laugh as the whole situation was so unfairly absurd.


    My home. Everything I built is truly out of reach now.


    So how did this happen? I could only think I either died and this is some kind of afterlife or I really was abducted somehow, maybe even warped into another world like the legends around the Bermuda triangle, but where does that leave me? I¡¯ve become a bum with nothing to my name.


    Hell, maybe there is a third option and I¡¯ve gone completely loony, finally snapping under the pressure of my mind. Is this what crazy people experience in their padded rooms? Am I currently a raving, drooling mess in a straight jacket back in the real world?


    I sat leaning against the pedestal holding the bright light. In my wish to escape reality, I tried commanding my chi to bring me to its source again. It turns out I wasn¡¯t dreaming that time. My vision blurred and I was suddenly here, in a large stone room with five pillars surrounding a pedestal of light, but this time, my consciousness was clearer, without the floaty sensation.


    My body here was a little different. It was slightly transparent and I could make out veins of yellow pulsing with what I¡¯m guessing is chi. I didn¡¯t seem to need to breath either. It was a strange feeling.


    This whole place was strange. I¡¯ve found that I could move through space almost instantly here. Not quite teleportation but a blurring rush from point A to point B, warping across the room. The new sensations gave me a nice distraction from my problems for a while but even that eventually gave way to my depression.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I spent most of my days in here, not even paying attention to the passage of time, sulking at my misfortune. After a while, I got bored and started inspecting the place and took a closer look at everything.


    The high walls and ceiling were mostly stone, inlaid with gold in some parts and cracked with wisps of cold, almost tangible darkness seeping out of others. The pillars were a meter thick and of similar fashion as the walls. There wasn¡¯t much else here, the whole place gave a feeling of extreme plainness, but the center piece was a sharp contrast to its surroundings.


    Floating above a stone pedestal, was a large, white, almost translucent, orb, illuminating the entire room. It gave off a bright light but didn¡¯t hurt my eyes when staring into it. It was a curious thing. When I approached it, it gave a sense of deep familiarity. I somehow knew I was looking into myself. Strangely, it was discomforting, like looking into a mirror that exposed everything inside. When observed long enough, one could see there wasn¡¯t just light within, but a chaotic darkness barely contained.


    Despite the strangeness, I like it here. Alone. Not having to deal with anything out there. Except trips to the bathroom. I¡¯m guessing someone¡¯s been feeding me somehow, which makes me feel a bit guilty but¡­ I just don¡¯t want to deal with anything right now. Thankfully I can feel my actual body and wake up if there is an urgent need.


    The only problem I have here is the boredom and the mystery of the world on the other side of the exit. There was a barrier in place of a door to this room but commanding my chi, I was able to make an opening only to peer out into a world of gray. It was like the embodiment of desolation, a barren land and a darkened sky. I couldn¡¯t tell where the light was coming from or if there was a source of light at all but whatever it was, it only added to the gloomy nature of the strange place. It was probably a bad idea to go out there but my curiosity and boredom got the better of me.


    When I stepped outside, to my surprise, I didn¡¯t see the building I walked out from. There was just the hole floating in the air, only visible from one side. While marveling at the nature of the strange opening, I was startled at the sounds of running footsteps and jumped back inside, closing the porthole behind me.


    So here I am now, staring at the exit and wondering if I wanted to know what was out there. I stood to take another look at the gloomy world when suddenly, my mouth felt like it was on fire and I was pulled out from my hideaway.


    ¡­


    ¡°AAuugh!¡± On top of the burning in my mouth, I felt acute motion sickness. What¡¯s happening to me?! I didn¡¯t feel this when I came back those other times!


    I ran to the kitchen and dowsed my mouth with water. What is this? Whatever was put in my mouth was extremely spicy and sweet. Some of it went down my throat in my panic, burning all the way down to my stomach.


    Holding water in my mouth, I could hear snickering and laughing from the viking bunnies and a catgirl. Those assholes!


    The catgirl actually had a one piece dress on, which made her stand out from everyone else here. Seeing a guilty look on her face, I glared at her as she joined the little girl to hide behind Hania who was shaking her head and hands, expressing her innocence in the matter.


    Damnit! I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just the adrenaline but I feel like my body is hopped up on sugar and caffeine. What the hell did they give me?!


    Screw this. The burning will stop eventually and I can just return to my dreamworld. I started heading back to bed but one of the viking bunnies started yelling.


    ¡°Beh korro tekunsuh?! Aht! Tou joonga GEUTchi!¡± While yelling strange words, he grabbed my cargo shorts by the waist and started dragging me outside.


    ¡°Hey! Stop it! It¡¯s going to tear!¡±


    ¡°Musah! Juat! Wakan la-et ulete!¡± Hania seems to be trying to stop this beast of a man but he keeps marching on, ignoring her and continuing his cryptic speech.


    ¡°Tou meukun. Tlakun. Jah, komah ahkun!¡±


    I guess I¡¯m being kicked out? I don¡¯t blame them, I have been mooching off of their people. But he could at least let me grab my stuff.


    People stared as I was half dragged through the village. This guy had an iron grip on my pants, not even giving me a chance to walk on my own. I didn¡¯t want to force him to let go for fear of hurting him. Last thing I want is to bite the hand that fed me.


    After a few minutes, he threw me into a wide field of tree stumps and just as I got up, a pick was thrown at me. ¡°What the hell dude! That¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Komah ahtah? Meukun ahtah.¡± He said, nodding, as he stared me down.


    Looking around, the area was half the size of a soccer field, probably a new area to be prepped for plantation. He wants me to work?


    Hania held the little girl in her arms with a worried look and stood with that stupid catgirl, in front of a growing crowd. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to start repaying them in some way. They¡¯ve saved my life among other things.


    Walking to the far edge of the field, I stared at the ground for a while and took a deep breath. My throat and stomach still burned from whatever was given to me but I was almost bursting with energy. Despite that, the depression was still there, mixing into a weird feeling of high and low.


    Gripping the pick, I raised it up and swung down hard, creating a small explosion of dirt and eliciting a few yelps from the crowd. The pick glowed a gentle yellow as I continued to destroy the ground.


    This brought up memories of working on my own land. My vegetable garden¡­ orchard¡­ I didn¡¯t contract anyone to clear or till the soil there. I rented out equipment and bought tools to do it myself. It was a connection to my home. My very own place in that world. I wanted to create something with my own hands and watch it grow, almost symbolic of finally seeing the fruits of my life¡¯s labor. It was nice¡­ the feeling of accomplishment making it all worth it. But¡­


    ¡°I worked, *KA-PFF!* and worked, *KATOOM!* putting up with bullshit after bullshit, and when I finally saw an end in sight? *KA-Crack!* This shit happenes!¡± Throwing aside the handle of the broken pick, I grabbed the iron head of the tool and started stabbing at the ground before throwing that aside as well.


    It felt like all my anger was pouring out into the field as I punched my way down, line after line, shattering tree stumps and rocks alike. My anger at losing everything, my anger at putting up with people like Delgado for a life I¡¯ll never have¡­ Had I known this would have happened¡­ ¡°RAAAAAH¡± *KTOOM!*


    Panting, and covered in dirt, I came back to my senses as I reached the end of the field. Looks like I made a mess. The plot of land was full of craters and wood splinters. ¡°Oh¡­pteh. I¡¯ll umm¡­ clean this up.¡±


    ¡­


    It took a while to pick out all the pieces of wood and roots still stuck in the ground but I left the field feeling a lot better. My situation still sucks but I can¡¯t remain sulking forever right? I¡¯m reminded of the last words grandpa Kwan told me before he passed.


    ¡®In life, you will sometimes find everything you knew and worked for toppled over. When that happens, throw your fits, be angry or whatever. But know that you have one piece still remaining. You.


    ¡­though knowing you, you¡¯ll probably stop and sulk for a while. But don¡¯t stop for too long, son. Time¡­ waits for no man.¡¯


    To my embarrassment, tears started falling at the memory of those words, caking with the dirt on my face. He was always able to figure me out so easily, even predicting how I would react to something like this. Did he know, I wonder? That one day, I would lose everything? This was the biggest fall I¡¯ve taken in my life so far, and his words really hit home.


    The villagers gave me a wide berth as I passed. Guess my little show gave them a bit of a shock. Wakan and her husband had come at some point and were the only ones who didn¡¯t back away from me. Well, them and the viking bunnies who kept a hand on the hilt of their weapons.


    For whatever reason, Wakan was smiling at me while quietly talking to her husband. I need to learn their language if I want to move forward from here. Guess I¡¯ll start with that.


    ¡­


    After washing up at the well, I returned to the infirmary to find Wakan and Dasan waiting for me. Quickly changing into a fur skirt, I sat down with them and tried to convey my wish to learn their language.


    They were pleased with that decision and immediately took me to see a catman who was pounding away at a piece of iron. He was middle aged man, slender with short blond hair and fair skin. Everyone else in this place had a tan except for him.


    Dasan introduced the man as Baglin. Looking at the broken metal tools lined up at the side, he seems to be a sort of blacksmith reforging the broken items. But Baglin didn¡¯t look the part at all. He wore a collar shirt and pants under an apron, making him look more like a shop clerk.


    After Wakan exchanged a few words with Baglin, the catman called out into the building. A short moment later, the catgirl from earlier walked out with a yawn.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Sigh. I can¡¯t bring myself to stay mad at her. Her little prank led to me finally facing my problems. Stepping forward, I stuck a hand out, ¡°I¡¯m Daniel.¡±


    ¡°Eep!¡± The catgirl jumped back at my gesture.


    ¡°Aira. Eum-hannah.¡± Baglin gave the catgirl a one armed hug, stating her name. Then turning to her, ¡°Aira, tou Daniel hahno ahktahli wajukun.¡±


    ¡°EEH?! Ahtahtaht!¡± Aira furiously shook her head, and latched onto Baglins arm. ¡°Ahbbataaa¡­¡±


    Oh¡­ that¡¯s right. She saw me mess up that field earlier. Is she supposed to be my teacher?


    Wakan then sternly spoke up. ¡°Aira! Tou deelotte ahkun. Eheto joongakun! Jee leti ahkun, tou uletehkun tah!¡±


    ¡°Uueeee¡­¡± Aira fell to her knees crying.


    I¡¯m not sure what just happened but I feel kinda bad for her. Sorry Aira.

 07 - A Wary Acceptance

    Chapter 7 A Wary Acceptance


    ¡°Be kind to those in need. They are your brothers, sisters, and at times, you yourself.¡±


    -Teachings of the Great Spirit


    Amal Village, Forest of Despair


    Aira


    I hate this¡­ I even promised Vebrumma I¡¯d call her Wakan from now on but she wouldn¡¯t budge on the matter! It¡¯s already been three weeks since I was forced to teach Daniel how to speak. He was scary after seeing him destroy a field with his bare hands but who knew he¡¯d turn out to be so boring? All he does is study or meditate all day. And he¡¯s sooooo slow. Why can¡¯t he memorize things faster? Father even gave him a children''s story book but I still see him looking at the alphabet scroll!


    At this rate, I might be teaching Daniel for months oohuhu¡­ I don¡¯t get to see Chumo as much anymore because of him. A few days ago, Vebrumma called off the guard detail so I can¡¯t even have Chumo here with me every other day.


    I sat glaring at Daniel as he recited a children''s song I taught him while drawing the corresponding pictures on a platter of dirt. ¡°Mother¡­ met an ancient¡­ fairy¡­ Asked of her¡­ whom she¡­ should marry¡­ One hunts¡­ dragons¡­ one conjures¡­ storms¡­¡±


    Sooo slooow¡­ I ended up eating my secret stash of candies every night to cheer myself up. I¡¯ve been saving them since I was little but now I only have three left¡­ What am I going to do? Oohuhu¡­


    Glancing at my father¡¯s treasured hour glass, it¡¯s finally about time to end today¡¯s session. It¡¯s mid afternoon now and I have to get to my other chores. Maintenance on the furnace, preparing dinner for father and me¡­ no time to see Chuno before dinner again¡­ sigh. Maybe I should just marry him already.


    Father says to wait a little longer until we get to Althea but it¡¯s already been four years since I¡¯ve come of age with no sign of leaving this place anytime soon. At nineteen, women normally have little ones tottering about. Having Chumo¡¯s child¡­ I¡¯ll have to have another talk with father on this matter.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± I mutter and get up to leave.


    ¡°Aira,¡± Daniel called, bowing his head. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    At least he knows to be grateful. Sigh. Giving him a smile, I picked up the hourglass and left for my home.


    ¡­


    Daniel


    It¡¯s only been three weeks but I¡¯m making good progress on the new language. Thanks to Baglin and Aira, I can say a few different phrases now and almost memorized the alphabet. It definitely helps that I¡¯m immersed in the language, hearing it spoken each day and having to speak it myself. I¡¯m learning something new everyday. Aira doesn¡¯t seem to like me but I¡¯m grateful nonetheless.


    Placing the tray of dirt outside, I spread a roll of leather on the table and looked over the notes I¡¯ve compiled so far.


    ¡­


    Language of the New World


    Bufu - Boar


    Katoo - Evil, wicked


    Araka - Dragon


    Gallus - Blue chicken thing


    Cerastes - Giant snake


    Puleh - Pure/Human


    Lalai - Run


    Sooah - Good


    Ket - Listen


    Ele - Because


    Ululu - Afraid


    Uleteh - In trouble, punishment


    Tooat - succeed


    Eechee - Climb


    Sheutla - Tree


    Olta - Come


    Eh-eul - Leave


    Ggeutchi - A type of edible grub


    Hatla - Home


    Soomha - Life


    Sova - Awake


    Pho - Breath


    Eheto - Everyday


    Haesan - Day


    Yunan - Night


    O-hh-meu - Want for food (hungry)


    O-hh-tla - Want for water (thirsty)


    Heuk - Fire


    Chaheuk - Cook or form with fire


    Huwa - Thanks


    Huwanna - Thanks (respectful)


    Han - Great


    Ddibi - Dumb


    Wakan - Title of holy one/healer


    Ookito - Bring


    Jeutla - Soup


    Heumeh - Stinky


    Juat - Stop


    Datah - Here


    Doh - That


    Gitaran - Funny/silly one


    Otahla - Call


    Ahktahli - Language


    Ohlen - What


    Shutalo - Mystery/Unknown/Don¡¯t know


    Tahl - Speak


    Ohata - Greetings/Hello


    Korro - Rest


    Chaku - Stuff/Items


    Elatsu - Behave


    Tsakana - It¡¯s okay


    Leti - This


    Beh - Again


    Joonga - Lazy


    Meukun - To eat


    Tlakun - To drink


    Komah - Work


    Ahkun - No do, do nothing


    Waju - Teach


    Hanah - Daughter


    Kahno - SonYou might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Ahbbata - Father


    Ullena - Mother


    Waluam - Elder


    Wuluat - Ancient


    Deelo - Long time


    Satoli - Hunt


    Selo - Turn


    seloselo - Spin


    Vileta - Spread out


    Tukoom - Storm


    Feja - Fairy


    Jah - However, but


    Jee - If


    Eh - The/a


    Pa - And


    Tahtah - Yes


    Tahna - Yes (respectful)


    Aht - No


    Tou - You


    Toulei - Yours


    Ha-oo - Everyone


    Teh - Them


    klo - He


    kla - Her


    Fah - Me/I


    Pahno - Mine


    Hahno - Our


    Tekun - Puts a word into action usually only ¡°kun¡± is added to end of a word


    ?


    Na -


    La -


    Et -


    Tte -


    Eum - Word attached to a noun to signify ownership (My/Mine)


    Tah - Placed at the end of a word to make it a statement. Sometimes used at end of a sentence signifying a strong statement


    Suh - Question mark? Similar to ¡°Tah¡±


    Ahm - Placed at the end of a sentence when speaking to someone greater


    Noh - Added before ¡°you¡± for respect


    Hhkah (sound the ¡°h¡± with clenched teeth) - expression of disapproval


    ¡­


    It¡¯s a work in progress but I¡¯m getting there.


    Baglin had an assortment of items so I traded two cerastes scales for a couple rolls of soft leather and a small vial of ink. With these I¡¯ve been writing every new word I learned to help memorize everything.


    Taking a feather pen I borrowed from a blue chicken outside, I started adding in the new words I learned today.


    ¡­


    ¡°Whew.¡± Today, I decided to walk around the village before dinner. Aside from physical training in the morning to keep in shape, I¡¯ve been holing myself up, studying and meditating. I wouldn¡¯t have made it here alive if it wasn¡¯t for this power so I figure continuing to cultivate it wouldn¡¯t hurt. But all work and no play makes Danny a dull boy.


    The villagers are still wary of me but I try my best to be friendly and greet them. Usually I get a small nod but some of them quickly walk away as if being seen by me would infect them with something. I¡¯ll win them over in time I guess. For now, I¡¯ll learn to talk. Making friends can come later.


    Reaching the small open space between the buildings and plantations, I see a small crowd chatting around something big hanging from a wooden post. ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    Curious, I went to get a better look. Suspended by its feet was a large, pink, overgrown pig bleeding bright red blood from a slit throat. It was clearly a pig but, it¡¯s limbs were weird, as if they were arms and legs. Are those freaking hands?!


    ¡°Ah, Daniel. ~ ~ ~ hunt ~ ~.¡± Dasan, the chief of the village spoke too quickly for me to catch everything but I guess he¡¯s saying something about what the warriors hunted. Bowing my head, I greeted him and went back to gawking at the abomination. The mythical ¡®Orc¡¯ came to mind and I¡¯ve read of them from stories without much thought but physically seeing something like this in front of me was unnerving. It¡¯s like the pig was trying to become human. I felt revulsion as the image of something I¡¯d normally eat was combined with the familiarity of a humanoid figure.


    Okay, it¡¯s probably not that bad. I mean people on Earth eat monkeys in some countries right? I could just¡­ imagine this as something like a monkey¡­ Ugh, even its junk looks human.


    Unfortunately, whether it was the pink color of the skin or the hands and feet on the creature, I couldn¡¯t remove it from the ¡®people¡¯ category of my subconscious mind.


    Below the orc, were several large clay pots filled to the brim with its blood. Once the blood flow slowed to a trickle, the pots were moved out of the way, and one of the hunters walked up with a knife. He cut off the genitals, and threw it towards the onlookers, raising yelps and laughter. My eye twitched as I looked at the piece of flesh at my feet.


    The hunter then started slicing into the beast, letting intestines drop with a *schlop*. That was my cue to leave. I should have stuck with meditation.


    Saying goodbye to the chief, I turned and left the area. If I¡¯m going to live in this world, I¡¯ll have to get used to stuff like this I guess. There are going to be things that clash with the normalcy that I know. The sooner I accept and adopt the new norms, the better. Maybe I¡¯ll ask to join them in their hunts once I can communicate properly.


    Reaching the low stone wall of the outer perimeter, I strengthened my body with chi and climbed a tree to look over the village. Smooth, light brown rooftops of stone caught the late afternoon sunlight and stood prominently in the middle of a deceptively peaceful forest.


    Off to the side, I see a single man digging a series of deep ditches, his rabbit ears drooped in exhaustion. While working the shovel, he was giving me angry looks from his hole. What¡¯s his problem? From the looks of it, he¡¯s being punished for something. Don¡¯t take it out on me dude. When I tried to wave at him, he turned away and continued digging. Whatever.


    I sat, taking in the view and thinking of my future. Will I stay here, living among these people? I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d even do here. I was planning on living a simple life but that was back on Earth where I still had access to technology and the option to see the city whenever I wanted to. Here¡­ it¡¯s a little too simple. I¡¯ll have to learn more about this world to see what my options are but if the level of technology is as low as it looks, I¡¯ll have to keep my expectations low as well. Maybe I should build stuff¡­ or become a teacher. That might be good.


    Honestly, I still have reservations about being around people but this is a new start in more ways than one. I should learn to accept people again¡­ though rooting out trust issues are easier said than done. A part of me even suspects ulterior motives from the Wakan, whose real name I learned was Vebrumma. Still, at least with her and Hania, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to trust them a little. Though, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll tell them I¡¯m from another world.


    Lifting a hand, I made a ball of chi and stretched it as far as I could. I¡¯ve found that it can be stretched thinly to over fifty meters but the further it gets, the harder to control, eventually dissipating at the end.


    Watching the yellow string of light twirl and loop before me, I sat in the tree pondering until sunset.


    ¡­


    Sitting around the infirmary table, Hania said a prayer and we started eating. She often brought her daughter, Kaya, around and ate with me. I¡¯m really thankful to her, not only for feeding and taking care of me these past few weeks but also making me feel welcome. It¡¯s been years since I last sat down with someone for a meal. Although eating alone never really bothered me, it was a nice feeling, sharing a meal with other people.


    Dinner was vegetable soup again with a plate of roasted meat shared between the three of us. Hania placed bits of meat onto her daughters spoon as the little girl dipped it into the stew, carefully balancing it into her tiny mouth. Kaya¡¯s short bunny ears and little hands melted me inside. She¡¯s so adorable!


    Kaya is with her mother most of the time but Yamka, the girl who threw the rock at me, sometimes comes by to take her away. The other day, after an outing with Yamka, Kaya came up to me during my meditation, with a fat green grub wiggling in her hand. ¡°Guetchi!¡± She told me, followed by, ¡°Eat it!¡±


    I took the fat bug with two fingers, wondering if they bite when Kaya opened the little leather bag strapped across her shoulder, and pulled out another grub. I was horrified as she stuck it in her mouth, making a wet popping sound, and panicked, calling out to Hania. Her mother just laughed and assured me it was okay, eating one herself.


    As long as there are other foods available, I doubt I¡¯ll be trying the geutchies any time soon. It gave me a bit of a scare, but knowing Kaya tried to share her snack with me made me grateful to the little munchkin.


    Looking at the mother and daughter, I made a silent promise to repay their kindness one day.


    ¡­


    After dinner, I went into my dream world as usual. I¡¯ve been cautiously exploring the world of gray these past 3 weeks. Whatever I heard on my first outing was gone but I would occasionally hear things scurrying away beyond the haze. For a while, the scene was unchanging no matter how much I warped ahead but just last week, I came across what looked like ruins of a building. The walls were crumbled and broken, barely making an outline of where the structure once stood. In the center were piles of fractured stone and dust making it difficult to tell what kind of place this was. Curious, I dug around for a while but once it was clear I wasn¡¯t going to find anything, I moved on. Days had passed with nothing of note since then.


    Arriving in my ¡®sanctuary,¡¯ as I started calling it, I went straight to the exit and opened a small hole through the barrier. Once I was sure there wasn¡¯t anything out there, I expanded the opening and once again entered the world of gray.


    After experimentation, I discovered, with chi, I could open a window into my sanctuary from anywhere out here. There was also an unseen connection between me and the last place I exited from. I couldn¡¯t see or physically feel it but I knew it was there, connecting me to my hideaway.


    Checking the mark I left in the sand, I continued traveling in the same direction as last time. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m expecting to find out here but I figure, the more of the unknown I know, the better off I might be in the future.


    The thought that this whole thing was a bad idea crossed my mind a few times but whether I was high off of my new abilities or just excited to explore a mysterious world only I had access to, I kept ignoring it. Even if I decided to stop now, just knowing about this place would nag at the back of my mind until I returned again. Plus, that ruin I found added to my, already, burning curiosity. I have so many questions.


    I¡¯m speculating the light in my sanctuary is my soul or spirit and the body I have now is an extension of one or the other. But if that¡¯s the case, what is this place? Some kind of spirit plane? There¡¯s definitely something alive here that¡¯s been following me while keeping itself hidden. If it¡¯s a person, I might be able to get some answers. If it¡¯s something else¡­ I can handle myself. Probably.


    I warped forward, keeping my ears open for any noise, ready to rush to whatever¡¯s been following me, but all was silent. To my disappointment, it was another uneventful night.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ***


    The two moons shined brightly overhead as a wolfkin silently approached the well, where an Amal warrior was washing off a thick layer of dirt and sweat from his body.


    ¡°Trying to sneak up on me Mato? I can smell your ugly mug a mile away.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, can¡¯t help it. Old habits. How much longer do you have on the pits?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± The rabbitkin grunted in regret as his month-long punishment was a constant reminder of is failure. ¡°A little over a week left.¡±


    Mato smiled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little unfair? I mean, nobody got hurt right?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Yeah, but it was my watch. I became complacent, even falling asleep during my shift. Had it been a monster or Gathalian, those children¡­ sigh. This was on me. I don¡¯t like it but I deserve the punishment.¡±


    The wolfkin furrowed his scarred brows at the warrior¡¯s reply. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that pure, you wouldn¡¯t have to be wasting everyday digging latrines. It¡¯s the pure¡¯s fault you¡¯re in trouble in the first place.¡±


    This time the rabbitkin furrowed his brows and stopped rinsing himself. ¡°The pure, Daniel, isn¡¯t responsible for my mistakes. Mato, what are you trying to do here?¡±


    ¡°Dakei, that pure has been a freeloader since he got here. He¡¯s a leech. A parasite! We still don¡¯t know where he came from! And now Wakan is just letting him roam freely as if he is one of us?! Help me get rid of him. We don''t have to kill him, just... get him out of here.¡±


    Dakei looked off to the side in thought. ¡°Mato, you know the Forest Shadows are watching his every move. Wakan wouldn¡¯t leave a stranger completely alone.¡± Turning back to the wolfkin with a concerned look, he spoke softly. ¡°It¡¯s true we¡¯re showing Daniel a lot of hospitality but that is the way of our people. It is a shame, in the eyes of the Great Spirit, to turn away those in need. Besides, I heard he¡¯s trying to learn our language. We¡¯ll be able to learn of his origins soon¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Mato! That¡¯s enough my friend.¡±


    ¡°Your naivete will get you all killed!¡± Mato scowled and stormed away in anger.

 08 - Magic?

    Chapter 8 Magic?


    ¡°The pure who appeared in our village that day turned out to be a Magus like no other.¡±


    -Halian of the Amal People


    Amal Village, Forest of Despair


    Vebrumma


    ¡°¡­He seems troubled. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll do something rash.¡± Dakei, one of our warriors came to me with a concern. It seems Mato still hasn¡¯t let go of the matter. Sigh.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me know, Dakei. You may return to your duty.¡±


    ¡°Yes Wakan.¡±


    Now, what to do¡­ Daniel doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person but it¡¯s still too early to completely rule him out as a potential threat so I can agree with Mato this. However, his heart is guided by his anger. I will have to have a long talk with him.


    ¡°Kana.¡±


    ¡°Yes Wakan.¡± A woman with green face-paint appeared beside me and bowed.


    ¡°Call for Mato. If he¡¯s on watch, find someone to replace him.¡±


    ¡°Yes Wakan.¡± Kana stood and disappeared from sight.


    ¡­


    Daniel


    Aira seemed distracted today. She was fidgety and held the hourglass in both hands, giggling at the falling sand within. Either she¡¯s broken or there¡¯s something she really wants to get to soon. We¡¯ve barely even finished one hourglass rotation but if she¡¯s this eager to get out of here, I guess we can end it early. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to watch the villagers working again. Maybe I¡¯ll find something I could help with.


    Once I suggested we end the session, the catgirl excitedly agreed and dashed out of the room. I sat, chuckling at her speed. Just what is she so excited about?


    Clearing the dining table, I thought about the different work I¡¯ve seen villagers do here and which ones I might be able to assist in without being a burden. Leather tanning¡­ weaving tapestries¡­ I guess I can only do manual labor for now.


    After seeing a few people come in with injuries, I became a little interested in medicinal herbs. Perhaps I could ask Vebrumma or Hania to teach me in the future. Their medicine garden had a myriad of flowering plants which Vebrumma constantly pruned and nurtured. Based on what I¡¯ve seen, Hania seems to be her understudy as I¡¯d often see her receiving instruction while making certain medicine or when treating the more serious wounds on villagers.


    Thinking of Hania, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been alone for too long but I¡¯m starting to develop a crush on her. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t? She¡¯s a very gentle and caring person. It¡¯s totally not because she¡¯s pretty and has amazing thighs¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering where her husband was or if she even had one. There are definitely couples here so she was probably married. Sigh. One thing at a time. Language barrier¡¯s a bitch. Glancing at the woman I¡¯m crushing on, she was busy bandaging a wound on a viking bunny. This village probably has less than three hundred people in it but with only two healers, they get pretty busy sometimes. She also has her daughter to care for so Hania has her hands full.


    ¡°Gallu bit Aira~ Kaya ~~ heal ~~¡± Kaya was playing with tools on the worktable. I really want to get her some actual toys. Maybe I should carve her something. Shaking away my idle thoughts, I stepped outside and headed for the fields.


    The sky is overcast today, the clouds dark and heavy. Not minding the weather, the villagers continued working on their various tasks. A few elderly men sat at a table, just outside a home, playing some kind of board game. So they have stuff like that here too huh? Wonder if they¡¯ll like chess. My eyes kept going up to their heads as some of them were bald. Though the ears were still somewhat furry, it contrasted with the baldness on the thin old men. Okay, stop staring.


    As I was nearing the village square, a man with drooping wolf-like ears was walking in the opposite direction, his face downcast and scowling. The man was about a foot taller than me with scars all over his face. Don¡¯t make eye contact. Just look the other way and keep wal-


    ¡°Woah!¡± The ground rushed up at me as my foot was hooked and pulled back. Throwing my hands forward, I caught myself and sprang up into a defensive position only to watch the back of the culprit continuing up the road like nothing happened. What the hell?!


    Seriously, what did I do?! There seem to be people who really don¡¯t like me here. I get that I¡¯m an outsider and look a little different but¡­ What the fuck?!


    Dusting the dirt off my hands and knees, I glared at his back for a while, fighting the impulse to attack. I tried to reason with myself and calm down. If I attack him, he would probably die. I¡¯m too used to using chi in my strikes and something would likely slip. If I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll just be kicked out, losing my connection to the only people I know in this world. And that¡¯s the best outcome I can think of.


    Calm down¡­ FUCK! Breathing heavily, I slid my hands into my hair and gripped my skull for a while. If it¡¯s something I did, then fine. But when people come out of the blue and attack me for no reason¡­ Just breathe¡­ *huff* *huff* ¡­I need music.


    Knowing that I am a little irrational with my anger keeps me from crossing certain lines but it¡¯s a slippery slope. With my phone on limited power, I¡¯ll need to find another way to get away from it before I make a mistake one day.


    ¡°Whew.¡± Finally calming down enough, I drop my hands and try to think of something else. Puppies¡­ Kittens¡­ Adorable Kaya¡­ Filling my mind with everything cute I could think of, I headed towards the fields.


    ¡­


    Halian


    ¡°Now, push your mana into the water and bend it to your will. Raise it up from the bowl and keep it there.¡± I observed the children concentrating on their bowls of water as they sat on the hay covered field. Each child¡¯s mana glowed with various shades of red as they infused it into the clear liquid. A few successfully raise the liquid up and hold it in front of them but many are only partially successful. ¡°Lito! Don¡¯t stick your hand in there!¡± *whack*


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha!¡±


    ¡°Mana only!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s haard.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is difficult. The best things in life is often difficult. But as I¡¯ve told you all, with practice, you will grow stronger and possibly even bend iron one day! Think of failure as practice. Now try again and keep trying!¡± Lito, one of the younger children, gets easily discouraged especially after seeing what the older ones can do. Tapping the thin teaching stick on my shoulder, I watched the faint red glow of his mana form as the little boy properly reattempted the exercise.


    ¡°For those of you who were successful, form the water into an animal. It can be anything you want. If you¡¯re struggling, remember what we were talking about. Think of what you know about water. It¡¯s fluidity, how it gives us life, use words if- Hmm?¡± It seems sir Daniel has come to observe us. He stood on the road, watching with curious eyes. I wasn¡¯t there to witness his clearing of the new field but heard it was impressive. Some claim to have seen his mana flash yellow, but he looks a bit too young to be a Magus. Even I myself am still stuck at the threshold of becoming one.


    Though it¡¯s possible to restore youth to a certain degree, that requires many charged mana stones and even greater amounts of gold to perform the procedure so it would be interesting if the rumors turned out to be true.


    ¡°Daniel! Come join us!¡± I waved him over, wanting to see his level of magic for myself. There are some who are wary of him but I sense a few of the Forest Shadows nearby. If he tries anything, I¡¯m sure we can keep him in check. Let us see this rumored mage in action. Perhaps I can request a demonstration.


    Once he stood before me, I asked, ¡°Could you demonstrate some simple water manipulation for us sir Daniel?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ water do?¡± It seems he doesn¡¯t quite understand.


    Pushing forth my mana, I formed a small ball of light orange above my bowl of water. Strangely, Daniel seemed surprised. His eyes went from the children and back to the ball of mana before me in quick succession. Indeed a odd response.


    Continuing the demonstration, I infused the water and raised it up from the bowl, shaping it into a man.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Daniel looked amazed. I thought he was a mage.


    Returning the water into the bowl, I handed it to Daniel and motioned for him to try.


    The strange man held the bowl for a moment then his hands glowed yellow as he formed his mana. So it was true. Just what kind of training did he do to achieve this level at his age?


    Daniel pushed his mana into the water, giving it a beautiful glow, then pulled it out. The mana glowed above his bowl, not a drop of water held within. He pushed it into the water again and pulled it out once more. What is he doing? Daniel repeated this process, pushing more mana into it each time until the entire space between us glowed brightly with the power of a Magus.


    ¡°Ch-children, get up and back away.¡±


    Daniel


    Pouring more chi into the bowl, I attempted to lift the water again. I think I saw it ripple this time. Is the chi still not enough? I tried commanding the water to rise but still nothing. Even the children could do it so I started feeling a little self conscious. Why isn¡¯t it working?


    I had come in for a closer look after seeing the kids manifest a similar power as me and control water with it. The whole thing looked more like magic than anything else, bringing me to rethink my assumptions.


    Their teacher, a slim man with high brows, had long brown hair in a ponytail and a neatly trimmed beard. When he called me over, I was glad, thinking I could learn more about this power. But he¡¯s currently staring at me with a confused look on his face as I failed at a task that was essentially child¡¯s play.


    I started doubling the chi with each try but all it did was create ripples in the water as I pushed mana through the entire bowl itself. For the first time, I was actually starting to feel the drain, most of my chi floating outside my body. Then I had a thought. Magic. If what I¡¯m using isn¡¯t chi, maybe I¡¯m thinking of it the wrong way. They each have a bowl¡­ Did they create their own water? Is this not responding to me because I didn¡¯t make it?


    Emptying the bowl, I closed my eyes and started thinking of water. Life sustaining water¡­ H2O. Two hydrogen, one oxygen. With that thought, I commanded my ¡®mana¡¯ to become water.


    *PFFSSSSHHHHH* Startled, I opened my eyes to see the field partially flooded.


    ¡°Waaahahaha~¡±


    ¡°Aaaahahaha~¡±


    ¡°Water! water!¡± The children jumped around, splashing and kicking through the water.


    ¡°Whoa. I did it.¡± That¡¯s a lot of water. The amount was enough to fill a small pond.


    ¡°Magus¡­¡± The magic teacher stared wide eyed and mouth agape, only uttering a single word.


    I stood frozen, too excited and overwhelmed by what I just did. I created water. This is amazing! ¡°I created water! Ahahahaha! Holy crap!¡±


    Staring at my hands, I wondered what else could be done with magic. Wait¡­ if I could make water with magic¡­ could I make other things?


    Pushing out a small amount of mana, I commanded it to become rubber. Suddenly, I felt a pull as more mana was taken from me, leaving me slightly dizzy. Then an off-white, lumpy thing formed above my hand. Taking hold of the thumb-sized object, it was slightly sticky and felt more like chewed up gum than the kind of rubber I was hoping for.


    I have no idea what rubber is made of at a molecular level and for all I know, this could be its natural form. So this might be a success. But my mana was forcefully pulled in it¡¯s creation. It wasn¡¯t like that with water. Although I had more mana out, it created a much greater amount of matter than mana used.


    The only difference between the creation of water and rubber was knowing what they were made of. If that¡¯s the case, as long as I know how something is made, could I pretty much make anything?


    Splashing through the quickly draining water, I ran back to the infirmary.


    ¡­


    ¡°Okay, chicken pen, ink, blank leather roll¡­¡± I set up everything I needed to start copying the periodic table and looked around, eager to start as soon as possible. ¡°Do I need anything else?¡±


    The viking bunny was gone but Vebrumma was in the back, working on some concoction while Hania was reading a story to her daughter. I probably look pretty silly right now, pacing around the dining table with a wide grin. Even Kaya was giving me a curious look. But I was too excited to care about my image at the moment.


    Since my phone battery is limited, I tried to calm myself and plan this out more carefully. Sitting down, I started thinking of other materials that I should try creating. Medicine would be nice but my knowledge in that area is near nonexistent. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s enough battery life to research which ones do what. Maybe I¡¯ll look up penicillin but besides that, my mind is blank in this area.


    Picking up the pen, I started listing things I thought would be useful. Depending on how complex the molecular structures were, I may have to give up on some of them.


    ¡°Here we go¡­¡± Powering up the phone, I waited for it to load then frowned. The battery power was at 39%. The freaking phone was off! Why is it at 39%?! Okay, calm down. Clock is ticking. The phone was already three years old so I guess I shouldn¡¯t complain too much about the battery.


    Switching the device to power save mode, I opened one of the chemistry apps I had and brought up the periodic table.


    ¡­


    ¡°Whew.¡± There was 7% battery life left when I stopped. Thankfully, the leather rolls were a meter long and half as wide since the pen didn¡¯t allow for small writing. I ended up completely filling one out with the table of elements. The leather I was using for my language notes was also filled to the edge with structural formulas and explanations on how to read the periodic table.


    I should have gotten another roll from Baglin. I underestimated the amount of space I needed and couldn¡¯t go through everything I wanted. Though I could write on the back, I would risk smudging the ink as it takes a while to dry. This is fine too. It¡¯ll give me a chance to go back if I missed something. Even without all the materials, if I can create elements, the periodic table alone will give me an edge in this world.


    Switching off the phone, I looked over the molecular diagrams drawn on the soft leather. The simpler ones didn¡¯t take up much space like graphene and fused quartz. It started to become more complex with ethanol and synthetic rubber but the diagram that took up a good portion of the leather was penicillin. There were several types so I just picked the newest one I found.


    I doubt I¡¯ll be using the penicillin unless death was certain. There¡¯s no telling how the body would respond at the slightest mistake in its molecular structure.


    Now, what should I try to make first? The food here was always bland so I decided to try making sodium. My mana regenerated enough to try making a small amount. After doing the math, I came up with 11 protons, 12 neutrons, and 11 electrons. Forming a marble sized ball of mana, I commanded it to become the corresponding element. What materialized was a golf ball sized silvery lump of metal.


    Grabbing the item out of the air, I turned it in my hand, wondering what I did wrong. Salt is sodium right? Dangit.


    Picking up my phone again, I thought about whether I should look this up or save the remaining battery life. Considering how the power kept draining, I mind as well just use it up here.


    Powering on the device once more, I searched the various apps and finally found the issue. Table salt is sodium chloride. Huh. Lifting the corner on one of the leathers, I wrote in NaCl on the back then returned to my phone. There was 5% power left. Once this turns off again, it¡¯s going to be off for good.


    I felt a little emotional. This was the only connection I had to my original world. A modern marvel I¡¯ve taken for granted. You served me well.


    I mind as well listen to some music one last time. Holding the phone in my palms like a dying pet, I closed all the running apps and tapped the music player. Scrolling to the album granpa Kwan first let me listen to, I played it one last time. Chopin¡¯s Four Ballads</a>.


    Walking next to my bed, I sat on the floor with eyes closed, like the first time I heard this album. I replayed the scene when grandpa Kwan taught me to be human again.


    Close your eyes. Breath slowly and deeply. Listen to the sound of each note. Follow it, chase after it with your ears¡­ Child, you have every right to be angry, but anger is a poison. Do not hold it for too long lest it turns you into the very monsters that hurt you. If you have trouble letting go, listen to this and let it carry you away from your anger.


    I thought of everything that happened since that day. My life had many twists and turns, some leading into very dark places. But ultimately, I was saved by Grandpa¡¯s guidance. Suddenly a lot of things clustered my mind. The fact that I can''t take care of grandpa''s grave anymore. The few people I cared about leaving the world before me. Feeling lost and alone in another world¡­ Am I crying? I felt hot tears streaming down my face and soon struggled to keep the snot in my nose.


    I sat until the phone finally lost power during the last ballad. Placing a hand on the device, I took a moment to wipe away my snot when someone pushed a cloth in front of me. Following the hand, I looked up to find Hania as well as Kaya, Yamka and a few others sitting around me. Well this is embarrassing.


    ¡°What was that? It was nice.¡± Hania smiled.


    ¡°¡­Chopin¡­ my teachers favorite music.¡±

 09 - Curious?

    09 -Curious?


    ¡°Curiosity is like a dangerous and wonderful toy. Depending on where you take it, it can either lead us to advancement or bring about our downfall. I¡¯ve gotten in trouble many times for wanting to know the unknown but never like this. Never would I have imagined the consequences for taking my curiosity someplace it never should have gone. Friedrich Nietzsche said it well, ¡®And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.¡¯¡±


    -Journal of the High Magus


    Vebrumma


    Sigh. I looked at my treasured herbs standing tall despite its missing leaves.


    It¡¯s been almost a week since Daniel¡¯s accident. I recall the wonderful music he played from his artifact before setting his hand on fire. He had gone to clear the dining table when he suddenly screamed. The strange stone he held remained burning after it was dropped, even exploding when we tried to put it out with water. Thankfully there were only minor injuries.


    I heard from Kana later that Daniel performed a strange summoning magic earlier that day, flooding one of the fields. This man is starting to worry me. As a person he is fine, but I feel like he is the type prone to causing accidents.


    We were able to save Daniel¡¯s hand but I didn¡¯t heal him completely. Like everyone else here, he needs to learn from the pain of his mistakes. I also forbade him from practicing his magic for a while. He seemed to understand my warning but only two days later, he started going into the woods to continue experimenting. From what Halian told me, it sounded like Daniel lacks training in magic. It is very strange. He has the power of a Magus without the proper knowledge.


    Looking up from my garden, I see Daniel walking back from the woods, likely after another session with his strange ability. It¡¯s been confirmed that Daniel is able to create things with his mana. This is¡­ too strange. There are myths of the forgotten summoning magic but using mana to create physical objects is unheard of. It just added to the man¡¯s mystery. I¡¯ll have to keep a close watch on him. Spirit willing, there are no more accidents.


    Prepping an empty section of my garden for planting, I tried to shake off my worries. One good thing happened though. Mato seems to have calmed down after some counseling, even more when Daniel came to him with a peace offering.


    Daniel


    ¡°Hey Mato!¡± I¡¯ve been visiting my guinea pig for the past few days, watching for any signs of poisoning. He didn¡¯t look happy to see me at first but became very sheepish after my second visit.


    ¡°Mmn.¡± Oh, he grunts! Now that¡¯s progress!


    ¡°A gift.¡± I said, pulling out a lump of salt. The wolfman still doesn¡¯t look at me but accepts my gift. I studied him for a moment before saying goodbye. ¡°Later.¡±


    It¡¯s difficult to tell if there were any changes to his body, especially with all the scars on him, but if he still looks healthy after a couple more weeks, I¡¯ll try using the salt myself.


    The incident with sodium made me very paranoid. It probably wouldn¡¯t have been as bad if I had taken the cloth Hania offered at that time but, in my embarrassment, I wiped my face with my hand and went to clear my mess on the table. I planned on washing up at the well anyway. Little did I know, the metal would react with the snot and tears when I grabbed it.


    I was fortunate that Vebrumma knew some kind of healing magic but even with that, I have to keep my dominant hand bandaged with a bunch of mashed herbs, a constant reminder of my blunder.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I realize I¡¯ve been reckless with playing with magic and elements I had little understanding of. So I decided to stick with what I know is safe and take extra caution with the things I make. Vebrumma banned me from using magic but I figured it should be fine if it¡¯s outside the village, away from people.


    So far, I¡¯ve been experimenting with iron, trying to control the amount of material that forms with the mana. There¡¯s a growing pile of lumpy pieces of metal, that were supposed to be spoons, in a ditch where I¡¯ve been practicing. Controlling the density of mana seems to help but I need a lot more practice with it as what I make still comes out big and disfigured.


    Once I have a good level of control, I¡¯ll be able to finally ¡®manacraft¡¯ my own bar of gold. I don¡¯t want a lumpy mess as a bucket list item, so I¡¯ve been putting it off. If I die in this world, I¡¯ll at least have one thing I always wanted.


    ¡­


    After dinner, I went into the world of gray again. No matter which direction you face in this place, it¡¯s the same scene anywhere you look and to prevent going in circles, I¡¯ve been marking the ground with an arrow. But something strange happened a few days ago. The arrow was slightly off. It looked like it was redrawn and my footprints didn¡¯t look right either. On the next arrow I drew, I made it face the 9:00 position and put more pressure on the corner of my left foot.


    When I returned the next day, the arrow was redrawn and instead of footprints, there was a message written in something similar to Chinese characters. Someone was redirecting me. But for what purpose? I wondered why they haven¡¯t shown themselves and instead chose this roundabout way of leading me around.


    With the possibility that this could be a trap, I wished I could manacraft myself a weapon. I could form my mana but nothing happens when I try to create something. Even if what I¡¯d make would be crude at best, it was better than nothing.


    Since my original direction was lost and there was possible contact with the people of this world, I kept following this new one¡­ which led me to my current dilemma.


    Before me was a large dilapidated structure that resembled a small castle. It looked like it was abandoned for a very long time but was mostly intact with few cracks on the walls. I felt some kind of power emanating from the building, almost drawing me in. Something is in there. I knew this could be a trap but it¡¯s the first intact structure I¡¯ve found in this place and I wanted to know who or what led me here. Besides, if I didn¡¯t go in now, I knew I would enter later so I might as well just do it.


    With that thought, I stepped through the doorless entrance, ready to respond to a possible ambush. But it was empty inside, no furniture to hide behind or scraps of anything to cover possible traps. Everywhere I looked was just stone and metal. I appeared to be in an entrance hall, a short but wide room with a high ceiling. On my left and right were stairs leading up to higher floors while at the center of the far wall were large metallic double doors where I felt the mysterious power was coming from. Sending out my mana, I tried to feel for any pressure plate traps in the dust covered floor but found it couldn¡¯t penetrate the stone. Crap.


    Carefully moving forward, I checked each stone section before stepping onto them. I slowly made my way towards the door and was about to push it open when I suddenly started hearing static.


    ¡°Tchzz -on¡¯t zzz in zzz Don¡¯t g-zz¡­¡±


    The hell was that? Startled, I pulled my hand back wondering what that was. It sounded like someone was speaking through a bad radio connection. Maybe someone from the inside?


    I looked at the metal door again with second thoughts. Perhaps I¡¯m being too hasty. Maybe I could check the upper levels before entering through here.


    Stepping away from the doors, I headed towards the stairs, using the glow of my mana to light the way. Once I reached the top, I started hearing voices. They were too far away to hear clearly but I was sure it was a language I¡¯ve never heard before with sharp guttural sounds, almost resembling a beast¡¯s growls.


    Climbing over a broken wall, I entered a dark room, following the voices. The floor was broken and cracked in several places where dim light was shining through. Drawing near the closest crack, I peered down into the room beneath and gasped at the sight.


    A pale humanoid creature was bowing before eight large figures conversing in a circle. They were all naked and hairless with limbs unnaturally long. Their hands and feet were elongated and ended in several sharp points. But the most disturbing thing was their faces. There was nothing there. No eyes, nose, mouths, or ears. Just gray skin stretched across where their faces should be.


    Suddenly, everything went quiet and I found myself unable to move. A chilling current enveloped my entire being, preventing even the slightest of movements. The eight figures slowly looked up towards me, as I tried to fight against the force holding me in place. I could only watch as their jaws started pulling their skin apart, tearing into a hideous grin that stretched from one side of the head to the other, revealing a blackness darker than anything I ever thought possible. Oh Lord. What have I gotten myself into¡­


    Just when I thought this was my end, the force around me shattered and I was yanked back through the way I came. The walls rushed away in a blur and I watched the castle disappear in the haze of the gray world.


    ¡­


    ¡°AAAHH!¡± I shot up in cold sweat, gasping and trembling in the darkness. The blue moonlight streaming through the window assured me I was back in the real world.


    Getting up, I staggered and tripped over another bed, falling onto the floor. My balance was off. With shuddered breath, I crawled to the wall and used it to guide myself into the kitchen.


    I gulped down water directly from the pitcher and poured the rest over my head, the cool liquid helping get my nerves under control.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    I stood, leaning against a wall, dazed with the feeling that I had a brush with something far worse than death. I have no idea how I made it out of that. Something pulled me out, whether it had to do with my sanctuary or some outside force, I have no clue. Whatever it was, I was saved and I¡¯m grateful. It also seems when I¡¯m forced back out into my body, something doesn¡¯t match up quite right and takes time to regain my balance. The first time this happened was when Aira pulled that prank on me but it was nowhere near this bad.


    Once I felt I could walk without falling over, I stepped outside into the moonlight. I don¡¯t think I could go back to sleep after what just happened. A light run should help clear my head.