ã€ŠSurvival Mageã€‹


 Prologue + Chapter 1

    Prologue

    When ken was a young boy, he became insatiably fascinated by the arcane. The unknown to be more precise, and he loved anything mythical. Like any young boy, he was fascinated by the legends of dragons and gods. But where others were content with the bedtime stories, he was not.

    At the juvenile age of ten, his passion for study were well and truly ignited by a family trip to South America. A visit to the Mayan ruins left a grand impression on his young mind, and his studies of history and especially languages ensued. He may have even started earlier if he was smarter at the time. Alas, his interests were ignited, and he was off like a manic sponge.

    By the age of twelve, he started running out of interesting documentaries, so he focused on languages. This way he could read original old texts and scriptures. His birth language was English, having been born in the USA. The second language he became proficient at was Latin.

    When that started sailing smoothly, he started in on Egyptian, then Ionic from the ancient Greeks followed by the Attic Greek from later generations. By the time he hit high school, he still hadn¡¯t had a decent relationship, as he was too enlightened by history to find interest in their narrow minded thoughts.

    Having read old documents and accounts of great scholars from history, his mind was beyond that of a child long ago. At least maturity wise, he was leaps and bounds beyond others his age.

    His body was average by all accounts, and possibly even considered short. His body was slim, though he worked jobs often for study money. He worked at an old grain mill in town since he was thirteen, and moved irrigation pipes or mended fences daily during the summer months. His parents weren¡¯t poor, but he still had to support his own interests.

    During his junior year of high school he found interest in the ancient language of Futhark, having seen it often used in games and lore. It was by far his favorite, and in his opinion it had a certain edge to it. Unlike other languages, he felt a kindred connection to it. It was also the easiest to learn, taking just under three months to fully comprehend.

    Unfortunately, his interests waned as fictions and novels took center stage during his senior year. He was enthralled by the idea of another world, and day dreamed constantly. Finally one day his teachers banned him from novels in class, along with any electrical device. It wasn¡¯t that he needed the credits for the classes, since he far surpassed the requirements long ago. But his influence on the other students was detrimental.

    They either looked up to him, or hated him. Mostly it was just a childish competition to prove they were smarter than him. It made the other kids more interested in their work, and even when they flaunted high grades in his face, he simply waved it off as childish.

    He was usually disinterested in the other kids¡¯ conversations or affairs, so when the teacher explained to him after class why his attentiveness was necessary to keep the others on track¡­ he wasn¡¯t happy in the least.

    So, during classes he was detained to boredom and busy work. Finally, he simply did a month¡¯s advance worth of busy work from his overzealous teachers just to gain some peace. Thus, it was during calculus class, as he sat quietly observing the grains of wood in the desk that his life would change.

    <u>Chapter: 01</u>

    He stared at the flowing grains of wood in the desk, contemplating a new game coming out that evening. He had it on preorder, probably already downloading as he waited for school to release him from stupendous boredom. His keychain rattled on the desk as he played with the mini ankh (Egyptian Cross). A small amethyst embedded at the center refracted sunlight across the room glaring off the teachers monitor.

    Of course, the teacher knew he was screwing with her, and this was her punishment for taking his book rights away last quarter. Evidently reading manga in calculus gave off the wrong image.

    So now, his peers and the teacher sat irritably as they regretted their actions. Of course, he could doodle on the desk, but a priceless mural he drew already took up most of the space. Hieroglyphs covered the surface talking about war gods and eternal freedom. A depiction of Anubis smiting a man touching a book as a shrine to Ken¡¯s punishment took the centerpiece. A summoning circle in the upper left written in Futhark was a belated attempt at summoning a book.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Of course, nobody else in the room could understand much of it, and they definitely didn¡¯t understand the cuss words scrawled at random in different languages. He finally put away the extensive keychain, much to the others relief.

    He faced the window beside him, and for whatever god given reason stared at the sun for a moment, as if to contest its unwavering gaze. Maybe he was just pissed it wouldn¡¯t move faster, or maybe it was fate. Whatever the reason, his actions were rewarded with a large blind spot at the center of his vision, and for reasons unknown, that feeling like something is close to your forehead appeared.

    The tickling sensation ran up his brow, over his head setting his scalp tingling. Flinching back he reached for his pencil to feign disinterest, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. A moment later he glimpsed it beyond the dark spot in his vision and reached for the blurry image.

    That¡¯s when his life changed forever. The pencil was pointing upward, and when he reached for the blurry image, confident in his actions. The pencil rolled across the desk slightly, towards his outstretched hand.

    One moment, then two, then three passed. Time seemed to freeze as his mind stopped working like an overheated motherboard. Then his brain seemed to realize he wasn¡¯t breathing and he gasped, realization dawning on him.

    Was the pencil haunted? Making a discreet Greek hand sign to ward off evil, the pencil didn¡¯t react. Some of his peers were giving him weird looks, so he was forced to stop.

    ¡®But¡­ what the blazes was going on here! Did he bump the table, or was there a tremor? No, it was impossible for the pencil to move sideways like that. Plus the pictures on the walls were all stationary and even.¡¯

    Going over the events from memory, he recalled the only thing odd was his staring at the sun and that odd sensation. Steeling himself, he stared at the sun again and turned back. The dot was back, though fading and the feeling was faint but present.

    Taking his hand, he grabbed at the pencil. Unfortunately he grabbed it that time, despite the hindered sight. So he tried a couple more times, and finally the pencil rolled towards him. The trick was being confident about grasping at a pencil physically, fully expecting it to move. When the pencil moved, the tingling sensation became a pulse.

    It spiked for a moment, familiarizing him with the newfound sensation. On further inspection, he felt the sensation originated inside his head. Have you ever felt your brain move before? Neither did he, until that day, and at that moment it greatly confused him.

    It was as if he was a newborn who just realized the limbs attached to itself could move and grasp things. That his legs could take him places and his muscles could stretch and grow.

    Fully sure of the sensation now, he tried replicating it. The easiest way to feel the sensation was hovering his finger just above the skin of his forehead between the eyes.

    He faced away from the class leaning on his arm, hand on face. His finger angled oddly to hover over his forehead. The more the sensation rushed over his head, the further it spread. Down his neck, to his shoulders, down his arms and finally his hands. At that point, he no longer needed to hold the weird posture.

    Like his new ¡®muscle¡¯ had finally woken enough to move, he could sense it constantly now. As a test, he stopped thinking about it and the feeling receded until it was only a pinprick in his forehead.

    Concentrating on it once again, brought out the sensation to its fullest and it continued inching down his body. His skin crawled with the new sense, and his intrigue was completely captured. Unsure what he just discovered, the bell rang and he shot from his seat pulling his oversized backpack behind him.

    It was his last class, so he raced down the hall weaving past towering tall kids in a hurry to get home. His old pickup truck rumbled to life, and ten minutes later he was fast closing on his home.

    His father owned a small ranch, and his mother worked from home. She worked over the internet for some financial company. As usual, his parents were out with friends since it was a Friday night. They had an adult game night at different houses every time, and he was in luck since he had the house to himself.

    He didn¡¯t want to be disturbed, and their incessant whistling or talking irked him on normal days even. Today, he wanted quiet more than normal. So, as he entered the kitchen near the entrance, he slipped the pizza they ordered him from the counter, and made a beeline for his room down a hall.

    He scarfed down a slice of extra cheesy meat deluxe, before collapsing back onto his bed. The sensation was soon back and making fast headway. It was disturbing to feel when it passed his groin, but he persevered. Slowly at that, but it crept along. Imagine a hundred bees buzzing dangerously around your jewels and see how well you react!

    For whatever reason, along the way he noticed it would pause momentarily, like it was blocked. Then move on as if persevering passed a dam of some kind. When the sensation finally passed his toes, a searing pain engulfed his head. Then, just like before, the sensation passed down his body slowly.

    The pain was so excruciating, his breathe stilled for long moments as it came to pass. When the pain finally tapered off, his breathing returned to normal and he let loose a halfhearted scream. Cursing his curiosity, he groaned sinking further into the bed. Of course, being who he was though, this event only pushed his mind beyond curiosity, into the realm of speculation.

    His thoughts had little time to process though. Passing out from exhaustion, he dreamt of random flashing lights and endless abyss surrounding a pulsating sun. Aurora flared across the surface in a myriad of colors, finally calming his mind, before everything went dark.

 Chapter 2

    <u>Chapter: 02</u>

    When Ken awoke, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a helpless groan. His body was covered in sweat, and when he tried to stand his eyes ached heavily from the nauseating sensation of his vision spinning. He swayed dangerously, as if he was a toddler once again. But soon, the pleasant feeling of solidity returned and the vertigo dissipated.

    Stumbling to his dresser, he grabbed a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom. The water woke him up fast, and the cold water helped bring clarity to his mind. He mumbled to himself confused. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡±

    The falling water held no response, but his body held many mysteries. His once clear pale skin was now marred by countless lines. Running down his meridians, thin blue lines lay embedded in in his skin. They were slight, and could possibly be mistaken as blood vessels on his arms. But one look in the mirror revealed their obvious appearance contrasted with the unmarred skin stretched over his chest.

    The lines replicated themselves on his backside, and converged on his spine. Running up his neck in a thick line disappearing under his black hair. The lines over his front joined the others on his back wrapping around his collar bone.

    More strikingly though, were the eyes. They were previously a muddled combination of yellow brown and green. But now the color was strikingly prismatic, as well as a deep dark blue. A clear line of green ran the edge like trim, and a dim golden hue seemed to emanate out from there, dissipating rapidly into the pure whites of his eyes.

    ¡°Seriously! How the hell is that possible¡­¡± He dressed in his usual blue jeans, white t-shirt, and black hoody before hurrying back to his room. ¡°How is mom ever going to believe me? Maybe I can blame the school or-.¡±

    The sentence froze on his tongue as the newest surprise greeted him in his room. Near his pillow where he was previously sleeping, a creature snoozed lazily. The little thing was covered in a film, like a newborn calf. More strikingly, was its appearance. Sensing he was coming closer the animal shifted and sat up dazedly.

    It resembled a dragon in many ways, wings included. But there were differences, among some were a shorter muzzle, mostly furry body, and feathers along the tips of its tail and across the wings edge.

    The color was somewhere close to a dark green with a brownish belly. To be honest, it was actually kind of cute. If he was dreaming, he¡¯d probably cozy up to it in a New York second.

    Unfortunately, he just underwent a mysterious metamorphosis, endured severe pain, found some form of magic, and I was hungry. Adding a newborn dragon like creature in my bed was not in the plans. Honestly, he just wanted it to leave so his life could settle down to a semi-freakish level. ¡°Umm, shoo. Get along now, you can leave. The windows right there, go on!¡± He tried waving the beast towards the only window but instead it stopped observing him curiously and somehow ¡®smiled¡¯.

    Then it proceeded to make a small *rawr, reminiscent of a squeak before running straight at him. The next thing he knew it was on his chest licking his face and neck tickling him, before crawling over still flailing arms and face to settle on top of his head. Finally grasping the savage beast, he held it up under the front legs as it mewled indignantly. In the back of his mind he noticed it was a female. But in the front of his mind, alarm bells were cracking from ringing so much, trying to figure out what to do.

    ¡°Ken, breakfast is almost ready!¡± His mother¡¯s sing song voice resonates down the hallway. Suddenly his dad said something making him turn frantic once again. ¡°He¡¯s probably got his headphones on, I¡¯ll go fetch him.¡±

    As the footsteps hurried towards Ken¡¯s door, he was turning back and forth freaking out. The little dragon swinging with him, making startled little sounds. Finally, he just shoved her in his large sweatshirt pocket just as the door opened.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re up, why didn¡¯t you respond the first time?¡± He moved away from the open door while Ken followed him down the hallway.

    ¡°I was just about to come to breakfast, then you opened the door.¡± I made up a lie, avoiding the question.

    When they reached the kitchen, his mom put a steaming plate of food in front of him, before continuing with her own meal. They started talking about something their friends were up to, but Ken was too busy to listen. Eating with one hand he tried holding the animal in his pocket still. He was just about to start into the bacon when crap hit the fan though.

    The little rascal slipped past his fingers and ran up his arm snatching the piece of bacon for itself, gnawing with its tiny pointy teeth. My parents stared wide eyed, as the beast lounged on my shoulder, making contented sounds of happiness. ¡°I¡­ can try to explain?¡±

    Their gazes rotated as one, moving to Ken¡¯s face. Then their eyes widened slightly obviously noticing the differences in his appearance.

    Judging by their stony expressions, they weren¡¯t taking it well. ¡°Ken¡­ do you know what you did?¡± He didn¡¯t respond so she continued, leaning back in defeat. What surprised him, was how they were more dejected than surprised.

    ¡°Y-you unlocked your power, and summoned a familiar.¡± His mother looked close to crying, but his father simply clasped her hand in his own. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She turned to my dad and buried her face in his chest. ¡°W-we tried so h-hard to stop this! I¡¯m so sorry Ken, we failed you!¡± She was openly wailing now, causing Ken and his father to both flinch.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably confused, and it¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s just¡­ bad memories you know? *sigh* Well you should know we¡¯re not from here first of all. Your mother and I, we came from across the barrier. A completely different world, separate from earth, yet very close. Most myths and gods on earth came from the other side, at different times in history.¡±

    ¡°The Barrier was erected thousands of years ago, when mana was dissipating in this realm due to expansion. Some realms simply grow too large to support themselves, you see? The mages worldwide found it easiest to simply contain the mana of course, so they crafted another dimension of sorts. This also allowed regular humans to live a more peaceful life, away from any large scale conflicts between magi families.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°How long have you been like this, and how long has the beast been here?¡± He gestures at the happy dragon on my shoulder making content eating sounds.

    ¡°Uh¡­ just this morning I think? Did I do something wrong, and what do you mean? I don¡¯t understand. I mean, it makes sense for other dimensions to exist, but to move between?¡±

    ¡°Oh thank gods, it¡¯s a good thing we caught this early. We¡¯d be dead meat if you hid this for too long. To answer your question, it¡¯s complicated. We came across the barrier using a complicated enchantment tool. What¡¯s important, is that you get back across. If you don¡¯t the council will know, and they will kill us all. An untrained mage can be hazardous, and more importantly, entertaining.¡±

    ¡°Wait what? So¡­ I am a full mage now? If so, I could understand the danger of an untrained mage, but what¡¯s this¡­ entertainment?¡±

    ¡°When you live on the other side, life can be great. The powerful rule the world within a council representing different houses heads, all extremely ancient. Life isn¡¯t all bad, but the weakest do not live long. Once a child has come into their power, or reached a certain age, they must enter the trials. The ages range from seventeen to twenty. After you survive a month in the games, you¡¯re permitted to live and learn in the academy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your mother and I both attended the academy shortly, and we both survived the experience. I won¡¯t lie though¡­ we struggled through the entire trials. The only reason we lived is because a group of us got together to cover our weaknesses. The hardest part is, the maps change each year. The people are also dangerous, as it is usually encouraged to fight.¡±

    ¡°Besides the monsters or the dangers of remote locations, some families live for the academy. To them, the less competition there is the better. The better one does during the trials, the more resources you can win. Not to mention the prestige of doing well. I just worry for you, because you don¡¯t know anyone.¡±

    Ken finally spoke up, his face long past pale. ¡°Why would it matter if I knew anyone?¡±

    ¡°Because, they will team up with each other before hand. There were a lot of loners my year, but even then I knew them before the trials. Your mother and I tried hiding you from the trials, and the barrier. We failed to explain and stop you because we were stupid. Blind to the chance you might find out your powers on your own. We thought our bloodline might be weak enough to pass your life off as normal. We were wrong, and now¡­ now you will most likely die.¡± His face turned even more pallid while his father¡¯s gaze drilled into the countertop.

    ¡°They will come for you soon. It is probably best you eat and rest a little.¡± He simply nodded before finishing whatever the little rascal hadn¡¯t eaten, and moved back to his bedroom.

    The posters and diagrams littering the walls in chaotic order seemed to calm his otherwise traumatized mind. One mistake was all it took, and his entire world flipped upside down. He leaned back in the overstuffed office chair, at his large desk, setting the small dragon on his lap. She was soft, and he went through hell to get her somehow.

    Using his right hand, he flipped open the laptop and went through some documents he was working on translating. The work calmed his mind a little, but in the end it did little to calm his racing heart.

    He sent some e-mails to his workplaces telling them he had to quit due to a long trip. The school would be pissed, but he didn¡¯t bother with them. They¡¯d probably send his diploma to his house, since he already merited early graduation. In any case, his parents could deal with the loons.

    In the end, he reclined back, staring at the ceiling just thinking. On one hand, he was right. He found a form of magic! Unfortunately, it tore his life into pieces. Also¡­ what caused the dragon to be summoned? Did everyone summon a beast when their magic unlocked, or was he just weird?

    Looking back down at her, he decided she needed a name if she was his familiar. Then something really weird happened. His forehead itched, and then a small voice slipped into his mind. ¡°Or you could just ask me what my name is.¡±

    Startled from my thoughts, I jumped in my seat banging my knees on the desk. ¡°Ow, crap! Dammit why me?!¡±

    He rubbed his bruised legs lamenting his literal knee-jerk reaction. Staring at the dragon peering up at him, he suddenly felt like a fool. All the stories pointed in a direction that said dragons were highly intelligent. As well as greedy, magical and usually man eaters.

    Considering everything up to date, it wasn¡¯t impossible for something like this to happen. ¡°Ok, what¡¯s your name, and how old are you by the way?¡±

    She rolled upside down in his lap expecting him to pet her belly before replying. ¡°I am called Lapillus. Which means ¡®little stone¡¯, because of my heritage. My mother was an earth drake, while my father was unattuned to any particular element. Unattuned elements are stronger physically, but my bloodline doesn¡¯t grow very large so don¡¯t expect a ride anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well I guess that¡¯s cool. But you¡¯re avoiding the question of age?¡±

    She tried giving me her version of puppy eyes, which was a devastating attack by the way, but I didn¡¯t waver. Seeing my resolute expression she made a little huff and shifted uncomfortably. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ask a girls age, its rude you know¡­ A little over twenty years old, although I was reborn in the summoning. It¡¯s quite annoying, do you know how aggravating relearning to walk is?¡±

    So¡­ she was a couple years older than him? Ken was almost nineteen, so theys were technically close in age. Somehow he didn¡¯t feel so comfortable petting her belly. Noticing his hesitation, she glared at him. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, scratch harder jerk. You ripped me from my old life, it¡¯s the least you can do. Plus¡­ it feels sooo good.¡± She rolled back and forth as I continued rubbing the plush fur.

    ¡°Oh, well is it common for something like this to happen?¡± she nuzzled his belly in an attempt to crawl back into the pouch where it was warm.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t really know. There were a few times I noticed random animals were summoned away. None of my siblings were taken, though I knew a few fire and wind drakes who were taken. The beast has to agree with the ritual mentally, but an affinity is also important. Some people don¡¯t have enough power built up for their souls to summon a familiar after their awakening. This allows them some preference when summoning one at a later date, though it¡¯s limited to some extent. Naturally, the process is handled by the soul, and a lot of luck. When the soul summons us automatically it shows a perfect match between personality, affinity and soul. Of course, you can also stop the process, but that¡¯s just stupid.¡±

    ¡°So, someone might have a high affinity to fire, but no draconic match. My mother once told me humans were stupid, because earth affinity could be used more often than any other yet it¡¯s looked down on for lack of fighting prowess. Where fire burns or melts, earth can be molded, used to build, used to protect or enhance the body, it even has botanical benefits. Earth mages are often slow learners though, so a stigma formed over the years.¡±

    From her little speech he could understand two things. First of all, he was a little lucky to summon a draconic beast. Secondly, he had a higher earth elemental affinity. It made sense to an extent, since he always liked rare metals like gold and spent plenty of time outside. The stigma was kind of rude, but he could already see plenty of advantages to his affinity.

    In the end, some of Lapillus¡¯ feelings seeped over their link, making him feel drowsy. Giving into her obvious plea for a nap, they were soon off in lala-land. His parents checked on him, still surprised by the events going on. They already sent a message for a transport for their son.

    Their reply came immediately with a tongue lashing for trying to hide his heritage from him. In the end, they were forgiven with a warning, but they were more worried for their son.

    The trials were a serious event, and he had no idea just how savage mere teenagers could be. Shivers ran down their spines as memories flared in their minds. The terror, the sacrifice, and the death were all so vivid. Tears came unbid to their eyes again, as their minds brought forth nightmares. Imaginations running wild, Ken¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t rest once that night. Ken woke near six PM for cold pizza, before going back to bed. He would need the sleep.

 Chapter 3

    <u>Chapter: 03</u>

    The next day, Ken was up early feasting on more breakfast than normal. He flipped through some vague survival guides on the internet trying to remember some useful plants and herbs to use in the future. Hopefully the vegetation over the barrier was similar to Earths was.

    His parent¡¯s explained it had all the same and more, so he used his fast reading speed to power through some manuals during the early hours. Evidently, you were allowed very little in the trials. His parents couldn¡¯t really tell him much, since it was against the rules and they liked living. But he knew the conditions would be rough, and random positions would spawn any number of useful items. These were called treasure points, and they were highly valuable if you wanted to survive. Another reason to take over one of these locations was for rank.

    The more you found, accomplished or killed, the higher your rank in the end.

    His parents also talked minimally about their own powers since, they could do few spells at their level. His father could manipulate water slightly, while his mother could barely mold the earth. He also learned that, even though everyone had a specific affinity, anyone could manipulate any element with enough force and control.

    They didn¡¯t bother with an example, but he did find out simple manipulation was basically up to the wielders imagination and control. It took a great mental fortitude or power to achieve results.

    He tested his original ability in private, pushing and pulling a pencil across his desk. After the third or fourth time his head started aching, but he persevered for a couple dozen times until he had a full headache. Of course, practice made perfect though, and the more exercise his power got, the more it improved.

    That evening, he was playing tug of war using a scarf with Lapillus, when the house literally shook. Jumping to his feet, they raced to the living room to observe something from a fiction.

    The opposite wall was warping and shimmering in a haze, like heat on tarmac. Then a semi-square shape materialized outlined by a purple haze. When it became solid enough, a deafening thunderclap enveloped the room and a dark void materialized in the door frame now on the wall. A moment of eerie silence ensued before a black boot plunged from the darkness followed by a leg and body. When the persons form materialized in the room, a middle aged man stood before them in a casual attire.

    He held a twisting wand in one hand, and a metallic square in the other. Then he spoke in a gravelly voice, making his stomach clench.

    ¡°Is this the residence of one Ken Reyes?¡± My parents standing beside me nodded solemnly, and I just gaped. Nodding he looked me up and down pausing at the bulging hoodie pocket. I seemed to pass some sort of criteria, because he nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Well then, close your mouth boy. You look like this is the first time you¡¯ve seen any magic haha. If you¡¯re ready, then please come with me. You go through first, I¡¯ll close the portal behind us.¡±

    My teeth made an audible clack as my mouth shut so fast. Still amazed at the spectacle, I went to take a step when my parents hugged me from behind. ¡°You come back now, you hear! We¡¯ll be rooting for you, over the projections. Remember, when you get there you run. Run as hard and far as you can, because they will not hesitate to cut you down. The mana signature from the teleport will be a dead giveaway.¡± Tears soaked my neck as my mother blabbered on for the hundredth time that morning.

    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t have all day kid. Let¡¯s get going before I tire too much.¡± I hugged my parents one last time, and took a step away from them smiling encouragingly for them.

    When I hesitated to step into the void, by the man, he gave me a not so subtle shove in the back. My feet moved on their own to catch me and a moment later I was feeling sick on a cold hard surface. A glaring light blinded me as I dry heaved.

    A hand grasped my arm and hauled me to my swaying feet. His head felt like the time a horse bucked him off and he ended up with a concussion. ¡°Get moving, your lines over there.¡± Eyes still swimming, I stumbled in the direction of a long line to my left where he pointed.

    Regaining my faculties, I glanced around after lining up behind a tall athletic kid. The room was massive, vaulted at least fifty feet up the ceiling was intricately painted. Battle scenes of massive conflict covered a ceiling gilded in layers of intricate metalwork.

    Most awe inspiring for him were the statues of men and woman made of gold and silver. The room was easily around the size of a football stadium, and it was packed. The line he was in wrapped back and forth along a green velvet rope strung up on posts. At the end, a larger room could be seen passed a huge archway. Tall desks with black robed figures behind them signed the students in, before they were guided to a huge circular platform in the other room.

    Notably, at least half of the kids in the room had a familiar present. They were all covered in grey robes, over decent looking clothes. It was like a competition to see who could dress the finest although there were obvious limits on the attire. I didn¡¯t even have a robe, but I had on a few layers to be safe.

    My base layer was a white skin tight under armor brand, then I had a dark green long sleeve shirt under my usual black hoody. One of the only extra things I carried was my keychain out of habit, hanging at my waist. The only other item was my iPod and earbuds. I was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a decent pair of tall hiking boots.

    This was my average attire, except the boots. They were just a precaution for grip. Funny enough, he was the only person in normal clothes. He looked like a beggar amongst pretty much everyone. There were even some mystical races present in other lines, including dwarves and elves in the lines on either side of him.

    Unwittingly, he eyed their outfits in disdain, imagining wearing something so thin outside. To distract his mind from the skin showing on some of the skimpier woman, he pulled out the headphones and started jamming out to some Linkin Park.

    Just when my playlist was about to end, I finally reached the end of the line. It took a good hour of standing on the granite floor, so I was happy to be done.

    The woman sitting above me, put her hand on a stone with engravings over the surface. It started glowing a light pink before she started speaking. ¡°Name, birth-date, affinity, familiar if you have one and language please.¡±

    ¡°Ken Reyes, December tenth two thousand and thirty, Earth affinity, Earth dragon, and I know these languages.¡± He pulled out a prewritten list of languages he knew, since his parents told him it was required to tell them all this beforehand. The page was lengthy with multiple examples of proof beneath them, to show he could write fluently.

    When he handed her the list she frowned, glaring down at him. Her writing hand stopped what it was doing in her ledger. ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool boy, your too young to know all that.¡± I frowned crossing my arms like she was being stubborn. She added on after seeing my response. ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t rescind your statement, you must prove here and now that you can speak each language fluently. If you fail, I have half a mind to smite you here.¡± She smiled expecting him to give in, as if he was about to grovel at her feet for forgiveness.

    Instead he proceeded to speak a few lines in each language, telling her a few facts about the language itself and its origins. The longer he went on, the wider her eyes became. It took half an hour to go over all the languages and then he proceeded to talk about the unspoken languages he knew. Pictograms and the like for example.

    When he finished the rows beside his were gawking, at the same time they were doing their own lines paperwork. ¡°And that is how we know how to decipher the ancient Sumerian language. So¡­ can I go now?¡±

    She simply nodded, after scribbling for half a minute franticly copying his paper onto hers. The translation stone beside her was practically overheating from switching between languages so often.

    A man wearing light armor came forward, guiding him to the raised platform, with a person in each square allotted to them randomly. The ceiling hung high above, with crystals jutting out in an angular masterpiece of craftsmanship. A main spire pointed down at the platform, with a blinding purple light at its core.

    Inscriptions were everywhere, too numerous to understand anything. Some kids were given bigger squares to hold themselves and their respective familiar. His jealousy soared upon seeing some of the larger beasts like tigers or giant eagles.

    The most common beast were bird type, although there were plenty of large animals. One kid even had a young griffin! I looked at my pocket, hiding the dragon for a moment¡­ then gave up on complaining as her head poked out. Her cute powers took over, and I was petting her.

    For some reason, the judges didn¡¯t take his keychain or the iPod from him. The Egyptian cross could pass as religious, but the iPod? If he knew they¡¯d be this lenient he¡¯d of brought a knife or something!

    Some of the others looked jealous at his items, but after analyzing his appearance snorted before turning away. Most of them had a wand or staff, but that was the extent of their items. Heck, some of them were vain enough to wear sandals and shorts. Others carried a change of clothes under their cloaks.

    Everyone passed through the arch, before being searched. Some were caught smuggling weapons or tools under their cloaks, some had bags of herbs or food. I simply kept my head down, ignoring the bustling room around me. There had to be a couple thousand kids in the room. The rest of the room was built into layers of shops and restaurants. Large holographic screens sat ready to view the trials, in front of small stands.

    Parents waved at children, beastmen howled encouragements, and everyone looked decidedly happier than himself. Especially when some kids were showing off magic tricks like light balls or making small flames appear on staffs.

    I fidgeted for a good two hours until a mega screen flashed to life above them all. A group of ancient looking men sat at a long table with small holograms. The one at the head looked at them, and in a solemn voice started to speak.

    His voice sounded like rocks grinding across each other, squeaky hinges and a lot of built of phlegm, but I listened. ¡°You are all gathered here for the annual trials. In one month exactly, you will be retrieved from wherever you are to begin your time at the mages academy. Now, I wanna see a good fight this year. The rules are simple, there are no rules in the trials. Your achievements will be noted as you go, and in the end we will judge who will receive what rewards this year. Good luck, and may you bring honor to your families. Start the countdown.¡±

    He directed the last comment to a man at his side, and overhead a giant flashing sign counted down from ten. It glowed pink, signaling an active deciphering spell so all could read it.

    Guards stood at the ready, in case anyone tried something suspicious. The crowd excitedly awaited the end of the countdown in quiet, as a buzzing sound caused the air to tremble.

    The crystals overhead became active, and a beam shot down at a clear space of floor. Purple energy flooded in every direction following the symbols and curving past all the students.

    When the countdown reached two a mist rose up over everyone, blocking my vision. Moments later the surrounding fog pulsed and everything turned dark. Seconds ticked by as my vision slowly returned.

    The same vertigo greeted him as the first time, although not quite as bad. He was kneeling on a circular stone slab, five feet high. A small brown bag sat at his feet, inside was a leather belt, a bolo knife with sheathe, and that was it.

    Strapping the bolo knife onto his own belt, he tied the small gallon sized bag to his waist using the thin belt provided.

    Not a moment too soon too, because he could already see movement in the treeline. Stretching to his left and right, he could barely make out white stone pedestals like his own stretching off into the distance.

    What gave away a lot of the kids were the ones grouping up, or the ones fighting using great plumes of fire. Some kids conjured lengths of water as whips, cutting their peers down like tall grass.

    He paused in disbelief at what he saw until his mother¡¯s words echoed inside his head. ¡®Run, run as fast and far as you can!¡¯ He was off, like a leaf on the breeze. Into the woods he trod, avoiding large logs or fallen branches.

    He may have been short, but his strength wasn¡¯t lacking. He vaulted over a stream marking the water source mentally, and continued on an uphill jog. The best ground is usually the high ground, and the others will go downhill to get as far away as fast as possible. The same applied for animals when you were hunting them, they always took the path of least resistance.

    The forest they were in was temperate, but the trees were huge. Some had to be redwood, while others were obviously indigenous to the magical world only. The ground shook as magic flashed in the valley behind him. The ridge of the hill came and then he was off even faster, running down the slope.

    The underbrush whipped past his face, and at multiple times he felt others nearby running as well, despite his reasoning. It was about noon, and the sun shone down through the canopy. Short craggy mountains flashed in and out of sight as his journey brought him closer to their rocky faces.

    After an hour of easy going, he was starting to feel ok about himself, when the trees simply stopped. He crouched low, approaching the clearing. It wasn¡¯t a clearing, not one bit. It was a plain, stretching for a good mile between the mountains and the treeline. Marshes dotted the space, indicating springs under the surface.

    His breathe stopped in his ragged throat as countless competitors ran for the foothills. Some were cut down, others fell through the ground, swallowed by the earth. It was a grassland, basically floating on water with unknown depths.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He wanted to turn back, but the sounds of others approaching made decisions for him. He joined the fools running in the open, but he didn¡¯t run. Instead, he crouched low in the tall grass moving slowly. He tested the ground every twenty yards for wet soil. Whenever he reached a dubious spot, he skirted the watery deathtraps, and continued unnoticed for the most part.

    At one point, he had to run across a short grassy area where animals had grazed. He came face to face with a slender woman. An elf, by the looks of it. She was sneaking just like himself, but unlike him she held the bolo like a weapon, not a tool.

    They were both surprised, and for five seconds they stared at each other. Then, as if coming to a mutual understanding they both bolted for the tall grasses as one. The mountains loomed close now, and five minutes later he entered a small ravine near the base of the mountains. A small stream ran down the draw, so he knelt for a quick drink and before running up-hill.

    There¡¯d be ambushes along the draw no doubt, so he circled up higher and higher. Another mile of slow hiking through thick vegetation later, and he was exhausted. He felt like flopping over unconscious. Thankfully he didn¡¯t, because a short while later he found something direly needed.

    A narrow cave entrance in the mountain not too high up a steep hillside. He trudged up the hill and after gathering a few large branches, entered the cave. He needed shelter, food, and water. Not only that, he needed heat and a place to fortify before winter struck. It was the beginning of fall here judging by the leaves he could recognize.

    The first thing he needed was a door. He didn¡¯t want others to spot the entrance, and an animal could wander in during the night. Investigating the cave, showed it ended after just under ten meters. It was more of a pocket than anything, possibly a mineral deposit eroded out over time.

    The ravine he arrived in was some sort of jungle this time, full of bamboo and looming, twisting trees. Going back outside, he jogged back the way he came to reach a copse of bamboo. The shoots were thicker than normal, but it was still hollow and light enough to drag. He hacked down a dozen or so and used the extra belt to tie them together.

    Carrying them over his shoulder, he went back to the cave and brought them inside. Using the bolo, the first thing he did was strip away any limbs or leaves. After that, he cut them to length sticking three in the soil on either side of the doorway to make a sturdy frame. Then, he measured the lengths for the doorway to make it fit the hill better.

    He used the thin branches he stripped and started splitting them to tie together in thin cords. The sun was about to meet the horizon when he finished weaving the door together. Finished, he put a layer of leaves and twigs over the door to create a camouflage layer. When he put in the doorframe, at a distance it blended into the hillside decently.

    Finally done working for the day, he went inside to lay on the small cot made of leftover bamboo covered in large leaves. The cave was mostly dark, except the shafts of light flowing from the gaps in the door.

    Exhaustion overwhelmed them and they were both asleep almost immediately after laying down.

    ---

    The morning sun rose over the horizon in fractal colors and rays of light, blocking out an abyss of stars, replaced by a dark blue sky. The clouds in the sky only added more contrast to the mix, supplying shadows to the land.

    It was a chilly affair, similar to sleeping in a desert. It was decidedly hot yesterday evening, yet now it was distinctly chilly. There wasn¡¯t any frost yet, but it couldn¡¯t be too long coming.

    From his vantage point, he had a decent view out into the plains and beyond. It was weird how the landscape was sculpted, almost impossibly at that. It was obvious how artificial the land was, while also giving an ethereal vibe to the scene. Nonetheless, he doubted the weather would differ much from each area.

    Grabbing his things, they headed back down the hill taking a different path so they didn¡¯t create an obvious path to track back to their camp. Lapillus hopped along leading the way, talking about her times living in the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we found a decent cave so fast. When I was growing up, my parents would carve great chambers to live in. Unlike other breeds of dragons, we don¡¯t really have hibernation tendencies. My mother always made great underground stores of food, for the winter months.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how¡¯d you do that? I mean, you¡¯re dragons, it couldn¡¯t be that easy to handle the food.¡± Lapillus just gave me a weird look as if I grew another head, before responding like I was a two year old.

    ¡°We can use magic too you know. Plus, we are a smaller breed of dragon. Our claws and forepaws can function similar to a hand to a certain extent, unlike larger variants. My mother could make better pottery than any human I bet.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ so did you ever learn how to do anything like that?¡±

    She hopped over a tall log and waited for him to climb over. ¡°Oh, I know some of the basics I suppose. I¡¯ll have to relearn with this body though, since my powers are restricted until I grow more.¡±

    ¡°What about teaching me? I mean, I can move things telepathically already, so I know a little.¡±

    ¡°¡­ are you sure that¡¯s a good idea, learning from a dragon? I¡¯m not sure our powers even work the same.¡±

    ¡°Oh, from what I know so far human magic is highly imagination intensive. I did see some people using wands and staffs, but I¡¯m not sure how to use one or what their even made of. The magus school is for general knowledge and safety precautions, besides learning about professions and what-not. I¡¯m not totally sure though, considering my parents couldn¡¯t tell me much.¡±

    Lapillus hopped along flapping her wings trying to get them to do more work for her small body. Maybe she was building muscle? ¡°Hmm, well dragons use parts of our bodies as mediums for power transfer. Our claws are especially magically conductive, along with our teeth, horns and bones. We don¡¯t have meridians, the power flows through our bones. Our power is also located at our heart, where as I can tell yours originates somewhere in your head.¡±

    ¡°So how do you cast magic then?¡±

    ¡°Well, a lot of offensive spells are pretty instinctive. We just have to grow until our body tells us we can use them. Similar to growing a new tooth. Other spells, we use draconic circles to help us move and or mold stone pieces. I do know some simple growth circles, for plants. We used them whenever we wanted fruit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯d like to learn that first if possible. I saw some medicinal plants along the way. We just need to transplant them, then we¡¯ll be good. Ah, here we are. How many bamboo poles should we take back to build with?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like a carpenter? Figure it out yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s helpful¡­ alright I¡¯ll just take as much as possible. We can always find more uses. Keep an eye out while I work.¡± He started chopping the largest bamboo poles they could find, as well as a few smaller pieces. When he finished, they also dug up a few fresh chute¡¯s brushing up past the surface, so they could transplant some bamboo nearer.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get back. Gives me the chills standing out here.¡± He grunted under the full load on both shoulders using both belts as straps to hold the bushels together, as they started walking back to camp.

    The hike back was a nightmare, as he skinned half his shins bumping into unseen stumps or stumbling. They had to take two breaks from exhaustion, since they hadn¡¯t eaten anything yet either.

    Finally stumbling into the cave, they locked the door and slumped down for a rest. Lapillus was still the equivalent of a newborn, so she was tired from walking as well.

    After waiting for his energy to come back, Ken started sharpening bamboo sticks to create pronged spears. Then he planted the bamboo chutes outside, to either side of the entrance.

    ¡°Alright, what does this circle look like? I¡¯m not familiar with draconic yet, so pardon my foolishness.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. Here¡¯s the symbols for speed, regenerate, pollinate, growth, energy and increase. These markings in the corners are to indicate the numerical values.¡± The numbers were very different, but there was a pattern to them and it was based on the decimal system or base ten numbers. ¡°The sentence structure typically runs up and down, but in a circle it runs counter clockwise.¡±

    She drew rough shapes and letters in the dirt for me to memorize, and I eventually started copying them side by side to compare. Then I had to turn around and compare afterward, noting my mistakes. In all seriousness the language was very odd, resembling a bunch of random scratches in a wall. If a normal person explored a dragons cave, they¡¯d probably mistake them for just that.

    In the end we went outside to the entrance so we could test the spell out. ¡°Ok, you can either draw on the object, or carve it into items surrounding the focus point. Try carving a piece of bamboo, then circle it around the plant of choice.¡±

    He did so, before lashing the ends together using smaller fibrous sticks. ¡°Alright, now for the hard part. At least for dragons it is. Activate your power, and bring it out of your core. Imagine the spells effect for each letter, and as you go imagine the runes filling with power. As if a latent power were being stored, so the spell will last longer. Now, take that and imagine a slow trickle of power feeding the designated plant or fruit. It¡¯s very simple, but you have to multitask your thoughts.¡±

    He felt the buzzing in his head and it immediately amplified resonating throughout his bodies meridians. Doing as she said, he imagined the power as a smoke gathering from his fingertips, flowing over the runes. It took a good ten minutes of intense concentration before anything happened. But when it did, it went far easier, as if his mind was reassured that what it was doing, was even plausible.

    Strands of curling greenish smoke gathered around his fingertips, growing to the size of a golf ball. When he was satisfied, he sent the ball of energy towards the first rune. At first, his rune rejected the power until he put the right meaning behind the powers intent.

    When that was successful, the rune absorbed the power and he saw a faint green glowing from the letter. Feeling the power, he stretched a thread inside the bamboo and sent it to the next letter, then the next and so on. When he reached the end, he tied off the power to the beginning. The entire set of runes suddenly flared and a moment later the wood fused together where the letters met.

    When he set the circle of glowing wood over top of the planted sprout, the energy dimmed in the circle as a chunk of green mist swirled around the inside like a whirlpool. Grass started growing exponentially and the bamboo sprout sprung to life. The opaque pool of power at its base was being absorbed fast, but in moments the sprout had already risen ten feet high, and branches were sticking out here and there.

    They watched more sprouts pop up nearby as the root base spread and grew. When the energy finally died out, the hillside in front of the cave was full of short bamboo stalks at chest height and the original stalk was wider than his arm, over fifteen feet tall.

    They both gawked at the scene for a full minute, before turning their eyes to each other. Then at once they both cheered in excitement. ¡°Yes! We did it, I didn¡¯t think a human could have this much talent for draconic runes! Haha, let¡¯s go back to the creek, I saw some wild stranglberries. Their out of season now, but we can get some if the plant hasn¡¯t wilted too far yet.¡±

    Lapillus hopped up and down, doing small circles around him. ¡°Ya haha, that worked better than I thought. But what¡¯s a strangle berry?¡±

    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re very good. They are like long blue strawberries, but the plant crawls upwards. Kind of like a bean plant, but it bushes out with woody limbs. They don¡¯t get big though, so there is usually very little fruit per season. Hurry, it¡¯s almost evening and we need to find it before dark.¡±

    She made her little speech in front of him, before hopping onto his shoulder and pointing forward with one of her small arms.

    Feeling his stomach rumble, he acquiesced easily, and headed back down to the bottom of the little ravine. When they reached the water, they drank their fill and washed off as best they could.

    After that we walked back the way they came until Lapillus pointed out an inconspicuous plant growing up the creeks bank. No wonder it didn¡¯t bare much fruit, if the current ever got too high it would lose most of its buds.

    The branchy plant was old and poky, but in the end they had a knarly bush with a few feet of root base. The soft riverbank soil made things easier, and it came out with minimal damage.

    Noticing the suns position, they ran back up the hill to their base of operations. When they got back, Ken planted the bush behind the bamboo out of sight, and set to carving another bamboo limb before they ran out of light. He ended up finishing the carvings in the first rays of moonlight. (There was actually two moons. One split in half surrounded by a belt of debris, the second was small and rusty colored.)

    Taking his time to imbue extra power into the circle, he used a softball sized chunk of energy. He felt light headed afterwards, and almost lost consciousness. The same process occurred, but the energy pool wasn¡¯t opaque at all. Instead it looked like a rippling piece of green sapphire, as the energy condensed around the stem and absorbed into the old plant.

    The plant was already leafless this time of year, but as they watched, leaves sprouted everywhere. Bright yellow in color, and as large as his hand the leaves unfurled in the moonlight. Then, little red buds appeared and a swirl of green mist seeped from them, mingling between the flowers like little bees pollinating the plant without any wind or insects.

    When that finished, they thought he failed when no fruit appeared for a full minute. They were proven wrong soon enough though, when the plant started wriggling slightll. The buds all closed slowly and expanded slowly as they condensed and the petals welded to each other. In seconds the plant was so heavy baring fruit, the spell literally forced the bush to thicken its branches almost to three inches in diameter so they wouldn¡¯t break.

    The dark red petals suddenly faded rapidly and the fruits turned a deep shade of blur like blueberries. We stared in astonishment, then he filled his little sack with fruit and grabbed one to eat. It tasted really tart, but an underlying sweetness balanced it out kind of like an apple. The flavor was like a strawberry mixed with ripe huckleberries, and it was possibly the best thing he¡¯d ever tasted.

    The best part was the center. Since it grew too fast the water hadn¡¯t evaporated off the fruit, and like strawberries they were hollow. Instead of light condensation inside, it was full of a light juice, where vessels in the fruit broke and mixed creating a sweet concoction.

    He bit the top off his and tapped his with Lapillus¡¯ own fruit like he was saying cheers. ¡°Haha, earth magic rocks! Get it, rocks? Hahaha, I wonder what those others are eating right now? I bet they¡¯re eating charred rabbit or some crap without any seasoning. This is like a resort drink and food in one!¡±

    ¡°I told you us earth dragons are the best. Why grow big if you can eat like this all the time? You know, *slurp this isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    ---

    ???-POV

    ¡°*Ack* what the hell is that, you call that cooking? Tastes like fricking feet to me!¡± Currently a group of mages sat in a circle, gnawing on pieces of tough black meat.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault. The cook died remember, head wounds like that don¡¯t heal you know? That halfling was dang good at finding herbs too, not to mention Kelvin keeps burning the meat.¡± Another girl was sitting across from her crunching on the bones trying to eat the marrow since it didn¡¯t taste as bad.

    A boy stood up to protest, and possibly try to fight the air mage when an older girl stood between them holding up her hands. ¡°All right, stop fighting. We can¡¯t afford to lose anyone else. This is better than starving, and you know how they purposefully bred the animals to taste worse. It¡¯s obviously part of the trials, we just have to persevere. Just look at the meat, its grey not red or white. We need to find a different monster to butcher for food, the cosils aren¡¯t made for eating obviously.¡±

    A large squirrel like creature sat half eaten on a fire spit. The crackling fire glinted off a second ones uncooked black fur off to the side. Fangs jutted from its bottom jaw under which a white stripe went down its neck, belly and tail. It was a second cosil, of which nobody was volunteering to eat, even in hunger.

    Suddenly a whiff of a sweet fruity scent blew through camp from an unknown origin. The courage everyone had just built up in preparation to finish their meal suddenly fled them and some even flopped over like they were punched. The contrasting smell accentuated the terrible taste in everyone¡¯s mouths and suddenly half the kids ran to the side throwing up.

    ---

    Kens Parents¡¯-POV

    Staring at their son gorging on fruits after almost two full days without food, made Mrs. Reyes smile in relief. Her husband sat beside her watching the projection above the little stone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know dragons used runes, did you?¡± her husband sat quietly, transfixed wishing he would¡¯ve had earth magic when he was young.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ but is it enough? He can¡¯t live off one fruit for long. He¡¯ll need protein, and that camp downstream, while funny to watch, just smelled his experiment.¡± Mr. Reyes responded.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be so pessimistic! He survived the first day, and he already found shelter and a source of food. Can you say we had that much when we were there on the second day? No? Then shut it, that¡¯s my baby down there. He won¡¯t die, I just know it.¡±

    Mr. Reyes sat quietly, nervous his wife would come uncorked on him. Her familiar, a small green mouse sat on her shoulder haughtily since she summoned it again. His own familiar a blue bird nested in his hair, digging its talons into his scalp feeling its master¡¯s nervousness.

    Gulping, he looked at the picture and prayed his son survived. If he didn¡¯t, his wife might become inconsolable. ¡®Please don¡¯t die Ken!¡¯ he eyed his wife nervously before heading off to find some coffee for his nerves.

    They were at the summoning center at the capital, where they watched their son teleport away with the rest of the kids. Some adults cried, others cheered at random around the vast room. They were on a balcony, watching the show unfold, tracking the trials as they commenced. Surprisingly, the judges gave Ken some points for his little stunt with the fruit. Many still had no points, so he was lucky for a loner.

    His score along with the others was depicted on a leaderboard scrolling past constantly in the middle of the room. He was still in the lower quarter, but the important part was he was still alive.

 Chapter 4

    <u>Chapter: 04</u>

    <u>Ken-POV</u>

    He woke up late, peeling a sticky leaf from his face in an attempt to look less disheveled. Looking at the leaf he swept off his clothes straightening them out, thinking about the lines he knew were probably imprinted on his face for a few minutes.

    It reminded him of the petals on the stranglberries bush, how they fused together creating the outer layer of the fruit.

    He was thinking along these line when an idea popped into his mind. What if he could make clothes like that? It would be renewable, and a form of camouflage. He remembered how the circle magic welded the components together when it was created, and his idea evolved further. ¡®Wooden armor maybe? It¡¯s better than nothing right?¡¯

    He grabbed a piece of wood from the pile meant for firewood, which they still hadn¡¯t made, and grabbed the bolo to carve with.

    Sitting down by the doorway, he put the wood side by side. He inscribed regenerate, growth and speed by each other creating a long loop. He did some simple math and added the numerical values for the branches to simply thicken.

    Pouring his magic into the runes was easier than before, and before he knew it the circle flashed and a pool of energy pooled in the center. Unlike before though, the energy had nowhere to go. It rippled like a pool, moving too and froe. The wood did grow a little, thickening to the size of his thigh before stopping.

    After that, the energy just sat there. It was kind of cool, but did it serve a purpose? Nicking the woods edge, he was astounded when it immediately regenerated. The pool didn¡¯t even use much power.

    ¡°Did I just make a regeneration spell?¡± He made a circle of bamboo to test something, and inscribed the same runes as before, but with the sole intent in the words to simply regenerate whatever organic material was in the center. Pulling out a clump of tall grass outside including the roots and all, he put it inside the circle after activating it.

    The grass became nice and spry, and with a flick he cut a stem. The blade of grass grew back. He did it again, then again and again. It didn¡¯t even dent the pool of energy. Taking the circle, he went outside to the stranglberries bush and looped it over a branch. Then he snapped the branch at the tip, seconds later it was back just as before!

    This was awesome! If a frost came or an animal damaged a plant while he was gone, one of these circles could restore it to full health given it had the stored energy.

    I hurried inside to wake up Lapillus and before I could reach her she tried covering her head using her purple juice stained wings. ¡°No, go back to bed.¡±

    I was surprised for a moment, before realizing something. The cave was usually very dark, yet now there was a soft glow. I looked at my hand, and the circle of swirling energy. My eyes grew further, if that was possible. ¡°Yes! Let there be light!¡± I did a little nerd dance hopping around in glee. He literally just invented his first magic lightbulb!

    ¡°Lapillus, wake up I just created something remarkable!¡±

    Suddenly she was partially alert, moving one wing out of the way to see me, squinting in hatred at the light. ¡°What the hell merits waking me up this early?¡±

    I looked at her a moment, then the sun outside well over the horizon and back at her. She noticed my look and rolled over groaning in surprise. *cough ¡°It¡¯s ok, I just got up a little bit ago, we both slept in. I guess that juice hit us harder than I thought haha.

    Anyway, first of all I just invented a freaking lightbulb, so we don¡¯t have to live in a dark cave anymore. Secondly, said light source is a complete regenerative spell. I already tested it on plants, and it hardly used any power. I even used it on two pieces of wood and it regenerated without any roots or leaves.¡±

    This caught her attention, as she squinted at the bamboo circle in my hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, then she giggled a little. ¡°Silly, of course it¡¯s possible. We used that spell all over the cave when I lived at home. It¡¯s a maintenance spell, used for simple stuff. I was gonna show you during your next lesson, but this works too.¡±

    I felt my face flush red, realizing just how excited I got over a janitorial spell. But then I cheered up, remembering how many uses it had.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s use a spell on the door. This way it welds together, and it¡¯ll regenerate if the weather messes with it.¡±

    ¡°Or, we can make breakfast and wash up?¡± I looked over our purple splattered figures, especially Lapillus¡¯ furry belly. By the end of the night she was just playing with her food, so she was really sticky.

    ¡®Oh¡­ ya good idea. Alright, let¡¯s head out. I¡¯d like to grab a few herbs again too while we¡¯re at it.¡± She nodded and tried hopping on my shoulder lazily. I avoided the puppy eyes and walked outside to avoid the sticky menace.

    We reached the creek fast, and I washed my shirt hanging it to dry as we searched the underbrush for specific plants. We were lucky, and by the time my shirt had dried enough to wear, we found two plants I identified from my studies. A wintergreen patch grew further off the stream in a little clearing full of random flowers and grasses. The second plant was called Canada Violet, used in poultices on sores. The wintergreen was good as a poultice on sores, bruises, and insect bites. (True facts)

    Hiking back to base camp I planted the new herbs in a line near the stranglberries bush, and put growth circles around them. They reacted immediately, and to my surprise grew to prime condition without using all the energy present. I covered the circle to block the light from giving away the camp, then went inside after restocking on berries to eat.

    ¡°You know, I was wondering if we really needed to visit the stream so often. Isn¡¯t there a word for spring or water in draconic?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, there is one for a water ball. It¡¯s not earth magic though, and I only learned it from another water dragon. Here, I think it goes like this.¡± She drew some swirling marks in the dirt completely foreign to the earth spells. I looked it over a moment memorizing it, comparing the markings with the ones he knew already.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    From his excellent ability to decipher new languages and discern patterns fast, some of the markings even made some sense. From there, he discerned which rune meant what, and set to trying it out once.

    The style was different in that it had to be written in a line, and when he inserted the energy, he had to say an incantation. ¡°Summon water ball!¡± the stick absorbed at least three times the normal amount and a basketball sized water orb materialized from nowhere. Then it shot off at high speed, splashing against a tree down the hill.

    ¡°Cool¡­ I think I might faint now?¡± Ten minutes later he woke up to Lapillus licking his face to wake him up¡­ or not. She just wanted the berry juiced smeared over his chin.

    ¡°Ugh, my head feels like crap¡­ Water spells suck, did you know that?¡± She sits up and nods in understanding, before falling back into her pile of leaves she was sleeping in.

    ¡°So¡­ what if we use the water and regenerative spells on each other? If I made a bowl or something, we could engrave it. This way you just add power, it refills and you take a drink without passing your limits.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really get a response, but she shakes her shoulders so I assume my plans a go ahead.

    Locating a large rock at the back of the cave I leaned it against the wall so I could use the flat side like a table. ¡®Well that was the easy part.¡¯ He thought while huffing from the exertion.

    Recalling my short crash course in human mage powers, I concentrated on the rock creating a layer of earth magic over my hands. Then I came up with an idea. At first he was just going to guide the power with his hands, distributing it evenly before giving the stone the order to bend to his will.

    But what if he told the power what to do instead? What if it was something as simple as ¡®mold rock¡¯? He first tried the original idea, and as expected the stress was too much. The spell failed and the smaller rock crumbled.

    Then he tried the second idea ordering the mana to repel and mold the rock. When he touched the stone it gave slightly. The surface rippled at his touch but nothing more. Pushing harder, his hand sunk a little further. He pushed harder and fed more energy to the glove. This time the rock gave way like putty.

    Elated at his success, he started smoothing out the sides of the rock making a roughly triangular shaped pedestal. When he finished that, he scooped out some stone and made a little arch from each corner making a pyramid at the top. The sides were left open, for obvious reasons.

    Engraving the runs for the regeneration on each corner with intent directed at a water rune at the top of the pyramid directed at the bowl he thought over the work as he took a break. It was decent, but it could use some art work possibly.

    As he waited, his energy slowly increased and as usual he felt a slight cap increase from stressing his limits. He smiled as the refreshing feeling of reaching full energy filled his body.

    He immediately walked over to the runes and gathered a grapefruit sized clump of energy before directing it through the runes. When the spell finished, a stream of tiny water balls were constantly summoned creating a stream as they fell into the bowl. When it topped off he cupped a handful of water and drank a little. It tasted ok, and it filled up again. The dirt he washed off in the bowl dissipated as the regeneration ability removed the impurities returning the water to its original form. So it was self-cleaning too! He needed to make dishes and silverware like this. He¡¯d be rich!

    Suddenly though, as he watched the water regenerate he felt stupid.

    Water tasted bland right? Well the fruit already provided a sweet tangy juice with a good amount of hydration value to it, why not just make a juice fountain? He got to work immediately, creating another pedestal with a deep bowl. His proficiency with molding was increasing, so he had a new pedestal carved and ready within an hour instead of three.

    Regrowing the bush outside, he collected the fruit and poured all the juice into his new bowl. When he finished, he focused the regenerative powers on the juice completely and nothing else. When the spell finished, the juice seemed to clear a little as if it became a little cleaner and a green hue enveloped the entire bowls surface. The blue liquid was cast in a minty green light and even absorbed some of the power actively for a moment.

    Taking a stone cup he molded beforehand, he dunked it into the thin juice to take a test taste. The juice was perfect, like there were no chunks in it before and the viscosity was like that of a cola on earth.

    It was a refreshing cold as that was how it was originally, and surprisingly his power regenerated much faster after consuming the cup full. The juice as expected refilled and he rejoiced at the success! When he showed Lapillus, she became frantic and dunked her head in the bowl slurping the rich liquid down like a cape buffalo in a drought.

    They talked excitedly for a while until he was forced to replenish the stored power once from drinking so much. Lapillus hugged my shoulder the rest of the day in gratitude. Evidently, dragons had a sweet tooth, who knew?

    When that test went successful, he continued long into the night making a better version of the juice generator. He made a small flask with a belt loop and simple screw cap. For the cap, he wrapped a strip of wintergreen in a groove to stop leaking and add a minty smell. Around the base of the cap, he inscribed tiny regenerative runes to keep the flask in good shape. Then he filled it with juice and made a regenerative circle for that too.

    Feeling a little snackish, he made a little box and clipped a branch from the stranglberries bush, with a single long berry on it. The case was thin and split down the middle. At the top I molded the box around the stem of the fruit and carved a set of regenerative runes over the interior as well. He hung the box on his belt as well right next to the flask.

    The stone was a dull red with little specks of black interspersed, so it looked ok. Whenever he needed a fruit to eat now, all he had to do was open the box, pick the fruit, then close and wait for it to finish Regrowing.

    It was like a lunch sack he couldn¡¯t run out of. He was so proud, he sacrificed one of his keys from earth for each to form them into a thin band of silver crisscrossing the surface like a cross with his name engraved on the side plate.

    In his opinion it was the coolest thing in existence.

    Reattaching his bolo knife to its sheathe he posed for Lapillus for her to observe the newest additions. ¡°So, how do I look?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ like a kid with a fanny pack growing off his waist.¡±

    ¡°What! That¡¯s preposterous, I look epic. Just imagine it, your hiking in the dessert and your nowhere near any water or food. Then you reach to your waist and low and behold there¡¯s a full refreshing drink and fresh fruit. I say we¡¯re lucky as all hell.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, can we go to sleep now?¡± she yawned cutely, blinking her cute little eyes at him.

    There were plenty of projects at his fingertips now, but instead he gave in to the full powers of puppy eyes and headed to their makeshift bed.

    ---

    <u>Kens Parents-POV</u>

    ¡°What the hell! Is that even a thing? Why can¡¯t I do that yet?¡± Mrs. Reyes looked at the screen like she wanted to pull her hair out, while her husband was in the middle of an aneurism from current events.

    His son just became a total cheat! Was he proud? Sure, but more than anything he was aggravated how much his son could come up with and he could barely survive. The image wasn¡¯t clear enough to read the runes his dragon was teaching him, but just hearing how it worked was infuriatingly simple compared to other methods.

    Not to mention, how the hell did his son pick up sculpting and molding skills so fast. The first try he watched, the rock shattered. A moment later he¡¯s working it like it¡¯s made of playdough! He was a total monster in disguise.

    Thankfully there was a big event going on far away from Ken, where a group of humans fought over an old cabin with an aggressive group of orcs. Nobody really noticed what Ken was up to thankfully, so he didn¡¯t gain the ire of anyone yet. If anyone did see anything, they were too uncaring to make a fuss over it. Anyone else would probably make a big deal over it attracting attention to Kens feed channel.

    Trying to ignore a returning sense of foreboding, Ken''s father wandered off to eavesdrop on some other mages conversations. It''d been so long since they''d interacted with anything on this side of the barrier, there were bound to be a few things he missed.

 Chapter 5

    <u>Chapter: 05</u>

    <u>Ken-POV</u>

    The next morning Ken was in high spirits. They had decent food for now, clean drink and washing bins. He made a trip outside to do his business before burying the evidence, and washed up for a new day. Lapillus was small enough to literally bathe in the water basin, and I could rinse my hair. You just couldn¡¯t stay in too long or it¡¯d dissolve your skin and hair to purify the water.

    The first thing on the agenda was remodeling after breakfast. Using his hands, he literally pulled out chunks of stone from the wall like an animal. Lapillus was sure proud when he showed her.

    About five meters down the tunnel he dug in and within a matter of minutes he had a new doorway roughly cut out. He smoothed the edges and set to work tunneling further. They spent all that day and the next just digging and moving debris out of the way. He stored the extra stone in the old cavern as they went. When he had a seven foot tall passage a few feet wide, he continued for about twenty feet. Then he dug out a square chamber on his right creating a small room with the new water fountain. It was about five by five feet.

    In a moment of brilliance, he created a short pedestal and made a water bowl in the shape of a toilet. If he used it, the crap would literally disappear like magic.

    He made a towel rack and called the bathroom good for now. The next room over was larger, about fifteen feet long and with a big hollow rectangle against the far wall and a Regeneration bamboo circlet as a lamp on either bedside block table. The big rectangle, as you guessed was a bed frame. Using lengths of bamboo across the gap, it created a spring of sorts. Then he piled layers upon layers of leaves covered in long grass over the bamboo.

    It wasn¡¯t the best, but it was an upgrade from pallet on the floor. The hardest thing to build was the doors. He first made large hinges with his fingers, then he molded chunk after chunk of stone together until the door was complete. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible to lift it otherwise, since it was a few inches thick.

    For fun he added a regeneration rune on the inside of the door. He added another stone door at the main entrance behind the wooded one and put regenerative runes on both of those doors as well.

    After that was done, he was mostly just smoothing out the walls making it feel more comfortable with more lights embedded in the main corridors. A full week passed before they realized they didn¡¯t like eating like vegetarians.

    The berries were nice, but they needed variance and more importantly¡­ meat!

    His second goal was simple. There was a stream, he had material and there was probably fish in there. He focused on weaving a large box with cone like entries, with a pokey interior. Put simply, large fish go in, fish get stuck inside alive. He carved rocks into each corner of the frame to hold it down and after a few last touches he set out for the first time in over a week.

    They journeyed down the hill easily until they reached the creek, then they moved downstream until they found a fast current running out of a calm pool. The box took up over half the stream, but the water flowed passed fine and the rocks held it in place nicely.

    They left it in place in high hopes as they searched for more useful plants. They journeyed almost a half mile down and around the valley bottom before the found anything of interest.

    It was a nut bearing tree, acorns to be exact. They worked for a while unearthing a decent root to transplant. The nuts could be used for flour, and of course regular nuts.

    Thankfully, their hopes weren¡¯t totally useless and on the way back they encountered another plant called Doquilim pepper. A crescent shaped yellow pepper the size of his pinky. The flesh is mellow flavored and crisp, whereas the seeds were close in flavor and texture to the common table pepper. They picked the whole plant and on the way back checked the fish trap. It had been half a day already, and lucky for them they were rewarded. There were three two pound fish, but neither he nor Lapillus could identify them.

    Their skin was brown with black flecks and the underbelly was a light blue. They looked too good to pass up, so they took them anyway.

    They also took the fish trap just in case. When they got to the base, he made a planter box inside a small alcove for each plant inside the base, including the other herbs and the berry bush.

    Each one had its one growth circle as well as a regeneration circle after they reached full size. This added to the lighting in the room thankfully, and he made a tall bar counter at the back to work at. He made a sink in the counter as well as a cutting space. He made some simple cups, plate¡¯s bowls and utensils.

    A small cupboard behind the table held everything dutifully as well as a few artistic swirls and accents. He crafted some stone stools to sit on for himself and a tall stool for Lapillus, though she usually ate on the counter anyway.

    Near the entrance there was a wood box on one side and a bench on the other. A central fireplace sat at the middle of the room with an air duct straight above it. Benches sat on all sides made of stone, with back rests to them as well.

    The chimney led out to a series of air ducts away from the doorway.

    It took a lot of effort, and his imagination to form a series of sparks hot enough to start a fire going. The first fish they ate, he used a stone plate over the fire to grill the meat saving the bones and organs for bait the next day. He used some pepper and mint leaves ground into an acorn powder. It worked as a decent batter, and battered fish became the most popular meal.

    They could only cook at night to avoid drawing attention with smoke, but it was still a better diet.

    It took him a better part of another day to finish all the additions when something finally ruined his peace. The new iPods all had solar charging capability, so I was understandably distracted when it happened. The large acorn bearing grove outside his base was full of activity.

    Birds sung, cosils fought over the acorns and a lone man knelt picking up acorns for dinner that night with one of his earbuds in. he wore clean clothes, although weather worn a little. His face was bright, and he bopped his head to the beat as he tried puzzling out weather he wanted to go on an expedition for some gourds or vegetable plants next.

    His herb garden was already considerably larger. He had a variety of healthy plants, used in many things. Thistle was used as a wash for stings, boils, and poison ivy rash. Common evening primrose could be used in a common astringent wash when boiled. He also had a large juniper berry bush used for a strong antiseptic tea.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    He yearned for something like salt though, and it was tempting to go looking for a natural deposit. He was sure there was one somewhere in these mountains. It was a staple for large animal¡¯s health, and the few deer he saw all looked fat and happy. Maybe he should find a placed stash somewhere?

    That was as far as his thoughts went, before an arrow buried itself in the tree next to his head.

    ¡°Put your hands up, where I can see ¡®em now!¡± A girl¡¯s voice rang out behind him, and the hairs on his neck rose sensing the danger he was in.

    He complied, since he didn¡¯t have much choice. He hadn¡¯t gotten around to making any armor yet, so the only thing protecting him was a few layers of cloth. Light steps continued behind him until a person sauntered into view, another arrow nocked on a roughly made bow.

    She was hot-¡­ I mean she was dangerous! Ya, that¡¯s what my brain thought when the blonde elven girl stepped into my vision.

    ¡°Uh, can I help you?¡± Stupid as I was, it seemed like a reasonable question.

    A pink stone hanging on her neck indicated a translation, so hopefully it worked both ways.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your group. Tell them to show themselves, or I¡¯ll shoot. Where¡¯s your camp at?¡± she fidgeted when I just stared at her dumbly. When I regained my wits about me, she had already kicked me in the head. I fell on my side groaning with an immediate headache. Wait! Oh, whew the headphones were fine.

    ¡°First of all¡­ Ow that fucking hurt! Second of all, what the hell! I don¡¯t have a camp, and I sure as hell don¡¯t have a team. Do I look like there¡¯s a group of assholes taking care of me?¡±

    She looked at me, then her little necklace and then back as if she might have misinterpreted something. ¡°Yes, actually you do.¡±

    For the first time in the conversation I paid attention to her condition. There was mud covering half her body, random pelts covered up ripped portions of clothing and she had sticks in her hair like a crazy bird tried nesting there once.

    ¡°Huh, what the hell did you get in a fight with? You look h- I mean you look like shit.¡± I wasn¡¯t really checking her out like a freak, but who said you couldn¡¯t enjoy a good view if it literally walked up to you and kicked you in the head?

    ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you have to say, seriously? And what do you mean, ¡®I look like shit¡¯. I should ask how you smell like you just took a shower with mint conditioner, washed your clothes daily and then ate a meal every night. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see the lack of bones. Look at me, I¡¯ve lost like twenty pounds! Do you know what that¡¯s like?¡±

    ¡°Erm no, but your body looks fine at least.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me! Do you want to be shot?¡±

    ¡°How is that even a question, everyone else but me wants to be shot. Hurry, they¡¯re anywhere else but here.¡±

    Uh oh, her face is turning red. I better say something nice before I die. ¡°So um¡­ how about a deal?¡±

    The color in her face lessened just barely. ¡°What kind of deal, you¡¯re not getting away Scott free.¡±

    ¡°What if I said I could provide a clean drink of fruit juice, water or mint water? (Yes, he added another tap at the bar in the base, just for convenience sake.) Plus a warm, safe place to sleep with a good meal?¡±

    ¡°What the hell makes you think I¡¯d believe that? The only safe houses are the log cabins, and we¡¯re nowhere near any of them right now.¡±

    ¡°First of all, there¡¯s plenty of proof around you. I grew all these acorn (oak) trees, the rest of my stuff is inside my cave.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s possible, but say I gave you the benefit of the doubt. What¡¯s to say you don¡¯t kill me in my sleep?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the killing type. In fact, I haven¡¯t killed anything beyond fish up till now. I don¡¯t understand how anyone¡¯s going hungry out here really. The land provides plenty of things, I just don¡¯t know how you can be so oblivious. Did nobody read a survival manual at all before we came here?¡±

    She gawked at me like I was a ten eyed devil with antlers, before she shook her head looking at my clothes. She lowered the bow and I slowly got up changing the channel on my iPod before turning it off.

    ¡°Fine, but anything fishy goes on, I¡¯ll cut your throat.¡±

    ¡°Great! We¡¯re having fish for dinner though, so that doesn¡¯t count. Follow me.¡± I passed her and started walking uphill through the new grove of trees.

    ¡°Where are we going? I already scouted that hill earlier today.¡±

    ¡°Patience padawan, patience.¡± I took about thirty steps up the hill before stopping at my hidden doorstep.

    ¡°What the dickens is a Padawan.¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence as I swung open a grass covered door from the ground/wall. I took a few steps down into the deep green light before continuing past the second door. I called back over my shoulder as she stood rooted to one place.

    ¡°Lock the door when you come in would you? Thanks.¡±

    <u>Selene- POV</u>

    What the hell is going on here? I finally found a poor sod I could probably manage to kill on my own, when he offers me a ridiculous deal. Free food, drink, and a warm shelter? Who does this guy think he is?

    Somehow I couldn¡¯t pass it up though, so in the end I follow him for a minute when he grabs a random tuft of grass on the steep hill and opens a freaking door!

    Not only that, there¡¯s some sort of lighting going on inside. As the shock wears off I follow him inside, pulling the dead bolt over, locking the door firmly.

    There¡¯s a second door, made of stone! Holy crap, how¡¯d this guy find this?

    I continued forward and closing the heavy door behind me as well. When I turn to look at everything else in the room my brain almost fries then and there. Plants line the room¡¯s walls, in deep alcoves full of green light.

    There¡¯s decent artwork over the edge of the ceiling and floors trim, going around the whole room. A hallway leads off to the left five meters in, and I notice another heavy door and two more mystery rooms as I pass the open doorway. In the middle of the room a fresh fire sizzles to life as the boy sweats briefly to produce a small flame.

    The tinder catches and he throws on a few logs. Surprisingly, a little dragon variant slept peacefully on one of the benches surrounding the fireplace. Then he invites me over to a bar table at the back.

    ¡°Take your pick, we have stranglberries juice, mint water and regular water. What would you like while I wait for the pan to heat up? Oh, there¡¯s fruit in the basket on the shelf if you want some. We make more each morning, since Lapillus mostly snacks on it while I work.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding me haha. How¡¯d you know this was here? Where¡¯d the fruit come from?¡±

    She took a scoop from the dark blue bowl of fruit juice only to watch it refill in a mini whirlpool.

    ¡°Well¡­ I made it. Well not all of it, this was a cave to begin with, but I carved it out and made it bearable.¡±

    She looked around her in disbelief. Everything down to the utensils was carefully crafted. It would take days, possibly weeks for a group of mages to build this.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you the bathroom. You can clean up before dinners ready.¡±

    ¡°A b-bathroom? You made a bathroom!¡±

    He scratched his head nervously before walking away. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t like walking outside to dig a hole. Would you prefer that instead?¡±

    ¡°No! Gods no, it¡¯s terrible. You can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like as a woman.¡± She practically screamed her reply beside his ear, before walking faster. Her face was turning a tone of red Ken thought impossible.

    ¡°Here we are, just um¡­ya don¡¯t take too long I guess. The fish cooks fast.¡±

    I walked into the bathroom closing a thin bamboo door behind me as I took stock. There was a basket of minty leaves by the sink, a basin of water to wash with, a pile of soft leaves to wipe with in a basket and a toilet. The seat even lifted up and down!

    First of all, I used the throne to its full extent in the most comfort I¡¯ve had in almost two weeks. Then I stripped down to rinse myself at the sink. There¡¯s a drain in the floor, so I figure that¡¯s why.

    When I¡¯m finished using my hands to comb my hair a little, I rub a little mint leaf over my body and dust off my clothes. I dress again, before walking back to the main room. I passed a large bedroom on my way, with a massive bed covered in straw and leaves.

    When I reached the counter the man set out a fresh plate of steaming battered fish, some sort of salad, and a few fruits. My cup is already refilled.

    It¡¯s the best tasting food I have ever had. Heck, the juice was already rare on a normal day. They¡¯re even classified as a magical herb, due to they¡¯re difficulty to grow, mana content, and the time it takes for each fruit to mature. I was just finishing my meal when I realized there¡¯s a new mat laid out by the fire for me to sleep on. I was so engrossed in my thoughts I didn¡¯t realize he wasn¡¯t even standing at the bar anymore. Deciding to head to bed, I made my way across the room holding my over-full belly.

    When I lay down, I see the man trying to pry away a flask from the little dragon. I giggled a little and they both pause to look at me. Then they mutually agree to continue fighting until the man gives in and carries the dragon with him to his bedroom.

    The door closes and I¡¯m alone¡­ again*sigh. Man¡­ I¡¯m the luckiest woman alive. *snore

    Before she could even contemplate any of her recent decisions, the food finally kicked in and she fainted unknowingly.

 Chapter 6

    <u>Chapter: 06</u>

    <u>Ken-POV</u>

    The next day I woke up early. It was kind of different having someone else inside the base. It felt weird, like when one of your friends crashes on your couch unannounced.

    In the end it didn¡¯t really matter. They had a deal; she leaves him alone, he shelters her for one night. He held up his end of the deal, now it was her turn. Sure, he could invite her to stay, but what would they really gain? A good shot with the bow maybe, but most people could probably deal with something like that easily using magic.

    It was obvious her power wasn¡¯t high. Otherwise, why use a bow at all? She would be a leech on him, causing more work probably. But then again, he could probably find simple things for her to do. Maybe hunt some small animals for different meat.

    When he went to the common room she was still knocked out in a food coma from overeating last night. Her curvy body splayed out over her pile of bedding. Meh, she wasn¡¯t that special now that he thought about it. Weren¡¯t most elves beautiful anyway? She wasn¡¯t some rare flower or anything.

    He went to the side of the cave and started on another project, digging a new doorway into the wall. When the rock piled up around him, he spent some time shaping the chunks into little bricks.

    His first reason for this project was expanding his base. The second reason was the practice, improving his power usage and increasing his limit whenever he tired. He was planning on building a workshop next, where he could store materials and work with more elbow room.

    He made a short passage about ten feet long, before starting on the square shape of the room. The issue was, he ran out of space to put the bricks. He thought for a bit trying to find an inconspicuous place to store them, but there wasn¡¯t anywhere nearby.

    It was settled then¡­ he needed a new spell. The stone was a light red, probably holding traces of iron or something. The first thing he thought of was a way to destroy the material, like in the regenerative circles.

    That didn¡¯t work well, because it took too much power to use it efficiently on large quantities of material. It also seemed, the denser the material, the slower it would disappear.

    So I then thought of compressing the bricks. Taking a rock to experiment, I cupped my hands on its sides and released what I called my aura hands. Instead of putting it over my hands though, I covered the rock completely.

    Then he got to work adding layers, and each layer I imagined the inside layers being pushed in, displaced. The rock groaned before crumbling, so I had to try again. What happens if rocks undergo severe outside pressure? The rocks form starts changing. Logic would dictate it shattered, but not under all circumstances.

    If you add heat to pressure, the stone starts to turn into a completely different object. In this case, he imagined his power bubble heating up just slightly. The drain was larger, but the change was instant.

    The rock glowed a light red for a moment, then rapidly started shifting. The surface rippled and the glow changed to a yellowish orange color. Then right before his eyes the orb visibly shrunk with the addition of the next layer.

    Glad he wasn¡¯t actually touching the stone anymore as it hovered between his hands, he added a few more layers and it shrunk to half its original size.

    When the size reached the size of a single fist instead of two, I warped the shape of the pressure field, making a cube. The liquid complied quickly and when the heat was released, I waited for the cube to solidify enough to release the barrier and put it down.

    As the stone cooled, I was extremely surprised to see a black rock with glowing veins running around its sides. The veins cooled slower, and a minute later I poured water on it before picking it up. The stone was noticeably heavy for its size, and covered in soot as well. Cleaning off the exterior in the wash basin I was greeted with a welcome surprise.

    The rusty colored stone around him, was in fact iron. But that wasn¡¯t all, as I observed the different colored veins running around the rock. There were traces of copper between the iron veins.

    I just sat flabbergasted, looking at it for a few minutes. There wasn¡¯t much metal, but it was in there. Running like silk strands over the surface.

    What if¡­ If I change the shape and I compress it, shouldn¡¯t the metal sink to the bottom, since it¡¯s denser? Worth a try I guess, but what shape. Maybe, an upside down cone. Yeah, if I mimic the way the earths shape affects it, then the metal should gather nearer the bottom.

    Grabbing a large brick from the tunnel, I reformed the barrier heating the surface quickly. Then I formed a cone shape and waited for the rock to conform appropriately. It started slowly, but adding pressure at the top of the cone caused streams of molten liquid to shoot out and press against the bottom quickly.

    It was like watching a slow motion picture as the rock heated further flowing faster and faster. When the entire form was glowing a dull white, I knew it had all melted correctly.

    Cooling the stone impatiently, I rinsed the heavy cone and looked at my handy work. The tip formed a dull point of copper followed by about an inch of iron. The rest of the stone was a black granite. In a way it looked kind of cool, but the moment was ruined when a voice surprised me by my shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± I stumbled throwing the rock a little before it sailed down to meet my foot.

    ¡°Ow, frick!¡± I hopped around for a moment, glad the pointed end didn¡¯t impale my foot by chance. ¡°What the hell woman!¡±

    Her head had been just beside his own, which creeped the hell out of him. He could practically feel her breathe when she spoke.

    ¡°Oh, I woke up a few minutes ago. How¡¯d you do this?¡± She¡¯d picked up the cone, inspecting the shiny tip. The look on her face was that of someone who just shit a brick, then found out it was gold.

    Snatching back my newest creation, I held it to my chest glaring at her. She didn¡¯t even apologize! ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be right now, like killing your peers or walking around aimlessly until winter tries freezing you solid?¡±

    Her face soured a little at my last comment, but I ignored it in light of her rudeness. ¡°About that¡­ I was wondering if I could possibly stay. You know, team up or something?¡± Uh oh, she was waving around her ten foot danger flag. How do I break it to her nicely? Ah this should do.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°NO! You haven¡¯t even been nice at all, and you haven¡¯t shown crap for ability.¡±

    ¡°Oh thanks, I knew you¡¯d understand¡­¡± the words didn¡¯t really hit her for a moment before her face turned bright red. ¡°W-¡­Wait what? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Her face was crestfallen, like she just heard someone was going to die or something¡­ It was possible I suppose.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see here. N plus O equals a big fat NO. I honestly can¡¯t even remember if we introduced ourselves at all. When we met, you tried killing and threatening me, then I let you in my house and fed you. We had a deal. You leave me alone, I feed and shelter you one night.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she tried giving me her best version of puppy eyes, but it was nothing compared to Lapillus¡¯ training. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s snowy outside. I¡¯ll freeze if I go out there!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, it¡¯s still clear outside. It¡¯s just a little chilly is all?¡±

    She shakes her head slowly, glancing at the door. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. I can sense it, I have water affinity. There¡¯s snow out there, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    I walked over to the doorway, and opened it halfway. I was greeted with a gust of snow to the face, while a gale of wind tried ripping the door from my grasp. Struggling to close the door completely, I leaned back using a foot against the second doorframe to lever it shut.

    Turning around, clumps of snow fell from my clothes and my face was coated in a layer of ice. Looking over to her, I contemplated my choices. Nobody could survive out there right now. It was like the weather was truly ferocious when it struck on this place. The rain was similar, coming down in torrential waves as it fell. There was no in between, it seemed, when it came to the weather.

    I didn¡¯t hunt others simply because I was from earth and it felt wrong. I had morals to uphold, not to mention I liked not dieing myself. Sending her out there would be the same as a death sentence. Making my decision grudgingly, I walked back past her into the common room to start a fire. I¡¯d always been a loner, and I liked it that way. Now, he¡¯d have to worry about so many other things.

    ¡°If you stay here, you listen to me when I tell you to. If you¡¯re here, you can make yourself useful. My names Ken, yours?¡± I was in the middle of setting up a fire pyramid when she squealed happily and hugged my frosty form from behind.

    It might have felt nice, but as it was her warm skin made my cold skin tingle like needles brushing up against me. ¡°Thank you! My names Selene, you won¡¯t regret anything. I can cook and clean and¡­ and what else is there again?¡±

    I slapped my forehead, sliding my hand down to rub the bridge of my nose. Was I the only person with a sense of craft or something? ¡°Remind me again how you and everyone else survived this long?¡±

    Taking me seriously, she started a little lecture. ¡°Well¡­ every time you kill enough people you have the chance of gaining a random care package. Plus whatever those people had of course. There¡¯s random shelters or loot stashed around the hills for us to find as well. You can find new clothing, weapons, food and camping supplies.¡±

    ¡°So everyone¡¯s fighting over these shelters? How big did everyone else group up?¡± Suddenly, letting her run off to find a large group to raid him didn¡¯t sound so good.

    ¡°Oh, maybe twenty to thirty usually, the largest being around a hundred or so. Usually just like ten or so who know each other group up at the beginning. Some groups accept strong fighters, but the few groups I ran into were way over my head. Most everyone else has tents or shelters set up in camps by now. Everyone¡¯s been struggling for food as far as I can tell. There were a few dilapidated farms out on the plains areas, but other than that everyone¡¯s just hunted for food.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ why didn¡¯t anyone else hole up like me? If they had any earth mages in their group, they could grow food pretty easily. I mean, I just started using my powers and I could probably make a plant grow without incantation if I had to.¡±

    Selene looked at me as if I was a monster, but a moment later calmed down on the surface. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess most earth mages get taken out early on, or they¡¯re used to make simple fortifications, like mud walls or stuff like that. Most just focus on another element when their young, or learn something like enchantment. Honestly, I¡¯d say you use more nature magic than earth magic, but that¡¯s just my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Wait what? Why don¡¯t you use runes or magic circles then? I have terrible capability, yet I could still use circle magic at the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ first of all, runes are expensive to buy or learn. Secondly, most kids practice chantless from a younger age. Why practice expensive runes with little battle capabilities when you can learn to survive a fight? I mean, I¡¯m a water mage. There¡¯s very few things I can do at my power level, and circle magic doesn¡¯t really work well with me. It takes too much concentration and multitasking.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± If runes were expensive, should he hide his own? Nah, most were concealed anyway. His runes would look like random scrawls to anyone but a dragon anyway, not to mention you had to understand the runes themselves to get it to work with your intent.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you do it? I mean, someone buying and studying runes usually garners a lot of attention.¡±

    Groaning a little from the reminder about my situation, I leaned back in the bench staring at the fire. ¡°Long story short, I¡¯m from Earth. Didn¡¯t even know anything like this existed outside mythology.¡±

    I decided to ignore the rude gasp, as Selene¡¯s brain tried processing everything. ¡°Wait¡­ how¡¯d you get here then?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my parents are natives from here. Not really sure about the whole story, but they basically tried hiding me from this way of life until a couple weeks ago. When I brought out my power, my meridians gave me away. The next thing I know, I¡¯m being transported by a man in black. Talk about flipping my world upside down.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit... wait, where¡¯d you learn runes from then?¡±

    Ah, the question I was avoiding. Whelp, there goes that pipedream of secrets. ¡°I uh¡­ my dragon taught me a little.¡±

    ¡°Your dragon knows rune magic! What the bloody hell, that¡¯s like cheating. I¡¯ve never even heard of dragons using runes.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s from a different breed of dragon. Her variant keeps her size pretty small, and they dig tunnels often enough. Their lifestyle brought then closer to the earth, and a lot of the time they can live almost solely off of plant life. Her mother taught her some simple runes to do maintenance around their caves, keep the plants healthy and regrow fruits when needed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a dragon like that before. She¡¯s also furrier than normal you know?¡± She gestured at the little dragon over by the fruit rack munching on some breakfast, as we talked. It seemed like our conversation was less entertaining than her meal.

    ¡°Eh, I think she¡¯s cuter this way. Less scary looking, and the furs softer than anything I¡¯ve ever touched before. I¡¯m also pretty sure nobody really summons them anymore, if anyone knows they even exist. Mine was a soul summoning, when I released my power. So there wasn¡¯t any choice in it for me.¡±

    ¡°Lucky, I didn¡¯t even have enough extra power to summon a mouse. They say the academy helps you summon a familiar if you live. I hope I get something good.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well I¡¯d just be glad to survive this ordeal." That sobered her up fast, so I decided to leave her be. I made breakfast with the last of the fish, loathing the time when he was going to have to fetch the trap at the creek in this weather.

    When I finished eating, I started compressing the stone bricks. It was a tiresome process, but as he worked, he started feeling more comfortable working with the fire attribute. His affinity rose only slightly, but it was better than nothing, and it got the job done.

    My parents said this would happen to some extent, if I used other affinities often enough. But they also said it only rose so fast, and there were natural limits. Everyone could use any spell after all, affinity was basically whatever element you had the best connectivity with. Flexing these paths could enlarge your influence, but there was a natural limit on everyone¡¯s body.

    When I finished compressing all the stone, I carved the metal out of the tips stacking it in another corner. In the end, he had a decent pile of both iron and copper. Separating the metal was just as easy as cutting stone.

    After making a simple room for storing wood, plants and materials, he sat down with some iron and experimented for an hour.

    First off, he merged a few large pieces together into one seamless chunk of metal. Then, he stretched it out and molded the shape into that of a typical machete. Then he used some copper to wrap a thin string around the handle to make a comfortable grip. Lastly, he put an edge on the blade as best he could, and made a thin sheathe to carry his newest creation.

    Looking up from his work, he realized the fire was almost out, meaning at least half the day had passed already!

    Thinking he needed to reset his fish trap fast, and check the weather, he made for the entrance. Selene followed him happily, while Lapillus hitched a ride in his hoody.

    Little did he know, Selene wasn¡¯t particularly sneaky for an archer¡­ She also neglected to admit how many people were tracking her the day before, when she ran into Ken.

 Chapter 7

    <u>Chapter 7</u>

    ???-POV

    ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± A grumpy looking guy stalked around the forest searching for a particular elven girl, as a wet snow fell steadily.

    ¡°The hell if I know! The tracks just stop by another pair of tracks, then there¡¯s just nothing¡­ Can¡¯t we just go back already? What if an air mage took her, which would explain the sudden lack of tracks?¡± A pale looking girl crouched in the snow observing the trampled path before them.

    ¡°What, and let that wench get away with a fire-stone? Those are worth over two hundred gold, and you¡¯re just giving up like that? Not to mention how much food it could trade for at the moment!¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­ actually, yes! If you hadn¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m a damn fire mage! If you feel cold as a water mage, then I feel like a flipping popsicle.¡±

    ¡°I guess you have a point.¡± He looked down at his frost bit toes, idly yearning for a warm pair of boots.

    ¡°Would you guys just shut up already? If you have enough energy to complain like that, then you have enough energy to keep looking.¡± A tall kid stood in a clearing to the side, observing the valley before them, as the others argued.

    ¡°Shut up Ed, you¡¯re not the leader or some crap. Come on Lina, let¡¯s check if she backtracked.¡±

    Saying this, the other boy started walking back along the trail towards camp, ignoring the other boys reddening face.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Ed, who was at least thirty yards away, suddenly flickered. Appearing a few feet in front of the other boy, he grinned as he shoved a short sword up against the boy¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Woah! Calm down man, we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean here? This is a competition, and if you¡¯re not willing to contribute to my team, you can contribute with your life!¡± With that said, the rage filled blade slashed outward, cutting a rough line in the boy¡¯s neck with the dull blade. In all reality, the blade was extremely dull from so much bush-whacking, to the point it almost did more crushing damage than cutting.

    The other boy fell to the ground wheezing as blood gushed between his fingers, trying to stem the bleeding. Alas, he was already starting to drown on his own blood, as a strangled cry was escaping his lips.

    For a moment, Ed stared dumbfounded at the scene before him. Then, slowly a grin crept up his face, settling in to give a grim image of betrayal. All this time Lina hadn¡¯t moved, as she expected Ed to try reasoning with his friend at least a little.

    Alas, Ed had gone over the line, and was desperate for more score points at the end of the exam. In his mind, if he couldn¡¯t kill others for points or take over a position effectively, he¡¯d just get what he needed out of his peers.

    Ed was enjoying the view, as his now struggling friend scrabbled around in the snow dieing the area crimson, when the ground suddenly lifted out from under himself.

    Snow cascaded to the sides practically burying Ed, while Lina stood stunned as a lively green light shone from the hole in the ground. Then, a person¡¯s head suddenly appeared followed by a weirdly dressed body. The boy took a few steps outside to fully open the hatch, when he suddenly noticed the blood everywhere.

    Glancing around once, he was greeted by the disturbing scene around him, and a girl staring at him in astonishment. Pausing in his step, he pulled out a machete, struggling with the strap on the handle for a moment before it came free.

    *Cough* ¡°So¡­ we finally meet.¡± The mysterious boy shuffled nervously, trying to find a comfortable stance to defend himself.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I knew you blood thirsty freaks would come at some point, but I didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon this right outside my front door-.¡±

    Before the boy could continue speaking, a disheveled Ed clambered out of the new snow bank gasping. Upon spotting the cause of his troubles, he sent a slash towards the boy immediately.

    ---

    Ken-POV

    Ken was distracted, thinking over why the snow was so heavy on his trap door, when a scene straight from a horror film appeared right in front of him at eye level. A pale girl stood motionless, while a suffering guy rolled around spraying blood everywhere in little spurts from his neck.

    My first reaction was to dive back into the cave, but the chase was up now. If he let one get away, they could bring others to raid his base. Hence, why his next best decision was to eliminate the new adversary before it was too late.

    She was obviously a bad person, having literally killed someone on his doorstep, just for a competition. So he had little qualms ridding the world of someone like her.

    ¡°So¡­ we finally meet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I knew you blood thirsty freaks would come at some point, but I didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon this right outside my front door-.¡± Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in his peripheral vision as he heard someone gasp for air.

    Unthinking, he dove to the side, ducking under a sword slash. He didn¡¯t fully escape though, as a crimson line appeared on his back, running straight down his spine.

    Thankfully, the damage wasn¡¯t debilitating, while the adrenaline numbed the pain. Stumbling through the snow, he tried turning around in time to meet the next strike, only for a fireball to fly past his head.

    The smell of burning hair filled the air around him instantly, while he was once again distracted by a short sword flinging in his direction. This time though, he managed to bring a clumsy swing up to defend. The heavy machete plowed through the small sword, ricocheting to the side, barely missing Ed¡¯s shoulder by an inch.

    The girl powered up another flaming attack in the next instant, launching a fiery lance of pure fire in their direction. Thankfully, she was a novice, having poor control of her spells. This caused the lance to hit the ground at their feet, instead of his body.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Steam rolled into the air, snow melting instantly. In the poor visibility, he just barely managed to deflect the next flurry of stabs directed at his heart. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t evade every strike fully, quickly accumulating a variety of thin cuts over his arms.

    His only saving grace was the extremely thick machete, easily setting his opponent off balance even with his untrained swings. Not to mention he was actually fairly strong for his body size.

    Alas, he would not have survived the next attack if Selene didn¡¯t come running out of the cave with her bow at the ready. Upon exiting the hole, she was right beside the other girl, who was in the middle of preparing a series of fireballs.

    Too close to fully draw her bow, she threw it aside and made a mad grab at the girls waste. Going down in a ball of limbs and hair grabbing, they immediately commenced a deadly game of scratching and biting.

    Thankfully Ed was just as distracted by the scene as Ken was, because otherwise he would¡¯ve been dead in but a moment. As it was, they turned back as one and continued the fight in earnest.

    Without any interference, they were both engrossed in a game of blades. The silver sheen of iron and steel flickered intermittently, sometimes landing a shallow cut, other times a series of screeching metal met the ears as their forceful swings collided.

    Neither boy was an expert swordsman, as it showed immensely. Some of the moves they pulled would¡¯ve been utterly stupid if they weren¡¯t both fighting the same way. If a true swordsman saw the fight, they¡¯d be amazed actually¡­ normally you¡¯d just end up hurting yourself fighting like they did.

    There was no technique in this fight. Just pure reaction and a fight for survival. Both boys had a few wounds, but Ken undoubtedly held most of the gruesome wounds.

    This was especially true when the other boy started using a weird magic to increase his speed gradually. What he didn¡¯t know, was that if Ed had more time to prepare his burst of speed, Ken would undoubtedly have joined the other young man on the ground bleeding out immediately.

    It was truly fortunate how hot-headed Ed was, to rush into the fight so unprepared. In the end though, Ken was not fast enough to compete with Ed¡¯s slowly increasing speed. Hence it was no surprise when a flurry of slashes ended in him losing his index finger, while his Machete went flying, before embedding itself in a tree.

    The shock of the moment also allowed Ed to get a quick bash in with the pommel of his sword, causing Kens head to whip back before he fell to the ground dazed.

    ¡°It was a good try, but you¡¯ll never be my equal. Hahaha, taste blade dumbass.*Cough*¡± Just as Ed was about to end Kens life, the blade stopped mid-air where he was preparing to plunge the tip into his skull.

    Unfortunately for Ed though, there was a third member to Ken¡¯s team. Although Lapillus was unfortunately small and weak, she still had a few cards up her sleeve. As Ed was saying his little speech in arrogance, she launched herself from a tree nearby, gliding through the air in an unsteady flight.

    Landing on Ed¡¯s back, she clambered for his shoulder before decisively attempting to rip his throat out with her sharp young teeth. Even though she had few teeth at her age, they were plenty good enough when it came to ripping out arteries.

    Crimson sprayed into the air at high speed from his rapidly beating heart, as both Ken¡¯s and Ed¡¯s eyes widened as far as they could go. Ed then proceeded to rip Lapillus from his neck causing more damage to himself as he threw her aside in anger.

    This knocked Ken from his stupor, and then gave him enough time to slam a foot into Ed¡¯s knees, pushing him away. There was an audible crack of bone or tendon, and the unfortunate boy fell to his knees.

    Not taking any chances, Ken rushed to his feet whipping out his Bolo knife. Proceeding to stab it into Ed¡¯s Chest as many times as possible before he could react. At first, Ed¡¯s struggles increased, but I kicked the sword out of hands reach before pinning his upper body to the ground. By the time I was done stabbing Ed, I felt a weak hand rest on my shoulder, breaking me from my trance.

    Selene was a terrible sight, covered in welts and scratches everywhere. Glancing at her adversary, I almost threw up at the sight of her neck bent at an odd angle. That was before I looked back down at my own handiwork, and realized Ed¡¯s entire chest was a series of stab wounds. My clothes were ruined, and blood flowed freely from numerous cuts all over my body.

    I leaned to the side and chucked up everything in my stomach. Great, now I was covered in blood, wounds, and my own vomit. How could going out to check a fish trap, go this wrong?

    The slope where I¡¯d previously terraformed into a beautiful garden, was now a clearing devoid of grass, snow or plants. Fires sputtered where the fire mage had missed and my acorn bearing oak tree was scarred severely. Half the tree was practically incinerated, while the top branches were slowly being put out by the new snow falling.

    Another storm was coming, and it seemed colder than anything previously. Breaking from my observations, I checked the bodies of our assailants, before dumping their rigid bodies under the ice at the deepest part of the stream.

    In all we collected a few leather bags, some jerky rations, a book and a velvet pouch with some random colored stones inside. The short sword Ed used previously was trash, but he stowed it away for materials, along with the bolo knives from everyone else.

    Selene looked over the other girl¡¯s remains, keeping another larger book and whatever else she found. We mutually just grabbed the stuff from the people we killed respectively, and I grabbed the other boys¡¯ things since my fight was decidedly harder.

    After we finished up with the bodies, Selene followed me back inside while a somber feeling pervaded the atmosphere. Honestly, I didn''t really care what Selene did when we got inside, because I was too busy trying to patch up the wounds on my own body.

    After brewing a simple astringent, I cleansed the wounds I could reach before wrapping spare cloth over the largest open wounds to stop myself bleeding out. After that, I ate a little and promptly fell asleep in my room, Lapillus held tightly to my chest for warmth.

    ---

    Selene-POV

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe my luck! How the hell did they track me this far? It¡¯s just one essence stone anyway, they had bags of ¡®em back at their camp!¡¯ When Selene was still trying to group up with others, she¡¯d originally run into a big camp near the mouth of the little ravine. They took her back to their camp acting nice and everything, as if she could join them to survive, acting as if they were the same as her.

    But she was wrong, they weren¡¯t nearly as weak as her. It was a good thing elves had good hearing, because another kid evidently tried impressing another girl in camp b flaunting their plans when she was walking through it.

    A girl from a family with deep ties in blood magic, evidently planned on sacrificing her on an alter she had made inside their camp. In retrospect, she was already dubious of their intentions, seeing how readily they accepted her into their group. Not to mention how nice their camp was.

    There were a few cabins, some tents set up in neat lines, and about a hundred kids spread out around the edge of the hills for the last mile or so. Maybe they planned on trapping and hunting the other kids stuck in the mountains deeper in. or more likely just trapping them where they couldn¡¯t escape the coldest winter terrain.

    The barren mountain peaks, cliffs and sparse hunting grounds made for an unappealing place to live an entire month.

    Looking back on it, she could see how they all obviously planned this out before the event even started. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to group up before the exam, but it was uncommon for such a big group to do such a thing.

    It made hunting the other competitors harder, and it was harder to meet the needs of everyone. Food, shelter and prizes were argued over heavily unless there was a leader to dictate who got what.

    Long story short, she grabbed some of the supplies in the middle of the night before the guard on duty noticed, and bolted for the hills. She hadn¡¯t intended to rob the essence stone from them, but the temptation was too much when it was in arms reach.

    Honestly speaking, she might not have been hunted down if she hadn¡¯t taken the essence stone. Alas, she made a huge mistake and they were ordered to track her down in the upper mountain ranges past the barrier line.

    Glancing at Ken¡¯s room, Selene worried over his wounds. While she¡¯d escaped her fight relatively undamaged, Ken was covered in seeping bandages. When she tried helping him with his wounds earlier, he moved away from her to clean up by himself.

    Munching on a fruit from the table, she attentively watched the heavy stone door at the entrance. ¡®Did I cause Ken all this trouble?¡¯ Selene¡¯s thoughts turned darker and darker, as she thought over further implications of her staying with him.

    ¡®Maybe I should leave? No, that wouldn¡¯t do any good. Ken¡¯s too weak to defend himself now, and I would die out there.¡¯

    As the day faded into night, Selene sat guard over the door, pondering her circumstances until she unknowingly passed out by the smoldering fire place.