《Celestia: Chronicles of Wyrmhaven》 Chapter 1 - High Tree Town Addendum v.2: For anyone that have read this chapter before, the only real change is that Sapeni was changed to Urren. There was an inherent issue with the name that required it, apologies for any confusion it may have caused. For anyone else, disregard the message and enjoy. Minor changes to details. Thank you. --- The mountain range, Varnot, is an area that is sparse of civilization. Due to its steepness and many cliffs Varnot can only be traversed through a few mountain paths. At the western side of one of those paths lies the fortified town of High Tree, built along the mountainside. These heavy iron-wrought gates are the only thing that keeps the many monsters in the Zuria forest from taking the path directly to the central plains. Currently in midday, but the sun still couldn¡¯t cut through the dense fog enveloping the mountain path. Two figures walked at a casual pace through the fog, making their way to the town gates. Both carried large travel packs, made of tough leather, many pelts were rolled and tightly tied on making their silhouettes seem slightly monstrous. The guards at the gates were on guard when they saw the shadows but relaxed when it turned out to be two youngsters. ¡°Oy, open the doors. We got merchants on the road.¡± One of the guards yelled down from the fifteen feet high parapets. A voice from the other side of the gates responded back and moments later a heavy clinking resounded through the path. Even several hundred feet away, the sounds echoed as a smaller passageway opened up from the side of the mountain several feet from the gates. Four guards were posted on the other side of the gates and they welcomed the travelers. ¡°Welcome, younglings,¡± said one of the guards, he wore the badge of a Sergeant on the left chest and arms of his uniform; a design of a circle with three short lines on the bottom, with the middle line slightly longer. ¡°Merchants, eh?¡± ¡°Yes, Sergeant,¡± answered Buxley, the older of the two. They walked through the passageway and entered the town. Gates and barriers were built to prevent wildlife from entering or passing through so civilians are rarely ever kept from entering an inhabitable area. This was the same for the rest of the Urren population in the continent of Merinia. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of pelts you have there, son, any troubles going through the pass?¡± ¡°Not at all, Sergeant, it was entirely uneventful,¡± said Buxley. ¡°That¡¯s good, we just sent a messenger bird to the other side to tell them to block off the passageway so you must have left not two days ago. Are you sure you didn¡¯t see anything strange?¡± ¡°No, Sergeant, why do you ask?¡± ¡°We just received a report, earlier in the week about a pack of mountain beasts attacking travelers on the path. Had to close off the gates until a patrol can be set up to hunt them down.¡± ¡°Well then, it appears we were quite lucky then, right Kura?¡± The younger child standing next to Buxley silently nodded and gave a smile to the senior guard. ¡°Alright, so long as you lot are safe, enjoy your stay in High Tree.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sergeant. Keep the vigil.¡± ¡°Thanks, kid.¡± ¡°So, Kura, what should we do first? Inn or market?¡± asked Buxley. While he¡¯s the older one, he prefers to defer to Kura. ¡°Let¡¯s hit the market, I don¡¯t want to keep carrying these pelts.¡± If the guards had looked closer, they would have seen these pelts were still quite fresh and have yet to be processed. Their clean, precise cuts and nearly pristine fur is evidence of a well-experienced skinner. Selling the pelts at the market was quite easy thanks to the quality of the pelts. One would never have expected a sixteen year old would be masterful enough to skin an animal to such a degree so just saying that it was a commission from the League made it easy to ward off any questions. It¡¯s not uncommon for pelts to be sold in High Tree even though it is right next to the forest and animal hides is easily obtained. Due to the significant dangers of the forest, very few are actually able to venture out and come back safely. While patrols are sent out on a weekly basis, the majority of the forest resources are collected by the guilds that pass through the town. The town¡¯s market purchases and collects the materials and sells it in bulk to the caravans that pass by once a month. Alternatively, they sell it to the merchants that takes the mountain paths every two weeks. The tavern, which acts as an inn, bar and sometimes resupply station for a town has the highest foot traffic out of all the services available in any town. This tavern, the Gilded House, is no different from that well-known fact. The only difference is its unusual size and reinforced walls. However, even with its red oaken walls and iron bolts, the rowdiness inside could be heard several buildings down. The two youths in their well-worn, forest green travel robes walked down the cobblestone road of the town towards the tavern. The younger child was no more than ten years old. Besides carrying a bulging satchel wider than his body, he also walked with a staff two heads taller than him. It was made of rosewood and the perfect straightness of the staff hinted that it was carved with great effort. At the top of the staff was a three-prong metal attachment holding a small green gem. At a section of the walking instrument where it was comfortable for the child to hold, a wrap made of fine cloth snaked around it. A pattern could be seen etched all around the body of the staff and upon closer inspection appeared to be runic engravings. One would think it is a simple patterned walking stick unless they are familiar with rune magic. The other youth is fifteen, almost old enough to be considered an adult but not quite. He was three heads taller than the child and carried an even larger pack with a rectangular box, three feet in length, strapped to the side. His hair was a solid black unlike the other who had a red-brown tinge in his hair. They were Kura and Buxley, cousins from the same city. Upon entering the tavern, one could see why it was so large. It was midday but there were still numerous people patronizing the tavern. Some of them were from the Accordian Vanguard and Army, more commonly known as the scouts, sentinels and guards. Their tabards carried the emblem of Bludloft, indicating they were sent from central regions. Bludloft is the capital of the Grand Accord as it was the city where the original treaty was signed 400 years ago. The rust orange and dark scarlet dye of the cloth was the official color of the Accord, giving the tavern a peculiar vibrancy. Not ten feet from the door was a dining table that sat a party of eleven. One of them wore armor that was of much higher quality than the rest. Before Kura could catch himself from staring too long at such an interesting sight he was noticed. The scout leader looked at him and showed a big grin. ¡°Hello kid, strange to see two youngsters such as yourself ¡®round these parts.¡± The man''s voice was loud but not abrasive and he had a sort of gentleness to him, he seemed to be just curious. High Tree has its own townsfolk and obviously children but none of them would be walking around in traveler robes unless they came from somewhere else. Travelers are not uncommon as High Tree is the crossroad for anybody going or returning from the forest but it is extremely rare for children to be accompanying travelers outside a group of more than six people. And here was two youths walking into the tavern fully comfortable as if they had done this many times before. Buxley, looked at the man, and shared a quick glance with Kura before speaking confidently to the scout leader, giving him an affable grin. ¡°We were just simply passing by on our way to elsewhere, sir Knight.¡± It was proper decorum to address a stranger either sir or ma¡¯am but since this individual seemed to be an individual of high standing judging by the quality of his armor and uniform, he was most likely a knight. Addressing someone in this manner was the highest respect one could give to a stranger without knowing their background. ¡°My name is Arnas, scout leader of this scout party, nice to meet you. By the way passing by is all and well, but you aren¡¯t taking the mountain path by chance are you?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too, sir, this is my cousin, Kura, I am known as Buxley. Not at all, is this about the beasts in the mountains?¡± ¡°Hmm, seems like you¡¯ve heard already. There have been reports of beast sightings around the mountain path, it would be safer if you took the southern pass if you intend to head to eastern Honoja. There are more patrols in the pass so it will be safer than taking the mountain. It will take some time before the Vanguard properly clears and make the path safe again.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir Arnas, we will keep that in mind when we move on.¡± Kura kept quiet during the conversation but gave a martial salute, by putting palm and fist together with Buxley before they moved to talk to the tavern keeper about room and board. Once they were shown their room they came back down after dropping their belongings and securing the room, giving a slight nod to the scout leader, Arnas, as they passed before leaving the tavern. Walking softly along the well-maintained road, it was late midday now so most vendors were beginning to close, the wares and food alongside the buildings from their carts were slowly being packed up. The smell of various foods lingered in the air, the two couldn¡¯t resist so they stopped by a cart to get something before dinnertime at the tavern. ¡°That Accordian scout sure had some fine armor.¡± Buxley said in-between bites as they continued browsing the town. They just reached a weapons shop and forge when Kura stopped to look at the equipment displaying at the window. ¡°Indeed. I think that was enchanted armor, if only I could examine it closer.¡± Buxley chuckled slightly before asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡± Kura looked at his cousin incredulously. ¡°What? You look Urren so you look more a child than not. It wouldn¡¯t be all that strange,¡± said Buxley. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Good idea, but still, the less attention the better.¡± ¡°True, true. Younglings walking into a tavern full of Accordian military makes it rather difficult to appear normal. Not too surprising there were so many there since it¡¯s a fortified town, but it is nice he wasn¡¯t too curious.¡± They spent the next two hours exploring the town. Buxley was walking in a relaxed manner along the road as Kura let his eyes wander the town. High Tree Town had a mix primarily of Urren and Leveren inhabitants. The Urren lived in the wooden and bricked houses on the forest ground. The Leveren lived in the trees between fifty to a hundred feet from the ground. The barracks for the Army and Vanguard were dug into the mountain side, connected to the walls that formed the barrier between the town and the forest. With its couple ten thousand inhabitants, including the town guard and soldiers, High Tree Town is one of the larger towns one can find in the continent. Buxley spoke after he had noticed something. ¡°You know, Kura, it seems most of the people here have at least some kind of armor on, even the civilians.¡± ¡°Yes, I have noticed that too.¡± Kura replied in a nonchalant manner and chuckled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing, would you like to check out some of the armor shops? There is quite a selection here and some of them are of decent quality.¡± ¡°No, no, I was just making an observation, besides without my savings I can¡¯t afford the equipment here.¡± Buxley had left home with Kura without the assent of their parents so they did not carry much money with them, they were able to sell the things they scavenged or hunted during their journey to make money for food and shelter but other than that they barely had enough to purchase anything fancy. ¡°Besides, why buy armor when you can make them for me. I will patiently wait for that.¡± ¡°Sorry, cousin, you know how difficult it is to gather materials for higher quality armor and the last materials we found were used for your shield.¡± Buxley had dropped the knapsack attached to his shield before leaving the inn. The base was made from the branches of a mana tree they came across during their trek through East Hono then layered with a thin blue-steel plate on one side to reinforce the thick bark with a heavy, blackened-steel boss covering a gemstone set in its center. Kura had borrowed a forge from one of the towns they passed by after gathering enough materials. The end result was a kite shield as long as his body with some engravings on the wearer side as the finishing touch. The front was embellished with design of a baby dragon sitting atop an egg. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kura, I said I will patiently wait and that is what I intend to do. Besides, even without the equipment you make, your enchantments are just as good,¡± said Buxley as he affectionately touched the top of his shield. ¡°Thanks, cousin and I look forward to crafting a new piece of armor for you.¡± Kura looked at the setting sun that painted golden streaks across the sky, giving the canopy of the trees a golden crown. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± ¡°Right, early day tomorrow and all.¡± Several candlesticks had been burnt by the time they finished exploring the rest of the town. The sun had already dropped past the tree line and the light barely made it through the forest now. Thankfully, magical lights lit up the path and trees making it seem like the stars were right on top of them. Kura and Buxley made their way back to the tavern. The night passed by quickly and the sound of birds singing just before dawn made its way pass the ajar window. The sunlight shone through the gap into the room the two but only two empty and orderly beds were seen. Downstairs the smell of freshly baked bread and soup wafted through the air. Two youthful individuals in their forest green traveling robes were seen sitting by a wall in a corner silently eating breakfast, their packs were underneath their feet and out of the way. Kura was dipping his bread into a hot bowl of hearty soup while Buxley was eating it with a slice of ham on top. Footsteps came from the staircase as Arnas the Scout was walking down with the rest of his scout party. He noticed them in the corner and walked over as the rest of his group walked over to the table closest to the doorway and rechecked their equipment as they waited on Arnas. ¡°Hmm, you kids sure woke early for just having arrived here yesterday.¡± It was a tone of amazement more than suspicion. Some in his group nodded and smiled after hearing their leader¡¯s comment. Buxley spoke up again for the two of them as Kura stopped eating to listen out of respect. ¡°Well the two of us got too excited after coming here so we couldn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep so we decided to eat some breakfast before we had a proper look around.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s good to be young. Such energy. Please, don¡¯t let me keep you from your meal.¡± Arnas seemed to be in a happy mood or perhaps he was just the type to be cheery in general. That was what Kura thought as he looked at the Scout¡¯s armor again as Arnas began to move away. ¡°Excuse me, sir Knight.¡± The Scout paused, and looked back at Kura, giving him an inquiring look while waiting for him to continue. ¡°Your armor looks really well-made, would you mind if I look at it a little closer.¡± ¡°Haha, and curious too! That is a good trait to have, young one, you will go far. While I am indeed a knight, you do not have to call me so, just Arnas is fine. And yes, you can.¡± He stepped closer and took a knee with a mirthful grin on his face. His companions lightly laughed at the scene. ¡°This is magic armor known as rune armor, light yet strong due to the engravings.¡± Arnas began explaining to them, clearly proud of the armor he was wearing. ¡°Magical runes are inscribed in the inner layers and grants its wearer a number of protection spells. Since these are passive protection spells even a non-mage such as I could use the armor without issues. This kind of armor is only given to veteran soldiers. Not to be bragging about myself, mind you. It''s how the Accord handles distribution of its magical equipment. Though some high ranking guilds with enough money or a skilled crafter can wear equipment like this too.¡± Kura gave his best childish grin to the knight. ¡°Thank you kindly, sir Arnas.¡± The middle-aged knight smiled once more and stood up. He placed his leather and metal gauntlet on Kura¡¯s head lightly and ruffled his hair. ¡°You be safe now, kid.¡± ¡°You too, sir. Fair hunt.¡± The knight looked back at his companions and motioned with his head that they were heading out. Without a word the party left, heading west and making their way out of town, past the gate and magical barrier that protected the town and into the forest. Buxley turned to look at Kura with a slightly surprised look. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually do it,¡± said Buxley. ¡°It was a good chance. That wasn¡¯t enchanted armor but actually rune equipment,¡± replied Kura. ¡°Equipment?¡± Buxley thought only the armor was rune engraved, he was not a mage or craftsman so was not familiar with how to appraise someone''s gear. As for his own weapons that Kura made for him, he could only compare it with weapons he previously trained with. ¡°His bow and dagger was inscribed with runes too, though it was covered in the sheath I could still sense the magic within it. He must be quite the high ranking Knight if he was outfitted with so many magic equipment. His scouts only had one or two enchanted weapons or armor.¡± ¡°Learn anything new?¡± Buxley asked. ¡°I could see the spells inscribed in tunic and boots but only a glimpse of the weapons, ones I wasn¡¯t familiar with,¡± Kura said, as he continued his meal. ¡°Still, that is an unexpected catch, looks like I am one step closer to getting some nice equipment now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still going to cost you.¡± ¡°What! Come on, little cousin, am I not your best cousin? Be a bit more generous than that can you?¡± The weapon Kura first made for him was a gift, the second was the shield which had cost them all the money and items they collected up to that point. Even with the materials, it required a high fee to borrow someone else¡¯s forge so Kura typically did not like using other people¡¯s forge. Buxley paid for most of the renting fee, but the rest was paid by having to work for the blacksmith with some chores for the rest. ¡°Except you''re my only cousin,¡± Kura retorted. "Ouch," said Buxley. "Very well." ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°A discount it is.¡± Buxley opened his mouth to make a spirited comeback, but gave up. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll bite. Better be a good discount, Kura. But goodness, now I am excited. Let¡¯s get going I want to find some new materials.¡± He had pretty much forgotten about finishing his breakfast. ¡°Were you not the one who previously said you were content with the shield I made for you a couple weeks ago?¡± ¡°Of course and I still am, but what kind of warrior would I be without some armor to go along with it?¡± said Buxley as he looked at the shield by his feet currently acting as the frame for his knapsack. ¡°I read that the berserkers in the northlands does that. They fight without armor as it gets in their way and rely on their axes and an ability called Frenzy,¡± Kura answered again, indicating for his overly excited cousin that his food is getting cold. ¡°Oh yea? That is quite interesting, I wouldn¡¯t mind meeting one and have a spar one day.¡± The two finished their meal and conversation a half hour after their meeting with Arnas the scout leader. They left for a bakery and several food vendors they saw the day before to gather their supplies. After their preparations were completed they made their way toward the forests, following the same road Arnas and his scout party took out the town. Chapter 2 - Entering Zuria Forest This is the first revision of the original Chapter 2, streamlined a bit; biggest change is the name of the race mentioned in Chapter 1. I changed it from Sapeni to Urren. Everything from now on will be referred to as such. Thank you. --- Zuria Forest is the largest forest in the land of Merinia. Spanning across three territories, it blankets most of the northwestern quarter of the continent between the western sea and Mount Oya and the Varnot Mountain Range. Buxley and Kura had spent a good portion of the day pushing through the six feet high brushes north of High Tree before finding a clearing to prepare their camp for the night. With a fallen tree leaning on the branches of a nearby redwood as a landmark they dropped their satchels with a thud to take short rest. Taking a sip from his water canteen Kura closed his eyes and held his staff out in front of him, setting the steel-capped end of his walking staff on the ground he began to concentrate on forming a spell. Buxley balanced himself as he used the fallen tree as a ramp to climb to the other tree to take a look at their surroundings as he waited for Kura to set up his usual protection spell. As Kura finished casting the spell, Buxley dropped down from his vantage point before asking. Kura didn¡¯t need to continue channeling the spell for the protective barrier because he had woven the spell to draw upon the surrounding area¡¯s mana to power it. This way he didn¡¯t need to expend much of his own mana for the barrier. However, the resulting effects of the spell will be weaker than if the concentrated mana from a mage or similar source was used. Additionally, the spell only lasts as long as there is still mana in the surrounding, the larger the spell the more it consumes and the shorter the duration. Since mana slowly replenishes in the environment with the exception of areas with aether, naturally high concentration of mana, this technique is not always available. ¡°Hunt or rations?¡± ¡°Hmm, let''s see what¡¯s around.¡± Kura rotated his staff and made a motion to tap the ground with the head of the staff which gripped a small green gemstone and generating a soft pale yellow glow. A few seconds later he drew a circle with his staff in the air parallel to the ground. He then lightly knocked the head of his staff on the ground and initiated his magic. A blur appeared around Kura for just a second before returning to normal and the yellow glow increased in brightness by a factor from his staff. Immediately, a swarm of ten luminescent balls of light of the same color floated from the ground and swirled around Kura before they sped out in a circular motion. Kura remained standing and bowed his head slightly as he kept his eyes closed to concentrate on channeling the spell. Buxley leaned against the tree as he watched Kura¡¯s magic in action. Having been used to this, he waited for several minutes to pass as Kura searched the area for ingredients they¡¯ll be using to make their lunch and supper. He saw the wisps of light roam around in the distance as they casually moved around from one place to another. Everything they sense are reported back to Kura via information. Shortly afterwards the glow from his staff dimmed as Kura breathed out and relaxed before nodding to his cousin. Buxley, having received confirmation that the hunt was successful followed a wisp that came back to lead him to gather up the spoils. The initial action of the search required Kura to keep channeling his mana to maintain the numerous wisps he sent out within a fifty yard radius. Once it was done, he cut of the channeling and let the wisps slowly burn up their remaining mana before disappearing. This freed Kura from having to stay concentrated and using up his mana to move around to find some firewood for the campsite. The magic Kura used was a highly efficient magical spell that he developed through his efforts of perusing the city library in Bludloft, calling it ''Wandering Wisps.'' A combination of a number of 1-ring spells woven together into a complex one that could be cast with minimal effort, as long as there is enough mana. The first ring is for the wisps themselves, which is the most complicated of the three as the wisp needed to be self-contained with its accompanying spells and follow the directions of the caster. The second spell is for identifying life in the proximity. It detects the mana of living animals or beings within a five yard radius of the wisp. The unique mana aura of the living has a different signature than the typical mana that flows in nature. The third spell is known as ¡®Feedback Sense¡¯, allowing the wisp to send back information as sights, sounds and smells. The fourth-ring was ¡®Arc¡¯, a light-based spell that electrifies the target making it ideal to capture small game. An extra touch that Kura added in his ''Wandering Wisps'' spell was injecting a small amount of his intentions within the mana allowing each wisp to move independently without need for his direct control. This is what brings this low-tier spell four-ring spell to a mid-low-tier spell. Without visually seeing the wisp an animal would be unable to detect it due traces of the surrounding mana Kura had mixed in when channeling the spell thus making it ideal for hunting. Since rune magic has the prerequisites of a spell engraved into an object, casting a spell is almost instantaneous after the spell is initiated by a specific action dictated by the instructions within the engravings. The runic character, once drawn or engraved, can be activated by infusing or performing the movement specified. Kura had carved his own walking staff so he had set the rune¡¯s parameters himself and set the activation settings to when he tap the ground with the head of the staff. Rune magic requires very specific commands and requires an understanding of the all the parts of the spell. A multi-ring rune-based spell is still easier cast compared to a traditional spell. There were many runes Kura carved into his staff all set up as the foundations of his often used spells so he can weave the more complex ones without starting from the beginning saving time in case of a pinch. With his current knowledge and experience two and three-ring spells can be cast within seconds as he had just done with his wisps. Space and quality was limited on the staff so most of the cumbersome spells were left out, such as spells like the protective barrier he had casted beforehand. The exception being ¡®Wandering Wisps¡¯ since it is his favorite spell to use. Buxley came back moments later, his hands dyed with the blood of a rabbit one of Kura¡¯s wisps took down. The rabbit had already been bled out and gutted on the spot but Buxley brought it back to the campsite before skinning it. The protective barrier Kura had set up was a low-tier five-ring layered spell set within a hundred meter radius. The first layer masked their mana signature while a second one that puts a shroud over them, hiding all senses from detecting them. The other layers contained a warning spell in case someone walked within the perimeter. A redirection spell which twists the surrounding area so that anyone unconsciously entering would end on the other side without ever seeing the two of them. And finally the physical barrier itself occupied the last ring. It was one of two five-ring spells that Kura was able to find in all the books he read at the Grand Library and since beginning the journey with Buxley had used it every time they make camp in the wilderness. The sun had set by the time they finished cooking their meal. Changing their plans a little to preserve some more food for the coming weeks, they ate their rations for lunch and saved the rest of supper. The pale grey moon had risen above the trees enough to provide a bit of moonlight within the forest. They silently ate their meal, listening to the forest before laying out their bed rolls to end the night. Just a thin layer of leather and stuffed cotton consisted of their bed roll making it easy to roll up and light to carry. It was as comfortable as they could get sleeping out in the cool and damp forest ground. Even though Kura had set up the barrier, they still took turns sleeping so there is always a person on watch. It was something Buxley suggested, it was the basics of patrolling he learned during his time at the Bludloft training academy before he left with Kura on their journey. Since Buxley was primarily accompanying Kura as his guardian, he discussed a number rules with Kura to increase their safety. While Kura is only ten years old, Buxley is six years older and had graduated from the Junior Scouts at ten years old before attending the training academy for additional training into the Accordian military. However, Kura had planned with Buxley that as soon as he graduated from his intermediate training they would begin their journey and had been planning ever since. The next morning, just before dawn, Kura lightly shook Buxley¡¯s shoulder to wake him up. Being a light sleeper, he immediately came to and helped Kura clean up their campsite and prepare to leave. In order to familiarize themselves with the forest, they had stopped earlier yesterday to rest. Now that they spent some time to attune to the area, they get a better sense of direction to where they¡¯re headed. Without word, they quickly packed up and stepped out of the clearing towards the north. --- Two figures sprinted through the forest, jumping over vines, bushes, and fallen logs. With their speed and agility, they practically flew along the forest ground, frightening critters before they knew what happened to them. Their cloaks fluttering about made their silhouettes indistinct and almost blended in with the scenery. After a while the two began to slow down and before long came to a walking pace. ¡°That went pretty well. The buff lasted about as long as before.¡± Kura took out a pocket watch, a small gem gave a soft blue glow on his palm as he held it. ¡°Roughly two hours. How are you feeling, cousin?¡± Kura responded. ¡°Not tired at all, feels like that tweak you made to the spell worked out great,¡± Buxley said. He did some stretching as he replied to check his condition after the movement they just did, ¡°It almost felt like we went twice as fast compared to the previous spell.¡± ¡°Many thanks to that Scout Leader, can¡¯t believe I finally get a chance to see that amplification rune.¡± Kura and Buxley was discussing the high-mid-tier two-ring spell called ¡®Speed Boost¡¯ that gave its target the ability to move faster than normal. Typically, it would require the caster to expend their own mana to maintain the spell because it drains its energy too fast to be sustained by mana in the environment. When Kura had observed Scout Leader Arnas¡¯ rune equipment, he had noticed a rune of amplification for physical boosts which increased the effects of a spell while using the same amount of mana. Kura had adjusted one of the spells they used in their training and it worked wonderfully. Not all mages are able to do that, only rune mages or magic scholars have enough knowledge in runes to understand a spell by looking at it. In order to be a rune mage, one needs to have the innate ability known as ¡®Mage Eye¡¯ or know the spell with the same name, allowing one to see magic in colors and naturally occuring symbols. Kura is one of those with the innate ability and thanks to his Leveren blood, had been immersed in the study of magic since birth. Amplification runes on equipment are rare since it requires high quality materials to make use of it and it has never shown up in any of the books he read, only mentioned. Letting Kura take the lead, Buxley pulled out a map from inside his cloak and studied it carefully. Mumbling briefly, Buxley carefully secured the map back inside before giving Kura a pat on the shoulder to indicate switching places again. ¡°I¡¯ll keep in mind our pace today, unless we have to go around anything, we should reach the river in about a month. Once we pass the river, we¡¯ll have to start climbing upwards. There¡¯s not much to go on after that.¡± ¡°If finding some Salvarrosi ruins in the middle of the forest was easy, we¡¯d have more books on them,¡± Kura said. He went through the motions to cast ¡®Wandering Wisp¡¯ and created three balls of light and sent them floating around within a hundred yard radius of them. It¡¯s easy to maintain the spell without constantly infusing mana if it was only a few of them. Unlike before when he had used them to hunt, these wisps were only three ring and have just their sensing ability and feedback so their distance could be increased and maintained without the high expenditure of mana. ¡°Right, well we¡¯ll have you take lead with your little ghosts once we get there.¡± Buxley said. The Salvarossi was a people that had suddenly disappeared three hundred years ago, leaving behind quite a few texts and a few survivors that were living in other cities at the time. The Salvarrosi had enchanted these books to hide secrets that only someone that has Mage Eye could see. The low number of people in Merinia with that ability attributed to the reason why there were so few people able to discover these secrets. --- Three weeks have passed since they first set out from High Tree. Besides the occasional beast they came across, their time in the forest had been uneventful. Their packs were steadily bulging from the forest plants they harvested and proof of their successful hunts. They would reach the river at any point now. Suddenly, Kura halted and took a knee, whispering to get his cousin¡¯s attention. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Something ahead?¡± Buxley asked. It wasn¡¯t the first time this happened, and at this point he could tell something¡¯s amiss based on Kura¡¯s action. ¡°We can¡¯t see it through the brush but there¡¯s three beings up ahead,¡± Kura replied. ¡°Should we move around them?¡± ¡°No, wait, I think they¡¯re fighting. Let me check,¡± as Kura said that, he cut off the mana to the wisps and recast a new one with natural mana so that the beasts instinct won¡¯t pick it up. It moved quickly through the forest in a straight line, disappearing with a puff of light through the trunk of a tree and appearing back out on the other side as it shot ahead in the direction of the river. A minute later, ¡°This is troubling,¡± Kura whispered. Buxley looked inquisitively at Kura waiting for him to continue. ¡°A grodling, a vanter and a Leveren.¡± ¡°Walked into a bar?¡± Buxley couldn¡¯t help himself. Kura just gave him an eye before continuing, ¡°Leveren¡¯s laying on the ground. Looks like the other two are facing off to see who gets him for lunch.¡± ¡°Root and kill?¡± Buxley suggested the plan, if the two beasts were occupied with facing each other, they might be able to take the initiative and take them out. Kura nodded and began to focus before channeling a low-tier 2-ring spell, ¡°Hidden Movement¡±, masking their mana signature and from the senses, this would allow them to rush ahead without making a sound or being detected by the instincts animals pride themselves with. With it cast, they made their way ahead. It took them a minute to arrive at riverbed where the three were at. Hiding in the bushes right before the clearing, Buxley dropped his pack and prepared himself to attack. The grodling and vanter were still staring at each other, lightly stepping around in a clockwise manner waiting to see who makes the first move. The grodling was an ursine with ape-like features, its bearish face was scrunched up as it growled and tried to intimidate the vanter. The vanter was feline in nature, with a black sheen on its fur, the dark grey stripes vertical along its body was the only markings it had. Likewise it was snarling with fangs bared at the grodling that had intruded upon its territory. One was a predator that travels around at great length to catch its prey, the other a viciously territorial beast. The Leveren had fallen by the river with a large gash on his back, unmoving. Kura began to chant his spell, at this close a distance, he couldn¡¯t take advantage of the runes that contained the ¡°Root¡± spell that he prepared. The slightest movement and even with ¡®Hidden Movement¡¯ and the bushes, the predators will take notice. The two of them still had the advantage of surprise. ¡°Now.¡± Kura whispered and waved Buxley forward. The spell had already taken effect. Buxley had only seconds before the beasts realize they were being attacked and pull themselves out of the instant mire. Buxley leapt over the bush and dashed forward with his enmak held horizontally in one hand. As he came up to the back of the vanter closest to him, he jumped upwards with the ¡°Strength Boost¡± from his weapon. Pointing the weapon directly at the tailbone of the vanter, he drove his weapon into its back with deadly precision, instantly paralyzing the beast. Pressing onward he dragged his weapon out as blood sprayed out from the wound and knelt on top the vanter¡¯s head as he smashed the sharp pommel of the enmak on the its skull as he used it to push off. Landing nearby the grodling currently struggling free from the mud that had sucked its legs and hands in and refused to let go, it made a reactive snap at Buxley as it sensed the danger closing in. Its eyes flashed in understanding as it saw the vanter laying in front of him, this person in front of him can easily end his life if it couldn¡¯t get out of the trap. It began to violently thrash around trying to prevent Buxley from getting closer. ¡°Arc!¡± Kura said with enough volume for Buxley to hear. A flash of lightning struck the grodling with a thunderous boom. With the smell of burnt flesh rising out Buxley lunged ahead to take advantage of the opportunity that Kura created. With the weapon¡¯s natural weight and its reinforced edge, it pierced the grodling¡¯s head entered the skull with ease. The large eight meter beast froze for an instant and dropped like a rock shaking the area. ¡®Root¡¯ is a spell that took the surrounding into account, in this case, it used the mud over the riverbed as the base to let the two beasts sink in before solidifying, securing their feet and hands and preventing them from move around much. With the grodling weighing close to a thousand pounds, it sunk the furthest of the two and had greater difficult to get out of the trap. Breathing out, Buxley looked at the still body of the Leveren laying by the river. The battle may have lasted less than a minute but he had expended more energy than needed to end the fight quickly. He walked to the body that had a large gash along its back. ¡°Hmm, were we too late? He looks dead.¡± ¡°Not yet, cousin, I still see his mana signature, it¡¯s there, but barely. Check the area and prepare some aid, I need to look for the spell.¡± Kura said. ¡°Got it,¡± Buxley replied as swung his enmak down diagonally to flick the blood from his blade, he scanned the area briefly before going back to his pack in the tree line to gather some supplies. Meanwhile Kura had kept his satchel on the entire time finally dropped his pack to dig out a large blackened-leather bound book. Sitting cross-legged he opened up the book and recited a spell. A warm purple glow encompassed the book as runes starting appearing and flashing around it. Similarly colored letters began appearing over the embossed-letter leather pages of the book. Once the spell was finished, Kura began flipping through the book to another page. The book was something he created himself, having taken several years of painstaking effort of crafting the iron stamps to emboss the letters into the high quality leather pages. Mixed with arcane dust infused into the book itself, it was a common artificer and blacksmith technique used to make magical items. The book was originally a copy he made of the ¡®Legend of Salvarros¡¯ but with the ¡®Book Storage¡¯ spell he was able to combine numerous books into one. The ¡®Book Storage¡¯ spell was the same spell the people of Salvarros had used to hide their secrets in the books they left behind. After studying magic for so long and having found several examples to go off on, Kura was able to understand the spell to copy it for his personal use. Kura found the page that contained the healing spell he was looking for. He wasn¡¯t familiar with this spell so he had to use it as a reference. The disadvantage of being a rune mage is their difficulty in traditional casting which is common for most mages. By being surrounded by runes, there is something unknown that prevents the rune mage to cast magic voicelessly as traditional mages do. Two different paths to magic, but it isn¡¯t like it¡¯s impossible to do both, its just more difficult when taking both paths. With the time and effort required, most mages opt between one and the other. With the availability of libraries limited to the large capitals of each territory, there are more traditionally aphonic mages than there are rune mages and subsequently magic scholars. As a rune mage, as long as they have all the runes of a spell they can cast it successfully even if they don¡¯t fully understand it. This allows even people without the ability to cast magic to use these spells. Kura went to the Leveren and Buxley, tapping Buxley¡¯s shoulder to indicate he was ready. Buxley had quickly finished the initial treatment by stopping the bleeding. He had been waiting by the Leveren¡¯s side for Kura to finish the rest. Kura knelt down and sat on his heels as he began the spell. The head of the staff pointed over the center of the Leveren¡¯s body, a mix of brown, green and yellow light particles began flow around Kura and the fainted Leveren after the spell was cast. Floating around like dandelions in a summer breeze they gently popped into existence and disappeared with a blink. One with Mage Eye would be able to see the lavender circle of runes slowly rotating around Kura and the Leveren as it happened. Ten minutes later, Kura cancelled the spell and dropped in the prone out of exhaustion. A healing spell is taxing in both body and mind, for such a serious wound as with the Leveren¡¯s recent condition, he had to pull the mana from the surrounding elements in order to properly heal the person. If he was a nature element and had a higher capacity for mana he would be able to heal the Leveren by using just his own mana. But he had a dual element of earth and light, and he knew no healing spells from either that could treat injuries of such severity so he had to rely on his book that had a multi-element healing spell. Buxley came back with both their gear to check on the status of the Leveren as Kura rested. ¡°How is he?¡± Kura said. ¡°Looks fine,¡± he said as he took off cotton dressing he had put on the Leveren to keep him from bleeding out earlier, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t seen his injuries from earlier and his clothes right now, I¡¯d say he looks quite healthy.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move away from here then,¡± Kura advised, he slowly pushed himself up. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to recover the bodies later,¡± Buxley said, nodding, helping him stand. ¡°Thank you, cousin.¡± --- In a small clearing, a campfire was burning steadily, the charred bits of burnt wood contrasted with the newly added twigs and branches. The staccato of cracks sounded as sparks fly upward joining the starry night. A person shifted as he grunted, his weakened body the proof of the three days of running he had experienced. Strange, he thought, I¡¯m not dead. A common reaction to anyone who were only aware of being struck by a beast before falling unconscious. Looking around, the Leveren saw a young Urren boy sleeping several feet away from him and another Urren, a young adult walking around attentively. The older youth noticed he had awoken. ¡°Greetings, friend. How you feeling?¡± the stranger asked, he walked up and stopped by the fire. He could see the Urren¡¯s face, barely an adult but his demeanor was quite disciplined, having siblings in the army allowed him to see that this fellow had probably participated in one of the training schools. Testing his body, he couldn¡¯t feel any pain besides the exhaustion. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m just tired,¡± he answered, ¡°I assume I have you two to thank for saving me.¡± ¡°I helped, but it was Kura who healed you.¡± The young man nodded towards the sleeping boy by the fire. He was slightly surprised, not the fact that he was a mage but that he was able to heal him. He had an idea of the severity of his wounds when he was struck. It would have been fatal within minutes if not treated. There aren¡¯t many healers with the knowledge or power that could do that. Each elemental attribute had their own healing spells but also different effect in its ability to heal. With large physical wounds, the best element to use was nature. But then, how lucky could he be that he came across someone able use that to heal him? Understanding that, he was grateful and thus courteous to his saviors. ¡°Ah, thank you again. My name is Lennox, from Lomin,¡± he said after his moment of surprise passed. ¡°Name¡¯s Buxley, that¡¯s Kura, my cousin. You hungry? I¡¯ve made some willow tree bark with mixed vegetable soup in case you want to eat. Best I could do, there¡¯s no white willow around.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take some. You know your stuff,¡± Lennox said, looking down at his body, he noticed what he had been laying on, ¡°Uh, what happened to the beast that was chasing me?¡± ¡°That was quite unlucky for you wasn¡¯t it? Coming across a grodling and a vanter,¡± replied Buxley. ¡°You¡¯re sitting on one of them.¡± ¡°A vanter too?¡± he was a bit incredulous. Grodlings and vanters are infamous predators in the area east of Lomin where they¡¯re located at. Caught unawares, an entire hunting party of eight or eleven could fall prey to just one of them. But just now he heard two such vicious creatures were taken down by two youths. If he wasn¡¯t laying atop the hide of one of them, he¡¯d be hard-pressed to believe him. Buxley chuckled as he saw Lennox¡¯s expression, he passed a bowl of the restorative soup to him. ¡°We had the jump on them. Otherwise, doubt we would have taken them out unscathed.¡± Lennox could only nod after the explanation. He still couldn¡¯t get his head around to understanding what happened. He took a sip for taste and nodding his thanks again to Buxley quickly drank the rest. Curious as he is, he was still quite tired, and he felt safe with these strangers looking after him. Placing the empty bowl next to him, he indicated he¡¯d like to have some rest again before laying down to rest. Three days of running from the grodling had sapped him of his mental strength. He quickly drifted to unconsciousness. Chapter 3 – Travelling Zuria Forest Addendum: Updating pace; slow and steady, hope you enjoy. ----- Birds were twittering from above the trees, flapping around playfully, they sang a cheerful melody. The mana empowering the barrier had attracted the smaller creatures throughout the night. Kura had adjusted his barrier magic to allow the smaller, non-threatening creatures to pass through. If the spell warded off even the smaller animals, anyone with half a brain would take notice when passing by. Lennox stirred from the makeshift bedding, he could feel its soft fur tickling the back of his ripped shirt. It was a bright day, cloudless beyond the dense tree tops and a deep azure contrasted with the dark greens of various tree leaves. He breathed out a sigh of relief, it really didn¡¯t seem like just yesterday he was on the verge of death. Half an hour passed before he finally looked around him, he saw Buxley sleeping to the left of the campfire. Only embers remained but warmth still emanated from it and drove back the morning chill. Looking to the right he saw the young child sleeping yesterday sitting cross-legged looking back at him with a thick leather-bound black book on his lap. ¡°How are you, Mr. Lennox?¡± asked Kura, in a familiar tongue. Lennox smiled, he just heard the boy spoke clearly in Leva, his language, albeit with a slight accent. He responded in kind, ¡°Well enough, Kura, many thanks to the two of you for saving my life. And you can just call me Lennox, no need for titles.¡± ¡°Unlucky, weren¡¯t you? To be hunted by two beasts.¡± ¡°Your cousin said the same thing,¡± laughed Lennox, ¡°searching in the field by myself might not have been the best idea.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Kura said, he switched back to Ullish. ¡°Not many people take the time to learn a language outside their race.¡± ¡°I could say the same for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a researcher, working with the Society requires us to be able to communicate with other races.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kura, ¡°well, my mother is a Leveren. I learnt it from her.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± exclaimed Lennox, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°I was born with the traits but none of the features. Her link to me was of the Ullish alphabet.¡± ¡°Interesting choice. I was given knowledge of plants and forest. My parents are an apothecary and a ranger,¡± said Lennox while he stood up to stretch his aching body. ¡°My mother was a librarian,¡± Kura began to put his book away, ¡°there¡¯s still some of that soup left if you want it. It¡¯s been sitting by the fire all night, so it should still be warm.¡± ¡°That explains quite a bit,¡± Lennox said as he went to grab the bowl sitting next to the pot, ¡°thanks.¡± The clanging of the bowl and pot awoke Buxley. Briefly apologizing and moving back to his bedroll, Lennox greeted Buxley before he let the soothing regenerative effects of the soup warm his body. ¡°So, what was so important you didn¡¯t bother requesting an escort through the League of Commissions?¡± asked Kura, with everything that happened yesterday, they never had the opportunity to ask him. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching on ways to significantly increasing the effects of the regenerative potion. Right now I¡¯m testing some new ingredients to add in but they are all rare ingredients,¡± Lennox said in between sips, ¡°I make trips once or twice every few weeks for them so getting an escort each time takes too long.¡± ¡°So instead you enter the forest by yourself?¡± asked Buxley. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve done this,¡± said Lennox and continued with a shrug, ¡°Though it is the first time I had a grodling chase me so far.¡± Kura glanced at Buxley, he was surprised somebody would be so brazen to go into the forest by themselves another time after escaping them from once. Buxley could only return a smirk, he knew what Kura¡¯s glance is meant. But they weren¡¯t exactly the right kind of people to criticize Lennox for his decision. They¡¯ve come across dangers like this before. Leverens are precocial in addition to one of their innate traits, the link, to choose to pass down a piece of their knowledge to their children. This is the reason why Kura is seemingly more mature and knowledgeable than normal. Compared to Leverens, this is nothing special, compared to Urrens, Kura had an early start by at least five years. Urren children doesn¡¯t go to school until they reach the age of five where they first come across literature. Particularly because Kura¡¯s mother had decided pass her knowledge of the Ullish alphabet to him through the link, he was able to recognize words from birth. After the first couple of days, as soon as he was able to move around he began to read his mother¡¯s books. ¡°So what now?¡± asked Kura. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lennox asked back, ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to head back to Lomin.¡± ¡°Did you find what you need?¡± Buxley followed up as he took his shield and spear out for maintenance. ¡°I did, though before I had a chance to harvest it, I was found and chased by that grodling. Unfortunately, I even lost satchel that has my research notes.¡± ¡°If I could propose something,¡± stated Kura, ¡°if you feel up for it we can help you track down your pack and escort you to where you found those plants.¡± ¡°Really? That would be most wonderful! Losing those would set me back years of research. But, what do you want in return?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± answered Buxley, ¡°There¡¯s a reason we volunteered for this.¡± ¡°Rare herbs and plants tend to be near sites of dense mana, we are searching for these locations,¡± continued Kura, ¡°as difficult as it is to find one, we can¡¯t pass the chance to explore one of these if it¡¯s reachable. About how far do you think it is?¡± ¡°I had been running for two days, and the third was more stumbling than running,¡± Lennox answered as he put down the soup bowl, ¡°Misfortune or not, if it wasn¡¯t for grodlings waiting until their prey collapses from exhaustion I would have died on the second day.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it was fortune, if it was vanter territory, you¡¯d have had a harder time,¡± Buxley said. ¡°Now that the next place is decided, I¡¯d say we should take one more day to rest and make sure you¡¯re fully healed before we head to it,¡± Kura suggested. ¡°That is a fine idea, really, I could use more rest now,¡± Lennox said, his eyes were getting heavy already. ¡°Rest then. We¡¯ll have some food prepared once you wake.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kura.¡± ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯ll be the one preparing that.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Haha. Thank you, too, Buxley.¡± As Lennox got back to his bedroll Buxley got up to do a patrol around the perimeter and to hunt some small game. As he also needs practice, they save Kura¡¯s hunting method for when they want to save some time. Since they were going to stay in the camp for one more day, Buxley was free to take his time. Meanwhile, Kura picked up his book again as Lennox fell into slumber. ----- Three days later, deep inside Zuria Forest, and within the northern hills, three figures trekked slowly through the bushes. As they weaved around the thick fifteen to thirty foot wide trees, they maintained a steady pace. A warm yellow light floated ahead of them, as if leading them somewhere. It danced around here and there, occasional stopping then speeding along. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s starting to look familiar, I think I recognize this place,¡± said Lennox. ¡°The way you say that does not leave me with much confidence.¡± ¡°No worries, cousin, it¡¯s the right place.¡± ¡°You sure about that, Kura? Lennox has been saying that since yesterday. And I can¡¯t discern the trail anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, cousin, I attached the tracking effect on my wisp, and I can still see the mana trail. Even if you aren¡¯t confident in him, have some faith in me.¡± ¡°I can hear you two from back here you know,¡± Lennox said, he sighed as he pushed past some of the lower branches of the trees in his way. They¡¯ve been using Kura¡¯s wisp after the first day when Lennox wasn¡¯t able remember his tracks. Finally they entered the clearing right before the mountain side. To the left and right stretched the Varnot Mountains. In this particular area, the mountain does an inward curve so the horizon from three sides is completely blocked by the towering mountains. Still following the wisp they headed west along the tree line. ¡°I remember now, the spot was just up here,¡± Lennox said, he picked up the pace and took the lead. After several minutes he stopped. ¡°Look, it¡¯s up there, you see that dark violet flower with the green patterning?¡± ¡°I get the impression that is highly poisonous,¡± Kura mused. ¡°That¡¯s because it is, Kura,¡± replied Buxley. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing special, a lot of plants are poisonous on their own, it¡¯s after they are properly prepped and counteracted that they show their benefits,¡± said Lennox as he dropped his pack and started to limber up. ¡°Are you well enough to go up there by yourself?¡± Buxley asked with some concern. ¡°Do either of you know the procedures to safely remove and contain that tiger violet up there?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kura replied. ¡°Then unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to go up there, besides, this path is too tight for more than one person at a time. I¡¯ll feel safer if I have the two of you down here to catch me should anything happen.¡± Lennox began climbing up the mountainside before Kura and Buxley could say anything else. His nimbleness belied the fact that he was fatally injured just days ago. It appears the healing magic and regenerative soup had performed its function flawlessly. Typically just one or the other would leave residual effects for days but they were lucky enough to be able to find the ingredients for the soup. Depending on the method of healing; using one¡¯s own mana to heal or using the mana of the wounded, the one using the mana would be more tired. Mana may be the considered life energy but the mana used for spells come from a separate ¡°container¡±. The two watched as the Leveren picked up a satchel behind one of the rocks on his way up with a mirthful laugh. He had left it behind when the grodling appeared and began chasing him. They watched so as to make sure there¡¯s no threats around this time. Meanwhile Kura increased his number of wisps and sent them out again. Ten minutes later, Lennox made his way back down. It was apparent with the smile on his face he got what he had originally set out to do. ¡°This is great, I managed to gather some buds as well. I have to thank you two again, you¡¯ve helped me tremendously. I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Lennox. But as we said before, you don¡¯t have to mind it. We¡¯re searching for something as well and our interests happened to align,¡± Buxley said. ¡°Right, you had mentioned that. So, what is it? Perhaps I could help out. It took me a while to find these plants before I was chased so I¡¯m familiar with this area.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not around here.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s not around here, Kura?¡± asked Lennox. ¡°Ruins, we¡¯re searching for Salvarrosi outposts,¡± answered Buxley. ¡°Those, huh? Well, unfortunately, I didn¡¯t come across anything around here like that. My apologies.¡± ¡°It is alright, Lennox, at least we searched another potential site. It¡¯s difficult to even find these locations as it is,¡± Kura said. ¡°So that¡¯s why you wanted to find sites with dense mana.¡± ¡°Yes, though the forest has reclaimed these places, these lost outposts still have enough mana to affect its surroundings,¡± Kura said. ¡°And high quality or rare plants tend to appear in such places,¡± finished Buxley. ¡°So now that you¡¯ve searched, where will you two go now?¡± asked Lennox, he sat down on a rock, making sure the contents of his satchel is secured. ¡°Depending on how far, we¡¯ll escort you back to your town or the next,¡± answered Kura. ¡°You needn¡¯t do that. I owe you two enough already as it is. But wait, have you two visited Lomin before?¡± ¡°Tell us that when we get you back safely,¡± Kura said, ¡°and no we¡¯ve yet to head that way.¡± ¡°Is that right? Then by all means, you should join me to Lomin. I can request special admission for the two of you to enter the inner city. That¡¯s where our library is, perhaps you can find some clues for your quest.¡± ¡°What do you think about that, Kura?¡± Kura thought about it for a moment. Lomin is a good distance south at this point. It would take a week at least to get there. To be honest he wanted to search the region a bit longer but as he said before, the safety of Lennox currently takes precedence. Once he casts a hidden mark spell here he¡¯d be able to return to this place at a later time with ease. ¡°Sounds like a plan. Then we shall head to Lomin for some time before visiting this location.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move out then.¡± Buxley got up and started heading towards the forest as the other two followed. Chapter 4 – Towards the City of Lomin It¡¯s been several days since Buxley, Kura, and Lennox made for Lomin. The scenery had returned to the dense forest trees and bushes they had been in for two weeks now. Currently there were five feet high wildflowers dense enough to hide their prone silhouettes. There were blossoms with hues of blue, red, and yellow that grew alongside great oaken trees. Two hundred meters away a wisp with a dim, greenish hue sat atop a leaf fifteen feet from the ground. Below were a pack of thirteen ironhide wolves feasting on a pair of sika deers atop the ridge. ¡°Well, this may take a while,¡± Buxley said. ¡°Are we really going to wait here until they leave?¡± asked Lennox. ¡°There¡¯s too many hills between here and the bridge,¡± Kura posited, ¡°And I¡¯d rather not walk along the valley with a pack of wolves within sight of us. This doesn¡¯t seem to be their den so they should leave after their meal.¡± ¡°How long does it even take for thirteen wolves to finish two sikas? We¡¯ve been waiting for a while now,¡± Lennox asked again. It has been more than half an hour since they found the pack and they¡¯ve been laying down ever since. The wolves were in-between their hill and the next where the saddle was the shortest and blocked their path. With two valleys wrapping around the hills, it was either wait or go down the valley but Kura didn¡¯t have a spell that conceals them visually and so their only choice is to wait. As Kura thought about their next course Buxley slowly shifted to the right of them a couple feet. ¡°What is it, cousin? Did you notice something?¡± Buxley did not answer, instead he appeared to be munching on something. ¡°Wait, are you chewing on flowers?¡± ¡°What, these are edible and they¡¯re sweet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have to do it right now, do you?¡± ¡°Not like there¡¯s anything else to do right now, right?¡± Lennox followed Buxley¡¯s action and started gathering the flowers closest to him with a small knife. ¡°You too?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it before but these flowers Buxley¡¯s been eating has high medicinal value after being processed. And plus he¡¯s got a point, I¡¯m about to fall asleep from waiting, might as well do something useful.¡± ¡°Ugh, just, please don¡¯t make too many movements, I¡¯d like to avoid fighting that pack if at all possible.¡± Kura quieted down as the other two kept up their gathering frenzy. He wasn¡¯t particularly worried about being detected from this distance as long as there isn¡¯t too much movement. His ¡°Hidden¡± spell is currently working to keep the wolves from smelling or hearing them. The only visual-based spell he currently know is ¡°Misdirect¡± which he uses in his camp barriers. Anything trying to enter would end up walking around it rather than in a line. However the spell requires a large enough area so that they¡¯re not in visual distance of the camp when they enter. The intruders generally need to be unaware of the spell¡¯s effect or it could be countered with ¡°Dispel¡±. They could use it in visual distance but the wolves would still see them and try to get close, they¡¯d just end up running in circles. At that point it¡¯d be a war of attrition on whether they get tired or bored and leave or will he use up all the available mana in the surroundings and his own pool. Not the best option with their circumstances. As Kura and the other two stayed prone underneath the bushes, through Kura¡¯s wisp still sitting on the leaf above the pack, a wolf¡¯s ear suddenly flicked. Something had caught its attention and it grunted to a nearby wolf, chaining its way to the alpha. Kura tapped the ground to get their attention. Whatever it was, they¡¯ve finally have their window of opportunity. The first wolf that detected something bolted off, the alpha leapt after it with the rest of the pack trailing close behind. In seconds they left the vision of the wisp leaving the half eaten remnants of the two deer behind. Only the sounds of their growls and woofing could be heard in the distance. Kura sent his wisp to chase after them as far as it could go but lost sight of them after a minute. ¡°Finally, and they still haven¡¯t finished with those sikas.¡± Lennox said. ¡°Let¡¯s make this crossing quickly before they decide to come back,¡± said Buxley, ¡°We good, Kura?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, they moved southeast from here so if we go the other way we can put some distance behind us.¡± ¡°Good thing too, we are close to the bridge, we¡¯ll be in Leveren territory by then, plenty of patrols, and then it¡¯ll be another four days from there to get to Lomin proper.¡± ¡°For going solo, you sure travelled quite the distance,¡± said Buxley, ¡°Let¡¯s run as much as we can, we¡¯ve got a bit of an open path here.¡± ¡°Give me a moment to cast a spell.¡± Holding his staff, Kura spun it in a circle and stamped it in sequence with a pair of taps three times. A violet glow emanated from Kura and floated to Buxley and Lennox. With the release of the wisp by mental command, Kura frees up some of his mana for later in case of any issues they come across as they try to outmaneuver the pack. ¡°I toned it down a bit but it should last about ten minutes, by your leave, cousin.¡± Climbing out from their hiding spot Kura and Buxley stopped to check their surroundings again. It wouldn¡¯t do to spend so much effort to look at a distance and find something else crawling right behind them. However, before they could set off, something stopped them. It was a low bellow followed by a second one with a higher pitch from a warhorn, it was the standard instrument of communication for a Leveren scout party. A warning call to let any nearby patrols know they are under attack. ¡°They must have been what caught the attention of those wolves!¡± exclaimed Lennox, he furrowed his brows, Leveren patrols rarely go outside the territory. ¡°They¡¯re near too,¡± Buxley said as he changed direction and led them towards the sound. ----- Eight Leveren in a mix of thin metal plates and leather armor stood in a horseshoe, their backs toward the trunk of a large tree. With six of them in a shield wall with their enmaks out like lances, the other two in the back nimbly climbed up the tree to its first larger branch and drew their bows. Ten wolves surrounded them, slowly closing the group off from any escape route. One wolf was lying in a pool of blood with a steel-tipped arrow on its neck a distance away while the last two stood back directing the rest of the pack and watching the eight prey they¡¯re surrounding. ¡°Keep the formation tight, we¡¯ll try to take out the leader in the back,¡± the female Leveren leader said from up on the branch. ¡°What the hell are ironhide wolves doing this close?¡± said one of the members. He was one of the inexperienced ones in the group, he gripped his shield tightly as he asked. ¡°It¡¯s uncommon but it does happen. Stay focused,¡± one of veterans on the ground replied. Ironhide wolves were named for their uniquely tough fur and hide. Amongst the kinds of wolves in Merinia, they are one of the largest. Just standing, their heads were at five feet and with their long coat of fur, they looked more like bears than wolves. Snarling and drooling from their bloody maws they waited for an opportunity, they were within ten meters from the party now. With a snap and a whoosh, a blur flew from overhead and towards the back of the encirclement. The wolves flinched at the blur and began their attack without waiting for their alpha¡¯s command, leaping forward with all their bodyweight and crashing upon the row of shields. An arrow glanced its intended target by the side, cutting a small gash and eliciting a pained growl from the alpha wolf as it backed off slightly to gauge the rest of the group. The scout party was clearly ready for the potential predators of the forest. The archers had heavy arrows and hefty bows to prevent them from breaking from the force of the increased weight. But even with their preparation, they were outnumbered. One mistake and they could take heavy casualties. With the alpha out of range the two archers shot alternatively to keep several of the wolves back to decrease the pressure on the shield wall below them. One of the Leverens bashed one of the wolves in the head with her kite shield to disorient it before taking a step forward and smashing the reinforced edge of her shield down on its neck. She kept kneeling in position as the wolf writhed violently in its death throe. Once she confirmed the wolf had exhausted its life she quickly stepped back into the formation. Two others tried the same method of attack but to no avail. The archers had better results, by isolating their fire when a chance appeared they were able to pick off another wolf from their vantage point. ¡°Good hit, Emia! Show the greenhorns how it¡¯s done with a shield,¡± the leader exclaimed as she notched another arrow. With another of its member down, the alpha wolf stopped idling in the sidelines and jumped in with its mate to join the rest of the pack in the offensive. Being the alpha, it was a size larger than the other wolves, and because of its slight injury from earlier and having already lost three of its pack, it lost any intention to play with its prey. After a few barks, three wolves split from both sides and sidestepped off to the flanks of the party. ¡°Watch out, they¡¯re going to try to break our formation!¡± the female Leveren with the shield, Emia, warned, ¡°Lock shields and ground them.¡± Anticipating the attack could break through their shields, they pulled their weapons back in order to utilize the magic in their shields. Taking advantage of their coordination, the shields of the warriors put together can create a magical protective barrier for a short time. Patrols being equipped with an enchanted shield with a barrier spell is commonplace. The shields were crafted to work together with adjacent shields to enhance the spell. With the wolves being agitated enough to go all out it should last long enough to wear down the pack somewhat and give them the advantage they need to break through the situation. Fully linking their shields together, each of the six warriors slammed their kite shields into the ground with their weapons held back and out of the way. The archers took out two more wolves at the expense of their last arrows. Heavy arrows are effective even against these ironhide wolves but the downside is their weight and size, reducing the number of arrows they can carry with them. The two jumped down to the center of the formation before the barrier came up and prepared their weapons. The leader pulled a gladius from the sheath between her back and quiver and moved into a fighting stance by crouched, ready to pounce when the barrier goes down. The other archer drew a long, curved dagger from his back and took the same stance. The pack leapt in with great ferocity, slamming into the magical shield like it was a wall. They tried gnawing, clawing and ramming into the barrier to no avail. Within a minute of their aggressive attacks however, the barrier began to flicker at its translucent golden borders. The sound of broken glass followed by sizzling was heard in the air as the barrier broke as if it was ripped apart with traces of golden wisps of light disappeared into nothingness. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ----- ¡°Oh, there they are.¡± Kura said as they saw the group in the distance. ¡°That was a lot more difficult than I thought,¡± Buxley added. ¡°I thought you two were good at finding things, clearly I was wrong,¡± Lennox quipped tiredly. hey¡¯ve been running around for several minutes, and because Kura had rushed the speed boost spell, it didn¡¯t account for their stamina. Whilst still carrying his herb-laden pack, Lennox found it to be draining period of movement. The other two on the other hand didn¡¯t seem to be affected, even with their larger packs. ¡°You try finding sounds in a forest, it echoes everywhere! We probably should¡¯ve just stopped and used Kura¡¯s wisps.¡± Within fifty meters ahead of them were the backs of the wolves exposed to them. The group getting attacked appeared to be in a last stand as their barrier began to flicker. Abruptly stopping, Kura began to go through the simplified motions of a rooting spell, unlike before with the grodling and vanter, there wasn¡¯t enough water here to entrap the beasts in a quagmire. Not to mention the people they¡¯re trying to help would be affected too. However this was one of the few spells he had prepared beforehand on his staff, it is quicker but also less effective. Within seconds the spell was completed and a green circle of light spreat from underneath his feet. Green globes also appeared around four of the closest wolves¡¯ feet a blink-of-an-eye later, roots came out subsequently and entwined around their legs, preventing them from moving around. Before the root spell was even finished, Buxley had dropped his own pack and closed the distance, using the last traces of the speed boost from Kura. Yelling out fiercely, Buxley did a knee-slide and aimed at the lower joints of the wolf closest to him. Easily cutting through the roots that held the wolf still, the blade didn¡¯t stop until Buxley passed through the beast. The wolf fell down in pain as it desperately tried to get back on its feet without any of its paws. Without halting, Buxley let himself into a roll and reoriented himself to another wolf right next to him. Brandishing the enmak for a downward side sweep, he threw all his bodyweight into the strike at the wolf¡¯s neck. The wolf ducked in time to avoid the strike and struggled violently to break free from the roots and ended up body checking Buxley when his sweeping strike missed. Meanwhile, the wolves in the front attacking the group had just broken through the barrier and the shield wall and a melee ensued with the two groups. Twenty meters away from the melee and behind some trees were Lennox and Kura. ¡°What happened? Why aren¡¯t you casting any more spells?¡± Lennox asked as he peaked out from his cover next to Kura. He was a researcher with zero combat experience, he¡¯d be more obstructive blindly going in trying to do something than staying back. Lennox had asked with no small amount of regret in his voice in his helplessness. ¡°They¡¯re too close, none of the spells I know right now would help them without messing with the battle tempo of that scout party too,¡± Kura responded. ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t there anything else we can do?¡± ¡°There is, can you climb up that tree and keep out of sight?¡± ¡°I can, but how¡¯s that going to help?¡± Lennox responded as he crouch-walked over to the tree with thick branches Kura had pointed towards. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, stay safe, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Kura said without concern, he dropped his satchel and charged into the battle. ¡°Wait! Where are you going?¡± Buxley flew a couple feet away from where he was standing. Even constrained, the wolf was powerful, Buxley got up quickly and steadied himself by using the weighted pommel of his enmak before moving into a defensive stance. The wolf gnawed the remaining parts of the roots that held him and began its mad charge at Buxley. At that moment, Kura arrived next to the wolf just as it opened its mouth to attack Buxley¡¯s guard. With the staff¡¯s head shaped like a three-fingered hand clutching a multi-faceted gem, Kura performed an upward sweep on the underbelly of the canine beast, causing it to whine loudly in special kind of pain and jumped back to avoid a follow up attack. As the beast limped awkwardly on one side, Kura went around it in order to isolate it from the rest of its pack. Two of the other wolves that were rooted from before was quickly taken down by the party during the start of the melee. The Leveren group had the advantage on the wolves now with still eight against three, and the onus is on them to finish the fight. ¡°Thanks, Kura.¡± ¡°Not at all, cousin, hah, imagine if that was an axe.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± ¡°Will you be alright with this one?¡± ¡°Yea, no worries, I¡¯ll manage.¡± Taking that as a cue, Kura backed off slightly, technically he doesn¡¯t have a real weapon that could kill the beasts so best he could do was create a distraction. Buxley¡¯s arm ached but he shrugged it off and readied his stance against the wolf. Two wisps appeared on the sides of Buxley, darting forward to land on the wolf it immediately released a discharge shocking it. If anyone else had touched them, they too would receive a shock, but because wolf was isolated, Kura could use his spells again. Using the distraction created by Kura, Buxley dashed forward and slashed downward with his blade, followed by a forward thrust, aiming for one of the wolf¡¯s leg. Slightly piercing through the hide before it managed to dodge to the side the wolf realized the Urren¡¯s weapon is sharper than its hide could handle. Against this particular blade, its natural defenses were like an axe to a tree. It howled for help from its pack mates but to no avail, only the alpha, its mate, and one more wolf remained and six of the Leveren were uninjured and encircling them. With hesitation the alpha howled and barked several times before their three turned tail and ran towards Buxley and Kura¡¯s fight. ¡°Whoa!¡± Simultaneously, both yelled and dove out of the way as the alpha¡¯s group rushed towards them. Having created a distraction, the wounded wolf Buxley was fighting joined the escaping trio and bolted off into the woods. The battle was over with only four of the original thirteen wolves remaining. Two of the Leverens laid on the ground, one was grasping his leg while the other was unconscious. ¡°Does anyone have or know healing magic?¡± Kura asked. When they replied no, Kura sprinted back to where they dropped their packs and took out his leather-bound book. The Leveren grasping his leg had a chunk of flesh missing from the side of his left thigh. The wolf had sheared through the leather armor with a single bite. One of the veterans was wrapping it up as best he could. A moment later, Kura came back with the page for the healing spell already opened. ¡°Excuse me, Sir,¡± Kura said before taking a stable position on his knees with the book resting on his lap. Without explaining to the others he began the same multi-element healing spell he used for Lennox. Before anyone could ask what he was trying to do the painful cries from the injured Leveren ceased within seconds of the multi-colored glow as a soothing feeling fell over him. A couple of the others were looking after the unconscious Leveren who had been knocked out when he was slammed into the trunk of a tree. The rest were circled quietly around Kura to observe his work. They knew better than to interrupt a mage channeling a spell, especially one trying to heal one of their own. Lennox came over to where Buxley was standing, slightly behind Kura and dropped their packs roughly on the ground. Buxley gave Lennox an accusing look for the noise but gave a nod of thanks before turning back to Kura. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize your packs were so heavy,¡± Lennox whispered to Buxley. ¡°Kura enchanted them with a locking spell.¡± Buxley explained as if that was all the explanation he needed. Before Lennox could inquire further, he was smacked hard on the back. He ended up sprawling face first on the ground with an ¡°oomph¡±. Everyone turned to see the commotion before several of them recognized the familiar face. Getting up from the ground and sweeping the leaves off his clothes and a couple coughs, Lennox gave an awkward grin. ¡°Hey, Amurai. I¡¯m back,¡± he said with a sing-song voice. ¡°Why hello, you little idiot. Ancients be damned, where have you been?¡± The Leveren party leader asked through gritted teeth. It was clear she was absolutely livid. ¡°In the forest, as you can see,¡± Lennox stated, rubbing his chin from his crash landing. ¡°Why I ought to¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Lennox interrupted her before she could strike him again for being smart, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until we make camp first.¡± Grunting in exasperation, she issued orders to her party watching their reunion instead of skinning and prepping the wolves. ¡°After the wounded are healed, we can make for the outpost, it¡¯s only half a day¡¯s trek from here. Gather however much we can from the wolves, leave the rest of it behind.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Ma¡¯am, if Kura sets up a barrier, we could rest here without worry of other beasts coming near this,¡± Buxley said, ¡°After healing them my cousin won¡¯t have the strength to make that distance. Neither would the injured.¡± ¡°Hmm, point taken,¡± replied Amurai, ¡°but will he have enough mana to set a barrier large enough for all of us?¡± ¡°I can,¡± Kura said as he slowly stood up, the healing was done for now, ¡°the barrier won¡¯t take too much to create and sustain.¡± ¡°Ah, nice. Very well, then.¡± Issuing out new orders for her party, they began collecting the bodies to a smaller area as others went to gather firewood. Kura on the other hand began setting up the barrier for the night. The two wounded were brought closer to the center of the camp where the fire would be. Buxley offered to make the rejuvenating soup he made for Lennox for the wounded. Lennox offered to help him as he knew some herbs that could increase the effects of the soup. Sundown came quickly as the camp was finished being set up. Dinner tonight was a variety of wolf meat dishes as Buxley and the cook for the Leveren party worked together to make a feast. A fight against ironhide wolves while being outnumbered and they came out with minimal casualties, it was a night worth celebrating.