《[Primeval Champion]》


 1.00: Prologue — The Midnight Exodus

    I had demanded utmost secrecy.


    The Temple of the Midnight Queen was wrapped in spells of illusion. No one in the city could see that thousands of elves were gathering inside: from the outside, it appeared as empty and quiet as it always did in the dark hours that preceded the first light of dawn.


    My people came in small groups, all of them brought by mages who hid them with spells of invisibility, silence, and non-detection. They wore flowing gowns of white and red: White was our color of mourning and red was the color of rage.


    We¡¯d all been wearing those colors, lately.


    Each group of elves would pass through an illusory set of doors behind me and then shed their invisibility. They would deposit a small, carefully weighed bundle of possessions with the soldiers who were organizing the packs, then be quietly ushered toward an elf of the clergy who would lead them through the process of signing away all their property and possessions. Once that was done, it was time to wait: they would move toward the center of the temple¡¯s main chamber to join the others in hushed conversations, in the making of music, or in prayer.


    There was no need for the elves inside the temple to be as quiet as they were: our spells would muffle any sounds from inside. Yet their conversations were hushed, and what music they made was gentle and subdued. The vastness of the temple, the secrecy of the occasion, the shadow of what we¡¯d lost¡ªthese things worked in tandem to quiet them.


    The main chamber of the temple was a great, round open area with a dome-shaped ceiling. Its walls, and ceiling were polished jet that was encased in clean, clear enchanted glass and studded with more than a million diamonds, each of them glowing with inner light and filling the room with a cascade of glittering color. The chamber had been cleared of almost all its furnishings, leaving a wide open area where the elves now gathered in the light.


    A behemoth of an organ dominated one wall. High Priest Hassina sat at that organ, playing a song whose melody I¡¯d never heard before: half-dirge, half-lullaby, I heard the fluttering and sighing of the pipes and felt a deep, distant longing.


    I stood just inside the temple, centered before the statue that greeted worshippers when they arrived. Sabina, the goddess of night, magic, and beauty, looked down at me. She was my creator: I was one of the firstborn, the oldest elves, not made in the usual way but created with magic by the Midnight Queen herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s almost all of them,¡± said a quiet voice at my side. I turned and saw that it was Seriana, our new archmage. ¡°We should be finished with your bow soon after they¡¯ve all arrived.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, nodding.


    Soon enough I would be fighting tooth and nail for survival.


    Soon enough all of us would be. Until then¡­.


    Where were you? I thought, gazing up at the blank, alabaster face of the statue.


    A Doom had come to our home realm of Aranar. It had come in the form of a wall of smoke and fire that had stretched from the sea to the sky. I¡¯d watched a city that had stood for centuries¡ªmy city, Tel Telana¡ªblown away like dust in the wind.


    The Doom had vaporized oceans and mountains alike, moving at miles per second. Our entire world had been annihilated in less than an hour. Of the three million elves who had made it their home, fewer than ten thousand had escaped. Counting the few elves scattered across other worlds, we¡¯d been reduced to one percent our former numbers.


    Where had our gods been, when the Doom had come to Aranar? What source could such obliterating power stem from, if not them?


    They were questions that nobody had answers to. A panic had spread across the known cosmos when Aranar had been destroyed¡ªeveryone wanted to know what had happened because they were afraid it would happen to them. But no one had anything but theories. And even if they did learn what had happened, no-one could contend with power like that¡ªexcept the gods.


    I left the statue and crossed the glittering main chamber, ignoring the heads that turned toward me as I made my way to the organ. They¡¯d come here on my word, trusting me with the entirety of their future. I was their [Primeval Champion]. In war, I led them to peace through victory. In times of crisis, I was a steady, forceful hand.


    In this, our gravest time of crisis, I had banked on every bit of fame and idolatry I had and promised these elves that I would lead some of them away. I had promised that those who followed would not be returning for centuries and would face a difficult struggle for survival.


    But I¡¯d promised them something else: if they followed me, I would show them a miracle so profound that all of them would agree that the hardship and sacrifice were worth it.


    I¡¯d told them no more than this, keeping the whole of my plan a secret¡ªand still they¡¯d come.


    I reached the organ and gently touched High Priest Hassina on the shoulder. She rose, signaled another elf to take her place, and then followed me. She was a small elf, almost frail-looking, with a long sweep of white hair and clever green eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you play that before,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°For Aranar?¡±


    Hassina shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know how to start. Not yet.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°No, I¡¯m saying goodbye to all this.¡± She looked around at the inside of the cathedral. ¡°To the realms we¡¯re leaving behind, and the people who live here. Today I gave away everything I owned and said goodbye to everything that still remains¡ªand that loss, at least, I can quantify.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you came, Hassina.¡±


    ¡°Of course I came,¡± said Hassina. She crossed her arms. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much it must inflate your ego, knowing that so many of us will give up what little we have left to follow you on nothing but vague promises. But here I am all the same. Now will you tell me what it is we¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Not all of it. Not until you meet me on the other side.¡±


    Hassina sighed. ¡°And all of this secrecy is really necessary?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Though I can¡¯t tell you why until¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªyou meet me on the other side,¡± she finished, her voice laced with tired amusement.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± I led her through the temple¡¯s back rooms into a study that we¡¯d converted into a makeshift armory. Zirilla, my head elementalist, met us there. She was one of the few remaining sea elves, with many scales and pearls set into a huge head of wild, curly brown hair.


    ¡°We almost ready?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Expecting a fight, Zirilla?¡± Hassina asked, looking over to where my armor and equipment were laid out on a nearby table.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Aziriel,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°And yes. Quite a few, actually.¡±


    Hassina looked at me with surprise. ¡°Since when did you wear armor?¡±


    Zirilla laughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡±


    ¡°I was getting to it,¡± I said. I turned to Hassina. ¡°A warp spell is about to bring us all to a new world,¡± I said. ¡°And as it does that, it¡¯s going to strip our gathered essence and aspect, setting us to level 0.¡±


    Hassina face became a mask of shock. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°The short answer is that warping someone across the cosmos is easier when they¡¯re essence-light,¡± I said.


    ¡°And the long answer?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the other side,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine¡ªbut I didn¡¯t even know that was possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely possible,¡± I said. ¡°I did it this morning.¡±


    Hassina looked at me as if I was mad. ¡°You don¡¯t meant to say¡ªyou¡¯re level 0? Right now?¡±


    ¡°A bit of a change from usual, I know,¡± I said. ¡°But I wanted a little time to get used to this new level of strength.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± Hassina asked. ¡°You can¡¯t take someone¡¯s levels.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus,¡± I said. I began to change into my armor with Zirilla¡¯s help. It was a set of composite leather armor, padded on the inside and lined in critical areas with thin steel plates. ¡°I¡¯m about to warp to the new world, and then I¡¯m going to bring everyone in the temple over¡ªusing this.¡± I opened a steel-lined pouch at my waist, pulling out a jewel that glowed with blue-white light.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°We can¡¯t all go at once?¡± Hassina asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be less dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    ¡°One of us has to go through first and bring the rest in after them,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°Act like a sort of beacon for the rest of the spell.¡± She flashed the high priest a smile. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t need that person to be Aziriel¡ªexcept that it¡¯s going to be horribly dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Horribly dangerous,¡± Hassina echoed.


    ¡°The new world is covered in primeval mana,¡± Zirilla explained as she helped tug a jerkin over my head. ¡°Which for our intents and purposes is bad news.¡±


    ¡°Why is that bad news?¡± Hassina asked. ¡°You¡¯re both primeval spellcasters.¡±


    ¡°Primeval mana is the mana of life, of vigor,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°It channels faster than other mana, which I¡¯m guessing you know, but it also mutates creatures who are exposed to it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°That I also knew,¡± Hassina said.


    She glanced at me as she said it, and it was easy to see why. A long life of exposure to primeval mana had added a few inches to my height, turned my white hair gold, my eyes red, and lengthened my canines into fangs.


    ¡°The most dangerous mutation that primeval mana creates is called a primeval convergence,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°It affects almost every creature in a local ecosystem. It doesn¡¯t make them stronger or faster, but it can make them collectively aggressive once certain conditions are met.¡±


    Hassina looked from Zirilla to me. ¡°And I take it you¡¯re going to meet those conditions, whatever they are?¡±


    ¡°If a new species shows up and kills too many other creatures, the whole of the ecosystem will respond to a deep instinct¡ªand beasts for miles around will come to fend off the new threat,¡± Zirilla explained. ¡°Basically, the wilderness drafts an army to deter any powerful new predators who might drastically alter the ecosystem.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± said Hassina. ¡°So to avoid the primeval convergence, she has to level up without seeming too strong? Without killing too many things?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Zirilla said, flashing Hassina a devilish smile. ¡°I left something out. A new species showing up in great numbers will also trigger a convergence, since that too can drastically alter the ecosystem.¡±


    Hassina¡¯s face fell. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°When Aziriel uses the warp jewel and we show up, we¡¯ll trigger a convergence and get mauled by all the local fauna at once¡ªwhile we¡¯re level 0.¡±


    Hassina nodded in understanding, looking even more tired. ¡°Unless Aziriel triggers a convergence first.¡±


    Zirilla nodded. ¡°If she fights a convergence off, our species will be psychically catalogued as a part of the local ecosystem, and armies of wild beasts will no longer gather to attack us. Which is good.¡±


    Hassina sighed. ¡°Which is good,¡± she echoed.


    ¡°Aye, now you see,¡± said Zirilla, grinning. ¡°She¡¯s got to go to an unknown world that¡¯s steeped in power at level 0, then trigger a convergence and fight off an army of wildlife she¡¯s never seen before.¡±


    ¡°Before the jewel¡¯s power dissipates,¡± I added, patting where the jewel was sequestered in a metal case at my hip. ¡°Primeval mana isn¡¯t particularly kind to arcane magic¡ªeven when kept in its case, the warp spell stored in the jewel will only last for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°A few hours,¡± Hassina echoed, worry creeping into her expression.


    ¡°Any advice?¡± I asked her, a smile playing at the edge of my mouth.


    Hassina stared at me, and her expression slowly became accusatory, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Aziriel¡­ you¡¯re actually looking forward to this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I said. ¡°This past month I¡¯ve craved purpose, a direction to move in. Soon I¡¯ll have one. Soon all of us will.¡±


    Hassina was still looking at me like I was insane. ¡°I thought you hated risks.¡±


    ¡°I hate unnecessary risks,¡± I corrected. ¡°But once a risk is necessary, I commit. And there¡¯s no use worrying after you¡¯re committed. Besides,¡± I added. ¡°Think of how many new creatures I¡¯ll get to meet.¡±


    ¡°Hostile creatures that have been mutated by primeval mana.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make them less interesting,¡± I said.


    ¡°And we couldn¡¯t risk someone less valuable?¡± Hassina asked. She hesitated, then added: ¡°Like Zirilla?¡±


    Zirilla cackled. ¡°Aziriel is one of the firstborn,¡± she said. ¡°And she¡¯s the [Primeval Champion]. Even at level 0, she¡¯s still got her class skill and the gift of a goddess to keep her safe.¡± She shrugged. ¡°She goes, we stay.¡±


    While we¡¯d spoken, I¡¯d finished equipping myself. On my belt I had two curved knives, a pair of flight goggles, a pouch of chalk dust, the pouch containing the warp jewel, a canteen of water, some strips of dried meat wrapped in cloth, a quiver of arrows, and a whetstone. Bound to each thigh was a sheaf of more arrows¡ªI¡¯d brought 66 in total.


    While I was checking all this over, a knock came at the door. Zirilla answered it to find Seriana, the archmage, with my bow.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here,¡± Seriana said to me.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Seal off the temple. No-one comes, no-one leaves. Start getting everyone in formation.¡±


    She nodded and left.


    ¡°Why have them take the enchantment off the old bow?¡± Zirilla asked. ¡°You could¡¯ve just grabbed a new one.¡±


    I stood, then took the bow from her and clipped it to my baldric. ¡°Sentiment,¡± I said simply. Then I rolled my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Remember,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°Don¡¯t die, then find enough essence to make a skill key and make a skill. After that¡¯s done, continuing not dying until you can trigger a primeval convergence.¡±


    I grinned at her as she passed me my spear. ¡°And once that¡¯s happened¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to want to stay alive,¡± Zirilla said gravely.


    I planted my spear on the ground in front of me. ¡°You two should go join the others, now. I¡¯ll be leaving shortly.¡±


    Both of them wished me luck. Hassina said a prayer.


    Then I was alone.


    I took stock of what power I¡¯d kept, first querying for my attributes:


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    4 [Aegis]


    25 [Agility]


    4 [Strength]


    4 [Channel]


    25 [Focus]


    4 [Source]


    6 [Bestow]


    40/40 Mana ¡ª 40% Primeval


    They were simple enough to understand: [Aegis] was a general defense attribute, [Channel] determined how fast I could fuel my spells with mana, [Focus] concentrated on spells for me, and [Source] determined the size of my mana pool.


    These attributes only represented the magical bonuses granted by my class, skills, and level: counting what I was innately capable of even without my attributes, my [Strength] would have been more than 30, my [Agility] more than 70.


    [Bestow] wasn¡¯t an attribute. Rather, it was the amount I would get to increase any attribute when I gained a level. [Bestow] went up by 2 every 5 levels¡ªmaking levels more valuable as I got stronger.


    I had kept two passive skills when I¡¯d been stripped of my power. The first had been given to all of the firstborn elves by our mother-creator, Sabina:


    [Sable Grace 20]


    Components: [*Arcane 5] + [Body 5] + [Diamond 5] + [Dark 5]


    + 21 [Agility]


    + 21 [Focus]


    + 20% Efficiency with mana. Efficiency refunds a part of the cost of spent resources.


    Extending your claim or gaze through darkness, moonlight, or starlight is easier. Your gaze now conveys the contours of surfaces that are in darkness or that are lit by starlight or moonlight.


    You see well in darkness, unless it is perfect darkness.


    Locked: this skill was a gift from Sabina; it cannot be relinquished or modified.


    The goddess of night and magic had, fittingly, gifted the first elves with a powerful skill that strengthened our magic and made us at home in the night.


    I brought up my class¡¯s granted skill, also a passive:


    [Primeval Power 30]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + 5 [Primeval 5]


    [Primeval Resonance] ¡Á 2.00


    Primeval Mana Profile + 40%


    Locked: this skill is your class¡¯s granted skill; it cannot be relinquished or modified.


    Primeval mana profile was simple enough: it converted any mana that I was holding into mana that was 40% primeval, making it channel 40% faster than normal mana. Faster channeling meant throwing faster projectiles, conjuring hotter flames, healing wounds more quickly¡­ as long as I had the mana to pay for it.


    [Primeval Resonance] was more complicated, but also far more important. It wasn¡¯t an attribute, and it wasn¡¯t bought with essence or aspects¡ªit was a percentage multiplier that one gained by being in the right state of mind.


    In order to raise [Primeval Resonance], one had to be in touch with their instincts and with the physical world around them. Feasting, dancing, fighting: these things raised [Primeval Resonance]. Hence my power derived from passion, from sensual experience, from tasting the air on my tongue and feeling the thrum of my pulse in my fingertips.


    A trained fighter might reach 20% resonance in battle. A veteran berserker, 30%. An archdruid might reach 40%¡ªespecially if they used some of the meditative techniques I¡¯d invented many centuries ago.


    I checked mine:


    102% [Primeval Resonance]¡ªmodified from 51% Base.


    Thanks to my class¡¯s skill, my resonance was more than double that of our next-best warrior. It would go higher soon enough, when I was fighting for my life.


    The first benefit of [Primeval Resonance] was the same benefit that I gained from having primeval mana: faster channeling. [Primeval Resonance] and my primeval mana added their bonuses together, so that my [Channel], the attribute that governed channeling speed, was more than 140% more effective¡ªan absurdly powerful bonus that made my spells brutally fast.


    The second benefit of [Primeval Resonance] was that it increased the effects of almost every passive skill. With [Primeval Power] to bring my resonance to over one hundred percent, I would double the strength of every passive skill I built¡ªhence why [Sable Grace 20] was granting seven levels worth of attribute points.


    All of this was only half the power of my class, though. Once I got to the new world and started building skills, I¡¯d begin to enjoy the other half.


    I reached into the jewel at my hip with my magic, finding the ready-made spell trigger that would take me to the new world.


    I took a few deep breaths.


    Then I triggered the spell.

 1.01: The New World

    The warp spell dropped me onto hard, dark stone, and I rolled to my feet and grabbed for my spear.


    Surviving the next few hours wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    I was surrounded by lizards¡ªbut they were small, half my height, and they were scurrying away from me with the fearful motions of prey.


    It was dark as night, but there was no moon or stars. Instead, faintly glowing red mist lay all around me, thickening into deep, luminous walls. The ground rose away from me to vanish into the mist and was dotted here and there with green and pink patches of glowing moss.


    Lightning flashed in the clouds above, revealing more of the world before me¡ªand I froze. Cresting the dark line of the horizon, where the slope ahead met the formless blanket of glowing red sky, I saw the silhouette of a great cat with its red eyes fixed upon me.


    Then the world darkened again as the lightning faded, and both the cat and the horizon were gone, obscured by a thick wall of mist. A moment later, I felt a psychic touch against my mind, light and soft as a falling snowflake.


    It was the cat. It had seen me in the lightning and was now using [Wild Bond] to track me. I guessed it was a predator who used the fog for stealth¡ªmost likely it had crept up on the pack of small creatures that I had scared off, meaning to hunt one of them.


    Instead it had found me.


    I closed my eyes and crouched. This cat was an ambush predator. I knew because I could barely hear it moving, its soft weight carried on padded feet that made only the lightest scuffs against the porous stone, faintly audible in the breeze.


    I held still with my face forward, quietly shifting my legs beneath me as I prepared to turn toward it¡­.


    The cat paused, coiled, and pounced.


    I was moving as soon as I heard its weight shifting, throwing myself to one side as the sleek figure emerged wraithlike from the mist, rolling to come up with my spear pointed at where I¡¯d been and thrusting forward with all the force I could muster at the huge form¡­.


    My spear struck the cat just behind its shoulders, but only sank an inch or two into its flesh, barely piercing skin.


    The cat yowled, landed unsteadily, then leapt away, bounding further up the slope to round on me, surprised but not really injured. I took in my first real sighting of it: a sleek, wet coat of black fur, gleaming red in the strange light of the mist.


    And as I watched, I saw the wound on its shoulder close. [Regeneration], then.


    My heart sank. If I¡¯d had even a little essence, enough to coalesce an [Earth] or [Air] key that I could use to fight¡­ but I didn¡¯t have essence. The only essence in my future would come if I killed this beast. And to do that I had a spear, a bow, two knives, and my magic.


    The cat growled, and I hissed back, low to the ground and ready to move. But the beast waited, eyes on me.


    Sensing a chance, I reached out with my magical gaze, finding the world around me to be alive with primeval mana, which danced in the fog around us and welled up from what must have been a chasm behind me to flow across the rocks. Enough time and I could¡ª


    The cat pounced, and this time I didn¡¯t leap to the side but threw myself backward, setting the spear against the ground and falling into a crouch so that the cat barreled straight into the point.


    I felt a jolt of force and heard a howl of pain, but my heart leapt when I saw that the point had stuck in its chest. The cat snarled and thrashed, lunging for me and burying the spearpoint deeper, the thick haft of my spear bending and shaking from the force.


    But having tried brute force, the cat planted its forepaws and pushed itself off the spear, which I wrenched free with a gout of blood before we backed away from each other.


    I could have cursed. I¡¯d missed its heart, and it was unlikely to give me another chance.


    My feet carried me backward along the slope, my eyes never leaving my quarry. The cat kept my pace for a few seconds as its wound healed, but seemed unwilling to lunge again. Instead it leapt from side to side, its eyes never leaving the spear that always pointed toward it. It made a full circle of me, drool running from its toothy mouth as it decided how best to approach.


    As it did this, I reached out once again with my magical gaze. I had no skills or attribute bonuses, nothing to form and shape my mana for me¡­ but I was a grandmaster spellcaster. Given enough time I could have commanded the very lightning in the skies above us.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have enough time.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The cat lunged again, and I leapt back, struck: but the cat batted the spear away with one enormously strong paw, then lunged. I dove to one side, pulling the spearpoint back to bring it between the cat¡¯s jaws and myself and then doing my best to keep it there.


    It leapt up to the rock beside me, then again to the rock behind me, each time seeing if I rounded fast enough to stop it from pouncing. After a few tries it seemed to realize that it couldn¡¯t get around my spearpoint, then let out a snarl of frustration and came forward to attack anyway.


    I danced backward along the slope, my spearpoint moving not to kill, but defend: I would draw it back as the cat tried to bat it out of the way, then tap the cat on the chest, shoulder, or throat, the blows too light and fast to pierce skin but still enough to trigger the creature¡¯s cautious instincts and make it flinch or back away for another moment.


    But at last it let out a howl of rage, barreling forward through my spear and striking at my legs with its claws, cutting me deep through my armor and sending me sprawling to the ground.


    My hand snapped to my knife as my other arm came out to catch my fall, but I was too slow for the beast: I felt the weight of its body slam my chest down into the rock, then caught a single glimpse of its jaws descending for the kill.


    But its teeth sunk into the steel plate of my spiked gorget, and while its jaws were easily strong enough to crumple the metal and crush my neck, it still reared back, confused by the sudden painful resistance¡ªgiving me a moment to bring my arm up and drive the point of my knife into its eye.


    The beast howled and jumped, crushing my chest under the paw it had used to pin me and pushing all the wind from my lungs. I scrabbled back along the slope, no time to breathe, reaching out with my magic to sense the mana in the air around me¡­ and then I smiled, tasting blood in my mouth, backing away slowly as I watched my opponent and focused on preparing a minor spell.


    The cat thrashed for a moment, batting at the knife in its eye with a paw several times until finally the knife was knocked free, clattering to the stone at our feet. Then, letting out heavy, growling breaths, it brought its head up to stare at me.


    Blood ran from the hem of my jerkin and from my fingertips, but I was glad. The cat had two choices¡ªpounce now, or wait for its eye to heal.


    It chose to pounce.


    The cat sprang into the air, all its weight uncoiling toward me, and I threw myself forward and to one side, spinning in the air to face the cat as it sailed by me in one frozen instant¡ªand then loosing the rudimentary spell that I¡¯d been preparing since I¡¯d stabbed it in the eye, striking it with a chaotic blast of thunderous force that sent it flying backward through the air to fall into the mists¡ªand disappear.


    I¡¯d backed us into the chasm I¡¯d sensed earlier, which meant I¡¯d just thrown the cat off a cliff, the distance of its fall unknown to me. I took a painful, gasping breath, relieved to feel that both of my lungs were still fine. I could feel my gorget stabbing into my chest in several places¡ªits teeth had pierced the metal plate and bent it inward. I winced as I carefully removed the now-useless piece of armor and cast it aside.


    I grabbed my spear from where I¡¯d dropped it, then my knife where it had fallen, then moved to the edge of the chasm and peered into it with a sinking heart. The Verse never failed to grant a creature¡¯s loose essence: if the cat had died, I would have known by now.


    What was more, the face of the cliff was cracked in many places and covered in creeping vines and moss. Judging by the difficulty I¡¯d had in piercing its flesh with a well-sharpened spearpoint, the cat was likely level 20 or more, with [Aegis], [Strength], and [Agility] to match. It would have no trouble climbing back up to reach me.


    I tested the strength of the vines with a gloved hand, then clipped my spear to my baldric and swung down, minding the pain in my chest and bloodied ankles. I descended quickly, but soon paused as the mist began to thin. I could see a scattering of lights below me, almost like those of a city.


    I descended another fifty feet, then, seeing that the mist had mostly thinned, stopped my climb near an outcropping of rock and moved away from the cliff to look out at the world beneath me.


    My face broke into a reverent smile at what I saw.


    A distant mountain¡¯s silhouette was revealed by a new flash of lightning, rising above the clouds with the shadows of great birds and flying reptiles in the air around it, their size impossible to judge at a distance.


    The city lights I¡¯d thought I¡¯d seen below were the lights of a vast forest that glowed with vibrant hues of blue, green, and pink. Trees that were big enough for fifty elves to encircle with linked arms rose like dark towers topped by luminous, broad-leafed crowns.


    But it was the cloud that drew my eyes. Looking down, past the canopy of the forest and past the gaps in the heavy mat of glowing vines and twisting branches below, I saw another layer of glowing red mist¡ªanother layer of cloud to match the one above me. The whole of the jungle seemed to disappear beneath it.


    No sky, no ground. Only craggy mountains and titanic jungle, crashing lightning and deadly beasts.


    What had once been nothing but a furtive hope flared within me. This place could be our home.


    Primeval mana swirled in the air around me, visible only to my magical gaze. The mana¡¯s chaotic nature would scatter divination spells, making it impossible for the rest of the cosmos to find us.


    So much raw, unbridled power. This mana, this power, would be the means by which I struck a killing blow to the elves¡¯ most ancient of impediments and delivered on the miracle I¡¯d promised. If I succeeded here, the elves would be able to have children as fast as humans or orcs.


    My thoughts sank into memory, to my last sight of home: a wave of smoke and fire as tall as the sky itself swallowing the land and the sea. In the wake of the Doom, I had to succeed, had to bring my people here and show them a much-needed miracle, had to ensure that they thrived.


    But first I had to survive. For that, I had to get stronger, and fast.


    I checked the warp jewel that was stowed in a steel-lined pouch at my hip. It was still safe, blue light spilling out before I shut it away again. Until I broke the jewel and called the others, I was alone.


    My hand moved to touch the haft of my spear. I left the ledge to resume my climb; with luck, my quarry waited below.

 1.02: Strange New Creatures

    I was attacked moments later.


    First I heard a sound like a sail makes as it fills with wind, subtle and high above me. Knowing what it meant, I spun, wound my legs into the many vines around me, and looked up into the clouds to see a dark shape diving toward me, a huge reptile with a wingspan of perhaps eighteen feet that was covered in luminous markings like warpaint.


    Dread filled me, but it was only a passing thing: a necessary emotion at the sight of a mid-sized aerial predator. It flared its wings as it approached, making a wave of wind that threatened to knock me flat against the cliff face, but I pressed into the rock with my heels and lunged with my spear, catching the beast in the groin so as to keep its talons at bay.


    It let out an ear-splitting cry, beat its wings¡ªbut when this blast of air failed to dislodge me or the spear I was holding, it beat its wings a few more times to rise above me and fly away, leaving me to my business.


    I watched it go with frustration: my spear had held it at bay, but barely pierced its seemingly-soft flesh. Like most of the creatures in this place, it was too high a level and with too much of the [Aegis] attribute for me to kill.


    It would be the same with prey animals. Whatever levels they had would go into survival and means escape, making them them poor targets even if they were less dangerous.


    I continued with my descent. With luck, the cat wouldn¡¯t have the power to heal its wounds completely¡ªit would be hurt animal, waiting somewhere safe for its [Regeneration] skill¡¯s [Life Pool] to replenish.


    Its share of essence would likely be enough to grant my first five levels. I needed those levels: I didn¡¯t know this place or its wildlife, and sooner or later something that came along to eat me would be too strong for me to kill or fight off.


    Below me, the cliff broke off into a tumble of stones that ended in a small valley hemmed in on all sides but one, a ledge that was level with the crowns of the great trees I¡¯d seen from above.


    I looked down into the small valley with disappointment. A dark stain amidst crushed ferns marked where the cat had fallen, regenerated, and then left.


    That, or something else had picked it off. Neither option was ideal.


    I scanned the darkness of the vines and tangled bushes. My eyes, like my ears, were far superior to those of most elves, but I still watched the wilderness with uncertainty. If the cat had lived, there was a good chance it was still using the [Wild Bond] skill to track me and waiting for the right moment to strike. I couldn¡¯t sense its mental presence on my mind, but it had been so light and soft earlier that it was possible I simply couldn¡¯t notice it anymore¡ªnot without the added sensitivity of having the [Wild Bond] skill myself.


    As I watched, I began to notice the motions of many black beetles, each with yellow and blue markings on their backs. They were marching to and fro on the vines, some of them carrying little white pieces of moist fruit.


    I saw many tiny rodents with long tails and mottled brown fur, blending in well as they leapt from vine to vine like small squirrels. As I watched, one of them leapt to a vine below it and ambushed one of the beetles, using its ribbon-like tail as a tongue to wrap its prey up before stuffing the beetle into its mouth.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I whispered, watching the creature leap away into the trees with bulging cheeks, demonstrating all the wild grace that I would expect from a squirrel with a prehensile tail.


    I could kill it, but it would be a waste of an arrow. This place was teeming with essence, but not so much that a beetle-eating rodent would be carrying any significant amount. Killing a creature granted around a tenth of the essence it had spent on levels. Very little, even to a level 0 like myself.


    There was a scuffle in the vines, and my eyes darted over¡ªbut I saw nothing save for a rustle of leaves and one of the ribbontails retreating further down the cliff. I watched the stirring of the leaves, peered at them, then realized that something was wrong: there were still two beetles sitting on the shaking vines, unmoving, apparently not frightened away by the noise.


    I made a noise of curiosity, then stepped nearer, looked closer. The beetles seemed like beetles, but were really colored, knobbly protrusions¡ªfakes attached to two long, slender black legs that disappeared beneath the vine cover. With my gaze, I could detect a small burrow made in the stone cliffside. Another ambush predator.


    I drew my knife as I moved to poise myself above the vines, then very gently prodded one of the fake beetles with my the butte of my spear.


    Instantly, a black shape rushed forward, headed by a nasty-looking pair of mandibles. I brought my bootheel down on the creature, pinning it with surprising difficulty, then knelt and stabbed it many times through the gaps in its glinting insectile shell.


    Soon it had gone limp beneath me.


    + 52 Essence


    I smiled at this as I pulled the creature from its burrow¡ªit was long, twelve-legged, almost like a cross between a spider and a centipede.


    ¡°Gorgeous,¡± I whispered, breaking into a smile as I held up the corpse, rotating it to see its pale, segmented underside. These things ate birds, had to: they were too large, their mandibles too great and powerful, to eat nothing but the ribbontails. I wondered if they made their own burrows, or if they inhabited holes made by other creatures¡ªthey didn¡¯t seem like they could burrow through basalt, or even tuff. I pushed the carcass back into its burrow, then continued down the cliff.


    Once I had 500 essence, I¡¯d have enough to level up or to coalesce a skill key. Skill keys were coalesced out of the environment, combining an aspect of its nature with essence. They could be fused with skill cores to create skills¡ªand I already had a starting skill core, a [*Primeval 5] to combine with it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    A skill would be much more useful than a level. I just needed 500 essence. With luck, I could stay on the cliff and kill these massive beetles without attracting any more deadly predators until I¡¯d gotten stronger.


    An [Air] or [Earth] skill key should have been easy enough to coalesce, given that air and earth were everywhere around me¡ªand a skill like [Earth Magick] or [Air Magick] would greatly heighten my chances of survival.


    In fact, [Air] and [Earth] keys were so so common that both my weapons were affixed with small bands of air and soapstone sealed in metal so that they could be moved around magically, once I had the skills.


    At that thought I glanced at the skies, then glanced at the overgrown cliffs around me, still searching for more flying reptiles or the ominously absent cat. I saw neither.


    I made my way down the overgrown cliffs, extending my gaze to search for more of the bugs. Many of the dark burrows that I sensed were empty¡ªbut I could spot the false beetles they used to bait other creatures with my eyes easily enough.


    Soon I¡¯d found and killed a second one much like the first.


    + 41 Essence


    ¡°A few more,¡± I muttered.


    But I¡¯d only killed six more and gathered a total of 381 essence when the cat came back.


    Slowly, I distinguished the rustling motions of something coming toward me from the sounds of the dark jungle below. My head snapped toward the noise¡ªand I saw the cat some thirty paces to one side and above me on the cliff face, a dark figure clinging to the vines and stones, muscles bulging under its sleek coat of fur.


    ¡°You got above me,¡± I whispered, breaking into another smile. It is no easy thing, sneaking up on me. Even with the noise of the wilds around us to mask its motions, this cat had gotten within thirty meters of me before I heard it.


    Then it moved, and so did I: both of us leaping down the cliffside in sinuous bounds, my own path a frantic set of drops toward jutting stones or easily-grasped vines, each slowing my fall just enough before I dropped to the next until¡ª


    The last outcrop of rock I landed on gave way as soon as my feet touched it, tearing itself free of the vines and tumbling to the small clearing below, taking me along with it. I struck the glowing ferns, rolled to a halt on rocky soil, came up with my spear pointed upward¡­ only to find that the cat hadn¡¯t pursued. I looked at the slope of fallen rocks in front of me, then up the cliff wall above it¡ªnothing.


    I tried to focus¡­ but there were too many insects chirping, too many birds calling, too many scrapes and hoots and alien sounds coming from the great forest behind me. I couldn¡¯t hear the creature¡¯s breathing, or its footfalls, or see the stirring of bushes where it had undoubtedly leapt down into the overgrowth to stalk me through the brush.


    But why hadn¡¯t it pounced on me?


    The leaves of the ferns and trees around me were high enough to block my sight, and the undergrowth was thick enough to hinder mobility. It was a poor place for fighting.


    But there was another cliff behind me, one leading down into the forest of great trees. I began to back toward it, slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible while I listened for the cat, hearing only birds instead.


    As I backed up, I untied the leather lace that held shut the quiver on my hip, then drew out an arrow. I crouched low into the ferns, looking beneath their uppermost leaves and not seeing the cat, then lay my spear down and unclipped my bow from my baldric.


    I reached the spot where the cat had clearly fallen¡ªblood stained the rocks and crushed ferns, seeming black in the dark, eerie light of the red cloudlayer above. I nocked my arrow, still backing away.


    Then, listening for the cat, I sensed a sudden magical pressure pushing against the soil beneath me¡ªanother creature¡¯s magical claim. At the same time, a I heard a scraping noise coming from the rocks at the base of the cliff.


    My heart began to pound as fear spiked through my gut.


    Claim was what you had magical grasp of, and gaze was what you had magical sight of. While the gaze of two creatures could overlap, their claims could not. Skills, such as [Earth Magick], could allow one to extend their claim and gaze much further through substances that matched the skill. Whatever had made that noise at the base of the cliffs, its claim was strong enough to push against my own even at this distance, but only through the earth. It was quite literally threatening to steal the ground out from under me¡ªsomething that meant almost certain death against any earth mage.


    I reached out with my own magic, broadening and strengthening my claim in case this new enemy tried to shift the earth beneath me. Through the ferns, I could see something move in the overgrown rockpile at the base of the cliff¡ªa long white limb that emerged to slowly grope its way over the rocks, looking very much like a malnourished finger. It was followed by a second, then several more.


    I kept backing away as the creature emerged and I saw it in full: a round, white blob at the center of nine or more pale, slow-moving limbs. It was translucent, and I could see long, thin bones through the flesh of its arms and a dark collection of objects that might have been organs in its lumpy, unformed center.


    It moved up the stones at the base of the cliff, away from me, seemingly paying me no heed.


    But I wasn¡¯t fooled. This was why the cat hadn¡¯t followed me¡ªit had feared this thing. I watched carefully for the slightest burst of motion from the creature¡­.


    Then, at a sudden lurching of its central mass, I dove to one side just in time to avoid a fist-sized slug of stone that hissed through the air where I¡¯d been and kicked up a gout of soil where it struck the ground. I ran hard through the ferns while I heard the hiss-and-thud of the creature¡¯s shots tearing through plants and striking the earth behind me.


    I dove for cover behind some fallen stones at the edge of the valley, still pressing my claim as far as I could into the world around me. I heard a few stone slugs shatter against the other side of my rockpile, then silence.


    Then I felt a powerful presence push against my claim in an attempt to steal the rocks beneath me. Instinct guided me to lash out at the creature, to push back and hold my own magical claim over the space around me.


    It was a mistake. Even at this distance the creature overpowered me with magical brute strength, stealing the stones beneath me. I leapt back just as the stones where I¡¯d been standing suddenly shattered and began to churn, swallowing the twigs and pebbles that rested on their surface.


    I cursed my own foolishness as I tried to back further away from the creature, along the edge of the cliff and out of view, but the shelf of rock continued for another twenty paces and then ended, falling away to form more of the sheer cliff face that led down into the great forest below. I stopped at the edge, then waited¡ªbut apparently the creature couldn¡¯t reach that far with its claim.


    Still, I was in a bind¡ªsoon it would either round the corner to shoot me or come into range and try to suck me into the ground. The crowns of a few great trees were nearby beside me, but the closest sturdy branch was more than forty feet away¡ªbarely out of leaping distance if I had a running start. The cliff that rose beside me was climbable, but only just: fewer vines, fewer cracks, fewer ledges. And it offered no protection from my pursuer.


    So I stood still, my eyes scanning the distant branches of the great trees, my face lighting up in a smile as I found what I needed.


    Then I heard a cascading sound of disturbed pebbles, snapping vines, and hissing leaves from above me, and I threw myself to one side as the massive bulk of the black cat came down on the ground where I¡¯d been standing.

 1.03: Life Eating Life

    I didn¡¯t have time to drop my bow and grab my spear as it struck the ground and pivoted, but I knew I needed to survive for just a few more moments¡­.


    The cat lunged and I leapt as high as I could toward it, my eyes taking in its snarling face, red eyes, open maw and outstretched claws as I rose above it, reaching out with my free hand to press down on the creature¡¯s head so that I vaulted over it.


    We both landed¡ªbut the cat¡¯s momentum carried it forward several paces, and as it slowed to bring itself around I watched its hind legs sink into the soil. It had gotten too close to the earth-creature, and been trapped.


    I didn¡¯t have time to feel relief¡ªeverything came down to that single moment, and I needed focus.


    I drew in a breath, rose, nocked my arrow, paused, watched, then finally loosed.


    My arrow sailed through the air¡ªup and into the branches of the forest.


    I¡¯d heard birdsong, earlier, and moved toward the edge to get a shot at its source. I¡¯d spied them just before the cat had pounced: many birds of colorful plumage perched on the smaller branches that grew from the crowns of the great trees, most of them undisturbed by the sounds of fighting below.


    But I¡¯d spotted better quarry past these, higher in the branches, either unseen or unthreatening to its more colorful kin: a tall, lean bird, hook-beaked with front-facing eyes and camouflaged plumage of dappled green and brown.


    I didn¡¯t have time to track the path of my arrow. With an explosion of soil, the cat ripped its hind legs free of the earth-creature¡¯s hold and rushed me in a haphazard charge. I dropped my bow and leapt back to climb up the cliff that it had pounced from, grabbing vines and crevices and hurling my weight up the side of the mountain as fast as I could.


    And as I climbed, my arrow struck true.


    + 221 Essence


    I heard the motion of vines beneath me as the cat gave chase, but my mind was already snapping into the thoughts and forms that were familiar to me, reaching out to cast a simple spell that I¡¯d cast thousands of times before, a spell that spent my essence to draw a skill key out of the world around me:


    You spend 500 Essence to create: [Earth 1]


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried.


    The cat rushed up beneath me, ready to tear me from the cliffside and feast on my flesh¡ªbut I fused my key to the only skill core I had:


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Earth 1] to create the skill: [Earth Magick 6]


    [Earth Magick 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Earth 1]


    You can control earthen substances within your claim.


    Moving a substance is easiest when you move it toward or away from you. The best points on your body to use for this purpose are your hands.


    You can sense earthen substances within your gaze, and extending your claim or gaze through earthen substances is easier.


    My awareness flowed out into the world around me, my gaze extending so that I could feel the stones and soil. In a heartbeat, I had found a loose stone the size of my fist, called it to my hand with a thought, then launched it into the open mouth of the oncoming cat.


    The cat made a strangled cry and fell back, but not before it sank its claws into my boots, grabbing me and tearing me from the cliff so that I tumbled down to crash into the ferns beside it, hard stones biting and bruising my side before I rolled away from the thrashing animal next to me.


    I strained to spring to my feet¡ªand I failed, overcome by pain and weakness from the fall. Beside me, the cat rose and began to retch, arching its back and leaving me momentarily forgotten.


    I reached out with my magic¡ªand up. Into the stones of the cliff-face, finding a jutting, angular formation above us that weighed several hundred pounds. I severed it from the cliff with my magic, hearing a hard crack as it came rolling and tumbling toward us, my magic still holding it, guiding it with little pushes and pulls as it bounced away from the cliff and free-fell toward us.


    I didn¡¯t have the power to give the stone the energy it needed to kill the cat¡ªbut gravity did.


    The cat turned its head toward me, red eyes frenzied¡ªand the stone struck, crushing its skull and pinning its body to the ground in one brutal, cacophonous instant, gore spraying me and the jungle around us like the innards of a crushed fruit.


    Your level limit has increased to 11!


    + 2841 Essence, [Boon]


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried, tasting both the cat¡¯s blood and my own even as I filled with new power:


    You spend 2500 Essence to gain 5 levels. Your are now level 5 / 11.


    For reaching levels 2 and 4, you gain 2 [*Primeval 5] skill cores!


    You gain 5 [Bestow 6]!


    For reaching level 5, your [Bestow] has increased from 6 to 8.


    I spent my bestows on new attributes right away:


    You spend 4 [Bestow 6] to add 24 to your [Strength]. Your [Strength] is now 28.


    You spend 1 [Bestow 6] to add 6 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 10.


    I sat up, painfully aware that the earth-creature was still coming toward me. I wasn¡¯t terribly injured: my lungs were both still fine and the blood in my mouth was from biting my tongue¡­ but pain accompanied my every movement. I needed to find a [Life] key.


    A moment later I felt the same force pressing against my claim as before¡ªonly now, with the [Earth Magick] power, it was easy to push back against the creature¡¯s own claim and keep the stony ground beneath me for myself.


    It came into view a moment later, but it wasn¡¯t so threatening, now: it launched another stone slug at me, but I imposed a slanted counterforce on the missile as soon as it entered my threshold, causing the shot to bounce wide without costing me too much mana.


    ¡°You¡¯re an ooze,¡± I exclaimed, examining the creature and breaking into a smile as I deflected two more shots. I waited to see if it would try another form of attack, now that its two main methods of assault were ineffectual.


    None came. Ignoring me, the white blob of a creature slowly pulled itself forward using what I counted to be ten appendages. I peered at it as it came closer, stepping out of its path and getting a good look. Its arms weren¡¯t really arms, just pieces of its body that had been elongated and filled with long strips of stone so that it could move them around. The shadows in its belly-ball weren¡¯t organs, but more of the stone slugs that it had launched at me.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Each of its makeshift feelers ended in a small, wiggling tentacle, and none of them actually supported its weight¡ªinstead it dragged itself over the ground, pulling itself forward with earth magic while its limbs glided across the world around it, touching every surface they could find.


    I watched it for another minute. It moved past me, found the dead cat with its feelers, then positioned its central mass above the corpse before lowering itself and beginning to spread to envelop its new find.


    It was fascinating. I wondered if it was the creature that had made the round holes which the striking insects I¡¯d seen earlier lived in¡ªperhaps it ate them now and then.


    ¡°I have no way to kill you,¡± I whispered softly, watching the blob spread over the carcass like a second, ten-legged skin. It was a shame, I thought as I walked out of sight of it: something told me this thing would be ripe with essence, and levels 6 through 10 cost 1100 essence, whereas I only had¡ª


    ?¡ªYou have 443 Essence.


    I smiled. The cat had been somewhere over level 20¡ªso strong that I¡¯d rushed the first five levels just from killing it.


    And I had reaped the rewards for doing so. In the first ten levels, a class gave a number of skill cores equal to its tier¡ªmy tier was 5, and so I would gain a [*Primeval 5] skill core at level 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Right now I had two free cores: I could create two new skills as long as I had skill keys to fuse to them.


    Unfortunately, coalescing keys had limits. Skill cores and skill keys were made of both essence and aspect.


    Aspect was a kind of magical trace that all objects slowly accrued, an idea that slowly came into an insubstantial existence. Aspect matched a thing¡¯s nature¡ªrocks had [Earth], air had [Air].


    When I¡¯d coalesced my skill key, I¡¯d done it by tearing all the aspects out of the world around me, then pushing all the [Earth] I¡¯d found into a skill key and discarding the rest, wasting them. Had I wanted, I could have made a [Plant] or a [Life] skill key, as those aspects had also been abundant in the area around me¡ªthough curiously I¡¯d found no [Air].


    My spell had thus been brutal and inefficient, but extracting only the [Earth] aspect would have taken both time and delicate attention, two things I hadn¡¯t had.


    All this meant that I¡¯d need to travel some distance from where I¡¯d coalesced my skill key in order to create another.


    But the cat I¡¯d killed had dropped a [Boon]¡ªan incorporeal bundle of potential skill keys, each of them made from the aspect that the cat had accrued over its lifetime. I reached into this one¡­ and sensed that it could form a [Melee] or [Wild] skill key¡ªboth rank 1.


    An easy enough decision. [Melee] would combine with my [*Primeval 5] skill core to make a skill that let me pierce the [Aegis] of enemies when wielding certain weapons¡ªsuch as those tipped with bone. My steel spearhead didn¡¯t qualify.


    [Wild Bond], however, was an absolute essential for hunting prey and surviving predators. Information was both a sword and a shield¡­ and [Wild Bond] granted more than just information.


    You break [Boon] to create a [Wild 1] skill key.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Wild 1] to create the skill: [Wild Bond 6]


    [Wild Bond 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Wild 1]


    You can telepathically sense, communicate with, and even attack all natural forms of life that are within your gaze.


    Extending your gaze to include such creatures becomes easier, though you detect only their mind and external shape, not the internal composition of their bodies.


    Unwanted telepathic contact with another creature costs mana to establish, use, and maintain. This skill also strengthens your ability to defend and hide from any such telepathy.


    Like [Earth Magick], it was another extremely versatile and useful skill. I would mostly be using it to find threats. Many predators would know how to use [Wild Bond] to hide themselves from potential prey with [Wild Bond]¡ªbut I was skilled enough that my gaze would be hard to escape, even at the lowly rank of 6.


    That done, I knew that I must have spent most of my starting mana pool on throwing a rock down the throat of the cat, then crushing its skull with another rock. I checked:


    ?¡ªMana 32/100, 40% Primeval


    Mana would replenish according to how much [Source] I had. But there was another way to replenish mana, and that was to channel it out of the world around you. And the world around me was more ripe with mana than any I¡¯d ever seen.


    Of course, channeling mana into yourself was like pouring water from a glass back into a narrow-necked bottle: far more time consuming than channeling it out of yourself and into the world. Still, I channeled mana into myself until I was full, then queried once more:


    ?¡ªMana 100/100, 29% Primeval


    ¡°Well that¡¯s interesting,¡± I whispered. I did some quick math and determined that the mana in the air was more than 20% primeval, a stupendously high portion for natural mana. I¡¯d known this world was steeped in power, but this was more than I¡¯d expected¡ªwhich was both good news and bad.


    Primeval mana channeled faster than bare mana depending on how primeval it was¡ªin my case, 29%. But my [Primeval Power] skill gave me a 40% primeval mana profile¡ªthe mana that I held would slowly rise to 40% over time.


    Speaking of primeval mana¡­ I checked the warp jewel at my hip. Its light had already faded a little. I had to trigger and fight off a primeval convergence before I brought my people, and I only had a few hours to do it in.


    But that wasn¡¯t so bad. On the whole, I was rather excited.


    I reached out with my gaze to try and sense the ooze that had enveloped the cat¡¯s carcass. Sure enough, I couldn¡¯t sense it with [Wild Bond]¡ªthe skill didn¡¯t count oozes as ¡°natural¡± forms of life.


    Then I turned toward the crowns of the great trees, made sure I was pointed in the right direction, and made a running leap off the cliff¡¯s edge, soaring through the air to land at the narrow end of the closest branch I could leap to, four levels of added [Strength] giving me enough power to make the jump.


    I grasped the branch, reaching out with my [Wild Bond] power to sense the life all around me as I pulled myself up and crawled inward toward the trunk of the great tree, standing once I had surer footing.


    That was the great gift of [Earth Magick] and [Wild Bond]¡ªmy gaze now mapped the world around me, helping me to find sure and perfect footing.


    I couldn¡¯t help it: I broke into a grin as I extended my gaze into the world. Close by, I could sense insects moving beneath the bark of the branches, feeding on sap and leaves. I could sense the birds that had flown to higher branches, startled, when I¡¯d landed. Further, I could sense¡ª


    I froze. Something was wrong. There was a presence weighing on my mind, so light that I almost didn¡¯t feel it even with the [Wild Bond] power¡ªanother predator tracking me.


    As soon as I noticed it, the strength of the creature¡¯s psychic presence flared, the mental equivalent of an animal rearing up and roaring in a display of intimidation.


    And I was most definitely intimidated.


    I could sense that they were likely far, far more powerful than the cat I¡¯d just fought, and I could sense that they were utterly malevolent. They flooded my mind with raw images and sensations: the taste of bloody flesh torn from still-wriggling prey, the shadows of beasts fleeing before them in terrified, frenzied stampedes, the forest I now moved through, seen from a high place in the mists¡ªits domain.


    And then something I did not expect happened: the thoughts it was assailing me with crystallized, connecting with my mind in a way that formed words I could understand.


    This creature was sapient. It didn¡¯t speak Aranian Elvish, but the Verse translated its raw, wordless thoughts good enough for me to understand it.


    You, it said to me, inner voice booming with power. Little one.


    I froze on the branch, my eyes sweeping the forest above and around me. Wherever this thing was, I needed to get away from it¡ªand fast.


    You see as I see, it said, recognizing my own sapience with a flutter of surprise. I wondered at this: was I the first intelligent creature it had ever met?


    Yes, I answered. I am like you, I said. I see much.


    A deep rumbling seemed to fill my mind. You see as I do, it said. Then, after it had a moment to think on this, my mind flooded with more images: my head cracked open between powerful jaws, a tongue darting out to lap up the juices that flowed from my ruined skull.


    I will eat you, little one.

 1.04: To Be Hunted

    I moved along the high branch with a growing sense of fear and frustration. My task had just gotten harder, and far more dangerous. A primeval convergence was bad enough, but I was now being stalked by a predator that I couldn¡¯t hope to fight without a sizeable chunk of new levels.


    There was little doubt in my mind that I was going to have to kill this creature. Even the brief glimpse I¡¯d had into their mind had been enough to show me that they weren¡¯t going to like the thought of coexisting with two and a half thousand elves.


    Blood dripped from the glove of my hand, running from the wounds where my gorget had cut into my chest and neck. Pain throbbed across most of my body. I had to find a [Life] key, but I also needed to find a way to hide from this new enemy.


    They had revealed at least one crucial weakness already: they¡¯d implied that I was the first other sapient creature it had met. Their intelligence had no doubt been instrumental in their rise to the top of the food chain while it competed with unintelligent animals, which meant that the simplest tricks, the most basic acts of cleverness¡ªthese had likely almost never failed them.


    Hopefully, they would be easy to deceive. But I couldn''t rely on that hope¡ªthat would make me easy to deceive.


    I quieted my psychic presence using the [Wild Bond] power, but not too much: I wanted it to seem as if I were trying to hide from them, but not skilled enough to manage it. And I had a good measure of their psychic strength from their somewhat foolhardy show of intimidation.


    A cruel laughter filled my mind a moment later. You think you can hide from me, little one?


    It was the second time they¡¯d called me little one, and I smiled.


    I was 6¡¯11¡±, taller than almost all elf men, let alone the other women. Prolonged exposure to primeval mana had altered my body, adding a few inches to my height just like it had turned my gray eyes red, my white hair gold, and my canines into lengthened fangs. It had also strengthened my blood, rendering me immune to all natural diseases and poisons.


    Not anymore, I told them, still moving along the tree branch. But I must try to survive, no matter how fearsome and strong you are¡ªdo you expect otherwise?


    Would flattery work? It was impossible to know without knowing this creature¡¯s personality.


    My eyes were scanning the steep cliffs that rose to the sides of the forest, searching for a hole to hide in. I¡¯d got the sense that my new rival was large, perhaps an aerial predator¡­ and [Earth Magick] meant that I was safest underground from almost anything.


    Everything tries to survive, They said. But everything fails. Still¡­ you are curious. Your shape and mind are new to me.


    I smiled. Watch me, then. I can show you many things which are new to you.


    The creature¡¯s cold, cruel laughter seemed to fill my mind once again. You are like a snake, a fish, trying to wriggle free of my grasp¡ªonly you use your mind, not your body. I see your futile games, creature, but I will watch¡ªfor now.


    The creature¡¯s words filled my gut with a slow, sinking feeling. It was more clever than I¡¯d hoped it would be, then. I moved on carefully, my gaze extended outward, worried that a strike from my new rival would come at any moment.


    I reached the trunk of the great tree, but soon stopped: a huge section of bark seemed to pull itself free, shake once, and begin to rotate toward me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you,¡± I said appreciatively. I¡¯d been distracted, of course, and the color of the lighting was strange¡ªbut still, it had good camouflage.


    The creature was a circular dome of some kind of shell that looked like bark. At first I thought it was an elemental, but when I reached out with [Wild Bond] I could sense it; it was an animal.


    ¡°A giant crab?¡± I asked, tilting my head.


    And it was: a moment later the creature shifted, moved to perch two legs on my branch, then reared, pushing itself up so that its bark-like shell was fully horizontal and I could see the segmented armor plating of its face.


    I could feel its surge of defensive instincts as it spotted me, along with a sudden flash of the will to fight. But by the time it was facing me I¡¯d already nocked an arrow and drawn¡ªI loosed it into one of the creature¡¯s eyes, an easy shot at this distance.


    It hissed, then let out a loud sound like a cough as a long tongue shot out toward me, missing me by several feet, the crab thrown off by the shot to its eye.


    It backed up along the branch as I nocked and loosed another arrow, shooting out its other eye.


    It shrieked, tilting around unsteadily as it slurped its tongue back into its mouth. But I was already reaching out to it with my [Wild Bond].


    I formed my willpower into a mental spike that I thrust into the mind of the crab with a singular command: relax. And for a brief moment, all through its body, its muscles did as I told them.


    It fell from the side of the tree, briefly caught itself on the branch in front of me with two legs, the rest flailing beneath it¡­ and then I hit it with the same mental assault a second time and it fell away beneath me.


    I watched it fall, disappear beneath the lower cloud-layer, counting the time¡­.


    + 492 Essence


    ¡°Extraordinary,¡± I whispered. These trees were, by my guess, half a kilometer tall. I channeled more mana from the air into myself, replacing what I¡¯d spent.


    I leapt to another nearby tree-branch, intending to move from tree to tree while I got far enough away from where I¡¯d coalesced the [Earth] key to coalesce another. While I moved, I searched for caves and ledges along the cliffside, conscious of the malevolent presence still blanketing my mind.


    You are¡­ a cowardly fighter, it said after a time.


    I am a little one, I reminded it.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    My gaze darted upward to watch the sky, expecting this predator to swoop down at any moment. I could sense it thinking, struggling to understand what I was, how I spoke. It wasn¡¯t stupid, just unfamiliar with communication like this, and unfamiliar with elves.


    I spotted a cluster of holes in the side of the cliff-face, then tried to coalesce a boon. The spell failed, meaning it couldn¡¯t find enough aspects around me to strip and form a boon with. I still hadn¡¯t traveled far enough. And something told me that if I ran underground, I was less likely to find a [Life] key than in these treetops.


    I cut toward the center of the forest, scampering across the branches and keeping my eye out for camouflaged crabs, predator birds, and anything else that might want to kill me.


    It was an eerie journey. Moving across tree branches wasn¡¯t a strange experience to me, but the glow of their many-hued leaves and the red mist layers both above and below me were disorienting. It was as if the entire world had been filtered through a stained-glass window¡ªand the red light made me feel like that window showed a scene of great violence.


    I thought of shooting as many birds as I could¡ªlevels cost 1100, and I could surely gain a few. But I¡¯d brought only two sheaves and one quiver of arrows, and I was down to 63.


    Finally I found that I could cast the spell that coalesced another boon, noting that the world around me was rich with [Life], [Bird], and [Wild] aspects:


    You spend 500 essence to create: [Life 1]


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Life 1] to create the skill: [Life Magick 6]


    [Life Magick 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Life 1]


    + 100 [Life Pool]


    You may spend [Life Pool] in conjunction with mana to heal injuries, alleviate exhaustion, remove magical maladies, cure sickness, and cause certain living things to grow. Increasing this power¡¯s rank will cause each point of [Life Pool] to have greater effect. The rate at which you can spend [Life Pool] is limited by how quickly you can channel mana.


    [Life Pool] replenishes very slowly, but its replenishment can be hastened by spending essence. The rate at which [Life Pool] replenishes while you spend essence is limited by how much [Focus] you assign to this power.


    You can sense organic substances, such as flesh, wood, or compost within your gaze, though you cannot sense inside the body of an unwilling creature. Extending your gaze or claim to include such substances becomes easier.


    I let out a sigh of relief and began to use the power to close my cuts and heal my many bruises. The essence cost for replenishing a [Life Pool] was normally a significant limiting factor to sustained healing magic, but in this place that was steeped with power, I had little doubt I¡¯d be swimming in essence, soon enough.


    It was one of the many uses for essence that went beyond leveling up. Essence wasn¡¯t just used for leveling up and fusing skill keys. It was used in all forms of magic that created permanent matter or everlasting enchantments, along with some very specialized rituals.


    Right now I was starving for more essence to level up with, but I expected that very soon I¡¯d have more than I could use. All classes had an upper limit on their level, one that only increased when they acted in accordance with their class¡¯s calling.


    ?¡ªYour Class Calling:


    Foster and protect yourself, your pack, and your territory.


    Be passionate, cunning, and strong.


    I scowled as this information flitted through my mind. Fighting for survival would raise my level limit, especially if I accorded with the second line. But did the Verse know that everything I was doing now was for the future of my people? The more that my actions¡¯ accordance with my calling became a matter of narrative framing, something that needed to be argued for, the less likely I was to see my limit increase.


    Apart from fire elementals, there were no classes whose calling was merely to kill and destroy. And a good thing, that. I shuddered to think at what the cosmos might look like if the universal path to power was to constantly seek new things to destroy for essence to consume.


    Still, essence always had its uses. Level was only half the power: fusing skill keys cost essence, and I¡¯d need to do that to rank up my skill keys and make more powerful skills with multiple keys¡ªa skill could only have as many skill keys as the lowest-ranked key it contained.


    While I¡¯d been thinking, I¡¯d been moving back toward the caves that I¡¯d seen in the cliffside earlier. But very quickly I felt the presence of the predator again¡ªonly now I could sense it was angry, offended.


    You fear me too little, they accused.


    I¡¯ve been fleeing from you from the moment you first spoke to me, I said. Even if I don¡¯t know where or what you are, I still flee.


    It was partly a lie. I was fairly certain that whatever this thing was, it was either in the air above me or looking down on this forested valley from the heights of the mountain overhead.


    You fear me too little, they said, sounding disappointed. And you bore me too much.


    Not good. Even if it was exactly what they wanted me to do, I needed to think of a way to get them to keep up whatever game they were playing, to stay interesting¡­.


    I cannot fear you more than I fear you now, I told them. But perhaps I can cease boring you. Would you like to see magic, spells unlike anything you¡¯ve ever known?


    The creature seemed to consider this for a moment¡­ and then hollow laughter boomed through my mind. Little one, they said. Again you squirm with words alone.


    I searched the forest around me, considering possible escapes. I still had no idea where this creature would come from.


    You should have run for the hole, little one, the voice said, laughing again.


    I saw what was happening the moment before it happened: the dense mana in the air around us, much of it primeval mana, suddenly moved together, whorls and eddies of loose power converging and connecting in one single, ordered stream, creating a jagged line that reached up and away from me, into the sky¡­.


    I leapt from the tree branch as fast as I could¡­.


    At the same time, I reached out and pushed my claim as far up the line of mana as I could manage, then scattered a segment of the mana with my channeling, breaking the line¡­.


    Then the lightning came, ending just before the point that I¡¯d scattered as the mana ignited in an instantaneous, blinding blaze, air around me flash-heating into a furnace wind as I hurtled away toward a branch below me. I couldn¡¯t see with my eyes, but I used my gaze to sense the coming branch¡­.


    I felt the branch strike my chest like a blow, my arms coming round to hug it even as it knocked the wind from my lungs, bending beneath me. I slid down the branch a little, bark chafing against my armor as I blinked to clear my eyes. I reached out with my gaze, but I couldn¡¯t sense another line forming¡ªeither the creature had spent all its mana to do that, or it had lost interest.


    Even so, I ran leaping across the branches with as much haste as I could manage, making as straight as line as I could through the trees to get back to the caves I¡¯d seen earlier, dodging to evade one of the tree crabs as it lashed at me with its tongue.


    Little one, said the voice. I adore how you scurry.


    I considered hiding myself from them with [Wild Bond], instead of just pretending that I¡¯d tried to and failed¡­ but I didn¡¯t want it to start chasing me until I was long underground. I would hide if they threw another bolt of lightning.


    Soon I spotted the caves ahead, braced myself, then gained as much momentum as I could manage while running toward the end of a branch before throwing myself through the air and aiming for the lowest of the dark openings that dotted the cliffside.


    The jump was poor, and the cave was far, and the wind whipped at my face as I arced toward it, reaching out with my magic to sense the floor of the cave as it came up to meet me, hitting the dirty stone hard and coming up in a painful roll.


    I conjured a small, white light with raw spellcasting, seeing that the cave continued deep into the rock, twisting out of sight ahead of me. I wandered farther into the tunnel, until I was clear out of sight of its entrance. I could still feel my enemy¡¯s weight on my mind: a sort of sadistic curiosity emanated from it.


    I could have smiled as I moved forward, into the darkness. That was the last chance I was giving that creature to kill me.


    And they had wasted it to play stupid games.

 1.05: Cunning in the Dark

    I could still feel my enemy¡¯s touch on my mind, but I felt more secure, now: with [Earth Magick] I could effectively map the stone around me, and my magical gaze confirmed what I¡¯d already suspected: tunnels and caves were everywhere. It was likely that many creatures of this world had [Earth Magick], and they burrowed and built with ease.


    I had plenty of space to retreat into, a veritable labyrinth to lose my new rival in¡­ if they chose to pursue me.


    For now, though, it seemed I had a reprieve: the lightning bolt had been for their curiosity. If they chose to chase me through the caves, I¡¯d sense them getting closer with [Wild Bond] and could hide myself and hopefully buy some time with a cave-in.


    I leaned against the wall and began to heal myself after the pummeling I¡¯d taken from my fall. The pains across my body subsided, and I queried to see how much of my [Life Pool] I¡¯d used:


    ?¡ª[Life Pool] 21/100


    I made a small noise of displeasure as I saw how low it was. I hadn¡¯t reattached any limbs, or healed any mortal wounds, and had only fixed a minimal number of small fractures. 21?


    [Life Magick 6] was at the lowest rank I could possibly make, but I¡¯d still gotten very little from it.


    I removed a whetstone from a pouch at my belt, then sat and began to sharpen my spear, whose steel tip had been blunted by the battle with the cat. As I did this, I channeled mana into my [Life Magick] skill, spending from my small stock of essence to replenish my [Life Pool] as fast as I could.


    But my focus was still divided. I had to think.


    While I was generally skilled in all things primeval, my greatest talents were lightning magic, surge magic, and rituals. Among my people, I was best known for my mastery of lightning¡ªfor some reason, hurling bolts of lightning had more weight as a conversation piece than most other skills.


    A magical lightning bolt, as opposed to more natural magnetic lightning, was an ignited stream of mana that connected the caster to their target¡ªor rather, as far into their target¡¯s claim as the caster could push.


    But unlike magical fire, which simply ignited and burned the mana, lightning magic recruited a high amount of [Focus] to compose a sophisticated spell that transferred energy from the entire line of mana into the end of the bolt, then further manipulated it into striking the nearest source of high-density mana¡ªwhich was inevitably their target, a leveled creature with its own pool of mana on account of its [Source].


    A long-range bolt of lightning required one to extend their claim across the required distance¡ªand while claim and gaze were flexible, even high attributes and natural skill were insufficient to throw a bolt of lightning across hundreds of meters.


    This was why the pure lightning skill, [Lightning Magick], had an unusual interaction with claim. Other elemental skills allowed you to extend your claim and gaze more easily through the relevant elements, as my [Earth Magick] did with stone and soil. [Lightning Magick] instead allowed you to easily extend your claim through dense mana, which meant that you could draw a bolt by dumping mana into the air before you, focusing to extend your claim through and just past the mana, dumping more mana there¡ªand so on.


    Mana tended to ball up and move around in the air¡ªa solid line of it would start forming clumps that drifted away from each other, and very quickly. A little drift was fine¡ªthe spell would connect the clumps and form lightning¡¯s signature jagged shape. But too much drift and the line would be broken, wasting the spell.


    Hence, in order to use lightning, one needed high [Focus] both to order mana into lightning at all and to extend their claim long distances. They needed high [Source] just to meet the massive mana requirements. Most of all, they needed very high [Channel] to push the mana into the air and form the line fast enough that it didn¡¯t drift too far, a process that was like the magical equivalent of laying track before a rolling minecart.


    Above all, they needed skill. Casting a lightning spell with [Lightning Magick] could be as difficult as casting a fire spell without [Fire Magick], and unlike [Fire Magick], whose temperature increasing power had all manner of uses, lightning was only good for combat.


    And yet the reward matched the difficulty: high power, high range, almost instantaneous, and able to be split across multiple targets, lightning had no equal when it came to offensive magic.


    And among elves, I had no equal when it came to lightning.


    I now knew several things about my enemy:


    First, they had to be of high level, which I already knew, but they also had to have invested heavily in all spellcasting attributes.


    Second, they had very likely been able to rely on lightning to kill almost anything they met, and may have grown complacent in trusting its use.


    Third, they had to have a rare or exceptional class. They had [Wild Bond] as well as [Lightning Magick], and only a tier 3 or higher class could have pure skills of both [Wild] and [Elemental] types¡ªand if they were a [Primeval Champion] like me their lightning would have been faster.


    Fourth, I would need to compose a spell, one that wasn¡¯t skill-based, to stop them from replenishing or absorbing mana if I wanted to kill them. It would also likely need to stop them from healing.


    Fifth, if they weren¡¯t coming to kill me now, it meant that they either hadn¡¯t seen me break their lightning-bolt at the last second, or that they had seen, but didn¡¯t understand enough to be afraid.


    ¡°Heh,¡± I said to myself.


    For all that this new creature was a serious problem, I was in good spirits. Experience had taught me that even the most skilled spellcaster would lose most of their efficacy at the loss of just a single limb or vital organ.


    And I could manage that much¡ªoh yes.


    My whetstone scraped over the edge of my spear, which shone under my witchlight. Unfortunately, focusing on spellcasting attributes would leave me too vulnerable to fight well, and the aspects that I¡¯d gain from a place so heavy with primeval mana would mostly be physically-oriented anyway.


    My enemy was likely so strong that even though they¡¯d focused on spellcasting, the physical attributes I could gain in the short time that I had would barely break even with theirs. For now, my spear and my bow were my first choice in battle. I could always complicate things by relying on my natural spellcasting abilities if I got desperate.


    The curious, malevolent pressure on my mind increased momentarily, and my rival spoke once more. Little one, they said. You are, perhaps, stronger than I took you to be.


    I said nothing.


    The mana, they said, their mental voice laced with confusion. It¡­. But it broke off into a kind of mental growl.


    Perhaps they were in denial about what they¡¯d seen? I had, after all, just shown myself to have abilities far beyond what my current level would lead anyone to expect.


    After all, my [Channel] and [Focus], the spellcasting attributes, were very low. But just like [Strength] and [Agility], the spellcasting attributes were simply bonuses to things that one could already do innately¡ªin this case by sheer mental effort.


    [Channel]¡¯s function, channeling mana, could be emulated with raw willpower. We¡¯d tested me that morning after I¡¯d lost my levels and aspect, and with intense mental effort I could move mana as fast as if I had about 120 [Channel]¡ªhence why I¡¯d been able to break the line of this creature¡¯s lightning bolt as it was forming by pushing a segment of mana out of place.


    120 was a lot¡ªcertainly more channeling power than I could put to use with my current mana pool of 100.


    [Focus] was harder to pin down, because it structured magic, and you needed a different structure depending on what you spending mana to do. Disciplined thought and concentration emulated what [Focus] did, but the specific thoughts were different for each spell.


    For my specialties, lightning spells and surge magic, my mind could emulate hundreds of [Focus]. For something I had no practice with, like conjuring light barriers, I could emulate none.Stolen novel; please report.


    Regardless, this creature had just watched me do something it had probably not known it was possible by cutting its lightning.


    What are you, creature? they asked at last.


    I am an elf, I said. My name is Aziriel.


    And that is why you can do as you did?


    I have done very little.


    He made the mental equivalent of a growl. You know what I speak of. You clove my tongue of lightning before it was ignited. How is this possible?


    I am a skilled spellcaster.


    Another growl. How? You have no lightning of your own. If you did you would have used it in battle. If you did, you wouldn¡¯t be as weak as you are.


    It was, to his credit, all true. Nobody who could throw lightning bolts was to be caught fighting animals with spears at level 0.


    I was not always this weak, I said. Most of my powers were stripped from me by the magic that brought me here¡ªI am now level 0 for the first time in a long time.


    My enemy considered this for a moment. Lies. You twist and wile still, elf Aziriel.


    But I could feel their curiosity intensifying. They had clearly never learned to hide their emotions from the creatures they telepathically communicated with¡ªand why would they, when said creatures were never intelligent?


    Finally they added: I am Palefang.


    Until now, the creature had been communicating with me fairly well despite its lack of language¡ªits words were concepts, not concrete memories or experiences. And yet now I got a clear image: a vast cavern, and this creature, jaws stripping meat off the corpse of what looked like a rhinoceros.


    And for a flash of a moment I felt their bloody teeth, their powerful jaws, the strength in their four legs¡ªand I knew they were another great cat, and male.


    I finished sharpening my spear, tucked my whetstone away, then rose and proceeded into the cave. Palefang said no more, and I didn¡¯t bother him.


    He¡¯d come to believe me soon enough.


    I had to wonder what sort of creature had built the tunnels around me as I moved forward. I found a few pale insects that looked much like the stealth ambusher I¡¯d killed earlier, but with translucent skin. They ran from me as soon as my light touched them.


    I walked on for a full minute, my light floating at the edge of my claim, idly concentrating on replenishing my [Life Pool] as I moved. Since entering the cave, I¡¯d gone a long time without something trying to kill me compared to the rest of the time I¡¯d spent here.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I heard soft pads against the stones ahead, something coming: soon enough it entered the circle of my light, apparently unbothered by it.


    It looked like a large, scaleless gecko with pale, translucent skin. It came through the tunnel surprisingly fast, but as I¡¯d walked I¡¯d prepared a small spell¡ªI flared my light when it was right in front of the lizard.


    I shielded my own eyes from the flare, but was surprised to hear the lizard still charging me, its pace completely unaltered. I felt it pressing against my claim in the ground beneath me a moment later, but not as hard as the ooze had¡ªI pushed it back easily.


    Once it became clear it wouldn¡¯t be altering any of the stone around me, the gecko halted, then tore a hunk of rock from the ceiling of the tunnel, pulling it into its mouth and shooting it at me with its magic.


    I dodged to one side, easily: the rock was too big to throw fast, and I could both see and feel it coming. Then I charged as the gecko loaded another, lowering my spear.


    It was a short fight: after I¡¯d avoided the second missile, it was my spear versus its teeth and claws¡ªand the lizard wasn¡¯t as strong as the cat had been, while I had gotten stronger. I punctured its neck quickly, dancing back along the jutting stones of the cave as blood spurted from the hole I made and it tried in vain to close its jaws around me.


    I struck again, and again, each time making holes in its neck. My spear had a winged guard at the base of its head to keep creatures from working their way up the shaft once they¡¯d been stuck, and so I could use the spear to hold the lizard at bay just as I had with the hunting cat. Unlike the cat, though, it didn¡¯t have [Regeneration], and very soon it had fallen into a quickly-growing pool of its own blood.


    + 782 Essence


    ¡°Still fairly strong,¡± I said softly, reaching down to touch it. I extended my gaze through its body, using [Life Magick] to get a sense of where its vitals were. The veins along its neck would be easy to slice, now that I knew where they were, and the shape of its skull meant it would be easy to shoot out its eyes, even from the front.


    You spend 1100 Essence to gain 1 level. You are now level 6 / 11.


    For reaching level 6, you gain 1 [*Primeval 5] skill core.


    You have gained 1 [Bestow 8].


    You spend 1 [Bestow 8] to add 8 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 18.


    ?¡ªYou have 117 Essence.


    I didn¡¯t want to take a lot of spellcasting attributes, but some extra [Source] felt necessary, given how little mana I had without it. The density of the mana in the air meant that it would be easy to fill my mana pool, and so I really only needed enough to get me through combat without having to stop.


    I moved further ahead into the cave. With any luck, there would be more of the creatures I had just killed: the fight had been fairly easy. With a few more levels, most fights would be.


    Still, I was surprised I hadn¡¯t been able to blind it. The cave mouths suggested that for whatever reason, these things spent time outside¡ªbut the surface was dark as night. Perhaps they¡¯d adapted because of the constant lightning flashes?


    I found another one not a minute later, killing it with fewer thrusts of the spear than I had the first:


    + 652 Essence


    ¡°Weaker,¡± I said, watching it bleed out in front of me. Its earth magic had felt about the same strength, but it had been slower, died easier¡ªmeaning they leveled physical attributes.


    Within a few minutes, I¡¯d killed a two more, working my way through the criss-crossed caves, trying not to stray too close to the entrances¡ªI didn¡¯t want to give Palefang another shot at me, and my current plan if they attacked again was to travel downward as fast as I could.


    None of them granted any boons, but I gained enough essence for another level:


    You spend 1100 Essence to gain 1 level. You are now level 7 / 11.


    You have gained 1 [Bestow 8].


    You spend 1 [Bestow 8] to add 8 to your [Aegis]. Your [Aegis] is now 12.


    ?¡ªYou have 1079 Essence.


    You are getting stronger, Palefang said as I flicked the blood off my spear and moved further into the caves.


    Always.


    Do you think it will save you? he asked.


    Definitely. No chance, I said. Even if the essence flows fast, limit does not rise easily.


    A cold laughter filled my mind. Then why not lie before me, neck bared, if your end is so certain?


    Call it my nature, I said. Besides, I¡¯ve survived so far because I amuse you¡ªperhaps I simply need to amuse you forever.


    They laughed again. Even if you could, I will kill you before you grow strong enough to threaten me.


    Ahead of me, I found another one of the giant geckos and charged. As I punched a few holes in its neck, my enemy went on:


    You think I am foolish. But I know you mean to grow in power, then destroy me.


    How? I asked.


    All creatures such as we must kill one another, he said. None can match the strength we gain from our minds, and so when there is only one of us, we reign supreme.


    Perfectly reasonable for an asocial carnivore. Especially in this place, where safety was seemingly found at the top of the food chain¡ªand nowhere else.


    I know you are trying to kill me, he repeated. But I also know that you know many things I do not¡ªyou are a being I have never seen, weak but not powerless. I must learn what I can from you. My eyes see much.


    I scowled, my confidence waning. My talkative enemy wasn¡¯t watching me because they were playing for their food¡ªthey were watching me because they hoped it would teach them something.


    Not good. But the fact that I could use [Wild Bond] to hide myself from them would still help me escape when they came hunting.


    What was more¡ªas long as I kept showing this creature things it had never seen before without being too threatening, it would stay interested. I could do that.


    Though I had to wonder¡ªwere they an asocial carnivore, or had their intellect simply resulted in their self-imposed exile from what should have been their pride?


    Suddenly the rock around me started to tremble. I stretched my magical senses as far as I could to try and sense what it was, but there was no need: a new weight fell upon my mind, another creature hunting me out with its [Wild Bond], easily detectable now because I had the power myself.


    I found it with my senses a moment later¡ªa large creature, female, coming up through the earth beneath me, its mind overwhelmed by one overriding instinct:


    Protect the young.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, somewhat dismayed. Hunting these lizards had drawn some attention.


    Mom was here¡ªand she¡¯d come because I was killing her children.

 1.06: Going for the Eyes

    In preparation for the approaching giant lizard, I grabbed a roll of linen from my belt, tore a stretch of it away, then wrapped the cloth around my face as a makeshift mask. I also took the flight goggles I had hanging from the front of my baldric and put those on, too.


    I had to marvel at the process by which the new lizard was burrowing upward. The rock beneath me was mostly soft tuff, cracked in so many places that they had to expend very little power to cause huge sections of it to fall away. It made me wonder if the whole of this cave system hadn¡¯t been artificially constructed this way for this very purpose¡ªkeeping larger creatures out while allowing the mother to reach her young in case of an emergency.


    I couldn¡¯t extend my gaze far enough to see where the head-sized chunks of stone were falling away to, but it must have been a fairly large open space, even potentially a space outside¡ªwherever it was, I expected it would be a better place to fight this massive creature in than a small tunnel.


    I backed up the tunnel as the ground began to crack and heave below me, stopping once I wasn¡¯t directly above it to focus on maintaining my claim on the earth beneath me as the lizard tried to take it with her own claim.


    Finally the floor of the cave fell in, the creature having made a rough-edged tunnel almost directly upward to reach me. I could see its bulk through the cloud of billowing dust¡ªsomething glittered inside as it shook free some rubble.


    I withdrew my claim from the stone beneath me, and the creature took hold of it instantly, tearing the cave floor away so that it, too, fell away in a cascade of stone¡ªbut I simply stuck the butte of my spear against one wall and walked up the other, arching myself between both as I used the distraction to seize hold of the cracked stone just above the lizard and use my own magic to break as much of it as I could.


    A cascade of stone struck the silhouetted head of the massive lizard, but it barely seemed to notice, shaking the weight free. I tried for the stone beneath its legs next, hoping to send it falling away into the pit it had created, but its claim there was too strong for me to even gain an inch.


    The lizard, having shaken free all the stones I¡¯d dropped on it, opened its mouth and launched a fast, scattered volley of glinting missiles at me, but I was already moving, dropping myself from where I was stretched between the remaining cave walls to fall down into the newly-formed cavity beneath me and then dive past where the lizard clung to the edge, into the pit.


    Normally it was a bad idea to get beneath a lot of stone while something with [Earth Magick] is trying to kill you. But here my reasoning was simple: it was slow, and had to be burning through enormous amounts of mana no matter how efficiently it was moving through the stone. I could tire this creature out, if I had time and space.


    Eyes covered by my goggles, I leapt downward through the dust, using my gaze to guide me from one newly-formed ledge to the other, easily able to sense the jutting stones.


    Above me, I heard the massive bulk of the lizard shifting. I felt a sudden psychic assault from the beast, an attempt to momentarily paralyze me¡ªbut any druid knows how to deal with the brute power of a raging beast¡¯s mind, the fluid psychic dance that turns their force and energy away as effortlessly as twirling out of the path of a charging bull.


    It dropped a cascade of stones my way, but they were all knocked inward by the irregular walls and ledges of the pit¡ªit was easy to find a recessed ledge where I lay flat against the wall, boulders passing harmlessly by before I leapt down to the next ledge.


    It took me a half-dozen jumps before the pit opened up into a huge, dust-filled chamber with a pile of rubble beneath it. As I leapt onto this, I heard the lizard still moving, crashing around above me and getting closer. I bounded down off the pile of broken stone, leaping through a curtain of falling dust before conjuring a witchlight and bursting into a sudden grin at what I saw.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The cave was lined with created quartz: pure, clear crystals that glittered as my light followed me into the gallery. Great quartz pillars supported a ceiling of tuff that was 50 feet high in some places. My feet trod across smooth, uneven facets of the massive crystals as I spun to take in as much as I could, heightening the intensity of my light so that I could see the distant walls of the cave.


    What was more, I counted eight of the smaller rock lizards scattered across the half of the cave not dominated by the growing rubble pile, all of them charging toward me¡ªanother cause to smile.


    I ran into the group of baby lizards, flipping my spear over a shoulder to clip it to my baldric and grab my bow, nocking an arrow as the first of the lizards grabbed a rock¡ªnow a fist-sized hunk of quartz¡ªand launched it at me.


    But their aim against a moving target was only so good, and I didn¡¯t even need to adjust my course to avoid the first few projectiles, sensing their trajectories with my gaze and letting them zip harmlessly past me.


    Then I returned with shots of my own. My first arrow sank into the eye of the nearest lizard, my second into the eye of the next-nearest. I picked up speed, finding it easy to run across the crystal of the cavern compared to the jagged stones of the caves, launching two more arrows into two more eyes.


    I ran for the first lizard, now howling because it had an arrow sticking out of one eye. It snapped at me, but I leapt to one side, drawing my knife with my free hand and striking it soundly in its one remaining eye.


    Then I moved for the second, nocking another arrow and planting it into the eye of another, further lizard-child as I deflected a few of the shards of quartz being tossed at me, knife tucked back into the palm of my hand.


    I missed a shot at the sixth lizard¡ªeven though they held their heads still to launch the stones they grabbed in their mouths. I didn¡¯t know if it was vibrations through the floor shifting the lizard slightly as the arrow flew, or perhaps a gust of displaced air, or even a psychic attack from its mother¡ªbut the arrow scratched its way across the ridge of the creature¡¯s skull. I scowled.


    Then the ground shook as their mother finally arrived, carefully dropping the short distance between the tunnel and the rockpile to immediately charge toward me.


    I halted, deflecting the shots of the only three of the young lizards that still had both eyes so that I could quickly aim and plant an arrow in every one of them. The sounds of their squeals of pain filled the air around me¡ªeven the ones who could still partially see were likely not going to be fighting very well.


    I turned toward the mother, who was barreling toward us through a cloud of dust¡ªand noticed, for the first time, how she scintillated. A full coat of quartz crystals covered her body, with many of the largest armoring her head and neck. [Earth Skin], then.


    And since she had thrown chunks of quartz with [Earth Magick], and had [Wild Bond] as well¡­ her core type was likely [*Earth], with her granted power being [Wild Bond]. She wouldn¡¯t have any healing skills.


    ?¡ªMana 87/180, 40% Primeval


    It wasn¡¯t a lot, but all I needed to use it for was deflect the shots long enough to kill her. I ran for the far wall of the cave, putting as many of its writhing, half-blind children between us as I could and nocking another arrow.


    I felt cool satisfaction as the mother lizard snarled and slowed her charge, losing her momentum rather than trample her own kin. She let out a short, sharp roar, and I could see many glittering stones stored beneath her tongue, but I was focused on my target¡ªher eyes.


    I loosed my arrow, aiming for one of her overlarge pupils¡­.


    The arrow scratched across the surface of the eye, then fell harmlessly to the cave floor.


    Naturally. This creature used its eyes to aim, and doubtless lived among many creatures who used [Earth Magick] to shoot things to death. The film covering its eyes was probably as thick as its skin.


    I might have sighed, but I was too busy¡ªthe volley of quartz shards came shortly afterward, a focused line of shots that came twice as fast as my heartbeat, and I ran, reaching out with my magic to deflect two of them that were on the path to striking me.


    I dove behind one of its fully-blind children, heard it let out another screech of rage as I crouched low, trying to keep the nearby thrashing lizard between myself and its mother.


    Then I reached out with my [Earth Magick] to the crystal wall of the cave behind me¡ªand I started to scratch a circle of runes into its surface.


    It was time to get more complicated.

 1.07: A Mothers Love

    The great lizard was as enraged as any beast I¡¯d ever seen. I could feel it through the [Wild Bond], a hot anger that screamed through every muscle in its body.


    It came toward me, half-stepping, half-leaping over the bodies of one of its children to approach me and launch its quartz slugs from a closer distance.


    I leapt away, mind still on the far wall, still guiding my [Earth Magick] into drawing the circle as I took off at a run through the cavern, angling for another one of the fallen young. This one still had one eye, and it lunged for me as I approached¡ªbut again, I dodged out of the way, my hand coming up to quickly thrust the knife-tip into its only working pupil as the greater lizard began another volley.


    I finished drawing the circle on the wall, then began another on the ceiling above it. This one would take longer¡ªeven close to the edge of the cavern, the ceiling was so far above us that I had to stretch my claim to its utmost extent just to reach it.


    The lizard-mother once again tried to awkwardly navigate her own maimed children, leap-stepping over one to get closer to me, but once again I ran¡ªthis massive creature couldn¡¯t gain the momentum it needed to catch me.


    Again she tried shooting me, and again I ignored her, running, weaving, and dodging through our battlefield of bloodied quartz to slash the eyes of two more of her children and take cover behind them. As long as she was unwilling to kill her own young, the massive scatter-blast that she¡¯d used in the upper tunnel¡ªthe best way to deal with a quick little one who had [Earth Magick] like me¡ªwould go unused.


    She tried forming her willpower into a hammer meant to clench all my muscles and cause me to seize¡ªbut again I was too well-trained, my mind too slippery for her psychic assault.


    I pushed back¡ªbut my push was to calm it, to heighten its protective instincts and keep it loving its blind children enough that I could use them as cover.


    And while I did all of this, I channeled the mana in the air around us. The mana in the cave wasn¡¯t as dense as what rose from the forest outside, but it was still denser and more primeval than the mana on any world I¡¯d encountered. I pushed it, pulled it, made a kind of current that flowed into both of the circles, slowly storing more power than I could ever have held by myself.


    The beast could have stopped me just by drawing a break through the circle, could have fizzled the whole spell by breaking one of the runes¡ªbut it was a beast. It had no idea what I was doing.


    Instead it kept changing tactics, trying to get close and swallow me, then shooting more of its crystals at me as I scampered away, too fast for it to follow. I only deflected a few of the quartz slugs that it shot at me in a steady stream, the rest missing me, most of them by a long shot. I tried my best to keep it pivoting and turning, but its nature as a climbing creature meant that it was surprisingly good at maneuvering for its size.


    When it finally began to tire, I knew that I was ready. The subtle tugs and pushes that I¡¯d used to manipulate the movement of the mana in the cave had funneled far more into my circles than if I¡¯d spent the last few minutes pushing it all into the circles myself.


    The beast stomped toward me, and I made for the traps on the cave, adding a few runes to the sigil on the ceiling once I got close enough.


    It reared up slightly, opening its jaws to swallow me as it moved beneath my trap¡­.


    And I released the spell, causing a massive blast of force to travel upward through the stones above us¡ªall of which had been cracked and broken, but left just fused enough to support the weight above them, much like the rest of this place.


    The blast slapped me down to the ground and pushed the head of the lizard down into the floor of the cave.


    Then the rocks began to fall. I heard the stupendously loud sounds of boulders striking the creature¡¯s crystal armor, scrambled to my feet, lurched forward into a run to escape the growing pile of rubble¡ªand then was stricken in the back by a hunk of stone flung free by the cascade behind me, flinging me forward to crack my head against the ground.


    I didn¡¯t lose consciousness, though, which would have meant death. Instinctively I began to use my [Life Magick] to funnel my remaining [Life Pool] into my head, the ground still shaking beneath me as more rocks fell. I came up onto my hands and knees, crawling forward, dizzy and woozy¡ªI had to get back to the other circle¡­ all of this was pointless if I couldn¡¯t get back to the other circle¡­.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I steadied myself against the wall as I rose and stumbled toward the rockpile ahead of me, sensing everything using my gaze on account of the suffocating cloud of dust.


    Rocks and sand were still tumbling around me as I moved past the pile of stones that had buried the lizard¡ªbut I could sense within that the creature was still alive. I had expected as much¡ªof course this creature could survive cave-ins. Hence the second circle.


    The rockpile lurched, sending several stones bouncing. The creature was surely low on mana, but could still use its [Earth Magick] to get out even if it wasn¡¯t strong enough to throw them off. I only had a little time.


    I struggled to focus enough, drawing more runes to compensate for my dazed state¡ªmy [Life Pool] had run out and I had no idea how well it had restored my head wound.


    Suddenly I remembered missing a good shot at one of the earlier younger lizards¡ªthe thought spurred me to push myself to focus. I had to be very precise, here.


    I gathered and shaped the massive amount of mana in the circle, adding more runes to make the spell more precise, carefully judging the position of the lizard in the rocks¡­.


    Finally it heaved its head free with a cascade of dust and stone¡ªand I loosed my spell, sending the mana in the circle forth in a thin line as thick as my arm that flowed forward toward the lizard even as it ignited into a blazing stream of bright red spellfire.


    The creature let out a pitiful moan, and I stumbled toward the farthest place in the cave wall, then huddled down for cover as the cave around me became an oven filled with screams of pain, hot particles of dust, and a smell that made me want to stop breathing. The discharge was only a couple of seconds, but when it finished I was relieved: any more and I¡¯d have started burning myself.


    The lizard fell silent after one long moan. I stood, walked over to one of its children, killed them by punching my spear wholly through their eyes, then used my [Life Magick] to double-check the position of its vital arteries¡ªthe mother had a bigger gullet, and I tried to get a good idea of where the arteries would be displaced to in relation to¡ª


    + 4021 Essence, [Boon]


    Your level limit has increased to 12!


    I let out a sigh of relief. In order to get at that thing¡¯s neck, I would have had to rip a piece of its armor away¡ªwhich would likely have meant grabbing a hold of the quartz hunk with both hands, distracting the creature with a psychic attack, then seizing a small section of its claim and spending a huge amount of mana to rip the quartz away¡ªjust with the hope that I could cut a vital artery.


    That the fire had killed it was fortunate indeed.


    Fortunate, and less monstrous. True, a creature that¡¯s been covered in bodily burns is weaker to attacks via [Wild Bond] because pain is driving it insane¡­ but to cook a creature alive is a hideous cruelty. Better if it dies fast.


    I moved around the cave, dispatching the smaller lizards with a sense of disquiet and gaining more than 1600 essence for it. I touched the warp jewel at my hip. I could feel as bad about this as I liked, but my people were counting on me. I¡¯d butcher every baby in and on this mountain if it meant saving a single elf.


    I told myself that there would be more glorious fights than this, fights where I did not shelter from a mother¡¯s wrath by hiding behind her maimed babies¡­ and as if on queue, Palefang¡¯s presence in my mind flared, and he began to speak:


    What are you?


    The corner of my mouth curled upward. I am the elf Aziriel. But you had the right of it before¡ªI am a little one.


    They didn¡¯t answer.


    They had to be close by. A high-ranked [Wild Bond] could reach far, but without added powers, it wouldn¡¯t span a distance of kilometers. My guess was that my enemy was perched on the rock overtop me, hundreds of feet above. They couldn¡¯t see through my eyes¡ªmy pretense of hiding from them was effective enough to stop that much, at least. But they¡¯d probably seen the whole thing through the lizard¡¯s eyes instead.


    With any luck, they¡¯d watched this fight and correctly surmised that stopping me from doing what I¡¯d just done involved breaking the circle. I knew how to make some pretty deadly traps that would trigger when a circle was broken: it was just a matter of different runes associated with different concepts in my mind.


    I could count on his pride. I knew I could because he¡¯d had no reason, none at all, to tell me that he knew I was hunting him the last time we¡¯d spoken. If he believed that to be true, and if he believed that I stood any chance of harming him, letting me know was just a bad idea.


    He¡¯d seen my rune circles and realized that I knew things he didn¡¯t, powerful magic he¡¯d never seen. I¡¯d met his expectations. The question now was whether he¡¯d realize the danger in keeping me around, or let his curiosity get the better of him.


    Hopefully the latter.


    I grabbed my spear, carrying it at the ready as I moved around and reclaimed a few arrows from the eyes of the dead lizards.


    It was time to spend some essence, gain some levels, and figure out which key I was going to take out of the boon.

 1.08: Sleepers in the Deep

    ?¡ª6721 Essence


    As I walked the edge of the cave, I deliberated. The [Boon] that I¡¯d gotten from the dead lizard could be used to create [Armor 2], [Earth 2], or [Reptile 2], and I wasn¡¯t sure which to choose.


    The rank of each key in a skill had to equal the total number of keys in a skill; rank 2 keys could form skills with more than one type of aspect across its keys.


    [Reptile 2] was an interesting option. The resulting skill, [Reptile Bond], would synergize with my existing [Wildbond] and give me much greater power in finding and psychically communicating with all reptiles.


    But Palefang wasn¡¯t a reptile. It would certainly help me hunt out more essence, and might be the most useful option if I had plenty of time¡­ but I didn¡¯t have plenty of time. I had less than two hours, I was sure.


    [Earth 2] could serve to strengthen my [Earth Magick 6], and then only if I upgraded the key that the skill already contained to rank 2. Skill keys could be upgraded by combining them: it took 3 rank 1 skill keys and 1000 essence to make a single rank 2 key. I was easy enough to create [Earth] keys, and I only needed two more to go with the 1000 essence required to fuse three keys to rank 2¡­ but upgrading the skill wouldn¡¯t do nearly as much for me as getting a new one¡ªand I had skill cores to spare.


    I could also fuse it another rank 2 core for a new ability, but the best option in that case was a [Body 2] key for [Earthen Might]. But a [Body 2] key would combine much better with the [Armor 2] key in any case, creating an excellent defensive skill, [Primeval Hide]¡ªonce fused with one of my [*Primeval 5] skill cores, that was.


    The only other thing I¡¯d want an [Earth] key for was [Meteor Strike], and that would need keys at rank 4¡ªwhich was, unfortunately, not something that would be happening today.


    [Armor] it was, then.


    You break [Boon] to create a [Armor 2] skill key.


    You fused [*Primeval 5] with [Armor 2] to create the skill: [Primeval Armor 7]


    [Primeval Armor 7]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Armor 2]


    + 51 [Aegis]


    This skill¡¯s [Aegis] only affects your equipment.


    This skill¡¯s [Aegis] only affects primevally oriented materials such as leather, hide, and bone.


    Your gaze now discerns which materials qualify for this skill.


    Exclusive: this skill cannot function in conjunction with other [Armor] skills that grant [Aegis].


    I smiled and rolled my shoulders as more than 6 levels worth of [Aegis] began to affect every part of my leather armor except the metal plates inserted between its layers.


    Passive skills didn¡¯t just scale with their own rank and my extremely high [Primeval Resonance]¡ªthey also scaled with [Bestow], levelling to stay relevant just as their bearers did. A quick check showed that my [Sable Grace] had gone from providing 21 [Agility] and [Focus] to providing 28 when my [Bestow] had increased from 6 to 8 at level 5. This armor skill would also grow as I levelled.


    In normal circumstances, passive skills were so strong that even a few of them could double a creature¡¯s attributes, scaling as they did with both skill rank and their bearer¡¯s bestow. But for me, this was blown to absurd proportions because of [Primeval Power] doubling my [Primeval Resonance].


    Hence why I¡¯d always been fond of the more passive skills. It was nice to outsmart my enemies, but I preferred to overpower them at the same time.


    The bonus would become less absurd compared to my normal attributes as I leveled and bought more¡­ but not by much. [Bestow] increased every 5 levels, after all.


    Speaking of:


    You spend 5 550 Essence to gain 4 levels. You are now level 11 / 12.


    For reaching levels 8 and 10, you gain 2 [*Primeval] skill cores!


    You gain 3 [Bestow 8]!


    For reaching level 10, your [Bestow] increases from 8 to 10.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 10]!


    I checked my [Primeval Armor 7] once again and smiled. Its bonus to [Aegis] was now 64. [Sable Grace] now increased my [Agility] and [Focus] by 35 each.


    As for my attribute bestows, I knew I still needed to favor [Strength]. The whole confrontation with the lizard would have gone much easier if I¡¯d been able to shoot out its eyes. At this point, though, it was hardly a choice. My bow was an elven matchbow, crafted for me by Hashephel, and its draw strength grew greater as my [Aegis] increased.


    The new armor skill had left it close to unusable at my current [Strength]: it was made for an elf whose [Aegis] was one and a half to two times greater than their [Strength].


    You spend 3 [Bestow 8] to add 24 to your [Strength]. Your [Strength] is now 52.


    I closed a fist, enjoying the feeling of new power flowing through my body as my [Strength] attribute doubled. Of course, [Strength] didn¡¯t include the actual strength of my body¡­ my overall strength had only increased by about 50%.


    Next I put the last level in [Source]¡ªI would be fighting continuously during the primeval convergence that I still intended to trigger, and I¡¯d need more mana on hand to sustain that combat, even if I was mostly spending it on small, efficient uses of [Earth Magick] as I had been.


    You spend 1 [Bestow 10] to add 10 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 28.


    I queried for my attributes:


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    39 [Agility]


    52 [Strength]


    12 [Aegis] + 64 [Primeval Armor]


    4 [Channel]


    28 [Source]


    39 [Focus]


    10 [Bestow]A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    104% [Primeval Resonance]


    280/280 Mana ¡ª 40% Primeval


    [Primeval Power] was clearly doing its job, and [Sable Grace] was helping my [Agility] and [Focus] keep pace. With luck, I¡¯d be able to build two more passive, attribute-increasing skills fairly quickly.


    It was a little absurd that my [Channel] was so low. With my 40% primeval mana and my [Primeval Resonance] of 104%, I channeled my own mana 144% faster than what the attribute would normally grant.


    But just like how my [Strength] score didn¡¯t measure the innate strength in my body, [Channel] didn¡¯t measure my ability to channel mana through sheer force of will. If I recruited all my mental energy into channeling mana, I could move it as fast as if I had 120 base [Channel]. Including my bonuses from [Primeval Resonance] and primeval mana, I could channel as fast as an ordinary spellcaster with 300 [Channel].


    As such, spending my levels on increasing [Channel] wasn¡¯t going to change anything: I was well past the point where I could spend all my mana as fast as I¡¯d like. I¡¯d need a lot more [Source], and a lot bigger a mana pool, to take advantage of even my natural abilities¡ªlet alone justify buying more [Channel].


    Instead I needed [Strength], [Agility], and 3 [Body 1] keys or a [Body 2] key to upgrade my [Primeval Armor]. Higher levels would see [Channel] rise to its proper place as the centerpiece of my skillset.


    For now, though, I¡¯d reached the last 2 of my skill cores:


    ?¡ªYour Skills:


    0: [Sable Grace 20]


    0: [Primeval Power 30]


    0: [Earth Magick 6]


    2: [Wild Bond 6]


    4: [Life Magick 6]


    6: [Primeval Armor 7]


    8: [*Primeval 5]


    10: [*Primeval 5]


    A class granted a number of extra skill cores in the first 10 levels equal to its tier¡ªin my case, 5. Beyond that, I¡¯d get one every 5 levels. With how difficult it was to raise the level limit for my class, I had to hope that I¡¯d be able to reach level 15 before confronting Palefang.


    I told myself it wouldn¡¯t matter. I was now more than a match for most of the creatures I¡¯d met since arriving. Hopefully I could find a [Body] and [Air] key.


    I still needed to compose a spell to fight him with, something that kept him from healing and replenishing or absorbing mana¡­.


    As I considered all this, I moved along the cave wall and searched for a way out. Soon I found a break in the crystal that coated the cave, with more of the partly-fused boulders making up the wall instead. Extending my senses past it, I found a network of tunnels beyond.


    I finished my circuit of the cave, but the other routes all led into the caves above me. I returned to the first passage and began to carefully excavate myself a small door with my [Earth Magick], cracking the stone and clearing it away in fist-sized hunks. Soon I had a small, narrow opening that I could squeeze through sidelong.


    I took one look back at the massive cavern, now filled with dust and corpses, but still lined with beautifully pure quartz. The crystal was much harder to manipulate than ordinary stone, and I had to wonder how much essence the lizard had spent creating this massive shell for her nest¡ªhad she made it all herself with creation skills? Stolen it from another creature who had? Had the cave been built up over generations? Sadly, I had a feeling that it would be a long time before I could let my curiosity run wild.


    Once I was out of the dust, I checked around me to make sure I was safe. The passage was much cleaner-cut than the ones above had been, smoother walls that almost looked like they¡¯d been made by tools. It was also narrow, barely wide enough for me to walk alone.


    I¡¯d expected to find the larger lizard¡¯s hunting ground, but this passage was obviously too small¡ªperhaps the lizard hadn¡¯t blocked this place off with quartz because it sometimes sent its young through?


    I¡¯d find out soon enough, but for now I opened my canteen and drank it all, then cast a spell to fill it with water that I condensed out of the air and drank that, too. Then I pulled some strips of dried meat from my pouch and ate while I filled my canteen and transferred some arrows from a sheaf into my quiver so that it was full.


    I progressed into the passage, soon finding it to be a kind of maze¡ªmore narrow corridors branched off from the first, most of them dead ends. The marks on the walls seemed more like they¡¯d been made by claws than chisels when I examined them more closely. Very strange, when [Earth] cores were apparently so common among the wildlife.


    Of course, anything underground that didn¡¯t have [Earth Magick] didn¡¯t have [Earth] as its class core type¡ªfreeing it up for something else. It was possible that some wildlife had adapted to simply steal the tunnels built by creatures with [Earth Magick] and had class cores that made taking them easy: [Air] could be used to suffocate things fairly well down here, and [Wild], in a strong enough creature, could compel other burrowers to do the work for them.


    The maze ended suddenly at a large, circular pit, its edges smooth. I sent a light down into it and saw that it extended downward about fifty feet, ending in bare stone floor. I tore a stone from the wall and dropped it into the pit, hearing to the echoing clatter of stone striking stone¡ªand nothing else. It was eerily quiet.


    I descended, tearing handholds out of the stone with [Earth Magick], expecting something to come out of the dark any moment and still hearing nothing. Finally I reached the lower level to find myself in an almost perfectly round cave, another tunnel much like the one I¡¯d just come down, but horizontal.


    I followed this for twenty or so paces until it opened into a larger chamber, one whose ceiling and end I couldn¡¯t see. I flared my light and found that it was another circular tunnel, only this one was gigantic, the ceiling sixty or more feet above me, and its end further than my light touched.


    ¡°What built this?¡± I muttered.


    What was most curious was that small slots had been carved into the stone, each a thin line about twenty inches long and a few millimeters wide, all of them spaced at regular intervals of a few feet, all of them running perpendicular to the curve of the chamber.


    Beneath each of them my gaze saw only a rounded cavity, a space big enough to fit a horse. There was something in it¡ªI could feel it pressing against the stone of the cavity, but couldn¡¯t detect its shape. Normally this would simply mean it wasn¡¯t made of earthen or biological substance¡ªbut [Sable Grace] let me detect the shape of anything that was in darkness.


    Suspicious of what I¡¯d found, I took a few steps toward the center of the chamber, my teeth on edge. When I¡¯d reached the labyrinth above, I¡¯d gotten far enough from the stripped aspect of the jungle to coalesce another core, but had waited because I knew it would have likely been another [Earth].


    Here, though? I cast my spell to strip the aspect from the world around me¡­ and what I found was surprising.


    You spend 500 Essence to create: [Insect 1]


    My mouth fell open in wonderment. ¡°A sleeping hive,¡± I said, sweeping my gaze across what must have been thousands of insects. The reason I couldn¡¯t sense them with my gaze was that their controller kept them well-protected and hidden, something common to hives that were under the control of a psychic entity.


    I smiled. As much as the part of me that was curious and passionate about the natural world found this fascinating, the part of me that had just blinded a mother¡¯s children for a tactical advantage before roasting her alive knew that it was clearly time to leave.


    But where to go? There were other corridors branching off of this main gallery¡ªI could see a half-dozen within the circle of my light. Normally I would want to retreat back the way I came¡­ but I could feel the motion of the air around me. These caves were ventilated, likely had to be if they stored an army of tens of thousands of dormant insects.


    I decided to take a risk and follow the flow of air, treading lightly in case my footsteps would wake anything. More likely an attack would be preceded by the touch of a hive mind against my own, but I felt nothing.


    I kept wondering about the maze above, the transition between this place and the lair of the lizard. What was it for? Had these insects built it? It would be a good place to back Palefang into, if he tried to come for me down here¡ªthe hive would likely assess him as the greater threat, giving me a chance to leave.


    I entered another circular tunnel, this one sloping downward, and definitely the source of the air. It had larger, thicker grooves cut into the stone, however¡ªand I peered curiously at these, comparing the diameter of the tunnel to the size of the cavities I¡¯d seen earlier.


    The grooves, I thought, must be rungs or footholds¡ªthe tunnel felt like it was big enough to accommodate insects crawling across its every surface at once. It was an efficiently-carved transit route, which made me wonder about the purpose of the upper maze even more.


    On the air I could smell the growing scent of ash, mildew, flowers, rot, and sweat. I was definitely headed outside.


    You.


    For a moment I froze in terror, convinced that the hive-mind in command of the sleepers had found me¡ªbut it was only Palefang.


    Just me, I said.


    Palefang hissed. I must have words with you.


    It was about time.

 1.09: This Power of All Powers

    Tell me your class, he commanded.


    It was as much as I expected. He¡¯d been watching my fight with the lizards, likely through one of the lizards¡¯ eyes, and realized that my class was¡­ unorthodox.


    The only thing that really determined the identity of a class was the skill it granted and the skill cores that it granted when its bearer leveled.


    Because one of those skill cores had to be present in every skill, a creature could only build the ¡°pure¡± skill¡ªthe skill made of only one type of key or core¡ªof its skill core. A druid, with their [*Wild] skill cores, could build [Wild Bond]... but they could never build [Earth Magick], the pure [Earth] skill, because every skill they built would have a [*Wild] core in it.


    So-called ¡°pure¡± skills tended to be very useful and powerful, but also the most limited in who was able to build them.


    There was a crucial exception to all of this, however¡ªand most of us called it the subtype rule. Certain key and core types had subtypes: for example, [Life] was a subtype of [Wild] and [Fire] was a subtype of [Elemental].


    When a skill key or skill core was fused with one its subtypes, it emulated that subtype for the purposes of skill creation, essentially functioning as the same type of skill key. Hence [*Fire 2] +


    [Fire 2] would make [Fire Magick 4], and [*Elemental 2] + [Fire 2] would make¡­ [Fire Magick 4].


    A druid had [*Wild] skill cores. They could not only make the pure [*Wild] skill, [Wild Bond], but the pure [Life] skill, [Life Magick], because [Life] was a subtype of [Wild].


    All of this could do much to explain why I was so powerful. My skill core was [*Primeval 5]... and [Primeval] was at the top of the pyramid. Among its subtypes were [Body], [Elemental], [Surge], and [Wild]... and it included all of their subtypes as its own.


    Most classes could make between 1 and 6 ¡°pure¡± skills, with more becoming available as their tier increased. Not counting the different animal and plant subtypes of wild, I could make more than 10.


    And I had the only known class that could ever possess my granted skill, [Primeval Power], the skill that doubled my [Primeval Resonance] to give me an absurd bonus to channeling speed and my attribute-increasing passive skills.


    The only skill I¡¯d built so far that didn¡¯t take advantage of the subtype rule was [Primeval Armor]. It wasn¡¯t a pure skill because [Armor] wasn¡¯t a subtype of [Primeval], and so the two combined to make a skill that was more limited than most pure skills, including the actual pure [Armor] skill, [Armor Mastery].


    But everything else I¡¯d built so far¡ª[Life Magick], [Earth Magick], and [Wild Bond]¡ªwere pure skills because my [*Primeval] skill cores were emulating their subtypes.


    And it had only been a matter of time before my distant hunter, Palefang, took note of this. In fact, if he¡¯d been watching through the eyes of the first cat I¡¯d killed¡ªand I wasn¡¯t sure that he had¡ªhe¡¯d known that I¡¯d taken [Earth Magick] mid-combat, not arrived with it.


    This all meant that he might have guessed that my skill cores were [*Primeval], not [*Wild]. And if he had guessed as much, or even suspected as much, I might be meeting him very, very soon.


    If he hadn¡¯t put it together right away, it was easy to see how watching me kill the lizard with two rune circles had certainly given him another chance to think about it.


    And even if he wasn¡¯t worried about my core type, there was the straightforward fact that I was getting too powerful, too fast. My [Sable Grace] was bolstering my attributes much higher than what levels should grant, my skills made with common keys started off at rank 6, and my raw spellcasting abilities likely made it seem like I had spent more [Bestow] on casting attributes than was possible.


    Tell me your class, little one, he repeated insistently.


    I am an [Earthheart Wildspeaker], I said, using the Verse to send him a rare class, a tier 3, which gave [Earth Magick 12] as its granted ability and [*Wild 3] as its skill cores.


    You are a liar, he said. The weak always deceive.


    Then he sent me an image: himself, lying in the smoking ruins of some ferns, the half-dissolved remains of a great cat lying nearby along with the scattered, smoking remnants of the ooze he¡¯d just blasted to instant death with lightning. You stripped the aspect from this place, he said. I can feel it.


    So he knew how to coalesce boons. I also had to wonder if he¡¯d needed to descend to that rocky shelf I¡¯d fought on earlier in order to keep in contact with me using [Wild Bond].


    Your [Earth Magick] comes from a key, not your class. As does your [Wild Bond]. As does your [Life Magick]. Show me your class, little one¡­. or my interest in you ends.


    There was no mistaking it for anything other than a threat. And while I could take my chances by using the [Wild Bond] to hide from him, it made more sense to see if I could hold him at bay as long as possible¡ªby telling the truth.


    I am a [Primeval Champion], I said.


    And I let the knowledge of the Verse wash over me, essentially reading it along with my enemy.


    [Primeval Champion]


    Class Calling:


    Grow, foster, and protect yourself, your pack, and your territory.


    Be passionate, cunning, and strong.


    Class Core:


    [*Primeval 5]


    Granted Skill:


    [Primeval Power 30]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + 5 [Primeval 5]


    [Primeval Resonance] ¡Á 2.00


    Primeval Mana Profile + 40%


    Locked: this skill is your class¡¯s granted skill; it cannot be relinquished or modified.


    I waited for him to finish taking this in. It was possible that I had simply seen the class elsewhere and was lying to him again¡­ but this time, when he spoke, it wasn¡¯t with a laugh.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Tell me your [Primeval Resonance], little one, Palefang commanded.


    My [Primeval Resonance] is usually around 50%, I said. Base, that is.


    ?¡ªYour [Primeval Resonance]:


    58% Base, 116% Effective.


    I read this, then added: Right now it¡¯s 58% base.


    A laugh sounded in my mind, cold and harsh. What will you do, little one, when your lies offend me more than they amuse me?


    Run fast and hard, I said. But this time I do not lie; my resonance is 58% base.


    I waited for Palefang to respond. He¡¯d never been trained, and had likely had less time to practice than I did, and was also likely just less naturally talented, and so I didn¡¯t expect him to believe me.


    But he¡¯d asked in the first place. After watching me fight the lizard using magic that he didn¡¯t understand, perhaps he was ready to believe the unbelievable.


    58, he said back. Then he laughed, clearly dismissing the thought as a lie. Tell me¡ªhow do you know of this class?


    I smiled. Even if I was lying, I had to have seen it somewhere to reference it using the Verse.


    I didn¡¯t know Palefang well, but I could guess that he wanted more of what had gotten him where he was now:


    Power.


    Shall I tell you now so that you have no reason to keep me alive? I asked. Watch me. Let me prove to you that I truly do have this class, this power of all powers. Then I will show you the way.


    Are all elves like you, Aziriel?


    My mouth curled into a smile. I had never learned, as so many of us did, to cower at the sight of my own ambitions or to buckle beneath the weight of my might.


    No, I said. Among the elves, there are none like me. Only I am [Primeval Champion].


    Another cold laugh. Tell me, then: how did you come about it, this class?


    Do you bargain? I asked.


    He growled. Bargain.


    It was clear that he didn¡¯t much think he should have to bargain for anything¡ªhe took what he wanted, and he took it with force. It was hardly a surprise to me. Animals with sapience were often temperamental, utterly unable to control their emotions and impulses, inclined to rip another creature to pieces out of anger or envy.


    And what would an elf be, if they had raised themselves apart from all other elves in a place like this and come to dominate as this creature had? Little more than a monster, I expected.


    I very much desire to keep my life, I said.


    And to kill me, added Palefang.


    For what gain? I asked. Territory? Essence? I can seek either without fighting a prince.


    Prince, he echoed, examining the word.


    Does it not suit you? I asked. You rule this territory. Your will is unopposable. I am powerful, yes¡ªbut I must ask your permission simply to live. You are a prince.


    Perhaps.


    I ask that we strike this bargain, O prince: I will kill in your territory, grow strong enough that I believe I can survive you, should you come hunting. Then, knowing that I am safe, I will show you how to become [Primeval Champion].


    Palefang heard all of this, then sent me only an emotion in response, a kind of brooding consideration. He said no more.


    It all depended on how afraid of me he was. I wouldn¡¯t grant much essence or any powerful cores, and so truly, he had no real reason to kill me but fear.


    And while my magic might have impressed him, the sheer amount of attributes he¡¯d needed to throw that lightning bolt meant that he likely wouldn¡¯t find me threatening for a long while¡ªnot until it was too late.


    I smiled. Even if he came now, I could likely evade him, draw him back to the insect hive and try to use my [Wild Bond] to wake them.


    But if I could get an [Air] key¡­.


    I saw light ahead. I¡¯d been slowly descending, careful not to make much noise or many vibrations for fear of waking the dormant hive. Now, as the cave leveled out beneath my feet and the walls became rougher and more natural, I saw a slice of reddish light appear ahead¡ªan opening.


    There was a creature in the way¡ªa massive, green and red-speckled frilled-neck lizard, apparently unbothered by the fact that it had made its nest at the entrance to a giant hive of dormant insects.


    It reared up as it saw me¡ªand I dropped my spear, grabbed my bow, and launched an arrow that punched deep into the creature¡¯s throat, the strength of my draw increased considerably by my new attributes.


    Its warbled cry was cut off by the sound of its punctured throat, and it charged as I pulled my spear back to my hand, then crouched, waiting to lunge forward when it came into range¡ªor potentially dodge aside.


    The lizard charged, but as it ran it mounted the cave wall, its charge unhindered by its sudden change of orientation. It shifted onto the ceiling just above me as it reached me, then opened its mouth and spat out a gout of green fluid along with a cloud of green mist.


    I dove beneath these, coming up in a roll to duck a strike from its tail, then pivoting to jab it with my spear¡ªbut this only struck it in the flank, so I backed off, tearing a stone from the ground and calling it to my free hand.


    The lizard turned in place, let out a cry when it saw me¡ªand I shot the rock into its mouth. It lurched, coughed¡ªand I assaulted it with [Wild Bond], making all of its muscles relax for an instant.


    It fell from the roof of the cave, and I charged forward and thrust my spear downward into the underside of its jaw, piercing it through and ramming my spear into its brain.


    + 2104 Essence, [Boon]


    I yanked my spear free, then knelt beside it to examine its inner vitals with [Life Magick] in case I found more. It had been about as strong as the cat I¡¯d fought, if far easier to kill. The benefit of even a little [Strength] was that I could actually force my spear through their [Aegis]-reinforced flesh.


    And I was only going to get stronger. I had 2 cores remaining, and when I reached into it with my magical senses, I saw that the [Boon] I¡¯d just gained held one of the keys that I very much needed:


    You break [Boon] to create a [Body 1] skill key.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Body 1] to create the skill: [Might 6]


    [Might 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Body 1]


    + 22 [Aegis]


    + 22 [Agility]


    + 22 [Strength]


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, grip tightening around my spear. Of the three general categories for a primeval class to fall into¡ª[Body], [Elemental], and [Wild]¡ª[Body] was, in my opinion, the best for overall fighting. Too many strong powers that didn¡¯t need to be compromised for.


    A bow with a draw strength of hundreds of pounds was nice, but why stop there? The pure [Body] ability was an old, old friend, both to me and every other berserker I¡¯d ever known.


    I bought another level, spend the bestow on [Strength], then queried for my attributes:


    You spend 2250 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 12 / 12


    You gain 1 [Bestow 10]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 10] to add 10 to your [Strength]. Your [Strength] is now 84.


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    34 [Aegis] + 68 [Primeval Armor]


    64 [Agility]


    84 [Strength]


    4 [Channel]


    41 [Focus]


    28 [Source]


    10 [Bestow]


    108% [Primeval Resonance]


    280/280 Mana ¡ª 40% Primeval


    Finally I stepped outside, took in the strange red-tinted overworld, and burst into a smile of wonderment.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ beautiful,¡± I said.

 1.10: A Deadly Fall of Flowers

    A grand ravine lay before me, the cloud layer that I¡¯d seen earlier obscuring both its depths and its heights¡ªthough I was much closer to the lower layer now.


    But what had amazed me was further to my right: stretching the entire height of the ravine on both sides was what appeared to be a frozen waterfall made of luminescent flowers of all colors, a towering band of rainbow light that coated both walls of the ravine from cloud to cloud. Behind the flowers was a black twist of vines, a colossal growth of something like ivy, and I could see the shapes of small insects moving in the air between the luscious vine-walls, each about the size of a wagon wheel.


    I moved further along the ledge, the insects in the air ignoring me as I approached the vines. I came within twenty paces before I saw a yellowing bone stuck into the vines, barely visible beneath the glowing tangle. But as I looked, I could see more of them, along with the occasional desiccated corpse of a quadruped, trapped in the vines.


    I tossed a rock toward the tangle¡ªand watched as some nodules on the vines opened and new vines emerged, smooth and covered in thin, glittering needles. These extended to feel their way toward the ground where the rock had fallen, prodded it, then retreated back into the rougher vinescape.


    Then I spotted the largest insect that I¡¯d seen yet making its way toward me.


    Insects were typically easier to manipulate and control than other animals their size using [Wild Bond]. What was more, their minds were bad at extending or maintaining a magical claim. The best way to kill them was to extend your claim through their bodies¡ªfor most creatures an almost impossible feat¡ªand then instantly kill them by using something like [Frost Magick] to freeze the water in their brains.


    The bug approaching me was the size of a small pony, and it was like a cross between a wasp and a mosquito, with long legs that dangled beneath it and a serrated sucker extending from its face. Its wings hummed thickly in the air, a sound that beat unpleasantly at my ears.


    I reached out to get a sense of this one with [Wild Bond], gaining a clear insight into its mind quite easily¡ªhence why I knew to dodge the stinger it shot at me a moment later, twisting and leaning away from the trajectory of the missile, which bounced harmlessly off the rock behind me.


    I pulled a stone from the ground and launched it at my new foe, watched it strike the creature¡¯s wings with a fair amount of force¡ªand watched the creature teeter in the air, but remain upright, the sound of its flight altered by its torn wing.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, pulling free my bow as I twisted to avoid another stinger. I shot it just above its serrated sucker, my arrow planting itself firmly between the creature¡¯s bulging, faceted eyes and sending it falling into the cloud below.


    + 612 Essence


    No [Air] key, though. Perhaps if I stayed and killed a few¡ªbut then creatures which created bodily projectiles usually used [Life] skills to regenerate them, meaning its class core was probably [Wild], [Life], or [Body]. Creatures who used [Air] tended to do a lot more gliding.


    I spotted a dark shape moving through the air toward the glowing wall of flowers. At first I thought it was the largest insect I¡¯d seen yet¡ªbut then I realized it was many, many insects carrying the form of a furry quadruped, a horned animal that looked something like a stockier antelope. I watched, fascinated, as they brought it to a patch of vines, moving forward to set the creature there.


    The light-green creepers I¡¯d seen earlier had enveloped their new catch in seconds¡ªalong with one of the flying insects that had brought it, caught in the sudden onslaught. But its fellows didn¡¯t seem to mind¡ªall of them, along with many of the other nearby insects, quickly darted in to stick their suckers into the flowers, presumably sipping up nectar like hummingbirds.


    They¡¯d offered the plant an animal as a distraction. The poor beast was probably just paralyzed by the venomous stingers of one of the larger bugs I¡¯d just fought off. As I watched, I wondered what was in the nectar. I also wondered why their suckers were serrated¡ªdid they occasionally cut away some of the vines? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Then I heard the low buzzing noise that blanketed everything begin to intensify, and I looked around and saw, with dismay, a squad of the pony-sized guards were coming toward me. They were clearly part of some insect hive, but not a telepathic one like the insects I¡¯d found underground had likely been¡ªjust an ordinary one. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to find them with [Wild Bond].


    I had to think: would I have enough arrows for all of the guards? If I did, was it worth it to spend many arrows like this?


    It felt like a waste, given how easy it would be to kill them with the right powers¡ªbut I decided to try anyway, just in the hope that one might drop an [Air].


    I was sure that their stingers had a paralytic venom, and while I was normally immune to venom, the sheer volume of essence and the high level of most of the wildlife here had me worried. I spent almost a third of my mana just pushing and packing the soil in front of me into the form of an earthen fortification, then knelt behind my chest-high wall and shot my arrows.


    The wall turned out to be unnecessary: seven arrows dropped all five of the massive flying insects from the sky, each of them giving me just over 600 essence¡ªbut only one key:


    + 108 Essence, [Boon]


    You break [Boon] to create a [Missile 1] key.


    ¡°Hm,¡± I said, both satisfied that I was clearly getting stronger and disappointed at the lack of [Air] within the [Boon]. [Missile 1], however would still come in handy. As an aspect it generally only started to shine when paired with other aspects at rank 2 or higher.


    Like [Armor], [Missile] wasn¡¯t a subtype of [Primeval]¡ªcombining it with one of my [*Primeval 5] cores now wouldn¡¯t grant me the pure skill of the [Missile] aspect the way that that it had with [Earth], [Life], [Wild], and [Body]. Instead I¡¯d get [Primeval Missiles], and while that would strengthen my earthen slugs and arrows, I had a much better use for a [Missile 1] key.


    I just needed to coalesce a [Mana 1] key or, more likely, an [Earth 1] key¡ªthen I could craft a very sloppy bow enchantment.


    Regardless, I had a decision to make: stay and try for more keys here, or leave and try to find a key that could help me deal with Palefang. If he came to kill me now, my plan was still to back them up into the sleeping army of insects and hope that woke them up.


    Suddenly I heard the buzzing sound of wings begin to intensify and watched as seemingly all of the flying insects, even the nectar-harvesting drones, were coming toward me. The hive had decided it was time for me to leave.


    I didn¡¯t want to run out of arrows just to harvest these for essence: I¡¯d already reached my limit, and was likely to have abundant essence until the other elves arrived.


    I let out a humorless laugh as I ran along the cliff¡¯s edge, trying to get away from the approaching insects. This world was so steeped in essence that even singular monsters could give me a level worth of essence at level 12.


    Ahead of me, past a few dozen members of the converging swarm and spotted through the narrow gap where the ravine ended, I could see a few of the massive trees I¡¯d seen earlier¡ªthe valley from before.


    My psychic sense skated across the minds of the insects as I ran by them, reading them in case they attacked. But they had no way of engaging at range, and while they could fly fast, they could hardly fly as fast as I could run across terrain that I could map perfectly with my gaze.


    The ledge cut in and out, but I could sense the cracks in the cliffside, the strength of the jutting stones that I bounded across as I picked up speed and left the swarm behind. With [Wild Bond], I sensed life moving out of the way at my approach¡ªand a few things that regarded me with wary, predatory intent, all of them too slow in deciding to attack me.


    Blurred colors shifted over my face as I ran, the many-hued glow of various fungi and plants painting everything in strange shades, the red of the clouds dominating all. Not for the first time I was stricken by the utter strangeness of the world around me.


    Ahead of me, the ravine opened up and more of the forest became visible. I chose the nearest tree, confident that I could leap to it and use my spear to get a good hold.


    But as I ran along a slanted outcrop of rock, ready to jump, I sensed something that made me fall to my knees, hold both hands out to stop myself, and skid to a halt. A small crevice opened up beside me¡ªand inside it I could detect an unnaturally dense concentration of mana.


    I turned my head in time to see a tiny, white-furred creature let out a growl¡ªthen coalesce several shards of ice in the air before it, each as long as my forearm and as thin as a stiletto.


    It threw them at me.

 1.11: Artistry That Needs No Interpretation

    The icy missiles flew through the air toward me.


    I pushed off the ground with my hands, dodging backward¡ªbut too late. One of the shards of ice that would have impaled my neck instead struck me through the thigh, sending a jolt of pain up my leg and causing me to stumble as I lost my footing.


    In desperation I drew a number of small stones toward me, then shot them forward in a scattered, haphazard attack: the furry creature hissed and leapt backward, startlingly fast.


    I yanked the icy javelin out of my leg with a grunt, then reached for an arrow¡ªbut before I could nock it, I saw the dense, loose mana in the small crevice shift all at once, suddenly forming into a powerful spell.


    I had time to throw myself to one side, all the force coming from my one good leg, before a gale of super cold air blasted out of the crevice, coating everything in a layer of ice and sucking the warmth from my body even through my bodily [Aegis] and my now extremely well-insulated armor.


    My fingers fumbled numbly with the arrow that I held, and I dropped it accidentally, then dropped my bow in frustration.


    I called two nearby stones to my hands along with a fair helping of pebbles, then spent the last of my mana to shatter the stones lining the ground just in front of the mouth of the crevice¡ªright before I felt my claim pushed back as the creature stole that space for its own use.


    A blur of white darted out of the cave a moment later, and I was lunging forward on one good leg before it even turned toward me, releasing the stones in my hands.


    Its paws struck the ground. It stumbled on what was now loose, cracked stone¡ªand I took my chance to launch one of the rocks I held at it, tracking its motion now that it had lost its balance and couldn¡¯t adjust even as I pulled another rock to my free hand.


    It saw the stone, coalesced a hunk of ice between itself and the projectile, but failed to put enough momentum into its hastily-made defense to knock my stone away¡ªthe ice shattered, and the creature was thrown back into a rock several feet behind it.


    I threw another rock even as I called another into my empty hand. This one, however, was fully deflected by an interposed missile of ice, followed by another missile meant to take me through the neck again¡ªwhich I deflected with a second thrown rock.


    I reached the creature just as it reclaimed its balance. It created more icy darts, but I never gave it the chance to give them any momentum¡ªI simply threw myself overtop of it.


    Icy spines poked into my body, tearing small holes in my armor as we struggled. I felt a wave of cold enter me just from touching the creature, and we each pushed against the other¡¯s threshold, neither of us winning. It wriggled beneath me like a fish.


    Then I got my arms around it.


    And I squeezed, strength surging with desperate fury.


    I heard the brittle crackling of the creature¡¯s body beneath me as I brought my arms together and forced its body to break into two halves.


    Your level limit has increased to 13!


    + 1988 Essence, [Boon]


    Then I rolled over to let out a huge sigh. My body was freezing¡ªI¡¯d be shaking uncontrollably, soon. I began to weave some of the mana around me into a spell of warmth.


    ¡°Worth it,¡± I muttered, looking into the [Boon] to see that I could use it to create an [Elemental], [Mana], or [Frost] key.


    And as always, the Verse was far more generous granting limit to those who were defending themselves, struggling for survival. I bought my level:


    You spend 2250 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 13 / 13


    You gain 1 [Bestow 10]


    You spend 1 [Bestow 10] to add 10 to your Agility! Your Agility is now 72.


    The level increase wasn¡¯t as nice as the keys, though. [Frost Magick] was the most versatile of the elemental magicks for combat, in that it allowed one to conjure their own ice if they couldn¡¯t find enough water in the air.


    It took [Focus] or raw concentration to maintain conjured ice, but this mattered little to me: mages might like their walls of frost, but I preferred more simple approaches. Coating the ground in a thin layer of ice, creating fog with rapid temperature drops, that sort of thing. And the ready availability of icy missiles combined with their lighter weight made the power much better at shooting enemies than [Earth Magick].


    Of course, that was the aspect that I wasn¡¯t choosing.


    You break [Boon] to create a [Mana 1] skill key.


    [Mana] was a powerful aspect, a crucial component of many strong multi-aspect skills. Right now, though, I had a better use for it than in a skill.


    I sat up and stood, shivering as I looked at the nearby crevice with a frown. I had to stop and admonish myself.


    I¡¯d made a mistake.


    That much mana with no accompanying sense of life via [Wild Bond] should have clearly indicated an elemental to me, right away¡ªand yet I¡¯d taken a moment to realize it, had stopped right in view of the crevice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make mistakes,¡± I said, remembering the shot I¡¯d missed against one of the lizards. ¡°Not today. And not with elementals.¡±


    Beasts, who had unintelligent, instinctive minds, could often get much higher levels of [Primeval Resonance] than elves¡ªas high as 40% in some cases. Elementals, however, had minds that were utterly unlike our own¡ªand could reach as high as 80%, even higher than me. They were beings of power and magic, and their natural ability to manipulate mana and cast spells was unparalleled. They were always more dangerous than their level suggested.


    And in this place, with so much primeval mana in the air, elementals would form naturally, in almost any environment. I should have expected to see one, and instead I¡¯d been taken by surprise.


    I checked the crevice. Not only was it empty, but it didn¡¯t even connect to any other caves.


    Little one, said the voice in my mind. You must answer my questions.


    I smiled. With any luck, all the work I¡¯d been doing to keep him from murdering me had paid off.


    I checked the warp jewel at my hip. Its light was more than half-faded¡ªI¡¯d need to start putting my newfound power to use, soon. This was likely the last break I could afford to take.


    I sat and took out my bow, then a lump of chalk.


    Ask, I said.


    What¡­ what is it you are doing? What is that? These thoughts were accompanied by a clear image of my bow.


    I broke off a very small fragment of chalk, then began to use [Earth Magick] to carefully rub it into the many grooves and runes carved into the wood and bone slats that made up the bow.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I ignored many of them, of course. Four potential enchantments had been carved onto my bow, and now I was highlighting only the one. It was to be a poor enchantment¡ªlikely it wouldn¡¯t even last a day.


    My people have two gods, I said. The god of the night who created us, and the god of the wilds who loves us. The only thing they ever agreed upon was this¡ªthe bow.


    My fingers ran along the length of weapon, worshipful.


    Gods? said the cat. Night? Bow? So many new things you try to show me¡ªI¡­.


    The [Wild Bond] will open many doors in your mind to help you understand what I say, but you needn¡¯t understand it all, not right away. I¡¯ll explain anything you like, but for now just know that the bow is a tool, a weapon, a piece of technology.


    I began to whisper to the weapon as I put more chalk into its grooves, my words creating another guide for the essence that I was soon to infuse into the weapon.


    Technology, the cat said. This is much of what you are. Your skin¡ªtechnology.


    My composite leather armor, yes, I said. I¡¯ll be shedding it soon, I think. You can see what I look like underneath.


    Your armor is the skin of something dead.


    Yes.


    Your bow is a weapon like the stingers of the flying insects, the stones thrown by the lizards, the icy fingers of the elemental¡­ and yet it is not magic.


    My strength alone launches my arrows, yes.


    Gently, I blew the chalk dust from the length of my bow. Then I stood and finished my impromptu craft:


    What are you doing to your bow?


    I¡¯m enchanting it.


    Enchanting, Palefang said, clearly considering whatever impression the word had left on him through the [Wild Bond]. Like the shapes you drew in the cave. The [Fire].


    Not quite, I said. Enchantment is the infusion of essence and cores into an object so that it can be bound and used by an essence-bearer. Making an enchantment requires one to cast the complex spell that forms it, but an enchantment is different from a spell.


    And the circles in the cave? These were a spell? They were different from my own magic.


    Yes, but not wholly, I said. Spells are ordered by thought. If you practice long at associating certain symbols with certain thoughts, drawing them can help you cast spells.


    Palefang considered this. I have not practiced with your symbols. If I drew them, I could not use them as you have?


    No, I said, impressed by how quickly he¡¯d seemed to grasp the concept. Meaning does not exist in brute substance, only in the thinking mind. Runes work as well as they do because the mind can be trained to recognize something instantly, like reading a word without having to sound out its letters. In your case, like knowing your way around a familiar place without having to look around and think about it.


    As he was considering this, I took my chance to continue laying the trap for him that I¡¯d begun to lay in the crystal cave. There is an exception, I said. A well-drawn circle infused with even a small amount of mana can trap and store very large amounts of other mana, depending on how perfect the circle is. The mana responds to the nature of the shape. They still leak, but even a small amount of [Channel] can keep them storing large amounts of mana.


    I see, he said after a while.


    In my mind, I pictured a great white cat trying to draw a circle on the ground with a claw in order to test what he¡¯d learned. I suppressed a laugh¡ªas humorous as the image was, I was only giving him this knowledge because I intended to use it to trick him.


    Answer me something else, Palefang asked.


    I was almost finished packing chalk into the small grooves of my bow. Anything.


    Is your [Primeval Resonance] truly 50%?


    It is.


    How?


    I smiled. I have found, learned, and synthesized many methods of heightening resonance over my long life, I said. It¡¯s hard to describe all of them. And yet¡­.


    I looked at the reddish light spilling into the cave and smiled.


    I am in love with my body, and with the world outside it, but most importantly with the threshold where they meet. I can taste the bare air on my tongue, always. I can feel the field of electric sensation that is my skin, always. I notice my weight pushing on the soles of my feet, can sense my pulse surging through my fingertips¡­ and when light strikes my eye, I see not only what I see, but the shapeless spill of color and intensity at the root of all vision. All of the cosmos is rife with artistry that needs no interpretation, with artworks that are degraded by description.


    I shrugged, rubbing in the last of the carvings on my bow. I do not balk from my feelings, I said. My flesh is wise. The fear that it sent through me when I first noticed you was a welcome sensation. The desire it sends through me when I think of tasting hot blood, of eating raw, red meat, is welcome also. I shrink from nothing, no attractions or aversions, feeling ambition, desire, envy and gladness with equal love for each.


    I finished making ready for my enchantment. These are easy things to say, but difficult things to do.


    I completed the enchantment, binding the keys into the bow with some essence. The nice thing about an enchantment like this was that because one of the keys was converted into the enchantment¡¯s core, I could make a two-aspect skill with rank 1 keys.


    You spend 2500 Essence, a [Mana 1] skill key, and a [Missile 1] skill key to create: [Hastily Enchanted Elven Matchbow]


    You bind: [Hastily Enchanted Elven Matchbow]. You have 2 bindings remaining.


    Binding this item has granted you the [Conjure Primeval Missiles 7] skill.


    !¡ªThe enchantment is unstable. Using the skill costs 87% more mana and the enchantment will degrade in 8.82 hours. This time will decrease as it is used.


    [Conjure Primeval Missiles 7]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [*Missile 1] + [Mana 1]


    You can conjure missiles by forming and expending mana. Those missiles must be made of primeval substance: bone, stone, frost, wood, flesh, etc.


    Conjuring substance with this skill without intending to launch it toward something will cause the substance in question to rapidly deteriorate.


    !¡ªThis skill can only be used in conjunction with [Hastily Enchanted Elven Matchbow]


    ¡°Eighty-seven,¡± I said, reading the description and nodding. I was still bad at this.


    Not that it would matter.


    Conjured arrows were typically better ammunition than mundane ones. I had to keep them conjured by assigning a little [Focus] to maintain them, but this was really a benefit: dismissing an arrow after it had stuck into a creature would give that creature a new hole to bleed out of, especially if they¡¯d already moved around with it inside them.


    The limiting factor of only using primeval substances essentially meant nothing: the shaft, fletching, and head of an arrow were all made of such things anyway.


    Palefang hadn¡¯t responded, but I could feel his curious consideration of my small speech. Between that and the description of runes, I¡¯d given him much to think on.


    I had left the crevice, now, and was quickly approaching the mouth of the ravine. Excitement built in me, and my bow felt alive in my hands, ready for what was coming.


    The nearest tree was close, but I didn¡¯t leap to it¡ªinstead favoring a path that opened up to my left, a thin ledge followed by a drop to another, then another. I half-fell, half-galloped down the steep side of the cliff¡­ until soon the air around me began to fill with mist. I¡¯d reached the lower cloud layer.


    I reached out with [Wild Bond], hoping that there were perhaps some flying creatures using the cloud for cover that I might kill for [Air] keys¡­ but I found nothing. I spent a moment extending my senses to see if I could find any more high concentrations of mana, but again found nothing.


    The cloud definitely contained more mana than normal, but that had been true for the other one as well. This one wasn¡¯t emitting lightning at regular intervals, as far as I could see. Unfortunate, that.


    I descended through the cloud, leaping from stone to stone much as I had before. It was a little more than a hundred feet thick¡ªby my reckoning a denser patch of mist than the other had been. Soon I dropped out of the cloud and the world beneath me began to take shape beneath the mists.


    To my great pleasure, I couldn¡¯t see another cloud. Instead, my nose filled with the fetid, cloying scent of decay, and I looked down upon a sight that made me break into a glowing smile.


    ¡°A swamp!¡± I cried.

 1.12: A Storm of Elven Arrows

    The trees were perched atop root systems that formed cavernous chambers, roots as thick as roads seeming to twist out and downward to clutch at the water of the swamp, criss-crossing those of neighboring trees in to form a many-layered tangle. They were covered in glowing moss that hung down to the water below like curtains, and many smaller trees and ferns grew out of soil that padded their surfaces.


    The water lay below it all, its murky surface streaked with luminous algae and tall, spiky grass that grew in jagged lines which had no discernible pattern. Great fungi grew from the water, too, huge mushrooms that added their own pale green light to the multicolored aurora that was reflected in the water¡¯s surface, a play of light that rippled with the wind and the motions of creatures beneath.


    I eyed the tangle of roots as I descended, wondering how each of them had acquired a layer of soil¡ªbrought down in the rains and caught by grasping roots, or brought up from beneath by some clever creature with an instinct for gardening?


    Regardless, the roots were perfect: multiple levels of twisting surfaces that I could not only sense with my powers, but shoot through.


    I stopped on a ledge just above the swamp water. My gaze couldn¡¯t sense the water, but I could sense the earth beneath it. The swamp, oddly enough, was divided into large cells, with built-up earthen walls and archways dividing indeterminately deep sections of water, each a small pathway that lay beneath the surface, many of them formed of stones that had been fused together with a substance that functioned like plaster.


    I fixed my gaze on a dark, gnarled shape emerging from the muck-ridden swamp below me, outside my gaze.


    ¡°Log?¡± I asked. ¡°Or deadly predator?¡±


    I drew back my bowstring, spending less than a single point of mana to create a translucent arrow before loosing it at my target.


    The arrow struck, making a sound like it had buried itself in wood¡ªand then the log thrashed once before dipping below the surface.


    Then I leapt to the nearest twisting root, which was wide enough for me to lay across and led into the vibrant tangle. I checked the warp jewel at my hip, this time opening the pouch¡ªthe light was fading fast.


    Not good. I needed to kill Palefang, and soon. If I was lucky, I could hit level 15 and boost all my attribute-increasing skills before I fought him.


    At least I knew how I was going to go about it. I had enough plans, had set up enough tricks, that I could hopefully shift things in my favor. For now, it was time to well and truly begin.


    He had asked me to prove my class was [Primeval Champion], after all.


    My first arrow took a colorful bird through the breast, knocking it from the small tree it rested on and frightening off the rest of its flock.


    + 62 Essence


    I kept moving up the root, using my [Wild Bond] both to guide my feet through the sparse undergrowth and to search for new targets.


    A hound-sized spider, obscured beneath a curtain of moss and ivy and trying to hide from my senses with its own [Wild Bond], shot forward to grab me in its pincers and took an arrow in the eye immediately¡ªthen another as it lurched backward, and then a third before it fell to the water below with a splash.


    + 455 Essence


    Two more spiders were pinned to the side of one of the great trees by two arrows each as they skittered down to meet me, followed by a smaller version of one of the tree crabs I¡¯d met earlier whose shell wasn¡¯t hard enough to save it.


    I gained more essence, the numbers flitting through my mind, unnoticed. I only cared about limit, now, and my feet were moving faster across the soft earth.


    I sensed a creature below the water, saw another camouflaged patch of gnarled skin, and launched an arrow into it. The beast stirred: an oily-furred, web-fingered creature with a long bill and patches of camouflage along its back. It seemed to leap free of the water with ease to land on the root before me and charge, reaching me in the short time it took me to plant five arrows around its head.


    But I leapt again, kicking off the side of one root to grab some vines that hung from another and yank myself up and onto my feet again¡ªmoving upward more than twenty feet in a moment.


    A few more arrows and I was using the sense granted by my [Life Magick] to take a good look at the location of the corpse¡¯s heart and brain.


    + 1681 Essence, [Boon]


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, grinning as I searched inside the boon to find that it could make either a [Surge] or a [Water] skill key. The waters below me were navigable¡ªI could use a [Water 1] skill key to escape the cat if he realized what I was doing too soon.


    What was more [Surge 1] would very useful, if I could find two more.


    I killed two more birds, then another spider, then passed into the shadow of another one of the trees whose roots I was moving across¡ªand sensed the largest spider I¡¯d seen yet, a massive hulk of a creature whose body was as big as a horse. It came out of the shadowy chamber beneath one of the trees and came for me, its long legs stepping from root to root with ease.


    But big creatures are slower, their [Strength] and [Agility] often needed just to move their bodies at all, and I danced backward across the roots, dodging the attacks of smaller spiders while I planted arrow after arrow in it, gleeful at my newfound strength as I watched my arrows break through even the thickest parts of its armor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The spider fell still, but I had already moved past it, backing toward another great tree while I spun and launched an arrow into its smaller kin as they trailed after me before I sensed another one of the camouflaging mammals in the water below me and shot it, too.


    Again I rose through the roots as it came for me, leaping from one to the next, this time more accurate with my arrows now that I had a sense of how the creatures moved. It died with four arrow-shafts sticking out of its head.


    + 1651 Essence, [Boon]


    Then I sensed that the spider must have finally died of its many wounds:


    + 2761 Essence, [Boon]


    Your level limit has increased to 14!


    You spend 2250 Essence to gain 1 Level! You are now level 14 / 14.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 10]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 10] to add 10 to [Agility]. Your [Agility] is now 82.


    As I leapt from one root to the next, letting an arrow fly to kill another bird, I paused as I sensed something swelling up out of the water beneath me, nocking another arrow to see a creature burst out of the water twenty paces below me.


    It was the size of a large boar, scaled like a fish and yet had two sets of wings lined with dark, iridescing feathers. In a beautiful display of natural skill, it used [Water Magick] to strip the moisture from its body as soon as it was airborne, throwing off a huge sheet of water that caught the multicolored lights around us in a dazzling display.


    My arrow took it a moment later, but the smile never left my face as it fell back to the water, then took two more arrows before it could dive out of range; hopefully it would die¡ªit might have an [Air] key.


    I moved for the center of the forest, waiting all the while for the cat to decide that it wasn¡¯t at all comfortable with my killing everything I could see. But I felt no offensive intent from Palefang, just the same cool presence on my mind that had been there since I arrived.


    I killed more creatures: my arrows finding ambushing insects that were like larger versions of those I found on the cliff, a pair of birds that dove for me together from a nest in the upper roots, another of the camouflaged surface predators that granted me another [Boon] with [Water] and [Surge], another family of spiders and another [Boon] with [Armor] and [Body] skill keys....


    I was eyes and fingers, the thrum of the bowstring like a second heartbeat to me. If melee is a dance, archery is a balancing act: one everlasting moment where you drive your focus along a razor¡¯s edge and there is nothing but the next target, nothing but loosing the arrow to fly to where they will be, not where they are.


    As I fought, I composed. The curse I intended for Palefang was one that I had cast before, one to block his healing and stopper his mana replenishment. The curse was well-used among hunters: against powerful beasts, bleeding them dry and running them out of mana were some of the best available strategies.


    I knew how the curse worked, but I would need mana, a lot of it, and a sure way to make it so that my spell reached and affected the cat. I¡¯d also need to have a way to deal with interference as I built the ritual.


    The last item I¡¯d already laid the groundwork on, but I had to figure out my delivery mechanism¡­.


    Through the hazy forest air ahead of me, I saw what I¡¯d been hoping for in the form of a landmass. As I grew closer, it resolved into a marshy mound of grass-covered mud that rose out of the water to form an island in the midst of the swamp.


    I moved for the island, and soon saw a mana-dense hollow that had been made next to the root I was traveling. I slowed to halt for the first time since I¡¯d begun, then stepped in front of the opening with my bow drawn.


    It was the same creature as had attacked me on the cliffs: an ice elemental. Now, though, I was ready¡ªI loosed an arrow that was knocked from the air by a quickly-launched block of ice, then leapt back as the creature sent a gale of freezing air out across the root.


    With conjured arrows and my stronger attributes, my bow was too fast for it¡ªit came out of the cave, assembled several javelins of ice, and tried to deflect my next arrow with one while it threw the rest my way.


    But my arrow carried too much force, and all the elemental managed to do was make the arrow impact it at an angle, knocking it off balance long enough for my next arrow, following fast, to strike it dead-center, sending chinks of ice flying. Another arrow followed that one, shattering it to bits.


    + 1585 Essence [Boon]


    The [Boon] was the same as the first frost elemental''s had been¡ªsomething that would certainly be good to have in my back pocket.


    Elementals preferred to live near lots of mana. Hopefully, that thing¡¯s presence meant I was getting closer¡ªand its skill keys would help me if I found any of the more likely water or earth elementals up ahead.


    The constant sound of my bowstring rang in my ears like a drumbeat. Tirelessly, I moved on, never failing to find something to shoot full of arrows as the animals around me attacked or fled, exposing themselves in both cases.


    I reached the mass of land, sticking to the roots that twisted above the grassy soil. One of the great trees had fallen, seemingly long ago: its roots were gone now, and its colossal trunk had rotted and caved in, forming what at first glance seemed more like a small, long hill than a felled tree.


    A clearing lay in the space that had been left by the fallen tree, a mound of soil as big as a town square that was free of overlapping roots, which even looked to have been cut, torn, or burned away in the space at its edges. Many of the glowing mushrooms lay at the edges of the clearing, encircling it and filling it with their pale green light.


    As I approached, more creatures began to appear as shadows peeking up over the edges of the many mushrooms before leaping down from their perches to charge me in packs. They were gray-furred creatures, and they looked and moved like a cross between a canine and a primate, each of them running on four thick, muscular limbs and snarling at me with flat, fanged faces.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± I said. I¡¯d walked into a colony of highly social creatures¡ªperhaps they¡¯d even been the ones to clear back the roots.


    I leapt onto a higher root, then made a running jump and landed atop the nearest mushroom¡¯s caps. As I did, I noticed that none of the creatures were charging me directly¡ªinstead the growing mob of animals had split, some of them leaping up onto the roots while others fanned out on the ground below me, surrounding me.


    Then one of the creatures came up over the side of the mushroom and I barely had time to conjure an arrow, pull back my bowstring, and shoot it from the air by instincts. The arrow struck with enough force to halt its momentum, and its body fell before me as it clutched at the missile in its neck with clawed hands, froth coming from both sides of its mouth.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, somewhat worried as I realized that the creature had appeared on the side of the mushroom that faced the clearing¡ªit had leapt almost thirty feet into the air.


    I spun in time to meet the three more that followed it.

 1.13: To Fight Against a Horde of Apehounds

    My first arrow took one of the creatures in the face, caving in the front of its skull and causing it to collapse to the mushroom cap in a heap. I sidestepped the charge of the second creature and shot the third just as it reached me, then loosed another arrow into the back of the creature I¡¯d just avoided. More came up over the sides of the mushroom, but I only shot one as I quickly strode to the edge and leapt down into the clearing.


    They climbed well, and were physically strong enough to make massive vertical jumps, but I was hoping that their thick upper arms would be poor for sprinting, that they¡¯d move slower than the canines they otherwise resembled. I hit the wet earth and rolled, coming up to launch another two arrows into the bodies of the nearest creatures before breaking out into a sprint.


    The growing crowd of animals split to surround me once again, but now I ran hard and kept pace with them, my bowstring hissing as I dealt death into the packs of animals on either side of me. But within a few seconds I¡¯d reached the edge of the clearing, running past the glowing mushrooms to leap up onto the twisting roots, then watching in dismay as the creatures kept pace, easily leaping into the roots to flank me before beginning to converge on my position.


    Then, as I killed another one of the creatures with an arrow through its face, I noticed that the Verse had given me more than essence for one of the fallen animals:


    + 88 Essence, [Boon]


    The boon held the aspects of [Animal] and [Body]. I needed the [Body 1], but I did nothing with it yet¡ªI could fuse a [Body 2] out of three [Body 1] keys, but to use it I would either need another [Surge 1] or enough time to remove all my armor for the [Primeval Hide] skill.


    The creatures converged on me, and I knew that I couldn¡¯t fight them from all sides. I leapt free of the roots and back into the clearing, hoping to fly clear of the horde of apehounds¡ªbut I saw quickly that I was going to land in their midst. I tore several heaps of soil from the ground just to distract the nearest apehounds, then landed and moved to run clear of the horde, reaching forward with my claim and using my [Earth Magick] to press a deep, wide runed circle into the damp earth in front of me, spending a lot of mana to ensure it wouldn¡¯t be trampled into uselessness if the apehounds crossed in.


    But I never reached it. A few strides toward it and I was tackled in the side by one of the creatures, its teeth sinking into my armor just below my ribs. I fell forward and sideways, skidding into the mud and holding my bow out so that it wouldn¡¯t break under me. The apehound snarled, its jaws struggling to find purchase on my armor, its arms wrapping around my leg to keep me in place.


    With a surge of panic, I drew my knife and slashed it across the creature¡¯s face, hoping to shock it into relaxing its grip, but the apehound held fast even as my blade cut across one of its eyes. Seeing this, I drove the knife downward into the top of its head, cracking its skull and piercing the brain inside¡ªbut even as I felt the apehound¡¯s grip slacken enough to free my leg, two more piled onto me, one landing on my back and the other grabbing my other leg.


    I knew that my neck was especially vulnerable given that I¡¯d thrown away my gorget and most of my [Aegis] came from [Primeval Armor], and I knew that if I stayed on the ground for another few heartbeats I¡¯d be restrained by so many apehounds that they wouldn¡¯t even need any weakness in my armor to kill me.


    Panicking, I reached into the earth below me, claiming it and then causing it to seize and buckle under the apehounds and me, giving me a moment to catch them all off-balance, then yanking my captured leg out of the grip of the surprised apehound as I twisted to throw the other one off my back and kicked off the corpse of my first attacker.


    I came out of the pile of apehounds in an awkward roll, again shaking the earth around me to stop more of the enemies from piling onto me just long enough to spring off the ground again and land within my earthen circle.


    !¡ªMana 101/280, 40% Primeval.


    It wasn¡¯t a lot, but I had to hope it would be enough. I dumped most of my remaining mana into the circle, leaving just a few points for arrows, then dropped my bow to the ground and tried to focus on forming the rest of the spell with my mind.


    !¡ªMana 42/280, 40% Primeval.


    In the short moment it took me to do this, the apehounds came on, some of them charging into the circle while the others moved to surround me.


    I ignited the mana, which burst into a ring of fire around me, eliciting howls of shock and terror from the horde. Then I drew my second knife and lay into the creatures still within the circle, their claws against mine, both sides scoring many blows.


    When one of them fixed its jaws on my vambraces, barely piercing the armor and then my flesh, I ignored the pain and used the opportunity to stab a knife through one of its eyes. Claws raked at my body, my lower sides especially, finding gaps and softer spots in my armor and then digging into my flesh, but I simply took the opportunity to grab the arm of my attacker and yank them off-balance so that I could slam my blade through the back of their neck.


    A few moments of close-quarters brutality and I had finished with the enemies inside the circle, grabbed my bow again, and begun launching arrows through the flames and into the horde, my arm moving as fast as I could make it, the hiss of the bowstring a furious rhythm in my ear.


    Your level limit has increased to 15!


    The fire was weak, the flames barely hot enough to singe the fur of the ravening apehounds, but it had done its work in driving them back for the few moments that I needed to save myself. Now, however, as my arrows passed through the fire to find their marks, one of the creatures grew bold enough to charge¡ªand then all of them did.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I took my level in an instant:


    You spend 2250 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 15 / 15


    For reaching level 15, you gain 1 [*Primeval 5] skill core.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 10]!


    For reaching level 15, your [Bestow] has increased from 10 to 12.


    You spend 1 [Bestow 10] to add 10 to your [Agility]. Your [Agility] is now 103.


    I grinned, feeling a surge of new strength enter me from my multiple attribute-enhancing skills, of which grew stronger as my [Bestow] increased. And the faster I moved, the easier it would be to outrun the horde.


    I took a few quick strides and then leapt free of the circle, one surge of strength bearing me over the tight-knit ring of apehounds that were closest¡ªand before I landed in the midst of the pack behind them, I used my [Earth Magick] to rip a gout of soil free from the ground, drawing it toward me as a distraction once more.


    The apehounds nearest flinched as I landed, and I leapt again, this time clearing the crowd and running full tilt across the clearing.


    ?¡ªMana 14/280, 40% Primeval.


    It was enough for arrows and little more, but now that I could spare some mental energy I began to channel the mana in the air into myself. For now, I didn¡¯t even have the mana to heal the many small punctures and scratches that had been made through my armor. I could feel my blood, sticky and slick where it mixed with my sweat between my skin and my armor¡¯s inner padding.


    I peeled to one side to try and keep them from surrounding me again, sprinting hard as I brought my bow up and began to loose more arrows into the pack. Their numbers had thinned, I saw with a spike of happiness: I¡¯d felled dozens, more than a third of them.


    But I also saw many of them getting back up, ripping arrows free from any non-lethal wounds to their necks and chests. Only those with ruined heads had fallen for good.


    I extended my claim, and a moment later confirmed a fearful suspicion: the mushrooms were healing the apehounds, extending their own claim to give aide to the creatures that made their home here.


    I smiled as I saw this, fear leaving me as I realized the full implications. Not only were the mushrooms and their relationship to these creatures fascinating, but they¡¯d provide me perfect cover for what I intended to do.


    I ran for the nearest mushroom, then past it into the roots of the great trees¡ªbut as I passed it, I reached out and claimed the earth at the base of its stalk. I drew a circle, then started channeling mana into it, not myself.


    As I leapt upward through the roots, loosing arrows with instinctual rhythm, I tried to compose the spell I knew I needed for the circle. Fire was easy enough to conjure, but I needed something more.


    And I needed to slow down on the killing until I had things set up enough. I didn¡¯t want Palefang, or the convergence, to come too soon.


    I reached out with my gaze, momentarily halting both my attacks and my spell preparation to take a good look at the gigantic roots around the clearing as I crossed it to avoid the oncoming apehounds. I chose the tightest point I could find, a kind of corridor formed by three of the twisting roots, then leapt down into it and bought myself a few more heartbeats worth of fighting as the oncoming apehounds began to push over and past themselves to get at me.


    I sent a few of them into the water by the time I had to retreat again, but by now retreat was easy; I had thinned the horde so much that I could move through the spare apehounds that had tried to flank me, leaping over them or dodging their attempts at tackles as I moved back to the clearing.


    I began to run along the outside of the clearing, loosing arrows at the horde but trying to hit their chests and necks, not their heads. I drew a circle around a few more of the mushrooms, then noticed that my fingertips were growing cold and realized that I¡¯d been losing more blood than I¡¯d thought.


    I stopped paying attention to the mushrooms for a moment, then began to channel my mana into [Life Magick] and heal my wounds¡ªcareful not to heal the skin, just the rent flesh beneath it. I was putting on a performance, after all.


    For a while I simply evaded the apehounds and healed, making sure that a healthy number of them were still up and moving, many of the fallen rising because of the mushrooms¡¯ healing even as I put more of them on the ground.


    The apehounds were still just a little faster than me in the open, but with so few of them it was easy to move through their ranks, swiftly dodging any oncoming attack¡ªI was untouchable.


    Your aim has dwindled, little one, said Palefang, his thoughts conveying a playful amusement.


    It needn¡¯t be perfect, I said. This small remainder is no threat to me, and my spells will kill these mushrooms and relieve the need for accuracy.


    Palefang let out a laugh. Whether he suspected trickery or not now, I couldn¡¯t say¡ªbut he¡¯d find me out before all was said and done.


    Then I saw the mana in the air rearranging in a sudden spike of motion¡ªlightning.


    I was shot through with panic, but held off breaking a boon for a [Water 1] and trying to flee when I saw the place that the finger of mana was reaching toward¡ªhe wasn¡¯t targeting me.


    Instead the bolt came down upon the largest mushroom, one I hadn¡¯t yet drawn a circle under, blasting its crown to pieces while the remainder of the stalk blackened and burst into flames.


    I knew why he¡¯d done it immediately. The mushrooms had a [Wild Bond], hence why they could heal the apehounds. And since they¡¯d just watched me kill dozens of them, they would already be close to sending out the call to begin a primeval convergence. Palefang had used his own bond to see when the mushrooms were nearby¡ªthen struck one down with overwhelming power to not only make it happen, but make it look like he¡¯d been the one to start it.


    Why did you do that? I asked, drawing another muddy circle around one of the remaining mushrooms while I vaulted over several of the apehounds. Why help me?


    Help you? Palefang laughed. I told you, little one. I adore watching you scurry.


    A moment later I heard it: distant cries and howls that came from all directions.


    Palefang had finished what I¡¯d started. He¡¯d triggered a primeval convergence.


    And I wasn¡¯t anywhere close to ready.

 1.14: The Primeval Convergence

    What did you do? I asked him with feigned panic, still shooting arrows into the crowd of apehounds as I ran along the edges of the clearing.


    But I knew exactly what he¡¯d done, because I could even feel it with my own [Wild Bond]¡ªthe mushrooms using their own bond skill to repeatedly send an extremely loud psychic missive out into the jungle at large, one that would be echoed by many of the creatures who heard it and had their own bond skills.


    And I could already hear the cries of the creatures who were coming to answer it. Worse still, if I began to shoot the apehounds in their heads again to help manage the enemy¡¯s numbers, I¡¯d reveal to Palefang that I had been faking my tiredness, my growing weakness¡ªwhich may well have been why he¡¯d done it.


    I was hardly helpless. I¡¯d wanted to call the convergence here because I was surrounded by aquatic swamp creatures, and they were all less likely to be able to manage the heights of the mushrooms and the flat of the clearing. The apehounds were well-suited to this place, but I expected they¡¯d be alone in that¡ªI could take better advantage of this battlefield than most of the things coming my way. I¡¯d been raising my [Agility], and could build the skills to raise it higher¡ªspeed and conjured arrows would keep me safer than [Aegis] could.


    I¡¯d gained many boons as I''d fought my way through the swamp, but not enough for everything I wanted. I had the potential skill keys to upgrade my [Primeval Armor] skill¡ªbut I needed to find the time to remove my leather armor, first. For offense, I needed another potential [Surge 1] skill key in order to make a powerful skill.


    But whether it would matter, I couldn¡¯t say. I didn¡¯t want to gain [Frost Magick] yet because it would cost too much mana to fight an army with it, but also because I wanted to hold back every ability that I could in order to surprise Palefang, who had been watching me fight this whole time. Now, I might not get the chance to.


    Palefang had increased the pressure¡ªbut he hadn¡¯t changed the plan.


    I suppressed a grin by making it a grimace. I was already considerably faster than I had been when I¡¯d started fighting them, thanks to my reaching level 15¡ªmy increased [Bestow] meant all my passive attribute-increasing skills had gotten stronger. Hopefully, I could deal with these apehounds without ruining my charade.


    I clipped my bow to my baldric and drew my spear, then drove its point into the head of the nearest apehound, collapsing its face around my spearpoint before I pulled the spear back, leapt out of the way of a charging enemy, then smashed the back of its head open with my spearpoint as its motion carried it past me.


    My feet danced backward across the ground as I worked, spear hissing as it moved. Three more rapid thrusts followed it, killing as many attackers before I spun and gained more speed, peeling away from the gathering group of apehounds and noticing that they were slowing, growing more tired.


    All the while, I channeled more mana into myself and the circles that I had drawn around the mushrooms at the edge of the arena. I finished a circle for the last of them, placing it carefully to be sure that it was in alignment with the eleven others.


    I spun and lay into another few apehounds with my spear, only now the dwindling pack of them was presenting me with just a few targets¡ªseveral of them were hanging back. Whether they were better at interpreting the spear as a threat, or simply recognizing how many of their number had already fallen, I didn¡¯t know.


    Whatever the cause, only a few of them came forward to attack¡ªthose that had been recruited by the convergence, by my guess. My spear punched several holes in several necks and faces as I stepped back to keep them at range, leaving them to fall to their deaths. The rest retreated to leap up onto their mushrooms, but I dropped my spear and then downed a few with arrows to the backs.


    Some of the remaining apehounds peered up at me from the tops of the mushrooms¡ªbut I had earned myself a small reprieve before the chaos began.


    Perfect.


    It had served me well, but it was time to remove my armor. The vambraces and gloves had been pierced through to the skin in a few places. The hardened jerkin was warped by teeth marks where jaws had crushed it against me, and covered with many bloody punctures marking where fangs had penetrated through the armor, the cotton underlayer, and my skin. My leggings had been scratched through and chewed on.


    I made more than a few cuts with my knives to the leather laces and straps that held the whole thing together. Then I tore my jerkin away like it was a layer of a second skin, gritting my teeth at the pain as hardened leather peeled away from the grimy, bloody cloth and skin beneath, the shallow wounds that covered my lower torso each flaring with pain.


    My leggings came away next, leg by leg after I¡¯d made the right cuts, greaves falling to the ground like pieces of bloodied husk. Last I pulled off my helmet, upgrading the relevant skill as I did so.


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Body 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Body 1] skill keys into a [Body 2] skill key.


    You fuse the [Primeval Armor 7] skill with a [Body 2] skill key to create the [Primeval Hide 9] skill.


    [Primeval Hide 9]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Armor 2] + [Body 2]


    + 84 [Aegis]


    Your [Primeval Resonance] is counted as 50% higher for calculating this skill''s [Aegis] bonus. Current effective [Primeval Resonance] is 135%


    This skill¡¯s effect is reduced if you wear too much protective clothing. (-0%)


    Exclusive: You cannot have other skills with [Armor] aspects that provide bonuses to [Aegis].


    Out of my armor, I sucked in a deep breath, letting my chest expand to its fullest now I was free of my armor. New pain blossomed like a constellation across the wounds I refused to fully heal, but I welcomed the way it made the wounds feel fresh. The pain was like a splash of cold water in my face, a spike of wakefulness to my mind.


    I tugged off my boots, then peeled away my stockings so that all I wore now was a sleeveless cloth vest, shorts to match it, my girdle, and my baldric. I relished the new sensations: my bare feet squishing in the wet earth, the warm, humid air on my bloodied arms and legs.


    This was how to fight: I would feel the rushing air and the spattering blood of my enemies against my bare skin, would move uninhibited with the grace and ferocity of the wild elf I was, would feel these things resonate with the power of the primeval.


    Your level limit has increased to 16!


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried.


    You spend 5000 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 16 / 16.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 12]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 12] to add 12 to [Agility]. Your [Agility] is now 115.


    I kept channeling the mana around me into my body, filling myself with the mana I knew I¡¯d need for the fight to come.


    The creatures of the forest were coming; I could hear them in every direction. I looked up to see tree-crabs and spiders emerging from the misty canopy, dozens of them crawling down the nearest trees.


    How did you do this? I asked Palefang, still playing along as my heart pounded in my ears.


    But my enemy only laughed.


    I drew my bow and shot several arrows into the body of the closest spider until it fell from the tree, then reached out with my gaze and watched in dismay as the nearest mushroom extended its claim to heal the fallen foe.


    I cursed, then turned my attention to the mushrooms. Most of the circles I¡¯d drawn didn¡¯t have enough mana in them, but a few did¡ªand so I grabbed the circle with the most mana in it, then formed and cast the first part of my intended spell.


    Flames burst forth in a ring around base of the mushroom, as close to its stalk as I could possibly push my claim. They were focused inward, the spell pushing the ignited mana into the mushroom much like my spell had worked with the lizard.


    The mushroom burst into flames very quickly¡ªit was far more flammable than I¡¯d expected. Then it leaned and fell, the flames at its base eating through it in remarkable time.


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried, blood and spittle flying from my mouth. The ease with which fire brought them down was good news indeed. I¡¯d assumed the lightning had caused the first one to erupt in fire just because it was lightning.


    + 1651 Essence, [Boon]


    My eyes widened as I saw that the [Boon] held both [Mana] and [Life] aspects, and a giddiness bubbled up in my gut. More [Mana] and [Life] were both very useful: if all of the mushrooms granted boons, I¡¯d be at a serious advantage.


    I moved to the next mushroom while loosing arrows into the creatures that were coming down the sides of the trees, igniting another circle and gaining another boon after the mushroom had burst into flame.


    Even by the time that the mushroom had fallen, however, the creatures of the forest had come upon me. One of the rainbow fish-birds reached me first, swooping in to try to strike me with its long beak and taking an arrow through the neck, then another between its upper wings. It fell to the ground and I planted a foot on it, examining its vitals while I loosed more arrows into the spiders that were leaving the roots at the edge of the clearing to skitter toward me.


    The tree-crabs came right after them, along with some of the large, twelve-legged insects I¡¯d fought on the way here. I paid careful attention to their approach as I shot my arrows and channeled the mana around me, trying to determine who was fastest.


    I had burned another mushroom and brought down several of the twelve-legged insects, the fastest ones, by the time creatures began to reach me, spiders lunging forward while the tree crabs shot their bird-catching tongues. I leapt onto the largest spider then vaulted off its back while the tongues filled the air where I¡¯d just been, all of them too slow.


    As I crossed the clearing and put down a few more of the insects, I heard the sound of air-filled wings above me, then glanced up to see five of the flying lizards diving toward me in a loose formation. I ran for the roots, diving into the lowest level to close off their route of attack before launching more arrows and moving fast to keep the other creatures as far as possible. Unable to get a good attack vector, they swooped in and landed, two of them blocking off the approach of the rest of the swarm.


    But I only managed ten more shots before I found I had to retreat again, sensing the fast approach of an underwater predator with my [Wild Bond] just moments before it burst from the water to try to snap me up in a massive set of many-toothed jaws. I leapt up onto the side of the nearest root, threw myself off it and onto the upper layer, shot two more arrows into the last of the flying lizards, then took three steps to leap onto the top of a nearby mushroom.


    By now the clearing was filled with creatures: spiders, apehounds, more of the camouflaged water predators, horse-sized hounds whose fur glowed with lines of light, spike-covered balls that walked on a tripod of three long legs, long-snouted lizards that walked on two legs¡­.


    And every creature I didn¡¯t kill would be healed by the mushrooms.


    The tripods launched several spikes at me, and one of the missiles tore at my shoulder as I tried to dodge and twist out of the way, but I simply healed the deeper parts of the wound while returning fire with my own arrows, spearing one of the things through and watching it fall into the crowd before turning my bow on the other two of its kin.


    The mushroom shook beneath me as various creatures began to climb its stalk, and two of the apehounds leapt up to fight me on its surface and quickly had their brains stricken through with more arrows. I heard a cry from above and looked up to see a diving bird with a wingspan wider than a city street, then rolled out of the way of its talons and drove a fist into the soft flesh of the mushroom-cap just to keep myself from being buffeted off by the force of its wings.


    As the bird flew off, rounding to make another pass at me, I saw spiders¡¯ legs come up over the side of the mushroom and realized it was time: I reached down into my gaze, extending my claim into the first part of my magic circle I could find, then ignited the mana, concentrating on the spell that would burn away the stalk of the mushroom with an intense blast of heat.


    The mushroom beneath me lurched as I felt a wave of heat rise up to either side of me and heard the panicked cries of the creatures in the swarm as they cooked. Just like the first had, the mushroom beneath me quickly burst into flames. I leapt to the edge that faced the highest concentration of creatures beneath me, causing it to tilt in that direction as it began to fall¡ªand then I sprinted to the other edge, batting a leaping spider out of the air with a forearm before kicking off the mushroom¡¯s tilting rim to push it down into the swarm of monsters, crushing and burning dozens of them while I sailed through the air to land on the next.


    Your level limit has increased to 17!


    You spend 5000 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 17 / 17.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 12]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 12] to add 12 to [Agility]. Your [Agility] is now 127.


    I was pushing more mana into the circle at the base of the mushroom while I was still in the air. I landed with burned feet to launch more arrows into the swarm, entirely in the order of threats¡ªfirst two more of the missile-throwing tripods, then at the gigantic bird as it came to attack me once again, this time landing on the mushroom to strike me with its beak.


    I rolled to one side, the beak coming down to pulverize some of the soft mushroom cap before my arrow struck the bird through one eye. It shrieked, lashed out at where I¡¯d been as I leapt back, then took a second arrow through its second eye. Again I punched one arm into the meat of the mushroom as the bird beat its wings to escape, shrieking in pain.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Then, as I kept channeling mana and the mushroom shook beneath me, I rose and searched the crowd for the creature I knew I¡¯d need¡ªone of the camouflaged waterborne predators from earlier. I shot it several times, pausing to kill one of the few remaining apehounds as it leapt up to meet me, then finishing my target off before to gain a [Surge] and [Water] boon before the mushrooms could heal it.


    + 1451 Essence, [Boon]


    Then, as creatures began coming up over the sides of the mushroom, I dropped my bow and grabbed my spear, lashing out at every nearest creature, my feet moving in the complicated dance that spun me to face the enemies that came at me from all sides, my gaze ensuring that none of them came up behind me.


    I either struck their vitals and killed them near-instantly, or simply threw them off the sides of the mushroom as I channeled more and more mana into the circle below, buying myself time to prepare the spell.


    At last I threw my spear to stick into the center of the cap of next mushroom, grabbed my bow, triggered my spell, toppled the burning fungus into the swarm, then leapt down into the multilayered roots nearby and launched several more arrows before leaping onto the cap of my next target and turning my attention to the skies once more as I heard the whoosh and swoop of air-filled wings¡ªmore flyers.


    But before they reached me, I had some work to do. I leapt back into the roots, running to a safer space to buy myself a few seconds of reprieve from the horde¡ªit was time to use my two skill cores.


    I¡¯d picked up a few boons without even noticing them in the fighting, but I knew I had the keys for at least one of the skills I wanted now that I could make 3 [Surge] and still have a [Water 1] remaining.


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Surge 1] skill keys.


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Body 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Surge 1] skill keys into a [Surge 2] skill key.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Body 1] skill keys into a [Body 2] skill key.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Body 2] and [Surge 2] to create the skill: [Surge of Might 9]


    [Surge of Might 9]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Body 2] + [Surge 2]


    + 100 [Surge Pool].


    Spend [Surge Pool] to briefly increase [Agility], [Strength], or [Aegis]. You cannot more than double an attribute in this manner.


    Spending [Surge Pool] requires that you assign [Focus] to do so. You must assign 1 point of [Focus] for every 4 points of physical attributes you increase; this [Focus] is not freed until 3 seconds after the boost from this skill ends.


    Currently, your whole [Surge Pool] is valued at + 596 total attributes. This increases with this skill''s rank, your [Bestow] and your [Primeval Resonance].


    Channel mana into this skill to replenish [Surge Pool].


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried, facing the diving aerial predators. [Surge of Might] was an old favorite of mine. It was all about benefits and drawbacks: the benefit was that it was an extremely powerful attribute increase, and the drawback was that it was only there whenever you wanted or needed it.


    I had one [*Primeval 5] skill core left¡ªand the next skill was a little more complicated to build:


    You break [Boon] to create an [Animal 1] skill key.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Animal 1] to create the skill: [Animal Bond 6]


    [Animal Bond 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Animal 1]


    You can telepathically sense, communicate with, and even attack all animal forms of life that are within your gaze.


    Extending your gaze to include such creatures becomes easier, though you detect only their mind and external shape, not the internal composition of their bodies.


    Unwanted telepathic contact with another creature costs mana to establish, use, and maintain. This skill also strengthens your ability to defend and hide from any such telepathy.


    I hadn¡¯t made the skill to be used with [Wild Bond]. Like [Earth Magick], it would be take too much mana to use the bond skills to fight the horde, and Palefang was almost certainly too strong for either of them to be much use against him. Instead, I would be using it to replace [Wild Bond].


    First, I boosted the [Wild] core in [Wild Bond] to second rank so that I could add the second key:


    You break 2 [Boon] to create 2 [Wild 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 2 [Wild 1] skill keys with the [Wild 1] skill key in [Wild Bond 6], upgrading the skill to [Wild Bond 7].


    Then I made another [Body 2] to make the new skill, using the massive cache of boons I''d gotten for killing so many spiders and apehounds.


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Body 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Body 1] skill keys into a [Body 2] skill key.


    You add a [Body 2] skill key to your [Wild Bond 7] skill, creating the new skill: [Wild Grace 9]


    [Wild Grace 9]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Body 2] + [Wild 2]


    + 26 [Agility]


    + 26 [Strength]


    Extending your gaze to include all natural forms of life becomes easier, though you detect only their mind and external shape, not the internal composition of their bodies.


    Unwanted telepathic contact with another creature costs mana to establish, use, and maintain. This skill also strengthens your ability to defend and hide from any such telepathy.


    New speed and power flowed through me, a welcome rush of physical power to go with those I¡¯d already gained that day. There was something so gratifying about starting weak and getting so strong so quickly.


    I¡¯d intended to build both skills, and so the whole process had only taken a second or so¡ªbut now I had to give in to desire and waste another moment looking:


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    131 [Aegis]


    154 [Agility]


    114 [Strength]


    4 [Channel]


    47 [Focus]


    28 [Source]


    12 [Bestow]


    108% [Primeval Resonance]


    111/280 Mana ¡ª 29% Primeval


    Where I¡¯d begun this fight barely able to outrun the apehounds and fearful of being surrounded, now I could outpace them easily, flowing across the terrain while my arms worked my bow, loosing arrows as fast as my heart beat.


    With the increased strength from my [Bestow] rising and the reduced weight from my absent armor, I could leap the height of the mushrooms and shoot my arrows clean through the bodies of even the armored spiders.


    It was all for Palefang. With four attribute-increasing skills and [Surge of Might] getting bolstered by my high [Primeval Resonance], I might come close to matching his own physical attributes. And while his casting attributes would be extraordinarily high, this place was abundant with mana. He¡¯d likely learned to rely on drinking mana from the air, and would have a relatively low [Source] but high [Channel].


    If I could cut him off from absorbing or replenishing mana like I intended, and outlast his barrage of spells, then I could fight him tooth and claw.


    But first I had the convergence to deal with.


    I leapt back into the fray and fought on. More arrows flew, more creatures fell, more creatures appeared. My spear was in my hands as dark blood filled the air with its scent and coated my skin, and the soles of my feet were hot from the fire they tread across while I killed and killed and killed; mushrooms burst into columns of fire and fell into the disparate legions as I screamed with the thrill of violence and struggle, my body and mind moving together, fighting with grace and strength that had been given by gods, honed by elves, and perfected over century upon century.


    I tried to hide my true abilities, to pretend that they were wearing me down so that Palefang wouldn¡¯t realize how much stronger I was getting, wouldn¡¯t see that I was buying myself time. I didn¡¯t use [Surge of Might] at all, and only moved at my full speed and strength when it was necessary.


    In many ways it didn¡¯t matter. The strange tripods launched so many bony missiles that I was doomed to have them tear into me no matter how fast I moved, and sometimes leaping out of the way of a diving predator meant leaping into the claws of something else. Soon I was running dangerously low on [Life Pool] and worrying that I needed to build another healing skill so that I could keep my blood in my body and exhaustion out of it.


    But I was anything but despondent: I was almost certain that my spell was ready, that my circles had enough mana. The convergence would peak, bringing both the largest and smallest creatures it could call against me. The big ones would grant strong boons, but the little ones would include swarms of insects¡ªI would need to break the boon I¡¯d taken from the elemental and build the [Frost Magick] skill to deal with them.


    But as I leapt to the third-to-last mushroom, Palefang dispelled all these thoughts by contacting me through the bond¡ªand I felt his mind boiling with wrath.


    A curtain of dread came over me¡ªalong with a thrill of anticipation. It was time. At long last, it was time.


    Clever little one, said Palefang. I admit: you have given me much to consider.


    I reached out immediately, igniting the mushroom below me and leaping off it to land in the roots and spear a glowing wolf out of my way, running¡­.


    You deceive so poorly with words, Palefang said.


    I stretched my gaze further into the air, watching the mana even as I ignited the next mushroom before the first had even fallen, sprinting past it to the center of the clearing, where I pressed another deep, wide circle into the earth at my feet, then running to dive into the great roots.


    ¡ªAnd yet you lie so well with deeds, he finished.


    I had to make him think that he had me, that every assumption he¡¯d made was correct. Lie? I asked. I fight for my life against a swarm that you called to me! How is that a deception?


    Palefang laughed without a trace of amusement as I reached out and set the last of the mushrooms aflame. You forget me. The first thing I told you, little one, was that my eyes see much.


    I reached the roots, skidded to a halt on my knees, then pivoted to stand in an area that was hemmed in on either side and draw my spear, using both spearhead and butte to keep the creatures at bay as they came for me.


    I can see that your many circles still hold mana, little one, said Palefang. His mind roiled with subdued rage. I can see that you are building a spell to kill me.


    As I fought, I watched the air beyond, waiting for the twisting line of mana that I knew was coming¡­ and Palefang spoke: boasting, taunting, and setting my blood afire with anticipation.


    You are fearsome in your own way, little one¡ªyet I am he who hunts but goes unhunted.


    The sound of my spearpoint cracking through bone and chitin was like the crack of a whip, a rhythm set against my own furiously beating heart.


    I am dread that stalks on silent paws, Palefang said, his voice filled with rising fervor, becoming almost maddened.


    In the mist-lit shadows of the roots, the animals and I were nothing but black forms that gleamed with red: hungry eyes, wet mouths, fresh wounds¡ªall red. I saw his spell begin to form and threw myself forward, past my assailants¡­.


    I am furious lightning and blood-stained ice! he cried. I am jaws wringing life from those that I conquer!


    Ahead of me, the last of the burning mushrooms toppled, one dark shape wreathed in fire that fell and sent a whorling gout of ash into the air. Desperately, I leapt through the rush of smoke and cinders, landing on all fours and bounding into the center of the clearing¡ªwhere I skidded to a halt in the thirteenth circle, the center of the other twelve.


    Fear me! Palefang screamed in a violent crescendo, his bloodlust ringing in my mind. I am your death!


    The lightning came, fiery light that burned a hole in the clouds above and lit the world like a new sun, a jagged line of red that split into a many-fingered fork and reached for each of my magic circles so as to break them open and ignite the mana within.


    In that single moment, all my plans came to fruition.


    Breaking the circles triggered the second half of my spell¡ªa spell that I had written not in each circle, but across the circle formed by all twelve of them. The mana was channeled away from the reaching lightning like oil from water, moving inward instead of igniting, converging on the center circle where I stood, instantly forming a massive well of mana that the crude ring of packed earth around me couldn¡¯t hope to contain for more than an instant.


    For a moment I felt the mana running through me, an incandescent blaze of energy that made my teeth vibrate and my eyes burn¡ªbut my mind held the forms of my runes in an iron grip, shaping a spell that was ten times more complex than any I had cast so far.


    The instant that Palefang¡¯s lightning faded, my spell followed. I couldn¡¯t stretch my claim far enough to reach my enemy, and so I had simply crafted the spell to follow the long, jagged mana vacuum that his lightning had momentarily left in the air, focusing the mana into a sophisticated bolt of blazing white power that tore its way up into the sky, through the glowing red mist and beyond.


    Palefang¡¯s lightning boomed, and my spell answered: a focused, white missile that cracked at the air like a whip, a crash of cymbal to follow the heavy beat of steel drum.


    Around me, the swarm began to retreat, running in every direction.


    Above me, I heard a low, furious howl.


    My mind reeled, the moment of pure focus that I¡¯d needed for my spell over, the many runes and emotions that I¡¯d snapped together into my composition fading much like the luminescent trails that the lightning had made in my vision.


    I smiled. My spell had borne a curse, one that would keep him from healing and from replenishing his mana. I hadn¡¯t killed him, but I¡¯d made it possible to.


    And in the [Wild Bond] and out loud, I laughed, laughed as I felt his wounded pride and unchecked fury. I had answered his spell, and now I could answer his boast.


    You say you see much, o prince, I said, my voice low, quiet, and cruel. But your cunning is merely the leash that I lead you by.


    In the bond, I could feel Palefang¡¯s growing fury, his slipping focus¡ªcould sense him leaping down from some great height as blood pounded in his ears¡­.


    You speak of lightning as if you have cause to, o prince, I said, voice rising. Yet your noisome bolts are mere prelude to my own.


    I clipped my spear to my baldric, drew out my bow, checked to be sure that both my knives were still at my belt¡­.


    You sent a swarm of beasts to kill me, o prince! I said in an ecstatic roar. And their corpses lie about me, supplicants prostrate on a carpet of blood!


    I could sense him moving, springing from tree to tree, his claws digging easily into the rough bark, his eyes on the lower layer of red mist and the hole that had been burned there by his lightning.


    I grinned, still laughing. At last we had come to it, to the end I¡¯d been arranging since I¡¯d first heard his voice.


    ¡°Listen now, O prince!¡± I shouted, letting my voice rip through the air around us and echoing my words in the [Wild Bond]. ¡°I am Aziriel, [Primeval Champion], and ere this hour is done your blood will slick my palms, stain my spear, and sate my killing hunger!¡±


    Your level limit has increased to 18!


    You spend 5000 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 18 / 18.


    You gain [Bestow 12]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 12] to add 12 to your [Channel]. Your [Channel] is now 16.


    ?¡ªYour Skills:


    0: [Sable Grace 20]


    0: [Primeval Power 30]


    0: [Earth Magick 6]


    2: [Wild Grace 9]


    4: [Life Magick 6]


    6: [Primeval Hide 9]


    8: [Might 6]


    10: [Surge of Might 9]


    15: [Animal Bond 6]


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    139 [Aegis]


    154 [Agility]


    114 [Strength]


    16 [Channel]


    47 [Focus]


    28 [Source]

 1.15: The Pale Prince

    I stood in the center of a deformed circle of fallen, burning mushrooms, grinning as I looked up through the wall of mist-lit smoke at where I knew Palefang to be.


    The beasts who had been called by the convergence had fled at his display of power, but they would return soon enough. And because Palefang wasn¡¯t answering or echoing the call, we¡¯d both be targets in their eyes¡­ and I could hopefully use my [Animal Bond] to push the frenzied monsters toward attacking him and not me.


    I used my [Animal Bond] to vanish from his gaze, finally doing what I¡¯d been able to do all along.


    I heard his cry a moment later: a savage thing that scraped at my ears, loud as an avalanche. Something glinted in the firelight as it came streaking through the mists: not Palefang, but a volley of dozens of icy shards, each of them hurled through the full length of his claim and with the power of his [Channel], each moving so fast that the air around them was blurring and whistling as they shot toward me.


    I lurched to one side, moving faster than he¡¯d ever seen me move to avoid the first volley, then another. As I did so, I heard him make one massive, bark-shattering leap from the tree he had been clinging to, colliding with a nearer one a moment later but losing several dozen meters of altitude.


    The next volley of ice crystals was a hailstorm, hundreds of them flung through the air to blanket the area around me with piercing death¡ªbut I¡¯d moved to the most unobvious cover I could find, a slight depression in the earth that I formed into cover, simultaneously depressing and raising to portions of the earth to give me a small lump of earth to hide behind.


    The ice obliterated my earthen cover, penetrating through two feet of loose soil with ease¡ªbut their points broke against the skin of my body and the wrist I¡¯d raised to protect my face, doing little more than bruise me.


    Meanwhile I felt the mana in the air around me aligning¡ªand I pushed myself to my feet just in time to sweep one hand through the air and tear a segment out of Palefang¡¯s lightning bolt, which lit the air a moment later with a tremendous boom, but failed to reach me.


    He tested me, throwing two more bolts, bearing down on each with more focus, more determination, trying desperately to force the mana into the air before I could extend my claim and knock it away, but they were each impotent, reaching down through the red mist and ending a dozen feet away from me.


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried, knowing that he was burning mana that he couldn¡¯t replenish: naturally, his first tactic would be to stay far above me and attack from where I couldn¡¯t retaliate. The longer he spent wasting his mana, the better¡­ and soon the frenzied beasts of the primeval convergence would reach him, while the circle of burning fungus and his volley of spells, particularly lightning, were enough to frighten them away from me¡­.


    Palefang let out another cataclysmic roar, a wall of sound that met my ears and made my grin widen: I guessed he¡¯d realized what I''d done to him, how much of his mana he¡¯d wasted and couldn¡¯t recover, and that this had been my plan.


    A moment later, I saw a massive spider fall out of the mist above, a shard of ice stuck through its head.


    Palefang appeared above me, a great white cat with red eyes whose massive form trailed the glowing mist as he finally broke the cloud layer to slam into one of the great trees, expertly landing in an explosion of bark, then clinging to it with ease, muscles bulging and rippling under his sleek coat. I could see fog billowing out around him, saw flakes of snow and chunks of hail falling from the path he¡¯d made¡­ and I had to wonder¡­.


    Palefang leapt again, moving toward another tree¡­.


    [Surge of Might] was focus-limited, but I¡¯d practiced the pinpoint flash of frenzied intent that accompanied the use of [Surge] skills so much that it was almost as much a part of my nature as bending mana for the sake of throwing lightning.


    I surged my [Strength], bringing my bow up as soon as Palefang¡¯s feet left the bark beneath them, tracking his path through the air and launching my arrow with great speed and force, my bowstring lashing at the air around me with a sound like snapping steel cable as it sent the arrow screaming through the air¡­.


    The arrow struck the cat in the side just as he reached his next tree, knocking him backward just enough to throw off his landing, his claws scrabbling at the bark¡­.


    For a moment I thought I had him, but I saw him form hunks of frost binding his legs to the bark¡ªthey were there for a flash, then shattered as he took his position, then leapt again, still trailing snow and fog.


    I didn¡¯t launch a second arrow, sure that he wouldn¡¯t have leapt if he felt I might knock him free¡ªand hoping that the less I hurt him now, the longer it would take him to realize I¡¯d cut him off from healing. Instead I focused on channeling airborne mana into myself and [Surge of Might], replenishing my resources.


    Palefang was fast. I¡¯d need them.


    Palefang completed a circuit of me that he¡¯d begun while I was above the mists. It wasn¡¯t a true magical circle, but as I watched the heavy flakes of snow that followed him, I realized what he¡¯d been doing: he was creating a small blizzard, claiming all the air above me to be sure that its moisture would fall to the battlefield below, which he no doubt also intended to freeze before confronting me.


    He was going to bury us in snow and ice¡ªan element that he could manipulate but that he thought I couldn¡¯t. He¡¯d cut me off from my sense of the terrain beneath me, plunge us into foggy darkness, kill anything from the primeval convergence that dared to interrupt, burn away the airborne mana that only I could absorb, and fill the world with a substance that he could use while forcing me to fight in hypothermic cold.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    It was the most mana he¡¯d spent, I was sure¡ªonly this wasn¡¯t a waste, but a beautiful piece of spellcraft that made perfect tactical sense.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered, grinning as I watched the falling snowflakes begin to thicken. I¡¯d avoided deflecting his ice shards with [Frost Magick] because I wanted him to throw as many of them as possible. Now it was clear that I¡¯d need the skill just to move about without slipping and to maintain my claim and gaze.


    But I had kept an elemental''s [Boon], and my [Life Pool] was so close to empty that [Life Magick] was useless:


    You break [Boon] to create a [Frost 1] skill key.


    You relinquish the [Life Magick 6] skill, gaining a [*Primeval 5] skill core and 200 Essence.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Frost 1] to create the skill: [Frost Magick 6]


    [Frost Magick 6]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Frost 1]


    You can control frozen substances within your claim. Moving a substance is easiest when you move it toward or away from you.


    You can reduce temperatures within your claim, and you can conjure frozen water by assigning [Focus] to sustain it.


    You can sense frozen substances within your gaze, and extending your claim or gaze through frozen substances is easier.


    I reached into my own body with my [Frost Magick] and froze a delicate set of circles and runes onto my skin: my abdomen, my throat, my forehead, my forearms, my outer thighs, and the tops of my feet.


    The skin died instantly as it crystallized, lighting up my senses with fine lines of pain at the edge of the runes¡ªbut I needed them. [Aegis] stopped harmful temperature exchanges, but Palefang was strong enough that I needed a spell of protection, which in this case meant a spell to heat my own flesh when I got too cold.


    Palefang bounded off the last great tree to land in the circle with me, snow falling around him as the air filled with billowing fog. He was a beautiful creature, his eyes seething with power and fury, his coat marred with unhealed scars¡ªone thin gash across one eye, a set of three gashes across his back, and an impressive set massive tooth-marks that spread across one side like a constellation. He was proud of his injuries.


    And he was massive, perhaps nine feet tall at the shoulder. His weight snapped the corpses beneath him like twigs.


    I was shooting arrows before he landed, missiles hissing with force to punch clean through an unleveled animal, one arrow striking him above one paw while two struck his back. Palefang landed, bounding forward to pounce, and I dropped my bow to grab my spear, surge my [Strength], and launch myself forward with a speed he hadn¡¯t yet seen from me.


    It was clear that he wasn¡¯t expecting me to charge back, and I met him while his paws were in the air, my spear sinking deep into his neck as my feet danced sideways across the ground to bring me out of the path of his lunge as I thrust him to one side.


    We pulled apart. I landed in an unsteady roll, dropping my spear and calling my bow to my hands to shoot an arrow at Palefang as he scrabbled to gain his footing across the clearing, a promising gout of blood pouring from the hole in his neck. He hissed, charging me again¡ªbut slower now, cautious of my spear.


    He took another arrow for it, and I grabbed my spear and launched myself at him once more, bow still in hand, then leapt into the air just before we reached one another.


    Palefang saw me crouch and spring, his head tracking me as I flew into the air¡ªand he lunged to snap at me at the best possible moment¡ªbut I thrust down with my spearpoint, scraping it across his muzzle and pushing him down and away from my ankles.


    My momentum carried me high into the air over him as I turned, and I used my [Earth Magick] to push the spear down into the ground where I¡¯d land, then shot another quick arrow at the spinning cat, planting it into his flank, my motions too fast for proper aim.


    He pounced before I landed, sure that he could strike me mid-air before I could maneuver again, but I reached into the earth with my [Earth Magick], forcing the soil to cling to my spearpoint as I grabbed its upright haft and tugged myself down to the ground, causing Palefang to sail over me¡ªat which point I let go of my bow and drew my knife with my free hand, surging my [Strength] and cutting upward into the cat¡¯s belly as he snapped at the air where I¡¯d been.


    The knife plunged deep into his flesh, cut a gash along the underside of his chest, then stuck in his belly as my [Surge of Might] wore off and the knife was yanked from my wrist.


    ?¡ª[Surge Pool] 60/100


    Palefang howled as he moved past me, one back paw slapping my face into the ground, and I flipped onto my belly and pushed off of the snowy soil to come up onto my feet and called my bow to my hand, loosing another two arrows at him as he rounded on me once more.


    The fog had thickened, air growing frigid as the pebbles of hail that had fallen early were coated with softer snowflakes. I saw Palefang release a huge amount of mana as he spun, shot an arrow at his eye that he deflected by dipping his head so that it skidded off his brow, then watched as he snarled and cast his spell, sending a gust of icy air toward me before he pounced.


    I channeled mana into the frostbitten scars that I¡¯d drawn into my skin, cooking my flesh even as I pushed out with my claim to stop him from freezing the air around me. At the same time, I grabbed my spear and threw myself to one side, still within his frost spell but leaping to avoid his lunge¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t fast enough, and one of Palefang¡¯s paws sliced neatly into my calf as he sailed past me.


    Steam rose from my rune scars as I came to my feet, my motions imbalanced by the sudden weakness in my injured leg¡ªand I sensed Palefang coming toward me again too fast, dropped my spear to draw my second knife and drive it upward at where his jaws were moving to snap at my shoulder.


    He pulled back in a flurry, lunged again before I could gain my bearings, and I threw myself back out of the way of his claws only to feel his maw close around the tip of my bow, which I held in one hand.


    I felt a note of panic ring through my body, dropped the knife to grab at the bow with both hands¡ªbut it was too late. Palefang wrenched backward, dragging me across the snowy, corpse-strewn ground, then tore it from my grasp and leapt far to one side to pin the bow against the ground with one paw and then snap it into pieces, the enchantment bursting in a flurry of blue sparks.


    I called my spear and knife to my hands, sheathing the knife and leveling the spear at the cat. At the same time, I banished all the arrows that I¡¯d planted in him, opening their wounds now that they¡¯d had time to shred and cut his flesh while he moved.


    I faced Palefang from across the snowy, fog-filled clearing, then smiled as I watched blood begin to run from his wounds.


    It would all be over soon.

 1.16: [Primeval Champion]

    Snow blanketed the corpse-ridden ground around us, blood seeping up to stain the white with patches of red that were almost black in the fog-muted light of glowing mists. Palefang, too, was stained red¡ªit smeared his fur and ran from his many wounds in lines, the greatest of which was the gash I¡¯d cut in his neck, where blood ran down in a constant stream.


    The field around us had made a large arena when I had been fighting the horde, but we were both so strong that it was now like a small fighting ring. Each of us could cross the distance with just a few simple bounds.


    I could run for warmer air, but that would mean turning my back to him¡ªsomething I didn¡¯t want to try for even a moment. He could run and wait for my mana and life-dampening curse to subside, but that would mean letting me get away¡ªand he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to find me again.


    We would finish it here; Either he died, or I did.


    He waited, eyes on my spear as if deciding how to approach. I welcomed the moments he gave me to channel some mana into my [Surge of Might]¡ªbut I had to be careful. As we¡¯d fought, he¡¯d been using the mana in the air, claiming it with his threshold and converting it into his cold spell. There wasn¡¯t much left for me to take.


    The air grew colder. The fog thickened. The fires at the edge of the circle faded into orange blurs. Across from me, Palefang became nothing but a pair of eyes, embers glowing in the dark.


    Then he charged.


    I waited as he came for me, then feinted, doing my best to make it seem as if I would leap to the right off my good leg, then surging my [Strength] just a little to throw myself to one side using my injured one before stabbing him in the shoulder just above the neck with my spear.


    Palefang growled, turned, and lunged, but my spear held fast in his shoulder, sticking deep until its wings were pressing into his skin, fur flat beneath them. He pushed me back, my knees skidding across the ice and snow until he pushed me into the corpse of a gigantic spider, his movements causing my spearhead to tear the wound wider, drawing more blood.


    Blood. Both of us were covered with it: Palefang pulled himself off my spear and lunged again, and I stepped back onto the spider carcass, springing first off its body and then off one of its legs to stab Palefang in the back before landing behind him, and backing away, spinning to put my spear between us as he snarled and rounded on me.


    We fought on. I danced back across the uneven field of frost and corpses, my [Frost Magick] and [Sable Grace] helping me to sense the bloody, corpse-strewn ground. Our strength meant that our motions were fast and brutal¡ªeach of us could cross the clearing in only a few steps, would kick up gouts of bloodied snow just to leap or pivot.


    Palefang came at me in a frenzy, trying to get past the spearpoint that was always in front of his face and seemingly stabbing him in the back or sides at the same time.


    The world darkened, fog thickening until I fought with only my ears and gaze. Each of us slowed as exhaustion set in, both of us lacking the healing magic that would have sustained us.


    I kept making jabs at his sides and shoulders, and twice I got a good shot at his eyes¡ªbut Palefang had learned from whatever had made the scar across his face, because both times I only scratched at his brow.


    But then I got too tired, or Palefang too desperate. He backed off my spear where I¡¯d pricked his shoulder; I snarled and aimed the point at his eye¡ªand he caught it in his mouth.


    I felt a flutter of panic in my gut. He¡¯d let the point sink deep into the roof of his mouth in order to snap his teeth shut over both the spearpoint and one of the wings. It was a worthwhile risk: one more wound would mean little to him, but if he took my spear, I¡¯d be dead.


    Palefang shook his head and brought a paw up to grip the haft of the spear, trying to rip it from my grasp and almost succeeding, his massive strength pressing me to the ground¡­.


    I tightened my grip, then my abdomen, pulling me feet up off the ground and pressing my heels into the blood-matted fur of his neck. Then I grabbed the free wing of my spearhead with one hand, surged [Aegis] to keep it from breaking, and pushed my heels into him with all my strength to pull my spear from his mouth.


    There was a sound like a splitting boulder as the wing of the spear shattered half of Palefang¡¯s teeth, tearing them away in a shower of bony shards and blood-flecked spittle while I flipped backward to land unsteadily on my feet.


    This close, I could see Palefang¡¯s face contorted with rage, even through the fog. He let out a furious, agonized howl, one half of his mouth a bloody mess, his cheek sliced open where the spear had passed through it.


    ?¡ª[Surge Pool] 20/100


    ?¡ªMana 18/280, 40% Primeval.


    It would be over soon.


    He lunged in a frenzy, snapping and clawing, blood flying off his fur with the sudden jolts of his movements. I backed away, evading his instinctive motions with practiced grace while he spent all his energy on his anger.


    The cold ate into my body, and I began to ration my mana, spending most of it on my hands and feet. Palefang loomed out of the fog as he came for me, his mangled maw dribbling blood and spit under a pair of hateful eyes.


    Soon he began to slow. I felt a surge of elation in me¡ªit was almost over.


    But elation fast turned to horror. Palefang pounced, and I spun out of his way to run past him. Only before I made it clear of the great cat, he formed a small hunk of ice under one of his front paws to quickly spring off it and throw his weight to one side, toward me.


    The cat¡¯s body struck me mid-stride, throwing me off balance and then knocking me to the ground, pinning me beneath his midsection. He lashed backward with a forepaw, leaving deep gashes as his claws raked my upper arm, shoulder, and chest, then struck the snow past me and kicking up a flurry.


    With no choice, I spent the last of my mana and to form the smallest icy foothold, flattening the frost beneath me so that I could push myself out from under the great cat by kicking with my leg as I surged [Strength] to heave his body off me with both hands.


    !¡ª[Surge Pool] 0/100


    !¡ªMana 0/280


    I heard my spear snapping into pieces before I had come to my feet.


    I panted, icy air stinging the inside of my lungs while I pulled every scrap of mana that I could from the world around me, then spent it on my heat runes. I watched the dark shape of Palefang across from me rise¡ªslowly, unsteadily.


    I drew my last knife and raised it. I couldn¡¯t hold him at bay without my spear, and we both knew it. But he was surely almost finished bleeding to death, and we both knew that, too. His frenzied anger had hastened the process. I stuck my knife between my teeth¡­.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Then I charged.


    He pounced, the attack so sluggish now that it was as if time had slowed down. I leapt, springing into the air, flipping and spinning, closing my eyes as I let my gaze guide me, gaining enough air to sail clean over him¡­ and then grabbing two fistfuls of fur behind his ears and tugging myself down onto his back.


    Palefang¡¯s body must have started going numb long ago, because it seemed to take him a moment to realize where I¡¯d landed¡ªhe only began to buck and thrash when I drove the point of my knife into where his neck met his skull, his [Aegis] still strong enough that I had to use all my strength just to stick the blade in halfway.


    I let go of the knife, grabbed two fistfuls of fur, and clung to him as he tried to throw me. He did this for a few seconds before finally rolling onto his back¡ªbut I rolled in the other direction as soon as I felt his muscles shift, keeping hold of one fistful of fur so that I stayed close to his belly.


    I saw the hilt of my other knife jutting out of the bloody gash it had made and pulled it free, then lunged forward to drive it into his neck with both hands. I pulled it out and leapt backward as Palefang rounded on me, his head drooping.


    Palefang lunged, and I threw myself clumsily out of the way, focusing on the motions of my feet as they moved across frozen corpses and blood-stained snow.


    Knowing that it could save my life, I used some of the boons I¡¯d got from the mushrooms:


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Life 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Life 1] skill keys into a [Life 2] skill key.


    You relinquish the [Earth Magick 6] skill, gaining a [*Primeval 5] skill core and 200 Essence.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Life 2] to create the skill: [Life Magick 7]


    ?¡ª[Life Pool] 9/100


    Relinquishing and then rebuilding the [Life Magick] skill didn¡¯t give me a full [Life Pool]¡ªbut the added rank gave me a little more than the 0 I¡¯d had left when I replaced the skill. I funneled all the remaining [Life Pool] into healing my exhaustion as I leapt back away from Palefang¡¯s snapping jaws.


    He bounded forward, lumbering, his head drooping even more, and I moved out of his path with a few quick strides. He turned, caught sight of me, seemed to look past me for a moment, then came forward again, panting. I moved back until I hit a heap of several bodies, backing over it with several well-placed footsteps, my balance improved by my last burst of energy.


    Palefang followed, reaching the bodies, reaching up to place both forepaws on top of the heap¡ªand then collapsing, eyelids fluttering.


    I stood and watched, spending the last few points of my [Life Pool] to replenish my own leaking blood.


    He struggled to stand, seemed to make it, then collapsed again.


    He didn¡¯t rise. Instead he simply watched me with half-vacant eyes for a time while I channeled more mana into my heat runes and stared back.


    His eyes closed. I reached into the [Animal Bond] and found him to be truly unconscious, and so I moved forward and sat against his belly, hoping to absorb some of his fading warmth.


    + 101 655 Essence!


    + 3 [Boon]


    Your level limit has increased to 21!


    I let out a faint laugh, breath fogging in the air. The boons were all rank 3... and two of them held the aspect of lightning. [Lightning 3] was a powerful skill key indeed.


    You spend 21 000 Essence to gain 3 levels. You are now level 21 / 21


    For reaching level 20, you gain 1 [*Primeval 5] skill core.


    You gain 2 [Bestow 12]!


    For reaching level 20, your [Bestow] has increased from 12 to 14.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 14]!


    You spend 1 [Bestow 12] to add 12 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 40.


    I checked the warp jewel at my hip¡ªdim, but still glowing. I had some time left.


    I knew that if I was going to lose consciousness and bleed out, I had to break it now, call them all here¡ªbut after a minute or so of channeling my new mana and essence into [Life Magick] and healing myself, it became obvious that I would survive.


    Soon mana began to seep back into the clearing, and I channeled it into myself and [Life Magick]. The slow, steady supply of healing was enough to keep me alive, healing some of the deeper damage of the gashes that Palefang had made.


    I spent a minute or more covering Palefang¡¯s body, first gathering the fallen snow and packing it over him into a layer of ice, then covering that with a thick layer of earth. With luck, scavengers would focus on the feast around my makeshift tomb instead of breaking into it.


    Later, the body could be recovered and healed, then used by our artisans and enchanters. Objects remembered the lives they had led, and Palefang¡¯s parts would be well-suited to quite a few different kinds of magical enchantments.


    I was tempted to use the boons: a [Lightning 3] had quite a lot of potential, in my hands. But I could break them and use the resulting keys if I really had to¡ªotherwise they, along with all the other boons and essence I had gathered, were for the colony. Leveling myself to the maximum was my prerogative. Other than that, Hasina would decide what I got to keep.


    Looking at the boons, I also had to wonder: no [Behemoth]? Had he really grown that large from primeval mana and natural size alone?


    In the meantime there was no primeval convergence to worry about¡ªthat had ended when Palefang had cast his blizzard, and ended in my favor. A few creatures had apparently tried to return after the fright of the lightning had worn away¡ªbut the freezing cold had killed the smallest of them, leaving a ring of corpses just outside the fallen mushrooms. Everything else had likely been driven back.


    I gathered the broken pieces of my equipment bundled them into my jerkin, awkwardly clipped the bundle to my baldric, and began to run along the roots once more. I avoided all the creatures who came for me. I was faster than they were, and could easily sense them coming.


    As I ran, I channeled as much mana into my [Life Magick] skill as I could. When I spied the cliff at the end of the swamp, I had healed every serious injury and restored all my lost blood. All that remained was to mend my split and torn skin.


    I climbed one of the trees, using [Frost Magick] to generate hand and footholds when I needed them¡ªbut this was mostly unnecessary. The bark of the trees was rough, and I was strong enough now to throw my weight up the side of the tree with ease.


    I kept checking the jewel, watching my remaining minutes drain. I reached the crown of the tree, leapt to a nearby cliff, then climbed that until I was back on the slopes of the mountain that I¡¯d first arrived on.


    I searched for a spot to break the jewel, scaring away the occasional flying lizard with shards of ice and still funneling my [Life Pool] into healing my cuts, scrapes, and bruises. I cursed as I ran, my gaze extended as far into the earth as I could manage. The slopes were a better place to call my people than the swamp had been, but I¡¯d been hoping¡­


    The jewel¡¯s light turned yellow¡ªa sign that it was almost depleted¡ªjust as I found what I¡¯d been searching for. It was a cave-mouth hidden in the red mist, a craggy opening that blended so well with the mountain around it that it would have been hard to see even without the mist keeping it hidden.


    But I could sense the mana of the mist penetrating the rock with my gaze. As I approached, I began to discern a large cavern inside¡ªand then I heard the rush of falling water. Palefang had been strong with the [Wild Bond], but he¡¯d still been limited to a range of just under a kilometer at full focus, I was sure. I¡¯d expected his lair was somewhere near the place where I¡¯d arrived.


    I went inside, then conjured a witchlight and did a quick search of the cave.


    It was roughly divided into three areas. The floor of the cave was a depression of packed earth with a pool in its center, one that was fed by a waterfall above and that drained via stream through a passage eroded into the lower cave wall. Rough stone pillars rose up around the pool to support the middle level, a flat expanse of stone that was big enough fit dozens of houses. The highest level was a smaller ledge that jutted out from the cave wall, home to both a pile of bones that Palefang had collected and a well-worn patch of dry vines that I guessed was his bed. Above all this was a large hole in the roof of the cave that served as the entrance for the waterfall. The cave walls were covered in a bright blue moss, bathing everything in a ghostly light. Red mist filtered in through both entrances, but thinned and faded the further one got inside, making the air mostly clear.


    I grinned as I looked it all over. Water and shelter¡ªas good as I was going to find in such a short time. The largest open area was the middle level, so I conjured a witchlight there, then broke the jewel by smashing it against the ground.


    Glowing tendrils of blue light burst out from where the gem broke, filling the cave around me before coalescing into thousands of tiny points. Their light built in intensity, then flashed as the spell within the warp jewel concluded¡ªand I was suddenly surrounded by more than two and a half thousand elves.


    I looked around at my people, took them in, and smiled.


    ¡°Welcome to the new world.¡±

 2.01: Past the Point of No Return

    I looked around the cave and took in the elves. All of them were wearing the same composite leather armor that I had been when I arrived. All of them were armed with a spear, and most of them had bows. I¡¯d insisted on this equipment in case I wound up calling them into danger, but for now we were safe.


    ¡°I want everyone to be quiet while I speak for a few moments,¡± I said, making my voice reverberate through the cave. ¡°First, If any of you are injured, or feel ill, or feel that something is off after making the journey, speak up and see the healers immediately. I don¡¯t expect that the warp spell worked any differently than it should have, but for now I want to be sure. Is anybody hurt?¡±


    I paused, and nobody answered. Still, I saw motion in the crowd around¡ªand then Mishlo, the head healer, stepped forward. He was a short, frail-looking man with a long braid of brown hair, and he was wearing the same set of composite leather armor that I¡¯d arrived in. He put both his hands together, palms facing up, and held them out to me.


    I gave him one of my hands, and he wordlessly began to heal me, patching up the last of my scrapes and bruises and banishing all trace of exhaustion. While he did this he produced a cloth, wetted it with water that he condensed out of the air, and gave it to me to wipe the blood and grime from my face.


    I smiled and nodded to him once I¡¯d done this, then carried on addressing everyone else. ¡°You can all remove your helmets, we¡¯re safe now. I also want each of you to check and be sure that the spell has functioned as intended. You should all have retained your classes, but be level 0. You¡¯ll have your granted power and nothing else. Check to be sure this is true. While you all do that¡ªHassina, come here.¡±


    High Priest Hassina stepped forward, removing her helmet to reveal a long sweep of untidy white hair. I held my hands out, both together with my palms facing up. Hassina placed one of her hands in mine, and I clasped it, then gave her everything I¡¯d gathered: more than 250 000 essence and a huge bounty of boons.


    Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she shot me a wry look. A moment later, she gave something back.


    + [Lightning 3]!


    I¡¯d known she would, of course. But as the High Priest, it would be Hassina¡¯s job to manage essence and keys. I had the prerogative to take what I needed in the field, but in the course of normal operations, everything would move through her¡ªnot that she¡¯d refuse any of my orders in our current situation.


    ¡°Give some [Wild] keys to Luthiel, please,¡± I said. ¡°And some essence to get him to level 10.¡±


    The briefest flicker of surprise flashed across Hassina¡¯s face, but she moved to do as I¡¯d asked a moment later.


    I looked into the crowd and found Luthiel, the ex-archmage of Tel Telana, the capital of Aranar. He was a tall elf, only a half-foot shorter than I was, and his long hair was a frosty white-blue color. He was standing next to his wife Seriana¡ªthe new archmage. ¡°I¡¯m as certain as I can be that we¡¯re safe here,¡± I said. ¡°But I want you to keep watch while I explain¡ªyou already know everything I¡¯m going to say anyway.¡±


    Luthiel was one of the firstborn, like me. We were the only two in the colony, and only the two of us had [Sable Grace 20]. Combined with one of the [*Arcane 5] cores from his class, the [Wild] keys would make skills to help him extend his gaze and spot any predators that came upon us while I spoke.


    Choosing one of the seers to keep watch would have been more effective¡ªtheir [*Sight] cores formed abilities that gave much better bonuses to extending one¡¯s gaze. But Luthiel had higher [Focus] from [Sable Grace], and he was [Arcane Champion], with a granted power similar to my own [Primeval Power 30]. His [Arcane Resonance] increased the effect of his [Focus], which gave him an overall lengthier gaze than even the seers.


    I heard some murmuring as Hassina gave him the keys, whispers that were so quiet that even I couldn¡¯t make them out. I could guess at what was being said, however, by their unpleasant tenor.


    Luthiel was a traitor now, after all.


    And he was still awaiting judgment for what he¡¯d done.


    But then, so was I. I¡¯d insisted on utmost secrecy when I led them here, giving them very little to go on. Now that I had brought my people across the cosmos to a place they couldn¡¯t return from, I had much explaining to do.


    I waited a moment, then continued. ¡°Now,¡± I began. ¡°As you all know, I¡¯ve asked more from you than anyone could have a right to ask. I¡¯ve kept many secrets, and I¡¯ve made vague promises of miracles to come. Most of all, I¡¯ve traded away the greatest treasures that our people have ever possessed¡ªthe last two manahearts.¡±


    I looked around at their attentive faces, then at Luthiel, who sat gazing into the distance. As champions, he and I had each wielded one of the manahearts, but they hadn¡¯t really belonged to us. They¡¯d belonged to all the elves, and only by a two-thirds majority vote had I been allowed to trade them away for my purposes.


    ¡°I told you that I wanted you to come on a journey with me, and that we would not return for centuries at least. I promised you all that once you knew the whole truth of what I intended, you would agree that I had done the right thing. Well, now it is time for me to tell all¡ªand when I¡¯ve finished, it will be time for you to judge me.¡±


    I drew in a deep breath, looking around at their attentive faces and thinking on how best to explain myself, then looked up at the ceiling of the cavern and decided where I would begin.


    ¡°I traded the manahearts to Kalak, King of Crossroads, the god of trade and travel.¡±


    I let this revelation pass through them, but spoke again before their whisperings could grow too loud. ¡°I traded the manahearts for two things,¡± I announced. ¡°The first was passage here¡ªand that is where I will begin: where, exactly, is here?¡±


    I reached out with my [Frost Magick], conjuring a pure, clear sheet of ice that stretched across the roof of the cavern and was anchored to the walls. Then I began to scratch markings into it, scraping away little flurries of frost that sprinkled down on me as I drew a familiar shape.


    While I drew upon the ice, I spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll ask most of you to have patience with my explanation,¡± I said. ¡°There are children among us, and so I won¡¯t be brief. I want all of you to understand what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    I didn¡¯t look over at the crowd of children as I spoke. I didn¡¯t want to see them. Elf-children were rare: when the wild elves of Aranar had children, they almost always chose to move and raise them beneath the boughs of Ellistara, the nurturing tree, so that their young ones could grow up alongside other elves their own age.


    But Ellistara was far from Tel Telana. When the Doom of Aranar had come, the inhabitants of Ellistara¡ªthe children and their parents¡ªhad only survived because of the intervention of my husband, Alcuon.


    Alcuon had ensured that all of them had made it out, but the spell he¡¯d used had been one of sacrifice. The act had cost him his life.


    A worthwhile trade. And one that made me never want to have to look at any of those children again in my life.


    I sighed and tried to focus on the task at hand as I finished my makeshift, ice-writ map. It was a long, curved line, thick at first but thinning as many more, smaller lines split away from it, some of them splitting again. Everywhere these small lines ended, I drew a circle¡ªa realm.


    ¡°No doubt you all recognize the River of Realms,¡± I began, gesturing to the map. ¡°It is the conduit which brings essence from its divine source to the many realms we know. The Divine Wind pushes the essence along the course of the river, whose many forks siphon essence into the River¡¯s distributaries, all of which end at the phase points of the many realms. Once the essence reaches such a point, it phases to the world in question and is distributed evenly across that realm¡¯s living creatures.¡±


    As I spoke, I traced a path from the thickest part of the river that I¡¯d drawn to the circle that represented the most populous realm in the cosmos, Thanaxes.


    There I lingered, and I had no doubt that everyone present knew why. The closest world to Thanaxes had been Aranar, our home¡ªwe had shared a two-pronged distributary. But I hadn¡¯t drawn Aranar.


    Aranar was gone.


    ¡°To understand how we were brought here, you must understand the nature of the River,¡± I continued. ¡°In the River, essence isn¡¯t instantaneously absorbed by life¡ªin fact, loose essence can¡¯t be absorbed. It acts more like a fluid substance, hence why the Divine Wind can push it along its path at all. The further one travels up the River, the stronger the current created by the Divine Wind becomes. What¡¯s more, the essence we absorb and hold as we gain levels and keys is also pushed by the Divine Wind, albeit not as forcefully. All of this means that traveling up the River, against the Wind, is difficult. Past a certain point, it becomes impossible. And that point¡­ is here.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I drew a thick bar through the beginnings of the River on the map I¡¯d made in the ice. ¡°Nobody knows what¡¯s past this point, because nobody has ever gone past it. Even without considering the Divine Wind, it is dangerous: the aether whales are more numerous, more aggressive, and of greater size the further one travels up the River.¡±


    I gestured toward Thanaxes again. ¡°The further up the River of Realms and the closer a realm is to the point of no return, the more essence it receives from the River. Thanaxes is close, and so it prospers. So many things come easier to those of high level who have essence to spare¡ªagriculture, medicine, construction, exploration and discovery. A bountiful realm is a great gift indeed. Now see:¡±


    I reached out into the ice and began to draw again, extending the River of Realms back past the line of no return. Slowly, I drew until I had almost doubled the length of the River, then stopped, drew another distributary, and marked another world. As I did this, I heard murmurs of disbelief around me, growing louder as the River grew longer.


    ¡°We are here,¡± I said. ¡°Far, far past the point of no return.¡±


    I waited as this sank in, a steady murmur of sound rising around me as the people spoke amongst themselves. But after a while, I raised a hand, waited for them to quiet, and spoke again.


    ¡°And so you see,¡± I said. ¡°When I promised that we wouldn¡¯t be returning for centuries at least, I told the truth. We don¡¯t know how to build a craft that could take us safely to Thanaxes, let alone one that could return here by traveling against the force of the Divine Wind. For a long time, this world will be the only world we know.¡±


    Again I waited and let my words settle on the gathered elves, their murmurs building around me. It was one thing for them to believe that they wouldn¡¯t be going home, but now they knew the seemingly insurmountable obstacle that made it so.


    ¡°As for the spell that brought us here,¡± I said. ¡°I know many of you are more knowledgeable on the subject of warp magic than I am, and so I apologize for the simplistic explanation I will give. But when you send someone from realm to realm via warp spell, you send them as a sort of magical parcel, one that moves so fast that its speed is functionally instantaneous. And whether it travels against the current or with it, this parcel is degraded by the Divine Wind. Enough degradation and the spell scatters, destroying whatever it contains. The more essence the parcel contains, the greater the degradation¡ªhence why it¡¯s easier to send those of low level via warp magic than those of a high level.¡±


    I traced the line along the River that ran from Thanaxes, where we¡¯d left, to where we were now, creating another small shower of glittering frost.


    ¡°In order to travel this far, we had to be stripped of almost all our essence. And even stripped of all our keys, pared back to first level, a warp spell to bring all of us across this great distance was far, far beyond the abilities of even the most powerful mage or council of mages. Thus, I asked Lord Kalak, King of Crossroads, God of Trade of Travel. As a god, the spell was well within his abilities.¡±


    Again I paused to let them take it in. I imagined that at least some of them were confused, or even angry: I had traded our people¡¯s priceless artifacts for a teleportation spell, after all.


    ¡°Now, I must clarify something: this distance we have traveled is not the limit of Kalak¡¯s abilities, but rather the limit of the value I traded him. I could have asked that he let us keep our essence, but this would have meant traveling a much shorter distance, barely making it past the point of no return. But this was not suitable to my ends¡ªwhich brings us to the second part of our bargain.¡±


    Would they forgive me when they found out what I¡¯d been trying to buy? There was only one way to find out.


    ¡°If all of you query the Verse for details regarding your species, you will see that something has changed¡ªnone of us can currently conceive.¡±


    I did as I¡¯d asked them to in the same moment.


    ?¡ªYour Species:


    [Elf]


    Your sight and hearing are supernaturally enhanced.


    Your agility and grace has been supernaturally enhanced.


    You have the capacity for further supernatural enhancement.


    You are immortal. You will not age after reaching maturity.


    Your reproduction has a supernatural component:


    Slowly, you will produce an [Elvish Gift of Life]. To conceive a child, you must mate with another elf who possesses an [Elvish Gift of Life]. Both gifts will be expended when you conceive.


    You can give an [Elvish Gift of Life] to another elf who does not have one. Holding one such gift halts the production of another.


    You have produced 41% of an [Elvish Gift of Life]. You will never complete this process.


    Gasps of shock began to fill the cave around us, but the Verse had told me what I¡¯d expected. Normally, it took just over 160 years to make an [Elvish Gift of Life].


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± a man asked, standing. It was Larash, one of my berserkers. ¡°I had a gift!¡± he said. ¡°It was complete! Now I have eight-tenths of one¡ªand it will never be complete?¡±


    ¡°Sit down, Larash,¡± I said.


    He sat.


    ¡°I will explain,¡± I continued. ¡°We pay a price for our immortality,¡± I said. ¡°Creating another immortal takes an excruciating length of time¡ª160 years. As you all well know.¡±


    If it was possible to get their attention more than I had, I had done it. The cave became completely silent, and the elves around me looked raptly on. They could guess where this was going.


    I¡¯d promised them a miracle before I¡¯d left, after all.


    ¡°If you look, you can see another new sentence when the Verse describes our species. ¡®You have the capacity for further supernatural enhancement¡¯. That is what the Verse tells me; I assume you all can see some similar phrase. I had Kalak change us when he warped us to this place,¡± I said. ¡°160 years is what it takes to foster the magic that makes a new immortal with enhanced senses and grace. It should take almost 200 years to foster the magic that makes an elf with this one, added quality¡ªand yet that quality itself is eating up the innate magic that normally goes toward our [Elvish Gift of Life].¡±


    I rolled my shoulders, looking up at the ice map above me for a moment. ¡°I can finish it,¡± I said. ¡°I can bestow further supernatural power upon us, now that Kalak has added the capacity for it. I¡¯ll need a kingdom¡¯s wealth in essence and cores, but I can do it.¡±


    I looked back down at my people. Swept my gaze slowly over them. I could see the hope in their eyes.


    ¡°And when I do,¡± I said. ¡°We will not only be more powerful than we ever have been, but we will foster a new [Elvish Gift of Life] in less time than the eleven months it takes to carry a baby to term.¡±


    Gasps spread through them like a long sigh. A few hands came up to cover mouths. Some laughed, and some cried out. Soon I was raising my hand to silence them yet again¡ªthough I had to wait a long while before it was quiet enough that I could speak.


    Now my voice was slow, haggard. ¡°Most of you know that my husband, Alcuon, died in the Doom.¡± I held my gaze steady, avoiding a glance toward the children of Ellistara. ¡°This was our dream. I¡­ we¡­.¡±


    I let out a long sigh. ¡°I have lost two worlds, now,¡± I said. ¡°Two husbands. Three children. All my children¡­ and the elves¡­.¡±


    I froze for a moment. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡ªmy speech should culminate in triumph, not despair. But memory was depthless, and my thoughts were dragging me down like an anchor.


    ¡°There are perhaps fewer than thirty thousand of us left across the cosmos,¡± I said, my voice quiet.


    Dead silence filled the cave again. Two months ago there had been almost three million of us. And almost all of them had been on Aranar.


    Ninety-nine percent.


    In my mind¡¯s eye I saw a wall of black smoke that was as tall as the sky, streaked with red flames that boiled beneath its surface¡­.


    ¡°I asked Kalak what it would cost to lay the foundations of power, to complete only those parts of the ritual that I knew I could not, and then to send us to a primeval world as far away as the remainder of the two manahearts I traded him could buy,¡± I said, voice rising again. ¡°This plan has long been in the making. Alcuon and I were trying to find some other way to pay this cost than the manahearts, to take only colonists who had trained to come here. But now¡ªnow I act in desperation because we are desperate.¡± I looked at the elves before me, willing them to understand. ¡°We are desperate and bereaved and shattered and angry and lost,¡± I said, my voice becoming an impassioned cadence. ¡°And there must be a way forward.¡±


    I saw heads nodding around me. I saw many faces streaked with tears. And I also saw that many elves were still, and regarded me with inscrutable faces.


    ¡°This world,¡± I said, ¡°Is so far from our old part of the cosmos that divination magic could never hope to reach us. And even if it did, the primeval mana in the air would scatter it and render it useless. And because I kept so much of this plan a secret from you, nobody knows we¡¯re here¡ªand no one will. If the Doom of Aranar came because someone wished to destroy us, then we are as safe from them here as I can possibly make us.¡±


    I looked around at all of them. ¡°What¡¯s more, this world is steeped in essence. It has power that I need to complete my ritual, power beyond any that our people have ever known. On this world we can be safe, prosperous, and numerous. I traded our manahearts and kept our secrets for this end¡ªthat we thrive, here, in a way that no other denizens of the known cosmos ever have.¡±


    I held my hands out, bloodied palms facing them. ¡°Now you know all,¡± I said. ¡°Why I traded the manahearts, why I asked you to come without telling you my purpose, and finally the nature of the miracle that I promised you. And so once again I must ask what I asked you on Thanaxes. Will you still follow me?¡±


    The first to stand was Archmage Seriana.


    ¡°I will follow you!¡± she cried, voice resounding through the cave.


    Very quickly the rest of the elves were standing, echoing her cry, until the roar of their voices filled the cave around me. Suddenly they were surging forward, touching me and saying prayers, grabbing my hands and thanking me.


    I still had them.


    And why not? I was Aziriel, mightiest among the elves. I was one of the firstborn, winner of a thousand battles, she was trusted to lead them to peace through victory, a figure who stretched far, far back into legend.


    Idolatry and hope formed a dangerously strong alloy. I knew because I¡¯d taken advantage of it before.


    And it was time to get to work.

 2.02: The High Council

    I waited for the uproar to die down, and as soon as I felt it fading I raised a hand for silence. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll outline the plan in brief and then we can get started. First, Hassina has about two hundred and fifty thousand essence along with some boons.¡±


    Various cheers and sounds of amazement went up from the gathered elves, and I was soon raising a hand for silence yet again.


    ¡°On a related note: this cave was the lair of a mighty beast that expired only recently, a cat named Palefang. His urine and feces are likely deterring most potential predators from coming to check on us even if they can hear or sense us, but that¡¯s not something I want to count on. The plan is to fortify this position and build our strength while we scout out a location for a permanent settlement. This world¡¯s dangers are unknown to us, and so I also want backup settlements and clear paths we can all traverse to get to them in case we need to move quickly.¡±


    I turned my attentions to Hassina again. ¡°Two things I need right away. Have one of the weavers start enchanting a bow for me¡ªconjured arrows. And pick one of the shapers to give us a report on the quality of the [Air] aspect.¡±


    Hassina nodded. ¡°Fireesha and Galeena,¡± she said, picking elves out of the crowd. ¡°Get to it.¡±


    While Fireesha grabbed the cores and essence she would need from Hassina and Galeena began to murmur a spell, I continued.


    ¡°I want Hassina, Seriana, Valir, Zirilla, and Mirio with me for a moment. We¡¯ll choose a true high council once a permanent settlement is established, but until then, these five and I will do it.¡±


    I looked over the crowd and picked my next-most senior officer after Valir and Zirilla. ¡°Larash.¡±


    ¡°Lux Irovex!¡± He said, straightening immediately.


    He¡¯d used my official title. Unlike most species in the cosmos, elvish titles of high eminence were party unique to the person who bore them¡ªas immortals, the people in our highest positions of power rarely changed. ¡°Lux¡± essentially implied the rank of a queen or princess, and ¡°Irovex¡± was my own personal epithet. It meant sky-sunderer in Maian Elvish¡ªI¡¯d gotten it for throwing lightning bolts and killing dragons.


    Normal day-to-day usually saw few people other than my soldiers using my title except when they wanted to formally show respect¡ªbut I had a feeling I¡¯d be hearing a lot more in the days to come.


    ¡°Get everyone organized and get these bags unloaded,¡± I told Larash. ¡°I want squads and weapons stationed at the entrances to the cave. We¡¯ll have more orders for all of you shortly.¡±


    There was a bustle as Larash began shouting out orders and I pulled my people further toward the cave¡¯s entrance for a short council. We¡¯d brought a large number of supplies with us: not just weapons and armor but tools, books, seeds¡­ we¡¯d only been able to take a limited quantity of mass across the cosmos, but we¡¯d made it count.


    ¡°Valir,¡± I said, turning to him. He was one of the largest elves I¡¯d ever known. Primeval mana had mutated him just as it had me¡ªturning his blonde hair flame-red and growing him to a height of seven and a half feet. He had a broad face, his heavy jaw making his features seem more human than elven, and he always seemed to wear a neutral, almost disinterested expression. I could rarely tell what he was thinking.


    ¡°You¡¯re heading our defenses,¡± I told him. ¡°The bulk of our guards should be [Body] classes for now. At level 10, and with a few rank 1 cores, they¡¯ll have high enough attributes to solve a great deal of problems with arrows, spears, and shield walls. Support them with whatever other personnel you see fit to take.¡±


    He inclined his head. ¡°Lux Irovex.¡±


    ¡°Zirilla,¡± I said, turning to her where she had already been standing at my side. She was my head elementalist, and one of the few remaining sea elves, with many scales and pearls set into a huge head of wild, curly brown hair. Her typical expression was one of someone who was both bored, and holding back some sarcastic retort. It made her look much younger than she was: Zirilla, along with Luthiel, Seriana, and myself, was one of the only elves to remember our lost world of Maia.


    Our first lost world, now.


    Gods, I felt old.


    ¡°Work with Valir. Assign firedancers and stormcallers as he needs them, then get our channelers and waterweavers and make some mana wells ready to be used in case we need to defend this position. After that, supervise the earthmovers in making fortifications.¡± I turned to Hassina. ¡°Are we keeping the second [Lightning 3]?¡±


    Palefang had given two boons with [Lightning 3], after all¡ªand Zirilla was the natural choice to receive it.


    ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either for Zirilla or whoever she picks.¡±


    ¡°I pick me,¡± said Zirilla, mouth curling into a smile. ¡°Two [Lightning 3], Aziriel? Just what were you up to before we got here?¡± She eyed me up and down. ¡°I see you¡¯ve lost your spear and bow. Hard fight?¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± I told her. ¡°He didn¡¯t even get me down to my fists. But I¡¯ll tell you all about it later.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ who¡¯s the other [Lightning] key going to?¡± Zirilla asked.


    I paused to give her a flat look, then carried on as if she¡¯d said nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s make this cave safe,¡± I said. ¡°Steps to traverse the different levels are a better defensive feature than outside fortifications when the alternative is jumping and climbing ropes. It¡¯s dangerous enough outside, so let¡¯s make sure nobody is going to fall to their deaths because they tripped on a rock.¡±


    ¡°Steps and railings, coming right up,¡± Zirilla said.


    ¡°Ah¡ªLux Irovex?¡± It was Galeena, approaching us from out of the crowd. She was a high elf, with a shrewd face and a bob of silver hair. She was also our head coreshaper, responsible for stripping aspects out of the world to form skill keys in a delicate, controlled fashion that didn¡¯t waste any aspects the way I had when coalescing boons earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the air has been stripped of its [Air] aspect?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yes. Hard to give an exact proportion, but maybe a tenth to a fifth is usable? We¡¯ll have to siphon quite vigorously if we want to capture some [Air] keys.¡±


    Zirilla¡¯s expression became serious¡ªa rare face for her to wear. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not good.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I told her grimly. ¡°Once the defenses are even a little stable, work with Hassina to start siphoning.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zirilla said slowly. ¡°Of course, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Intelligent air elementals,¡± I said. ¡°I know. We¡¯ll handle that particular problem once we¡¯re in the air, though.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    I turned to Mirio. ¡°Mirio.¡± I smiled. ¡°You look nervous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inexplicable, given the circumstances,¡± he said, glancing away from me. Mirio, our new Archdruid, was a tall, slender man with ice-blue hair and a thin, pretty face.


    My greeting had been something of a joke¡ªMirio always looked nervous.


    He had not been a popular appointment, and while there were many faults to be found in him, his unpopularity stemmed from one simple fact: he was eighty. Sometimes, he acted more like he was forty. I didn¡¯t envy the position I¡¯d put him in¡ªhe¡¯d spent the last few weeks having every one of his actions sharpshot by critics looking to show his unworthiness.


    But you don¡¯t often find wildhearts in the city, and the ones who¡¯d worked as teachers at Ellistara were mostly rookies. Hence why I¡¯d chosen Mirio: everyone else was dead.


    ¡°If I may say something¡­.¡± he hazarded.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Mirio began speaking, and as he did so, the same thing that always happened when he spoke about his job happened: he lost sight of himself, got absorbed in his thoughts, and slowly inflated with confidence.


    ¡°The mana here is twenty-six percent primeval,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s both more dense and more highly concentrated than any we¡¯ve seen in a natural environment. Convergences arise as a possible defense mechanism above a threshold of four percent primeval concentration. Given all that¡­ I¡¯m worried that this world could be past some second threshold we¡¯ve never witnessed. The convergences here could work differently than on Aranar, or there could be some other defensive adaptation using the [Wild Bond], one that we have heretofore never witnessed but that adds an unknown risk factor.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a reasonable worry. Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think we can¡¯t be too cautious,¡± he said. ¡°For now, I really don¡¯t think anyone should leave this cave except you. Even assuming normal convergences, a monster who hunts with the [Wild Bond] could fly overhead, detect us, and bring an army to our door. Now, you triggered a convergence and should have been assimilated into the local ecosystem when it failed to kill you. But I still think we should be ready.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said. ¡°The convergence I triggered didn¡¯t exactly run to its fullest conclusion¡ªmy battle with the cat who used to live here interrupted it.¡±


    Mirio frowned. ¡°Interrupted¡­ the whole thing? All of the creatures were pushed back?¡±


    ¡°There was lightning. And everything was deathly cold for a while.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Ah. Well, as long as you didn¡¯t flee, that should¡ª¡± he seemed to catch himself. ¡°Ah, sorry, Lux Irovex. You know all this.¡±


    I regarded him for a moment. ¡°I want you to sit with Luthiel as he keeps watch,¡± I said. ¡°You both see far¡ªhelp direct him in where he¡¯s pointing his gaze. Both of you can dig into the minds of the creatures around us. Assess threats.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªyes, Lux Irovex.¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked, arching a brow, daring him to object to being assigned to work with the traitor.


    ¡°No!¡± he said quickly. ¡°No, no of course not. I¡¯ll go see Luthiel.¡±


    ¡°As for your recommendation,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be the only one going outside until we can get me in the air. At that point we can send out hunting parties while I sit atop the nest, ready to be dispatched if they run into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°That sounds, ah, good.¡±


    ¡°And put the rest of the wildhearts under Valir¡¯s command. In time they¡¯ll be our biggest asset¡ªbut it¡¯ll be a while before we can reliably communicate with the wildlife here to do anything other than spy them out and kill them. And the animal spirit skills are all so costly¡ªwe have limited mana keys to support them with.¡±


    ¡°I most definitely agree, Lux Irovex.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. I turned to Seriana, our new archmage. She was tall, slender, and had a head of straight, neatly-cut black hair that was shot through with streaks of a bright, vivid green.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get the rest of the seers to divide the area around us into wedges and keep watch with Mirio and Luthiel,¡± I said. ¡°And there¡¯s a stash of bones on the upper level of the cave that I¡¯m sure the weavers will be interested in. Apart from those two things, we¡¯re going to need to enchant our bows¡ªspare some [Weave] classes to ensure there¡¯s at least enough aspect in some of them to get started.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°And if I may,¡± she added, ¡°I have a few personnel who I think could do work on composing some deterrent spells with runework¡ªfire, mostly, but possibly some conjured caltrops and the like.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Handle it however you need to.¡± I glanced around us, then lowered my voice. ¡°And let Ranival know that we¡¯ll be furnishing his people with [Decay Magick] as soon as we have the keys. After that, we¡¯ll have them in the field¡ªbut when we find a permanent settlement, they¡¯ll be a crucial part of our defenses.¡±


    Seriana nodded slowly, her face impassive. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it.¡±


    Ranival and his people were our white necromancers. Classes with [*Death] cores were typically not something that most people had any desire to live alongside¡ªthey were extraordinarily dangerous, and their magic could motivate them toward heinous acts. But Ranival and his people were proven elves of principle¡ªelves whose names needed no polish.


    I turned to Hassina. ¡°Approximate key distribution?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to the [Body] classes first, then ensuring that the odd [Sight], [Fire], [Lightning], [Frost], and [Life] class is keyed up to be combat-ready while saving pretty well all our [Mana] and [Missile] keys for bows.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. I nodded, then added: ¡°I know you¡¯ve got numbers, Hassina. Let me have them..¡±


    ¡°2 655 elves, not including yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Average tier of class is 2.7. So: 717 000 to get them all to level 5. For level 10, 1 577 000 essence. All told, about 2.3 million essence to get us started, though you¡¯ve put a dent in it with your 260 000.¡±


    ¡°A dent.¡±


    Hassina flashed a smile at me. ¡°Come now, Aziriel. We both know you could have tried a little harder out there.¡±


    Mirio¡¯s head snapped over to Hassina, his mouth agape. Everyone else, though, was used to her jokes, and gave her remark little attention.


    Hassina made a show of sighing with regret. ¡°In any case, getting keys to fuse with all our cores is more important than gaining levels¡ªand that¡¯s going to take twelve and a half thousand keys, assuming one per core. Counting two thousand bows, we¡¯ll need sixteen and a half thousand keys¡ªan essence value of 8.2 million.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°Nothing she didn¡¯t know coming in, I suppose.¡± She looked around us, at the walls of the cave. ¡°We can fortify this place easily, but the lack of soil and foliage on the slopes just outside have me worried about flooding¡ªunless it¡¯s the mists that strip the soil, not rain. How long do you intend us to stay in this place, Aziriel?¡±


    ¡°Depends on circumstances, but ideally not more than a week.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me, then,¡± said Hassina, ¡°that we may well find ourselves moving to a more permanent settlement only after we¡¯ve gotten the essence¡ªbut before we¡¯ve gotten the keys. Not ideal.¡±


    ¡°No, but it can be done,¡± said Valir. ¡°We¡¯ll still have elven arrows, air power, the right support and a few strong champions to divert the attentions of any divergences. If the terrain is right, all the better.¡±


    ¡°It can be done,¡± I agreed. ¡°Now, as I see it there¡¯s a lot more that can be said, but we¡¯ve covered what we need to for now. Start picking the people you need and get to it. I¡¯ll sort my own keys out with Hassina, then get hunting. But one more thing before you go.¡±


    I looked around at each of them. ¡°Every one of you is responsible for keeping up morale. We have momentum, now. We have a shared vision of what the future should be and the knowledge that we can work together to bring it about. I know I don¡¯t need to tell any of you the great value to be found in that truth, and how much we all need it. Now: take what Hassina can give and get started.¡±


    They nodded, then each took turns laying their hand in Hassina¡¯s gathered palms. I watched them all as they first touched her hands, then made the minute posture changes that always seemed to accompany a sudden growth in power¡ªthe straightened back, the slow, satisfied inhale, the gentle nod. Then they split off to start assigning tasks to their various personnel.


    I took Hassina over to a nearby wall, then used my [Frost Magick] to write my skills and attributes on conjured sheet of ice.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said, looking it over. ¡°You¡¯re completely physical.¡±


    ¡°Circumstances sort of called for it.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d make a high [Channel] and then pummel everything with circle magic.¡±


    ¡°I did that,¡± I said defensively. ¡°Just without the high [Channel].¡±


    She shot me a bemused look. ¡°All on natural abilities? The ancient master of primeval spellcraft showed her quality, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford to be fragile once the intelligent spellcasting cat appeared,¡± I said. ¡°As it happens, being strong enough to leap thirty meters and agile enough to dodge a flurry of falling leaves is a good foundation for a spellcaster. Physical attributes are defensive as well as efficiently offensive.¡±


    ¡°Efficiency? We¡¯re bathing in free mana. And if you want some more numbers, your [Channel] is a hundred and forty percent more powerful than everyone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°A little more than that,¡± I said, glancing at the board.


    She made a show of rolling her eyes. ¡°Sorry if I missed the last four percent, Lux Irovex.¡±


    ?¡ªYour [Primeval Resonance]: 108% Effective, 54% Base


    With my 40% primeval mana, I channeled 148% faster¡ªthey didn¡¯t multiply together, just added. ¡°You missed eight percent, actually.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well sorry I missed the other last four percent, then.¡±


    ¡°And my [Primeval Power] makes my attribute increases very strong. With a good bow, and infinite arrows¡ª¡±


    Hassina sighed. ¡°Look, Aziriel. You¡¯re my friend, all right? I know you¡¯re not perfect¡ªyou don¡¯t have to work so hard to justify your mistakes to me.¡±


    I glared at her. My glare is not an expression which is typically met with a mischievous smile, and yet Hassina did just that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve still got that [Mana 3] for your [Primeval Mana Hide] she said, nodding over to the list. Which¡ªI mean, we¡¯ve got a lot of options, but¡­ I¡¯m making that the priority.¡±


    ¡°Sensible,¡± I said. [Primeval Mana Hide] allowed one to passively absorb mana from anything touching their skin. In this environment, its strength would be grossly out of proportion with that of other skills. I¡¯d need the constant mana both to maintain flight and to throw lightning.


    ¡°The priority beyond that is getting you in the air, naturally,¡± said Hassina. She nodded to herself. ¡°Okay, I want you to take 12 [Bird], 30 [Body], 12 [Water], 12 [Life], 9 [Armor], 4 [Mana], 3 [Missile] keys. You¡¯re turning [Wild Grace] into [Avian Grace] and then [Kite¡¯s Grace] once I¡¯ve got the keys. [Frost Magick] is becoming [Air Magick]. [Life Magick] is eventually getting replaced with [Primeval Mana].¡±


    ¡°No healing?¡± I asked.


    Hassina gave me a sidelong glance and a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve left the carcass of a giant cat somewhere for someone else to pick up?¡±


    ¡°I have. It¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s about five hundred meters down a nearby cliff. In the middle of swamp.¡±


    Now it was Hassina¡¯s turn to glare at me, slowly crossing her arms as she did so. She waited a few moments, then continued as if I hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°Your second binding can be a [Blood Magick] item, then¡ªa cloak or some teeth or something. It doesn¡¯t matter what his class was, Fireesha says that all dead primeval classes can make the blood hidden aspect.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± I said.


    Hidden aspects were composed of normal aspects¡ª{Blood} was made of [Body], [Life], and [Water]. Because [Life] was a subtype of [Wild], and [Water] was a subtype of [Elemental], almost every higher-tier class with any subtype of [Primeval] in its class cores could make the pure {Blood} skill, [Blood Magick].


    Enchanting used the innate aspects that an object had accrued through its history to support the essence and aspects that formed its permanent spell. A dead elementalist like Palefang could have his remains support stronger [Elemental]-themed enchantments than any random objects.


    When I¡¯d enchanted my matchbow with [Primeval Missile Conjuring], it had helped that I¡¯d killed a few things by launching arrows from it first. Fireesha would be getting me a much better-crafted enchantment, now, and with a less-used bow than the one Palefang had broken. She could do better than I could because she was a far more skilled enchantress than I was, and had a little more time to work with.


    {Blood} enchantments worked best on the remains of something that had once had a circulatory system, and the remains of a creature who had once wielded [Body], [Life], or [Water] aspects¡ªor any of their higher-order aspects. The more powerful the creature, the better. Palefang¡¯s bones or hide would make a good {Blood} binding, and so would those of any powerful creature to be found here.


    ¡°The bones you mentioned might even do it,¡± Hassina continued. ¡°The ones on the upper level, I mean. But [Primeval Mana] is easy to build onto, and we can probably get away with just that and the manahide when it comes to getting you the mana you need to support flight.¡± She paused, worked her mouth. ¡°You know that counting [Surge of Might], you¡¯ve got five attribute increasers?¡±


    ¡°Look at the attributes, though.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± she said, glancing at the wall where I¡¯d written them. ¡°But we¡¯re agreed that you¡¯re pivoting into spellcasting now, right? Your absurd five-count will keep you in physical attributes for a while now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re agreed,¡± I said.


    ¡°Just think,¡± said Hassina, spreading her arms. ¡°Imagine how many ancient, powerful beings there are on this world, each locked in a constant struggle for survival, each having cultivated a deadly set of skills and instincts that won¡¯t matter at all when your lightning kills them instantly. Here.¡±


    She held out her hands, palms together.


    I placed my hand in hers.


    + [Mana 3]


    ¡°All right, well it looks like this is your bow,¡± said Hassina, nodding to where Fireesha was making her way towards us, matchbow in her hands.


    ¡°Lux Irovex,¡± Fireesha said, presenting the bow.


    ¡°Thank you, Fireesha. I¡¯ll be putting this to use directly.¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re gone I¡¯ll work on things to fill your other two bindings,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to be out for more than an hour,¡± I said. I was, to be honest, looking forward to the other bindings¡ªFireesha knew her art well, and a bound enchantment was at least as powerful as a skill.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Fireesha said, inclining her head. ¡°Good hunting, Lux Irovex.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hassina said, loudly enough that most of the cavern could hear. ¡°Good hunting!¡±


    Suddenly the call was echoed by everyone in earshot as I moved toward the mouth of the cave and took one of the spears they¡¯d started stockpiling there. I shot Hassina a flat look.


    It¡¯s for morale, she mouthed.

 2.03: Good Hunting

    The first thing I did once I was out of the cave was build what was arguably my favorite skill after [Primeval Power]:


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Lightning 3] to create the skill: [Lightning Magick 8]


    [Lightning Magick 8]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Lightning 3]


    You can ignite airborne mana within your claim to create lightning.


    Lightning transfers the power of all mana it ignites into its endpoint, which then jumps to the densest source of mana it can reach. The maximum jump distance is determined by the total mana consumed by the lightning.


    You can extend your claim through dense patches of mana and their immediate surroundings. You don¡¯t suffer any distance penalty for extending your claim in such a fashion.


    Lightning requires more [Focus] to cast as the mana it ignites increases: insufficient focus will result in the lightning discharging early rather than consuming all of a line of mana.


    I smiled softly at my old friend as I walked out into the mists. The [Lightning] key being rank 3 meant that the skill could support two more keys, but I wanted to keep the skill pure. Hybrid lightning could be very powerful, but only the pure skill allowed one to push their claim through long tracks of mana, one of lightning¡¯s most powerful qualities.


    Only [Primeval], [Elemental], and [Lightning] keys would increase the rank of the skill without changing it¡ªand of those, only [Elemental] keys would be easy to find. Still, even at rank 8 the skill would be deadly, especially here.


    I took a moment to bind myself to my new bow:


    You bind: [Aziriel¡¯s Matchbow of Missile Conjuring]. You have 2 bindings remaining.


    Binding this item has granted you the [Conjure Primeval Missiles 7] skill.


    Just as my first bow had been, minus the fact that the enchantment was slowly degrading and grossly inefficient.


    Before I set out, I knew that I had two bestows left to spend:


    ?¡ªYour Bestows:


    1 [Bestow 12]


    1 [Bestow 14]


    I was building for [Air] and [Lightning], two highly consumptive forms of magic. Permanent flight, my current goal, meant spending mana slower than you replenished it, and so both of them went into [Source].


    You spend 1 [Bestow 12] to add 12 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 52.


    You spend 1 [Bestow 14] to add 14 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 66.


    That done, I had one more stop to make before setting out.


    Ahead of me was the same mist-ridden mountainside as before, still streaked with patches of glowing pink and green moss. I turned and climbed the small cliff that rose above the cave entrance until I found the source of the waterfall inside¡ªa small stream that emerged from the mists to run into a depression in the stone and then fell away through the cave¡¯s uppermost entrance.


    I found Mirio and Luthiel both seated next to this entrance next to a rope ladder that had been hung down into the cave.


    Luthiel stood as I approached. Arcane mana had changed him as much as primeval mana had changed me¡ªhis white hair glimmered with an ethereal light that was only just noticeable, and his eyes were a vivid indigo. As always, his expression told me nothing that he didn¡¯t want me to know¡ªcold and impassive, I had no idea what he was thinking as he looked at me.


    As one of the firstborn, Luthiel was essentially the closest thing I had to a brother¡ªand like many of us, we¡¯d embraced that bond. He was my brother. He should have been in my closest confidences, here on this new world.


    But now he was a traitor awaiting judgement. He couldn¡¯t be kept close to the center of things, and I didn¡¯t want to be seen speaking with him more than was necessary.


    Mirio saw him stand, then hastily followed suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m going key hunting,¡± I said to both of them. ¡°We need all manner of boons, but I need [Air], [Bird], and [Body] keys most of all right now. You two have the best idea of what¡¯s around us¡ªany idea where I should go?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡ª¡± Mirio began.


    ¡°We have little to tell you,¡± Luthiel said, his voice as steady and aloof as it always was. ¡°Many [Missile] aspects seem to linger above the mists, and many other creatures use the mists to hide from them. I¡¯d advise following the stream up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start there, then,¡± I said.


    I took off at a brisk trot, my strides lengthened by my powerful physical attributes. I intended to get a lay of the terrain around our temporary settlement before I came back.


    This cloud-layer of mist was several times thicker than the one that was hundreds of meters below it, but as I climbed the slopes it began to thin. Soon I could see the shadow of the slopes rising ahead of me, and soon after I began to emerge into a world that felt completely different than the one I¡¯d spent the last two hours in.


    More than two kilometers above me was yet another layer of cloud that blanketed the world, only this one glowed with pure, white light. Not only was it so bright that it was like stepping into daylight, but the colors of the world around me were reflected in full, vibrant hues. I saw the green of the trees that cloaked the mountain, the sparkling clarity of the stream ahead of me, the bright, sunny yellow of the flowers that grew in the field of coarse, blue-green grass to my left. It was like my eyes had come out of the bitter cold to warm myself at a cozy fireside.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I breathed, breaking into a smile.


    A shriek sounded from above me, and I looked up to see one of the web-winged flying lizards¡ªon Aranar they were called broadwings¡ªdiving toward me. Its orange skin and the green, glowing lines that covered its body like warpaint were now highly visible in the bright light.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I didn¡¯t need to worry about conserving my [Surge Pool], and so I surged [Strength] and launched an arrow at it, the missile striking the lizard¡¯s heart and burying itself in the creature¡¯s chest up to the fletching. Another two followed it as the creature lurched in the air, bringing it to the ground.


    + 1186 Essence, [Boon]


    I quickly checked and saw, to my disappointment, that there was no [Air] aspect in the boon. Then I searched the sky for more broadwings. I saw a few, but they were all too distant, each a small speck in my vision.


    I had another thing to take care of. Even if it had no [Air], the boon could still be useful:


    You break [Boon] to create a [Wild 1] skill key.


    You relinquish the [Animal Bond 6] skill, gaining a [*Primeval 5] skill core and 200 Essence.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Wild 1] to create the skill: [Wild Bond 6].


    After all, while I might sense a little farther with the more specific [Animal Bond], and [Life Magick] meant I could already trace the contours of the ground beneath grass or moss, [Wild Bond] would let me gaze into the minds of any hostile plants I encountered.


    Somehow, I expected I¡¯d eventually find some around.


    A haze still blanketed the world, making it hard to see distant sights. Still, I could see that other mountains rose up beyond the one that was nearest, other prominences that were lost in the higher cloudlayer.


    The field of bluish grass and flowers stretched away to my left, and I saw a pack of lizards grazing in the distance, then cut toward them while I recharged my [Surge Pool]. Not for the first time, I wished I could stop and examine everything I encountered¡ªthe yellow flowers around me, the grass that prickled my bare feet, the moss that still grew in patches here and there. But I knew I didn¡¯t have time.


    As I approached the lizards, the largest of them saw me, split off from the pack, then reared up in an intimidating display. It was a massive quadruped, ten feet tall at the hip. Its skin was striped with the same glowing lines that the sky lizards wore, though these were blue, not green. Its body seemed strangely shaped to me: a long, flat torso that flared out to either side of its neck and head. Its forehead, upper neck, and back were all plated with bony, spiked armor¡ªand spikes grew from the two protrusions that flared out from its shoulders, each sticking out next to its head.


    ¡°I see,¡± I murmured, not slowing my charge but holding off from shooting the creature for a moment while I watched.


    It fell back down onto all four legs, then inhaled air through not just its mouth, but several slits that opened along its sides. The bottom of its flat torso expanded, inflating¡ªand then the beast made a hissing sound as it shot its protruding spines toward me, one after the other.


    I¡¯d known they were coming, and could sense each with my gaze¡ªit was trivial for me to sidestep the missiles, moving economically so as not to disrupt my aim.


    Soon all of the creatures were forming up behind this largest one to launch more spikes my way, but I surged [Strength] once to bound forward, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. Then, picking one of the smaller ones in the back, I ran along its side and launched three arrows: one through an eye, one through its throat, and one through the ribs that lined its side.


    They had high [Aegis], because the arrows only sank six or eight inches¡ªand the one that I planted in its eye, less than that. But this only meant that their [Strength] and [Agility] were comparatively low, and I took full advantage of this, hanging close to the beast, using it as cover from the rest of its pack while it tried to lumber around to face me, slowly swinging its tail at me in an attack that was easy to simply leap over.


    I planted a half-dozen more arrows into its throat, which had seemed like the weakest point, then dismissed them so that blood ran from its neck in a steady stream.


    I backed away as the other lizards closed around me, leaping between them with ease and then making a few bounds to put myself at a distance before rounding on them and launching another dozen arrows.


    They still hadn¡¯t regrown their spines, but they didn¡¯t retreat, instead charging me. But it was no trouble for me to get clear of their path, then run around them, back to their dying brethren.


    + 218 Essence, [Boon]


    ¡°Useful,¡± I said. Looking into the boon, I saw that it was exactly what I¡¯d have expected: [Missile], [Armor], and the [Life] needed to replenish their biologically-made projectiles.


    But what I really wanted was to examine its internals¡ªI saw that my arrow to the eye hadn¡¯t killed it because of the shape of its skull and got a good sense of the angle of entry that I would want to use, now. I also saw that I could have gotten at its brain through the base of its jaw.


    I spent another minute with the pack, dispatching them in order from smallest to largest because I thought that would make them less likely to run. A [Surge of Might] combined with an arrow through the eye would kill them more or less instantly, and their slow speed made it easy to manage.


    In the end I¡¯d picked up six [Armor] keys¡ªnot enough to add to [Primeval Hide], but a good start.


    Of course, I¡¯d also left six massive carcasses in the middle of a field with no intention to dispose of them. Masses of decomposing bodies meant more than scavengers, they meant swarms of breeding insects that could carry disease. Our healers could deal with the disease well enough, but I wasn¡¯t keen on meeting the resulting bugs. With luck, the corpses would attract some things with [Bird] keys¡­ that I would make into yet more corpses.


    I scanned the field for another pack of the creatures, saw one in the distance, then set out toward them.


    In my many years, I¡¯d heard a lot of words for what I was doing: harvest, deplete, liquidate, slaughter¡ªall the same. In time, we¡¯d grow conservative, learn how to hunt and kill without severely upsetting the balance of a local ecosystem, but for now it was essence first.


    The philosophy of conservation was rooted in pride. You couldn¡¯t assign yourself the role of protecting something without believing, in some sense, that you had dominion over it. Only once we¡¯d reclaimed some of our old strength could we start working to preserve the world around us, taking only what the hills and forests could stand to lose.


    Until then, this was a struggle for survival. The only thing I cared about preserving were elven lives. I¡¯d burn every wild thing within a hundred miles to ash if it meant giving my people a better chance at survival.


    As I moved for the other pack, I sensed many creatures in burrows, small mammals with coarse, blue-green fur to match the grass around them, each of them leaping from their holes to attack as I approached¡ªand promptly being struck through by an arrow that carried enough force to throw them backward through the air. They gave no cores, but I needed all the essence I could get.


    I engaged the second pack much like I had the first, though now I killed them more quickly. Another one of the flying lizards dove for me, and I shot it through with several arrows and then watched it fall to the ground.


    A quick check showed that I¡¯d gathered enough [Armor]-containing boons to upgrade my [Primeval Hide], but I didn¡¯t have enough essence to fuse them into the three more [Armor 2] keys that I needed to combine with the one in my skill and make an [Armor 3].


    I¡¯d also strayed far enough from the colony that it was time to turn around. I cut back toward the mists, diverting my course a little to intercept a small group of three more of the missile-shooting lizards on the way.


    So far, rather disappointing. I¡¯d diverged from the stream, but I could see how far it stretched up the mountain¡ªand I could see that I¡¯d only be able to follow it a little longer through the coarse grass before I¡¯d feel the need to turn around again.


    Instead I headed for the mists, wanting to explore them until I found the very same place I¡¯d arrived at and could connect the mental maps I¡¯d made. It wasn¡¯t long before the grass had given way to course, moss-streaked tuff, the luminous red mist coming up around me.


    I saw a few of the small, bipedal lizards that I¡¯d briefly seen on my arrival, all of them fleeing at the sight of me much like they had before. Then I felt an animal with my [Wild Bond] whose presence made me smile. It was a great cat, one much like the sleek predator I¡¯d met when I first arrived. I looked in its direction, unable to see it through the thickening mist.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked.


    The cat charged, reached me, and pounced, appearing through the mist as a dark figure an instant before I put an arrow through the front of its skull, halting its momentum and causing it to fall limply to the ground.


    + 2125 Essence, [Boon]


    I carried on past it, eager to scout ahead.

 2.04: Strange Things in the Mists

    Palefang likely hadn¡¯t tolerated the presence of other superpredators like himself, and so I knew I was in for a slow harvest, made slower by the fact that I couldn¡¯t trigger a second convergence.


    I had to curse him. I¡¯d have always had to build up my physical attributes, but because of him I¡¯d gone all-in on them. If I had a bit more [Focus] right now it would be much easier to extend my gaze and find creatures to kill. This whole process would be faster.


    I treaded lightly through the mists for a while so that I could get a closer look at one of the tiny, bipedal lizards that I kept seeing scurrying around everywhere. It had a long beak, and as I watched it leaned down and stuck a long, thin tongue into the crevice at its feet, either lapping up some of the thick moss that grew there or searching its contents for whatever its food of choice was¡ªpossibly small insects.


    ¡°You¡¯re a clever little fellow, aren¡¯t you?¡± I murmured before shooting it through with an arrow and scaring away all of its kin. It gave a negligible amount of essence, but I wanted to see if it had a nearby parent watching over it.


    None came, and I moved on in disappointment, soon finding a stretch of slope that was dominated by clusters of large, jagged rocks that jutted out of the ground, each of them overgrown by a tangle of thick, green vines. The vine was covered in dark, many-pointed leaves that glowed with veins of reddish light. Small pink flowers dotted its twisting coils.


    I saw with my gaze that small, dense patches of mana had gathered around these flowers, and that they swirled with more of the characteristic frenetic energy that marked primeval mana than the mana in the air around them.


    Then I heard scuffing and skittering noises in the mist, and moved forward to investigate, detecting a great many tiny, four-legged creatures crawling across the rocks ahead with my [Wild Bond]. I saw their tiny shadows in a flash of lighting and moved toward them, intrigued.


    As I wandered deeper into the vine-covered rocky outcrops, a few of the tiny, crab-like creatures came into view. Each of them appeared as little more than four spindly legs supporting a spiraling, iridescent cone of a shell. They darted here and there over the vines, avoiding the flowers and the mana around them to lick up little beetles that crawled over the leaves with long, thin tongues.


    There were more than a hundred of the skittershells ahead of me, all of them moving between the vines. I took a few more steps into their midst, then sensed another creature at the edge of my gaze, something much larger. I focused a moment to extend my gaze in its direction, soon sensing a second one just behind it.


    Both of them were walking through the densest part of the skittershell swarm, slowly moving toward me. Soon I could see their shadows moving amidst the rocks¡ªthey looked like pony-sized spiky pyramids.


    There was a flash of orange light near one of their shadows, and a bolt of fire streaked toward me a moment later. I evaded it, feeling the air sizzle as it flew past me, then took shelter behind a rock as two more followed it.


    They were hurling fire. I could sense with my [Wild Bond] that they were animals, but they were manipulating mana more like elementals¡ªforming a magical missile wasn¡¯t something you typically found in beasts.


    I came out from behind my rock to get a good look at them. They walked on four, stocky legs and had sleek, black fur. Their heads had the tapered snout of a badger, and they were throwing firebolts by opening their mouths, shaping the spell in their throats, then belching it out at me.


    Most curious, however, was their armor¡ªtheir humped backs were covered in shells taken from the skittering little creatures around them that had seemingly been fused to their bodies. The conical shells covered almost everything, including most of their legs and their foreheads.


    I ducked back behind the rock. ¡°You two are just fascinating,¡± I said, smiling.


    Then I came back out with my bow drawn, surged [Strength], and loosed an arrow at the closest one¡¯s forehead. It ducked its head at the last moment, but this didn¡¯t matter: the arrowhead struck the edge of the shell and shattered it, sticking the creature through the skull.


    + 2382 Essence, [Boon]


    The second one let out a hideous moan before I put it down, too.


    + 1938 Essence, [Boon]


    Once they were both dead, the skittershells around me scattered¡ªperhaps they¡¯d been held in place with [Wild Bond]? I walked past the carcasses and extended my gaze to look for more, but found none. The little flowers that grew from the vine didn¡¯t have any mana gathered around them once I got a few steps behind the dead creatures, however, which led me to believe that the armored firebelchers had been drinking it up.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, leaning down to examine one. It had not only closed its petals, but the vine around it was blackened and burnt. Somehow they responded to fire.


    The boons both contained [Fire] skill keys, which was good: [Fire] keys were highly valuable both to deter wildlife and for industry. The fact that we could apparently get them without having to delve for fire elementals was a blessing: fire elementals were horridly dangerous, even for elementals. On Aranar we had bought our [Fire] keys from Thanaxians rather than delve for them ourselves.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I moved on, walking clear of the flower-studded vine and the jagged, upthrust rocks that it stretched across, keeping my ears and gaze open. Mostly, I found more of the tiny, moss-eating lizards that I guessed were what the cats ate.


    Then a group of the little moss-eaters appeared at the edges of my gaze, running toward me, fleeing something. I tensed a moment later: I could hear it in the mists, but not sense it with [Wild Bond].


    I crouched, ready to evade any sudden attack, then waited as I heard muffled grinding and scraping noises from the mist ahead of me. A strange silhouette appeared, one that may as well have been the shadow of a junkpile, just a tall lump with jagged contours.


    Cautiously, I approached until its figure emerged from the mists.


    Bones, vines, rocks, decomposing animals¡ªseemingly anything was stuck into the outer layer of the mound and partly absorbed into a wet, viscous layer of transparent slime that had me wondering if it was related to the ooze that I¡¯d seen earlier.


    I felt it reach its claim out into the air around it, and farther into the earth beneath us¡ªbut while it pushed hard against my own claim to take the stones beneath my feet, my attributes were far too high for it to have any chance of succeeding.


    I heard a sharp crack, followed by a volley of stone shards from the creature. I leapt back as they hissed through the air and burst into dust against the slopes behind me, then kept moving until the volley stopped, a distance of more than sixty feet, so far that I could barely see its outline in the mists.


    Then I reached out, shaping my claim to grab the air before me and then channeling the airborne mana that I found there. I added some of my own mana to form a line, pushing my claim into it with the help of my [Lightning Magick], laying mana and then claiming the space I had lain it in as fast as if I were laying the cobbles of a city street as I rode over them. My line of mana reached the air just before the creature and stopped¡ªI could push my claim no further.


    Then, with a practiced thought and a blaze of sudden sound and power, I ignited the mana, striking the creature with a deep red lightning-bolt. Through the mists, I watched half of the detritus in its outer layer of ooze fall away with a series of rough crashing noises.


    ?¡ªMana 205/600, 40% Primeval


    It fell forward, then began to lurch toward me with much greater speed than it had before. Now that it was free of much of its outer layer, I saw more slime undulating beneath the remaining hunks of detritus.


    Several more volleys of stone shards shot from the creature, now with better aim, but I avoided them by running in a circle around it, lunging with [Surge of Might] whenever another handful of stones was coming my way and channeling mana out of the air and into my body the whole time. I found a small boulder and took cover by lying flat against the ground behind it, then checked my mana:


    ?¡ªMana 451/600, 40% Primeval


    I began to form another line of mana, bending it to strike the ooze¡ªthere was no need for me to have line of sight when I could simply use mana to reach around things.


    I cast the lightning bolt, causing the air around us to flash as the sound of my spell boomed out across the slopes.


    ?¡ªMana 82/600, 40% Primeval


    I stuck my head out to take a look at the creature in time to see it eject all of its outer layer of detritus, then flop forward and begin to drag itself toward me with alarming speed. A moment later I ducked for cover as several more stones came hurling my way.


    I struck it with another lightning bolt, glad now that it was coming toward me¡ªless distance meant less mana. It shuddered, and there was smoke billowing off its amorphous form when I looked a moment later to see that it was still lurching toward me.


    I made a disappointed noise, then surged my [Strength] and bolted from behind my boulder, running away to more distant cover while I channeled more mana into my body. But like pretty well everything else I¡¯d met, this elemental ooze was slower than I was, and so I had an easy time leaving its range, absorbing a few hundred more mana, and then returning and striking it with another lightning bolt.


    This one had the desired result¡ªthe heap of ooze collapsed, becoming nothing but a smoking puddle that spilled out over the rocks.


    + 3180 Essence, [Boon]


    ¡°Hassina will appreciate this, I¡¯m sure,¡± I said, looking into the boon and seeing that it was second rank and held [Earth 2] as well as [Elemental 2]. There was an argument to be made for breaking the boon and using the [Elemental] key to upgrade my lightning, but I¡¯d only do that if I found it absolutely necessary.


    Still¡­ I¡¯d had to hit that thing four times with lightning bolts. It had taken me almost thirty seconds to kill it. Sure, I¡¯d done essentially nothing with my levels or skills to support [Lightning Magick]... but it was still lightning.


    I kept moving along the slopes, once again finding the cliff¡¯s edge, but this time following it as I made my way back. Soon I was looking down at a familiar view: the lights of the great trees, appearing almost like the lights of a city seen through a cloud. I even found the wall of crawling vines that led down to the very ledge I¡¯d stood upon when I first took in this new world. Lightning still flashed intermittently, revealing the shadows of distant mountains.


    A thought occurred to me as I looked down at the vines and thought of my earlier journey:


    The flowerfall.


    A hive of insects had been guarding the massive wall of strangling vines that I¡¯d seen earlier. If I wanted a dense cluster of essence, then a hive of flying insects that occupied a gorge which was over half a kilometer deep was a safe place to look. I knew where it was in relation to our cave, now. And it was close enough that I could get back to the cave fairly quickly if I needed to.


    As for the flowerfall¡­ the vines themselves had been feeding on creatures brought to them by the insects. I¡¯d hate to destroy such a thing of beauty, and I¡¯d certainly have to be careful going about it¡­ but the vine structure would likely yield a strong bounty, especially if it was all one entity. Destroying it was at least worth looking into.


    I could hunt birds in the crowns of the great trees when I had at least one [Air] key and a skysail to take me back up to the cave quickly in case of emergency. For now, I was hunting essence¡ªand I¡¯d thought of a good place to find some.

 2.05: Newfound Power

    I moved through the mists along the edge of the cliffside, my gaze reaching out into the thick red glow, looking for wildlife or clusters of mana.


    I found a frost elemental in short order, the same small, speedy, quilled variety I¡¯d already encountered two of. But surging my bowshot was enough to overcome its speed, and my own [Frost Magick] was enough to simply knock its icy daggers out of the air. It fell in short order, granting the same [Element 1 / Frost 1 / Mana 1] boon that its kin had.


    It seemed that this thick layer of mist held a high concentration of elemental or element-wielding creatures. Nothing with [Air] keys so far, of course¡ªthat would be too fortunate. But given that the layers of mist were seemingly omnipresent, we would theoretically have access to a robust set of elemental key.


    It was good news, but it also meant that the hunting parties we put together would need some way to deal with entities that were resistant to mundane attacks. The elementalists would do well, but the mages would do better. No one could deal with pure elementals better than a dedicated binding mage.


    I found two more smaller earth oozes, killing each without much challenge using my lightning. I found another large stretch of manaflower vines growing between more upthrust stones, then searched them to find another pair of the shell-clad fire spitters and killed those, too.


    Then I paused to assess my resources. I had to be close, at least:


    ?¡ªYou have 48 571 Essence.


    ?¡ªBy breaking your boons you can create 16 [Armor 1] keys, 1 [Body 1] key and 1 [Body 2] key.


    Some more [Body] keys and I¡¯d be able to make [Primeval Mana Hide] as planned, though the boon I held with the [Body 2] key also contained a possible [Elemental 2] key, which was far more valuable. One of the guards I¡¯d killed at the flowerfall had offered a [Body] key. With any luck there would be hundreds of them in all and I could reap in the keys¡­ but that seemed like wishful thinking. I¡¯d be happy to find a few dozen of them and finish my skill.


    The path along the cliff¡¯s edge was jagged and winding. More and more I found wedges cut out of the rim of the swamp¡¯s canyon, steep drops that I assumed led down into micro-valleys like the one I¡¯d found when I first got here. Around these I met two more of the hunting cats, netting myself two more [Body] keys.


    I found what I was looking for shortly afterward.


    The vine began before it reached the cliff¡¯s edge, and I saw the multicolored lights of its flowers through the mists before I saw anything else. I scowled as I came close. From below, the cliff had risen into the mists and disappeared, leading me to believe that it rose out of the upper mist layer, not that it ended inside it. The mists blocked vision, and so I wasn¡¯t in an ideal position if I attacked from within them. I could aim my bow with my gaze, but that didn''t see nearly as far as my eyes.


    I gave the tangle of vines a wide berth as I ran around it, hoping not to draw the attention of any of the flying insects. On the side closest to the swamp, the ground rose out of the mists just before it ended as a steep drop overlooking a luminous red cloud. This was better for my purposes, but still not very good.


    It took me a minute to run around to the other side. There I found the terrain to be more favorable. The rocky ground beneath me angled downward, and I emerged below the mist layer near the far end of the vine field. Perching there on the cliff¡¯s edge, I had a view that stretched for hundreds of meters down into the flower-coated canyon.


    I grinned as I feasted my eyes on the beautiful sight of the flowerfall and its army of attending insect drones. I¡¯d start with them¡ªthe last time I¡¯d killed a few, their guards had converged on me shortly afterwards.


    I conjured a shard of frost, then used it to draw a circle in the tuff at my feet, taking advantage of the fact that my [Aegis] applied to equipment and missiles. Like the circles I¡¯d used thus far, this one was small. A simple line drawn through stone couldn¡¯t hold much in the way of mana, and the circle reflected that.


    I drew two more, each equidistant from each other and the first, then filled them with as much mana as they could stably hold. The three of them together could contain a little under two thousand mana, each circle a luminous pillar of magical power in my gaze.


    Then I began to shoot the drones out of the air, each of them giving me a small slice of essence. Just as before, it didn¡¯t take long before all the insects I could see were converging on me¡ªbut unlike before, I had unlimited arrows and more than enough speed to bring the bugs down at a rate of hundreds per minute.


    My heart beat and my string thrummed as the swarm came for me. Insects fell from the sky to be swallowed by the cloud layer below, wings glittering red as their bodies spun through their descent. Even with my mind focused on the dual tasks of keeping mana in my circles and fast archery, I had a rare kind of moment where I felt a oneness with the loveliness of the world that stretched out beneath me, a purity of both experience and purpose. I loved doing what I was doing, and I was doing it for the best of all reasons.


    It was the sort of thing that I would want to tell Alcuon about. I thought this and then sighed, the moment ruined. Normally, he''d be the one I most wanted to tell about everything I¡¯d done today. I knew from experience that I¡¯d be thinking that I should tell Alcuon about this or that for a long, long time. But he was gone.


    Ninety-nine percent¡­.


    With a flash of frustration, I surged [Strength] and shot a nearby drone so hard that it burst into pieces. Grief and horror would have been so much easier to handle if they could just feel awful; if they didn¡¯t steal the good moments, the good feelings, too.


    The pony-sized guards that I¡¯d fought earlier came, though now none of them came anywhere close to the range they needed to throw their stingers. As before, a few granted me boons that could create [Body 1], but not many: I got 4 boons from killing more than two dozen of them.


    Then the insects flying toward me began to retreat, and I scowled. I¡¯d been hoping for more, and I doubted I¡¯d be able to hunt them out in good time. I¡¯d gotten some essence, but not more than I had for killing the missile-grazers.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Then there was a huge burst of foliage halfway down the cliff opposite me, and I saw that the insect colony had more defenders to put forward. Two massive, armored black mantis-creatures emerged from a cave in the rock, leapt the distance of the chasm with ease, then began coming toward me. There was no sudden roar to announce their presence, and the fact that they emerged on the other side of the canyon meant that I didn¡¯t feel the tremors of their movements, not at first.


    I began channeling the mana out of my circles as soon as I saw them, extending it almost straight downward toward the head of the closest mantis. Stressing both my natural channeling and focusing abilities to their limit, I unspooled the mana of the circle¡ªmore than a thousand of it¡ªinto a wavering jagged line that I ignited once it was in range of the bug¡¯s face, a distance of almost forty meters.


    The world became nothing but red and black, the bright flash cutting it into light and stark shadows. In an instant, the bug¡¯s upper third was blasted to pieces, and it changed from an intimidating mass of forward momentum to a corpse sliding down the cliffside, then halting and hanging limp as vines lashed its legs in place.


    + 13 651 Essence, Boon]


    I grinned as I looked into the boon: in addition to [Life 2], [Body 2]¡ªjust what I wanted.


    The other bug still charged toward me, and the [Life] aspect in its partner''s boon told me that it could heal; I¡¯d want to kill it with another lethal lightning bolt rather than commit to a war of attrition and hurl smaller bolts at it the way that I had the earth ooze.


    I shot a few arrows into the other insect while I crossed the distance between us, simultaneously channeling more mana into my circles. Once it had come up over the ledge, however, I began to run away from it.


    It was easy enough to stay far away from it. With [Surge of Might], I could clear the creature with a leap, or gain a sudden burst of speed as I sprinted away from it. But as I fought the creature, I started to think that I didn¡¯t even need to use it¡ªI had simply become too quick to let even a fast melee attacker like this one catch up to me.


    I leapt and sprinted over a wide area, staying clear of its claws as it chased me too and fro. Soon I¡¯d channeled enough mana into my circles, and I ended the creature¡¯s life much like I had the first, one cacophonous bolt of lightning that pushed me to the limit of my abilities.


    + 12 428 Essence, [Boon]


    I watched the creature fall into a limp, smoking heap, satisfied. Despite its apparent high level, it had been an easy kill.


    It would be like that for a lot of wildlife, now that I had both strong physical attributes and lightning. I wasn¡¯t invincible, but I could hurt most things at a range and move very, very quickly. Most animals simply couldn¡¯t deal with that combination.


    I had to think back to the earth ooze that I¡¯d fought earlier, a creature that had granted much less essence but had taken almost the same amount of lightning to kill. It had at least granted a better boon.


    I stopped a moment to examine the rest of my boons. I had enough to create my new skill, but I had to consider which ones to break based on their other potential skill key types: some could make [Missile], and some [Armor] and [Life]. Up here, on the slopes, the danger of aerial predators was greater, hence more [Missile] aspects from creatures who had to defend against diving predators, which meant more [Life] aspects because they needed to regenerate their projectiles. Both were valuable¡ªand in the swamp, I could get [Body] aspects from the apehounds and spiders, with the latter also granting [Armor] aspects.


    It would be better to harvest [Armor] and [Body] from the swamp and save the valuable [Missile] aspects for the colony.


    I worked with my boons and skill keys, fusing them into the skill. Making a rank 2 skill key required the fusion of 3 rank 1 skill keys, but making a rank 3 skill key required 4 keys of rank 2. The essence cost was also drastically increased.


    You break 3 [Boon] to create 3 [Body 1] skill keys.


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 3 [Body 1] skill keys into 1 [Body 2] skill key.


    You break 2 [Boon] to create 2 [Body 2] skill keys.


    You spend 15000 Essence to fuse 3 [Body 2] skill keys with the [Body 2] skill key in [Primeval Hide 9], upgrading the skill to [Primeval Hide 10].


    That done, I did the same to upgrade the [Armor 2] skill key already in the skill.


    You break 9 [Boon] to create 9 [Armor 1] skill keys.


    You spend 3000 Essence to fuse 9 [Armor 1] skill keys into 3 [Armor 2] skill keys.


    You spend 15000 Essence to fuse 3 [Armor 2] skill keys with the [Armor 2] skill key in [Primeval Hide 10], upgrading the skill to [Primeval Hide 11].


    And with all the keys at rank 3 or higher, I could add a third rank 3, the [Mana 3] key that Hassina had given me from one of Palefang''s boons:


    You add a [Mana 3] skill key to your [Primeval Hide 11] skill, creating the new skill: [Primeval Mana Hide 14]


    [Primeval Mana Hide 14]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Armor 3] + [Body 3] + [Mana 3]


    + 84 [Aegis]


    Your [Primeval Resonance] is counted as 50% higher for calculating this skill''s [Aegis] bonus. Current effective [Primeval Resonance] is 135%


    This skill¡¯s effect is reduced if you wear too much protective clothing. (-0%)


    Exclusive: You cannot have other skills with [Armor] aspects that provide bonuses to [Aegis].


    This skill absorbs mana from your surrounding environment. Mana absorbed is reliant on the mana available, your overall surface area, this skill¡¯s rank, and your [Bestow]. Current absorption: 24/Second


    Exclusive: You cannot have other skills with [Armor] aspects that provide bonuses to [Aegis].


    I laughed. In normal environments, the added mana absorption of [Primeval Mana Hide] was merely a decent bonus. The real purpose of building the skill was to eventually build [Primeval Spell Hide] by adding a [Weave 4].


    I pushed some mana into the world around me just to deplete my mana pool and then watch my skin absorb it at an alarming rate. I¡¯d fill my mana pool in twenty seconds or less just from walking around in the mana-dense air, no deliberate channeling required.


    I moved back to the edge of the vine, then threw a few lightning bolts at it. It shriveled, but didn¡¯t catch fire. Instead steam rose from the small flames that caught where my bolts had stricken.


    The vines weren¡¯t very flammable, and the flames that I did create were quickly doused with conjured water, becoming nothing more than a cloud of steam. The little bit of damage that I had done to the vines healed shortly afterward, and I guessed that the plant likely had a lot of resources to put to the task of healing itself.


    With no idea how long it would take to exhaust the thing¡¯s resources, and no way of efficiently burning the vines away once I did, I set off back toward the colony. Hassina surely had a few [Air] aspects for me by now¡ªand once I got into the air, getting the hunting parties ready would be a breeze.


    A smile of anticipation spread across my face as I ran the distance toward the cave. There were few things more deserving of anticipation than flight¡ªand I¡¯d already built a crucial piece, [Primeval Mana Hide].


    Soon I would be in the air.

 2.06: Harvesting the Corpse-Strewn Field

    I returned through the lower entrance¡ªthe only one not created by the waterfall either flowing into or out of the cave, the one that opened onto the large, flat area where most of the elves still resided.


    I hadn¡¯t been gone long, but military earthmovers work quickly. The entrance to the cave had been widened, and four thick stone pillars had been erected across it, forming five gaps just broad enough for one elf to walk through¡ªgaps that would deter larger creatures. Hasty battlements and steps had been made over these, and archers were stationed above me with a plentiful stock of arrows. Elves were already bustling about to make trenches, widen the battlements, and move the growing piles of rubble. Inside the cave I could hear the repeated crack-and-tumble of more stone being broken away to form new structures.


    There were windcallers at the entrance, and would be at the others as well. They were siphoning the air, taking only that which hadn¡¯t been stripped of its [Air] aspect and funneling it into the cave while funneling the ¡°dead¡± air out into the world. I didn¡¯t envy them their task¡ªsifting air with your mind alone wasn¡¯t easy.


    What was more, coalescing a key like this was no easy task, either. I¡¯d made two since arriving, but I¡¯d done it by simply tearing all the aspects near me out of the world and coalescing them into a boon. It was a highly wasteful, but very easy way to make a boon.


    Whoever was making these keys was having to strip the aspect out of just the air in the cave, which was why I could feel the higher pressure as soon as I walked in through the entrance. They were really having to pack it in.


    Kelharus, captain of the squad above the gate, called for a salute as I rushed in through the new semi-gate. I gave him a hasty nod in return, then found Hassina near the entrance, speaking with a few of the windcallers. She dismissed them when she saw me approaching, and I offered her my hands and gave her all the essence and boons I had left.


    This time, I got a well-earned reward¡ªproviding for my people was in accord with my calling, after all:


    Your level limit has increased to 22!


    She gave me something in return:


    + [Air 1]


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Hassina. ¡°That¡¯s all you get for now.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, not hiding my disappointment. I knew she wouldn¡¯t have all that I needed by now, but I¡¯d been hoping to turn [Wild Grace] into [Aerial Grace], something that would have taken another 3 keys.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made three keys, total,¡± Hassina explained. ¡°The air here¡­ it¡¯s not being cooperative. I gave Zirilla the second key, and we¡¯ve got six more elementalists in line to speed the process, but you¡¯re going to have to wait. Since full flight isn¡¯t going to be possible until you get another twelve, I figured we¡¯d just make up for as many shortcomings as we could with mana knicknacks. Speaking of, did you get your [Primeval Mana Hide]?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hassina grinned. ¡°Great!¡± She turned, picked a nearby elf who was carrying cargo, and told him to go get me my flight suit. Then she turned her attentions back to me. ¡°Fireesha made you some wrist bindings that¡¯ll have to do for now.¡± She grabbed two rolls of white linen fabric from a crate behind her. ¡°Arms out.¡±


    I held out my arms, and Hassina began to wrap the strips of cloth around my wrists in a precise and practiced manner. Both of them had charcoal-made runes written along their lengths, and I bound each of them once she¡¯d finished putting them on.


    You Bind: [Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Wristwrap of Mana]. You have 1 binding remaining.


    Binding this item has granted you the [Primeval Mana 7] skill.


    !¡ªWarning: this enchantment is unstable. It will degrade as it is used and dissipate after 8.12 days.


    [Primeval Mana 7]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [*Mana 1] + [Mana 1]


    + 64 [Source]


    + 17% Primeval Mana Profile


    You bind: [Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Wristwrap of Channeling]. You have 0 bindings remaining.


    Binding this item has granted you the [Surging Power 7] skill.


    !¡ªWarning: this enchantment is unstable. It will degrade as it is used and dissipate after 4.58 days


    [Surging Power 7]


    Components: [*Primeval Mana 7] + [*Surge 1] + [Surge 1]


    + 96 [Channel]


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to find a use for them,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have to ask,¡± Hassina said, leaning in and lowering her voice a little. ¡°What¡¯s the pure [Surge] giving you?¡±


    ¡°96 [Channel].¡±


    Her eyebrows went up. ¡°No wonder you make it look easy¡ªit actually is, with skills like those.¡± But there was something else under her smile, an authentic admiration that, as my close friend, she normally did a good job of hiding from me.


    ¡°While I¡¯m waiting for my suit, I may as well give you the lay of the land,¡± I told her.


    I used [Frost Magick] to draw a small map of our landing sight as I¡¯d explored it thus far, making small hatch marks on the ice to indicate where the fog layer met the ground, then writing a few labels in small script¡ªgrassy fields, forest, flowerfall. It wasn¡¯t a lot of territory, all told¡ªthe cliffs around our cave along with some fields in one direction and the extremely deep swamp in another.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading into the swamp,¡± I said. ¡°There were [Armor], [Body], [Water], [Surge], [Mana], and [Life] keys to be found there earlier. Plus, I want to check on my prize.¡±


    ¡°The giant animal carcass?¡±


    ¡°Palefang, yes. I was in a hurry when I stored it, earlier. We might have to abandon it¡ªit won¡¯t be easy to get it up here, and it could be gone already. I just sealed in ice and buried it.¡±


    ¡°How much does it weigh?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, a normal adult male lion weighs, say, 500 pounds. A good-sized one.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah, all right.¡±


    Hassina¡¯s shoulders sagged as she gave me an exasperated look. ¡°What do you mean, all right? You¡¯re the [Primeval Champion]; I was just giving a good guess because I thought you would correct me. How much do you think this one weighed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Five thousand pounds?¡±


    ¡°How much bigger was it than a fairly large lion?¡±


    ¡°Two and a half times as big?¡± I said uncertainly. ¡°Ten feet at the shoulder.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s eight thousand pounds, Aziriel.¡±


    ¡°All right, Hassina. I trust you.¡±


    She made a show of frowning at me. ¡°But should you have to, though? Like I said, you¡¯re the [Primeval Champion], one would think you¡¯d know these things. In any case, there¡¯s no chance you¡¯re lifting that with [Air Magick 6]. Dragging it up the side of a mountain is an option, even if the healers won¡¯t be thrilled. Still, I can¡¯t imagine the carcass is in good condition as it is.¡±


    ¡°I can get it up into a tree,¡± I said. ¡°If I have enough rope.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Hassina shook her head. ¡°Just try and keep anything else from eating it, if that¡¯s possible. We¡¯ll sort it out later when we can path a decent way down into that swamp. But for now¡ªah, here¡¯s your suit¡ªI need more essence.¡± She took the sack from the elf she¡¯d sent earlier, a city elf I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Lay this out for me and I¡¯ll help you get it on.¡±


    It was a tortoiseshell sailsuit¡ªa flight suit meant to be entirely controlled by [Air Magick] and not the user¡¯s arm and movements, leaving their limbs free for fighting. A set of straps crisscrossed the whole body and bore a small sail of canvas that was made to fill with air and be kept close to the body.


    The sail was rigged to a set of cables which were themselves attached to air-filled clasps of steel that could be pulled tight or let out using [Air Magick], allowing one to manipulate the sail without the use of their hands: either pulling it close to their body to bind it in place, or letting it our to steer and fly.


    It wasn¡¯t the most efficient way to carry yourself around, but it was the meeting point between efficiency in mana, maneuverability both in the air and on the ground, and low [Focus] requirement when it came to the [Air Magick] needed to use it¡ªhigh-[Focus] windcallers could simply keep the air tight against their body, flying without the aide of a suit.


    Within a minute I¡¯d lain the thing out and Hassina and another attendant¡ªVannalae, a windcaller who¡¯d been occupied with siphoning the air¡ªhad helped me get it on.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, rolling my shoulders. ¡°Well, thank Fireesha for me.¡±


    Hassina fixed me with one of her broad, slightly ironic smiled. ¡°She¡¯s been happy to help, Lux Irovex. Now get out there and¡­ well, kill everything you see, I guess. Especially birds¡ªthey might just have some [Air] keys. Good hunting!¡±


    I nodded, then left the cave at a brisk trot and headed for the canyon. I took a good look at my attributes as I did so.


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    185 [Aegis]


    170 [Agility]


    123 [Strength]


    112 [Channel]


    54 [Focus]


    130 [Source]


    108% [Primeval Resonance]


    1300/1300 Mana, 57% Primeval


    100/100 [Life Pool]


    100/100 [Surge Pool]


    Enough mana that I could have skipped the earlier circles when striking the giant mantis bugs with deadly lightning. Enough [Channel] that I could have formed the bolt almost twice as fast as I had before. I was well and truly coming into my power.


    And soon I¡¯d be in the air.


    Not all elements are made equal when it comes to being pushed around. Earth, by its nature, is the most resolute. It takes more mana to move a given mass of earth than it does other elements, because earth is not meant to often move. Ice, however, is made of everflowing, evershifting water, and even if it has been frozen it has no compunctions about being pushed and pulled. Water is a little easier to move than ice, and air, soft air, is the easiest of them all.


    This comes with a tradeoff, of course: it takes a lot of [Focus] to push any mass of air into the shape it needs. Simply shoving the air into a baglike sail and telling to rise isn¡¯t so hard. Wrapping oneself in a sheathe of air and carrying oneself around, though, is enormously [Focus]-intensive.


    I was fairly skilled at flight. I didn¡¯t have the grandmastery with [Air Magick] that I did with [Lightning] or [Surge] skills, but I could at least compete with some of our better windcallers. Constantly having to concentrate to fly, though, wasn¡¯t an especially good idea in hostile skies. When it came to moving air, my spellcraft was better suited to the combat arts¡ªpushing myself from side to side, putting the wind at my back while I sprinted, empowering a leap or diverting a projectile. For continual flight, it was best to rely on actual [Focus] lest a break in concentration cause a fall.


    I didn¡¯t use the [Air 1] key yet, because I knew I¡¯d be canceling my [Frost Magick] to make [Air Magick], and I wanted to use [Frost Magick] to further entomb Palefang¡¯s carcass. Instead I descended the cliffside until I could surge [Strength] to make an easy leap into the thick branches that crowned the great trees, then ran along the branches, making easy jumps to move from tree to tree.


    I ran parallel to the edge of the cliff until I found the ravine that I knew led to the flowerfall, then turned inward to retrace my steps toward the small island where I¡¯d fought Palefang. I couldn¡¯t see it through the lower mist layer, but it was easy to see when I was getting close. An enormous number of carrion birds were already circling, some of them weaving in and out of the lower mist layer.


    Most of the birds were only the size of a dog. This, along with the fact that they were clearly scavengers, made me doubt they¡¯d grant any keys.


    But every now and then I saw one of the huge birds I¡¯d fought during the convergence diving into or out of the mist layer: great, brown-feathered creatures with bodies like owls and wingspans that reached twenty feet in length.


    I descended the trunk of one of the great trees by conjuring frost shelves to jump between, liberally spending from my new mana pool.


    Then I perched inside a groove in the bark, made myself a platform of ice to stand on, and began to launch arrows into the nearest one of the large birds. It shrieked in pain as my arrow pierced its back, but by the time it had rounded on me midair I had shot it eight more times, including twice in the head.


    + 3302 Essence [Boon]


    I scowled as I looked into the boon. It could make an [Animal 1] skill key, but not a [Bird 1]. Anything that granted [Bird] had a chance to instead grant [Animal] and a smaller chance to grant [Wild], but those chances weren¡¯t set in stone. The apehounds from earlier had granted [Animal] far more than they¡¯d granted [Mammal]. I hoped it wasn¡¯t the same here; I wanted those [Bird] keys.


    Releasing the bowstring was now so loud that it might have startled the flock of birds on its own, but the shrieks of my target, followed by the crash it made as it struck the ground below us, removed any chance at killing stealthily.


    As it had been above the flowerfall canyon, nothing was fast enough to reach me. I shot two more of the large birds out of the air, each of them granting [Bird] in their boons. Then, having run out of targets, I laid into the smaller birds, which granted a few hundred essence each. I must have killed almost a hundred of them, along with two more freshly-arrived giant birds, before the skies around me were clear.


    After that, I descended through the fog layer, hoping to find a few more of the massive birds feasting on the field of corpses below, undisturbed by the recent rain of the corpses I¡¯d made.


    Instead I saw why most of the birds had been circling. Four huge, six-legged frog like creatures occupied what had once been the mushroom clearing, each of them eating corpses. They had glistening blue and gray skin, bulging throats, and high-set golden eyes.


    Three of them sat at the edges of the island, each in the shadows of the twisting roots. One of them, the largest, had apparently intimidated the others into leaving it along as it ate in the center of the island¡ªit was currently devouring one of the large birds I¡¯d killed, right next to the makeshift earthen mound where I¡¯d stored Palefang¡¯s carcass. The birds below the mists were clearly afraid of these creatures: they swooped in to pick at the bodies that were furthest from them, and startled at any sudden movements.


    It made sense that this was the first I¡¯d seen of these creatures: a primeval convergence called the largest and smallest creatures last, and the one that Palefang had triggered hadn¡¯t run its full course, even if I¡¯d apparently been successfully inducted into the local wildlife.


    I picked the smallest of the six-legged frogs, descended into the roots away from the island, then circled until I was right behind my target. I was ready to throw lightning, of course, but I didn¡¯t want to scare the others away.


    I used the whole of my [Surge of Might] to loose arrows into its head from above, aiming for where a frog¡¯s brain would be and striking my chosen spot five times in rapid succession. It gave a startled, throaty cry, a noise that was deeper than I would have expected, then turned drunkenly toward me before collapsing.


    + 4162 Essence, 2 [Boon]


    I grinned. So far, it was looking like the swamp was a good place to hunt aspects¡ªthis boon held [Amphibian], which would be much-needed among some of our hunters. Even if they were rank 1, a creature granting 2 boons was always nice.


    I heard a deep, vibrating roar from the center of the clearing, and looked up to see that the largest of the frog creatures had spotted me. I leapt down to stand next to the corpse of the one I¡¯d just killed, getting close enough to get a sense of its vitals.


    The other frog behemoth stamped the ground, warning me off. ¡°You¡¯re a little late for the real fight,¡± I told it.


    It charged, and I got ready to leap over it. Then it opened its mouth and launched a long tongue at me, and I dodged to one side instead. It was fast on six legs, coming at me and trying to stick me with its tongue twice more before I decided not to take even small risks and blasted it to instant death with a lightning-bolt.


    I sighed as I heard the others retreating into the water at the sudden noise and sound, but they were animals: they¡¯d be back. I needed to further secure Palefang¡¯s carcass, then see if I could find any more clearings of mushrooms and apehounds that I could turn into fields of corpses. With multiple places attracting scavengers, I could alternate between the two to harvest the most aspects.


    But as I moved for Palefang¡¯s makeshift tomb, a patch of the corpses intrigued me. At first it looked as if they¡¯d been thoroughly picked clean. But even a moment¡¯s glance showed them to be too cleanly picked: the skeletons were so bare they were being ignored by all the scavengers, and there wasn¡¯t a single tooth, beak, or claw mark on them. And they were all perfectly arranged the way the creatures they¡¯d belonged to had fallen.


    I reached down and felt the moist, hot black earth beneath a set of bones. Then I grinned. ¡°[Decay Magick],¡± I said. The skill was made by combining [Change], [Life], and [Death]. They were strong aspects, even if I could grab only one or two. [Death] was not a subtype of [Wild] like [Life] was, but we had 4 [Druid of the Cycle] with us¡ª[*Wild] cores with [Death Magick] as their granted power. They could each use [Life Magick], [Blood Magick], [Decay Magick], and [Death Magick] to compose extremely powerful rituals for agriculture, healing, mana creation, and war.


    Apart from them, Ranival and his necromancers could easily make [Decay Magick] themselves with the [Change] and [Life] keys.


    Best of all, the size of this patch of skeletons suggested a powerful enough monster to grant high-ranked keys, which were necessary for the stronger abilities.


    I¡¯d be spending some time in this swamp, and I¡¯d be doing plenty of killing. With luck, more of the creature who had consumed these corpses would show themselves in my wake.


    I used my newfound mana pool to give Palefang another layer of ice, freezing and then pulling huge slabs of it from the water before packing them in around my prize. Once I was satisfied that I¡¯d added enough to his makeshift tomb, I did what I¡¯d been itching to do since I¡¯d left, relinquishing [Frost Magick] to take [Air Magick] in its place.


    You relinquish the [Frost Magick 6] skill, gaining a [*Primeval 5] skill core and 200 Essence.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Air 1] to create the skill: [Air Magick 6]


    Then¡ªgrinning with anticipation and excitement¡ªI let out my sail, filled it with air, and took flight.

 2.07: A New Kind of Hunt

    More than an hour later, I cried out in pure joy as I gathered wind beneath my tortoiseshell skysail and launched myself into the air beside the basalt cliff. I¡¯d done enough in the swamp that it was time to return to the colony and give Hassina what I¡¯d harvested.


    I was returning for another reason. Moving about the swamp had been easy once I¡¯d been able to cross great distances with my short-term flight, and I¡¯d woven above and below the lower mist-layer with ease. As I¡¯d done this, I¡¯d noticed something strange with the higher layer, the one at a level with the colony¡¯s cave: it was getting brighter.


    I landed atop the cliff¡¯s edge, my mana almost entirely depleted from the climb. This close, it was easy to see that the mist was getting more white as well as brighter, changing the way the world around me appeared by adding more color to it.


    Soon I¡¯d reached the cave, and I had to admire the growing fortifications. A dry moat was being cut out of the rock around the colony, and the face of the cliff that led to the top of the cave, where the stream came in, had been cut back to form a zig-zagging stairway.


    Channelers tended wells of mana both inside and outside the cave, the circular pools naturally suited to the task of storing mana that we could use for defense. More broad stairways had been cut out of the rock inside, so that all the cave¡¯s levels could now be safely and easily traversed.


    I found Hassina speaking with some of the weavers next to a pile of skulls that I assumed had been brought down from the bone pile.


    I offered her my hands, giving her 181 624 Essence along with a huge assortment of boons.


    Your level limit has increased to 23!


    She blinked as she saw this, presumably examining the boons. ¡°Well then,¡± she said.


    ¡°Short-distance flight makes the killing faster,¡± I said. ¡°And the swamp is full of scavengers¡ªI got a lot just by backtracking. I¡¯m two under my limit for level, by the way. They¡¯re gap levels, though. Not going to make too much difference. Eleven thousand apiece.¡±


    ¡°Eleven thousand essence for fourteen to an attribute?¡± she frowned. ¡°Hard to say if that¡¯s worth it when we¡¯ve got people with levels that cost a few hundred, still. Here.¡±


    She offered me her hands.


    + 2000 Essence, 2 [Air 1], 1 [Elemental 2], 1 [Bird 3], 1 [Body 3], 1 [Body 2], 2 [Body 1]


    ¡°Upgrade your [Air Magick] and [Might]. Then build [Avian Grace].¡±


    ¡°Right away, your holiness.¡±


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 2 [Air 1] skill keys with the [Air 1] skill key in [Air Magick 6], upgrading the skill to [Air Magick 7].


    You add an [Elemental 2] skill key to [Air Magick 7], upgrading the skill to [Air Magick 9].


    The subtype rule meant that the [Elemental 2] was emulating the already-present [Air] skill key, ranking up the skill. Normally [Elemental] was more valuable than [Air]... but not for us, not right now.


    I performed a similar set of actions to upgrade my [Might 6] with some of the [Body] skill keys she''d given me:


    You spend 1000 Essence to fuse 2 [Body 1] skill keys with the [Body 1] skill key in [Might 6], upgrading the skill to [Might 7].


    You add a [Body 2] skill key to [Might 7], upgrading the skill to [Might 9].


    Then I built my next flight skill:


    You relinquish the [Wild Grace 9] skill, gaining a [*Primeval 5] skill core and 2000 Essence.


    You fuse [*Primeval 5] with [Bird 3] and [Body 3] to create the skill: [Avian Grace 11].


    [Avian Grace 11]


    Components: [*Primeval 5] + [Body 3] + [Bird 3]


    + 69 to [Agility]


    You can lighten yourself to 91% of your ordinary weight.


    You don¡¯t suffer airsickness when moving between altitudes.


    Your gaze now detects birds, and both your gaze and threshold are easier to extend through such creatures.


    It is easier to hide and defend yourself from psychic attacks using the [Wild Bond] skill and all similar skills.


    ¡°I already updated your skills on the board,¡± said Hassina, jerking her head to indicate where she¡¯d had an earthshaper break away a huge section of stone, making a flat wall. She¡¯d written all over this with chalk, including a list of my skills as they were¡ªone that mimicked the script of the Verse.


    !¡ªAziriel¡¯s Skills:


    0: [Sable Grace 20]


    0: [Primeval Power 30]


    0: [Life Magick 7]


    2: [Avian Grace 11]


    4: [Air Magick 9]


    6: [Primeval Mana Hide 14]


    8: [Might 9]


    10: [Surge of Might 9]


    15: [Wild Bond 6]


    20: [Lightning Magick 8]


    B: [Conjured Missiles 7]


    B: [Primeval Mana 7]


    B: [Surging Power 7]


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we should just rank up your [Might] a little more,¡± Hassina said. ¡°Looking ahead, I mean. You just lost some [Strength] from [Wild Grace]. And with where you¡¯re probably going, you¡¯re going to want arrows that can pierce.¡±


    ¡°Where I¡¯m probably going?¡± I asked, intrigued.


    She jerked her head toward the skulls that I¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°Mirio said he wanted you to look at them. Said that mutations mean they¡¯ll be a little different on this world than on Aranar and Thanaxes, but that he¡¯s certain they¡¯re still wyverns.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Wyverns,¡± I breathed, moving closer to the skulls. Each of them was as long as my arm or longer¡ªlarge beasts. I hadn¡¯t seen any on my hunt across the fields, but wyverns preferred to hunt other aerial predators to ground-based life. On this world, they probably had plenty such prey.


    ¡°I know they¡¯re dangerous,¡± said Hassina. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so special about finding them. Mirio clearly thought this conveyed a lot of significance that¡¯s lost on me. He said that this Palefang fellow likely killed the most threatening wyverns on top of the nearby peak. He also told me to tell you to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± I said. ¡°Good Mirio. He didn¡¯t say he needed to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°Only if you felt you had the time. Zirilla, Seriana and I also wanted to talk to you about our [Air] aspects.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to be said on that front,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°None of the flying lizards or birds I¡¯ve killed have granted an [Air] key. Not one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± said Hassina. ¡°Siphoning air isn¡¯t something that most of us can do for sixteen hours out of the day. The windcallers are motivated, but they¡¯re starting to reach their limits. Sieving the air, holding it inside, pushing it out once it¡¯s been stripped for an [Air] key¡­ mental exhaustion is starting to take its toll. We can still make progress, but we¡¯ll be lucky if we can get the keys needed for your [Kite¡¯s Grace] by the hour of tales.¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d hoped for a little more, but even if we could trap [Air] keys at fivefold the rate we already were, it would still be too slow. ¡°We have hundreds of elves that we need to build for flight,¡± I said. ¡°When the wildhearts come fully into play, that¡¯s hundreds more. Almost a thousand in total. Considering that the attributes they gain from skills won¡¯t be nearly as high as mine, they¡¯re going to need keys. Many abilities requiring [Air 3] keys, at least one each. A comfortable goal is sixty thousand [Air 1] keys, though of course we can work with less. And at this rate, we¡¯re making between ten and twenty a day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more or less what we figured in terms of the numbers,¡± said Hassina.


    ¡°And we need to cover a wide area to know where to hunt for the aspects that aren¡¯t abundant, here. [Weave], [Creation], [Sight], and [Mind] are most important. Beyond that¡ª[Death], [Change], [Lightning], [Fray]... the list goes on. But the first four are especially critical when it comes to the high elves. Much more can be said on this, but I have the general thrust of Seriana¡¯s concerns, yes?¡±


    The lightest of smiles graced Hassina¡¯s face. ¡°The general thrust, yes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk again tonight before the hour of tales, but many things are becoming clearer and clearer to me,¡± I said. ¡°Soon Valir will send our hunting parties forth. First his own, to be sure they won¡¯t trigger a convergence. Then all our ready hunters will go, and I¡¯ll stand watch above them all, ready to fly to their aide. I have one more trip outside the colony to make, and I¡¯ll be going far, though Zirilla will still know how to signal me.¡±


    ¡°Up the mountain, then?¡±


    ¡°I must reach the summit,¡± I said. I looked down at the skulls of the wyverns. ¡°Something is stripping the air, and if it¡¯s intelligent elementals, it¡¯ll be best to find that out as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Zirilla said as much,¡± said Hassina.


    ¡°It could be a good thing,¡± I said. ¡°Or it could be very, very bad. Whatever the case, we need to know. When I return, I can stay with the people and help us settle in while Valir and his people go out.¡±


    ¡°Zirilla said something else,¡± said Hassina. ¡°Something rather curious. She said it to me¡ªnot for me to pass along to you.¡±


    ¡°About music.¡±


    Hassina cocked her head, clearly curious. ¡°Yes. What are you two thinking?¡±


    ¡°Have you played for air elementals before?¡±


    Hassina laughed. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You may be, soon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all we¡¯ll have to offer them,¡± I said. ¡°And it¡¯s your orchestra, your holiness.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hassina¡¯s expression fell somewhat. ¡°I know that they¡¯re said to love music¡­.¡±


    ¡°Obsessively so,¡± I said. ¡°We may have to build our first settlement near the summit of a tall mountain just to be able to maintain contact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the good outcome.¡±


    ¡°And the bad outcome?¡±


    ¡°It involves lightning.¡±


    ¡°I see. You understand, of course, how many [Air] keys must have been extracted from the atmosphere, here?¡±


    ¡°A number so high that it would lose all its meaning, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met storm lords before. You can only push so much power into one body, no matter how big it is.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡± Hassina asked hesitantly.


    I shrugged. ¡°One more question before I go¡ªthe mists.¡±


    Now Hassina shrugged. ¡°Luthiel has apparently determined that the light shed by the brighter clouds is sunlight.¡±


    ¡°All right. It looks that way, at least.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything else. Seriana has some people watching the cloud outside.¡± Another faint smile graced her face. ¡°An important task, to be sure.¡±


    ¡°All right. See you soon.¡±


    ¡°Good hunting.¡±


    I grabbed a few things before I left the cave, however, clipping them to the front of my flight suit.


    The first was a slayer¡¯s axe: an axe meant for killing larger creatures, built to be used with [Surge of Might]. The axehead had both a front-facing and an upward-facing bladed spike sticking out of it, so that the weapon could be used much like a short spear or a warpick. The head was single-sided, and below these spikes the curved blade was detached from the haft. Altogether it was made so that one could bury one of its points in a creature¡¯s body, grasp the haft below the axehead, and then use [Surge of Might] to tear the point free.


    The second thing I grabbed was a set of wooden pipes, a lightweight musical instrument that I knew would appeal to any elementals if I met them.


    Apart from that, I grabbed a facemask and a set of goggles. Knowing wyverns, I¡¯d likely be glad I brought both.


    Then I left the gate and began to run toward the mountain I¡¯d seen earlier, my mind on the skulls that I¡¯d seen inside the cave.


    Wyverns.


    Wyverns are natural apex predators. Their skill core is [*Wild], and all of them have [Air Magick] as a granted power. These two things allow them to grow large without compromising their speed in the air, and their long lifespans and lack of natural predators mean they can grow very, very powerful.


    Regeneration, heavy armor, swift flight, psychic detection and cloaking via [Wild Sight], silent movements thanks to a sophisticated use of [Air Magick]... wyverns were difficult creatures to bring down.


    They rarely ate each other. It wasn¡¯t out of any true sense of social bond, but rather a simple assessment of risk and reward. For a wyvern, everything is easier to kill than other wyverns, so why bother with them? Because they shared nesting grounds, their real competition was in fighting each other out of the prime real estate¡ªa process which rarely resulted in death.


    The presence of wyverns on this world, and so close to our landing site, complicated things. Open air settlements were an added risk when just considering the lizards and birds I¡¯d met. With wyverns, living on the surface would guarantee constant attacks. A wyvern would happily tear the roof off a hunting lodge to get at the delicious, gooey meals inside.


    There was also the issue of scouting. I wanted squads of windcallers to explore the surface of this world, but the skies had just gotten much more dangerous, and I still hadn¡¯t assessed the air elementals.


    Still, we had some things to look forward to.


    Like most of the complications I¡¯d encountered so far, it was a curse that we could turn to a blessing. They would be targets rich in essence, and easy to bait. And while they might have been some of hardest creatures to tame, elven wildhearts were more than up to the task¡ªgiven enough time.


    For now, though, we simply couldn¡¯t coexist. Any nearby wyvern population needed to be depleted if I planned to move two and a half thousand elves across the slopes of these mountains in any direction.


    There was also the the primeval convergence to consider.


    Wyverns learned to fly within days of being born. Juvenile wyverns could range over dozens of kilometers within weeks, and they needed to: the hatching season would quickly see the lands around the nesting grounds stripped bare of all the small birds and critters that young wyverns fed upon.


    And yet I¡¯d seen no young wyverns when fighting in the swamp. The older wyverns, like the six-legged frogs I¡¯d fought, would have only been called when the convergence reached its climax.


    To my mind, two possibilities existed. The first was that we were far from the season when the eggs hatched, and there were no wyverns small enough to have been called. The second was that the youngest wyverns hadn¡¯t reached me because they were in a different psychic range, a different primeval convergence.


    Mirio¡¯s words rang in my mind as I set out in the direction of the peak.


    Be careful.

 2.08: The Terror of the Skies

    The higher layer of cloud was still glowing a bright white when I broke clear into the mists, running for the slopes of the mountain. I killed only a single broadwing as I ran along the stream, soon passing into the shadows of the trees at the mountain¡¯s base. They seemed small compared to the great trees of the swamp, but many of them were more than sixty feet high.


    My ability to detect life and biological matter with [Wild Bond] and [Life Magick] let me make good speed through the streamside undergrowth, but whenever the way above me was clear, I flew, launching myself into the air with a [Surge of Might] before filling my tortoiseshell sail with air and pulling myself clear of the forest.


    I was close to being able to fly forever now that I had [Avian Grace] to lighten me and [Primeval Mana Hide] to fill my mana pool as I went. The cost of keeping myself aloft was only just barely outpacing my regeneration. If I gained my two available levels and spent the [Bestow 14]¡¯s on [Source] my air time would likely go from three or four minutes to six or seven. Two more after that and I¡¯d be free.


    When I ran in the forest, many creatures startled at my passage, but none of them tried to intercept me. Either the aggression that I¡¯d found in the swamp was absent, here, or I was simply moving too fast for any would-be hunters to catch me.


    A single, massive bird tried to grab me in its talons while I was in the air¡ªbut two shots from my bow sent it away.


    In just a few minutes I¡¯d crossed as many kilometers of woodland. The trees began to fade and shrink around me, giving way to spare shrubs and bare rock, the slope steepening ahead of me. If there were wyverns on this mountain, I¡¯d be meeting some soon. They preferred the rockier slopes: nesting in woodlands gave other animals more opportunities to sneak into their nests and steal meat, eggs, or their newly-hatched young.


    I made my way up the slopes, flying up the occasional cliffside and searching for my quarry with my eyes and gaze. Above me, the bright cloud grew closer, bathing the stones in warm, bright light. But there were a few distortions in the light, easier to make out the closer that I came. Dark figures moved within, dimming the light with their passage.


    I queried my [Life Pool] out of curiosity:


    ?¡ª[Life Pool] 87/100


    All just from keeping me invigorated. With luck, I wouldn¡¯t need it for anything else.


    I paused on an outcrop of rock that I deemed big and flat enough to fight on, my eyes on the few shadows that I could see moving through the cloud above me. Then I stopped hiding my presence with my [Wild Bond] skill.


    I watched the closest shadow wheel around to make its way toward me in a straight line.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, smiling.


    It explained why I hadn¡¯t seen any of them yet. Wyverns preferred other aerial predators to anything they could eat off the ground, and they were very good at pulling them from the sky. These forests contained truly massive birds and flying lizards: hunting with the cover of the cloud layer was probably all these creatures needed.


    I unbuckled my slayer¡¯s axe, setting it down on the rock beside me. If things went well, I wouldn¡¯t be needing it.


    The shadow moved fast, and within a few moments it left the cloud-lair to dive toward me, giving me the first glimpse of this world¡¯s wyverns.


    Long-necked, long-legged, long-taloned and with a set of wide, webbed wings, it looked like all the other wyverns I¡¯d met save for a few differences. Despite being a stealth predator, it had the same style of glowing markings decorating its body that many of the other wildlife had, though these ones were a bright yellow. The talons on both its wings and feet were longer, and the armored plating on its belly and the crest of bone over its forehead were both larger as well¡ªeach, I guessed, to help it handle all of the missile-throwing wildlife.


    It swooped silently toward me, using its natural ability with air magic to mute the sound of its passage. As it came within my gaze, I could tell that it was also trying to stealth itself from my [Wild Bond], but my senses were too fine-tuned to let it hide from me.


    It flared its wings as it reached me, reaching out with its talons¡­ but I¡¯d fought wyverns before. I used my [Air Magick] to put myself inside a sleeve of undisturbed air, protecting me from the force of wind from its wings that would have caught my sail and ripped me off the ground. I leapt forward, between its talons, then aimed my bow upward as the wyvern reared its head to release a gout of its deadly poisonous breath.


    My arrow, enhanced by a [Surge of Might], pierced the armor at the base of its throat, but only a little¡ªsix inches deep, it stopped at an odd angle, short of the lethal shot I¡¯d been trying for.


    I had no time to wonder why. The wyvern spewed forth a cloud of pale green breath, and I focused on my [Air Magick], keeping my air sleeve intact and pushing the air around me so that it blew the deadly vapors away.


    The wyvern used its own [Air Magick], filling its wings not to take flight again, but to push itself backward over the rocks, its talons hovering just above the ground. When it saw that its breath wasn¡¯t reaching me, it cut the stream off with a cough, landed on all four limbs, then lunged for me with snapping jaws.


    I leapt back to one side to avoid them while staying clear of the poisonous cloud, then hissed. I didn¡¯t want to use all my mana when I knew I¡¯d need it if I wanted to escape, but I could see that I needed to throw lightning.


    Close-range lightning has only one real weakness. Because lightning seeks mana, the lightning bolt¡¯s endpoint needs to be near enough to the enemy that the spell seeks them, not the caster. I had just over a thousand mana: if this wyvern had only two hundred, I¡¯d need my bolt to end more than five times closer to it than to me, or I¡¯d need to spend enough mana to make up the difference.


    Of course, I had a way of addressing this issue.


    The wyvern lunged, snapping for me with its jaws, its mouth spewing small gouts of poison¡ªand this time I brought my left arm up and struck it hard at the base of the chin, throwing it off but doing little damage.


    But as I pulled my fist back, I unspooled a line of mana where it had been, anchoring my claim into this line of mana with my [Lightning Magick] and leaping backward to fall into a crouch a dozen feet away. I felt the wyvern push against this claim, but held fast, dropping my bow and grabbing my slayer¡¯s axe with one hand as I ignited the mana and the air flashed between us, throwing a thin bolt of lightning that struck the creature in the mouth.


    The bolt had only been composed of two hundred mana, but the wyvern reeled, momentarily stunned and blinded by the blow. I surged forward with my axe in both hands, swinging upwards and burying the frontward point of the axe in its throat, then planting my feet and surging [Strength] to tear the blade of the axe out of its neck in a spray of blood that I quickly stepped clear of.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The wyvern thrashed from the blow, and I rolled beneath its neck to come up on the other side, raised my axe in both hands, and cleaved off its head with two blows.


    + 11 675 Essence, [Boon]


    I leapt over the falling corpse to grab my bow, conscious that without my [Aegis], the string could be damaged by the wyvern¡¯s breath. Then I looked at the boon the creature had granted and cheered aloud. I could use it to make a [Reptile 2], a [Wild 2]... and most importantly a [Sight 2]. [Sight 2] was most definitely useful... and I knew I could find more.


    I used my [Air Magick] to push the wyvern¡¯s breath away from the small, flat area we¡¯d fought on, scanning the sky above me as I did. It didn¡¯t take long for another shadow to pull free from the glowing cloud, diving toward me as a streak of black and yellow.


    My gaze now extended through the first wyvern¡¯s severed head, and I frowned as I saw what my problem had been. These wyverns had three cartilaginous plates beneath their jaw, with more lining theirs necks. It made sense: with so many creatures on the ground that could launch missiles, the instant lethality of a shot to the brain was something they¡¯d adapted to avoid.


    I set my axe on the ground beside me, raising my bow. This time as it swooped toward me, I leapt to one side and shot a surged arrow into the softer skin around its shoulder, burying it deep into the flesh where wing met body. It turned to breath its deadly gas, and I launched another arrow into its throat, then another into its left eye.


    The creature shrieked in fury as it belched forth its poisonous breath, and I lowered my bow, called my axe to one hand, and lunged forward to land beneath its neck, dropping my bow so that it stayed within my air envelope and then grabbing the haft of the axe with both hands to drive the point into the wyvern¡¯s neck before surging my [Strength] and tearing it free with a shower of blood.


    I backed away, making a breeze around me to push the wyvern¡¯s breath away, the green cloud billowing around me. Ahead of me, the creature gurgled and flailed, blood flowing freely from its opened throat. It made a few motions toward me, and I waited for an opening, then rushed in again to hew through the rest of its severed neck before it could regenerate the wound.


    ?¡ªMana 921/1300, 45% Primeval


    + 12 371 Essence, [Boon]


    A third wyvern was already diving toward me out of the cloud, and I cloaked myself with the [Wild Bond] again, not wanting to attract any more while I dealt with this one.


    I had some experimenting to do. First, I dodged its talons, then didn¡¯t attack it, instead backing away and protecting myself from its poisonous breath. I scowled as it rose into the air again, turning for another pass: I¡¯d wanted to see if it would land without being shot at.


    It came for me again with its talons, then cried out in frustration as I leapt out of the way. I seized upon this moment of anger to reach out with [Wild Bond] and try to push on its mind, making it land and fight me on the ground¡­ but the beast only shook its head, and my mana was wasted. It flew back around for another pass.


    A shame. I¡¯d been hoping I could kill them with just my axe, but it seemed they¡¯d only land to attack me if I first hurt them from the ground.


    The wyvern came around again, but I didn¡¯t shoot arrows. Instead I pushed two hundred mana into the air as it dove, aiming carefully so that when it pulled up to aim for me with its talons I blasted a hole in its wing.


    The wyvern shrieked, falling forward and favoring its good forelimb as it stumbled to the ground, its momentum carrying it forward. It spun away from me, barbed tail snapping toward my chest, but I stepped back and simply cut the bony tip of the tail away with one swing of my axe.


    The wyvern let out another cry, spinning to snap at me with jaws that were spewing poison, but I thrust forward with my axe, stabbing into its mouth with the upward point. It reared back, blood now falling from its jaws along with poison, and I rushed forward, swinging with both hands to bury the front-facing point of the axehead in its neck and rip out a part of its throat.


    Much like I had with the others, I dove under its neck to avoid its instinctive thrashing in my direction, then surged [Strength] to sever its head from its body, spraying myself with hot blood.


    + 11 989 Essence, [Boon]


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried, taking a quick glimpse at the boon. It held an [Air] aspect¡ªfinally. If I killed more I might be able to upgrade my [Avian Grace] to [Kite¡¯s Grace] today, without having to wait for the windcallers to sieve the aspect from the air. The wyverns wouldn¡¯t negate our need for [Air] aspects generally, but they would alleviate it a little.


    My elation faded in an instant, however, as I saw another wyvern dive through the cloud layer, then tracked several more shadows coming closer as if to do the same. When a second wyvern emerged several hundred meters from the first, also diving toward me, I realized what had happened.


    I¡¯d triggered a primeval convergence.


    And so close to the first. I could think of what this meant for the colony later, for now I had to deal with the wyverns.


    I didn¡¯t like spending my levels now, but I didn¡¯t want to take any risks.


    You spend 22 000 Essence to gain 2 Levels! You are now level 23 / 23


    You gain 2 [Bestow 14]


    You spend 2 [Bestow 14] to increase your [Source] by 28. Your [Source] is now 158.


    Or rather, I didn¡¯t want to take any risks I didn¡¯t have to. There was no avoiding some of them, now. Letting wyverns dive for me and cutting off their heads had been a safe strategy, but that was when they came one at a time. Being surrounded by powerful, regenerating enemies that came at me from all sides and blanketed the world in acidic poison would spell death even to me.


    I slid my bow into the small gap made to fit it in my tortoiseshell sail harness, then clipped it there. It was next to useless, now: I¡¯d be juggling it out of my hands every time I wanted to do anything.


    Then I dove out of the way of the first diving wyvern, leaping back to engage it as it reared up its head to spew forth a poisonous cloud. It flared its wings and used its air magic to pull backward and keep me within range of its breath, and the point of my axe met empty air.


    The second wyvern reached us, and I leapt into the air, filling my sail to carry me high above them as I built a path of mana. I maneuvered myself into position over the first wyvern, still breathing out its deadly gas, and finished pouring seven hundred mana into the air between myself and the second.


    Then I ignited the bolt, and a thunderous crack echoed off the mountainside around us as the air flashed red and the second wyvern¡¯s head was blasted to pieces.


    + 12121 Essence, [Boon]


    I was already falling, pointing my axe straight downward at the first wyvern as it reared back, startled by the flash, noise, and explosion.


    I landed on its neck point-first, burying the point of my axe deep in its flesh as my momentum slammed it down to the ground. I tore the blade free, gained my balance on the ground beside the wyvern, then hacked its head away before leaping free of the poisonous cloud.


    + 10789 Essence, [Boon]


    I looked up at the sky. Three more were already diving toward me and would reach me in a matter of seconds. What was more, I felt another creature enter my gaze, and I snapped my head toward it to see a snow-white cat with red eyes bounding down the mountain toward me, a trail of fog in its wake.


    The cat and I both lunged at one another, and the point of my axe pierced it through its open jaws, our colliding momentum bringing us to the ground a moment later, at which point I gained my footing, tore my axe free through the side of its jaw, and then put the cat down with a fierce blow to its head.


    + 3845 Essence, 2 [Boon]


    Compared to the wyverns and their armored, high [Aegis] bodies, the cat¡¯s flesh had burst like a rotten fruit.


    The first of the three wyverns fell upon me, and I leapt away, rushing up the steepening slopes of the mountain. Ahead of me, I saw a fourth emerging from the mists and let out a grunt of dismay.


    It was time for a new strategy.

 2.09: Battle at the Summit

    I kicked off the ground beneath me, leaping high and then pulling myself forward across the stony slope with my arms before leaping once more. Behind me, wyverns converged on where I¡¯d just been.


    Finding me missing, these ones didn¡¯t slow their momentum to breathe poison and attack, instead swooping past with talons outstretched and reorienting for another dive.


    ?¡ªMana 883/1580, 41% Primeval


    ?¡ª[Life Pool] 81/100


    The wyverns flew faster than I could run or fly. Their [Strength] was likely high enough to pierce me clean through with their talons or jaws, making them potentially lethal. But with my gaze and [Wild Bond], I could see them coming.


    On the ground, they had a wide array of offensive capabilities. Chasing me like this, however, their options were more limited. As long as I kept my air envelope around me to spare me from any flybys with their poisonous breath, and as long as I could keep myself out of their talons¡­.


    Another wyvern dove for me, opening its wings at the last moment and using its air magic to call a massive wind and gain a sudden burst of speed¡ªbut I answered it with my own burst of speed using [Surge of Might], leaping into the air and onto a rock outcrop to continue on my journey up the mountain.


    ?¡ªMana 841/1580, 43% Primeval


    Good. [Primeval Mana Hide] had left me so much mana regeneration that I was almost able to fly permanently. If I could lean on my physical abilities to evade them, I could slowly winnow away their numbers with lightning bolts.


    This was the power of building my skillset for such a broad set of attributes. Even with only a single offensive magical skill, I had options.


    Another white cat came for me, and I easily smashed its head apart with my axe, then turned to continue bounding up the mountain with easy strides. My [Air Magick] and [Wild Bond] both helped me to find my footing without [Air Magick]¡ªanything my gaze couldn¡¯t sense was likely rock or earth.


    I reached the mist-layer, my eyes useless in its near-blinding light. There were six wyverns chasing me by the time that I did, and I spent almost as much time dodging their breath and talons as I did climbing the mountain. It was no matter, however: I wasn¡¯t really trying to climb, just to get away from them without getting so far from their habitat that I ended the convergence.


    The mana in the air grew even more dense, and I could feel it being absorbed by my [Primeval Mana Hide]. It wasn¡¯t the time for lighting bolts, however¡ªnot yet. Instead I kept moving across the slope below me, waiting until another wyvern dived before I leapt away and took flight, pulling myself up and then rushing almost straight upward in an effort to clear the cloud.


    There had been more elementals in the other mist layer, and I had no interest in spending any time in this one and potentially gaining the attentions of unwanted enemies. Still, as I rose through the cloud and soared past my group of pursuing wyverns, I focused on my gaze, waiting¡­.


    I saw what I¡¯d feared in the form of a solid spike of compact air rushing toward me through the cloud. The luminous mist rippled as it approached, and I pulled my sail tight just as it struck me with the force of a charging boar and sent me spinning through the air.


    An air elemental. Not an intelligent one, and not a hostile one, either: it had just been seeing if I wanted to play.


    I shut my eyes, stopped myself from spinning using my own [Air Magick], then put out my sail and began rising through the cloud again, dismayed by the necessary waste of mana. I kept my focus on my gaze, watching for another one of them¡­ but none found me before I broke free of the mists and caught sight of the landscape above them.


    The mountain¡¯s peak rose ahead of me, the caldera at its tip frosted with a small ring of snow. Behind it, fading into the mists, lay several more mountains, each taller than this one.


    And several more kilometers above it, unbelievably, was another layer of luminescent mist, this one bright like the one below me.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± I said, swooping down to land on the rocky terrain. There were hardly any plants, now, and from the air I could see the scattered nests of wyverns, each built from half-dissolved stumps of trees and animal bones, dark tangles as wide as barns.


    ?¡ªMana 531/1580


    ¡°Hah!¡± I cried even as two new wyverns dove for me and the others began to rise out of the mists behind me. They were getting slower, the wyverns, and I¡¯d suspected they might: they needed to use their [Air Magick] to gain altitude quickly, and they simply didn¡¯t have the mana or the mana replenishment to chase me up the mountain forever.


    I took full advantage of this fact to strike at the two new additions to my pursuers, fighting them much like I had their relatives below. I dodged the first, distracted it with minor lightning, hewed off its head as the second came in for the kill, distracted that one with minor lightning, put my axe through its skull and yanked it clear in a shower of bone and gore¡­.


    + 12 875 Essence, [Boon]


    + 11 596 Essence, [Boon]


    Then I was off again, the other wyverns too numerous for me to stop for. But I¡¯d spent little more than 100 mana on their fellows, and despite riding the occasional gust of air up a cliff face or across a field of gravel, my mana was replenishing quickly.


    Two more cats came for me, one of them throwing frost shards while the other simply pounced, trailing fog, but neither their claws or frost magic was threatening to me. I evaded the first to rush forward and behead the second, trailing a line of mana that I ignited a moment later, distracting the last cat enough to burst its head, too, before leaping back out of the way of another of my entourage of wyverns.


    I queried again when I was close to the snow:A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ?¡ªMana 1055/1580, 51% Primeval


    ?¡ªLife Pool [61/100]


    ?¡ªSurge Pool [68/100]


    Then, familiar with their movements, I unspooled another 700 mana into the air, carefully ending the line in the spot that I knew would catch their head if I loosed my lightning bolt at just the right time.


    The wyvern dove. I called the lightning, and the mountaintop echoed its fierce, thunderous crack as the wyvern¡¯s head burst open, its skull broken and its brain becoming little more than a hissing gout of smoke and steam as its corpse fell limply down the mountainside.


    + 11 557 Essence, [Boon]


    The wyverns all let out cries in response to the lightning, and as a few more of them joined the fray, I turned and began to run up the slope of the mountain once more, turning once I reached the boundary of the snow, not wanting to fight on ground that would be treacherous now that I didn¡¯t have [Frost Magick] to secure my footing.


    Ahead of me I spied a large depression in the stone where snow bordered rock, and I made for it as I evaded the wyverns, leaping up onto a precipice to look down into the strange formation.


    A portion of the frozen caldera had fallen in, but only in places, as if collapsed from beneath by a great, tunneling creature. Pillars of stone still rose fifty feet above the massive, fragmented slabs beneath them. Snow and ice was built up in their crevices and along the the steep sides of the field of stone.


    It was perfect.


    I could rise through the air faster than they could, and I could use the many cracks and ledges to climb the cliffs and pillars without spending mana. Now that I¡¯d reached as high as I could climb, I needed good terrain to fight in¡ªand I knew I¡¯d find no better than this.


    I leapt down into the tiny canyon, slowing my fall a little with a blanket of air, then waited until the wyverns had all dived after me to climb the largest jutting pillar of rock with a series of leaps, pulls, and short burst of flight.


    I crested the top of the stone pillar just as a hulk of a new wyvern, the largest I¡¯d seen, slammed to the stone in front of me. It reared up, poison already dripping from the corners of its mouth.


    I knew that I didn¡¯t want to give up this high ground, didn¡¯t have room to dodge back the way I normally did, certainly not against a creature so large whose breath would stretch far¡­.


    I howled, surging forward and thrusting with the upward spike of my axe to pierce it above the breast, yanking the axe free and thrusting again. The wyvern howled, its wings coming down to steady its weight as it backed up to snap at me with its jaws.


    I surged [Strength] and lashed out with my axe, cutting its mouth with a heavy blow that sent teeth flying in a bloody spray. It reeled, but my axe flashed as it snapped forward again, cleaving most of its lower mandible away. A broken hiss escaped its mouth, and two more downward swings of my axe ate away the front of its face as if I were furiously hacking at a tree stump. At last I plunged the axe-tip through the hole in its skull between its eyes, then ripped it free and spun to face the rising horde beneath me.


    + 14 633 Essence, [Boon]


    Your level limit has increased to 24!


    I howled, ecstatic with bloodlust, my voice joined by the cries of the wyverns coming to meet me, the blood of their greatest pooling around my bare feet even as my skin burned and smoked with what little acid it had released.


    You spend 11 000 Essence to gain 1 level! You are now level 24 / 24.


    You gain 1 [Bestow 14]


    You spend 1 [Bestow 14] to add 14 to your [Source]. Your [Source] is now 172.


    Then I leapt from the edge of the pillar, pulling my sail tight to my body so that I fell, aiming for one of the lowest wyverns, guiding my fall with small bursts of air so that I landed point-first on the wyvern¡¯s head, cracking its skull to pierce through to the brain beneath, then rolling off its back as the momentum of my fall continued.


    Again I used air magic to ensure I landed well, rolling and coming up in a crouch to leap away from the wyverns above as they adjusted the course of their flight.


    I made for another outcrop of stone, determined to make them gain and lose altitude as much as I could, depleting their mana and robbing them of the surges of speed that kept me constantly evading. As I ran, I queried:


    ?¡ªMana 1231/1720, 35% Primeval


    I deemed it was enough, so I struck one of the wyverns from the air as it came toward me, then leapt up onto the next stone edifice.


    I fought on and on. They dove, I dodged. I climbed, they rose, and I leapt and cut them from the air. They breathed their poisonous breath, I hurled my lethal bolts of skull-shattering lightning. The motions of their wings dispersed their poison across the floor of the valley, but I pushed the worst of it away from me and simply bore the rest: I was immune to poison, and the itching acid on my skin was heavily muted by my high [Aegis].


    As we fought, I kept looking for other animals. The distance from this mountain to the swamp was more than five kilometers. If any other creatures were drawn by the primeval resonance, they¡¯d have to climb the mountain to reach me. Even once they got here, they¡¯d still have to fear any wyverns that hadn¡¯t answered the call. The birds of the forest were the most likely to show, but they were also the wyverns¡¯ natural prey.


    Instead it was only the white cats, and not many of them¡ªI guessed they were better adapted to the higher peaks, with more snow atop them. If one of them had come for me at just the right moment, it might have thrown off a much-needed evasion and left me vulnerable to the wyverns. But that moment was a half-second among so many, it was little surprise to me that the oncoming cats meant nothing, were trivially easy to kill.


    Soon I stood atop one of the stone outcrops¡ªand I stood alone. The last of them nothing but a headless corpse that lay before me, gushing blood from its severed neck. I leaned on my axe, grinning.


    The convergence had brought just over twenty wyverns. What did that mean for the population in the area? On Aranar, it would mean two hundred¡ªa huge number for a mountain this size.


    What I knew that it meant was powerful skill keys. I¡¯d let Hassina decide how they were distributed. It was my right to take any that I thought I needed to do my work, and of course she¡¯d treat my recommendations as orders, for now. But I had claimed twenty-five rank 2 boons, and eight of them could make [Air 2] skill keys. Almost all of the remainder could make [Sight 2]¡ªkeys that would let our telepaths and wildhearts communicate at long distances.


    Soon my people would be hunting and scouting. Only [Mind] or [Change] cores were as valuable for that task as these.


    I absorbed mana from the air around me until I was full, then took flight, heading for the snowy peak. I reached the lip of the caldera in short order, looking inside to see a wyvern nest had been made on an island in the center of a small, frozen lake.


    Its occupant was even bigger than the largest I¡¯d killed in the convergence, but not by much. Palefang had indeed kept the summit clear of anything that grew too strong to threaten him.


    It shrieked as it saw me, then spread its wings and rose into the air, flying toward me.


    I struck it from the sky with a bolt of lightning that cost more than a thousand mana.


    It crashed into the ice a moment later, its head a smoking ruin.


    + 16 238 Essence, [Boon]


    I didn¡¯t descend into the caldera. Instead I flew to highest part of the mountain and perched there, looking out at a sea of bright cloud beneath me, broken only by a few distant peaks.


    Then I pulled out my pipes, extended my gaze into the air around me, and began to play.

 2.10: Mastering the Air

    There is no magical focus quite like a melody. Not only does music order magic much like well-practiced words or runes can, but it can enhance one¡¯s resonance. In fact, the state of mind that music requires is one of the few mental states that can increase all three of one¡¯s arcane, divine, and primeval resonances.


    My melody was that of a leaf blown by the wind, a mercurial and absentminded song that would move from one cascade of notes to the next, barely connecting the two. As I played, I used my [Air Magick] to push ribbons and ripples of wind out into the air in an intricate pattern that radiated out from me before dissolving into whirling streamers of wind.


    I played for only a few minutes before the first of them found me¡ªand a solid spear of air almost knocked me from the mountaintop.


    I reached out with my [Air Magick] and split the spear in two, watching the elemental¡¯s mana-dense form divide, slide around the envelope of protective air I¡¯d formed around myself, then merge again.


    I played a three-note admonishment on my pipes, each decreasing in pitch. I ceased spreading my streamers of air into the space around me for a moment, my eyes on the elemental. It circled me, curious, little more than a ripple of air to the naked eye.


    Then I began to play again, resuming my intricate pattern of music and wind.


    The elemental tore at my streamers like a child slapping at the drizzle that runs from an eave in rain. Then it lunged for me again.


    Again, I split it, protecting myself with an envelope of air to avoid being thrown from the mountain. Again, I admonished the elemental with the same three notes.


    Then I began to play again.


    Unintelligent air elementals were not malicious creatures like most fire and frost elementals. Instead, they were dangerous because they were careless, easily fascinated, and because they had no true sense of danger. Their first instinct when seeing something new was to push on it, to feel it and slap it around, spin and toss it, lift it high and drop it: why would an air elemental know that throwing me down the side of this mountain could hurt me? It couldn¡¯t hurt them. Few things could.


    They were creatures of curiosity, with little ambitions or wants other than to fly and find new experiences. And because their senses were most attuned to sensing air, one of their favorite new things to experience was music. Even intelligent air elementals lacked the focus, community, and collective memory to develop new instruments and pass down tens of thousands of songs as the elves had.


    It took a few tries to get the elemental who had found me to understand that if it pushed me, I would stop playing. Eventually it backed off, circling me and just watching, then finally reaching out to play with my streamers of air, adding its own complex patterns and ripples to mine.


    I smiled. Elves are the creation of Sabina, but we are still mammals even if we are immortal. Elementals surpass even me when it comes to [Primeval Resonance] and manipulating the substance of their self. I was awestruck as I watched the elemental create hair-fine tendrils and hollow spheres of compressed air just to dash them into waves and eddies. It was a beautiful thing.


    I kept playing, and soon more elementals joined me. My first friend quickly became a sort of bodyguard, intercepting the instinctive first interaction of the others so as to safeguard my song. Soon many elementals were circling me, swooping through my manipulated currents and adding their own patterns and sounds to the air.


    I wished that I could have stayed for the rest of the day, playing and watching the elementals play back, listening to the whiplike whispers of their manipulated winds in my ear and responding with more notes on my pipes. I wished that Alcuon sat beside me, playing his lute, our lyre, or my drums¡ªhe¡¯d been learning those.


    But I was alone. Wretched time takes¡ªtakes everything. I couldn¡¯t even stay to enjoy this moment, not for as long as I wanted to. After an hour I rose, pushed my way through my audience of elementals, and took off down the slopes of the mountain, half-falling, half-flying through the mist layer.


    I hadn¡¯t met any intelligent air elementals. I¡¯d have to try again in a higher position. The air was highly stripped of its aspect, and the only known circumstances that produced an outcome like this were intelligent air elementals.


    Air elementals consumed [Air] keys to sustain themselves and to grow stronger. All air elementals could strip the aspect from the air in a rudimentary way, but air was a fluid: the more its aspect was stripped, the more all of the world¡¯s air would slowly be diluted as it mingled together. Only intelligent elementals could figure out how to siphon the aspect-laden air from the air that was without it¡ªif none were present, the air wouldn¡¯t drop below six-tenths [Air] aspect.


    Or so we thought. This world was unlike anything we¡¯d encountered: I couldn¡¯t discount the possibility that some unknown mechanism, perhaps borne of the high concentrations of mana, allowed even the unintelligent elementals to strip aspects beyond our expectations.


    Still, I had something to look forward to: with the keys I¡¯d brought, I¡¯d be high in the air, enjoying the power of continuous flight, in no time. I had the keys to at least upgrade my [Air Magick] now, but I¡¯d hold off until I could talk to Hassina¡ªI hadn¡¯t needed the boost to kill the wyverns, and a few extra minutes traveling home wasn¡¯t worth spending them, either.


    In our current circumstances, the normal order of things was reversed: [Elemental] keys were less valuable than [Air] keys. Better to rank up my [Air Magick] with those, once I could, and leave the [Air 2]s I¡¯d gathered for our other elementalists.


    I queried the boons I¡¯d been given for killing the wyverns, but was greeted by a flood of information, the boons covering every possible combination of three of the various aspects carried by the wyverns: [Air], [Animal], [Body], [Life], [Reptile], [Sight], and [Wild].


    I queried the Verse to simplify things:


    ?¡ªGranted; boons will be now grouped by what species you believe awarded them.


    ?¡ªYou have 25 {Wyvern Boon}, 9 holding [Air 2]. Of those that do not hold [Air 2], 12 hold [Sight 2].


    ¡°Better,¡± I muttered. Hassina could sort through the complexities.


    Soon I landed in the mist before the cave entrance. The mist layer that was now on a level with the colony had seemingly finished getting lighter¡ªit now glowed bright white like the layer above it. I walked inside and found Hassina making plans with some of the enchanters. She excused herself when she saw me, then came and took my offered hands.


    - 332 864 Essence, 25 {Wyvern Boon}!Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    + 1 Limit! (25)


    ¡°Oh, wait,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going need 11 000 essence back.¡±


    ¡°Is that twenty four?¡± Hassina asked.


    ¡°Twenty five,¡± I said, smiling.


    + 11 000 Essence!


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Hassina. ¡°We¡¯ll have to let Fireesha know you¡¯ve got another binding. I didn¡¯t expect it until your next trip out.¡±


    - 11 000 Essence: + 1 Level! (25 / 25)


    + 1 [*Primeval 5]! (1)


    + 1 Binding! (4)


    + 1 [Bestow 14]


    + 2 [Bestow]! (16)


    - 1 [Bestow 14]: + 14 [Source] (194)


    ¡°And look! [Sight]!¡± She was grinning at me.


    ¡°And [Air],¡± I added. ¡°I was as happy as you are, trust me. This doesn¡¯t solve all our problems, but Mirio was right to make sure I saw those wyvern skulls. I didn¡¯t make contact with any intelligent air elementals, though¡ªI¡¯ll have to fly higher.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said, moving over to her flat slate of wall. ¡°But we can manage that. New attributes?¡±


    I told her:


    !¡ªAziriel¡¯s Attributes:


    213 [Aegis]


    234 [Agility]


    101 [Strength]


    124 [Channel]


    61 [Focus]


    194 [Source]


    106% [Primeval Resonance]


    1940/1940 Mana, 57% Primeval


    100/100 [Life Pool]


    100/100 [Surge Pool]


    ¡°It¡¯s good for morale,¡± she said, chalk scraping across the stone as I read her the numbers. Then she copied out my skills:


    !¡ªAziriel¡¯s Skills:


    0: [Primeval Power 30]


    0: [Sable Grace 20]


    0: [Life Magick 7]


    2: [Avian Grace 9]


    4: [Air Magick 9]


    6: [Primeval Mana Hide 14]


    8: [Might 9]


    10: [Surge of Might 9]


    15: [Wild Bond 6]


    20: [Lightning Magick 8]


    25: [*Primeval 5]


    B: [Conjured Missiles 7]


    B: [Primeval Mana 7]


    B: [Surging Power 7]


    B: Empty!


    ¡°Well, we can fix at least one thing right away,¡± Hassina said. She offered me her hands.


    + 9 [Bird 1], 4 [Air 2], 3 [Body 2], 48 000 Essence!


    ¡°That should at least come close to putting you in the air.¡±


    I made [Kite¡¯s Grace], first by upgrading the keys already in the [Avian Grace] skill to rank 3:


    9 [Bird 1] + 3 000 Essence: 3 [Bird 2]


    [Avian Grace 9] + 3 [Bird 2] + 15 000 Essence: [Avian Grace 10]


    [Avian Grace 10] + 3 [Body 2] + 15 000 Essence: [Avian Grace 11]


    Then by adding the third key, an [Air 3]:


    4 [Air 2] + 15 000 Essence: 1 [Air 3]


    [Avian Grace 11] + [Air 3]: [Kite¡¯s Grace 14]


    [Kite¡¯s Grace 14]


    [*Primeval 5] + [Body 2] + [Bird 2]


    + 2.9¡Á[Bestow]¡Á[Primeval Resonance] to [Agility] (95)


    + 24%¡Á[Primeval Resonance] Efficiency when lifting or pushing your body with [Air Magick] (49%)


    You can lighten yourself to be up to 14% lighter than your ordinary weight.


    You don¡¯t suffer airsickness when moving between altitudes.


    Your gaze now detects birds as well as air, and both your gaze and threshold are easier to extend through such creatures and substances.


    It is easier to hide and defend yourself from psychic attacks using the [Wild Bond] skill and all similar skills.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s continual flight, right there. Easy enough to reach with [Primeval Mana Hide] in this place. Still, since it¡¯s preferable that I don¡¯t run myself out of mana from maneuvering and throwing lightning, my open skill core should bolster flight, somehow.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t narrow it down by much,¡± said Hassina.


    ¡°[Elemental Power] is the obvious choice,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of weighing it against any other options you can think of. I¡¯m still gaining [Source] to keep up with my natural ability to throw lightning, but that won¡¯t last long. After that I¡¯m not sure¡ªI want everything but more [Agility]. [Channel] for faster lightning and flight, [Focus] for bigger bolts and more efficient [Flight], and [Strength] to pierce [Aegis] with my weapons.


    Hassina sighed. ¡°So you don¡¯t want to lean on your [Channel]? The one attribute you have that¡¯s 163% more effective than it should be?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the mana to use it,¡± I said. ¡°My innate capacity to channel is more than a hundred¡ªmy overall effective channeling rate is as if I had a [Channel] of more than seven hundred. [Primeval Resonance] is essentially doubling [Surging Power]¡¯s [Channel] bonus twice.¡±


    I looked at my attributes on the wall before me, frowned, then shook my head. ¡°The lightning is quite strong already,¡± I said. I worked my mouth, then added: ¡°It¡¯s not exactly an easy decision. Mightier bolts would help me put forth the needed amount of power against a strong foe.¡±


    ¡°Which is, if we¡¯re being honest, sort of your job.¡±


    I smiled. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Some creatures were so powerful that normal fighters had no chance of even hurting them. The point of a champion was twofold: to fight such creatures, and to be one.


    ¡°I still think [Focus] might be a better choice. It¡¯s not like faster flight, greater air control, and a larger claim and gaze aren¡¯t useful in mortal combat,¡± I said. ¡°And the usefulness of having me cover great distances quickly is manifold.¡± Then I shook my head. ¡°The point may be moot, however. Consider anything you like, but run their numbers against [Elemental Power].¡±


    ¡°And the binding? You want a focus skill?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I want it, yes. I want a lot of things. [Earthen Might] to bolster my [Aegis] and the [Strength] I gave up while giving me the power to wholly sense the terrain again. [Storm Surge], [Melee Surge], [Missile Surge] and [Blood Magick]... throw in a nice multi-aspect [Lightning] skill¡­. Ah, but I¡¯m daydreaming. For now, for the binding? Get me [Animal Sight] and the next time I go hunting I¡¯ll scout far, come back with more than a million essence, and do a better job of seeing about these air elementals.¡±


    ¡°Are you going now?¡± Hassina asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fast enough now that we can send Valir and his hunters out¡ªI¡¯ll stay back and keep watch over them. I¡¯m level 25, now. My own limit will increase slowly and my next four levels are gap levels. As long as we¡¯ve already gotten the essence to keep the hunting parties leveled to their limits, I¡¯d rather them go out now.¡±


    ¡°You sure? You did just promise a million essence.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said plaintively. ¡°And I¡¯d very much like to be flying around hunting wyverns and exploring some of the further mountains, believe me. But getting the hunters started is an investment. Once they start, they¡¯ll just get stronger and stronger. I can only harvest so well because I¡¯ve had the time to build strength¡ªit¡¯s worth the investment to start with them now.


    ¡°As you wish, Lux Irovex.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to make the rounds now. Let the people see my face. Send word to Valir to get started.¡± I hesitated a moment, then added: ¡°And send word to Seriana. It¡¯s not urgent, but I¡¯d like her to find me when she has some time.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± said Hassina. ¡°Should I tell her what it¡¯s about?¡±


    I might have said: about her treasonous husband.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯ll know.¡±

 2.11: The Archmage Seriana

    Leadership isn¡¯t quite what the songs and stories present. Giving rousings speeches, leading armies into battle, crushing your enemies and soaking up credit for a job well done¡­ not only do they not occur often, but they can even be signs that you¡¯re doing the job rather badly.


    The real job involves far more mundane frustrations. There are the repeated meetings which often feel unnecessary. There is the bureaucratic entanglement that comes with delegation as orders trickle down through the ranks. And there is the omnipresent heart of true leadership: convincing those who follow you to both work harder than they should have to and take less than they deserve for it because that¡¯s what the circumstances require.


    I walked along the stone paths that had been broken away from the walls by our earthshapers, surveying the work around me. The earthshapers had made broad stairways between the three levels of the cave, and widened the central shelf while flattening the floor there. They¡¯d begun the process of cutting out chambers for sleeping in, though I doubted this would be done by the time everyone needed rest.


    White wisps of light hovered in the air of the cave, and the faintly glowing mist seeped in through both entrances before dispersing. The channelers guided mana from outside the cave into the wells that the earthshapers and everyone else drew from. Elves carrying stone were seemingly everywhere, and there were still many untidy piles of the earthshapers¡¯ leavings. I gave my attention to anyone who wanted it¡ªbut only a little of it.


    Most often, this meant that I told people no.


    The wildhearts wanted to send their own picked scouts along with Valir¡¯s hunting parties to do a psychic survey of the wildlife we might soon wish to use to our advantage. No, I told them gently: some of our people needed to increase their level limit quickly, and so for now we simply needed a few of them to warn of incoming danger and help our people find prey. An accounting of the tamability of local fauna would have to wait.


    The warriors wanted wood, and plenty of it: barricades, towers, arrows, even makeshift sleds built to carry more wood¡ªall these things would all be possible if we just cut down a few hundred trees. No, I told them, not yet¡ªthe nearest forests were still far enough, and dangerous enough, that nothing the timber would gain us was worth the expense of so much time spent by our hunting parties.


    The parents all wanted more keys and more essence for their children, who were only level 5. No, I told them¡ªthey would have [Armor] skills soon enough, but strong children defended by weak warriors stand less of a chance than weak children defended by strong warriors.


    And almost everyone wanted to be a part of the hunting parties that Valir and Zirilla were assembling. No, no, no, I told them¡ªnot yet, but soon.


    I couldn¡¯t blame them for any discontent. They¡¯d come to the new world, these elves who had so many skills, and I¡¯d asked them to be little more than pack mules, first organizing our supplies and now carrying rock, channeling mana, and waiting.


    I sent Valir and his people off. With the [Sight] keys I¡¯d gathered, our telepaths could make [Psychic Sight] with of their [*Mind] cores, allowing them to stay in contact with one another over relatively long distances despite their low levels. It meant that they could rely on telepathy, and not flares or elemental signals, to call me in case of an emergency¡ªand thus they could range farther.


    Valir was going to lead his people along the stream, assessing the threats of the forest that lay between us and the slopes of the mountain. The presence of the air elementals meant that we would likely be looking for a permanent settlement in or near the mountain range, and so we¡¯d be leading our people through that forest, soon enough. What was more, now that I could fly far I¡¯d be looking to harvest keys on the more distant mountains¡ªleaving the slopes of this one, and the wyverns there, to our hunters. The other hunting parties would be moving across the plains and through our layer of the mist, hoping to find more [Missile] and elemental-type keys.


    I sent them off without much pomp, not wishing to instill in them any belief that now was the time for glory. They needed to get the numbers up and raise the limit of our strength, and they needed to be cautious about it.


    Then I made the rounds inside the cave again, where I found myself telling a great deal more people to stick to their orders despite their good ideas.


    Seriana found me in the midst of all of this, while I spoke with some of the weavers of the main level. Soon I had turned my attention to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve time enough to see you now,¡± she said. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Only to speak with you,¡± I said. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s walk.¡±


    I turned and led her toward the main entrance, which incidentally brought us past most of the elves. I was happy to be seen with her. In the long term, one of the worst threats to the colony was internal division¡ªand Seriana¡¯s husband was a traitor. She had been the first to rise and declare that she would follow me, but that would be easy enough to dismiss as a calculated act on her part.


    When I said nothing further, Seriana cocked her head and asked: ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°How fare the weavers?¡± I asked.


    The [Weave] aspect allowed one to make many skills which let them bestow benefits on others. Pure [Weave] was a powerful boost to [Focus] that helped with maintaining such spells. In our current circumstances, the weavers could help shore up the weaknesses of our warriors¡¯ low levels.


    Hassina, however, had given them none of the keys I¡¯d collected, instead focusing on filling the skills of our other classes to get our hunting parties out as soon as possible. It was a decision I agreed with, but I knew that the mages would likely feel otherwise¡ªhence why I¡¯d asked.


    We needed something banal to talk about while we were within earshot of the others.


    ¡°They grow impatient,¡± said Seriana. ¡°They feel their talents are wasted. With the right investment, they could make a party of our level tens function more like level fifteens, and they know it. But Hassina asked Valir and I, and it was decided that more hunters would be better than stronger ones, at least right now.¡±


    ¡°I know how much they can contribute,¡± I said. ¡°It can¡¯t be easy, being asked to wait.¡±


    We made it to the cave¡¯s entrance, moving past the guards and into the mists. Seriana didn¡¯t question where I was leading us. She was silent now that we were outside, perhaps understanding that our previous conversation had been little but a show.


    When we¡¯d got far enough, I pressed out with my claim¡ªSeriana relinquished her own and I encompassed us in a sound-muffling patch of air.


    ¡°I want to talk,¡± I said at last.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Anything and everything, Seriana. I want to know your thoughts and feelings. I want there to be clear air between us as we move into the days ahead.¡±


    Seriana was quiet for a moment. ¡°As I see it, the air between us is clear, Lux Irovex. I am your archmage and serve at your pleasure. Inasmuch as the elves of Tel Terana may have difficulties adjusting to life here, and to your commands, I will help to keep them facing the proper direction. For the good of all.¡±


    ¡°For the good of all,¡± I echoed. ¡°And that is the whole of it?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Beside me, Seriana¡¯s voice and bearing grew a little more stiff. ¡°Do you expect more, Lux Irovex?¡±


    ¡°You were brought here unwillingly,¡± I said. ¡°There is no ill will between us?¡±


    Slowly, she glanced at me before returning her eyes to the mists. ¡°It was not I whom you forced here, but my husband. I chose to go because he was going. If that means in your mind that I came unwillingly, then I will not argue.¡±


    ¡°Is that to continue, then? You will not argue?¡±


    Again, Seriana glanced over at me. At last the barest note of frustration entered her voice, and she asked: ¡°What do you want, Aziriel?¡±


    I returned her gaze. ¡°To know your thoughts,¡± I said. ¡°Of all the high council, it is you who I know the least. And it is you who has greatest cause for dissatisfaction.¡±


    ¡°Would that you had come this topic head on,¡± Seriana said, frustration still in her voice. ¡°We could have spared ourselves these needless circles. Truly, Aziriel, do you think that I would set myself against you because of my husband¡¯s position?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the point of this?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you expect me to ask that you argue for amnesty when it comes time for him to be judged?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then I see no need to speak on the matter,¡± she said, her voice returning to its usual cool, measured cadence.


    ¡°And there are no other matters that you have thoughts on?¡±


    ¡°There are many matters I have thoughts on,¡± she said. ¡°You cannot be more specific?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Seriana was quiet beside me, and I could feel her frustration building. But I knew her more than I let on, and I knew her thoughts weren¡¯t limited to these few spare sentences she¡¯d spoken. She had pages more to say¡ªbut the wizards were always careful with their words. The politics of the Sable Tower had run deep and intricate, and being forthright was against their every instinct.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Aziriel,¡± she said at last. ¡°And when it comes time for Luthiel¡¯s judgment, I will try not to hate you no matter what comes, believe that.¡±


    She let out a faint sigh as she stared into the mists. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± she repeated. A hint of iron made its way into her voice. ¡°But I see you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask her what she meant. I only waited.


    ¡°After the Doom,¡± she said, her voice catching a little on the word. ¡°Many of the greatest among us were dead. For his misjudgement, Luthiel had fallen from his lofty heights. Hashephel did not break his tradition of abstention, neutrality. You saw these things, saw that we were desperate and despondent, and you struck. It is no trifling matter, when you strike¡ªand yet whether you have struck the right chord or the right weakness, I cannot tell. We had two of the manahearts left to us, and now we have none, each of them traded for¡­ this.¡± She looked around at the omnipresent mist around us, her tone neither condemning nor celebrating the new world. ¡°With cheers, they trusted you to give away the most potent of our artifacts, the only things we could offer as currency in exchange for a god¡¯s favors. And I see what it bought us¡ªand bought you.¡±


    She looked down and shook her head gently. ¡°The glory of all glories is yours, if we survive. Make good upon your word to give us abundant children while still retaining immortality, and you will be like a god to the elves. With Luthiel fallen, you are the only firstborn who will truly be firstborn in their eyes. Already you were one of the greatest among us. What shall you be, in five hundred years time, if through struggle and striving all that you have foreseen in our future comes to pass?¡±


    Now she turned to me, the look in her eyes shrewd and reserved. ¡°And what will you do, I wonder, if anything should threaten to take that destiny away from you? You have worked so hard for it.¡± Her voice softened to a featherweight, and she added: ¡°Alcuon died for it.¡±


    I said nothing. Seriana turned back to the mists. ¡°[Primeval Champion],¡± she said. ¡°Protector of the elves. I love you, but I see you and I fear you. Gods above, I fear you.¡±


    I said nothing. We walked in silence for a while.


    ¡°When you made your secret bargain with us, you said that we would not return for hundreds of years,¡± Seriana said at last. ¡°Then we come to this world and you reveal that we are far, far up the River of Realms. We know of no way to make a ship that can transition from this realm to the River without being destroyed, not here where the essence is so thick. And even if we did, we know of no way to build a ship that survives such currents, or one that survives the aether whales. And you are old¡ªolder than everyone but Luthiel. The passing of centuries may yet answer many questions, solve old problems¡­ but that is no guarantee. There is a chance, a strong chance, that we are never, ever going back.¡±


    ¡°Not without the aide of Lord Kalak,¡± I said.


    ¡°And he asks for two manahearts to move but a few thousand of us,¡± said Seriana. ¡°And so I say again: it may be that we will never go back.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said softly. ¡°You have the right of it.¡±


    Both of us were silent again for a time. At last, Seriana said: ¡°I¡¯ve said all I wish to, Aziriel.¡± After a pause, she added: ¡°Unless there was something else you were hoping to hear from me?¡±


    She knew that there was, and she could have just come out with it¡­ but she would prefer that I force it. Very well, then.


    ¡°Long have the elves been creatures of tradition,¡± I said. ¡°High, wild, deep. This world is inarguably tilted toward the flourishing of the wild elves. As for the others, it is not simply a matter of preservation¡ªfor that attitude is to treat entire cultures as artifacts to be displayed in a museum. We must find a way to make our three branches continue to grow and flourish while still sharing the same roots.¡±


    Seriana fixed me with a cool stare. ¡°And are you worried, Aziriel, that in seeking to maintain our traditions, I will become an obstacle to you?¡±


    ¡°I am worried,¡± I confessed. ¡°But I¡¯m worried that you might see conflict with me inevitable, in this matter.¡±


    Seriana dropped her gaze and sighed. ¡°If our ideas should find themselves at odds, here, then we will compete them before the conclave, and let our people decide. The high elves outnumber the wild three to two. I must admit that if our people are divided between us, with the elves of Tel Telana following me, and the elves of the great wilds following you, I will hold the greater sway.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°But that¡­ is not how things will go. The elves follow you, and while I might sway some of the high elves to any cause I put forth, I fear it will not be many, and I know that your people¡¯s loyalty is utterly unshakeable¡ªexcept perhaps if Zirilla speaks counter to you, which I doubt she will. What¡¯s more¡­ Luthiel and I have always acted in tandem. He was the archmage, but he kept my council. All know this. Now, I will not hide that the position is simply reversed¡ªI listen to my husband. He is still wise, despite everything.¡± She sighed. ¡°If I speak against you, it will be seen as the machinations of Luthiel, who has fallen from grace. This is unavoidable.¡±


    Seriana surprised me, then, by smiling a little. It was a wry, ironic smile: a smile that she consigned herself to. ¡°A council we may be, but I will lose whatever power I hold if I exercise it. These are our positions. I see that.¡±


    We had been gradually walking up the slope of the mountain, and now the mists thinned around us. I turned, leading Seriana back toward the cave.


    ¡°How do I stay your fear, Seriana?¡± I asked softly. ¡°How do I loosen my grip? I need unity among the elves, not for any one path to be chosen. Unity.¡±


    ¡°Let me think on it,¡± she answered. ¡°There will be no conclave until we find a place to settle and choose our true high council. Before then I will have your answer.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    ¡°Now let me ask,¡± she said. ¡°Have you pressed Zirilla to speak on these matters the way you have with me? On division, on Luthiel, on our traditions?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°My mind is that she would see all that I do.¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps you¡¯re trying to see more discord than is necessary. You could have heard all of this from one of your own people.¡±


    I paused. She had a point. ¡°You¡¯re the archmage,¡± I said pointedly. ¡°And a sea elf. If any of us should be giving council on our threatened traditions, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°True, true,¡± said Seriana. ¡°Though Zirilla would say it all in fewer words.¡± When she spoke again, I could hear a smile in her voice. ¡°And perhaps with more verve.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said, laughing. Seriana laughed a little with me¡ªjust for a moment.


    As we came back to the cave, I asked: ¡°Do you think I should speak with Luthiel?¡±


    Seriana paused. ¡°As our leader, or as his sister?¡±


    ¡°The latter.¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re going to comfort him, then,¡± she said softly. ¡°But I¡¯m not even sure¡­ do you think you could?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do what you think is best.¡± She gave a gentle shrug. ¡°As for the sea elves, a clear first step lies before us.¡±


    ¡°That being?¡±


    ¡°Find a sea.¡±

 2.12: The Hour of Tales

    The little hours that remained of the day passed uneventfully. I only occasionally gave out new orders to the many inhabitants of the cave, and soon it came time to tell stories. We called the hour early because many of us, including me, intended to get some sleep while everyone else worked, watched, and hunted. I¡¯d be getting an early start tomorrow.


    While the people got ready below, filling the cave¡¯s largest chamber and making us a circle to speak in, Hassina, Seriana, and I had a private meeting on the upper level, choosing our tales amidst one of Palefang¡¯s piles of bones.


    ¡°What are you both looking at me, for?¡± I asked from where I sat on the vertebra of some massive beast. ¡°I¡¯m just going to tell everyone how my morning went.¡±


    In reality, I¡¯d spent the last half-hour or so going over how I was going to tell the story of myself and Palefang. There was no theme to thing: I just wanted to entertain. When it came to telling stories, I put the salience granted by novelty and spectacle above all things. Theme is wasted if one¡¯s words don¡¯t arrest the ears and enrapture the mind.


    I looked at Hassina, who was sitting on a massive frog skull. She was the grand storyteller, often just called the gran. Her story came in the middle. She couldn¡¯t veto our choices, but she was the only one of us who could change her mind once Seriana and I had chosen.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the tale of when Narana came to Ithmel Bel,¡± said Hassina.


    Seriana¡¯s eyes widened. She looked to me, but I was only looking past them both with a relaxed smile on my face, hiding my own surprise. It was an interesting choice, to say the least. I hadn¡¯t thought Hassina had it in her. Our stories could be many things: politics, religion, entertainment, history... the hour of tales served many purposes.


    ¡°I may need to tell it at another time, is the thing,¡± Hassina explained. She was looking at me. ¡°And when I do, I¡¯ll have it be remembered that this is the tale I chose on our first night here.¡± She smiled, then looked at Seriana. ¡°Archmage?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ ah,¡± Seriana blanched. It was more expression than I¡¯d wrung from here with all my earlier prying¡ªbut Hassina could be like that, sometimes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to follow you, your holiness. Let me consider.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re pressed,¡± said Hassina, clearly enjoying herself. ¡°You¡¯ve only got a couple of minutes.¡±


    Seriana blinked, then nodded. She lowered her head in thought. ¡°Daros and the deep ones,¡± she said. ¡°Varrin¡¯s silver ship.¡± Then she looked up, suddenly, and it was clear she¡¯s made her decision. ¡°Thiluar¡¯s discovery.¡±


    Hassina smiled. ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°In that case I make no change.¡± She rose. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Stepping into the circle felt very much like I had earlier in the day, when they¡¯d all arrived¡ªelves surrounding me, waiting expectantly. This time, though, what I had to say was mostly inconsequential.


    I told the story from my arrival to killing Palefang, leaving out only the chambers filled with sleeping insects that I¡¯d found beneath the earth. The fight I left mostly the same, with the blizzard and the broken bow, the blood seeping up through the snow at our feet, my spear in his shoulder, my knife in his belly¡­.


    We didn¡¯t have much in the way of powers to enhance our tales, though with my [Air Magick] and my [Surge of Might] I could move very suddenly, rushing from one side of the circle to another as I hissed and laughed and reenacted. I used my lightning, just a little bit, to make the sound of Palefang¡¯s teeth shattering, happy to draw startled gasps out of my audience.


    And then I was done. Space was made for me in the inner circle, and I sat to listen to Hassina, wishing that I could somehow get away with watching not her, but the faces of her audience. A few minutes of chatter passed, and Hassina entered the circle.


    Fitting for the grand storyteller, Hassina was a masterful performer. She was also¡ªunlike me¡ªfully expected to involve herself in the politics of the matter. Tonight, she¡¯d made it clear that on that front, she¡¯d be diving in headfirst.


    She didn¡¯t introduce her tale. Instead she simply clapped her hands together and announced to the room: ¡°Once, during our darkest age, when elf killed elf with no thought to the worth of the blood they were spilling, Narana came to the gates of Ithmel Bel.¡±


    She paused. Whispers filled the room around us, small notes of discord to complete her overture.


    ¡°She came with Lirien, her protector, and many other elves besides,¡± said Hassina. ¡°They came in the wake of the breaking of Lir Iriniel, and the scouring of the plains of Volir.¡±


    Raising her voice a little more, she continued, slow and delicate. ¡°Narana knew that a host was soon to issue forth from Ithmel Bel, a host of elves whose eyes were dark with fury. Vengeance they intended upon those who had wrought ruin¡ªand who had called their own works at Lir Iriniel, called their breaking and their scouring, vengeance also. Narana foresaw what their vengeance meant, and so hoped to turn the heart of Hashephel, Lord of Ithmel Bel, from its course.¡±


    Hassina¡¯s voice darkened¡ªnot by much, but the small change somehow brought heavy emphasis. ¡°Her hope died when she saw the gates open. For the elf who rode forth was not Hashephel.¡±


    The soft, glowing orbs that lit the cave dimmed. Hassina¡¯s voice became a whispered hiss that still carried to every corner.


    ¡°It was Aziriel.¡±


    Again, I wished I could watch Hassina¡¯s audience, not her. I could hear the murmur, mostly from the children¡ªI heard a quick, quiet: but does she mean¡ªand then their parent¡¯s hushed answer: yes, now listen.


    I felt as if their words might have been for me, in some twisted way¡ªI thought: was it me she was talking about? It had been so long¡­.


    And then: all right, Hassina. I¡¯ll listen.


    Hassina continued, her feet taking her slowly, silently around the circle. ¡°Narana pleaded: ¡®Mightiest among us, I beg you: shed not the blood of elves. If you go forth to wage this war, the faultless will die with the wicked and no justice will be had.¡¯¡±


    Her voice for Narana was not loud, commanding, or vigorous, and yet it contained a steady, quiet strength¡ªthe strength of one who was accustomed to public speech, and being listened to. The real Narana had sounded more tired.


    ¡°Aziriel heard all this,¡± Hassina continued, pausing her well-calculated movements so that she stood centered before where the children sat with their parents. ¡°And she then answered: ¡®No.¡¯¡±


    The lights around us grew dimmer once more. ¡°¡®Please,¡¯¡± Hassina said in Narana¡¯s voice. ¡°¡®Aziriel. Your hands have the strength to stem this tide of bloodshed. Elf kills elf and their killing is answered with killing again; for almost a century this has been the way of our people. Another century and the last elf living will wade alone through the blood of their brothers and sisters. But you remember that it was not always so: you remember peace. I ask you: at what cost will peace come at last?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t watching. I had closed my eyes, ready to hear Hassina give my answer. She didn¡¯t have my voice, but she had my inflections¡ªand my volume. Listening to her, I could almost feel my old anger.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I mouthed the words along with Hassina¡¯s sneering voice, unable to see who among the audience were watching me:


    ¡°¡®Cost? I speak not of costs. It is you who offers to trade in blood and virtue, so make your offer now, O bringer of peace. What price shall you pay, that I forget the sound of the bells that ring no longer across the broken stones of Lir Iriniel? Perhaps cattle and steel, furs and tomes you¡¯ve brought¡ªenough that I unsee its fields, smoking and unsown, and the butchered children who lie dead there! Such bargains you must offer on essence and keys, that they might kill all memory of my son Alesith and close my heart to vengeance!¡¯¡±


    I had never minded being the villain. To the elves, I was military might, force of arms: too much Aziriel and something had gone wrong. Peace through victory¡ªthat was my purpose.


    But as I listened to Hassina, one of my hands balled into a fist, shaking a little with wounded rage. We told stories like these for good cause: I wasn¡¯t faultless, and the magnitude of my mistakes could be unthinkable. But Hassina had never had children, hadn¡¯t lost an entire family to the inexorable march of history: a century of war here, another there, and suddenly wretched time had taken everything.


    Always there would be a quiet voice in me, asking: how dare any of them stand in the shelter of one whose power stemmed from passions and listen to a story about how passions had led her astray? They couldn¡¯t know what I¡¯d been through, and what I¡¯d feared to go through again.


    I could have laughed. Except they did, now: Aranar was gone. Everyone¡¯s loss was incalculable, child or no.


    And when I thought of Alesith, I wanted those thoughts to be far from this story, this dark hour: my failure was not his life¡¯s ultimate meaning.


    ¡°Narana was quiet for a time,¡± said Hassina, still pacing around the edge of the inner circle. ¡°At last she said: ¡®For your grief I offer nothing; nothing would suffice.¡¯¡±


    And Hassina rounded quickly in place, startling some of those nearest to her. ¡°¡®No?¡¯ hissed Aziriel. ¡®Then choose your champion and be satisfied: our debate will be settled with but one elven death.¡¯¡± She paused, then said, quietly: ¡°Lirien stepped forward. Grave was his countenance. But Narana held him back. Instead she and her followers filled the passage to Ithmel Bel, barring it.¡±


    Despite everything, I had to smile a little as Hassina paused to explain the relevant geography for the benefit of the children who had never heard this story before. ¡°Now the passage of Ithmel Bel was small,¡± she said. ¡°For the city was an underground city, made by the deep elves, and all roads that led to it were tunnels. Aziriel could have passed through Narana¡¯s gathered followers as easily as a boulder rolls down a mountainside, but her army would have to trample them.¡±


    Hassina stopped in front of me, facing away. ¡°Narana said to Aziriel: ¡®We will not fight. But neither will we stand aside.¡¯¡±


    Slowly, the high priest¡¯s hands balled into fists at her sides. Again she spoke with my voice, now so twisted with vindictive passion that it hardly sounded elven at all.


    ¡°¡®Stand aside or die, Narana.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But Narana stood fast. ¡®You asked what I could offer that you stay your hand,¡¯ she said. ¡®Here is what I have to trade. Destroy me and all those who stand with me. Count us, but discount our lives from those of your enemies: spare a single elf for each of us you kill. I promise no vengeance will be sought for our deaths¡ªrevenge is an echo that grows ever louder, and its silence is what I seek. If elven lives must be paid to stop ceaseless elven bloodshed, then so be it.¡¯¡±


    Hassina paused as outside, a distant rumble of thunder sounded. When it had finished, she spoke again with Narana¡¯s voice¡ªstronger, now. More firm. ¡°¡®But take heed,¡¯ said Narana. ¡®If peace cannot come, and elf kills elf forevermore, then that which I foresaw will come to pass, Aziriel. The last elf will wade alone through the blood of her brothers and sisters¡ªand that last elf will be you.¡¯¡±


    My mouth curled into a smile. And Seriana had said that I knew how to strike a blow. Strange, though, the iron voice that Hassina had spoken them with: everyone remembered her words, but nobody seemed to remember that when she¡¯d spoken them, Narana had been shaking in terror.


    ¡°¡®Am I mistaken?¡¯ asked Aziriel. ¡®Or do you you offer blood for blood, as if one elven life can pay for another?¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡®Elven lives have paid for elven lives enough,¡¯ said Narana. ¡®I did not open this market, but we may yet see its close.¡¯¡±


    My breath rattled out of my lungs. Once, I¡¯d thought I¡¯d gotten away with my crimes. But then I¡¯d lived to hear them told of again and again across centuries¡ªand while it might not have been justice, it was at least punishment.


    ¡°A darkness then came upon Aziriel. Lirien saw it, and pleaded with his lady to retreat, but she refused. At last Aziriel spoke: ¡®You seek silence? Well I can oblige you¡ªbut yours will be the last life given in trade.¡¯¡±


    Hassina made a hissing, cracking noise like lightning, moving suddenly and causing many of the gathered elves to shrink back. ¡°And with a flash and crack of blood-red lightning, she killed Kiriae, the youngest of the elves who had followed Narana.¡±


    From where I sat, I saw things that no-one else in our cave could see: elves shrinking back from a pillar of drifting ash, just as they shrank back from Hassina¡¯s sudden noise. But they hadn¡¯t run.


    ¡°Aziriel waited. And when it became clear that Narana¡¯s followers were unmoved, she spoke again. ¡°¡®You say the faultless will die with the wicked¡ªbut in that case the wicked still die.¡¯¡± And she struck out again and killed Darallia, Narana¡¯s childhood friend.¡±


    I was holding my breath. I heard screams and cries, sounds that should have faded centuries ago. I looked into Narana¡¯s eyes¡ªso much white in them, she was so terrified¡ªand I hated her more than I had ever hated anyone.


    ¡°Aziriel waited. And when still none of Narana¡¯s followers had fled, she spoke again¡ªand it was as if all the elf had left her, as if a pure, agonizing fury had filled an emptiness to completion. ¡®A peace there will be between our three peoples¡ªonce their number has been culled by two-thirds!¡¯ And she struck out again and killed Athalos, one of the few elves who still remembered our old home of Maia.¡±


    Hassina was quiet. Gradually, as she¡¯d spoken, the lights in the cave had dimmed to the point where we were now in almost total darkness.


    "Aziriel waited. And when none of Narana¡¯s followers had fled, she said in a voice that was all accusation: ''You die in vain. Leave this place.¡¯¡±


    But the elves remained.


    ¡°¡®Leave!¡¯¡± cried Aziriel.


    And I raised my hand as if to strike another down¡ªwatched them cower away and then rise, shivering, to look around in disbelief at the fact that I had thrown no lightning. The passage of Ithmel Bel was silent.


    ¡°It was not Narana who answered her. Rather, it was an unknown elf who stepped forward and simply said: ¡®We have nothing. That is why we remain. All that we once had was lost.¡¯¡±


    Who was it? Dark skin, straw-colored hair, short. Either a stocky woman or a slender man: their husky, pained voice gave no hint as to their gender. I never had learned who¡¯d said that.


    But they¡¯d said it.


    ¡°To be an elf is to bear memory,¡± Hassina announced. ¡°And memory bore down on Aziriel now. She saw what elves had lost, and she saw her part in it, and fury gripped her anew¡ªgripped her stronger than it ever had. It was the worst of furies, a cowardly fury, the kind that rises from guilt and begs to be loosed on the world so that the self can be spared. She wheeled, made as if to lunge, halted. Her mouth twisted as words unspoken fought within her, but she said nothing.¡±


    Hassina paused and made almost a full circle before she spoke again. ¡°She did not know what to do,¡± she said simply. ¡°All watched her in silence. At length she turned and fled back through the gates of Ithmel Bel. She stayed there. She took no vengeance for the slaying of her son at Lir Iriniel. At her order, the armies of Ithmel Bel were held back.¡±


    Hassina stopped in front of the children, then smiled and spoke to them directly, her voice filled with a simple gladness. ¡°And many of you, my blessed ones, are here because of what Narana did that day¡ªand what Aziriel did in answer.¡± Without changing her happy tone, she added: ¡°Some of you are descended from the butchers of Lir Iriniel, and some others from the elves who would have butchered those butchers in turn, and then died, in time, to the echoes of vengeance.¡±


    She turned away from the children, took in the rest of us with a sweep of her gaze, and said: ¡°Narana left the city in grief, but bore no ill will toward the firstborn who had murdered three of their number. Lirien was by her side still, and seeking to protect her, he warned that if she kept the path she¡¯d set, she surely would be killed for it¡ªand all they had worked for would come unraveled.¡±


    I let out a sigh. Hassina had a mind like a diamond; she could probably name the lineage of every elf present, would have learned them all before we¡¯d left for this new world. She continued, finishing her story:


    ¡°But Narana shook her head. ¡®You are right that I may die, but you place too much value upon my life. I do not bear our dream alone.¡¯¡± She paused in her circle to stand directly before me, swept her gaze across the gathered elves once more. ¡°¡®The unity of the elves is too great a thing to be held in just one set of hands.¡¯¡±

 2.13: Air and Lighting, Fire and Ice

    ¡°Aziriel,¡± the voice was a whisper. I opened my eyes and was momentarily confused about where I was¡ªnot in my own bed, no Alcuon beside me¡­.


    I sat up. It was Zirilla.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s safe, no alarms,¡± she said. ¡°Hassina¡¯s asleep, so I¡¯m sending you off¡± she said. ¡°She said these were for you.¡±


    + 2 [Elemental 2], 1 [Life 2]


    ¡°Mm,¡± I said, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±


    ¡°She said that since we have the keys, you should upgrade your [Life Magick] in case you mess up and get injured.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, Hassina,¡± I muttered.


    [*Primeval 5] + [Elemental 2] + [Elemental 2]: [Elemental Power 9]


    [Elemental Power 9]


    [*Primeval 5] + [Elemental 2] + Elemental 2]


    + 19¡Á[Primeval Resonance]% to [Elemental] Attunement (33%)


    + 19¡Á[Primeval Resonance]% to [Elemental] Efficiency (33%)


    + 19¡Á[Primeval Resonance]% to [Elemental] Potency (33%)


    I got up and began to stretch, my muscles aching and stiff from sleeping on a thin bedroll over a stone floor. Because I hadn¡¯t woken up in a panic, my [Primeval Resonance] was fairly low¡­ the skill should have been boosting by 39% or so, not 33%.


    But a new skill was just the thing to dispel the discontent of the morning and keep my thoughts clear. Attunement, efficiency, and potency were most often found on multi-aspect active skills, not passive ones like this: they made it so that specializing in one area made someone vastly more powerful in it. A windcaller with six [Air] skills, even some with overlapping functions, could move massive amounts of air.


    On passive skills attunement, efficiency, and potency tended to be conditional, such as how the attunement on my [Kite¡¯s Grace] only affected my windsleeve. In this regard [Elemental Power] was like most pure skills: exceptional.


    Anything that applied to one aspect applied to its subtypes as well. Hence [Element] attunement meant I¡¯d get more out of my [Focus], which meant more precise flight requiring less of a windsail. Efficiency meant spending less mana, which meant more efficient flight. And potency meant more power for every mana spent, which also meant more mana-efficient flight, but also potentially faster flight.


    As for lightning: higher ranged bolts, more bolts, and more powerful bolts. The total difference in effectiveness from almost 120% sum total modifiers would most definitely be noticeable. The only reason that skills like [Surging Power] and [Primeval Mana] had been better choices earlier was that I¡¯d had next to no [Channel] or [Source].


    ¡°I know that look,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°And I¡¯m envious. Go get me some keys, Lux Irovex. I haven¡¯t flown for more than five minutes since a day ago.¡±


    I smiled. Those of us who could fly flew every day. That was the way of things. ¡°How did the hunting parties fare?¡±


    ¡°Me and my people didn¡¯t come out of the swamp with much,¡± she said. ¡°Some [Surge], though, and some [Mana]. Didn¡¯t find your decay caster, unfortunately¡ªI¡¯m thinking it mostly lives in the water, and I didn¡¯t want anyone delving the depths, not yet. As for the rest¡­ the most productive group was Larash¡¯s. They found a massive flock of the missile-throwing grazers you mentioned yesterday and returned with a lot of [Missile], [Armor], [Body], and [Life] boons. There were more than a hundred of the beasts, a whole herd.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said.


    ¡°Valir led his to the forest, wanted to assess how safe the route was to the slopes of the mountains for future wyvern hunting. They came back with keys and essence, then found a cave system that he insisted on exploring¡ªagainst my recommendation, I¡¯ll add. He should be back soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask him about it later. In the meantime I want everyone brought in while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Zirilla blinked. ¡°Everyone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be out of range of flares and signals.¡±


    ¡°I can put together a squad of windcallers to watch over our people,¡± Zirilla said. ¡°Valir won¡¯t be far behind me if I need to answer the call.¡±


    I scowled. ¡°It¡¯s a risk,¡± I said. ¡°And for just a few hundred thousand more essence and some increases to limit.¡±


    Zirilla made a noise of frustration. ¡°Aziriel, they¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. ¡°They can sense everything coming their way with [Wild Sight] and [Telepathic Sight]. They¡¯re armored, they have healers, and they have elven arrows and elemental magic. We have far more strength now to protect our the colony with than we had yesterday when we first arrived. We¡¯re not triggering any convergences and we haven¡¯t run into anything too strong for us, not once. You can go.¡±


    I worked my mouth. She was right, but I still didn¡¯t like it. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I said. ¡°But our circumstances yesterday are what we¡¯re trying to get away from,¡± I said. ¡°Everyone is less safe if I go than if I stay.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. Then she shrugged. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a risk, but not much of one. And we both know how much you can get done. You¡¯re too much power in too fast a package.¡±


    I gave a small, conciliatory tilt of my head.


    ¡°Another thing while we¡¯re on the topic of you going out.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That cat may have been an elementalist, but it got its [Lightning] keys from somewhere.¡±


    I nodded, following her reasoning. Natural lightning elementals destroyed themselves in the instant that they were created¡ªmeaning that somewhere here was wildlife that cultivated [Lightning] keys. And wherever it was, we could find and hunt it. ¡°The mists seem like the best place to look, so far.¡±


    But Zirilla shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± she said. ¡°You and I both know the power of lightning. If one apex predator has found some [Lightning] keys and figured out how to use them, why not others? Intelligent creatures can change class if they need to, but even brute beasts or hybrid elementals with innate [Lightning] stand a good chance of reaching the top.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it,¡± I said, nodding. It seemed obvious in retrospect. There were many mountain peaks beyond the one I¡¯d visited yesterday. How many were topped with creatures who threw lightning?


    ¡°Ultimately, it¡¯s good for us,¡± Zirilla continued. ¡°Anything leaning on lightning won¡¯t have much of a chance against you, Valir, or me.¡± She paused, then added: ¡°Or Luthiel, for that matter. ¡°Seriana never learned to block lightning, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s much interested in going hunting anyhow.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that I should trigger convergences and hope for some [Lightning] keys.¡±


    ¡°More or less."


    "The most important thing to me today is that I figure out whether the are intelligent air elementals," I said. "A few hundred dead wyverns and a couple of primeval convergences are mostly ancillary. We can''t plan the future of the colony until we learn who rules the skies."


    "I suppose that makes sense," said Zirilla. "I should also mention that Hassina mentioned the kids.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°The children? What about them?¡±


    ¡°They were moving stones all day yesterday, but they¡¯re running out of things to do.¡±


    ¡°Have them channel, then.¡±


    ¡°All day?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ just¡­.¡± I shook my head, then reached up and ran a hand across my forehead. I sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think of the children,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zirilla¡¯s voice was heavy with realization. Alcuon, my husband, had died so that all of them could live. I didn¡¯t hate them for it¡ªI just didn¡¯t want to think of them. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something, then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I drew in a breath, re-oriented myself to the world around me, the world outside.


    Grief had always been a trap, for me. I was the sort of person who wanted to get up and do something about every problem that faced me¡ªbut the only way I could really interact with my grief was to get mired in it, to spin away into useless thought spirals, pointless rumination.


    Time. The only thing that had ever helped me with grief was time.


    ¡°Have they butchered the cat, yet?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure the children will all want to touch it once they¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Hassina wanted me to tell you that it was inconsiderate for you to punch so many holes in him before he died. That the healers had to work hard to fix all those.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°It was very selfish, the way I fought for my life.¡±


    ¡°In any case, come see for yourself.¡±


    We walked out into the main chamber. Lying out in the open, circled by runes, was Palefang¡¯s carcass. They had healed everything except his scars and his broken teeth, which they¡¯d collected and laid out on a cloth in front of his muzzle.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I saw Fireesha standing by the carcass¡¯s side and went over to her, feeling a sharp drop in temperature as I drew close to the runes. ¡°Lux Irovex,¡± she said, nodding in greeting. She pulled a bow off her back and passed it to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s the bow you used to kill Palefang,¡± she explained. ¡°The one you brought here. Larana finished repairing it while you were asleep. It had gathered more aspect, and so I was able to use it for the higher-ranked enchantment without any degradation.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I said, my face breaking into a smile.


    Unbound: [Aziriel¡¯s Matchbow of Primeval Missile Conjuring] (2/4)


    Bound: [Aziriel¡¯s Matchbow of Windborne Missile Conjuring] (3/4)


    [*Missile 2] + [Air 2] + [Mana 2]


    Uses 1 Binding.


    You may have this weapon conjure its own ammunition, so long as that ammunition is composed of primeval materials.


    You may encompass missiles that you launch from this weapon with a magical sleeve of air that protects them from shifting wind currents.


    ¡°I put air caps on it,¡± she said, gesturing to indicate the thick steel fastenings on either side of the grip. ¡°Made the weight feel a bit off to me, but Seriana said you¡¯d be all right with it.¡±


    I hefted the bow. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°It does feel strange. But I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    It was, after all, my bow. The one I¡¯d been using for several hundred years, after the one before it had been irrecoverably incinerated in battle. Even if its native aspect had been stripped when I¡¯d come here, it still carried a lot of sentiment.


    ¡°And this,¡± she said, hefting a necklace. It was a simple leather cord with five rune-inscribed wooden beads on it. ¡°Another temporary.¡±


    I took the necklace.


    Bound: [Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Necklace of Animal Sight] (4/4)


    [*Sight 2] + [Animal 1]


    Binding this item has granted you the [Animal Sight 8] skill.


    !¡ªThis enchantment is unstable and will degrade in approximately 9.45 days. This duration will go down with use.


    [Animal Sight 8]


    [*Primeval 5] + [*Sight 2] + [Animal 1]


    This skill allows you to sense animal creatures with your gaze, and vastly increases the range at which you can sense such creatures.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said.


    ¡°How¡¯s your surge binding?¡±


    ?¡ª[Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Wristwrap of Channeling] has 2.12 days remaining.


    ¡°Good for now,¡± I said. ¡°I may need another by the time the day is out. It¡¯s going to see a lot of use.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°As for this¡­.¡± she looked over at the gigantic cat carcass. ¡°The other enchanters and I are putting together some more missile conjuring bows right now. That¡¯s the priority. Once that¡¯s done, Hassina wants a cloak of blood magick made from the hide. We talked about cutting it up for multiple cloaks, but it¡¯ll take the whole thing to bear a permanent enchantment that strong.¡±


    She walked around the carcass to the front, where the teeth they¡¯d collected were laid out on a cloth. ¡°As for these,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take a [Fray] key. Now, I know that none of the reptiles that you¡¯ve encountered so far have been wizards, but it would at least be useful for the elementals, yes?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. Think you could get them to take a [Plural]?¡±


    Fireesha made an uncertain sound. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into it. A lot of symmetry in teeth¡­ but you also tore half of them away.¡±


    [Plural] was one of the most important aspects to add to a secondary lightning skill, because it created [Forked Lightning] and all its variants. [Forked Lightning] would allow me to split the power of a whole bolt as I chose along the ends of any fork that I made. It was a crucial skill not just for striking multiple targets, but for forcing singular targets to evade multiple streams of mana lest they take the power of the whole bolt.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s not a problem,¡± I told her. Then I grinned. ¡°I can always get you more teeth, Fireesha.¡±


    Fireesha laughed.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be off. Best to get started when I know I¡¯ll be gone awhile.¡±


    ¡°Good hunting, Lux Irovex,¡± Fireesha said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±


    I ate and washed in the cave¡¯s central pool, then went on my way. When I finally got my tortoiseshell skysail on and got outside, I was desperate to start flying. I¡¯d spent six hours sleeping on hard ground, and many hours before that stuck in the cave. I wanted to be free again.


    I filled my sail and rose out of the red mist, pushing myself toward the distant mountains. I let a bit of the air into my windsleeve so that it pressed at my face and body like a warm blanket, tousling my hair.


    I flew high and fast, my mana pool remaining full now that I had multiple skills devoted to keeping me in the air¡ªthe total efficiency bonus from [Kite¡¯s Grace] and [Elemental Power] was close to 90%, almost enough to halve the cost of flight.


    The third mist layer, the one that hid the mountain¡¯s summit, was red now. I rose above it to see that even the fourth layer, kilometers above the peak of the mountain, had turned red.


    Did the mists keep time? The fourth layer was a little lighter in color than the ones below it. Was it changing already, like the mists had yesterday?


    I took in a good view of the peaks that rose beyond the nearest mountain, then dipped back below the third layer, avoiding an air elemental that tried to give me a push. I could have easily destroyed it with lightning, netting myself an [Air] key, but I held back just as I had yesterday. I was too afraid to kill an air elemental, not until I¡¯d either met its more intelligent kin or determined that they didn¡¯t exist.


    Wyverns didn¡¯t usually hunt at night, and the wyverns of this place didn¡¯t seem to be much different. I could sense almost a half-kilometer in every direction when focused on using my [Animal Sight], and I didn¡¯t find any in the mists.


    I didn¡¯t pass close to the slopes of the first mountain, moving straight for the second instead. Once there, I cleared the third mist layer and gained altitude as I looked down at the slopes. Even with [Animal Sight], it was still faster to look for wyvern nests with my naked eye now that I could fly forever¡ª[Sable Grace] meant I had near-perfect night vision, and the tangled mounds of barkless tree-stumps were easy to spot, even amidst the undergrowth.


    But first I made for the summit, which was a rounded, snow-capped cone. I saw a noticeable lack of wyvern nests anywhere near the peak, but a snowy outcrop of rock got my attention. As I approached I saw it was made of packed ice, not stone, and it had an entrance facing away from the mountaintop. As I came toward the mountain I sensed a single creature inside the small structure¡ªand I tilted my head, confused.


    I¡¯d been expecting one of the white cats. Judging by its shape, however, the icy structure¡¯s occupant a frilled-neck lizard the size of Palefang. My [Animal Bond] should have detected it much farther than I had¡ªit was hiding from my psychic senses.


    I felt the animal¡¯s presence on my mind, let it sense me, then once again hid myself using the bond. Then I felt it move to the mouth of its icy lair and caught sight of it for the first time.


    It had burnt orange skin that was covered all over in glittering icy plating¡ª[Frost Armor]. Its frills were bright red and bare of any armor¡ªsteam billowed off of them into the wintry air. Its eyes were bright green, and its hind legs were much stockier than one of its smaller kin.


    It saw me and reared up onto its hind legs, flaring its frills and letting out a low hiss. I just stared at it, confused. Why was this creature living on the peak of a mountain, in the cold?


    The creature conjured an unusually thick shard of ice, then flung it at me. I leapt out of the way, kicking the snow beneath my feet high into the air as I moved to avoid the fast-moving projectile, reaching out with my claim to begin building a powerful lightning bolt¡­.


    Then the shard of ice exploded, the force throwing me off-balance as little chinks of ice embedded themselves in my skin. My ears rang with the sound of the explosion, and a cloud of fog was spreading from where the ice had detonated.


    The lizard took advantage of my momentary disorientation to hurl a half-dozen icy javelins my way, and I hastily threw myself to one side using a blast of wind, happy to feel that my skysail was still intact even if it had been pierced by a few small ice shards.


    The icy javelins whipped past my head, and I pulled myself back, away from the mountain, then dropped my altitude, falling along the slopes and using another blast of air to soften my landing, putting a sheer cliff face between myself and the ice-throwing lizard.


    I reached out with my gaze, cautiously hoping to throw another lighting bolt¡­ but I saw, a moment later, a massive hunk of ice descending through the air toward me, traveling almost level with the general slope of the mountain.


    I grinned. It had launched its frost bomb in an arc to flush me out of my cover. This creature was truly fascinating.


    I reached out with my claim and batted the bomb to one side of me while using my [Surge of Might] to leap in the other direction. Before I landed, I took flight again, this time throwing myself up the side of the mountain, back toward the lizard.


    It threw another two bombs at me, but my absurdly fast channeling speed meant that I could perform equally fast aerial maneuvers when I wanted to, even if they were costly in terms of mana and essentially meant slapping myself around. I batted myself to the ground with a wall of air, then shot a focused gust of wind forward into a volley of icy javelins, parting the cluster of missiles as I rushed forward through a plume of windblown snow, charging for the lizard.


    The lizard let out a warbling shriek, rearing up on its hind legs again and sucking all of the snow in front of it together into the form of a twenty foot high wall, then coating the wall in conjured ice to create an opaque barricade with a hard, translucent coating.


    A moment later another icy bomb came over the wall, appearing as if tossed, then zooming toward me as soon as it fell far enough for the lizard to push it hard with its [Frost Magick].


    I used my [Surge of Might] to leap into the air, calling upon my [Air Magick] once more to empower my leap and get clear of the shell¡­.


    It only half-worked. The shell detonated below me a split-second after I jumped, sending me spinning but not altering my trajectory. But I didn¡¯t need to be well-oriented¡ªI was reaching out with my claim, funneling a massive amount of mana into the air, a line that followed a path straight downward toward the lizard, quickly reaching the edge of the creature¡¯s claim now that I was this close.


    Lighting cut the red night as I ignited my mana, its sudden, cacophonous crack ringing out across the mountains around us as it rent the air between us, the most powerful bolt I¡¯d yet thrown in the new world.


    ?¡ªMana 489/1940?¡ª[Surge Pool] 58/100


    Through a haze of steam, I could feel with my [Wild Bond] that it was still alive.


    I pushed myself to the ground with my air magic, then surged strength and bounded across the snow on all fours, kicking up a flurry behind me before skidding to a halt beneath the creature¡¯s steam-shrouded form and pulling my axe free of my harness.


    A red heat welled up in the steam ahead of me as I raised my weapon, and a moment later the lizard breathed out a plume of fire. I reached into my claim behind me and drew forth the cool air there, blowing it against the firebreath and diverting the stream long enough for me to come out of my crouch with a surge of strength and smash the front-facing pick of my slayer¡¯s axe into the lizard¡¯s throat.


    It gargled, and a stream of fire trailed my axe as I tore it sidelong through the creature¡¯s throat, scorching my face.


    The creature¡¯s tail came round to lash at me, and I fell to one knee, slashing the end of the tail clean off. Its claw came down on me a moment later and I surged my strength again, the axe snapping upward to cleave off two of its claws.


    It let out a piteous, gurgling cry, leaping back while I regained my stance, conjuring a smaller wall of ice as it did so¡ªonly while it had leapt back, I¡¯d pushed forward with my claim, drawing a line of mana toward it that ended halfway between us, invading its claim so that I left a hole in its wall of ice.


    I leapt, and as I crested the top of its hastily-conjured ice wall, I trailed the last of my mana into the air, then ignited a shaped bolt of lightning that reached down along the arc of my leap and bent to strike the lizard through the hole in its wall of ice.


    The creature hissed, momentarily stunned by the bolt of lightning¡ªand I landed with the pick of my axe between its eyes a moment later, forcing its head to the ground before I used the last of my [Surge Pool] to tear the axe free in a spray of blood and shattered bone.


    + 44 561 Essence


    + [Fire 3 / Frost 3 / Mana 3]


    + [Frost 2 / Reptile 2 / Sight 2]


    + 1 Limit! (26)


    I stood over the corpse as it twitched, gasping, my breath fogging in the chill air. Its firebreath had scorched my arm and face, and my skin was waxy along the side of my arm where it had hit the worst. As I spent my [Life Pool] to heal these wounds, my face slowly spread into a grin. I looked down at its broken, steaming remains.


    ¡°You were incredible!¡± I told it.

 2.14: The Sea of Mist

    ?¡ª[Life Pool] 100/100


    I smiled to myself as the wind rushed by my face. I¡¯d been following the contours of the slopes, hunting the wyverns while I replenished my [Life Pool], for almost twenty minutes¡ªit had taken longer than usual because I had less [Focus] to assign to the replenish the skill while I was flying.


    I spotted another wyvern nest, then swooped over it. Instincts woke its occupant as its [Wild Sight] sensed a creature coming close, but it was already too late¡ªI fell onto its head with a wind-propelled downward blow, driving the upward point of my axe between its eyes before gaining my balance and tearing the blade through its brain and out the side of its skull.


    + 11 684 Essence, {Wyvern} ¡ª [Animal 2 / Body 2 / Sight 2]


    I took off again a moment later, in search of more. I hadn¡¯t triggered a primeval convergence, which meant that these creatures were linked with the ones of the other slope¡ªI must have fought some wyverns from this mountain, yesterday.


    I also hadn¡¯t run into any relatives of the fascinating lizard that I¡¯d fought on the peak. I didn¡¯t know how his ice-bombs had actually worked, but I was definitely curious. Had it somehow infused the center of a compacted shard of shaped ice so that the steam broke the shard and released a huge amount of pressure at just the right moment? To me, that seemed impossible, and I felt that it must instead be some combination of aspects that I¡¯d never seen before.


    Crumpled, forest-covered terrain lay below me, cut by the occasional stream that ran down from a spring in the mountains. I found another wyvern, killed it, and picked up more essence and keys.


    It was essential that I get a lay of the land. If the air elementals were sapient, we¡¯d likely need to build our settlement within a day¡¯s journey to a peak¡ªwhich would essentially mean in the shadow of said peak. Not all of us could fly, or even cover ground quickly.


    Even if the air elementals weren¡¯t sapient, a settlement nestled in the mountains had a lot of advantages. We¡¯d have to scout our options soon enough, and I didn¡¯t want to make a return trip.


    There were a lot of things to consider. I was personally worried about superpredators. Primeval convergences existed for a reason, and that was the threat of invaders who were so strong they required an army to deter. I knew the kind of havoc that an itinerant killer could wreak on an ecology because I was one.


    The best defensive strategy against such a creature, flying or walking, would be to settle somewhere that they were less likely to hunt. A place below the mists, not visible from the air. A place in a more sparsely populated ecology, one less likely to fall victim to a hungry wanderer. Someplace recessed into the rock, or flanked by high cliffs, but best of all a place that was separate from, but nearby to a much richer source of food for any potential predator: a forest, a swamp, rolling plains, a large body of water¡­.


    These were the things I cared about most. Resources I knew we could traverse great distances for, or create with our abundant essence and creation magic if need be. Food could be hunted for, or grown with [Life Magick] if hunting was somehow disastrous. There weren¡¯t a lot of us, and we we would be powerful and carry all our magical knowledge¡ªour needs could be met fairly easily.


    These were my thoughts as I passed over the mountain, killing wyverns as I saw them. If I asked the elves to live in a recessed cave for the next generation, to be hidden away from the sky just to alleviate my fears, would they accept it? Probably. But perhaps not without murmurs of dissent, depression and stagnancy¡­.


    I made a third circuit of the second mountain, decided that I¡¯d memorized the terrain and picked off enough wyverns, and then turned onward, toward a higher mountain whose peak rose in the distance. Breaking the third mist layer, I saw that the fourth had indeed been lightening¡ªtheir color change was the closest thing to a sunrise this place had.


    I scowled. That was another thing I had to consider.


    We needed to see the sky. Not these mists, but our Lady Sabina¡¯s night sky. Hassina and Seriana had said little of it, but there could be no true worship of the Midnight Queen without sight of the sky. And it was the high elves, not the wild elves, who most loved her.


    But what were we going to do? Fly them kilometers into the air each night? Find a mountain whose height rivaled that of the tallest on Aranar and keep our whole civilization there just to be sure they were never parted from proper worship?


    These thoughts gave me the sudden urge to do what I should have done when first I¡¯d gained the power to fly. I took flight and rose into the sky, intending to go as high as I could.


    I broke the third mist layer and began to head for the layer that was high above it, watching my mana pool as I rose. Air got thinner the higher one flew, and while my skills could keep me from the harmful effects of low-pressure air, it grew harder to hold the air needed to fill my sail and raise me up.


    It was a strange and beautiful place, the upper layer. The whiter mist above me was so far that it felt like a real, proper sky¡ªjust one completely covered in cloud. The mountain-peaks below me were small, snow-covered protrusions, white islands in a sea of red. There was still a haze in the air, a light fog that made distant peaks invisible.


    The air grew cooler, and a few elementals tried to give me a playful shove as I rose, but I avoided them. I drew in deep breaths, trying to vacate my mind and simply absorb the beauty that lay below me.


    Then I came close to the upper mist layer, and I extended my gaze into it, fearful that it might contain dangerous elementals. My mana had begun to deplete from the effort of rising, and as I entered the mists I wondered if I¡¯d made a mistake. A huge mass of air, an elemental, formed a spike and launched itself toward me, but I pulled myself to one side to evade it, still rising.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Unlike the other layers, which had increased with thickness as one rose, this layer was only half as thick as the one below it. I came out of it only moments after I¡¯d entered¡ªand my heart fell.


    Another layer of mist shone above me, perhaps three kilometers distant, far out of my range. I sensed the elemental spread itself into a wide breeze and rose quickly to avoid it, but my mana was dropping fast.


    Then I drew in a sharp intake of breath as I looked around me. From where I was about two hundred feet above the sea of luminous cloud below me, I could see far¡ªvery far. The hazy obfuscation of the lower levels was gone. I rose higher, spending until I had less than a tenth of my mana remaining¡ªand gasped.


    It was impossible to tell quite how far it was, but in the distance I could see the peak of a great mountain just barely breaking through the cloud layer, a peak that ended in a sheer, slanted cutoff only a few hundred meters above the mists.


    I blinked. Smiled.


    Then I dove as my air elemental tried to catch me once more, pushing myself to greater speeds with the last of my mana. I broke the mist quickly, then looked down once again at the faded archipelago of nearer mountain peaks, keeping in my mind the location of the distant giant.


    The lower temperature of higher elevations would make them the home of less aggressive frost elementals. They would also make them poorer roosts for wyverns, who would prefer the lower peaks, the ones adjacent to broad stretches of forests.


    But [Frost] keys¡­.


    [Frost] keys favored the attunement effect, reducing [Focus] requirements. Attribute-increasing [Frost] keys tended to increase [Focus] itself. And mages¡ªwhich we had plenty of¡ªwere trained in [Arcane Resonance], increasing the effect of their focus.


    More [Focus] meant a greater ability to sustain conjured ice, and many [Frost] abilities meant that icebinders¡ªor cryomancers, as the mages called them¡ªcould easily assert their claim over ice.


    All of this meant that if I could return with a high quantity of [Frost] keys, our icebinders would be able to quickly conjure enough fortifications to shelter the whole of our people. And we were pushing out into the plains and the swamp, gathering the [Mana] keys needed for missile-conjuring bows.


    When it came time to move to a new location, I¡¯d feel much more comfortable knowing that we could summon a small fort and place a hundred of our best archers within it, all strengthened by attribute-increasing skills and possessing infinite arrows.


    I wouldn¡¯t even need to reach the summit I¡¯d seen. If there were higher mountains between it and me, unseen through the haze, then they might be home to the elementals.


    Finally, there was a potential promise of safety in the whole affair: a frozen peak was not particularly attractive to most things that might seek to eat our flesh, and rose far from the sight of passing superpredators. It was worth checking out as a potential colony location, hostile as it might seem.


    I fell, grinning, and swiftly cut through the third mist-layer, then slowed my dive and took flight once more, angling toward where I¡¯d seen the mighty peak. I set my sights on the next mountaintop emerging from the mists, a many-peaked meeting of two slopes that ran in a line above the mists for almost a kilometer.


    There was a single wyvern nest positioned along this line, one frosted tangle of corroded trees that had been set into a crook in the peak. The mists above had mostly finished lightening, but the nest still held its occupant: a massive wyvern, easily twice the size of the one I¡¯d fought over the lake of the first mountain.


    It raised its head to look at me as I dove for it, then rose, planting its winged forelegs to crane its neck before letting out a loud shriek. As I passed above it, it breathed out an extremely long gout of its poisonous breath, a geyser of deadly, phlegmatic fluid.


    But as the poison entered my claim, I simply diverted it away from me with my air magic, continuing my dive. I landed on the creature¡¯s back at the base of its neck a moment later, feet slamming into scaled flesh. I caught my balance as the creature shifted beneath me, then surged [Strength] and leapt away, taking flight.


    But halfway through my leap I began to channel mana out into the air, and as I filled my skysail and flew away, I continued to do so. It was all about timing¡ªI needed a bolt strong enough to seriously hurt or kill this creature, and that meant taking the time to release a huge amount of mana. But I also needed my lightning to strike its neck or face¡­.


    The wyvern ceased spewing its fruitless poison, then turned toward me as I flew away from it, still dumping mana into the air between us. Its winged forelegs snapped the wood of the nest beneath them as it spun, lumbering around and then launching itself up into the air, its head rising to meet my line of mana and give me the perfect shot.


    The mountain around us was awash with pure red light as my ears filled with the familiar, violent sound. In my gaze, I saw my lightning bolt reach the end of its mana trail and discharge all its power into the nearest body of mana it could find, the wyvern¡¯s head.


    + 51 257 Essence, [Air 3 / Body 3 / Life 3], [Animal 2 / Body 2 / Sight 2], [Air 2 / Body 2 / Reptile 2]


    The beast¡¯s body fell limp, its skull a twisted, smoking ruin whose flesh had been vaporized.


    I landed on the peak and looked over my spoils, smiling. I¡¯d spent almost all my mana to kill the creature, but that was hardly a problem: if only all my battles could go so well, and have such excellent rewards.


    I made a request to the Verse:


    ?¡ªGranted; Your species-based custom key categorization will now sort by rank.


    I had to frown at the fact that there were no [Frost] keys in the boons. The Verse was universal, and creatures such as this with [*Body] cores would easily be able to form skills like [Icy Grace] or [Frost Hide] out of any they found. Wyverns didn¡¯t naturally prey upon elementals, but they were also intolerant of them in their territory. If I was right about these peaks having more [Frost] keys, then this creature could have confirmed it by giving me some.


    The absence of them wasn¡¯t a sign that I was certainly wrong¡­ but it wasn¡¯t the sign I was looking for.


    ?¡ªMana 1081/1940, 44% Primeval


    Then I sensed something with my [Animal Sight] that made me smile¡ªmore wyverns, rising toward me through the mists. Killing the big one had triggered a primeval convergence all by itself.


    ¡°Heh,¡± I said, standing, and touching a hand to the haft of my axe, then leaping into the air and flying down towards the oncoming creatures. With luck, another twenty wyverns or more would be coming to fight me.


    And once I¡¯d found a suitable arena, I¡¯d be more than happy to oblige them.

 2.15: Voices Hidden in the Mountains Depths

    I heaved my steaming axe out of the broken skull of its most recent victim, then called a gust of wind to sweep the poison from the air around me as I searched for any more attacking wyverns.


    There were none.


    I rolled my shoulders, then wiped the blood of my axehead, satisfied. Deeper into the mountains, there were fewer wyverns¡ªI¡¯d killed just under twenty. Their bodies lay around me in a small divot in the mountainside, a sloped valley that had given me enough space to maneuver.


    I could have flown the entire time, but making a lethal lightning bolt was much harder when both I and my target were flying, and the demand on mana was harder all around.


    Leaping around with the axe and flying only occasionally so as to save mana for more lightning was a much faster way to kill.


    ?¡ªYour Essence and Boons:


    591 748 Essence


    1 {Wyvern 3}


    43 {Wyvern 2}


    1 {Frilled Lizard 3}


    1 {Frilled Lizard 2}


    6 {Cat}


    I couldn¡¯t contain my elation as I hooked my axe back onto my sailsuit. I¡¯d only been out less than two hours, and already I¡¯d outpaced the previous half-day I¡¯d spent hunting. I¡¯d actually killed more wyverns by searching the slopes earlier than I had now than I had during the primeval convergence. Even if the latter had taken less time, being able to fly forever and see so far with [Animal Sight] had made me a fast, effective hunter.


    And it was only going to get better. My level limit had gone up to 27 sometime during the battle, and I could hopefully look forward to another increase when I gave my harvest to Hassina to be distributed among my people.


    I was still level 25, of course¡ªas with many times before, I¡¯d increase my attributes when I absolutely knew I needed something, rather than cement the choice now. [Channel] and [Source] were my favored options, but [Strength] was also worth considering. I¡¯d lost some when I¡¯d changed [Wild Grace] into [Avian Grace], and since [Surge of Might] only let me double my [Strength] score any loss was a heavy loss indeed, especially given how quickly my attributes could now replenish my [Surge Pool].


    The keys I was gathering were woefully outpaced by the essence. A single wyvern¡¯s worth of essence could push anyone to level 10, at which point they¡¯d have multiple skill cores. But that was always the way of it: killing could get you essence, but if you wanted keys you needed territory. Even Palefang hadn¡¯t known how to strip aspects from the world around him: a group of well-protected keyshapers would only need a few days to reap an enormous amount of rank one skill keys for our people.


    I scouted the slopes of the surrounding mountains, making note of the terrain as I wove between the second and third mist layers. As with before, there were extraordinarily deep ravines between the peaks, each with steep, almost vertical sides, as if they¡¯d been punched into the earth by some unknown force. Many of them had great trees rising up out of the lowest mist layers, and a few times I even descended below this layer to see that it was much the same as it was near the cave: swamp everywhere beneath a tangle of massive roots.


    Some things I felt I understood, but some were mysteries. Dozens or even a hundred wyverns nesting over the hundred or so square kilometers surrounding one of the peaks was an insanely high density of the creatures, but I could explain it. This place was a more extreme version of the same story that took place on Aranar or Thanaxes: plants gathered more essence per day because of their high mass and volume, and they almost always cultivated [Life] keys and skills. Insects ate the plants that could regenerate their leaves with the essence they gathered, and animals like the ribbontail squirrels I¡¯d seen ate the insects, then were in turn eaten by larger animals¡­ and so on.


    On Aranar, the density of life had been incredible. On this place, life was so dense that predators were casually aggressive, almost omnipresent, and beasts like the broadwings or the giant birds had predators of their own in the wyverns.


    I had also surmised that the swamps in the ravines might not be anywhere near this world¡¯s normal sea level: any number of things might have grown up to keep them from draining. Still, we could follow the water as far as we needed to in order to find Seriana her sea. Another item for the exploration itinerary, after I explored these mountains and hopefully made contact with some air elementals.


    I killed another dozen wyverns as I covered the terrain around me, and the third mist layer began to lighten once the fourth had turned completely white. Soon I caught sight of something peculiar in between the second and third layers: a strangely-shaped group of creatures moving downward, toward the mouth of a ravine. At first I thought they were broadwings diving straight down, but then I realized that they were moving too slowly for that.


    I flew in for a closer look, but I was a few kilometers away, and their distance combined with the omnipresent haze made it difficult to make them out before they disappeared beneath the second mist layer. Still, I thought I¡¯d seen ropes or ribbons trailing behind them.


    Curious, I dove beneath the second mist layer and skimmed over the great trees below us. Ahead, where the creatures had disappeared, the great wood ended and the ravine narrowed into a tight canyon, where I saw another flowerfall covering both walls.


    There was no sign of the strange creatures I¡¯d seen diving, and so I expected they must have stopped in the mist. But as I drew closer, I didn¡¯t sense them with my [Animal Sight], either in the mists or below it.


    Then I noticed something else peculiar: there were no insects here, neither feeding the vines nor drinking from the flowers. The flowers themselves still bore high amounts of mana in their nectar, but the whole of the vine appeared to have no defenders.


    I flew closer, my eyes on the cliffs. There were a great many cave openings hidden behind the vines, and soon my [Animal Sight] detected a great many small, winged creatures hanging from the roof of the caves within. Bats?


    Suddenly my mind was assaulted by a powerful psychic force, one made of a great many minds pressing up against my own, each of them sending an image or impression of something undesirable: being pierced by teeth, being consumed by fire, being drained of life while tangled in the vines on the cliff¡­.


    The message was very clear. Leave.


    Rare was the creature who learned to use [Wild Bond] to do more than hunt and hide. Unintelligent creatures almost never built the multiple bond skills needed to truly overpower something else¡¯s mind for more than a moment, and when they did they left themselves without other skills to rely on. This made them slower and weaker than they otherwise would be, which meant they had to deter more predators than they otherwise would¡­ which inevitably led to their demise. Creatures who traveled in packs could often push on other creatures with a rudimentary psychic skill, but not like this.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    This was powerful. But they weren¡¯t trying to knock me out of the sky or lead me to my death. They just wanted to be left alone.


    And their attack was still somewhat rudimentary, a sustained force instead of a calculated spike of psychic power. I drew on my training and used my own [Wild Bond] to break most of the attack down into patches of discordant sensations instead of an overwhelming, overriding experience, then let it wash over me.


    I couldn¡¯t leave, not without assessing what threat this colony of creatures posed. Not only was I almost sure they could fly, but their psychic abilities meant they could find¡ªand potentially attack¡ªexploring elves.


    I reached out with my [Wild Bond], choosing one voice among the many that assailed me and singling it out. Peace, I told them, sending the impression of calm skies where birds flew peacefully, calm waters where beasts drank together without enmity.


    The chorus of assaults on my mind ceased a moment later. Then I was contacted by just a single one of the creatures.


    Leave, violence, it said, sending an impression of their canyon shrinking beneath me.


    I tried to get a sense of the creature I was speaking with. It was smart enough to communicate with me, but not as intelligent as an elf¡ªmore like a dolphin or a gorilla. This was good: with the aide of psychic communication, smart animals such as those could share much of their understanding with us.


    Then I realized what it had meant when it sent the impression of violence. It hadn¡¯t been making a threat: leave or there will be violence. Instead it had been referring to me, as if by a name.


    Leave, violence, it repeated.


    I suspected they were plants. The likelihood that all of them could hide from my well-honed [Animal Sight] was too low, and I didn¡¯t believe they were the bat-like animals that I could sense. If I got a little closer and used [Wild Bond], perhaps I could see them¡­.


    But I couldn¡¯t get closer. I had to leave.


    It was just that simple. They were asking me to leave their territory because they didn¡¯t want violence. Instigating with creatures who had peacefully asked me to leave was out of the question.


    Your territory? I asked, already rising away from the ravine. It was a concept I was sure they¡¯d understand.


    Here, it replied, indicating the ravine and the flowerfall. Up. It indicated the air above, rising through the mist layers. It paused a moment, then added: Here and up.


    I smiled. You asked that I leave, I said, trying to keep my communication simple. So I leave.


    The voice was silent a moment. Good creature, it said at last.


    I rose away from the ravine with mixed joy and frustration. Those creatures were perhaps the most fascinating thing I¡¯d met since coming here, and yet I didn¡¯t even know what they looked like, not really. Hopefully I or the wildhearts could learn more about them in the coming days. They¡¯d seemed peaceful enough.


    Of course, I¡¯d still have to be absolutely sure that nothing followed me back to the colony. I was fairly sure they were no danger¡­ but in the long term, a certain degree of paranoid defensiveness would pay off.


    Violence, they had called me. It was more or less accurate to the last day and a half. Really, it was more or less accurate but to my general role to the elves.


    Over the second mist layer, I saw a field of craggy rocks dotted by what appeared to be long-necked armored quadrupeds. I reasoned they were in the domain of the mysterious ravine-dwellers, and moved past them toward the next mountain. I rose above the third mist layer to see the snowy peak, and past it I saw what I¡¯d been hoping for: not just in a farther, larger mountain, but in the vague form of an even more massive mountain rising up beyond that one. It was barely visible through the haze, but it was unbelievably large, its faded shape piercing the fourth mist layer. It was the mountain I¡¯d seen earlier.


    Even the mountain before me was much larger than the others I¡¯d visited. The section of it that rose above the third mist layer was almost as large as the entirety of the mountain nearest the colony.


    As I drew closer, I saw a sight that I recognized in the form of a relatively small outcrop of ice near its summit.


    ¡°Another one?¡± I wondered aloud. But there was always a chance that the frost lizard I¡¯d fought had simply taken its lair from one of the stronger frost cats.


    Still, I unclipped my bow from where it lay across my back. The last time I¡¯d fought one of these lizards, it had been too fast, too dangerous. Its [Frost] and [Fire] skills meant that it would have limited healing or physical attributes, and its frost walls cost more mana to conjure than my single arrows.


    And if the cave simply had a big frost cat in it: well, I could handle those, too.


    I flew down in front of the cave, sensing the creature inside through its attempts at stealth using [Wild Bond]. It was, in fact, another frilled-neck lizard. I had landed far from the cave-mouth, almost two hundred meters, and I intended to fight at range.


    It emerged a moment later, its bright red, steamy fins flared out over a body that was coated in glittering ice. I brought my bow up and surged [Strength] to shoot it with a fast-moving conjured missile that was wreathed in a windsleeve. Air missiles were good for flying because of all the interference from wind, but really they were good for everything: they added more range to the already stupendous range of a strength-enhanced matchbow, and practiced wielders could use the skill to curve their shots.


    The lizard conjured a hunk of ice and tossed it at my arrow, intercepting it¡ªbut the arrow¡¯s windsleeve pushed the ice to one side, just barely causing it to skim past while diverting the arrow¡¯s path. The arrow stuck the lizard in the shoulder at an angle, instead of striking its face.


    I took flight in a burst of powdered snow, avoiding the creature¡¯s missiles while I launched my own back at it. It launched its volley of ice-javelins along with it more powerful exploding artillery, but these were easy to avoid at such a great distance: by the time the thicker shards of exploding ice reached me, they¡¯d shed enough velocity that they were easy to bat away with wind.


    I curved my arrows, making each one of them take a different path toward the lizard, gravity and wind combining to give them unpredictable arcs. The lizard charged at me across the slope, but I flew around it in a wide circle, loosing multiple arrows each second and occasionally throwing in one that had been enhanced by my [Surge of Might].


    It deflected most of them, even creating a few walls of ice to keep the missiles at bay. But these blocked its line of sight to me, and I could hide myself from its gaze with [Wild Bond] while curving my shots around its barricade. Arrows buried their way into its flesh, one every few seconds, sometimes more.


    After a few minutes, I¡¯d struck it with more than fifty arrows and it had run out of mana. It tried to limp back to its cave, but didn¡¯t make it before it collapsed: I flew over it and surged [Strength] to aim a careful shot through its skull, finishing it.


    + 47 210 Essence, [Fire 3 / Frost 3 / Wild 3], [Armor 2 / Fire 2 / Frost 2]


    ¡°Much better,¡± I said, smiling at my bounty and taking off toward the slopes.


    With luck, I could trigger another convergence. But even if I couldn¡¯t, I was sure to find more of the omnipresent wyverns while I scouted the territory.


    By my guess, I had hours before they expected me back at the colony.


    I would not be returning empty handed.

 2.16: Theres Always a Bigger Wyvern

    At the base of the largest mountain, across a field filled with huge, jagged stones and split down the middle by a massive gorge, there was a forest of great trees that stretched as far as I could see. The great trees were unique in that they were the first of their kind that I¡¯d seen which weren¡¯t growing out of the swampwater at the bottom of the many canyons that cut their way through the valleys between the peaks. Instead their roots grew out of dark, bare soil, strewn with a blanket of decaying fallen leaves and lit by glowing vines and ferns.


    The rocky plain at the base of the mountain was populated by horned grazers that appeared like a cross between antelope and goats, albeit with longer legs than either. The gorge was its most interesting feature: a kilometer-long gash, only a few hundred meters wide at its widest, seemingly deeper than even the swamps had been and with none of the great trees that dominated them. I dove into it and broke the lower mist layer expecting to see water and instead only saw another, deeper layer of mist¡ªthe sixth, if counting downward, though I had been counting up from the mist above the waterline of the swamp, up to now.


    I didn¡¯t dive deeper than that, conscious as I was that the depths of the earth could hold potent elementals that I had neither the means to detect nor fight. Instead I ascended, then flew to the edge of the great forest and perched on one of the larger stones.


    I had to look around at the field of jutting, jagged stones, dominated by the strange gorge, with suspicion. Had the event that had formed the gorge also left these stones dotting the landscape?


    Nonetheless, I wanted to meet some of the creatures that lived in the forest. While it would have some familiar species, its dryer depths would foster different forms of life than the swamps. I wanted to trigger a primeval convergence and draw creatures out of the forest into this field¡ªbut at the same time, I didn¡¯t want to draw too many predators off of the peak while I was battling whatever emerged. Wyverns were one thing, but adding any unmet, unknown forest-dwellers into the mix could complicate things more than I¡¯d like.


    I began to ascend along the slopes. I would trigger a convergence on the mountainside, then hopefully travel deep enough into the forest to trigger a second. Convergences here covered a smaller area than they had on Aranar. It was as if they only ever recruited a set amount of creatures, or power spread across creatures, and so in this place they needed smaller locales.


    With that done, I¡¯d have enough time to spend an hour playing my pipes in a high place, hopefully drawing the attention of an elemental who I could ask some questions.


    I found a smaller peak that jutted out from the main mass of the mountain, cresting just below the third mist layer. I didn¡¯t want to go any higher and attract the elementals in the mist while fighting, and so it was a good spot to start. After soaring over the cliffs and slopes for a few minutes, I found a wyvern¡¯s nest, landing and killing its occupant with a lightning-bolt before resuming my patrol.


    I found and killed another two wyverns, then spotted something unexpected shortly after I took to the air once more: another one of the frilled-neck lizards, this one perched over the bloody carcass of a snow cat and somewhat smaller than the two I¡¯d met already.


    I landed on the slopes above it, not bothering to try and hide my presence. The lizard reared up and flared its frills, and I looked at the carcass of the snow-cat it had been eating¡ªit was badly burnt. It hissed a warning at me.


    ¡°How are you not food for wyverns?¡± I asked, tilting my head curiously and smiling. The only two of these creatures I¡¯d met had been on peaks, not counting the acid-spitting distant relative I¡¯d found in the caves before the flowerfall. I wanted to know where they came from, why they were so rare, and what they hunted other than the white cats.


    The lizard didn¡¯t conjure a shard of ice to throw at me like its relatives had. Instead, it charged, rearing up onto its back legs to sprint toward me with startling speed while its forelegs waved uselessly in the air.


    Three surge-empowered arrows to the neck later and it was turning to run away from me, and a half-dozen more shots had brought it to the ground.


    + 5285 Essence, [Fire 1 / Mana 1 / Wild 1]


    ¡°No ice,¡± I said, standing over the corpse a moment later. Did it even have the firebreath? It had to have something to keep these wyverns from simply scooping it up off the mountainside, even if they usually preferred to hunt birds.


    In the distance, I could sense another wyvern coming toward me with my [Animal Sight]. A moment later and I felt another one, coming from the other direction: I had triggered a convergence just as I¡¯d intended. Blasting things with lightning got it done a lot faster than arrows did.


    I waited for the first one to dive, then struck it from the air with a lightning bolt. Then, confident that I had the mana regeneration to fight them all in the air, I took off and began to fly away from the second wyvern. When it was close enough, I unspooled a line of mana into the air behind me, then drew in my sail and rolled to strike that wyvern from the air, too.


    I filled my sail again and took stock of the various wyverns that I could now sense coming toward me with my [Animal Sight], then carefully chose my trajectory so that I could keep them tailing me and pick them off one by one.


    I almost sensed it too late.


    Despite my [Animal Sight] and [Wild Bond], and despite my well-honed psychic senses, the creature that came from above nearly took me by surprise. I barely felt it before it emerged from the mist overhead, diving just behind my position so that the bulk of its shadow didn¡¯t fall over me right away.


    I sensed it just before it left the mists: the largest wyvern I had ever seen, easily ten times the size of any I¡¯d fought on these peaks.


    A behemoth.


    It was diving fast, much faster than it could recover from. I called up a sudden surge of air to launch myself forward and up, certain that once it was past me it wouldn¡¯t be able to give chase.


    A great shadow fell across me as the wyvern spread its broad wings, which were so large that without the aide of magic they might have buckled and broken under the sudden wall of air that they gathered. Instead, it beat them downward, sending out a concussive wave of wind along with a low sound of thunder. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop the creature¡¯s fall, but I had to draw my windsleeve tight to keep the wave of resulting air from knocking me out of the sky and deafening me.


    At the same time, I pulled in my sail and dove for an outcrop rock that rose below me, intending to land only briefly and launch myself further into the air with a surge-fueled leap. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    As I made for the ledge, I watched the behemoth plummet toward the peaks with my gaze. Beating its wings once against the momentum of its fall had been an incredible feat for a creature its size, but it still hadn¡¯t been enough to stop it from crashing into the slopes below¡ªjust enough to drastically slow it.


    They wyvern struck the stony slopes, and the whole mountain seemed to tremble beneath me as the air filled with the earsplitting sound of shattering stone. But to my amazement, it didn¡¯t slump there, bowed under the force of its own weight, but rather crouched inside the billowing cloud of dust and sprang back into the air with an impossibly mighty leap.


    I struck the stone outcrop ahead of me and did the same, focusing hard to use as much of my [Surge Pool] as I could to bound into the air, then gathering my windsleeve and filling my sail.


    I was still in a primeval convergence, and there were two more wyverns diving for me, so I launched myself forward rather than straight upward, fearful that they could adjust their trajectories with their [Air Magick] and knock me from the sky.


    I had expected that the behemoth, which was far too close behind me for comfort, wouldn¡¯t be able to outpace me if I simply filled my sail and ran. But to my shock, the wyvern spread its wings, filled them with wind using its [Air Magick], and began to gain on me.


    But how? I had to wonder this as the creature closed the distance between us. A high level and a strong [Behemoth] skill might explain it¡¯s having the [Strength] to leap from the mountainside and the lightness to fly at all, but wyverns were physically-oriented. It shouldn¡¯t have had the massive mana pool it needed to manage all this air magic.


    The slope of the mountain had dropped away below us, and I dove into the open air, hoping to pull it into a dive after me and then rapidly ascend. It couldn¡¯t burn mana like this forever, and even if it could, I doubted that it could ascend as fast as I did. I just needed to be sure that I had outpaced the overhead wyverns, needed to know for a certainty that I could ascend safely¡­.


    The behemoth dove after me, releasing the gathered air beneath its wings to cut toward me on an intercept course.


    Then it surprised me again, drawing a massive quantity of air beneath its wings, sucking me backward in the sudden wind-tide and yanking at my sail, threatening to disorient me and send me spinning¡ªwhich in current circumstances would surely mean a fall.


    I exerted my [Air Magic], steadying myself inside a firm bubble of air and pushing forward to escape its pull, tugging my skysail nearer so that I could quickly dive away from it, knowing as I did that with that much air under its wings, it would struggle to shed altitude and give chase.


    But then I heard a sound like thunder as it flapped its wings with enormous force, sending the air it had gathered and compressed beneath them forward in a powerful wave. Again I held fast to my windsleeve, letting the wave of concussive force be absorbed by the outside of my pocket of held air, but the wyvern was so close that I was still battered by the force of the gale.


    I tilted in the air, righted myself, then surged forward again. But I¡¯d lost too much velocity recovering, and the wyvern had almost completely overtaken me, the shadow of its body darkening the sky overhead.


    It drew closer, and I tried to surge forward to escape it, but it had enveloped my own, smaller claim within its more massive one, and I was stuck within a small bubble of air that was itself being held back by the gale-force winds of the wyvern.


    I hissed, then pushed my mana into the air before me as if to construct a lightning bolt¡ªonly instead of making a bolt, I simply used my mana to create a channel of claim that bored through the claim of the great wyvern. With a blast of air that consumed almost all my remaining mana, I catapulted myself forward and out of the reach of its talons.


    ?¡ªMana 281 / 1940, 45% Primeval


    I heard the sound of thunder behind me once again, but I didn¡¯t try to resist the oncoming buffeting wind: instead I pulled my sail tight, spun in the air, then released it just as the wave of wind struck me, surging my [Aegis] to keep my eardrums from bursting.


    My sail caught and I was thrown backward, using my [Air Magick] to keep myself swept up in the wave of air for as long as I could, throwing myself far away from the wyvern before pulling away in a dive that angled me toward the ground.


    The wyvern dove after me, but it was too big: I could fall much faster with the wind behind me. A surge of relief filled me as I saw that the distance between us was growing as I plummeted toward the rocky slopes beneath us.


    Then the wyvern managed to surprise me again. I sensed the oncoming rocks not as rocks, but by the negative impression that they left in the air around them as they whistled through the air toward me. I threw my windsleeve backward to try and divert their course, but it wasn¡¯t enough: two heavy stones impacted me a moment later, one in the small of my back and the other along my shoulder, sending explosions of pain through my body as I went spinning through the air, my skysail alternating between filling with air and being pressed flat against my back, my trajectory staggered and careening.


    ?¡ª Mana 121/1940, 51% Primeval


    I might have had the mana to right myself and fill my sail again, but I¡¯d have had to slow myself enough to be caught by the oncoming wyvern. Instead I took the fall, bringing my hands up to protect my head while I focused hard on spending as much [Surge Pool] as I could on [Aegis] and struck the jagged rocks of the slope beneath me.


    More jarring than the impact against a steep mountain-slope was the thought that struck my mind as I rolled: that this behemoth wyvern had just shot me down using earthen projectiles that it had probably stored in its mouth, likely ripping them from the mountainside when it had landed there. It knocked me from the air tactically, using a series of well-played maneuvers. There was a feral artistry to its excellent use of air magic¡ªand a rather serious question raised by the fact that it had been able to throw stones at all.


    I stumbled to my feet, then leapt forward as the wyvern came crashing down overtop of of me, flaring its wings and sending out another wave of air that struck me just after I¡¯d landed, throwing me forward and sending me tumbling down the slopes once again.


    I tried to right myself, pushing off the ground with one arm and then pushing myself back down to the slope with a burst of air magic¡­.


    The wyvern leapt forward on all fours, shaking the earth as it landed just behind me and causing me to stumble, almost losing my footing. It snapped at me with its jaws and I leapt backward and to one side, its maw just barely missing me as flecks of poisonous spit splashed across my face and body.


    Its tail came for me a moment later, coming down in an overhead stroke, and I rolled out of the way, then leapt further down the mountain as the tail-tip shattered the stones where I¡¯d been standing.


    The wyvern launched the stones kicked up by its tail a moment later, sending each through the air with enough force to crack my skull or at least send crashing down to the earth, but I dodged them with a few well-placed bounds, my instincts well-honed when it came to sensing trajectories and avoiding missiles.


    Then I was sprinting full-tilt down the mountain, my pace slowed by the fact that I had to fall another ten meters every time I needed to take a step. It didn¡¯t matter¡ªthe wyvern chased me, but it couldn¡¯t match my speed on the ground, not when I combined flight with the power in my legs. Even when it filled its wings and tried to lunge for me, I surged my [Strength], leapt into the air, and pushed myself out of its reach, then pushed myself back to the ground to keep sprinting.


    I didn¡¯t dare stop to fight it. Even if I¡¯d had all my mana, and even if I wasn¡¯t in the middle of a primeval convergence, I¡¯d have to leave for the simple reason that this thing¡¯s acidic breath could likely eat through my already torn skysail in seconds, leaving me both without my main way of maneuvering in battle against it and without half my means of retreat.


    I ran down the side of the mountain for almost a minute with the behemoth chasing me, occasionally having to adjust my course to avoid the other wyverns or a landbound predator. Eventually I ran through the cover of a small copse of trees, then out into the more level cover of the plain.


    There, with my wind at my back and my legs thundering against the ground, I finally overtook the flying behemoth, speeding away from it and out of the shadow of the massive peak.


    I¡¯d have to come back later.

 2.17: The Wind Gives Warning

    Some time later, after making sure that behemoth wasn¡¯t following me, I landed atop the snowy summit of the next-nearest mountain, the place where I¡¯d fought the second ice-throwing lizard. It was as high as I would be able to manage for now¡ªI couldn¡¯t risk the behemoth interrupting me if I played my pipes on its slopes.


    Hoping that this would be high enough, I sat and began to play the same sort of music I had earlier: a mercurial, distracted rhythm that moved quickly from theme to theme. Very soon I had drawn an air elemental to myself, and much like yesterday I had to teach it not to push me lest it lose the music that had drawn it in the first place. More joined it as the minutes passed, until once again I was at the center of many elementals playing with patterns and streamers of air.


    I played for perhaps twenty minutes, until I noticed one of the mana-forms that began acting differently from the others. It circled me many times, swooped through the manipulated currents of air around me, then alighted on the icy shelf behind me and began to gather snow.


    It became a small flurry of wind-captured snowflakes, then slowly began to take shape, becoming an imperfect, blurred imitation of me. As I watched, the form became more refined, until I was looking at an elf-shaped snowstorm.


    Slowly, I raised the hand not holding my pipes. The air elemental raised its hand in turn, mirroring me.


    I stepped forward, crossing half the distance between us and reaching out to it. Again it mirrored me, moving its snow-filled body forward and reaching out to touch my hand, tickling me with a light puff of cool air.


    I relinquished my claim on the air around me, letting go of the envelope that protected me. In a moment, the air elemental had enveloped me, tousling my hair and blanketing my skin, then whistling through the pipes I was holding to create an erratic series of notes. It filled my tortoiseshell sail, pulling it out from my back, then relaxing its hold when it became clear it was going to topple me over.


    It returned to its earlier position once its inspection was done, gathering more snow to make another imitation of an elf.


    I would have needed [Elemental Telepathy] to communicate with it more directly, like I had with Palefang. But even without it I had more than mere music and gestures¡ªI had the Verse. Even if two creatures don¡¯t share a language, they could reference classes and aspects to share them with one another. It wasn¡¯t a perfect form of communication: even creatures who do share languages can¡¯t agree on whether [Weave] should be called [Order] and [Fray] [Chaos], or whether a [Firedancer] is a [Pyromancer] and the [Fire Magick] skill is really [Pure Fire]. The exact phrasing used in Verse-words wasn¡¯t communicated, only their concepts.


    The air elemental dispersed their elven form, then moved back nearly twenty feet, reforming. I followed them, still playing my pipes as other, unintelligent elementals danced around me.


    The elemental dispersed again, reforming nearby yet again. Again, I followed them, and we repeated this process several times until they had led me down to the edge of a small, frozen pool that had gathered in a crevice on the mountain¡¯s surface. Once there, they became a gust that brushed away the layer of fine snow that rested atop the icy surface.


    Then they began to draw.


    Their control of air was so fine that it was seemingly easy for them to pick up huge bunches of snow and pack it into thin lines on the ice. They drew a simplistic triangle first, followed by several more, larger triangles in a line, and I realized that they were drawing mountains.


    Then they drew the mists, layers that grew thicker and further apart as they rose, as lines of scattered snow, the last of which was high above any of the mountaintops.


    They paused for a moment as if to examine their handicraft, then carefully drew me as an abstract set of lines, one arm raised in greeting, atop one of the peaks. I peered at this diagram. What were they trying to tell me, show me?


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said, pointing to the strange figure and then pointing to myself.


    The air elemental gave a whistle, increasing in pitch. Then they kept drawing¡ªputting another figure like me beneath the lowest lair of mist. They made the same whistle, which I took to be an affirmative.


    Were they saying they knew that I¡¯d brought other elves? Or that I belonged in the lowest lair, on the ground?


    But they kept drawing, putting another little figure in the layer above it and whistling another affirmative. They did the same for the third space beneath the mists, the one below the one we now stood in, below the mists that shrouded the peaks.


    Then they paused. Finally they drew me midair in the fourth layer¡ªthe one we now occupied. Except the whistle they made was different now, descending in pitch. They whistled, then scattered the snow they¡¯d used to make the little figure.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, realizing what they were trying to communicate. I drew my knife, then stepped into their diagram, moving slowly so as not to disturb the snow they¡¯d already placed. I drew the same small figure they had used to represent me, scratching it into the ice¡ªthen I drew a jagged line leading away from it. ¡°[Lightning],¡± I said.


    The elemental whistled in the affirmative¡ªonly this time, in their whistle the Verse conveyed meaning. [Lightning].


    I drew the same figure in the higher layer, and the same jagged line. Again, the elemental gave me the affirmative. There was only one thing that it could mean.


    The skies here were ruled by a storm lord.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    My heart sank. It wasn¡¯t good news. My new friend had likely discerned the purpose of my tortoiseshell sail when they had almost tugged me over, then realized that they needed to warn me against flying too high.


    I couldn¡¯t ask them to return with me. Even the slightest chance that they might return to the storm lord with knowledge of our colony was too great a risk. But there were many other things it might tell me, and many things that I could tell it.


    I moved across the diagram until I stood above the highest layer of mist that they had drawn. There, I drew a circle before casting a spell to fill it with a soft orb of light. ¡°[Behemoth] [Light],¡± I said, looking down at the sphere, then up into the sky, trying to make it a question.


    The elemental whistled in the affirmative, then reached a snow-filled finger of air down to my light, touched it, and moved the finger above the highest mist-layer in a gentle arc.


    ¡°[Behemoth] [Light] [Weave] [Time],¡± I said, drawing the same arc. When the path of my hand reached the upper mist layer, bringing the arc of their sun to its conclusion at the horizon, I said: ¡°[Dark] [Time].¡±


    The elemental paused, seeming to consider this. It was likely trying to interpret what I¡¯d said: [Dark] could mean both the absence of light as well as anything that was hidden. But some aspects, like [Melee], didn¡¯t find easy homes in language: [Melee] meant both a close-quarters attack and the weapons that were used for that purpose.


    Combined with the fact that I had likely used the names of aspects that this elemental had never encountered, it was probably taking some time just to figure out what I¡¯d said.


    Slowly, it indicated the snow-drawn sun. [Behemoth] [Light] [Weave] [Time], it said, whistling the affirmative. Then it gestured to the layers of mist in sequence, starting from the uppermost to the bottom. [Air] [Water] [Mana] [Weave] [Time].


    I blinked. The mists were changing with the course of the sun, something we¡¯d more or less put together already. I pointed to the layer of mist that was on level with the colony¡¯s cave. ¡°[Change],¡± I said.


    The elemental whistled the affirmative.


    I frowned. How to get it to understand that I was asking it questions when it had no reason to understand the tone of my voice?


    I moved off the diagram, then moved far away from it¡ªalmost twenty five meters to the other end of the pool. Then I cleared the snow from the ice and drew another set of different mountains, and another sun which I lit with a magically conjured orb of light.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell it the [World] aspect. It might report everything it saw of me to our local storm lord. Whether a storm lord would know of the [World] aspect or not, I couldn¡¯t say, but knowledge of the [World] aspect was not something I wanted to share with an unknown entity, given that it was probably the most powerful aspect I¡¯d ever seen. Sharing knowledge of it was like sharing knowledge of the [Primeval Champion] class.


    But [Plural] would likely suffice to convey my meaning. ¡°[Plural] [Behemoth] [Light],¡± I said, indicating my second sun. I drew another little figure representing myself, then pointed to it, then my chest. ¡°[Warp],¡± I said. ¡°[Change] [Earth], [Change] [Air], [Change] [Behemoth] [Light]¡ª[Warp]....¡± And I ran over to the first diagram, pointing to the figure that represented me on the mountaintop. ¡°[Warp],¡± I repeated.


    Then, hoping that an air elemental would understand now that I¡¯d come from another world, I gestured to myself and said: ¡°[Dark] [Mind]. [Change] [Mind] [Light].¡±


    The elemental was quiet for a time. Finally the wind around me whistled. The snow-filled air spiralled around the orb of light that I¡¯d used to denote our old sun. [Plural] [Behemoth] [Light].


    I took it for a question, and played the affirmative on my pipes, a set of notes rising in pitch.


    After that, using reference to the aspects we¡¯d already established, gestures, and more diagrams, the elemental communicated quite clearly with me. The mists¡ª[Air] [Water] [Mana], as it were, kept regular time. When the sun was in the sky, the uppermost layer turned white. When night came, the uppermost layer turned red. The layers below all changed a set time after the layer above them, an interval which went down as one descended through the layers and the distance between them decreased.


    Despite the fact that I¡¯d seen a deeper, sixth layer earlier that day, the air elemental knew nothing of it¡ªwhich made sense, I supposed. They were not often found in the deepest of ravines, air elementals.


    The mist layers never dispersed, and they stretched very, very far¡ªpossibly the whole of the world. It seemed unbelievable to me. I didn¡¯t even know what sort of implications this would have, but I was fairly sure it should have drastically affected the world¡¯s overall temperature. I knew that most worlds accessed through the River of Realms just so happened to feature climates that were precisely balanced to favor life, a fact which led to all sorts of theories about the River itself¡­ but I¡¯d never heard of a world like this one, before.


    Storm lords were everywhere, each managing their own territories, often coming into clashes with one another but almost never fighting to the death. Intelligent elementals were not their subjects, but could be called upon to pay a toll of keys if they were found passing through their aerial territory.


    The elemental knew of other intelligent life: other air elementals, the storm lords and their emissaries, and bird that it drew for me, a creature they had met many, many thousands of days ago that had used [Elemental Telepathy] to communicate with them. It drew other creatures that it had heard of, but not met¡ªa tortoise, a serpent, and a strange bundle of tendrils whose form I didn¡¯t recognize.


    They knew that the mountain peaks that stretched out around us grew taller in one direction and shorter in the other, and that the nearby mist-piercing tusk was the tallest of them. They also knew that massive ravines, such as the one that led to the swamp, were ubiquitous among these mountains. They had seen a sea before, water stretching as far as sight allowed, and they had seen a volcano before, a mountain spewing a plume of smoke as high as the sky, a force that had killed many air elementals¡ªbut that was far from here, not these mountains.


    They were firm in making it clear that siphoning [Air] aspects was, in a sense, illegal: the storm lord would not be pleased if he learned of this, and my [Air] aspects, they indicated, had come from the death of other beings, which was permissible. Whether they believed this, or were simply indicating what my story should be now that I knew the law, I couldn¡¯t say. But they were clear in indicating that they wanted me to retain my [Life]¡ªand so my air aspects had not been siphoned, but hunted for.


    Eventually I indicated that I needed to leave. I told them that I would return in a day¡¯s time, at the current hour, and play them more music but also bring [Elemental Telepathy]. They indicated that they would go and tell other intelligent elementals they had met me: that many would like to hear the music. I gave no objection to this.


    As I left, they didn¡¯t follow me. I had a feeling they knew why I didn¡¯t want them to: they hadn¡¯t asked me if there were more of me, or where I lived. They understood, I think, that I had heeded their very first warning.


    And I had. I was a master of lighting, after all¡ªI knew to be afraid of a storm lord.

 2.18: Lords of Wind and Lightning

    ¡°We need to decide what to do,¡± I said to the gathered high council. ¡°Whether to try and make contact with this storm lord, or no.¡±


    I was back in the cave speaking with the high council, minus Valir. I had explained everything regarding my meeting with the air elemental, and my promise to return. We stood in a small circle in the cave¡¯s main chamber, near Hassina¡¯s ever-growing slate of numbers.


    ¡°And Valir doesn¡¯t need to be here?¡± Seriana asked.


    Zirilla laughed. ¡°He¡¯ll just agree with Aziriel. There¡¯s no need to call him back.¡±


    ¡°All right then,¡± said Hassina. ¡°But just a note before we start.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Obviously, Mirio is very young and probably doesn¡¯t even know the full implications of the storm lord¡¯s presence,¡± said Hassina. ¡°We should explain it all to him just so we¡¯re all caught up.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Mirio said, not seeming to have taken offense at all. ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with skyborne elemental mechanics¡ªyou need to be, to be a archdruid.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s joking, Mirio,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s in need of the lesson herself.¡± I glanced at Hassina. Smiled. ¡°She¡¯s only three hundred, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡ªand twenty,¡± Hassina added, somewhat reminding me of a small child who was proud to add a half-year to their age.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long to explain,¡± said Zirilla. She turned to Hassina. ¡°Air and water elementals degrade quickly as a consequence of their fluid forms. This means they have short life span, but they can extend that life span by consuming skill keys. They can coalesce [Air] out of air that¡¯s abundant with aspect, just like we can, but when the aspect of [Air] starts to thin, only the intelligent ones can figure out how to siphon it and take more. When we discovered that the atmosphere had been siphoned of its aspect, we figured there were intelligent air elementals, here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot of elementals,¡± Hassina said, her eyes widening.


    ¡°Likely many hundreds of millions,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°And my guess is that perhaps ten million or more of them intelligent.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Who knows? They are no threat to us, really: it¡¯s not in their nature to form societies, draw borders, or dominate others. Aziriel knew we¡¯d find the air elementals, but what she and I have really been worried about are storm lords.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that we¡¯re in the worst-case scenario,¡± Hassina said.


    Zirilla nodded. ¡°For a storm lord to arise, you need a stable, intelligent elemental of air and lightning that survives long enough to dominate, then cultivates a population of more air and lightning elementals over time, slowly spreading their presence across the skies.¡± She made a vague gesture, seemingly unsure of how to explain what came next. ¡°Lightning elementals tend to consume themselves within milliseconds of forming. We¡¯re not really sure about this next part, but the leading theory is that extraordinary circumstances can lead to a lightning elemental stabilizing as an elemental of lightning and air. One forms, throws itself randomly¡ªwhich is what they do¡ªand manages to hit some high-essence target, kills it, then changes into something more stable by taking a new class the instant before it finishes consuming itself.¡±


    Zirilla shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a set of events that have a freakishly small chance of occurring. But with a lot of atmosphere, and a lot of time¡­ the prevailing theory in the old realms is that this has happened once, on Teriax. All storm lords that we know of can be traced back to that realm.¡± She fixed Hassina with a significant look. ¡°Bear in mind, though¡ªthis is all just theory. We don¡¯t really know where they come from.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Hassina said. ¡°You said they survive long enough to dominate. Will they always dominate? Even here, with more essence, more mana, seemingly different possibilities for life?¡±


    Zirilla nodded. ¡°I see no reason why not. [Lightning] is too great an advantage, and the mana-dense air will make it stronger. Once a stable elemental can throw lighting, the others stand no chance against them. Air elementals are made of air and mana. The air offers no defense against lightning, which eats the mana as fuel. Beasts of the sky my fare a little better, but also have no offense capable of harming a creature made of pure air. Hence, wherever they are found, storm lords rule the skies.¡±


    Hassina listened to all of this, her expression become graver as she looked around at all our faces. ¡°And we¡¯re not going to be changing that, I take it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zirilla and I both said at once. But it was her area: I nodded for her to speak.


    ¡°Aziriel has fought a storm lord three times without the aide of one of the manahearts,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°She won once. And these were not the elementals of this world, which is drowning in power. Against powerful elementals, we must rely on the mages.¡±


    Archmage Seriana let out a humorless note of laughter. ¡°And we can¡¯t bind a storm lord. Not in our current state, and never permanently.¡± She looked at me. ¡°Even if we had the strength to bind one enough that it could be seriously harmed or destroyed, Zirilla made it clear that there will be more. In my experience they are hierarchical when it comes to species¡ªeven the natural rivalries that develop between storm lords will be set aside to punish us if we dare to kill one of them. The whole of their race would see cause to reassert the proper order of things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Hassina worked her mouth, frowned, apparently at a loss to comment.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we are,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°We need the air keys, but we can¡¯t coalesce them. And while we may trade the air elementals for them, to do so will draw the attention of a being with enough power to utterly destroy us¡ªa being whose temperament and motives we know very little of.¡±


    ¡°But not nothing,¡± said Seriana. ¡°The storm lords of other realms have some in common¡ªthough you¡¯d know more on that matter than I, Zirilla.¡±


    ¡°They have a dual nature,¡± Zirilla said. ¡°Split between the carelessness, the curiousness, and the frivolity of air elementals¡ªand the domineering ambition of lightning. This latter temperament is fearsome, but it is again two-sided. Storm lords form hierarchies. Most would see destroying us as beneath them, a sign that they fear creatures from the surface, which they pride themselves in caring little for. Relating to us more as a lord to their subjects would, in my experience, be more satisfactory.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°If I may¡­.¡± It was Mirio. All of us turned to him and he seemed to deflate under the attention. ¡°I, ah, only wanted to say that this world is ripe with power. It may well be that these storm lords have more to fear from the surface than any we¡¯ve known, and have adjusted accordingly. Also, if our current theory is that all known storm lords spread forth from the realm of Teriax, and this is true, then the known storm lords might have many commonalities to their nature that we can¡¯t rely on, here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°There are a lot of unknowns, here.¡±


    ¡°With all that said, I think we should avoid contact,¡± said Seriana. ¡°Even a sliver of a chance that our colony is destroyed is too great.¡±


    Zirilla shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re weak and vulnerable as it is,¡± she said. ¡°Both to disasters, and to monsters. [Air] keys will help us find the safest ground, and hunt the best prey, fastest. [Air] keys would help us dispense with all the other chances the colony gets destroyed.¡±


    ¡°I thought the risk posed by monsters was slim,¡± said Seriana. She didn¡¯t sound accusatory, just curious. ¡°Aziriel was strong enough to kill Palefang, and has only grown stronger since. What exactly are we afraid of, when you say monsters?¡±


    ¡°We are afraid of the things that primeval convergences are made to deter,¡± said Mirio. ¡°Roaming predators, or packs of predators, who have grown strong over time, who move about and kill as they wish, devastating entire ecologies. We don¡¯t know how slim the chance is¡ªwhether Palefang had to frequently hide from a roving beast or not, we can¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± said Hassina. ¡°It seems to me that all our fears are chances whose likelihoods we can¡¯t even guess at. Not exactly an ideal position.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Ultimately, we have two options. We can avoid further contact with elementals. We don¡¯t seek to draw the storm lord¡¯s attention, and any further [Air] keys we gain from killing creatures such as the wyverns. Seven and a half thousand [Air 2]¡¯s will meet the needs of the current population when it comes to developing air power.¡±


    ¡°Which at the current rate,¡± Hassina said. ¡°Is twenty three and a half thousand wyverns.¡±


    Mirio was shaking his head. ¡°Even using the most generous estimates for population per peak, and allowing for total depletion of populations, that¡¯s still a great many mountains to scour. And I don¡¯t see us finding many other options¡ªour being so near to mountains covered in [Air 2] keys already feels like a fortunate happenstance. We can¡¯t expect to find them in the forests or the swamps.¡±


    ¡°Hunting the peaks is also a dangerous proposition,¡± I said. ¡°Palefang deliberately culled any threats to his dominance that arose on this mountain. The other mountains will bear stronger beasts, be further from our settlement, and potentially lie under the skies of more hostile storm lords. The creatures I met even today made one thing clear to me: the windcallers we send ranging into new territories will need more than just basic flight, more than just the skills needed to keep them in the air permanently. They¡¯ll need to be fast, and have deterrents in the case of attack.¡±


    ¡°Normally I¡¯d suggest going higher,¡± said Zirilla. She shook her head. ¡°But you said that by the storm lord¡¯s decree, they need to fly beneath the third mist layer¡ªthicker air, closer to the ground, more predators.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Our second option, then, is that we try to stick to what the plan would be if there were no storm lord. We arrange a concert, hoping to negotiate for [Air] keys. But we take precautions in case of attack.¡±


    ¡°Given what I know, that¡¯s the option I favor,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°For one thing, the air elementals themselves can freely gather their own [Air] keys, and at least some of them will be willing to trade for music, I¡¯m sure. For another, even with all the unknowns, I still don¡¯t think that the storm lord will wish to destroy us. If Aziriel makes her rendezvous tomorrow, she can probe to determine this storm lord¡¯s personality.¡±


    ¡°A domineering lord can be negotiated with,¡± I said, thinking. ¡°Our interests can be made to align, and their ego satiated. A capricious and temperamental lord wouldn¡¯t be ideal, but could still work for us.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s paranoia that I think we have to fear. A paranoid storm lord can¡¯t have long-term relations with a growing civilization. He will look upon us someday and, in a flash of sudden fear at our progress, seek to destroy us.¡±


    ¡°All right, then,¡± said Seriana. ¡°I still have my reservations, but knowledge is our best defense, and I at least see that we have a great deal of this new world to scout and assess before we can truly feel secure. If Zirilla and Aziriel are for it, so am I.¡±


    ¡°Then Fireesha will make me an artifact of [Elemental Telepathy],¡± I said, nodding. ¡°And I¡¯ll go ahead with the plan.¡±


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Zirilla said, eying me. ¡°I¡¯d say it bears mentioning now.¡±


    I knew what she was getting at. She nodded to me, apparently considering this my area of expertise, not hers¡ªthough whether that was because I was foremost in the current, temporary high council and decider of civic matters, or foremost in powers of lightning, I couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°We don¡¯t share our secrets of lightning,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t allude to them, either. The storm lords will easily assume that we have nothing to teach them of their own great weaponry¡ªand this isn¡¯t an assumption we will correct. If we should furnish the lord of these skies with new powers that draw the attentions of his territorial kin, we could find ourselves objects of their desire¡ªand at the center of a devastating war for territory. For now my lightning is nothing impressive, but more aspects, more skills, and I¡¯ll have powers I won¡¯t wish to use above the mist layers.¡±


    ¡°Obviously that command is more for the elementalists than for everyone,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°But it¡¯s best to be clear on the policy from the first.¡± She paused, seemed to consider something, then turned to Hassina. ¡°You know that if everything goes according to plan, it¡¯s all going to fall on you, your holiness?¡±


    ¡°That much has been made clear,¡± Hassina said coolly.


    Zirilla¡¯s expression became a challenge. ¡°And you have no issue with this¡ªthis, too, is an occasion that warrants your courage?¡±


    I frowned, glancing over at Zirilla. Her voice had held a note of casual hostility to it.


    Hassina¡¯s face was statuesque. ¡°I will see to my duties, as always.¡±


    It was Hassina¡¯s story, I realized. Zirilla was angry at her for telling the tale of Narana at Ithmel Bel.


    I felt the corner of my mouth twitch with displeasure. Was this something I would have to deal with?


    ¡°Not just her,¡± I said, moving past the problem for now. ¡°Seriana as well. In the event of a concert and negotiations, we need the mages to compose a binding spell meant to hold the storm lord long enough that our people can retreat as the colony is led deeper into the earth.¡±


    ¡°Storing the mana could be seen as a threat,¡± Seriana said. ¡°But if can access the site beforehand, we can build a conduit from mana wells underground. As for the spell¡­ we¡¯re only going to be able to do so much.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll only need a few moments to pull the orchestra back into the tunnels,¡± I said. ¡°If need be, a carven shaft with some windcallers at the bottom will have to do.¡±


    ¡°At this point we¡¯re getting into minutiae,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°The plan is set for now, and we¡¯re all busy enough as it is.¡± She turned to me. ¡°Dismissed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you stay,¡± I said. ¡°I need you and Hassina for a moment.¡±


    Zirilla seemed to hesitate as the others took off. She spared an impatient glance toward the high priest. ¡°What is it, Aziriel?¡±


    Her worry was unfounded¡ªI didn¡¯t want to talk about the story, not yet at least. I smiled. ¡°I said earlier that I met some creatures that left me worried. Really, it was only one creature.¡±


    Zirilla eyed me¡ªand as realization dawned on her face, she slowly matched my smile. ¡°Aziriel.¡±


    I returned her smile. ¡°You and I are going on a hunt.¡±

 2.19: Now is the Time for Confrontation

    ¡°There¡¯s a problem with this idea,¡± Zirilla said, crossing her arms. ¡°It¡¯s that I¡¯m level 17.¡±


    I¡¯d told her and Hassina about the behemoth wyvern, and told them that I intended Zirilla to come and help me kill it.


    She was the natural choice. My bow wouldn¡¯t do anything, [Surge Pool] or no. It was simply too big; its armor plating was thicker in some places than my arrows were long.


    This was a hunt that would need to be done with lightning, and strong lightning at that. Zirilla and I had been working together double up our bolts for a long time. She was the perfect choice.


    I¡¯d thought about bringing a few of the stormcallers, but I didn¡¯t want to confront it with more than two of us. If things went badly, even for a moment, every warrior in the field would be someone I¡¯d have to rush to defend. One target was the least risk, especially Zirilla. She was a better flyer than I was.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we should get you to twenty two,¡± I said. ¡°Twenty five, if we can manage it by the end of the day and the enchanters can prepare something for the extra binding.¡±


    ¡°Twenty two is possible, I think,¡± Zirilla. ¡°Twenty five? I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    Zirilla¡¯s class was fourth tier. Beyond tenth level, a class granted a skill core every ten minus its tier levels. Hence I gained a skill every five levels, Zirilla every six¡ªtwenty two was her next. [Bestow], however, increased every five levels for everyone.


    ¡°We can do it at twenty two,¡± I said. ¡°But the added [Bestow] will be a help.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason to rush that I¡¯m unaware of?¡± asked Hassina, looking between us. ¡°Why do you need to do this today?¡±


    ¡°With the essence we gain from the hunt, we¡¯ll have everyone at their level limit by the time we bed down,¡± I explained. ¡°The night will pass in greater safety, and in the morning we can start sending our windcallers into the mountains to explore possible settlement locations without having to worry about the behemoth. Whereas If we wait until tomorrow, we have to do the hunt tomorrow¡ªand the whole schedule is pushed back. The cost of making the attempt is that Zirilla and I leave for more than an hour or so to go there, fight, and come back¡ªthe worst outcome, realistically, is that we have to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Another day will make you both stronger,¡± said Hassina. ¡°Could bolster some of the stormcallers¡­.¡± She saw Zirilla shaking her head and stopped.


    ¡°Aziriel¡¯s right to just want one partner for this,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°She stays in front, keeps it occupied, and aims the bolts. I stay behind and function as a glorified mana and lightning reserve, and swoop in to rescue her if things really go south. It¡¯s a lot harder to coordinate even three lightning callers than it is two, and there¡¯s a much greater risk from added bodies. Two is how we do it if we want a safe opening to retreat.¡±


    ¡°And you agree that we should do this¡­ today? It feels¡­ overeager.¡±


    Zirilla scowled. ¡°Is this also in the realm of your duties, your holiness? If you feel it¡¯s in poor judgement, I¡¯m not sure what can change your mind if being gainsaid by myself and Lux Irovex isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    More frustrations on account of Hassina¡¯s story. ¡°Zirilla,¡± I said, letting a little iron into my voice.


    Zirilla sighed, looking down for a moment, then back up at Hassina. ¡°My apologies, your holiness. My remark was¡­ unsuited to our stations.¡±


    Hassina gave a light nod and spoke with an airy, quiet voice. ¡°Think nothing of it, Zirilla. Your point was reasonable, and is taken. You two have the right of it.¡±


    Zirilla sighed. Then she looked around at the cave, frowning. ¡°I want to get out of here,¡± she said. ¡°Get us all out of here, I mean. I¡¯m too worried about flooding,¡± she said. ¡°Aerial superpredators too, and anything from the deeper parts of the earth¡­ but mostly just rain and the elementals it could bring. The faster we can get out of this cave, the better¡ªand if I can get to twenty five today¡­.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I doubt I can hit level thirty tomorrow. You know how much harder it gets to raise limit, and Aziriel¡¯s won¡¯t come faster than mine. It¡¯s not going to make much difference for us to wait another day, but it could make a difference to strike fast. It¡¯s going to shave a whole day off the time it takes to get our scouts into those mountains.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re both sure, then,¡± Hassina said. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to pack me full of some stronger keys,¡± said Zirilla, nodding. ¡°Get me enough [Air] skills to make up for my relatively smaller attribute pool so that I can fly as fast as Aziriel.¡±


    ¡°We may be lacking in some of the keys,¡± Hassina said.


    ¡°I can kill things,¡± I said pointedly.


    ¡°Oh¡ªwe know, Aziriel,¡± said Hassina.


    ¡°I meant that I can go get us any keys we¡¯re lacking,¡± I said. ¡°But with the basketful of boons I just gave you, her [Air] and [Body] needs should be covered. We just might need some [Mana] and [Surge]. Do you mind if she uses your slate?¡±


    Hassina¡¯s eyes flicked over to Zirilla, her expression protective. ¡°I¡¯ll find a place,¡± she said. ¡°We can use small lettering.¡±


    Very soon Zirilla had begun listing her needed skills on a small patch of Hassina¡¯s writing space.


    !¡ªZirilla¡¯s Skills:


    0: [Elemental Power 20]


    2: [Lightning Magick 7]


    4: [Earth Magick 8]


    6: [Air Magick 13]


    8: [Kite¡¯s Grace 13]


    10: [Wind¡¯s Grace 8] > [Avian Grace 8]


    ¡°I¡¯ll need keys to upgrade my [Air Magick],¡± she said. ¡°But it needs to be done. Other than that, more flying, some mana, and a defense against those rocks that Aziriel mentioned¡ªit¡¯ll be lethal if one hits me. Keep the [Kite¡¯s Grace] I¡¯ve got already, because other aerial skills don¡¯t compare. Replace my [Fire Magick] with another air skill. [Wind¡¯s Grace] if we have the keys, [Avian Grace] if not. Other than that:¡±


    16: [Wind Drinker 13]


    22: [Earthen Might]


    ¡°Keep [Wind Drinker], obviously, because the mana in the air here is so dense. I kept [Earth Magick] so that we can add [Earthen Might]. As high as we can get it. [Strength] is movement on the ground, and I¡¯ll need [Aegis] for defense if things go wrong. Mostly it¡¯s so that I can sense any rocks that thing throws at me fast enough to dodge.¡±


    [Wind Drinker] was a skill that would help her with flight and allow her to absorb mana from the air, much like my [Primeval Mana Hide]. A thought occurred to me as she mentioned it, one that I felt should have been obvious: the behemoth must have been using such an skill. Perhaps [Wind Drinker], perhaps [Primeval Mana Hide], perhaps something else¡­ but a behemoth with a mana-drinking skill had much more bodily surface area to channel mana through. Surface area was only one part of the skill¡¯s formula for determining how much mana its bearer drank¡­ but still, this thing was likely gathering hundreds or even more than a thousand mana with every beat of its wings.


    ¡°Bindings,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°Mana skills for the lightning, along with an armor skill. I¡¯ve got the first two already:¡±


    B1: [Surging Power]


    B2: [Bountiful Mana]


    B3: [Elemental Channeling]


    B4: [Elemental Armor]


    ¡°[Elemental Channeling] for more [Channel] and potency, and [Elemental Armor] to help maintain the tactical advantages that come with not being dead.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Have you been going around with no [Armor] skill?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I just make sure there¡¯s people between me and anything I attack,¡± she explained. Then she shrugged. ¡°I can fly, that¡¯s a form of defense.¡±


    Sometimes it was a wonder to me how Zirilla had survived for so long. ¡°As long as it¡¯s fixed by the time we leave,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think we can do all this,¡± said Hassina.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°The point is essentially to make sure I can fly faster than Aziriel, since having to pull her out is a potential situation. I can shock her awake if she falls unconscious, but that could still leave a few seconds of having to carry her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to have too much [Source],¡± said Hassina. ¡°Not from skills, at least.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s most of what I¡¯ve leveled since I got here,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°I needed it to keep up with my natural [Channel].¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll have plenty of time to gather mana into circles,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure we want you with no [Life] skills?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use yours if I scrape my knees.¡±


    ¡°Exhaustion could set in,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight tired,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°Were you this soft when I swore my loyalty to you? Poor Aziriel, can¡¯t ascend to the top of the highest mountain and fight a behemoth to death without getting short of breath, needs her [Life Magick] to keep her going.¡± She gave me a meaningful look. ¡°There¡¯s always [Water of Life]. You could carry the gourd, you know.¡±


    I scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not carrying the gourd just to potentially save your life.¡± I turned to Hassina. ¡°If we¡¯re done with her, I¡¯ll be soaking up some spare keys too. [Air Magick] from 9 to 14, if we have the keys. [Lightning Magick] on both of us needs whatever [Elemental] keys we can spare. And if we still have any past that, my [Elemental Power] could use an upgrade.¡±


    ¡°The last one is pushing it,¡± said Hassina. ¡°But the rest I think we can manage. Give me a moment and I¡¯ll send you out with a list of what I need.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Zirilla asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get going if I want to hit 25.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°For one, consider overwriting your [Fire Magick] now, with an [Armor] skill, so that you can push yourself harder by being more comfortable with risk.¡±


    Zirilla frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said, crossing her arms and looking mildly annoyed about it.


    ¡°Second,¡± I said. I looked between them, then sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll just do this now: you two have a problem and I don¡¯t like it. Surely a walk in the mists together or a shared meal could burn away any acrimoniousness either of you is feeling.¡±


    Zirilla stiffened. ¡°Neither of us is failing in our duties, Aziriel. I see no reason to treat a little cool air as anything but that¡ªair.¡±


    ¡°And you, Hassina?¡±


    Hassina¡¯s eyes were locked on Zirilla¡¯s. ¡°I swore to the gods and the elves that I would do a duty, and I have done it. I¡¯d rather bear cool air than have her hide her feelings for your sake.¡±


    ¡°And this is about the story, yes?¡± I asked Zirilla. ¡°I haven¡¯t missed some other obvious source of enmity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aziriel,¡± said Zirilla. ¡°This is about the story.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Tell me, then. What is your mind on this matter¡ªand are our people of a mind with you?¡±


    Zirilla turned to me, and didn¡¯t spare so much as a glance at Hassina when my question was finished. ¡°Do you need to ask me this now?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Zirilla nodded stiffly. ¡°Of course they are of a mind with me¡ªand some, I think, are more hard-hearted about it than I am. There are so many mixed emotions among our people right now, so many complexities of loyalty and fear and hope, that I can¡¯t see what she was possibly hoping to learn or warn of by telling the tale of Narana at Ithmel Bel.¡±


    She¡¯d begun to talk faster, now, pace quickening with anger and frustration. ¡°Was it her intention to sound out those among your followers who would follow you blindly by watching to see who among us grew enraged? We¡¯re all already enraged; everyone we knew just died. Was it her intention to make us second-guess the irrevocable decision to follow you by reminding us that you, you¡ªwith all your years¡ªhave not always been found on the right side of history? It cannot be,¡± she said, voice now trembling with subdued anger, ¡°¡ªcannot be that she wished to remind us that we must all work together by reminding us of Narana¡¯s words. Nothing could have run more counter to the purpose of uniting elvenkind than telling that story.¡±


    I listened to all of this and kept my expression impassive. She had a habit of getting wordier whenever she was emotional, of falling into our more archaic speech patterns. She was a lot like me in that way, Zirilla¡ªjust better at it. ¡°And so we fracture beneath the blow that our Grand Storyteller has told with her single story, on our first night. In a time when we need division the least. You know as well as I that the high elves don¡¯t like to work with us, let alone take orders from us. This colony was always going to be hard on that front¡ªand her story wasn¡¯t helping us with that problem, it was that problem.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, keeping my voice and face impassive. ¡°And the soldiers? The civilians from Ellistara?¡±


    ¡°The civilians are largely even-tempered about it,¡± said Zirilla, seeming to grow calmer. ¡°They follow your lead, which is to do nothing and carry on¡ªto respect the authority of the Grand Storyteller. The soldiers¡ªwell, they¡¯re more loyal to you than to our traditions. Soldiers and their commanders see the hour of tales more as a time for relief¡ªfor jokes and camaraderie, not political maneuvers. The soldiers are now against the high priest. And the young, the unskilled, the unruly¡ªthey say that Hassina¡¯s shadow is¡­ overlong. That the High Priest somehow¡­ oversteps.¡±


    ¡°And have you spoken with any of them on this matter?¡± I asked.


    Zirilla let out a humorless laugh. ¡°Hassina has many gifts. I¡¯ve cast my vote for her, almost unerringly, since she was but a century and a half old. I don¡¯t see the wisdom in this division, but neither do I think she is wise because she merely agrees with me in everything. I tell the fools to bite their tongues, and that the protocol here is clear. They¡¯re disciplined, even if they¡¯re angry, and they¡¯ll obey. It¡¯s mostly been Valir whose been keeping them in order, though, and he¡¯s less gentle about it than I would be.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said.


    I¡¯d more or less expected that despite all her frustrations and her bitter remarks, Zirilla wouldn¡¯t tolerate dissent in the ranks. Personal feelings didn¡¯t interfere with her duties¡ªif they had, she wouldn¡¯t be one of my most trusted subordinates.


    ¡°And you?¡± Zirilla asked. ¡°Am I ever going to get to learn your feelings on this, Aziriel?¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± I said. ¡°That would be all¡ªgo level.¡±


    Zirilla gave a curt nod, then left us.


    It was back to Hassina and I. She eyed me coolly, but said nothing of the conversation I¡¯d just made her witness.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go hunt the keys we¡¯ll need,¡± I told her. ¡°Is there anything else we should discuss before I go?¡±


    ¡°The orchestra,¡± she said.


    I gave a tilt of my head. I¡¯d expected her to say something about Zirilla, not the music.


    ¡°To be clear,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to put together a concert for a group of potentially hostile, overwhelmingly powerful elementals who will decide how useful we are to them based on how well we perform¡ªand might decide to destroy us regardless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad,¡± I told her. ¡°You¡¯ll have what writings on the subject we¡¯ve brought, and can ply the minds of the elders, Zirilla and I especially. You¡¯ll assemble the proper people and strike the right chord. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, certainly. But I was picked for my extraordinary talents, not my experience. My guess is that Zirilla has done this before¡ªplayed for the elementals, I mean.¡±


    I gave a small smile. ¡°I know just the remedy for a lack of experience. You are the conductor, your holiness.¡±


    ¡°That I am,¡± she said, flashing me a confident smile. ¡°And yet I wonder if there are, perhaps, less crucial moments to put forth the untested when some of the more, shall we say, vigorously tested are near at hand. Wisdom is, after all, the providence of the divine. Perhaps wisdom speaks now to say that it I ought set aside my ego and allow one with more¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± I said flatly. ¡°Wisdom agrees with me, Hassina.¡±


    Hassina worked her mouth, clearly frustrated. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m the one who speaks with wisdom¡¯s voice,¡± she said. ¡°I am, after all¡ª¡±


    ¡°The high priest,¡± I finished. ¡°And thus the conductor.¡± I fixed her with a look that I meant to be a challenge: either your authority holds in both cases, or in neither. In either case, you¡¯re conducting the orchestra.


    Hassina was quiet a moment. ¡°You can do it,¡± she said at last. ¡°I know you can.¡±


    I gazed back at her. Hassina¡¯s lightheartedness and confidence weren¡¯t false, but they were a kind of alloy between falsehood and truth, between irony and authenticity. It made her warm and welcoming to be around, everyone¡¯s friend. It helped her to alleviate the insecurities of others by turning them into jokes.


    But it was a double-edged sword. Jesters can dance their way through a conversation in such an amusing fashion that it¡¯s easy to miss how much they avoid confronting.


    So what if she was scared? One day¡ªand it might be soon¡ªshe would not only have to withstand the pressures of command because she was ordered to, but elect to put herself in that position all on her own, even in the face of uncertainty.


    And I would burden her with as much uncertainty as I thought she could face, for this.


    ¡°You might fail,¡± I admitted. ¡°Worse, you might fail where another could have succeeded. Worst of all, the consequences for your failure are unthinkable.¡±


    Hassina sagged, looking up at me with eyes that were suddenly tired.


    I could have told her that she had to be comfortable with the full breadth of her authority¡ªthat if she was worried I was accruing too much power, as her story had seemed to suggest, she couldn¡¯t then turn around and rely on me, of all people, to protect her from her duties. But I decided to be gentler.


    ¡°If you should feel like I¡¯ve lit a fire beneath your feet, your holiness,¡± I said, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. My voice hardened. ¡°It¡¯s because I have. Now do as we all must and dance.¡±

 2.20 The Hunt Atop the Summit

    Hours later, Zirilla and I rose through the air to skim the bottom of the darkening third mist layer, sharing a windsleeve and flying together faster than I ever had alone.


    I took stock of my assets:


    ?¡ªYour Skill and Bindings:


    R: [Sable Grace 20]


    C: [Primeval Power 30]


    0: [Life Magick 9]


    2: [Kite¡¯s Grace 14]


    4: [Air Magick 9]


    6: [Primeval Mana Hide 14]


    8: [Might 9]


    10: [Surge of Might 9]


    15: [Wild Bond 9]


    20: [Lightning Magick 9]


    25: [Elemental Power 9]


    B: [Aziriel¡¯s Smooth Shiny Rock of Earth Magick]


    B: [Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Wristwrap of Mana]


    B: [Aziriel¡¯s Second Temporary Wristwrap of Channeling]


    B: [Aziriel¡¯s Temporary Necklace of Animal Sight]


    ?¡ªYour Attributes:


    217 [Aegis]


    254 [Agility]


    102 [Strength]


    126 [Channel]


    62 [Focus]


    195 [Source]


    110% [Primeval Resonance]


    1950/1950 Mana, 54% Primeval


    100/100 [Life Pool]


    100/100 [Surge Pool]


    I hadn¡¯t brought my bow. Instead I carried a stone that Fireesha had given another temporary enchantment, one that granted me [Earth Magick] to help when the creature began throwing rocks, both in sensing them coming and in changing their trajectories to help me dodge.


    As planned, we¡¯d upgraded my [Air Magick] and [Lightning Magick] with what keys we could spare. We¡¯d also decided to upgrade my [Wild Bond], because those keys were less rare and the skill increased the range at which I could sense enemies.


    So, Zirilla said, speaking in my [Wild Bond] while we soared toward the first mountain peak. An elementalist wyvern.


    Somehow, I said. It has to be.


    Certain aspects didn¡¯t function well together, usually opposite pairs like [Arcane] and [Primeval], [Weave] and [Fray], or [Air] and [Earth]. Attempting to form a skill with them where one wasn¡¯t a part of a hidden aspect would usually cause a failure, breaking the keys and refunding two fifths of their essence value as if the skill had been relinquished. Classes never came with these pairs, even if some classes like [Elementalist] could form both [Air] and [Earth] skills.


    It felt like it had [Body] cores, I said. At one point, it dropped onto a mountainside and leapt away a moment later. For a creature that size to make that leap with [Elemental] skills¡­.


    It¡¯s possible, said Zirilla. But only if it¡¯s a very high level.


    It would have to be, I said. Even with [*Surge] cores to make a [Surge of Might].


    [Elemental] and [Surge] cores could come on an exceptional class together¡ªZirilla¡¯s class was [Elemental], [Surge], and [Mana]. But even then, it would have to have a wide array of skills increasing physical attributes to move as fast as it had, even with the kind of [Bestow] that a creature carried at level 60 and a high [Primeval Resonance].


    And [Elemental] keys and their subtypes, when combined with [Body] keys, increased one physical and one magical attribute. It helped to explain why the thing was so deadly in the air, but also still strong with its air magic.


    So it¡¯s got a half-dozen different fused varieties of [Air] and [Body] skills, I said. High attributes all around, then. But it shouldn¡¯t know enough to really take advantage of the breadth of skills it can grab with [Elemental] keys.


    No, said Zirilla. But bigger size means more air under its wings to move around, which means more mana flowing through its body than other wyverns¡ªwhich in this environment means even more long-term exposure to primeval adaptations. Even if it¡¯s not intelligent, it¡¯ll be clever. And you only need to be so clever to figure out how to throw rocks.


    You think it¡¯ll have any kind of [Frost Magick]? I asked.


    Zirilla seemed to think for a moment before answering. No, she said. Though it might¡¯ve been better to ask the wildhearts while you had the chance. My guess is that everything else on the mountaintop that isn¡¯t a wyvern has [Frost Magick] already, including any elementals that concentrate near the mists. Throwing things with [Frost Magick] is easier, but I doubt this wyvern cares overmuch about efficiency. That, and the skill can conjure frost while [Earth Magick] can¡¯t conjure earth¡­ even with the Verse assisting, it¡¯ll be harder for a beast to comprehend the skill in the first place. All in all, there¡¯s no advantage to it using frost¡ªit would be weaker against the local creatures, and a creature that size can always just break rocks off the ground beneath it.


    I frowned, somehow still not satisfied with her answer. If it does start throwing ice, we should lead it down to warmer ground. Deprive it of the surrounding snow.


    Sure, she said. It¡¯s only a few kilometers of elevation, yeah? But I doubt it¡¯ll throw ice. Fire and lightning are totally out of the question, too. Water¡¯s not, though¡ªit¡¯s probably using [Water of Life] to regenerate the organic matter it makes that nasty breath from. Say, your elemental friend said we could fly over the mountaintops, yeah?Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Yes.


    Let¡¯s, then. Thinner air and I don¡¯t mind the cold.


    I rose, and Zirilla came with me, her movements almost exactly mirroring my own. We¡¯d flown so much together that it was trivially easy for me to send her the right impressions across the [Wild Bond], showing her how I¡¯d move before I did. We shared a tight windsleeve, maneuvered together, and were faster for it.


    Above the third mist layer, the fourth had already deepened to a dark red. I¡¯d been awake for almost twenty hours, spending the day harvesting essence and keys while Zirilla leveled up in the swamp, but it barely felt that way. Flying into deadly combat with a behemoth did a lot for wakefulness.


    As we variously followed the line of the mist and the contours of the mountains, we discussed strategy, mostly going over things that we both already knew.


    Realistically, the only way that we would kill the behemoth would be by preventing it from healing with a well-prepared curse like the one I¡¯d used on Palefang.


    Of course, a single lightning bolt to its head could kill it, if we could throw one strong enough. But while our lightning was powerful, blasting its head to pieces wasn¡¯t something we could rely on¡ªmore likely, we¡¯d have to cook its brain in its skull.


    Stoppering its mana replenishment was also desirable, but both its overall size and its total [Aegis] were hindrances when it came to cursing it: casting a spell to afflict it with both curses, as I¡¯d done to Palefang, would likely take more than four or five times as much mana as it had with the cat¡ªwell over ten thousand.


    Unfortunately, circles didn¡¯t scale with our attributes. Even with my high [Source], focusing so much mana into a single spell was likely beyond our reach no matter how much time we had to prepare.


    I¡¯d had ample time to prepare with circles against Palefang. With the wyvern, it might take a little more on-the-fly maneuvering. If we tried to draw our circles at a distance and lure the beast to them, we¡¯d run the risk of attracting other wyverns¡ªwyverns that we couldn¡¯t kill without starting another primeval convergence and attracting even more.


    And so we had to fight the beast at its nest. I would distract it, and Zirilla would put together our spell¡ªwhich would stopper its healing, not its mana replenishment, and hopefully be strong enough to do even that much.


    We wove between the mist layers, our flight path following the contours of the mountains as we came ever closer to the mightiest peak.


    It¡¯s beautiful, Zirilla said as the mountain began to loom out of the haze and we were rising toward the fourth mist layer.


    I haven¡¯t seen its heights up close yet, I said, suddenly anticipating not just the wyvern, but the view.


    We didn¡¯t have to discuss the matter to agree that our search would start with the most obvious place, the peak. There was a good chance that it was too high even for a wyvern with the appropriate skills, that feeding on other creatures necessitated it go lower, but it was still a good place to start.


    The snow-glazed slopes of the mountain grew steeper as they approached the fourth mist layer, until we were following an almost vertical cliff. A wyvern spotted us, swooping down out of the mists to go for Zirilla, but I scared it away with a blast of lightning, careful not to kill it lest I build toward the triggering of a convergence.


    We rose into the mists, both of us watching for elementals¡ªand I found something more interesting almost immediately.


    Break for the summit and get started, I said quickly. Go left.


    I could sense it in the mists¡ªwhether it had come because it sensed Zirilla, I couldn¡¯t say, but now it glided down toward us, stifling the noise of its wings with [Air Magick] while hiding itself with the mist.


    Zirilla sped off to my left, and I pushed harder against my skysail, moving straight for the wyvern and intending to keep it away from her.


    The behemoth gained speed, but I knew it better, now: I knew that it flew and fought like it had an inexhaustible supply of mana because between all its air skills and its mana absorption, it essentially did.


    I knew that there was no way I could fight it in the air, not when maneuvering around and away from it would be costly enough to keep from throwing any lightning. And even with my higher-ranked [Air Magick] I was still not sure I could outrun the beast.


    I cut toward it as fast as I could, making an upward diagonal that mirrored its own trajectory. Soon it appeared before me as a dark shadow in the reddened mists, and as soon as I saw it shift its weight in the air and flare its wings to lash out with a blast of wind, I threw everything I had into quickly ascending.


    It flapped its wings, sending forth the wave of air I had expected, but I had already thrown myself up and out of the path of the worst of it, and I barely had to slow my ascent to tighten my windsleeve enough that I was unhindered by the blast.


    The behemoth spread its wings to their full extent and began to quickly ascend, its massive windsleeve funneling the air around it so as to cut much of the wind resistance. With my higher ranked [Air Magick], we were almost evenly matched¡ªexcept it was still just a small amount faster than I was.


    Ultimately, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªif Zirilla and I retreated, we¡¯d be able to outpace it by flying together. But I didn¡¯t intend to retreat.


    I broke the mist layer with the wyvern still far enough below me that I was out of its claim. I saw the summit of the mountain for the first time, but only as a set of cliffs that rose for hundreds of meters above me.


    I kept my gaze on the behemoth as we rose together and it grew closer by the moment, but it became clear that it wouldn¡¯t catch me be the time I reached the summit, and very soon I was approaching the cliff¡¯s edge.


    I angled myself to the left, finding Zirilla¡¯s position through the [Wild Bond] and then rising past the line of the cliffs at a point that brought me close to her, but not too close, before I crested the edge of the cliffs.


    The surface of the summit looked as if a titanic hand had cut away the top of a great stone pillar, then left it to be weathered by the elements and time. The angled plateau had been mostly cleared of its snow by the motions of the wyvern and its beating wings. What remained had been packed into rough patches of ice that filled pits and crevices.


    Zirilla had taken a patch of ground on the higher side of the mountain, and I landed almost a hundred meters down from her and began to extend a line of mana toward where the wyvern was so that when its shadow rose over the mountainside I struck it immediately with a small lightning bolt.


    The behemoth raised its wings, shedding some of its gathered air to land on the frozen slope ahead of me with an earthshaking crash. Then it brought its wings forward, buffeting me with a concussive blast of focused air that tore at the scant patches of snow on the ground to raise up billowing gusts of glittering ice.


    The wave struck me, and I didn¡¯t try to resist it with my windsleeve, instead protecting my face and ears and allowing the blast to knock me back into the air, then using my magic to push myself back to the ground.


    The wyvern let out a furious shriek, and I roared back at it. Its [Air Magick] might have been excellent at putting me off-kilter when mid-flight, but on the ground, it was a feeble attack against my [Aegis] and general strength.


    The wyvern came toward me, closing the distance between us quickly by clawing its way forward across the slope, its winged forelimbs making craters where they landed as its tail swayed behind it, keeping its balance.


    A little closer, please, Zirilla said.


    I surged my [Strength] to leap back as the behemoth approached, keeping myself well out of its reach. It hissed, reared up, and beat its wings again, sending another, much larger wave of focused air my way.


    I leapt back, then shattered a small, cylinder-shaped section of stone beneath me, tore the shards out with my magic, and plunged my arm into it to hold myself in place as the wind washed over me. Again I had relinquished most of my windsleeve, protecting only my eyes and ears to save mana.


    But while I did this, the behemoth took its opportunity to charge forward, spreading its wings, filling them with a blanket of air, then soaring up the snow-covered peak to land just in front of me, its winged forelimbs kicking up flurries of snow as stones cracked beneath its weight and sent debris tumbling down the mountainside.


    Distract? Zirilla asked.


    I gave a wordless assent as the wyvern reared up its head to strike. Then, as its jaws came snapping toward me, I filled my skysail and threw myself back, leaving a line of mana that I quickly ignited into a fast bolt of lightning.


    The behemoth flinched, but the blast of lightning was so weak that it wouldn¡¯t even have killed its smaller kin¡ªinstead it had been my distraction. A split-second after I threw my bolt, I felt Zirilla¡¯s thin line of mana spider through the air beside me, then ignite with blue-white light, creating a bolt of off-color lighting that sent a ripple of fading energy across the wyvern¡¯s body.


    Got it, she said a moment later.


    She¡¯d hit it with our curse.


    The behemoth let out a short, confused cry, backing away from me. It looked between me and Zirilla¡ªand then it charged at Zirilla.